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164,716 | 60fbfa27bc31e80a342c4c55b0410ed1e9ff9510 | The naked Florida man who chewed off the face of another man last month in a zombie-like cannibal attack used marijuana but not "bath salts" as police had suspected, authorities said Wednesday. Rudy Eugene, 31, was killed by a police officer after Eugene's 18-minute attack on a homeless man. His body didn't show "any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs, or any adulterants found in street drugs," according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department. "The department has also sought the assistance of an outside forensic toxicology reference laboratory, which has confirmed the absence of 'bath salts,' synthetic marijuana and LSD," the statement said. A video of last month's incident shows Eugene coming across 65-year-old Ronald Poppo on a sidewalk along Miami's MacArthur Causeway, stripping clothes off him and eventually chewing on his face. Police said Poppo lost 75% of his face in the attack. Armando Aguilar, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, told CNN affiliate WPLG last month that he suspected Eugene was under the influence of "bath salts," a drug that contains synthetic stimulants that can "cause chest pains, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia and delusions," according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Eugene's mother said last month that her son was "a nice kid" who could have been subdued with a Taser rather than gunfire. "He was a good kid. He gave me a nice card on Mother's Day. Everyone says he was a zombie. He was no zombie. That was my son," the mother, who asked that her name not be revealed, told CNN affiliate WFOR. Chicago greenlights citations for marijuana instead of arrests . Opinion: Marijuana law creates criminals . | Rudy Eugene, 31, was killed by police after he chewed off the face of a homeless man .
His body contained marijuana but no other drugs, the coroner's office says .
Police had suspected Eugene was under the influence of "bath salts"
The absence of "bath salts" is also confirmed by an outside lab, coroner says . |
97,176 | 090db2caa8cb8229e7e337623b1321e2859476ce | A teacher at one of Britain’s top public schools has been arrested on suspicion of raping a former pupil. Dr Dean Johnson, a physics master at Charterhouse in Surrey, has been forced to leave the £31,680-a-year boarding school following the alleged incident. The divorced father-of-three, who was educated at Oxford and Cambridge, was held by police on April 12. The letter sent to parents of children at Charterhouse School informing them about a teacher who had an inappropriate relationship with a former pupil . He has taught at the prestigious school for 12 years and was well-liked among students and teachers. The victim is understood to be a graduate in her 20s, who cannot be named for legal reasons. According to two former pupils who knew her, Dr Johnson and the girl had been involved in a secret relationship since her first year of sixth form – when she was 16. One of them, who didn’t wish to be identified, said: ‘She was quite quiet and was involved in societies he ran.’ Dr Johnson, 48, who specialises in astronomy and astrophysics, lived in a £500,000 house owned by the Godalming school. He also advertised his services as a private tutor outside of school hours. The master – who was known to staff and pupils as ‘Deano’ – would regularly stay after school hours with pupils from his school-house until 10pm, helping them with homework and after-school activities.His alleged victim was one of the pupils he would supervise. A letter from the headmaster of the school, Reverend John Witheridge, was sent to parents last weekend. The teacher has since resigned from his post at the exclusive Charterhouse School in Godalming . It read: ‘I write to inform you that Dr Dean Johnson (Physics) has resigned after the school was made aware of serious concerns about the existence of an inappropriate relationship with a former sixth-form girl. ‘I am sure you will understand that I am unable to go into any further detail.’ It continues: ‘If you have concerns, do please let me know, and I will do my best to answer them if I can.’ A school spokesman said it would be ‘improper’ to give any further comment. A police spokesman said: ‘A 48-year-old man is currently on conditional bail in relation to an allegation of a serious sexual offence at an address in Godalming. He is due to report back to Guildford Police Station on July 16, 2013.’ Charterhouse, whose motto is ‘Because God has given I give’, counts broadcaster David Dimbleby, Genesis founder members Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford, and Robert Baden-Powell among its alumni. In March last year, the school was at the centre of a police inquiry after a boy was arrested on suspicion of filming naked pupils. The 16-year-old was said to have captured ‘indecent images’ in a video which was allegedly stored on his computer. In 2010, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker criticised the school for failing to get his son George a place at his chosen university. Charterhouse was originally built over 68 acres where 120 boys were taught in three boarding houses. Today it spreads over 200 acres, has 795 pupils and girls are allowed in the sixth form. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Physics master Dr Dean Johnson has now quit his role after arrest .
Left amid reports of an 'inappropriate relationship'
School costs £31,000 a year to attend in Godalming, Surrey . |
265,637 | e40765baebbf41f3d160bf687dfc42e4c26f6eb6 | From a famous French actor accused of relieving himself in the gangway of a cabin to a unruly passenger that to be restrained on a flight from Iceland to New York last year, bad behavior on planes comes in a variety of forms. Carriers have said they face daily issues like passengers watching pornography, throwing drinks at cabin crew or being verbally abusive. But captains and crew are often worried they could be sued for assault if they take action in response. That's why the International Air Transport Association (IATA) wants to clarify what measurements are allowed to be taken in situations that aren't a clear safety threat. Airlines have reported over 15,000 incidents to IATA since it started collecting reports of bad passenger behavior in 2007. "It's something we need to tackle as an industry and across the globe," said IATA spokesperson Chris Goater. The association wants to address the issue at a diplomatic conference in Montreal in March, hoping for a global agreement on new guidelines. Golden days of flying a thing of the past . The current legislation is based on the 1963 Tokyo Convention, which governs criminal offenses that pose as serious safety threats, but "the reality of today's industry is very different to that when the Tokyo Convention was developed," states IATA. Psychologist Robert Bor, who has specialized in passenger behavior and fear of flying, agrees that much has changed since the 1960s. "In those days flying was dreamlike -- people would dress up to go traveling and the airline adverts reflected the actual experience," he said. Read this: How to battle the shrinking airline seat . Bor thinks the increase in air rage can be explained by more efficient reporting on one hand, but also by looking at society in general. "It's evident that people are under a lot of pressure with their time and money," he said. He thinks the proposed revision of the Tokyo Convention is a step in the right direction. "It is very important that we learn more about air range and that there is common policy between different countries about how to address it." Stealing wine and threatening crew . But what really causes passengers to behave so badly on flights? Bor says there are many different factors coming together. "If you look at air rage cases it's often a fairly ordinary person, and a trigger can be another person who might put their seat back, added with a bit of alcohol consumption and a fear of flying." Another factor could be the cabin layout and the environment in the aircraft. "We know by research that lack of space can cause stress or even anger and people can become territorial," said Bor. "We might think of it as small trivial things, but actually we know that stress is cumulative." Read this: Airlines take the pain out of boarding planes . What might be defined as rowdy passenger behavior can vary widely, and IATA has no grading system, says Goater. Many cases involve alcohol consumption, like a man reportedly stealing wine from a trolley to lock himself in the toilet to drink it. With a common policy Goater hopes passengers will then have a clear message of the consequences of acting up in the air. "The small minority that commit unruly behavior and acts will begin to understand the serious consequences of their actions as police authorities and courts will have the necessary legal tools to deal with them in adequate manner," he said. | Bad passenger behavior is on the increase, according to airlines .
Aircraft captains and crew are reportedly worried they could be sued for assault if they take actions .
IATA wants to clarify the rules on unruly passengers . |
227,715 | b2d80a7ade15b065f874d6b14d102c4bac1b5198 | (CNN) -- China's economic growth rose in the fourth quarter of 2012, helping the world's most populous nation end the year with a growth rate of 7.8%, according to figures released Friday from the National Bureau of Statistics. Last quarter, China's economy grew at a pace of 7.9%, slightly better than analyst expectations and breaking a pattern of seven straight quarters of decline. China's growth rate had been steadily falling since the fourth quarter of 2010, when economic output grew 9.8%. The slowing growth rate bottomed out in the third quarter of 2012, when China's economy only grew at 7.4%. Last March, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao lowered the country's 2012 growth target from 8% to 7.5%. While such growth would be the envy of most nations, China's economy has grown at an average rate of about 10% each year for the past 30 years. This has helped propel China to become the world's second largest economy, just behind that of the United States. China's leaders are widely expected to maintain its 7.5% growth target into 2013. Adding to Friday's better-than-expected growth figures, China's industrial production increased to 10.3% year-on-year versus expectations of 10.2% growth. Retail sales rose 15.2% year-on-year, also a 0.1% point increase over expectations. | China's economy grew 7.9% in the fourth quarter, slightly better than expectations .
The world's second largest economy grew 7.8% for the year in 2012 .
Fourth quarter growth rate bucked seven straight quarters of declines . |
136,498 | 3c93a60470a3e9fa1592063a36f5747bc02049fa | By . Corey Charlton . and Mark Duell . It is a familiar plight for Scrabble fanatics – being stuck with the letter Q without a U to go with it. But now 5,000 new words have been added to The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary – including qajaq. Lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, who helped compile the updated fifth edition, said the word is an alternative spelling for kayak reflecting its Inuit roots. Scroll down for video . The new cover shows the fifth edition of the players' dictionary features 5,000 new words, including 'geocache' You would, however, need one of the blank tiles which can be used for any letter as Scrabble sets include only one Q. For really competitive Scrabblers . there is also quinzhee, a shelter made by hollowing out a pile of snow, . for which you can rack up 401 points if you play your tiles right. It would involve ending at the top . right corner using two triple word squares and a double letter square, . plus an existing letter and all seven of your own tiles which gives a 50 . point bonus. Other new entries to the dictionary, . which already lists more than 100,000 words, include beatbox, bromance . (friendship between two men), chillax, frenemy (combination of friend . and enemy), hashtag, mojito, selfie, sudoku and texter. But it's . the addition of the word ‘te’ as a variant of 'ti' and three other . two-letter words - da, gi and po - that has Toronto clinical . psychologist Robin Pollock Daniel excited. He is a champion of the North American Scrabble Players Association, which has a committee that helps Merriam-Webster track down new, playable words of two to eight letters. Mr Daniel said: 'Being able to hook an “e” underneath "t" means that I can play far more words. Sometimes you play parallel to a word and you're making two-letter words along the way. ‘I call those the amino acids of Scrabble. The more two-letter words we have, the more possibilities a word will fit.' The new words add about 40 pages to the Scrabble-sanctioned dictionary, which already lists more than 100,000 playable words. Definitions are kept to a minimum but parts of speech and whether a plural is available are noted. To be included in the 36-year-old book — . this is the fifth edition — a word must be found in a standard . dictionary, can't require capitalization, can't have hyphens or . apostrophes and can't be an abbreviation. The fifth new players dictionary allows words such as selfie, hashtag and buzzkill to be used in the game . This is in . addition to being two to eight letters, reflecting the seven tiles . players draw plus an eighth already on the board they can attach a long . word to for bonus points. Among the highest potential scorers among the new additions is 'quinzhee,' a shelter made by hollowing out a pile of snow. Played . on the board's top row, ending at the top right through an existing . ‘u’, and a player can score 401 points, including the 50-point ‘bingo’ bonus for using all seven tiles. Merriam-Webster . did not identify all 5,000 new words but released a list of about 30 . that also include: Beatbox, buzzkill, chillax, coqui, frenemy, funplex, . jockdom, joypad, mixtape, mojito, ponzu, qigong, schmutz, sudoku and . yuzu. Geocache was also added, voted into the dictionary by the public during a Facebook contest in May. | New Official Scrabble Players Dictionary lists additional 5,000 words .
Sets of two letter words get fans excited about game possibilities .
Quinzhee is a shelter made by hollowing out a pile of snow .
Qajaq reflects Inuit roots of kayak and would require blank tile . |
166,157 | 62d724c9f5bb6571e7855d346cb4d92d1f5e1350 | By . Associated Press . An express train smashed into into a parked freight train in northern India today, killing at least 40 people and reducing cars to heaps of torn and twisted metal. The Gorakhpur Express passenger train was travelling at high speed and slammed on its brakes in an attempt to stop, but hit the train sitting on the tracks near a railway station in Uttar Pradesh state, district magistrate Bharat Lal said. Six of the cars on the express train derailed, with one car with unreserved seating taking the brunt of the impact and accounting for most of the 40 deaths so far counted, senior police officer Amrendra Sainger said. Scroll down for video . Rescue workers attempt to make their way through the mangle Gorakhdham Express, which rammed into a goods train at Chureb station . At least 40 killed: Officials and rescuers gather around the wreckage after the Gorakhpur Express passenger train slammed into a parked freight train Chureb, near Basti, Uttar Pradesh state . 'It has been reduced to a mangled iron mesh,' he said. 'We do not know how many people were there.' While the car seats 72, such trains are often filled beyond capacity. Authorities were searching for the station master, who disappeared after the accident in Sant Kabir Nagar, about 140 miles southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. But authorities said it was too early to say what had gone wrong and were investigating everything from mechanical failure to human error. Villagers were the first to reach the scene after the accident about six miles from the nearest road. Indian TV broadcast images of them assisting the injured amid piles of strewn luggage. 'I was working in the field when I heard the whistle of the engine, and suddenly I heard the sound of a crash. It was a terrible sound . it still reverberates in my ears,' villager Ram Chander Chaudhry told news channel Samachar Plus. 'Within minutes I reached there and saw the train had been derailed.' Most of the victims were poor farm workers returning to their homes from the neighbouring state of Haryana, local police official Zameer Ahmad said. The train departed from Haryana's Hissar town and was just 29 miles from its destination of Gorakhpur when the accident happened. Most of the victims were poorfarm workers returning to their homes from the neighbouring state of Haryana . Six of the cars on the express train derailed, with one car with unreserved seating taking the brunt of the impact and accounting for most of the deaths . Because of the remote location, 'it was difficult to start rescue operations immediately,' Ahmad said. 'By the time police and rail officials reached the spot, villagers and other passengers had moved the injured away.' Rescuers worked to free people trapped under toppled cars and debris. The express train's driver died later Monday from serious injuries, while the assistant driver was in critical condition, railway official Alok Kumar said. Trains were diverted to other tracks to avoid the wreckage. Narendra Modi, who was sworn in later Monday as India's new prime minister, expressed condolences to the families of the dead in a message on Twitter. "Prayers with the injured," he said. Accidents are common on India's railroad network, one of the world's largest with 20 million people riding daily on about 11,000 passenger trains. Most accidents are blamed on poor maintenance and human error. Earlier this month, a train crashed into a jeep at an unmanned railroad crossing in Uttar Pradesh, killing 13 members of a wedding party. Four days earlier, a passenger train derailed, killing at least 19 people just south of Mumbai. Another train derailment last month left dozens injured in the northeast state of Assam. | Gorakhpur Express was travelling at high speed and slammed on brakes .
Six cars derailed with one car with unreserved seating taking the brunt .
Although the car sits 72, they are often filled beyond capacity . |
194,146 | 874ea5bac695bd863506bc3bcb50e3c1cf3594a1 | Colonel Gaddafi was good for immigration control as he helped stop North Africans coming to Britain, Ukip candidate Mark Reckless has said. The former MP, who defected from the Tories triggering the by-election in Rochester, said the former Libyan leader had stopped boats taking migrants across the Mediterranean to Italy. Ukip leader Nigel Farage agreed with the comments and said the dictator, accused of killing hundreds of his own people, brought ‘stability’ to the country. He claimed helping remove Gaddafi was one of David Cameron’s biggest mistakes . Gaddafi fan: Mark Reckless, who defected to Ukip in September, spoke out in support of the late Libyan dictator, saying Colonel Gaddafi was good for immigration control . At a rally in the Kent constituency, Mr Reckless said: ‘Whatever people say about Gaddafi, one thing is he didn’t allow those boats to come across. ‘He had an agreement with Italy that stopped it. Since he’s gone we’ve no idea what’s going on in Libya, it’s too dangerous for anyone to go there.’ Asked if he agreed, Mr Farage replied: ‘Of course.’ The Ukip leader insisted that the ‘bad guys’ were being replaced by ‘even worse guys’ and said action in Libya had been Mr Cameron’s biggest mistakes. He added: ‘We bombed them, that’s what we did. That’s how this government helped Libya. It got rid of somebody, albeit an Arab nationalist dictator, who actually gave a level of stability to the area.’ Mr Reckless’ remarks were compared to the famous last excuse for Facism, ‘say what you like about Mussolini, he made the trains on time.’ 'Oh, Reckless': Ukip leader Farage did not seem at all unhappy with Mark Reckless' support of the Colonel, and agreed with his new candidate, saying removing Gaddafi was one of David Cameron’s biggest mistakes . Shaking hands with the devil: Mr Reckless said: ‘Whatever people say about Gaddafi, one thing is he didn’t allow those boats to come across' Labour MP Chris Bryant said last night said: ‘First Farage says he admires Putin, then Reckless praises Gaddafi. Why don’t they go the whole way and say they support Kim Il Sung, Genghis Khan and Stalin and be done with it?’ Colonel Gaddafi died after the UN security council approved bombing raids led by Britain, France and the U.S. designed to assist rebel militias battling against forces loyal to Gaddafi on the ground. He was eventually captured and shot dead by the victorious rebels in 2011. During his rule his government supplied weapons to the IRA and other terrorist groups, was behind the Lockerbie bombing – the biggest act of terrorism in Britain history, which killed 270 people in 1988 – and the 1984 murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher. Tens of thousands of migrants each year cross from North Africa to Europe, many in dangerous wooden baots. Last October 359 people were killed when a boat making the crossing sank off the Italian island Lampedusa. Senior Tories had declared the Rochester and Strood by-election on November 20 a ‘must-win’, but Mr Reckless has a 15 point lead over his former party according to the latest opinion poll. Mr Cameron had pledged to ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at the attempt to hold the seat and halt the Ukip surge. There are warnings that the Prime Minister could face a leadership challenge if the Conservatives fail to win. Former leadership contender David Davis was last week reported to be taking soundings about a possible plot to depose Mr Cameron if the seat is lost. Mr Davis is said to have told fellow MPs that there is a ‘window’ of opportunity to organise a vote of no confidence in Mr Cameron between the by-election and Christmas. The contest comes after Douglas Carswell became the first elected Ukip MP last month. | Former MP Mark Reckless spoke out in support of Libyan dictator .
Reckless said Colonel Gaddafi was good for immigration control .
Nigel Farage agreed with Reckless, who left the Tories in September .
Farage said removing Gaddafi was one of Cameron’s biggest mistakes . |
269,149 | e8a478f378a10a6d599e65a5c2b716c49c965c8f | By . Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 18:20 EST, 23 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:39 EST, 23 June 2013 . Speaking out: Gay male tennis players feel oppressed at court and fear coming out of the closet according to Martina Navratilova . Tennis great Martina Navratilova says gay men still feel oppressed on court – and many are still in the closet. The 56-year-old, who has been championing gay rights since she came out in 1981, said she knew that there were professional male tennis players who were homosexual – but none would go public. She claimed they had a tougher time in the sports world than those working in entertainment, where many have spoken of their sexuality. Speaking with sports broadcaster Clare Balding at the launch of London Pride at St James Theatre, Victoria, she said that there were far more openly gay women in sport than men. She said: ‘In the entertainment guys have an easier time coming out than women. In the sports world we have had a lot more women coming out than men. ‘In the US we only have Jason Collins who has come out, the basketball star. So, I don’t know.’ Miss Navratilova was one of the first openly gay sports figures and says she has gave up millions of dollars in endorsements and sponsorships because of her honesty. She received numerous awards from many of the most influential organizations within the gay and lesbian community. The Czech-American, who has retired from tennis, campaigned against homophobia in sports for three decades. She added: ‘It is more difficult in team sports as you may not get to play. But that does not explain why there are no gay male tennis players at all. ‘We know they are there, but they are so far in the closet I don't know who they are.’ Only one male tennis player has come out as gay and that was only in retirement. Pioneer: The 56-year-old Czech-American came out as a lesbian in 1981 and has been championing gay rights since . He . was Francisco Rodriguez of Paraguay, who played between 2001-2006 and . earned a high ranking of 373 in the world. Rodriguez spoke about being . gay in a 2008 saying: ‘If you came out on the tennis tour you would be . an outcast.’ Miss Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam single and double crowns, a record 9 Wimbledon singles championships, and is one of the most successful tennis players of all time. Last year, she revealed that she had embraced playing mother to her partner’s children. After a string of tempestuous love affairs, she said she had finally decided to settle down - and loved her ‘instantaneous family’. Miss Navratilova has been in a relationship with former Russian beauty queen Julia Lemigova, 41, since 2006, and the couple were first pictured together in 2009. During an appearance on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, the sportswoman - who has been hailed as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time - said she spends most of her time in Paris, where Miss Lemigova lives with her children. | Retired champion Martina Navratilova says gay players feel oppressed .
She said sports world is tougher than entertainment for gay men .
Czech-American Navratilova came out as a lesbian in 1981 . |
270,551 | ea6af651435472d12eb5046df46f936d0a38a148 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:02 EST, 14 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:02 EST, 14 May 2013 . These are the amazing 'before and after' weight loss pictures of Obie the dachshund who found fame after tipping the scales at 77lbs. The formerly obese dog showed off his remarkable 40lb weight loss in a series of pictures taken on a hike on Sunday with his owner Nora Vanatta. The little dog sprints along the trail - a remarkable difference considering several months ago he was barely able to move. After dropping the pounds over an eight-month period, Obie had surgery at an Oregon veterinary clinic that removed 2 1/2 pounds of loose skin that had been dragging along the ground. Fighting fit: Obie the dachshund went for a hike on Sunday and showed off the impressive results of his weight loss and skin removal surgery . Before: Obie could barely move after his owners fed him until he was obese . Obie now weighs about 35lbs. Fans have been following his . weight loss ever since the first pictures of Obie when he was obese were posted on Facebook. The dog was so overweight that he needed . to wear a harness to stop his body dragging on the ground. Obie was adopted by former veterinary technician Ms Vanatta after . his elderly owners almost fed him to death. But . Oregon Dachshund Rescue owner Jenell Rangan accused the woman of . exploiting the dog for 'sensationalistic promotional value' and began . fighting for custody. Obie became a nationwide celebrity . after appearing on TV shows such as 'Live With Kelly and Michael' and . the Today Show with Ms Vanatta, who put him on a drastic diet. A Facebook page that chronicled his weight loss now has 96,000 followers. Walkies: Obie bounds up the Oregon trail on Sunday after losing 40lb over an eight-month period . But the rescue centre claimed to be . Obie's owner six months ago and in court papers filed on October 22 . accuses Ms Vanatta of 'wrongfully' holding the dog in an effort to get . famous and pocket the donations that are flowing in to help pay for his . care. 'They say I'm exploiting him,' Ms Vanatta told KATU.com last year. 'They say I'm misusing his funds and they claim he belongs to them.' But the rescue centre claimed to be . Obie's owner six months ago and in court papers filed on October 22 . accuses Ms Vanatta of 'wrongfully' holding the dog in an effort to get . famous and pocket the donations that are flowing in to help pay for his . care. Recovery time: Obie the formerly obese dachshund recovering after surgery at an Oregon veterinary clinic that removed 2 1/2 pounds of loose skin . Weight struggles: Obie the obese Dachshund, pictured, tipped the scales at 77 pounds last year . The . woman, who is now his permanent owner, collected thousands of dollars from Obie's supporters. But . she insists that everything she's done was for the dog benefit. Oregon Dachshund Rescue put out an online plea for help when they heard the dog was in need of a home. A rescue centre volunteer picked up Obie from his former owners and delivered him to Ms Vanatta after she volunteered to help. 'He's famous and he’s touched so many people and I think they regret not taking him on in the first place,' she said. Dubbed . the world's fattest sausage dog, Obie found fame in September after Ms . Vanatta put him on a drastic diet to try and get him back into shape. Obie, . who was double the size of an average Dachshund, was nearly fed to death . by his doting elderly owners who had to give him up because of their . deteriorating health. A . Dachshund normally has a maximum weight of 32 pounds - a little over . two stone - with Obie more than twice the size at the age of just five. Ms Vanatta said: 'He arrived on August 18 and to my astonishment he was a dachshund and he actually weighed 77 lbs. 'He is extremely sweet and loving. He . was obviously loved and is a joy to work with. The aging owners just . couldn't say no to those big brown eyes. 'But we are thrilled to be able to help him, and now moving on with his new life.' Ms Vanatta, . who has a degree in animal science and is a certified veterinary . technician, said the dog's staggering weight meant she was unable to take him out for exercise. Exploitation: Nora Vanatta, pictured, was being accused of exploiting the dog for 'sensationalistic promotional value' Instead, she resorted to a special diet and hydrotherapy in an attempt to shed the pounds. Ms . Vanatta set up a Paypal page to encourage people to donate money to pay . for Obie's care and the donations have been flowing in. When . she embarked on the project, she said: 'I feel tremendously blessed to . be involved in his rehabilitation and I am amazed at the outpouring of . love and support that I have received. 'My hope is that he can be an inspiration to any person or animal trying to lose weight. 'It is so important to introduce pups and kids to a healthy lifestyle and food choices as early as possible.' Fat: Obie, pictured, had to wear a harness to stop his belly dragging on the ground . Dieting: Obie, aged seven, was taken in by vet Nora Vanetta in Portland, Oregon, to get him back in shape . | Obie has been on a diet since last year after his former owners almost fed him to death .
A dachshund dog should only weigh a maximum of 32lbs . |
138,916 | 3fa77078f10c25ddc526a1f2d47e9ce8ed18c9b0 | By . Sophie Borland . Nurses should be banned from chatting loudly at night, wearing squeaky shoes or waking patients up for checks to allow them to properly sleep, according to their union. Members of the Royal College of Nursing are also urging hospitals to install slow-closing doors and bins, display ‘quiet please’ signs and hand round earplugs for patients at night. They say patients deprived of sleep are at higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, constant pain, aggression and delayed wound healing. Members of the Royal College of Nursing are also urging hospitals to install slow-closing doors and bins, display 'quiet please' signs and hand round earplugs for patients at night (file picture) Debbie Simmonds, from the RCN’s Suffolk branch said: ‘Sleep is a basic human need and fundamental to the basics of mental and physical health. ‘We know how important it is for patients to get a good night’s sleep yet we know that hospitals are getting busier and the patients we are looking after are getting more poorly. Addressing the RCN’s annual conference in Liverpool, she added: ‘Clinical noise depriving you of sleep creates an increased risk of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, delayed wound healing, aggressive behaviour and reduced pain control. ‘Common sources of noise reported by patients regularly includes staff conversation, patient alarms and pagers. ‘Other common sources include squeaky drawers, bins, telephones, noisy shoes. ‘Local initiatives have included slow-closing doors and bin lids, use of ear plugs for patients, bleeps set to vibrate and telephones with their volume reduced. ‘There are also simple signs telling people it’s night-time and patients are trying to sleep.’ In March, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals emailed all staff telling them to wear shoes with soft soles at night and to only talk behind closed doors. In March, Royal Sussex County Hospital (above) emailed all staff telling them to wear shoes with soft soles at night and to only talk behind closed doors. It followed a similar initiative at Western Sussex hospitals . It followed a similar initiative at Western Sussex hospitals the previous year which had resulted in a drop in complaints about noise from patients. Bethann Siviter, a nurse from the RCN’s South Birmingham RCN branch, who suffers from a chronic condition which means she is often in hospital, said: ‘I can tell you the bane of my existence is (nurses saying) ‘you should have seen what they were doing during the day...’, ‘oh the security guards are just coming by we should have a chat with them’ - they’re really loud. ‘How can I trust a nurse to help me with my pain if she is too clueless to know that when I’m sick in bed the last thing I want to hear is ‘if you go down to the canteen can you get me two bacon sarnies?’ - that’s the last thing you want to hear when you are in bed.” Maura Buchanan, the former president of the RCN said: ‘The source of most complaints I ever received as a manager were about nurses talking too loud and even listening to the radio at night, waking patients up for observations, which sometimes you have to do but sometimes you don’t, even waking patients up to give them sleeping tablets. ‘The solution is easy, keep quiet.' | Royal College of Nursing is urging hospitals to display 'quiet please' signs .
Also encouraging all hospitals to install quiet slow-closing doors and bins .
Claims patients deprived of sleep are at higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, constant pain, aggression and delayed wound healing . |
22,848 | 40de9caf6e8dedab2678f8edc1012903cce7814d | The Seven Network has been forced to abandon plans to 'simulate a car explosion' in the same Sydney suburb where a deadly blast killed three people earlier this month. Seven was branded 'insensitive and offensive' by former Leichhardt mayor Darcy Byrne over the planned blast in Rozelle, in Sydney's inner west, which was to be filmed just streets away from the recent disaster as part of a Rebecca Gibney crime drama. Bianka O'Brien, 31, her baby boy Jude and neighbour Chris Noble, 27, died on September 4 when a massive explosion occurred at a Rozelle convenience store below their homes on Darling St, the suburb's main thoroughfare, in the early hours of the morning. Seven's simulated blast was due to occur between 1pm and 5:45pm on Friday but following the uproar a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the scene had been 'reworked'. All smiles: Gibney appeared upbeat as filming commenced in Rozelle - without the planned car explosion. Rebecca Gibney, the star of forthcoming drama The Killing Field, pictured on set in Rozelle. A modified car, believed to be the one which was supposed to explode, appears on the set of The Killing Field in Rozelle. The scene of the convenience store explosion in Rozelle. Mr Byrne said: 'Common sense would dictate that an explosion in Balmain or Rozelle at this time is insensitive and offensive. 'Whoever has approved this to take place should think have thought through more carefully the emotional impact of the people in Rozelle'. Mr Byrne said the recent explosion had taken a heavy toll on the suburb. 'The buildings were flattened, our economy has been severely damaged but its the human cost of this tragedy that has hit people so hard.' Firefighters planned to be present at the scene of the blast, according to emails seen by Daily Mail Australia. Uproar: Former mayor Darcy Byrne branded the planned filming 'insensitive and offensive'. Ms Gibney smiles on the set of The Killing Field in Rozelle. Blast: Gibney and a co-star appear to be knocked to the ground after an explosion at The Killing Field today. The Killing Field: Rebecca Gibney is the star of the crime drama. Residents were also notified of the planned explosion, which would have involved a modified car where the fuel tank and all fluids and gases had been removed. The O'Briens and Mr Noble were asleep in their apartments when the explosion that killed them occurred earlier this month. Adeel Khan, 44, who ran the convenience store below the apartments where the explosion occurred, has been charged over their deaths. Over a week ago, mourners gathered on a bright spring day at a Rozelle church to pay tribute ot the O'Briens. A service was held for Mr Noble in his home town of Canowindra earlier this month. Two others were injured in the blast. Bianka O'Brien, 31, left, and her son, baby Jude, were both killed in the Rozelle explosion. The scene of the convenience store explosion in Rozelle . Chris Noble was also killed in the blaze. Funeral service: Bianka O'Brien (top photo, right) and baby Jude (below) were killed in the tragic explosion. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Seven forced to abandon plan to film 'car explosion' in Rozelle .
Three people were killed in a massive blast in the same suburb earlier this month .
Former mayor Darcy Byrne said plan was 'insensitive and offensive'
Blast was to be part of Rebecca Gibney drama, believed to The Killing Field .
Bianka O'Brien, 31, baby Jude and neighbour Chris Noble, 27, were killed in this month's blast .
Convenience store owner Adeel Khan, 44, was charged over their deaths . |
260,138 | dcd7820b0a1f3a17fe90620cb32bd3aa213720c2 | A multi-millionaire businessman was today ‘designated’ the father of the love child of France’s first ever female justice minister. A court in Versailles, west of Paris, handed down the ruling after considering evidence that Dominique Desseigne, 70, fathered a four-year-old child, with Rachida Dati, 48. The glamorous politician remains a Paris mayor and MEP after serving as justice minister for two years up until 2009. Dominique Desseigne, left, claims that he is not the father of Rachida Dati's four-year-old child . She was linked with up to eight boyfriends at around the time she was seeing Mr Desseigne – a revelation which emerged during their bitter paternity row. Mr Desseigne, head of casino group Groupe Lucien Barriere, refused to take a DNA test after being accused of being Zohra’s father. Mr Desseigne last year told M, Le Monde’s magazine, that he was one of many who had an 'adventure' with Ms Dati, and that he 'does not know' if he is Zohra's father. Moreover, his lawyers suggested in written evidence that she was involved in 'up to eight relationships' at the time. These included 'a TV host, a minister, a chief executive office, a Spanish prime minister, a brother of Nicolas Sarkozy, a Qatari Attorney General and the heir to a luxury goods empire,' said the M article, published in 2012. Mr Desseigne refused an application made by Ms Dati at a court in Versailles, near Paris, to submit to a DNA test. According to French law, anybody approached for a test can say no, although Ms Dati was said to have other proof, including sworn statements from her staff that Mr Desseigne constantly visited 'their' child soon after she was born. According to Le Parisien newspaper and Itele news channel, Mr Dessiegne has now been ‘designated’ the father. Rachida Dati will now receive more than £2,000 a month in child maintenance from Mr Desseigne . He is set to appeal the decision, the news outlets claims.It means he will have to pay up to £2,000 a month in child maintenance, although the figure is likely to end up being a let more, given his massive wealth. Those suspected of being the child's father in the past have included a range of public figures, ranging from former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Anzar to former French president Mr Sarkozy. Ms Dati, a notorious self-publicist, encouraged the speculation in a range of interviews in magazines like Paris Match, in which she also appeared in glamorous photo shoots.Ms Dati, who comes from a North African immigrant background and who has one failed marriage behind her, has been single since her early 20s. Mr Desseigne is believed to be worth more than £500 million due to his hotel and casino holdings . She became the star of President Nicolas Sarkozy's ethnically diverse 'rainbow cabinet' in 2007 in an attempt to get minorities into government, but was unceremoniously sacked in 2009 when it was claimed she was not up to the job. Mr Desseigne, who is worth more than £500 million, was a close business ally of the Mr Sarkozy. The former president famously celebrated his election win in Le Fouquet's, a chic restaurant on the Champs Elysee which Mr Desseigne owns. Mr Desseigne has two grown up children from his marriage to his late wife Diane Barriere-Desseigne, who died in 2001. Neither Ms Dati nor Mr Desseigne were immediately available for comment. | Rachida Dati took Dominique Desseigne to court over paternity of her child .
Dati claims that Desseigne fathered the four-year-old during their encounter .
Desseigne refused to take a DNA test claiming other men could be father .
A court in Versailles ruled that Desseigne should be 'designated' father .
He will have to pay Dati at least £2,000-a-month in maintenance .
Desseigne is worth at least £500 million and is a friend of Nicolas Sarkozy . |
280,724 | f7aab867d52c9c39b2b369d2dd104fb00fc0f566 | Wales prop Aaron Jarvis is expected to be sidelined for 'around six weeks' after suffering a pectoral muscle injury. It is a latest front-row blow for Jarvis' regional team the Ospreys, who are also currently without his fellow props Nicky Smith, Ryan Bevington and Duncan Jones. Jarvis was hurt during Wales' 12-6 victory over South Africa at the Millennium Stadium 11 days ago. Wales prop Aaron Jarvis is facing six weeks out of action after he picked up a pectoral muscle injury . Confirming the injury, Ospreys medical performance manager Chris Towers said: 'Aaron tore his pectoral muscle playing for Wales against South Africa. 'The scan has confirmed that he doesn't require surgery, but he is still looking at a recovery period of around six weeks.' The Ospreys will also be without lock Lloyd Peers for Saturday's European Champions Cup clash against Racing Metro in Le Mans after he damaged ankle ligaments during last weekend's home 19-19 draw with the French club. The Ospreys will be without the services of Jarvis for Saturday's game against Racing Metro . 'He has had a scan which confirms damage to ankle ligaments,' Towers added. 'We will now discuss with an ankle specialist the options for his treatment over the next few days before deciding what is the best one for Lloyd.' | Wales prop Aaron Jarvis picked has suffered a pectoral muscle injury .
Jarvis sustained the injury during Wales' 12-6 victory over South Africa .
The Ospreys are currently without a raft of props .
Nicky Smith, Ryan Bevington and Duncan Jones are all our injured . |
36,258 | 66d69c985a627b9373cd2899034cf2541efe0705 | Google’s attempts to put driverless cars on the road may have suffered a setback due to new motoring laws in California. Under the rules all drivers must be able to take ‘immediate physical control’ of a vehicle for it to be able to travel on roads in the US state. The law comes into effect on September 16 meaning that Google will either have to get it changed or convince legislators it is complying with its futuristic vehicles. Scroll down for video . U-turn? Under the rules all drivers must be able to take ‘immediate physical control’ of a vehicle for it to be able to travel on roads in the US state. But the tech giant has created a car with no steering wheel or pedals which will be completely autonomous and rely on GPS technology, cameras and in-built maps of cities to steer it . That will be tricky as the tech giant has created a car with no steering wheel or pedals which will be completely autonomous and rely on GPS technology, cameras and in-built maps of cities to steer it around. It wants to debut the two-seater vehicle in California where driverless cars are legal - but now lawmakers appear to have done a partial U-turn. Google has not revealed how it will comply with the regulations as its prototype driverless car only has buttons for start, pull over and emergency stop. There is also a computer screen showing your route on the vehicle, which Google hopes to have on the streets by 2017. Testing on private roads has is due to start next month and will include temporary manual controls. A Google spokesman said that the new California driving rules covered testing of its cars only. He said: 'During our testing we are equipping the vehicles with manual controls such as a steering wheel, brake pedal, and accelerator pedal. 'With these additions, our safety drivers can test the self-driving features, while having the ability to take control of the vehicle if necessary.' However that is not the only hurdle that the cars have to overcome. Another issue is liability for insurance companies in the event of an accident - experts have asked who will be responsible if there is no driver and Google is effectively in charge of the vehicle. To get round this California has insisted that anyone testing a driverless car must have a $5 million insurance policy to cover any eventualities. In the US driverless cars are only allowed on roads in certain states if someone sits in the driver's seat. The California Department of Motor Vehicles is expected to start granting licences to certain driverless cars and their human co-pilots as soon as September. Changes to the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic, which dates back to 1968, are also afoot. It used to state: 'Every driver shall at all times be able to control his vehicle or to guide his animals.'An amendment agreed in May would allow a car to drive itself, as long as the system 'can be overridden or switched off by the driver'. A driver must be present and able to take the wheel at any time. The convention covers European countries, Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Russia, although not the United States, Japan or China. Google has developed a . digital simulation that its cars can drive around in (3D mapping . software of the cars shown) and test their abilities before they head . out into the real world. Google has not revealed how it will comply with regulations as its prototype driverless car only has buttons for start, pull over and emergency stop . David Hall, the chief executive of Velodyne Inc, which makes laser technology used by Google's autonomous cars, told the Wall St Journal that these questions left him concerned. He said: ‘Who pays when there's a crash? Who will insure us against this?’ Google’s car is powered by electricity and could go about 100 miles before charging. Its shape suggests a rounded-out Volkswagen Beetle - something that might move people around a corporate campus or congested downtown - with headlights and sensors arrayed to resemble a friendly face. The prototype two-seater cars have buttons to autonomously begin and end the drive. The car makes turns and react to other vehicles and pedestrians based on computer programs that predict what others might do, and data from sensors including radar and cameras that read in real time what other objects are actually doing. The route might be set by typing a destination into a map or using spoken commands according to Chris Urmson, the leader of Google's self-driving car team. The car will be powered by electricity and could go about 100 miles (160 km) before charging. Its shape suggests a rounded-out Volkswagen Beetle - something that might move people around a corporate campus or congested downtown - with headlights and sensors arrayed to resemble a friendly face. The front of the vehicle has a soft foam-like material where a traditional bumper would be and a more flexible windscreen, in a bid to be safer for pedestrians. In these prototypes speed is restricted to 25mph (40 km/h) and the ability to self-drive will depend on specifically designed Google road maps tested on the company’s current fleet of vehicles. Ultimately the vehicles will be faster and will be able to use Google's extended maps service.Driving works by using GPS technology to locate the vehicle’s exact position on an electronic map. A combination of radar, lasers and cameras sitting on top of the roof give the car a 360-degree ‘view’, with sensors linked to computer software able to ‘see’ and identify people, cars, road signs and markings and traffic lights. The front of the vehicle has a soft foam-like material where a traditional bumper would be and a more flexible windscreen, in a bid to be safer for pedestrians. Google has suffered other setbacks with its driverless cars after critics pointed out they will be able to exceed the speed limit. Cyber security experts also warned that they could be vulnerable to hacking because they will use wireless technology. | Under the rules all drivers must be able to take ‘immediate physical control’ of a vehicle for it to be able to travel on roads in the US state .
That will be tricky as Google has created a car with no steering wheel or pedals which will be completely autonomous and rely on GPS technology .
The law comes into effect on September 16 meaning that Google will either have to get it changed or convince legislators it is complying . |
228,530 | b3e8dd6143e7eba96b4515b523c41b8067f64635 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 18:19 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:18 EST, 8 November 2013 . Joshua Savyon, nine, was shot dead by his father during a supervised visit at a YWCA in New Hampshire in August . A father, who killed himself and his nine-year-old son during a supervised visit at a YWCA because he was upset over custody arrangements, emailed his neighbors earlier that day and told them there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. The email that Muni Savyon sent to his neighbors in New Hampshire was included in a report issued on Thursday by the state attorney general's office. According to the report, Savyon and his son, Joshua, had been talking and playing games for about 40 minutes during the August 11 visit when Savyon unzipped a black briefcase, took out a handgun and shot the boy in the back of the head. He stood and shot the boy five more times before killing himself, the report states. 'There's . one important thing you should know: There was nothing that you, or . anyone close to me, could have done to prevent the tragedy,' Savyon . wrote to his neighbors. 'Do you need to know why I did this? Never mind. The man is insane.' Though . Savyon had been scanned by a hand-held metal detector for previous . visits at the YWCA, he was not before the fatal shooting. Workers . told investigators that they had police officers providing security . when the policy requiring the scans was enacted, but staff had been . 'loose' on enforcing it since funding cuts reduced that security. He stood and shot the boy five more times before killing himself, the report states. One worker told investigators that staffers weren't sure what they would do if they found a gun on someone. Before the murder-suicide, Muni Savyon emailed his neighbors saying no one could have prevented the tragedy . Born in Israel, Savyon was a naturalized citizen who lived in several Western states before coming to New England, where he worked as a software engineer. Savyon and the boy's mother, Becky Ranes, were not married, and according to court documents and Thursday's report, he had been upset over custody arrangements and had told her he would kill either her or himself and their son if he didn't get what he wanted. Ranes told investigators that Savyon told her in March 2012: 'You can only push someone so far before they snap. I've snapped,' and 'I live in New Hampshire and I now have a gun. It will be you or it will be me and Joshua. You will see it on the news.' In his email, Savyon criticized Ranes for believing in government authority and called her 'a bad influence'. 'And now she will be left alone with the terrible sadness that her only son has been taken from her, a sadness that I am very familiar with,' he wrote. Police surround the YWCA in New Hampshire after a father shot his nine-year-old son dead before turning the gun on himself . Assistant Attorney General Jeffery Strelzin said the email was sent earlier in the day August 11 but declined to say exactly when. The center's director has declined to comment on the details of the shooting but emphasized that the possibility of violence exists for all the families who use the center for supervised visits, or else they wouldn't need to be supervised. And she said having a constant police presence would work against the center's goal of providing a homelike atmosphere. | Muni Savyon emailed his neighbors in New Hampshire to say that 'nothing could be done to prevent the tragedy'
Savyon shot dead his son Joshua on August 11 after smuggling a handgun into a supervised visit at the YWCA .
The father was not scanned by metal detectors prior to the visit . |
165,981 | 62a2fc9039b50b5d89bc975e8d8393671e64445d | By . Katy Winter . A woman who was so overweight she had to have both knees replaced has lost over half her body weight through hypnosis. Trish Walker, 56, from Australia, was 24st 7lbs at her heaviest but has managed to drop to 12st 3lbs after conquering her fast food cravings. Following a double knee replacement that was needed as a direct result of her obesity the mother-of-two was preparing to have a gastric band fitted when her psychiatrist recommended a hypnotherapy course. In the end the course proved so successful that Trish was able to conquer her addiction to food and lose weight without the dangerous surgery. Trish walker lost over 12st, from 24st 7lbs (left) to 12st 3lbs (right) through hypnosis . Trish, who is now retired from her job as a Childhood Manager for the Department of Education, says: ‘Now I am the kind of person who enjoys moving my body'. A yo-yo dieter since her teens, Trish, who is mother to Kathryn, 24, and Ben, 25, had gained and lost up to 8st at a time over the years. Trish would often eat whole cakes in secret, or entire packs of biscuits and tubs of ice-cream alone in her car, sometimes eating until she was physically sick. Her knees had become so destroyed by her size that the bones were rubbing together and she was barely able to walk. Trish has yo yo dieted all her life, but always regained the weight, often eating in secret . Trish had often contemplated a gastric band but her sister-in-law had died years before from complications when having one fitted, leaving Trish terrified of undergoing the procedure. Despite her fears, her increasing disability and desperation at her inability to lose weight prompted Trish to start seeing a psychiatrist to discuss getting a gastric band fitted. The psychiatrist recommended Trish also started seeing a hypnotherapist, who had had success with food addicts. Trish during her incredible weight loss, at 22st (left) and 14st (right) Hypnotherapist Maggie Wilde worked with Trish to retrain her thought patterns around food, using a CPR (control, program, rewire) method, which involves tapping on control points on the body while repeating mantras to retrain the mind. Trigger points including the sternum, the chin, the underside of the hand, and fingers, and are repeatedly tapped gently to beat cravings. Trish says: 'I was amazed how well it worked. In the first session I could remember thinking while we were doing the tapping that there was no way I wouldn’t have my cake that weekend. Now at a trim 12st 3lb, Trish says she feels amazing and now visits the gym at least 5 times a week . 'But after the session I went to the local café where I’d always go, and I looked at the cake display, and I found I just didn’t want one. ‘I still get cravings and have had to really tap into the resistance, because it is still a choice.' Trish also used the hypnosis tapping to help rid herself of her fear of exercise. Trish in her old 'fat dress' in April this year as the effects of her weight loss began to show . Previously almost immobile, Trish now exercises daily and goes to water aerobics and the gym at least 5 times per week. ‘I started with just moving around the living room, just moving my body. ‘It happened slowly, I’d start parking the car further away from where I needed to be, and just focus on moving more. ‘Now I go to the gym 5 to 6 times a week, including swimming and aqua aerobics . ‘If someone had said to me 18 months ago that I would even be in a gym outfit I would have thought they were mad, but I love it.’ Maggie, who has written a book on her methods ‘Mind Potential: Unzip the Fat Suit Using Your Mind’ says: ‘‘I taught Trish how to control cravings so she could say no to the addictive sugars and carbs. 'It's never just about the weight though, there's always differing levels of self doubt, self blame, self anger and old emotional issues that cause us to eat our emotions. ‘We rewired her thinking and emotional patterns so that she learned how to deal with challenges in healthy ways. ‘Now she eats only to provide nutrition for her body. She loves who she has become and so do her family. She has actually learned to like herself for the first time in her life. The strategies taught her to think like a slim and healthy person. Trish now weighs a healthy 12st 3lbs she has lost about 170Ibs, half her original body weight. ‘It’s amazing. I feel the healthiest, and even the most beautiful that I’ve ever been,’ she says. | Trish Walker was 24st 7lbs at her heaviest .
She lost half of her body weight in 18 months .
Was about to have gastric band fitted when she began hypnotherapy .
Therapist Maggie Wilde developed CPR (control, program, rewire) method .
CPR involves tapping on points on the body to change thoughts .
Trish now weighs 12st 3lbs and exercises daily . |
110,163 | 1a0bd9390955ca87070b018b3430a0ba7401ae8d | China has smashed four child-trafficking rings and arrested more than a thousand people for using websites and instant messaging groups to trade babies, Chinese authorities said Friday. On February 19, police from 27 provinces across China rescued 382 babies and arrested 1,094 people suspected of buying and selling infants online, China's Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on its website. The sting was part of a six-month operation launched after police in Beijing and Jiangsu in eastern China received reports of a website promoting private adoptions. Potential buyers . Further investigations uncovered a virtual black market -- involving four websites, online forums and some 30 groups on a popular Chinese messaging platform -- that connected traffickers with potential buyers. The ministry said some of the people arrested confessed to using the sites. According to local media reports, 27 suspects were arrested in the country's southern Sichuan province, where 13 babies were also rescued. Another 43 suspects were arrested and 11 babies rescued in Anhui province, in eastern China. A woman arrested by police in Leshan, Sichuan admitted to buying two baby girls from Wuhan and Chengdu, in August 2013 and January 2014, respectively, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Another couple in their 30s told CCTV they used a Chinese website to buy a baby from an expectant teenage couple in Chengdu. They paid 20,000 yuan (US$3,250) for the child. It is not known where the other arrests took place. Major concern . Child trafficking has become a major concern in China, as traffickers seek to profit off a growing demand for healthy babies from potential adoptive parents both in China and beyond. Last month, a Chinese doctor received a suspended death sentence for selling babies to a trafficking ring. The woman, an obstetrician at a hospital in Shaanxi province in central China, sold seven babies in six separate cases after persuading her patients that their newborns were sick and should be given up, according to statements posted on the local court's official microblog account. The ministry said its investigation into the online baby-trading networks is still ongoing. It did not say whether charges have been brought against any of the suspects, or if the trafficking extended beyond China. | China busts crime networks using the internet to sell babies, authorities say .
Police arrest 1,094 suspects and rescue 382 babies in the sting .
Local media say some arrests took place in Sichuan and Anhui provinces . |
90,055 | ffba227281e7c6daa4ec1335fab852ccaf0a88e1 | Portland, Oregon (CNN) -- Two F-15 fighter jets escorted a passenger jet that had been headed for Hawaii back to Portland International Airport in Oregon after a passenger in coach became "uncooperative," an airline official said Wednesday. Hawaiian Airlines Flight 39 took off from Portland at 10:10 a.m. with 231 passengers and a crew of 10 when -- 90 minutes into the flight -- its captain decided to turn around the Boeing 767, said Keoni Wagner, the airline's vice president of public affairs. The fighter jets intercepted the plane at 1 p.m., North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a written statement. It landed at 1:16 p.m. without further incident, the TSA said. The military decided that fighters should accompany the flight after receiving "indicators" of a problem, said Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross, a NORAD spokesman. He declined to elaborate on those indicators but noted that NORAD often must make decisions with limited amounts of time and information about whether fighter jets should accompany commercial flights that may be experiencing problems. "There was little time to react," he said. "The prudent thing to do was to scramble" the jets. Upon the plane's return, the passenger -- a 56-year-old Salem, Oregon, man -- was escorted from the plane with his female companion without incident, the FBI and the Port of Portland said in a joint statement. The FBI said it was not releasing his name because he had not been charged. FBI agents and Port officers interviewed the passenger and his companion, the flight crew and others, then released the two and referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for review. Local and federal officers searched the plane, then allowed it to depart again for Hawaii, absent the pair. Oregon Air National Guard spokesman Sgt. John Hughel said command post officials told him they did not know who had placed the call for the escort. In a statement, the Transportation Security Administration said the captain decided to return the plane to Portland "due to a suspicious passenger who made threatening remarks and refused to store his carry-on bag." Port of Portland Public Information Officer Martha Richmond told CNN that the plane was turned around "due to concerns the crew had." Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Wagner said pilots occasionally return a jet to the airport from which it took off. But, he said he had never known one of the flights to be escorted by fighter jets. "That's new for us," he said. John Cornelio, also a NORAD spokesman, said the command routinely monitors events in the air via the Domestic Events Network, a sort of party line that includes representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies involved in national security. The FAA acknowledged last November that it notified military authorities 69 minutes after losing radio contact with Northwest Flight 188, which had overflown its destination of Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Under standard procedures, the FAA managers should have reported the incident to the Domestic Events Network five to 10 minutes after losing contact with the flight. Radio contact was eventually restored and the plane was redirected to its destination, where it landed without incident. Afterward, the FAA promised to take steps to prevent a repeat of that failure. The incident was one of two that occurred Wednesday. A Northwest Airlines flight preparing to take off from Miami International Airport in Florida for Detroit's Wayne County International Airport instead taxied back to the gate after a passenger "was heard making inappropriate remarks and acting disruptively," the airport said in an incident statement. At the gate, local law enforcement and TSA personnel met the aircraft and all passengers were taken off the plane. The passenger and three companions were questioned by Miami Dade County police. The aircraft was searched and cleared for its flight. CNN's Mike M. Ahlers contributed to this story. | NEW: NORAD says decision made after receiving "indicators" of a problem .
Hawaiian Airlines Flight 39 took off from Portland at 10:10 a.m. with 231 passengers .
90 minutes into the flight, captain decided to turn around the Boeing 767, said airline official .
FBI: Not releasing name of alleged unruly passenger because no charges yet . |
161,437 | 5cb671c2aa2bb08e07e86c8cefb6668f5b5e7c26 | By . Tom Kelly and Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 11:05 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:08 EST, 20 September 2013 . The frantic family of a schoolgirl who vanished after telling friends she was going to a party yesterday pleaded with her to get in touch. Detectives are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of 14-year-old Esme Smith, who disappeared more than a week ago. Instead of going to a party near her home in Surrey, she boarded a train to London and was last seen shortly after arriving at Waterloo station – approximately 40 miles from where she lives. Scroll down for video . Missing: Esme Smith, 14, who has not been seen since getting the train to London to go to a party a week ago . She has not made contact with her friends or family since. CCTV images of the teenager at Waterloo show she had changed out of her school uniform and into a white flowery dress. She was also wearing a blue denim jacket and was carrying a black school bag and black floral bag with chain straps. Police say the longer Esme is missing the more anxious they are about her safety. Last night her 19-year-old sister, Sian, made an emotional appeal to the missing girl, describing her as ‘extrovert, vivacious, normal’. She said: ‘Esme, if you are reading this, I just want to say please come home or at least get in touch so that we know that you are safe. Last sighting: Esme Smith is seen walking through a door at Waterloo train station, central London, last Thursday after getting changed into a dress . Missing teenager: Esme's sister Sian, 19, today pleaded for her to get in touch . ‘We are all really worried about you and we just want to make sure you are OK. ‘You are not in any trouble so please just get in touch.’ Last night Esme’s mother, Dinah Smith, 39, was too upset to talk at the family’s detached home in Farnham, Surrey – which she shares with the schoolgirl’s father, 50-year-old Mark Smith. Detective Sergeant Antony Preston from Surrey Police Missing Persons Unit said: ‘We are following up a number of lines of enquiry and we have had a number of calls as to Esme’s whereabouts, but as time goes on our concerns about her welfare remain. ‘Anyone who has seen a girl matching her description or who knows her and has any information about her whereabouts is urged to contact us as soon as possible. Similarly, if Esme sees this appeal, please get in touch to confirm that you are safe and well.’ Esme was last seen by her friends when she left All Hallows Catholic School in Farnham at around 3.15pm last Thursday. She told them that she was travelling to Woking and would then be going on to a party. But the brunette boarded a train at Aldershot station just after 4pm and was then filmed on CCTV getting off a train at London Waterloo around 5pm. Police have issued several photographs of the teenager and a spokesman for the Surrey force said: ‘Esme is described as white, 5ft 3in tall, slim to medium build, with shoulder-length brown hair that may be tied in a bun. ‘She has brown eyes and a tanned complexion and wears size six shoes.’ Officers have launched a ‘Twitter reconstruction’, using the social networking site to post details of the teenager’s last known movements along with pictures of her in the hope of jogging people’s memories. Police said that although she may be in London they are also considering the possibility that she may have moved on to somewhere outside the capital. Anyone with information should call Surrey Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. | Esme Smith was last seen at London Waterloo last Thursday .
Schoolgirl from Farnham, Surrey, told friends she was going to a party .
Her sister Sian, 19, said: 'Esme, if you are reading this, please come home' |
166,581 | 63669fd94db8f815a8576b35841844bd43158cd7 | Arsene Wenger’s Wednesday night was up there with the worst in his career, made even more galling by the commemorative pop-up model of the Arsenal manager in the club’s programme. The Frenchman could only watch on as his Gunners side succumb to a humiliating Champions League defeat against Monaco to leave them staring into the Champions League abyss. If losing so convincingly against the team where he made his name was bad enough, the fact that Wenger’s figure was depicted in 2D form beforehand made it all the more vexing. Arsenal fans were treated to a 2D pop-up of manager Arsene Wenger in Wednesday's programme . The cut out marked Wenger facing the club for which he made his name as a manager . Clearly Arsenal’s media team could not have foreseen the 90 minutes ahead - and had wanted to mark the occasion. But the stunning defeat honed focus on Wenger’s pop-up, even if this is nothing new at the Emirates. Per Mertesacker, Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez have all been the subject of 3D models too; the timing for Wenger’s couldn’t have been much worse. Goals from Geoffrey Kondogbia, Dimitar Berbatov and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco look to have dumped Arsenal out of Europe’s premier competition at the last 16 stage again. Dimitar Berbatov celebrates scoring for Monaco as they beat Arsenal in the Champions League . | Pop-up of Arsene Wenger was available in Arsenal's programme .
But the Gunners lost 3-1 against Monaco in the Champions League .
Defeat leaves them clinging to a place in the competition .
Danny Welbeck, Per Mertesacker and Alexis Sanchez have also been depicted as 2D models in the programme this season .
READ: Arsene Wenger slams 'suicidal defending' against Monaco .
Jamie Redknapp: Arsenal's midfield couldn't tackle a hot dinner!
CLICK HERE for all the latest Arsenal news . |
238,253 | c05f2b65d7676e685f1e22b52f77686e612d55cf | By . Katherine Faulkner and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:59 EST, 11 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:47 EST, 12 July 2012 . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were said to be ‘surprised and upset’ last night after beach photographs of their honeymoon appeared in an Australian magazine. The pictures – printed on the front cover of Woman’s Day magazine – show them strolling hand-in-hand wearing only swimwear on a beach in the Seychelles. The images have since appeared on news websites and blogs, although most British publications are still refusing to show them. Newlyweds: The Duke and Duchess on their wedding day last year. They decided to honeymoon in the Seychelles and the British press knew printing pictures of their holiday would be a breach of their privacy . The move has dismayed the couple. ‘They feel it is a significant invasion of a very private, special . time,’ a source said. Until now, no pictures of their honeymoon have . been published because the media made a collective agreement not to . print them. But more than a year later, the . unauthorised photographs have been splashed across the front of . Australia’s top selling weekly magazine. The cover photograph shows the . Duchess of Cambridge in a black halter-neck bikini with gold detail, . while Prince William is seen in a bright pair of board shorts. Inside . there are another 15 pictures – some of which show the couple in the . water. The headline, Our Island Paradise, wrongly appears to suggest the . couple approved the publication. Private: North Island in the Seychelles where the Duke and Duchess spent their 10 day break (file picture). An Australian magazine has now published pictures of the couple enjoying their honeymoon there . A St James’s Palace spokesman said: . ‘The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge considered their honeymoon to be a . very private event after their hugely public wedding. ‘For this reason they asked the media to respect their privacy. That is something they continue to do.’ Last night, the editors of Woman’s Day magazine did not respond to requests for comment. When the newly-weds jetted off on . their 10-day romantic break to the Seychelles last year, there was an . unofficial agreement among news organisations that they wouldn't print . or publish photos of them on their holiday. Australian magazine Woman's Day has . decided to splash an unauthorised photo across its July 16 front cover (another edition pictured) The . publication of the honeymoon photos is likely to rile the Duke of . Cambridge especially, as he has been trying to protect his new wife from . press intrusion following the . death of his mother Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997. It . is unclear why the magazine, owned by ACP Magazines, has chosen to publish the images now. Editors have not yet responded . for comment. The couple stayed in a £4,000-a-night-bungalow on North Island in May last year after marrying on April 29. Their villa had its own butler, an open-air . bathroom area with sunken bath and shower, a private garden and a wooden . deck with freshwater rock pool and yoga pavilion. It is understood that William . arranged a surprise sunset cruise and asked the resort to set up a . champagne picnic on one of the island’s most secluded beaches during . their stay. They first visited the Seychelles in August 2007 when they stayed on Desroches, . 150 miles south west of the Seychelles' main island Mahe, for a . week-long break. It was reported that William told . islanders the Desroches trip was the best holiday he had ever had. The . four-mile long island, blanketed by coconut groves, has only a handful . of luxury villas, each with stunning views across the warm Indian Ocean. It's not the first time an Australian magazine has got into trouble with the Royals. In 2008 there was a 'media blackout' and the British media officially agreed with St James's Palace not to . publish the fact Prince Harry was serving in Afghanistan. However, he hastily left the warzone after Australia's New Idea . magazine broke a global media promise not to declare his presence in the . country, as did a U.S. news website. When the news was revealed there were fears it could increase the danger to . him and his fellow soldiers. Honeymoon: Kate and William at Buckingham Palace the day after their nuptials. They went on a 'mini moon' before their honeymoon in May last year. The location was a closely guarded secret until after they returned . Stunning: Desroches in the Seychelles is four miles long and blanketed in palm trees with only a handful of luxury villas. Kate and William visited the island in 2007 but went to North Island for their honeymoon . Prince Harry - who is known as . Captain Wales in the Army - was serving as a forward air controller operating in . Helmand province and co-ordinated air support and aviation across the . area, calling in jets to drop bombs on enemy targets. 'We . did not knowingly breach any embargo and were not party to any . agreement for a media blackout on the story,' said New Idea in a short . apology at the time. Few . people noticed the initial report in New Idea, but a scandal erupted . after the U.S. website the Drudge Report picked up the story and . broadcast it internationally. Breach: Prince Harry standing in front of an Apache helicopter last year. He served in Afghanistan in 2008 but was hastily brought home after foreign media broke a pledge not to reveal he was serving there . The . magazine, which often runs cover stories of the British royal family, . said it was not 'alert to the possible ramifications' of publishing the . story of Harry in Afghanistan. 'We . regret this serious lapse of judgement,' it said. 'We sincerely . apologise to all our readers, to the servicemen whose lives are at . constant risk while serving at home and abroad and to their families and . loved ones.' Media blackouts are not very common . and refer to the censorship of a specific topic for a specific reason. They can be voluntary or enforced by the government, . although this can be controversial especially in peacetime. | Woman's Day splashed a photo of the couple hand-in-hand on a beach on their front cover .
15 more pictures are printed inside and the couple are said to be feeling 'upset and betrayed'
Photos shows Kate's taut stomach in a tiny black bikini and William in colourful board shorts . |
8,361 | 179e2c015bfc21616413e70868b2e4d7128ecdd2 | A skin-care specialist to the Hollywood stars has been acquitted of charges she plotted to murder a rival beautician she wrongly blamed for stalking her. Dawn Melody DaLuise, 56, was cleared in Los Angeles County Superior Court after about an hour of deliberations by jurors in the bizarre case that included allegations that a former NFL lineman was hired to knock off the competitor. Prosecutors alleged DaLuise, who has counted Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christian Slater among clients at her Santa Monica salon, became so obsessed with a competitor that she tried hiring a hit man to kill him. Dawn DaLuise (pictured left) was cleared on Thursday of charges she plotted to murder a rival beautician, Gabriel Suarez (right) who she wrongly believed was stalking her . Well-connected: DaLuise is pictured with actor Gary Busey in Beverly Hills in November 2010 . DaLuise was released immediately after the not guilty verdict on charges of solicitation of murder and solicitation of assault. 'Obviously, we're ecstatic about getting not guilty on both counts,' defense lawyer Jamon Hicks said. 'We're just hoping to help her rebuild her reputation, rebuild her business and rebuild her life.' Defense lawyers said DaLuise was venting when she told friends she hated esthetician Gabriel Suarez and had found someone to take him out. She was reportedly furious when Suarez moved into the same building as her salon, Skin Refinery, in Santa Monica. Authorities said there was no evidence anyone acted on a plot to kill Suarez. DaLuise wrongly believed Suarez was behind a campaign that included posting lewd flyers of her face photo-edited on pornography, emails and Craigslist ads with her home address seeking men to act out a 'rape fantasy'. In a bizarre twist, police later connected the postings to a friend of DaLuise. Authorities arrested her friend, Edward Feinstein, on suspicion of stalking and said he had goaded her into the murder-for-hire plot. Feinstein has not been charged in the case. Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the district attorney, said that investigation continues. Prosecutors said DaLuise became obsessed with Suarez, who had recently opened his business on the same West Hollywood block as her Skin Refinery, which counted Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Christina Ricci among its clientele. At some point, DaLuise confided in Chris Geile, who played three games for the Detroit Lions in 1987, about her suspicions that Suarez was behind the stalking. Geile testified that he was only a shoulder to cry on for DaLuise and was never asked to kill anyone. She sent text messages to friends saying Geile was going to 'take Gabriel out'. DaLuise reportedly moved to California to become a model in the 1980s. She lost her business after being jailed in March on charges of solicitation of murder and solicitation of assault likely to produce great bodily injury, Hicks said. Her personal website is also now defunct. Getting back to work will be her second priority after reuniting with her two daughters once she's released from custody. Hicks said DaLuise grabbed his leg as the first verdict was read. Fearing the jury would convict her on the second, lesser count, he cautioned her to wait before celebrating. 'When you heard the second 'not guilty,' you could hear her gasp and say, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you,' he said. Mr Suarez's Smooth Cheeks Salon (pictured) opened on the same Santa Monica block as DaLuise's store allegedly enraging her, jurors heard during the trial . | Jurors reached the verdict on Thursday in Los Angeles in the case against former model Dawn DaLuise .
Prosecutors alleged DaLuise, 56, became so obsessed with a competitor that she tried hiring a hit man to kill him .
Defense lawyers said DaLuise was venting when she told friends she hated Gabriel Suarez and had found someone to take him out . |
263,561 | e15d1b3c79bba69e6262b0555050e9da1659ec8a | (CNN) -- Singer Jennifer Lopez, famous for her revealing outfits, is expected to take a more modest approach when she hits the stage this weekend in Indonesia and Malaysia -- both Islamic countries. "She'll have to cover up a little bit," said Chairi Ibrahim, project manager for Dyandra Promosindo, one of the promoters for the Jakarta show of the "Dance Again World Tour" on Friday. She and all the dancers must wear clothes that don't show men's chests or women's cleavage, and sexual dance moves will have to resemble laughs as opposed to "making love," he added. Some women will wear black ties, he said, based on photos he's seen. The adjustments are in keeping with informal rules that make the concert "suitable for Indonesia" and will satisfy the local government, Muslim Indonesians and clerics, Ibrahim said, adding that he spoke with many parties. The near-sellout concert comes nearly six months after Lady Gaga was forced to cancel her sold-out show in Jakarta amid an uproar by Islamic hardliners against her costumes and dance moves. Ibrahim said that Lopez's case was different because "people know her from 'American Idol,'" where she'd been a judge, and saw her as a "normal girl," while Indonesian clerics deemed Gaga's lyrics as "not very good to youngsters." Lopez is to perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday. On her website, a Malaysian fan ("Yusrizal Hamzah") expressed concern in September over whether strict rules for women might cause a "last-minute cancellation," citing a canceled Beyonce concert in 2009 as an example. "Please J.lo! Malaysian fans want u here!" he wrote. After Kuala Lumpur, Lopez will perform in Singapore and then Australia. | Promoter: Dancer's clothes will cover men's chests, women's cleavage .
Sexual dance moves will have to resemble laughs, promoter adds .
Near-sellout concert comes nearly six months after Lady Gaga canceled Jakarta show .
Lopez to perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday . |
147,190 | 4a55ca25e17c0427d1edb995dd668dcfafafc486 | A 20-year-old college student from upstate New York has been unfairly labeled a racist on social media after her vindictive ex-boyfriend posted vile messages in her name. Brianna Rivera, from Middletown, New York, woke up one morning last week to discover that she has become the subject of a viral Tumblr campaign intended to get her fired for being a bigot. But it has since been revealed that the real culprit was Rivera's ex-boyfriend, who posted a pair of racially charged status updates on his Facebook page in the woman's name. Framed: Brianna Rivera, 20 (left), became the subject of an online campaign to get her fired after her ex-boyfriend (right) wrote vile racist messages in her name on Facebook . Doppelganger: The ex changed his Facebook user name to 'Brianna Rivera' and uploaded her picture as part of the cruel prank . Fanning the flames: The jilted boyfriend wrote a pair of abhorrent, racially charged messages in Rivera's name commenting on the situation in Ferguson, Missouri . In an order to convince other web users that the abominable posts were coming from Brianna, her ex, who goes by the user name Mallo Fox, changed the name of his account to 'Brianna Rivera' and even included her photo, Gawker first reported. One of the status updates written in all caps on Rivera's behalf read: 'seriously everything in Ferguson is f***ed up. We bring the black people here give them a good life and this is how they repay us. Look at Africa it's still f***ing dirty and hut and ebola ridden but they still wanna complain and not be grateful that us white people brought them here and gave them jobs.' Around the same time, the spiteful ex wrote a second, even more shocking post referring to the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown at the hands of white Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. 'F*** all there ape n*****s in ferguson LOL. who cares about some thug dying. that officer did what he had a right to do and thats protecting us from more loser a** mother f*****s and apes.' The hateful messages eventually ended up on a popular Tumblr page called Racists Getting Fired. The social media forum has been created to out Internet users who post racially charged comments to their employers in hopes of getting them sacked. The pair of posts were accompanied by Brianna Rivera's personal details, including the town where she lives, the college she attends and her place of employment - AMC Theater at the Galleria Mall in Middletown. Playing with fire: The user shared the posts on the Tumblr account Racists Getting Fired in an apparent hope of getting Rivera terminated from her job as a movie theater supervisor . 'Coward': The Miami native, left and right, has since removed both his Facebook and Instagram accounts . The web vigilantes behind the Tumblr page encouraged users to call her work and get her fired over her hate-filled remarks about Ferguson. Before it was determined that Miss Rivera was the victim of a cruel prank, the campaign against her spread like wildfire, prompting strangers to contact Rivera's workplace and complain about her perceived bigotry. AMC Theaters took the incident seriously and issued a statement Friday in defense of Miss Rivera. ‘AMC was made aware of some highly offensive posts that were allegedly sent from an associate,’ the statement red. ‘An immediate and thorough investigation confirmed the social media account and highly offensive posts were fabricated by someone posing as an AMC associate. ‘This hateful behavior is dangerous and illegal. A police report has been filed, and we will pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law against the person or persons who committed these illegal acts.’ The Racist Getting Fired Tumblr has issued a profanity-laced retraction attacking Brianna Rivera's ex-boyfriend for defaming her and asking users to stop calling her employer. Speaking out: Miss Rivera posted a message on her real Facebook page to clear the air about the ordeal . The ex, a Miami native living in New York City, has since deleted his Facebook and Instagram pages. Seeking to clear her name once and for all, the 20-year-old criminal justice student also issued a statement on her real Facebook page about the unfortunate ordeal. 'I said none of those horrible words of hatred & racism. Anyone who knows me, knows I would never in my entire life say anything like that,' she wrote on Thanksgiving. 'I appreciate everyone who came to me and asked me first... And thank u everyone who is spreading the truth about it not being me.... ‘And as for the person who stole my identity, defamed my character and endangered not only my life but the lives of my friends and family, thanks.' | Brianna Rivera, criminal justice student from upstate New York, was framed by her ex-boyfriend on social media .
The ex changed his Facebook user name to 'Brianna Rivera' and posted two shockingly racist messages about events in Ferguson .
Posts were then uploaded to Tumblr account 'Racists Getting Fired' where users were urged to call Rivera's employer, AMC Theater .
AMC came to Rivera's defense after determining that she was innocent . |
219,505 | a82071e30234e61d43d0feb19e219a0de56441f1 | By . Craig Mackenzie . PUBLISHED: . 04:08 EST, 1 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:25 EST, 1 December 2013 . Abused: Steven Gerrard was assaulted in the street near his home in Liverpool . Steven Gerrard has been assaulted in the street by a thug who abused and threatened the soccer star. The 33-year-old England and Liverpool captain was reportedly left 'badly shaken' after the attack outside a convenience store near his luxury home. He was alone and had just got of his Range Rover when he was confronted by the mystery attacker before the man ran away. Gerrard was not seriously hurt, but the incident in the wealthy village near Liverpool, where he lives with his wife Alex and three young daughters, has raised fears about the family's security. Merseyside police have confirmed they are investigating a case of common assault over the incident which happened last August. Soon after the attack, a female police officer was arrested in an investigation into whether an attempt was made to obtain CCTV footage of the attack taken from a nearby shop. She was questioned by detectives on suspicion of committing misconduct in a public office. Officers took a statement from the player who is expected to captain Liverpool at Hull City today. A Merseyside Police spokesman told the . Sunday Mirror: 'As a result of this investigation, a female officer who . has been on a career break since early this year is being investigated . in relation to potential misconduct in a public office. It would be . inappropriate to comment further at this stage.' The attack is not the first time thugs have targeted Gerrard, who was raised in the city's Huyton area. Last September a fan scaled a perimeter wall at Liverpool’s training ground and yelled threats against his family. Couple: Gerrard with his wife Alex, who have been targeted by thugs They have three young daughters . The man sped away on a bike shouting: 'I’ll kill you and your f****** kids.' In December 2007, masked raiders burst in and confronted 31-year-old Alex as the couple’s children slept. In 2001, both Steven and Alex faced death threats from members of Liverpool’s underworld. After Gerrard was said to have been chased by a local criminal through the streets of Liverpool in his car, steel gates 10ft high and state-of-the-art security cameras were put up at the footballer's £3million home. Liverpool Football Club and the player’s agent refused to comment on the assault. | Police hunt mystery man who confronted Liverpool captain outside village convenience store before fleeing .
Shortly after, a woman police officer arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office .
Gerrard targeted by thugs before latest attack - crazed fan climbed fence at training ground and threatened him and his family . |
184,162 | 7a8baf162b964b676cae59704dacc7ff11cb593a | (CNN) -- When the National Security Agency sent a tweet Monday filled with garbled nonwords like "tpfccdlfdtte," the Internet was confused, and intrigued. Was the NSA drunk? Had a cat skittered across someone's keyboard? Or maybe the spy agency, under fire for eavesdropping on Americans, had accidentally blurted a secret of its own -- a coded, classified message not meant for public eyes. The truth proved to be less scandalous. Internet sleuths, armed with cryptogram-solving Web tools, solved the mystery in minutes. Turns out the nonsensical tweet was a coded recruiting pitch by the NSA, which is seeking code breakers to help decipher encrypted messages from potential terrorists. The tweet was a basic "substitution cipher," a code in which each letter of the alphabet is replaced by another. Translated, it read (SPOILER ALERT for all you wannabe codebreakers): "Want to know what it takes to work at NSA? Check back each Monday in May as we explore careers essential to protecting our nation." When contacted by CNN, NSA spokeswoman Marci Green Miller said the Twitter account is run by the NSA recruitment office, which will post coded tweets each Monday for the rest of the month. "NSA is known as the code makers and code breakers," said Miller, who called the tweet "part of our recruitment efforts to attract the best and the brightest." If the intelligence agency wanted attention, it worked. Monday's message has been retweeted more than 1,100 times, and most major media outlets have run articles about it. In its efforts to attract top talent, the NSA has been known to recruit hackers and other computer wizards at cybersecurity conferences. The agency even set up a special page to woo attendees of DefCon, a shadowy hackers' conference held each July in Las Vegas. A job with the NSA requires a security clearance, of course. But the agency seems eager to recruit smart people -- even, perhaps, those with minor arrest records. "If you have a few, shall we say, indiscretions in your past, don't be alarmed. You shouldn't automatically assume you won't be hired," said the recruiting page. "If you're really interested, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot." The NSA receives thousands of applications a month and is on target to meet its hiring goals for the current fiscal year, Miller said. Matthew Aid, who wrote a book about the NSA , told CNN last year that NSA hackers focus on foreign militaries, governments and corporations, and are protected by multiple levels of secrecy. Monday's tweet was not the first time the NSA has sent a coded message on Twitter. The agency has posted three already this year to celebrate holidays, such as St. Patrick's Day. But it might signal a renewed effort by the embattled agency to attract new blood in the wake of revelations last year by leaker Edward Snowden. Documents leaked by Snowden showed the NSA ran a secret surveillance program to intercept Americans' phone calls and Internet messages. | The NSA sent a mysterious coded tweet to its 10,000 followers this week .
Internet sleuths solved the mystery in minutes .
The tweet was a recruiting tool for the intelligence agency . |
47,824 | 86f41762ddacb9732f633d9f117dadb53fa742fb | By . Emily Sheridan . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:23 EST, 19 April 2013 . Ashton Kutcher may temporarily be living in London, but the headgear he was wearing on Tuesday showed that the Boston Marathon bombings were top on his mind. Kutcher, 35, posted an image of himself on Twitter wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap in a low-key show of solidarity. The Two And A Half Men star has been in London with 29-year-old girlfriend Mila Kunis, who is shooting a new science fiction film in the Capital. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO... Showing support from afar: Ashton Kutcher, who is currently in London, wore a Boston Red Sox baseball cap in a Twitter picture posted on Tuesday . Ashton earlier posted a link on Twitter to social magazine app Flipboard, of which he's an investor, to share its coverage of the Beantown bombings. The actor, who was the first Twitter user with more than one million followers, joined a long list of Hollywood stars who took to social media site to offer tributes to the victims and families of those injured on Monday in the bombings. The attack near the finish line of the popular race hit particularly hard for stars Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton, who were all born in Boston. Beantown support: Ashton on Tuesday headed out of the London house he's renting with Mila Kunis wearing a Boston Red Sox cap . 'Tragic day': Ben Affleck, pictured earlier this month, said that his family, including wife Jennifer Garner and daughter Seraphina - shown on Tuesday in Los Angeles - send their love to 'our beloved and resilient Boston' 'Such a senseless and tragic day': Ben took to Twitter to express his horror . Ben, who grew up in Cambridge, Greater Boston, wrote on his Twitter feed: 'Such a senseless and tragic day. My family and I send our love to our beloved and resilient Boston.' Meanwhile, . Mark looked sombre on Monday as he attended a screening of his latest movie Pain . & Gain in New York, with it clear his thoughts were elsewhere. He . told reporters: 'I really didn't even want to come tonight. I hadn't . really heard much - I spoke to my mom, and most of my family seems to be . OK. 'It's such a big event, there's so many people there. It's horrible . man. It's disgusting, man. I just - I'm very upset. Showing his support: Ashton carried his rucksack and held his head low so the cap was on full show as he walked down some steps . Solitary walk: Ashton looked serious and pensive as he strolled along near his rented north London home on Friday . Narrow escape: New Kids On The Block singer Joey McIntrye, pictured at the start of the Boston Marathon, missed the blast by five minutes . Fortunate: Joey admitted he was lost for words after the horrific attack . 'You try to put everything in God's . hands and whatever happens here is out of our control and there's a . bigger picture. But it's still obviously upsetting.' He also took to Twitter to write: 'Thoughts and prayers with my hometown Boston today.' Meanwhile, . his older brother Donnie Wahlberg had a fright when he briefly couldn't . get in contact with his New Kids On The Block bandmate Joey McIntyre, . who was running in the marathon. In fact, Joey managed to miss the blast by crossing the finish line just five minutes before the first explosion. The singer, who was running for an Alzheimer's charity, tweeted: 'There was an explosion by the finish line about 5 minutes after I finished - I'm ok but I'm sure there are many hurt. Pushing the cause: Edward Norton encouraged fans to give to the various charitable causes that so many of the marathon runners were motivated by . Horrified: Zachary Quinto, who lived in Boston during a stint in theatre, spoke out about the bombings at CinemaCon in Las Vegas . Fellow Massachusetts native Edward Norton added his thoughts on Twitter on Tuesday, encouraging fans to donate to the charitable causes that so many runners were dedicated to. 'Crushed about Boston. So senseless. Lots of the runners were running for charity. A nice way to support them now,' he said, including a link to a donation page. Brazilian . supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who spends a lot of the year in Boston as . her American footballer husband Tom Brady plays for the New England . Patriots, tweeted: 'My thoughts and prayers to everyone in Boston . #prayforboston.' Twitter was not the only outlet for stunned stars, as the actors from Star Trek were struggling with the . news as they attended CinemaCon in Las Vegas to promote their upcoming film. For Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock . in the movie, the Boston bombings struck close to home as he recently . completed a theatrical production of The Glass Menagerie there. He said: 'I mean, I just lived in Boston the . last three months. I was horrified. It's just . unfathomable. It's an amazing city and I know it's stronger than one . tragedy like this. But it is certainly enough to set everybody back in . an unfortunate and profound way.' Some had closer connections to the . tragedy than others, like Star Trek writer Damon Lindelof whose relative . took part in the marathon. Lindelof said: 'We were all on the way out here just . talking (about how) it is hard to go and pimp your movie on a day like . this, when the nation is sort of coming together. 'My cousin ran the Boston Marathon today. He finished half an hour before the explosions went off. 'So, I'm just relieved that he's OK. And I'm praying, and my thoughts are with the families of people that . were injured or hurt in any way by this horrible thing.' Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk, . connected it to the film's plot where the villain threatens Earth and . the crew of the Enterprise. 'Terrorism is a huge part of our lives, and we all know the effects of that,' Pine said. Meanwhile, a host of celebrities took to Twitter to express their sympathies for the victims. Praying for Boston: Celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Oprah Winfrey and Arnold Schwarzenegger took to Twitter . Singer Pink was one of the first to Tweet: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the explosions in Boston.' Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger soon followed: 'My thoughts are with Boston. Thank you to the brave first responders who always run toward our greatest fears to save lives.' Justin Timberlake lamented: 'My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the city of Boston and all of those affected by this terrible incident.' Oprah . Winfrey quoted US President Barack Obama as he tried to reassure the . nation: '"All Americans stand with the people of Boston" indeed we do . Mr. President.' Sorrow: Twitter was full of stars expressing their sadness over the attacks . | Celebrities flood Twitter with messages of support for bombing victims .
Actors from Star Trek paid condolences at an event for the upcoming film .
Three killed and 176 injured in the dual blasts in Boston on Monday . |
275,924 | f1743845acd59c7d2e7bfb221ccb23ebd5daa735 | Joplin, Missouri (CNN) -- A Missouri mother said Thursday that her 16-year-old son was killed by this week's powerful tornado, one of scores who have been confirmed dead even as authorities try to track down many others who are considered missing. Michelle Hare told CNN that her son Lantz, who was ripped from a car Sunday night by winds exceeding 200 mph in Joplin, is dead and his body has been located. In the wrenching hours and days since the tornado, the boy's father, Mike Hare, said he'd searched hospitals and continually called his son's cell phone, getting no answer. "It rang for the first day and a half, and now it goes straight to voice mail. But just in case he gets it, I want him to know his dad loves him," the father said earlier this week. Lantz Hare was among those on the list, released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Public Safety, of 232 people from the southwest Missouri city for whom missing persons reports have been filled out. At least 126 people in Joplin had died due to the storm as of Thursday night, said Newton County Coroner Mark Bridges. That makes the tornado the single deadliest to touch down in any U.S. community since modern record-keeping began in 1950. The Hares were among many around Joplin, still desparately searching for missing loved ones and clinging to hope. Christina, Caleb and Robert Hayward, for instance, have not seen their mother since the tornado. "She went for pizza and never came back. It was three, four hours, and we knew," Robert Hayward said Wednesday. "We all miss her. She was a great person. She didn't deserve this at all. Any one of us would trade places with her." One of the frustrations for families desperately trying to find their loved ones was a holdup at the morgue. Some were told that they may have to wait for two weeks before they can visit the morgue to search for relatives. Bridges told CNN that people who can make a positive identification of a relative, such as through tattoos, will be allowed to view a body matching that description. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said state officials were brought in "to get this information out much more quickly and respectfully for these families that need to hear the information about the loved ones who are -- have been lost." Families of the missing have provided DNA samples and contacted dozens of hospitals, shelters and nursing homes in their bids to learn whether they have a "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" that could be their loved one. Charles Writer, 74, is one of 12 residents of Greenbriar Nursing Home on the unaccounted for list. Ten residents and a staff member at the home were killed, a company official said. Writer's family received conflicting reports on the Alzheimer's patient's possible fate, said Leah Mitchell, whose husband is Writer's nephew. They have handed out flyers and used a spreadsheet to contact about several dozen facilities. "There are two sides of the family," said Mitchell. "One has accepted he's deceased, the other side is not sure." Patricia Dawson's family Thursday continued its search for the 74-year-old Joplin homemaker. They, too, have contacted many hospitals and nursing homes within 200 miles. Daughter-in-law Sharyn Dawson said the missing woman "is an awesome granny to our 6-year-old," who hasn't been told about the situation. CNN's Chuck Johnston, Joe Sutton, Marlena Baldacci, Phil Gast, Mike Pearson, Jessica Jordan, Sean Morris and Barbara Starr contributed to this report. Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here. | NEW: Officials expediting process of body identification .
NEW: At least 126 people are confirmed dead, coroner says .
Lantz Hare, who was ripped from a car Sunday, was killed, teen's mother says .
He was among those on a list of 232 people in Joplin who'd been reported missing . |
52,516 | 94cda6a6e259a1f5bfd5c8be1407f367e7320eb3 | (CNN) -- Winamac, Indiana, is pretty much how it sounds. Small -- home to fewer than 2,500 people -- rural, and it has more churches than libraries, schools and liquor stores. About 20 minutes north is a similar town by the name of Knox. This is where Thomas Lee Bridegroom was born. And just on the edge of Winamac -- between West Main and West Adams -- is a small cemetery by the name of Crown Hill. This is where he is buried. He tripped and fell off of a roof while working. He was 29 years old. In my 20-plus years as a journalist, I've written a lot about death. Thankfully, it hasn't gotten easier. The stories still touch me, although some more than others. Bridegroom's passing would be one of those. "It wasn't easy going back there because it was the most difficult time in my life," Shane Britney Crone, Bridegroom's partner, told me on the phone. "But it helped me draw out the positives of who I am. Finally, for once, I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in and I'm proud, not ashamed, of being gay. "Hearing from people, thanking me for sharing our story, thanking me for reminding them how important marriage equality is ... it makes me feel like I've done the right thing by making the film." The film he's referring to is aptly called "Bridegroom" and it chronicles the couple's relationship as well as the legal fallout stemming from their inability to get married. Fallout such as the hospital not giving Crone any details regarding the cause of death. And being barred from the funeral. "They told me that if I showed up Tom's father and uncle planned to attack me and knowing how his dad reacted when (Tom) came out, I had real concern for my safety," Crone said. How did Tom's father react? Well, according to Crone, he pointed a shotgun at his son before beating him up -- one of the more jaunting details revealed in the documentary. Bridegroom's parents have yet to publicly comment on the film and declined to participate in its making. "A year later, I snuck into town by myself," Crone said. "I knew it was going to be very difficult and I just wanted to be alone and feel whatever it is I had to feel without someone else being there. I spent an hour there, crying, talking to Tom ... the hardest part was driving away ... in that moment it finally hit me that he was gone ... that all of this was real." When I spoke with Crone, he mentioned he was nervous about sounding stupid in the interview. Little did he know it was I who was fighting back tears with each detail of their story that he shared. In the end, the only thing that sounded stupid was the notion that the love he and Bridegroom shared was inferior to anyone else's. "Sadly, what happened to Shane after Tom's tragic death is not uncommon for couples without the protections that marriage equality brings to their relationships," said Brian Silva, Executive Director of Marriage Equality USA. "It is unconscionable that anyone already suffering the loss of someone they love, should be forced to go through this horror. This is just one reason why this fight must continue until every LGBT couple can live in safety and equality." A fight in which New Jersey's Republican governor, Chris Christie, finally admitted defeat. A fight Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, tries hard to avoid talking about, even as marriage equality heads to his state's court. A fight that even spilled into the supposed gay- friendly streets of Springfield, Ill where Democrats -- not Republicans -- are in power and yet afraid to vote on a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. I joined the thousands who recently came to the state capital to offer encouragement/pressure via a rally and march. All of which reminds us that homophobia and cowardice are not exclusive to a particular party. Bridegroom and Crone, who grew up in a town in Montana similar to Winamac and Knox, met at a bowling alley in L.A. back in 2005. At the time, they were both closeted though they would later learn that their meeting was not by chance -- a mutual friend set it up. What no one could predict was how quickly they would fall in love or how that love prompted them to come out to their families a short time later. Crone's embraced him when he told them. Bridegroom's clearly had the opposite reaction. "He was so heartbroken about the whole thing because he always wanted me to see where he grew up," Crone said. Despite this, the two would go on to buy a home together, start a business, build a life. One day in May 2011, Bridegroom -- a budding photographer -- was on the roof of a friend's building taking photos when he tripped and fell several floors down. On the one-year anniversary of his death, Crone uploaded a tribute to Bridegroom on YouTube, detailing their story. Crone's tribute went viral, capturing the attention of Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, creator of "Designing Women." She convinced him to turn the clip -- and his pain -- into a documentary. He agreed, and it debuted at Tribeca on April 23, one day after what would have been Bridegroom's 31st birthday. George Takei, who helped Crone produce the YouTube tribute, was in attendance. As was President Bill Clinton who introduced the film, saying, "It's a story about our nation's struggle to make one more step in forming a more perfect union, for which marriage is both the symbol and substance." It was a bittersweet moment for Crone, who moved to L.A. hoping to work in the entertainment industry. Equally as bittersweet was being in Washington when Proposition 8 -- the law that prevented Crone and Bridegroom from marrying in California -- was overturned this summer. "I was outside the Supreme Court and it was a very emotional moment for me," he said. "It was wonderful because I knew my friends could finally get married. But I was also sad because I knew that Tom and I could finally get married now ... if he were here." Months before Bridegroom's passing, he had given Crone a ring. If you're one of those individuals still undecided on the whole same-sex marriage issue -- like some state legislators in Illinois I know -- I encourage you to watch the film. It's available starting Sunday, October 27, on Netflix and it will air that day on Oprah Winfrey's OWN. It puts a face, and heart, on a conversation that far too often gets muddied by politics and irrational fear. Two things that have nothing to do with love. "I haven't dated anyone since Tom passed away," Crone said. "It's not that I'm against the idea of it, it's just right now I'm still focused on the film and the story and just trying to heal. "If there's any good that can come out of this, it's by using our story to educate people. ... Maybe in some ways this was all meant to be. ... I used to think Tom just had a weird last name but now ... " But now I will never see the word "bridegroom" in the same light again. And hopefully, neither will you. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson. | LZ Granderson: Thomas Bridegroom died in a fall, leaving his partner bereft .
He says Shane Crone was kept from attending the funeral in state without gay marriage .
Granderson says attitudes need to change in state legislatures to enable change .
He says homophobia and cowardice keep states from enacting marriage equality . |
46,216 | 8236d232dcdf24830f276d46340433a66eff13f6 | U.S. regulators shut down a New Mexico nut-processing facility Monday after the plant was linked to an outbreak of salmonella earlier this year. The Food and Drug Administration's decision to suspend the registration of the Sunland Inc. plant in Portales, New Mexico, comes after health officials traced the June outbreak to nut butter produced at the facility. In a statement announcing the move, the agency said it would reinstate the company's food facility registration "only when FDA determines that the company has implemented procedures to produce safe products." The outbreak sickened at least 41 people in 20 states, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sunland recalled all products from the Portales plant in September and says it has cooperated with federal inspectors, who reported numerous health violations at the facility earlier this month. Monday's action marks the first time the FDA has exercised new power granted under a 2011 law modernizing food safety laws. Sunland spokeswoman Katalin Coburn told CNN the company believed it would soon be cleared to resume operations. "The FDA has never issued a suspension, and because it's the first time ever, we've got a lot of questions," Coburn said. "So we are at this point trying to understand what exactly FDA wishes us to do." In a letter to the company released Monday, the FDA said Sunland has outlined "a number of corrective actions" but left out "significant details" that keep inspectors from approving the plans. "Based upon the current condition of the facility and past management policies and actions, FDA concludes that unless and until Sunland has completed and implemented certain corrective actions, food manufactured, processed, packed, received, or held by Sunland has a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals," the agency wrote. In a report issued in mid-November, the FDA found that conditions at the Portales processing plant may have contributed to the contamination of peanut butter and almond butter products with salmonella bredeney, a strain of the bacteria. Investigators determined that Sunland employees did not properly handle equipment, utensils and containers used to hold and store food. They say there were no sinks to wash hands in the production or packaging area. They also noted that employees handled ready-to-package peanuts with their bare hands. According to the FDA, there were no records providing proof that production equipment was cleaned, and the same bags were used to store both raw and roasted peanuts. Raw peanuts were also found outside the facility in open trailers exposed to birds and rain. Report: Unsafe food puts lives at risk . | "We've got a lot of questions," a company spokeswoman says .
The salmonella outbreak in nut butter sickened at least 41 people in 20 states .
The FDA says Monday's action is the first use of new power granted in 2011 . |
35,582 | 6518bb0a35a2e3d28c5b14a7bc54fe0d84b03e4f | Police killed a suspected militant leader in a shootout in Russia's restive republic of Dagestan, state media said Tuesday, amid increasing security concerns ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. It's also emerged that Russian authorities are hunting two more 'black widow' suspects -- a notorious type of terrorist that's emerged in Russia's clashes with Chechen separatists. The latest incidents have fueled debate over security at Sochi, despite assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia will do its utmost to keep the Games secure. There have been years of unrest linked to an Islamist insurgency in Dagestan and the North Caucasus region, and Islamist militants have vowed to strike at the Games. Russian terrorism officials named the suspected militant killed Tuesday in Dagestan as Eldar Magato, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Earlier, the news agency said Russian special forces were engaged in two operations in Dagestan, which lies about a 12-hour drive from Sochi on the other side of the Caucasus Mountains. Security forces killed three more suspected militants in Dagestan on Monday, it reported. 'Black widows' Meanwhile, a flier handed out by security forces to hotels in Rostov-on-Don, southeast Russia, names three women it says could carry out a suicide attack planned by militant groups between January 21 and 24, during the Olympic Torch Relay. One of the three, Zaira Nizamudinovna Alieva, was killed in a gun battle over the weekend in Dagestan in which seven militants reportedly died. She had been trained to be a suicide bomber, RIA Novosti cited terrorism officials as saying. The other two are named as Djannet Kurbanismailovna Tcakhaeva and Oksana Albertovna Aslanova. The pictures on the flier show two of the three women in Islamic headgear. But its text warns that the women may not be dressed that way. "Suspected terrorists may use regularly clothing without any Islamic elements, e.g. no long dresses, no hijab, which makes it easier to blend into a crowd, and makes it easier to get access to large gatherings without being noticed," it says. Sochi suspect . Police have also handed out fliers at Sochi area hotels warning of a woman they believe could be a terrorist and who now may be in the Black Sea resort town. One flier seen by CNN asks workers to be on the lookout for Ruzanna "Salima" Ibragimova, described as the widow of a member of a militant group from the Caucasus region. The woman, according to the flier, may be involved in organizing "a terrorist act within the 2014 Olympic region." CNN obtained a copy of the flier, which is dated January 15, from security staff at a hotel in Sochi. The flier says authorities have received information about Ibragimova's possible arrival in the region last week. Photos of Ibragimova have flooded television and social media reports from Sochi, and some describe her as a "black widow." Many of them are widows of insurgents killed by government forces, and they've been blamed for high-profile suicide bombings. Security experts stressed Monday that Ibragimova was probably one of many suspects that authorities are trying to find. "I guarantee, they're talking about this one black widow," former CIA officer Mike Baker said, "but there are others that they're also worried about." In a video that surfaced Sunday, two young men believed to have been suicide bombers in last month's back-to-back bombings in the Russian city of Volgograd made an ominous promise. "We've prepared a present for you and all tourists who'll come over," the video says. "If you will hold the Olympics, you'll get a present from us for the Muslim blood that's been spilled." The U.S. military has contingency plans in place for an evacuation of U.S. citizens in case of a major incident in Sochi. | Militant leader killed in police shootout in Dagestan, state media reports .
A flier gives details of two more "black widow" suspects sought by authorities .
A third woman on the flier was killed in a weekend gun battle in Dagestan .
Islamist militants have threatened to strike at the Olympic Games next month in Sochi . |
74,096 | d21d0e54c414bf01750445ff759a553df66a1152 | Britain and the US are to set up a joint ‘cyber squad’ to carry out fake hacking attacks on banks, aircraft and nuclear power plants. In talks at the White House today, David Cameron and Barack Obama are set to agree an unprecedented level of co-operation, with a team of agents to help safeguard both countries. A report from British spy chiefs to be published today says four in every five big firms in the UK last year experienced some sort of serious cyber security breach. Scroll down for video . David Cameron and Barack Obama make their way from the Oval Office to the Residence to begin their working dinner last night . The PM and President have agreed an unprecedented level of co-operation on cyber crime . Mr Cameron and Mr Obama dined together in the White House last night, Attackers range from lone criminals to rogue states seeking to steal industrial secrets or spread mayhem and fear. There is mounting concern that Islamic fundamentalists or an enemy country could seek to mount a crippling attack on Western banks, sensitive sites such as atomic power plants or even planes, by targeting air traffic control systems. In the wake of North Korea’s attack on Sony Pictures, UK and US security services will now establish a joint team of agents to confront the issue and respond to attacks. Agents at GCHQ and MI5 will work with their US counterparts to encourage information about threats to be shared at a greater pace. They will also conduct a series of ‘war games’ to test the resilience of both the UK and US in the face of cyber attacks. The first exercise will simulate an attack on the financial sector, for example on banks in the City and Wall Street, and will take place later this year. This will be followed by further ‘war games’ to test critical national infrastructure – likely to include air traffic control, power stations and healthcare systems. The pair appeared to be in good spirits as they chatted before settling down to business . Mr Cameron and Mr Obama are pictured inside the Oval Office moments after the Prime Minister was invited inside . The leaders' discussions were undertaken last night during a 'working dinner'. Judging by the menu, it looks to have been one of Mr Cameron's more enjoyable duties. The US and UK have also agreed to align cybersecurity standards to ensure multinational firms receive consistent advice on keeping their systems safe from cyber attack. The two countries will train up a new generation of ‘cyber agents’ and allow the brightest experts on both sides of the Atlantic to carry out research placements for up to six months. Mr Cameron, who began two days of talks at the White House last night, said: ‘Just as we have worked with our closest ally, the US, to protect our people and our countries from traditional threats, so we must work together to defend ourselves from new threats like cyber attacks. ‘This is an evolving threat which poses a real risk to our businesses and that’s why we’re taking our cooperation with the US to an unprecedented level. ‘This is about pooling our effort so we stay one step ahead of those who seek to attack us.’ Today’s report from GCHQ reveals the growing scale of the threat, with more than 80 per cent of large firms in the UK reporting some form of security breach last year, at a total cost of between £600,000 and £1.5million. Director Robert Hannigan said: ‘In GCHQ, we continue to see real threats to the UK on a daily basis, and I’m afraid the scale and rate shows little sign of abating.’ GCHQ is urging all businesses to take greater steps to protect themselves from cyber attacks. On a daily basis, its agents see computer systems and the information on them being compromised by malicious attackers. The report says: 'The internet can be a hostile environment. The threat of attack is ever present as new vulnerabilities are released and commodity tools are produced to exploit them. 'Doing nothing is no longer an option; protect your organisation and your reputation by establishing some basic cyber defences to ensure that your name is not added to the growing list of victims.' The report gives examples of attacks identified by GCHQ, including a previously unknown espionage campaign against the UK energy sector. The world was shaken after North Korea's apparent hack of Sony, which made The Interview (above) David Cameron last night urged Barack Obama to help create a rapid response team of specialists to stamp out outbreaks of ebola and other deadly diseases before they can spread across the world. Over dinner in the White House, the two leaders were updated on the latest infection rates in Sierra Leone. They also discussed the idea of having a standing army of epidemiologists who could be deployed quickly to any area of the world – to assess emerging epidemics and offer swift advice about how to overcome them. Attackers used a technique known as a ‘watering hole’ attack to distribute 'malware' - malicious softward - into businesses working in the energy sector. After discovering that a single web design company hosted a number of energy supply sector businesses’ websites, attackers added a code to one website which redirected the visiting user’s browser to one of three websites controlled by the attackers. GCHQ believe that these watering hole attacks were part of a continuing commercial espionage campaign against the UK energy sector. Fortunately, agents detected the attack and was dealt with before it could affect the targeted businesses. In another attack, a technique called 'spear-phishing' was used to attack a high profile organisation. An email was sent to a targeted individual containing an attachment with malicious software. The attacker was then able to access information about the company's wider network and sensitive informatiob. The report says attackers range from cyber criminals interested in making money through fraud or sale of valuable information to industrial competitors and foreign intelligence services, interested in gaining an economic advantage for their companies or countries. In other cases, 'hacktivists' may seek to attack companies for political or ideological motives, or just to show they can. The worst case scenario would be a rogue state or terrorists using cyber attacks as a form of warfare. Chief executive of cyber firm Darktrace Nicole Eagan said: 'The growing frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks underlines that we are in a new era of cyber-security. 'Unfortunately the old systems just don’t work, whether that’s individual countries trying to deal with the cyber threat alone or whether it’s organisations thinking they can keep intruders out of their networks. 'Countries need to work more closely together, governments need to work more openly with the business world and companies need to be able to detect unusual patterns of behaviour on their networks and address them before a breach becomes a crisis.' | Leaders set to agree unprecedented level of co-operation in Washington .
Agents from GCHQ and MI5 will work with their counterparts in the U.S.
'War games' will test resilience of air traffic control and health systems .
Report reveals 80 per cent of large UK firms suffered security breach . |
174,094 | 6d4e0fad0faad0b74de13abfc34b075ec0b51cfa | There are growing fears of 'lone wolf' terrorists in Australia following a string of recent incidents involving individuals who were not on security watch lists, meaning the threat is often with 'the guy next door'. The Sydney siege in December was conducted solely by gunman Man Monis. There have since been a string of arrests as police conduct terror raids across raids. On Tuesday, Omar Al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were the latest to be charged as they were allegedly preparing to carry out a terrorist attack in Sydney. Neither were on security watch-lists. However, a terrorism expert in Melbourne gave a warning four years ago of the growing threat from 'lone wolf' terrorists. Scroll down for video . Mohammad Kiad, 25 (right), and his Iraqi born housemate Omar Al-Kutobi, 24 (left), were arrested on terror charges in their shared squalid granny flat at Fairfield on Tuesday . Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Jaafari (left) shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday. Al-Jaafari is in Australia to give a first-hand update on the battle against Islamic State . Noor Huda Ismail went to school with a number of the Bali bombers, and developed a program to de-radicalise jihadists returning to Indonesia. He now lives in Melbourne and says would-be terrorists who are not connected to any command structure are almost impossible for security agencies to identify. Mr Ismail, who went to the Al-Mukmin Islamic boarding school in Solo, central Java, along with a number of the Bali bombers, says the arrests this week are further evidence the new breed of extremist is the 'guy next door'. 'This will be the difficulty of any security apparatus at the moment,' he said. 'This is clearly now the challenge. The biggest threat will come from people like that.' Mr Ismail identified the growing the threat from so-called lone-wolf terrorists, and in 2011 contributed to a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute warning of the increasing number of 'freelancers' inspired by groups such as al-Qaeda. In internet chatrooms, he says, these 'at risk' individuals will easily segue from conversations about 'hair gel' to talk about the 'latest beheading video'. Mr Ismail says it's almost impossible for security agencies to identify such people before they act, and authorities must 'move away from looking at this as a security issue and focus on the demographic aspect of the threat'. The comments come as details of the contents of a video allegedly made by Al-Kutobi and Kiad emerged on Thursday. During Question Time in parliament Prime Minister Tony Abbott gave a graphic description of the disturbing video. He explained that one of the men made threats about carrying out an attack on Australia and stabbing victims in their 'kidneys' and 'livers', whilst 'kneeling before the death cult flag with a knife in his hand and a machete before him'. Abbott informed parliament that the man on the video said: 'I swear to almighty Allah, blond people, there is no room for blame between you and us. 'We only are you, stabbing the kidneys and striking the necks.' Facebook pictures of Kiad, who immigrated to Australia from Kuwait in 2009, revealed his fashion interest and showed him sporting expensive watches and suits as well as making some strange fashion statements . A keen weight-lifter, the 25-year-old removalist also shared selfies of himself at the gym . Mr Ismail says the language allegedly used in the video was undoubtedly aimed at 'glory for himself and to inspire others'. Mr Abbott made his comments while arguing that the parliament should pass the government's proposed further changes to data retention laws. This comes after social media accounts of one of the two men charged with plotting a terrorist attack involving large knives on Wednesday revealed he was a fashion-loving weightlifter with a keen eye for expensive jewellery. Pictures of Mohammad Kiad on his Facebook page show him sporting expensive watches and suits as well as taking numerous selfies while at the gym. In contrast to the snaps of him in shiny sparkling tight pants, other pictures show him wearing traditional white Islamic clothing and headpieces. However in person, the 25-year-old nurse who worked as a removalist has been described as a quiet man who never mentioned his religion, according to Fairfax. Both men arrived in Australia from the Middle East seeking a better life as refugees but allegedly became radicalised in recent months, it has been claimed. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told the Today Show on Thursday Kiad, from Kuwait, and Al-Kutobi, from Iraq, were granted refugee status. Al-Kutobi was granted citizenship in 2013 and was studying to be a nurse after he arrived in Australia by plane in 2009. The Daily Telegraph alleges a senior intelligence source has confirmed he arrived in the country with false documentation. Mr Kiad entered Australia in 2012, where he had worked as a nurse - but when he arrived in Australia he found he could not transfer his skills. He was granted a visa under the family and spousal visa arrangements and recently took up a job as a removalist but was fired and was on the dole at the time of his arrest, it has been reported. A Sydney police station and officers on the street were revealed to have been the the targets with attacks scheduled for just before midnight on Tuesday, Channel Nine reported. In contrast to the snaps of him in shiny pants, other pictures show him wearing traditional white Islamic clothing and headpieces . Pictures of the duo from mid-2013 show them poking faces and smoking shisha together. Mr Al-Kutobi was granted citizenship in 2013 and was studying to be a nurse while Mr Kiad, originally from Kuwait where he immigrated from in 2009, was reported to have been recently fired from his removalist job. While some neighbours told Fairfax that he was 'friendly', 'open minded about religion' and 'never talked about Islam', others admitted he and Mr Al-Katobi had begun acting differently after the anti-terror raids in western Sydney last September. 'He began wearing a scarf, just like ISIS and Mohammad, he grew a long beard,' Neighbour Michael David said of Al-Kutobi. 'I heard them praying in [the granny flat] and reading the Koran,' said Mr David, who speaks Arabic. Ms Jeisele-Brown said the pair had fallen out with another neighbour over the last month or two for 'speaking sharp' and that she had been upset with them after finding a religious picture she owned dumped in the rubbish bin. Pictured smoking shisha in mid-2013: The mens' neighbours said they mostly kept to themselves but admitted their behaviour had changed drastically in the last few months following police raids in western Sydney and the Martin Place siege . 'I had been in hospital having chemotherapy and when I came back home my picture of Jesus Christ was missing,' she said. 'I found it in the rubbish. I don't know who dumped it but I thought ... I didn't say anything.' Neighbours Teresita Heisele-Brown said she had noticed that after the Martin place siege, the two men had had lengthy discussions in Arabic and had watched a lot of television, perhaps coverage of the a siege. She said when the police came around to arrest the pair, Mohammad had pretended he didn't speak English. She said detectives had made the men lie on the ground while they handcuffed them. Their home, workplaces and cars were all searched by police. On Thursday, accused terrorist Kiad accidentally appeared briefly in court. Their Fairfield home, a granny flat in Sydney's west (pictured) NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn and Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan said two men have been arrested on terrorism charges . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Mohammad Kiad, 25, and Omar Al-Kutobi, 24, were arrested on terror charges in Sydney on Tuesday .
Like Sydney Siege gunman Man Monis, none were on security watch-lists .
A Melbourne terrorism expert predicted the rise of lone wolf terrorist attacks four years ago .
He says these people 'who are not connected to any command structure are almost impossible for security agencies to identify'
The expert also has psychological insight as he went to school with some of the Bali bombers . |
269,062 | e88df367e9332baa60b7d22a61ab38231061e076 | By . Toby Harnden In Milwaukee, Wisconsin . PUBLISHED: . 20:50 EST, 3 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:50 EST, 4 April 2012 . Mitt Romney last night stormed to a hat-trick of primary wins in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia, trouncing main rival Rick Santorum and all but securing the Republican nomination to face President Barack Obama in November. It was one of his biggest nights in three months of voting in the roller-coaster Republican battle. Romney’s resounding victory, following a string of big-name endorsements in the past week, means that he can now firmly lock his sights on Obama. With 98 delegates at stake, the former Massachusetts governor was on track to top 600 delegates, well over twice that of all his rivals combined. Scroll down for video of the speech . Victorious: Mitt Romney moved ever closer to the Republican presidential nomination after winning in Maryland, Wisconsin and Washington tonight . Although Romney needs 1,144 for outright . victory, which he was unlikely to secure until June, his lead is now all . but unassailable. In his victory speech in Milwaukee, Romney turned his fire on Obama, who earlier in the day had mentioned him by name publicly for the first time in recent months. Returning the compliment, Romney used Obama’s name 16 times and Santorum’s not once. Romney said: 'Under this President's watch, more Americans have lost their jobs than during any other period since the Depression. Millions have lost their homes, and a record number of Americans are living in poverty. 'And the most vulnerable have been hurt the most - over 30 per cent of single moms are struggling in poverty. 'New business start-ups are at the lowest level in 30 years, and our national debt is at a record high. And when you drive home tonight and stop at a gas station, just take a look at the prices and ask yourself, "Four more years?"' Newt Gingrich has already cut back his staff and curtailed his campaigning while Ron Paul, the maverick Texas congressman, was intent on building his libertarian movement and not making a serious play to win primaries. Even Santorum has dampened down his anti-Romney rhetoric in recent days. Victorious: Mitt Romney greets the public during a campaign stop at a Cousins Subs fast food restaurant, in Waukesha, Wisconsin . Romney lambasted 'Barack Obama’s government-centred society', as a place where 'government spending will always increase because…there’s no reason to stop it' and 'there’s always someone who is entitled to something more, and who will vote for anyone who will give them something more'. With the next primaries taking place on April 24 in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Rhode Island, Romney has three weeks in which Santorum, a former US Senator for Pennsylvania will be under fierce pressure to pull out. Polls in Pennsylvania showed Romney closing the gap fast. Defeat in his home state for Santorum would be a devastating blow, not only ending his 2012 hopes but also damaging his future political prospects – a calculation that he may well be making in the coming days. On the back foot: Rick Santorum addresses supporters at his Wisconsin and Maryland primary night rally in Mars, Pennsylvania . In Milwaukee, Romney was introduced by Congressman Paul Ryan, a rising Republican star and one of the big endorsements Romney received last week. Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, is a top prospect to become Romney’s vice-presidential running mate. Earlier in the day, Obama had begun general election hostilities by criticising Romney for embracing Ryan’s budget proposal and even mocking his probable general election opponent for his somewhat old-fashioned language. 'He said that he’s "very supportive" of this new budget,' Obama said of Romney in a Washington speech. 'And he even called it ''marvellous,'' which is a word you don’t often hear when it comes to describing a budget. It’s a word you don’t hear generally.' Crowd pleaser: Mitt Romney greets supporters at a town hall meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ahead of the primary . It's show time: The podium ahead of primary election night for Mitt Romney . VIDEO: Years of flying in Air Force One puts you out of touch jokes Romney . | Romney gained 54pc of vote in Maryland .
Rick Santorum faces mounting pressure to pull out of Republican race . |
212,169 | 9ebaced871c8780132cf85b665e9e55367539fd1 | By . Paul Donnelley . A ten-year-old boy has died and his father is fighting for his life after they were overcome by slurry fumes. They were thought to be muck-spreading on a farm near Dunloy, County Antrim, when the accident happened. Emergency services attended the scene but were unable to save the boy. The father, 51, was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. A ten-year-old boy has died and his father is fighting for his life after they were overcome by slurry fumes as they were muck-spreading on this farm near Dunloy, County Antrim . Ballymoney mayor John Finlay said: ‘There has been a tragic farm accident and the family are in my thoughts. ‘The whole of the community here has been calling me to voice their concern for the family.’ A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: ‘The Health and Safety Executive are conducting an investigation. 'At the request of family members, police will not be releasing any further details at this time. In September 2012, up and coming Ulster rugby star Nevin Spence, his father Noel and brother Graham died after entering a slurry tank. An aerial view of Dunloy, County Antrim, where the accident happened . The tragedy happened after Graham, 30, went into the tank in an attempt to rescue a dog at the family's farm outside Hillsborough, County Down. Nevin, 22, went in to assist his brother but also lost consciousness before 58-year-old Noel was killed trying to save his sons. | Father, 51, was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast .
Father and son were muck-spreading on farm near Dunloy, Co Antrim .
The Health and Safety Executive are conducting an investigation . |
273,914 | eecb52495237e45b0152078ebbf7cfb4991d06cc | Tennis was a game made for three, according to the first Victorian rule book. Our ancestors started playing the game outdoors for the first time thanks to a Birmingham lawyer who experimented with the sport. Instead of the Wimbledon as we know it with strict singles and doubles teams - and no mixing of the sexes - the early Victorians were more liberal. First rules: The . 1874 ‘Lawn tennis or Pelota rules of the game’ by Thomas Henry Gem was . the first of its kind . History: Fairlight House in Ampton Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, where the first ever game of lawn tennis was played in 1859. The modern game is now played by millions all over the world . In a version called the Unicorn one player could play against two opponents. And while ladies were discouraged from playing in general, they were permitted to battle against the men. This means if Wimbledon were played the Victorian way we could see a big female name like Serena Williams play the likes of Murray and Djokovic. Tennis experts insist the 1874 Lawn tennis or Pelota rules of the game by Thomas Henry Gem was the first of its kind. How to play: In a version of the game called the Unicorn one . player could play against two opponents. And while ladies were . discouraged from playing - they were permitted to battle against the . men . Former PE teachers Sue Elks, 69, and . Christopher Elks, 68, from Wythall in the West Midlands explained the . difference the modern game has with the tennis of yesteryear. 'The version of tennis where two people against one was called the unicorn match. Classic: Pictured is old-style tennis gear at the grave of Major Thomas Harry Gem, who invented to modern game . 'The game could be played with a racket from the old real version of tennis that was indoors, a wooden bat from the old medieval game five, or simply with the hand. 'The scoring was to 15, where whoever reached this figure first in single points would win the game.' There are several contenders for the title of ‘inventor of tennis’. The game was patented by Major Walter C. Wingfield in London and the game became a global sporting phenomenon shortly after this - with tennis courts popping up from the US to China. By 1877 the All England Club held the first tournament at Wimbledon. However, the game evolved from a combination of real tennis - which was played with a ball and net, but was the exclusive preserve of the aristocracy - and rackets which was popular with the working classes in pubs and prison yards. Ms Elks, Christopher and a host of other tennis-buffs believe the true pioneer of the game was Thomas Henry Gem, who brought the game outside thanks to the new innovations in technology at the time. He is understood to be the inventor of lawn tennis. Thomas Henry Gem created the game of lawn tennis with friend JBA Perera in a back garden in Edgbaston, Birmingham, before forming the first lawn tennis club in Leamington Spa in 1872. 'For the first time the newly developed India rubber allowed balls to bounce on grass,' said Ms Elks. 'Also the invention of the lawn mower meant that grass was now in such well-kept state that play was possible on the lawn. 'It’s only thanks to these new types of technology that the game of tennis as we know it could evolve.' The game we now recognise as tennis was formalised in the 19th cenutry as 'lawn tennis'. Bouncy rubber balls and well-kept lawns were now available across the land to enable what we previously an indoor sport to move outside. But early version of the game have existed since the 12th century, where French monks would play at hitting balls back and forth with their palms. The so-called jeu de paume (game of the palm) took centuries to develop into a game involving nets and rackets. By the 16th century, the game was popular in both England and France, and would be played with solid rackets, much like the offshoot sport known as real tennis today. Modern: Tennis changed significantly in the decades to come - pictured in Andy Murray about to take a shot in the semi-final of last year's Wimbledon tournament . The name tennis comes from the French word tenez - an instruction to 'hold!' or 'receive!' which players would shout to their opponent before serving. It was a favourite of Tudor King Henry VIII, whom some accounts say was playing a match while his second wife Anne Boleyn was executed. It's place in English and French history was confirmed during the reign of Elizabeth I, when Shakespeare's Henry V was first performed. Evolution: Tennis fashion has changed over the years, as the above line-up of ladies dressed in the styles of different periods shows . Towards the start of the play, Henry receives a mocking gift of a treasure chest full of tennis balls from the Dauphin of France. The warlike king then promises to 'march our rackets to these balls' and 'play a set shall strike his father's crown' - fulfilled by their clash at the Battle of Agincourt. Tennis societies and associations proliferated across Britain in the late 19th century, with the first Wimbledon tournament played in 1877. The game's popularity continued to swell in decades to come, and by the 1960s international interest was huge, and the top players were huge stars, earning vast sums of money - a trend which today shows no signs of abating. | The .
1874 Lawn Tennis or Pelota Rules of the Game 'was .
the first of its kind'
In a version called the unicorn one player could play against two opponents .
Ladies discouraged from playing but were permitted to play against men . |
40,249 | 71978fd4426c297e71ed47362987f199e76d6e01 | By . Jill Reilly and David Williams . PUBLISHED: . 11:14 EST, 6 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:03 EST, 6 April 2013 . As tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang has released footage showing its leader Kim Jong-un supervising a 'drone drill' attack. The Communist dictator is seen watching a rocket-launched small aircraft blowing up in the sky after being intercepted by anti-aircraft missile - yesterday he was seen brandishing a gun in a video. The footage broadcast by North Korea's state television comes amid reports the U.S. has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan for surveillance following reports the rogue state has moved missile launchers to its east coast. Pyongyang has released footage showing its leader Kim Jong-un watching a rocket-launched small aircraft blowing up in the sky after being intercepted by anti-aircraft missiles. Tension: The footage broadcast by North Korea's state television comes amid reports the US has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan to boost its surveillance . The Global Hawk will be stationed at the . U.S. airbase in Misawa, northern Japan - it was due to be deployed between June and September, but it has now been bought forward according to the Sankei Shimbun. Yesterday Western nations, including Britain, were deciding whether to pull diplomats out of North Korea after being told that their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond Wednesday. But today staff appeared to be staying in embassies across the rogue state despite the appeal. Whitehall has been told it should consider evacuating its embassy in Pyongyang. Several aid organisations were also given the warning, as the North Koreans moved more mid-range Musudan missiles to their east coast – where they could directly threaten Japan and America’s Pacific bases. The Foreign Office last night said it had ‘no immediate plans to withdraw’ Britain’s embassy in Pyongyang and condemned ‘provocations’ by the North Korean regime. Spy plane: A US Global Hawk like the one which has been deployed to Japan amid fears about the intentions of North Korea . But contingency plans have been drawn up to help Britons escape from the Korean peninsula. Airborne troops are said to have been put on standby to oversee any evacuation of the region. Officials have stressed the plans are a ‘precaution’ but said the situation is ‘fast-moving’. Britain has had an embassy in Pyongyang focusing on nuclear counter-proliferation and human rights for more than a decade. The Foreign Office website says the . embassy supports ‘small-scale projects aimed at improving the lives of . the most vulnerable’. There is also a consular section serving the needs of the handful of British citizens working in the Communist dictatorship. The US does not have an embassy in . Pyongyang. Russia said yesterday that it was considering airlifting its . workers out of the country and had been in discussions with China – . North Korea’s closest ally. Minister . Sergey Lavrov was quoted Friday during a visit to Uzbekistan as saying . that Russia is in touch with China, the United States, Japan and South . Korea - all members of a dormant talks process with North Korea - to try . to figure out the motivation. 'We . are very perturbed about the supercharged tensions, which for now are . verbal. We want to understand the causes of this proposal,' Lavrov said, . according to the Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti. A spokesman for the British Foreign . Office said the Pyongyang regime had responsibilities to protect . embassies under international conventions and claimed the latest move . was 'part of their continuing rhetoric' that the United States poses a . threat. Tensions: A Chinese tourists leaps from a speed boat that take them on tours along the North Korean bank of the Yalu River near the town of Sinuiji. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the country's military to increase artillery production . South Korean soldiers patrol as vehicles returning from North Korea's inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex back to South Korea arrive at a checkpoint on the Grand Unification Bridge . North Korean officials check the passports of a group of foreign diplomats and tourists as they board an Air Koryo flight to Beijing at the airport in Pyongyang. Foreign diplomats appear to be ignoring a warning to get out . VIDEO: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervises 'drone attack' drill . | White House: U.S. 'would not be surprised' if N Korea launched a missile .
Reports: U.S. has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan .
Rogue communist state issued a deadline .
of April 10 to every government .
South Korea deployed two warships with missile-defence systems .
Pyongyang releases footage of Kim Jong-un joining in with target practice . |
218,337 | a6a9525f50a4e50a54f1dc89a05850101f27c591 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:27 EST, 2 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:00 EST, 3 October 2012 . No butt-chugging: Alexander P. Broughton, pictured, denies butt-chugging and is threatening to take legal action . A University of Tennessee student who found fame after 'butt-chugging' enough wine to put him in hospital has now denied using an alcohol enema because of his religion. Alexander P. Broughton, 20, is threatening to take legal action, claiming that 'as a Christian' he would 'never desecrate his body' in such a way. He also says media reports have implied he is gay, which he isn't. Broughton was rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center last month unconscious with an injured rectum and a blood-alcohol level more than five times the legal limit. According to UT police, witness John Patrick Carney, from Broughton's fraternity, told officers his pal had been butt-chugging wine to get drunk faster. But in a statement, Broughton said the use of an alcohol enema was 'the most gross idea I have ever heard.' 'I would never do such a thing,' he said. 'I am a Christian who would never desecrate my body in that manner. To do so would be against God's law.' At a news conference today, Broughton's attorney, Daniel McGehee, said they intend to take legal action, though they haven't determined who the lawsuit will be against yet. McGehee accused university and hospital officials of releasing 'false and incorrect information,' according to The Knoxville News Sentinel. The lawyer also claimed the UT Police report was released in violation of federal medical privacy laws. He also said Carney now denies telling police about the 'butt-chugging', and that he would provide a sworn affidavit to support Broughton's lawsuit. Lawsuit: Attorney Daniel McGehee, left, with his client, Alexander P. Broughton, right, claims the police report of Broughton experiencing alcohol poisoning from a wine enema is false . Christian: Broughton, pictured centre, says that 'as a Christian' he would 'never desecrate his body' with a wine enema . But UT officials insist the wine enema . was the reason Broughton ended up in the emergency room, and say . evidence collected at the fraternity house after that evening's . 'blackout party' supported the claim. Following the student's near death experience, the school suspended the campus fraternity until at least 2015. The Pi Kappa Alpha house on Knoxville's campus will close on October 7 with the national fraternity notified by the university last Friday that it is voluntarily surrendering its charter. Broughton has recovered and returned to classes. Thanks . to the fraternity's drunken exploits, the bizarre way of getting drunk . is giving parents, administrators and health care workers a new fear. When . Broughton was delivered to the hospital after midnight on September 22, . his blood alcohol level was measured at 0.448 per cent — nearly six . times the intoxication that defines drunken driving in the state. Injuries to his rectum led hospital officials to fear he had been . sodomized. Closing doors: The University of Tenensee Pi Kappa Alpha chapter will close on the Knoxville campus, their house pictured, after a student's near death this month . Brink of death: Alexander Broughton, 20, was given an 'alcohol enema' during a frat party at the University of Tennessee according to police . Police documents . show that when an officer interviewed a fellow fraternity member about . what happened, the student said the injuries had been caused by an . alcohol enema, known among students as 'butt chugging.' 'It . is believed that members of the fraternity were utilizing rubber tubing . inserted into their rectums as a conduit for alcohol,' according to a . police report. While Broughton told police he . remembered participating in a drinking game with fellow members of the . Pi Kappa Alpha chapter, he denied having an alcohol enema. Police . concluded otherwise from evidence they found at the frat house, . including boxes of Franzia Sunset Blush wine. Investigators also found three other students passed out in their rooms from drinking. 'He also had no recollection of . losing control of his bowels and defecating on himself,' according to a . university police report that includes photos of the mess left behind in . the fraternity house after the party. The university responded with swift . investigation and a decision last Friday to shutter the fraternity. The . national Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity organization also accepted the . withdrawal of the campus charter. Frat boys: The PIKE chapter at the university campus in Knoxville has been in trouble in the past for hazing . Alcohol enemas have been the punch lines . of YouTube videos, a stunt in a 'Jackass' movie and a song by the punk . band NOFX called 'Party Enema.' But Corey Slovis, chairman of department . of emergency medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said . actually going through with the deed can have severe consequences. 'It's something that offers no advantages, while at the same time risking someone's life,' he said. The procedure bypasses the stomach, accelerating the absorption rate, Slovis said. Pouring the alcohol through a funnel can increase the amount of alcohol consumed because it's hard to gauge how much is going in. 'When you're dumping it into your rectum, often via a funnel, one or two ounces seems like such a minuscule amount,' he said. Ingesting more can create unconsciousness quite quickly, he explained. The effects have been fatal in at least one case. An . autopsy performed after the death of a 58-year-old Texas man in 2004 . showed he had been given an enema with enough sherry to have a blood . alcohol level of 0.47 per cent. Negligent homicide charges were later . dropped against his wife, who said she gave him the enema. Students walking across campus this week generally responded with sighs and eye rolls when asked about the allegations. 'It's like a big joke,' said Erica Davis, a freshman from Hendersonville. 'Because who does that?' Gordon . Ray, a senior from Morristown, said the details of the case caught him . off guard, but not the fact that fraternity members would be overdoing . it with alcohol. Irresponsible: Police found empty boxes of wine strewn around the frat house along with three others passed out in their rooms from drinking . 'It is definitely over the top,' said Ray. 'But it doesn't surprise me, I don't guess.' The harm the news has done to the university's national reputation was on the mind of several students. 'If someone wants to be stupid, then they should do it where it won't affect anyone else,' said Marlon Alessandra, freshman from Independence, Va. James E. Lange, who coordinates alcohol and drug abuse prevention strategies at San Diego State University, said alcohol enemas aren't a common occurrence on campuses, though normal consumption still contributes to hundreds of student deaths annually. And many of those can be attributed to reckless attitudes about the consequences of heavy drinking, he said. 'It's not unusual to hear that students are drinking to get drunk,' he said. Lange said he hopes students don't draw the wrong lessons from the University of Tennessee incident. 'Students and people in general are pretty good at denying that they are at risk for whatever happened to someone else,' he said. 'So they can look at something like this and say 'I'm OK because I would never do that.' 'However, they may be drinking heavily, or doing things like mixing alcohol with prescription meds that is putting them at serious risk,' he said. To Tennessee freshman Cody Privett of Sevierville, there's nothing appealing about the incident on his campus. 'It's stupid, it's an unfortunate situation,' said Privett, of Sevierville. 'I mean there's partying, and then there's other things.' It is not the first time the PIKE chapter has been involved in trouble at the university. In . 2008, the chapter was placed on administrative suspension after a . hazing incident where pledges were allegedly asked to do push-ups on . broken glass. Three . students were later hospitalized with staph infections. A member of the . fraternity said pledges were asked perform a 'lateral ab movement' known . as 'bows and toes' on the bathroom floor. The university's Office of Student Judicial Affairs charged the chapter with hazing and it pleaded guilty. After . completing its suspension, the chapter served several months of . probation. The international PIKE organization investigated and kicked . out 25 of the chapter's active members. | Student Alexander Broughton, 20, rushed to hospital unconscious with blood alcohol level five times the limit .
Claims police report is false and media coverage implied he is gay .
Party took place at Pi Kappa Alpha House at the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus .
Injuries to the student's rectum led hospital officials to fear he had been sodomized . |
188,734 | 8070b15f8b312693f2fd81fca45d8f2365f4b0e8 | A 'lynch mob' called for the death penalty against three men accused of raping a woman for more than an hour before throwing her from a moving bus were brought to court. Roads and railways have been closed in New Delhi today as police try to regain control after days of protest and pitched battles between police and demonstrators. Today, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm and vowed to get justice for the 'monstrous crime'. Scroll down for video . Blockade: An Indian police officer organises a road block to try to regain control of the Delhi streets following mass protests . Lock down: Authorities shut down roads in the heart of India's capital to try to end the week-long protests . Bus driver Ram Singh, 36, . fruit seller Pawan Gupta, 19, and gym helper Vinay Sharma, 20, are . accused of gang-raping and beating the 23-year-old student on December . 16. Eight days later she remains in a critical condition and doctors said she is still on respiratory support. The . three suspects were brought to Saket court yesterday where hundreds of . protesters gathered to 'thrash the brutes' with others calling for them . to be hanged. Some even tried to barge into the court but they were repelled by police. The suspects, who were remanded at Tihar jail until January 6, refused to do a identification parade. Sharma . told the court: 'We do not want to undergo (the parade) because we have . committed a heinous crime. We should be hanged for this.' Another suspect, Akshay Thakur was remanded in judicial custody on Saturday night. Mukesh Singh, the brother of Ram Singh, has already been picked out in an identification parade by the male friend of the victim. A sixth suspect is under Juvenile Justice Board as he is a minor and will take part in the identification parade on Monday. Fury: Members of All India Democratic Students Organization, pictured, are some of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets following the gang rape of a student . Protest: Students carry placards that read 'respect that gender who gave birth to you' as elsewhere protesters gathered as the three suspects were brought to court . During days of protests, more than 100 people and about 60 officers have been hurt. Police used batons, teargas and water cannon to try and disperse the demonstrators. Candle-light vigils have also taken place in other Indian cities. The demonstrations are the biggest New Delhi has seen since the 2011 protests against corruption. Today, police barricaded roads . leading to India Gate, which has been the focus of protests and many . metro rail stations were also closed, crippling movement around the city . of 16million. The Government has faced criticism for the use of force used against protesters, the failure to implement laws to protect women in India's 'rape capital' and for how slow it has been to respond to the strength of feeling. Prime Minister Singh said in a televised address: 'I appeal to all concerned citizens to . maintain peace and calm. I assure you we will make all possible efforts . to ensure security and safety of women in this country.' He has come under fire for remaining largely silent since the rape. He . issued a statement for the first time on Sunday, a week after the crime. Sonia Gandhi, chief of the ruling Congress Party, has met some of the . protesters to hear their demands. Social activist Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre . for Social Research in Delhi said: 'There is a . huge amount of anger. People are deeply upset that despite so many . incidents there has not been much response from the state and the . government.' Carnage: Against the backdrop of India gate, a First World War memorial, demonstrators attempt to rip the door off of a car. They were protesting against the alleged rape and beating of a student on a bus . Outnumbered: One protestor was surrounded by police brandishing wooden poles. The week-long protest are the largest Delhi has seen in a year . Political analyst Neerja Chowdhury said: 'People are not reacting to just one rape case. They are reacting to the general malaise, the frustration with the leadership. There is a feeling that the leadership is completely disconnected.' The protests overshadowed an official visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin and disrupted his schedule. New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures. A global poll by Thomson Reuters Foundation in June found that India was the worst place in the world to be a woman because of high rates of infanticide, child marriage and slavery. Since last week's rape, the authorities have promised better police patrolling to ensure safety for women returning from work and entertainment districts, more buses at night, and fast-track courts for swift verdicts on cases of rape and sexual assaults. Reported rape cases in India have increased by 9.2 percent to 24,206 cases in 2011 from 22,172 the previous year, according to the National Crime Record Bureau, . 'This is not about that one rape,' said trainee fashion designer Shruti Sharma, 24, at a protest today. 'This is about how crime is rampant in our cities. We are angry at the government for not ensuring the safety of its citizens. The judiciary is slow. Cases take too long.' Equality: A group of women march through the streets of New Delhi in an attempt to force the Government to ensure that women are given better protection in India . Watch video . | Hundreds of protesters called for the death penalty for the three suspects .
Ram Singh, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma appeared in court yesterday .
Sharma tells court they should be 'hanged' for the 'heinous crime'
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeals for calm after week of protest .
23-year-old victim still in critical condition eight days after brutal attack . |
46,192 | 8219270ecb6f8072ba0718b903c1ebbe80cc5478 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:11 EST, 13 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:01 EST, 13 January 2014 . The taxpayer is funding six-figure salaries for more than 800 officials and penpushers, it emerged today. New . figures reveal the scale of the bill for civil servants and quangocrats . earning more than £100,000-a-year, despite government calls for . austerity in public spending. It includes three men paid more than £300,000 in a single year – double the pay of Prime Minister David Cameron. High earners: The top 3 best paid from the public purse were Ian Nolan, from the Green Investment Bank, who earned £330,000, Shaun Kingsbury, from the Green Investment Bank, was paid £325,000 while Dennis Hone earned £310,000 as the head of the Olympic Delivery Authority . In . an attempt to get a grip on vast pay deals in the public sector, the . Treasury demanded that anyone earning more than Mr Cameron’s £142,500 . salary would have to be cleared by ministers. But . details of the earnings of senior figures across Whitehall, the NHS and . quangos reveals hundreds continue to earn eye-watering sums. Data released by the Cabinet Office reveals that in March 2013 there were 819 public sector workers earning more than £100,000. The highest earner was Ian Nolan, the chief investment officer of the Green Investment Bank, who was paid £330,000. Transparency: Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude insisted the government was making progress in curbing high pay . His boss, chief executive Shaun Kingsbury, earned £325,000 while Dennis Hone earned £310,000 as chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, which he quit last year. Among the 30 earning more than £200,000 were the chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies (£210,000), pensions regulator Stephen Soper (£210,000), NHS England boss Sir David Nicholson (£210,000) and Ministry of Defence equipment chief Bernard Gray (£220,000). Despite the huge sums, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude insisted the government had made progress in reining in spending. He told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Britain is now leading the world on transparency. We have released more data than ever before and the whole point is to allow armchair-auditors to hold our feet to the fire.' Mr Maude went on: ‘This Government is slashing costs to help the country live within its means. We have shrunk the Civil Service by 15 per cent since the 2010 General Election and it’s now at its smallest since World War Two. ‘There are a fifth fewer people earning over £150,000 and over 250 fewer quangos than there were under Labour. ‘It’s these sort of tough decisions which helped us save hard-working taxpayers £10 billion last year but there’s so much more that we need to do.’ In the past the government only published details of people earning more than £150,000 but lowered the threshold to increase pressure on government bodies to curb spending. (Left to right) Alan Langlands earned £230,000 at the Higher Education Authority, Rob Cormie earned £275,000 from the Green Investment Bank while David Bennett earned £230,000 working for health watchdog Monitor . Dominic Raab, a Tory MP, said: 'These figures show we still have too many overpaid bureaucrats in Whitehall, many at the least efficient departments or quangos. 'As austerity continues, we should be focused on reining in Sir Humphrey's bloated pay package, to spare front line services and avoid taxes going up. 'Too often it appears that the worst performing public bodies are paying the most exorbitant salaries. It's a culture change Whitehall still needs to go through.' | New figures reveal the vast scale of the public sector pay bill .
3 officials paid more than £300,000 and 30 earned over £200,000 .
Limits were imposed on anyone earning more than Cameron's £142,500 .
Ministers admit that there is more work to be done to curb spending . |
120,261 | 276e0b87f25d5d3df983cfa2741aeb9882f857b0 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 05:26 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:59 EST, 14 December 2012 . You would think that flying around the world in a sleigh with reindeer, going down chimneys and eating all those mince pies would be among the most serious health hazards for Father Christmas. But poor old Santa has been banned from sitting on his float in Sutton, south London, after a health and safety assessment found it to be too dangerous - so he will have to walk alongside instead. The ruling brings to an end a 46-year tradition in the town, and a plastic Santa will be placed on the float instead - while the human Santa walks alongside the float, collecting money from residents. It's a fake! The ruling brings to an end a 46-year tradition in the town, and a plastic Santa will be placed on the float instead - while the human Santa walks alongside the float, collecting money from residents . The Cheam Round Table's fundraising float has been a highlight of the festive calendar, raising more than £130,000 for local charities since it started in 1966. In recent years it has been taken over the Rotary Club of Cheam, and after a health and safety assessment this year they ruled it was too dangerous for Santa to sit on top of the 10ft float. The float used to travel at walking pace around residential streets of Cheam and Worcester Park with a volunteer dressed as Father Christmas on top of it in the three-week run up to Christmas. In previous years he stood inside the vehicle, with his upper body above the sun roof - but there are concerns this year over a new vehicle that meant he would have to sit in a bolted-down chair. Grounding Santa has caused a row with former members of Cheam Round Table, which set up the tradition in 1966, and passed over running the float to the rotary club in 2009. An insurance firm willing to insure the float with Santa on top was found, but the rotary club still decided to scrap the tradition. Days gone by: The Cheam Round Table's fundraising float with a human Santa on top (in 2006) has been a highlight of the festive calendar, raising more than £130,000 for local charities since it started in 1966 . Jeff Jones who is the chairman of Cheam 41, a group made up of former Round Table members, said: ‘The float has been going for 40-odd years and Father Christmas has never fallen off. There were various predecessors to the modern-day Father Christmas who we know. One was the Norse God Odin, who had a blue cloak and white beard. He rode through the winter world and gave gifts or punishments to people, so was both loved and feared. Then there was the fourth-century Bishop of Myra, also known as Saint Nicholas, who was known for being kind to children and the poor. Father Christmas has represented kindness and happiness since medieval times. The Dutch took the story of a legendary gift-bearer called 'Sinterklaas' to the U.S. in the 19th century, where he became known as Santa Claus. ‘I had a big row with [the president of Cheam Rotary], but I couldn't get him to change his mind. I said it was ridiculous. Common sense has gone out of the window.’ Mother-of-three Sara Palmer, 43, from Sutton, has gone to see the float every year since she was a child and said it was a family tradition to visit the sleigh. She said: ‘Not having him on top for three weeks of the year is ridiculous. The kids were like “Where's Santa?” 'It's just taking the magic out of it and they raise so much money for charity. It was always the highlight of Christmas.’ The sleigh was saved by the Rotary Club of Cheam in 2009 after the closure of its former organisers, the Cheam Round Table. Peter Bright, 71, from Banstead, is an honorary member of the rotary club and former member of the round table, who still helps to organise its tour each year. Plastic Santa: Grounding Father Christmas has caused a row with former members of Cheam Round Table, which set up the tradition in 1966, and passed over running the float to the rotary club in 2009 . He said he found a company that would insure the sleigh with Father Christmas on top - but the majority decision taken by the rotary club meant that Santa would not be sitting on the float. Cheam Rotary Club president Stephen . Cunningham, 52, from Wallington, who has qualifications in health and . safety, said: ‘From our point of view it's a serious matter. 'Not having him on top for three weeks of the year is ridiculous. The kids were like "Where's Santa?" It's just taking the magic out of it and they raise so much money for charity. It was always the highlight of Christmas' Sara Palmer, 43, from Sutton . ‘We didn't take this decision light-heartedly. I work in the construction industry and I have an obligation to make sure everyone goes home safely every night.’ ‘We have got a new vehicle this year and someone proposed we had someone sitting on a chair bolted to the roof. But it is very dangerous - not only for us. So we said we couldn't do that. ‘Another rotary club somewhere else in the country had an accident. From my own point of view we have found it better with Santa walking as he is able to interact with the youngsters better.’ Responding to negativity from some ex-Round Table members, he said: ‘They were doing it 30 or 40 years ago when health and safety wasn't such a big issue. You have to adapt to changing times.’ | The ruling brings to an end a 46-year tradition in Sutton, south London .
Human Santa will have to walk alongside float to collect charity money .
Health and safety ruling by Rotary Club of Cheam prompts local dispute .
Float has raised £130,000 since first run by Cheam Round Table in 1966 . |
243,253 | c6d1110c248c9795c36607f35874e56a26166aa4 | The woman whose shocked face amid the carnage of the Boston Marathon bombings became a symbol of the terror on Monday has been revealed as a triathlete whose sister lost a leg in the tragedy after they went to the race to cheer on their mother. Nicole Gross, 31, had her left leg broken in two places, suffered a fractured right ankle and a severed Achilles’ tendon. Doctors were forced to amputate the leg of her sister, Erika Brannock, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher. Her right leg suffered a compound fracture, a broken ankle and a broken foot. Warning: Graphic content - Videos below . Haunting: This image of North Carolina personal trainer Nicole Gross was published around the world . Tragedy: Erika Brannock, left, lost her left leg and her right leg was badly broken. Nicole Gross, right, broke her left leg in two places, suffered a fractured right ankle and a severed Achilles' tendon. They were watching their mom, Carol Downing, run . Horror: Nicole Gross, right, is seen at the Boston Marathon with her mother Carol Downing just hours before the bomb attack that made her a haunting symbol of the bomb blasts . The Charlotte Observer reports that both Gross and Brannock are recovering at Boston hospitals from the horrific injuries. The haunting image of Mrs Gross, a fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a noted triathlete, was printed on the front pages of newspapers around the world, including both the New York Post and New York Daily News. 'She remembers it all and just wishes that she didn’t,' her mother Carol Downing, 59, told the newspaper. She sits dazed and battered, missing one shoe, and surrounded by pools of blood and horrifically injured race watchers. Both Mrs Gross and Mrs Brannock had flown into New England to cheer on their mother as she completed her first Boston Marathon. Safe: Michael Gross, a former Charlotte firefighter, was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital. Mrs Gross is still recovering . Mrs Gross had helped train her mother for the grueling race and wanted to make certain she saw her finish. Mrs Downing was still few blocks from the finish line when the twin blasts went off. Panic set in when she realized that she could not contact either of her daughters or Mrs Gross' husband Michael. Mrs Gross is regarded as one of the best female triathletes in North Carolina, friends say, and has competed in the grueling Kona Ironman in Hawaii - one of the toughest endurance events in the world. 'I think a lot of people are intimidated by her because she’s really good looking, she’s smart, she’s a good coach, she’s popular in the sense that a triathlete can be,' fellow triathlete James Haycraft told the Observer. 'I don’t think anyone I know has ever had a negative thing to say about her.' | Fitness instructor and triathlete Nicole Gross, 31, had her left leg broken in two places .
Became face of the Boston Marathon bombings after being pictured dazed and covered in blood on the sidewalk .
Image was used by news agencies around the world .
31-year-old had flown from North Carolina to watch her mother compete .
Tragedy for family as her sister Erika had her leg amputated below the knee . |
276,620 | f25dcea2acc170e5a58741c275395201f22a6ec4 | By . Tom Roddy For Mailonline . Dani Alves was caught on camera making a reckless challenge on team mate Javier Mascherano days after an angry outburst in a Spanish press conference. A game of 'keep ball' in Barcelona's training session ended in an ugly way as Alves jumped in with a two-footed challenge on Mascherano. Fortunately for himself and for Barca, the Argentinia midfielder escaped without injury. Studs up: Dani Alves leaves the floor with his studs showing as he challenges Javier Mascherano in training . Impact: The Brazilian's challenge brings Mascherano to the ground . He's ok: The Argentinian gets to his feet and escapes unharmed . What was that? Mascherano looks back at the Brazilian defender after the challenge . Alves had been angered by suggestions that Luis Enrique was considering selling the experienced 31-year-old following expected signing of fellow Brazilian right-back Douglas Pereira. ‘I have two years left and I deserve respect for what I’ve achieved here,’ blasted Alves. He was also angered by the treatment of former Barcelona manager Tata Martino in the press. He said: ‘If we’re playing in a collective sport, the blame is ours, for good and bad. 'So people can forget writing stories like it was Tata’s fault because he had a different idea. No, for f***’s sake! 'Tata had the same idea as all our other trainers, but of course, we didn’t do our job well, and it’s Tata’s fault!' | Dani Alves was caught on camera making a rash challenge on Javier Mascherano in training .
The defender blasted the Spanish press this week after the suggestion Luis Enrique may be offloading him .
Barcelona are expected to sign fellow Brazilian right-back Douglas Pereira . |
182,281 | 780a990ecc88a12efe0c581db8f7240c0e998663 | Five diseases and health conditions not previously linked to smoking are now thought to be caused by the habit, scientists claim. The link between cigarettes and lung disease, some cancers, artery disease, heart attacks and stroke is well documented. But scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine have identified smoking is also linked to significantly increased risks of infection, kidney disease, intestinal disease caused by inadequate blood flow, and heart and lung illnesses not previously attributed to tobacco. They studied health data from almost one million people, following them for 10 years. Their findings suggest the number of people dying from smoking each year, across the world, is significantly underestimated. A new study, funded by the American Cancer Society, has found strong evidence to suggest smoking is linked to five extra diseases and illnesses, than was previously thought. Scientists estimate it means around 60,000 more deaths in America each year, should be attributed to the habit . In the US, health officials estimate smoking kills around 480,000 people each year. Research has already established 21 diseases caused by smoking, including 12 types of cancer, six categories of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], and pneumonia including influenza. In the UK that figure is around 100,000, while the World Health Organisation estimate the global figure stands at six million, when taking into account second-hand smoke. However, the team of scientists at Washington University believe those figures could be considerably higher, when taking into account deaths from the five additional health problems, they now believe are closely linked to smoking. Dr Eric Jacobs, co-author of the study, estimates smoking could be killing around 60,000 extra Americans each year - around 13 per cent of the 480,000 deaths currently attributed to the habit each year. If applied to the world wide figure, their theory suggests an extra 780,000 across the world could be dying from the affects of smoking each year. Dr Jacobs, said: 'The number of additional deaths potentially linked to cigarette smoking is substantial. 'In our study, many excess deaths among smokers were from disease categories that are not currently established as caused by smoking, and we believe there is strong evidence that many of these deaths may have been caused by smoking. 'If the same is true nationwide, then cigarette smoking may be killing about 60,000 more Americans each year than previously estimated, a number greater than the total number who die each year of influenza or liver disease.' Those taking part in the study were men and women, all aged 55 or older . While the link between smoking and lung disease, coronary heart disease and stroke is well documented through past research, this new study found the habit doubled a smoker's chance of developing kidney failure (pictured) as well as hypertensive heart disease, various infections and respiratory illnesses . Over the course of the decade-long study, more than 180,000 of the participants died. Researchers found current smokers, as predicted, had death rates almost three times higher than those who had never smoked. Their findings show the majority of excess deaths in smokers were due to diseases that are established as being caused by smoking, including 12 types of cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Past studies have already established a link between smoking and 21 different diseases, as recognised by the US surgeon general. They are: . This new study, funded by the American Cancer Society, found strong links between five additional health problems and cigarettes. They are: . But they also found around 17 per cent of the excess deaths in smokers were due to diseases that have not yet officially been linked to smoking, by the US surgeon general. It means these deaths would not be counted in estimates of the death toll from smoking. The scientists noted, in particular, that smoking was found to at least double a person's risk of death from several causes, including renal failure, intestinal ischemia, hypertensive heart disease, infections and various respiratory diseases, other than COPD. Smokers were also six times more likely to die from a rare illness caused by insufficient blood flow to the intestines. The risk of death from each of these diseases was found to decline after a person quit the habit. The study authors note there is strong evidence that smoking is a cause of death from these five diseases, even though they are not currently included in estimates of deaths caused by smoking. Smoking was also linked with smaller increases in risk of death from other causes not formally established as caused by smoking, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cancers of unknown site. The authors conclude that a substantial portion of excess mortality among smokers may be due to diseases not formally established as caused by smoking. They add, that if supported by future research, some of the diseases should be included in future estimates of the death toll from smoking. The team of researchers also found evidence the habit was linked to increased risk of breast cancer, pictured under the microscope. Breast cancer is not currently formally linked to smoking in the US . Dr Brian Carter, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, which funded the research, told the New York Times: 'The smoking epidemic is still ongoing, and there is a need to evaluate how smoking is hurting us as a society, to support clinicians and policy making in public health.' The study was an observational one, assessing people's habits and noted statistical correlations between their behaviour and their health. Correlation does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. As a result these studies are not deemed as strong as experiments where volunteers are given random treatments, with placebo groups included for comparison. People cannot ethically be instructed to smoke for a study, so much of the data relating to cigarette's effects on people has to come from observational studies, such as this. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. | New study links smoking to 26 diseases - five more than thought in past .
Link between cigarettes and lung disease, artery disease, heart attacks, stroke and some cancers is well documented .
But scientists identified smokers are at double the risk of kidney failure, hypertensive heart disease, infections and extra respiratory problems .
Also six times more likely to suffer rare condition caused by poor blood flow to the intestines .
Estimated smoking kills 60,000 more Americans than thought each year .
If five illnesses are included in smoking death toll, global figure could increase by hundreds of thousands, scientist's findings suggest . |
199,664 | 8e788c49a5504a9879a4e32c91e5c7eb8a93f42f | First home buyer activity has hit a new low with recent research showing August recorded the lowest levels in 15 years. There were 6,054 first home buyers committed to housing finance over the month, according to RP Data research which used housing finance data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is the lowest month reading since June 2000, outside of the seasonally low months of January and February. The dramatic decline since then was caused by rising property prices, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, and the changes made to the availability of First Home Buyer grants. Scroll down for video . Recent RP Data research shows 6,054 first home buyers were committed to housing finance in August - the lowest since June 2000 . Lavish properties like this Mediterranean-style home in Sydney's most expensive street in Point Piper - in the eastern suburb - seem well out of reach for first home buyers . The palatial home, which boasts 270 degree views of Sydney Habour, is on Wolseley Road and sold for more than $37 million earlier in the month . The price set a nationwide record for a non waterfront home and was the highest priced sale recorded so far in 2014 . RP Data research director Tim Lawless found the ABS housing finance data underlined a severe lack of first home buyer participation in the market. He says that the broad slowdown in first home buyer demand can probably be attributed to a few factors. 'With dwelling values rising at a time when average wages aren't rising anywhere near the same pace, affordability constraints are dampening first home buyer demand,' he said. 'This is particularly the case in Sydney and Melbourne where dwelling values have risen substantially.' Mr Lawless adds that The First Home Buyer Grant has had a huge impact on the market over the years. He says the grant boost of $14,000 in 2009 increased the number of active first timers in the housing market, reaching a record high of 18,744 in May. 'When the "boost" to the First Home Buyers Grant was scaled back in October 2009 and then removed in January 2010 we saw first home buyer numbers virtually fall off a cliff,' Mr Lawless said. This trend has followed suit over the years with changes to either stamp duty concessions or eligibility to first home buyer grants. A director of the research says affordability constraints are dampening first home buyer demand and changes to the availability of First Home Buyer grants also caused the record low . Mr Lawless says more first time buyers are purchasing investment properties, which doesn't include them in the Bureau of Statistics first home buyer figures. RP Data Research director Tim Lawless . 'Where a first home buyer isn't eligible for a grant or concession they may simply be flying under the radar and not being counted,' Mr Lawless said. 'For many first home buyers, the areas where they would like to live are simply too expensive for them to buy into, so they purchase an investment property while renting in an area closer to where they work and play.' The states and territories showing the most severe first home buyer trends are NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT. While stronger first home buyer trends and conditions were recorded in South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. However that trend has remained stagnant since mid-2013 in South Australia and Western Australia but has remained quite active in Tasmania, Mr Lawless says is reportedly the most affordable state for housing. | Recent RP Data research shows 6,054 first home buyers were committed to housing finance in August .
This was the lowest month reading since June 2000 .
Research director Tim Lawless says affordability constraints are dampening first home buyer demand .
The changes in availability of First Home Buyer grants also caused the record low . |
255,132 | d63e5f22b2167ac2fbdd79dfc2e5b1eeddde9f2c | A Russian man who entered his new flat for the first time, walked in to find the previous tenant murdered in the bathroom. Taras Yermolayev, 45, found the dead body of alleged drug dealer Dementi Zakharov, 50, lying in a pool of blood and the flat ransacked and 'smashed up with a sledge hammer'. Mr Yermolayev had met up with Mr Zakharov just one day earlier to pick up the keys for his new apartment in Novokuznetsk in south central Russia. Mr Yermolayev says the flat had been put on the market after Mr Zakharov had stopped paying the rent, so the owner had decided to sell it. He had then purchased it from a online advert without even visiting it, telling police that the price was so cheap he had wanted to act quickly to make sure he grabbed a bargain. He said: 'It was terrifying when I saw the body, like the stuff from a horror movie. 'The place looked like someone had smashed it up with a sledge hammer and then done the same to the previous tenant. 'His head looked like it had been severely battered and I didn't even recognise if the body was that of a man or woman at first. 'I immediately called the police and then vomited in the kitchen sink.' When police arrived they sealed off the apartment and began questioning neighbours.\n\n . A police spokesman said: 'There are signs that the victim had been tortured before being murdered. 'He is known to us as a drug dealer and we suspect this was some sort of revenge attack connected to his business. 'So far the neighbours say they didn't hear anything.' Now Mr Yermolayev says he has no intention of moving in and wants to sell the place. He said: 'There's no way I'm going to ever feel comfortable living here knowing what happened. 'I plan to sell up as soon as the police have finished their investigation and I can get someone in to clean up this mess. 'I don't envy them.' | Russian man found former tenant dead in the bathroom .
Police say man was a drugdealer, killed over his 'business' |
230,528 | b689590f3765a6b7a41692b0ea6ccfe6619bfcb7 | The US military is to shrink its presence in Britain, closing three bases and slashing thousands of roles as part of a major shake-up of its overseas deployments. The closure of RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk alongside RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire will see the number of US military personnel drop by around 2,000. Hundreds of British civilian workers will also lose their jobs as part of the cost-cutting. RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, one of three U.S. air bases in Britain which will close shedding hundreds of jobs . Pentagon officials said that the US presence at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk – the largest US Air Force combat base in Europe – will be beefed up with two squadrons comprising 48 of the new Lockheed Martin Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, which will arrive by 2020. The closures are expected to save £320m ($500m) a year across Europe, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. He added: 'I know this will result in a reduction of our local host nations workforces at some locations. I value the tremendous support they have provided us for decades.' RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk is an historic airbase used by the U.S to defend Britain since 1950. It was opened in 1934 and went on to play a key part in WWII and the Cold War. Throughout the war, the base was involved in most of RAF Bomber Command's offensives against Germany. The base withstood several attacks by the German Luftwaffe, but was never put out of commission. By the end of the war, aircraft from RAF Mildenhall and its satellite airfields dropped more than 23,000 tons of explosives, laid 2,000 mines in enemy waters, and flew more than 8,000 sorties. After the war, RAF Mildenhall flew home prisoners of war and took part in other humanitarian missions. It is currently home to 3,200 military personnel, including the 352nd Special operations Group - the US special forces which fly secret missions - and the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, a fleet of air-to-air refuelling tankers. The latter are some of the most important elements of the U.S Air Force as they enable aircraft to reach targets and to remain over combat zones for the duration of the mission. RAF Alconbury, based in Huntingdon, and RAF Molesworth, near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire - once home to Cold War cruise missiles - are used as USAF communications bases, rather than for flying. They are the last Second World War-era Eighth Air Force bases in Britain that are still actively in use. Along with RAF Upwood, they are considered the 'Tri-Base Area' due to their close geographic proximity. RAF Mildenhall is the biggest base to close among 15 installations across Europe. The historic airfield is home to the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, which flies KC-135R tankers used for mid-air refuelling duties, as well as the 352nd Special Operations Group, which flies secret missions with its C-130 transport planes and CV-22 Osprey tiltrotors – a cross between an aircraft and helicopter. Mildenhall's special forces aircraft will be moved to Germany, the refuelling tankers will go to Germany but RC-135 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft are set to move elsewhere in the UK. The Pentagon's European Infrastructure Consolidation review will see some 3,200 people moved from Mildenhall, with 400-500 civilian posts under threat. An additional 1,200 additional servicemen will go to Lakenheath to support the F-35. The US Department of Defense said the decision to base American F-35 aircraft in the UK reflected 'the closeness of the US-UK defense relationship and the military value of basing in the UK'. It added: 'The presence of U.S. F-35s at RAF Lakenheath will deepen our already close partnership and offer new opportunities for collaboration between the U.S. and UK.' Together, Lakenheath and Mildenhall contribute some £500million to the East Anglian economy each year and enjoy strong support from local people, many of whom work on the bases. Matthew Hancock, MP for West Suffolk, said: 'Mildenhall has a long and proud history of strong relations with the United States Air Force. With this deep history in mind news of the proposed closure of Mildenhall will come as a shock to many. 'I will do everything in my power to support those affected, and to make sure that Mildenhall gets the support it needs to adjust. I have met with the Defence Secretary, and others in Government to ensure we can work, together with the American administration, to support the community. Strategic: Matthew Hancock, the local MP for Mildenhall (pictured), said the town had 'a long and proud history of strong relations with the U.S. Air Force. The proposed closure will come as a shock to many' 'We will create a Mildenhall, Alconbury and Molesworth (MAM) Working Group, which I will chair, inviting local LEPs, councils, the Ministry of Defence, and US representatives to ensure no stone is left unturned in supporting Mildenhall and the surrounding area.' Last year, the two bases were flagged for potential closure by a RAND Corporation report into military cost-cutting. The Pentagon was understood to be concerned that Lakenheath and Mildenhall were too far away from Middle East trouble sports such as Iraq and Syria. But recent events in Ukraine and the potential for a new Cold War with Russia may have prompted a rethink, with the 48th Fighter Wing considered a vital outpost of US air power able to deploy its jets anywhere in the world with fewer than 24-hours notice. Unstable: The situation in Ukraine (pictured) may have prompted a rethink of the U.S. Air Force's facilities . The unit was recently sent to Lithuania to support the NATO North Atlantic alliance's Baltic air patrol mission and has established a reputation for always being among the first on the front line, having flown combat missions in both Iraq wars, Afghanistan and Libya. Lakenheath already has 4,500 military personnel and 2,000 civilians, who do everything from serving coffee in the restaurants to scaring birds away from its 9,000ft-long runway. Colonel Robert Novotny, commander of Lakenheath's 48th Fighter Wing, recently told the Mail he had not read the RAND report, adding: 'Commanders and politicians are going to make the decision. I don't think we're going anywhere any time soon.' Col Novotny said: 'This base has more fighter aircraft than almost all the rest of the other American bases in Europe. This base as a combat search and rescue unit that does not exist anywhere else in Europe. You can't just replace that capability.' The change in US presence comes as Britain's government is under pressure to retain 2per cent of its annual spending on defence. Independent defence analyst Howard Wheeldon said: 'The decision by the US is an object lesson for the UK government just as it is for those of our NATO allies that we must place a much greater emphasis on ensuring we have sufficient capability to defend ourselves.' | RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk is one of trio announced for closure today .
The other two are RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire .
RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk will be beefed up with two squadrons instead .
Thousands will be moved and up to 500 civilian jobs are under threat . |
275,742 | f131cea27ffec7110d20d7877193916326116742 | Faith, community and political leaders gathered at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and other events across the country to celebrate the legacy of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The 47th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemorative Service was taking place this afternoon at the slain civil rights icon's spiritual home. Calling the gathered crowd to remember her father's legacy, the Rev. Bernice King urged people to remember his message of nonviolence. King's sister, Christine King Farris, presided over the service. Gwendolyn Boyd, president of Alabama State University, was to give the keynote address. David Oyelowo, who played King in the movie 'Selma,' also paid tribute. He got choked up as he talked about putting himself in King's place. 'I felt his pain. I felt his burden. I felt the love he had for his family. I felt the love he still has for you Dr. Bernice King,' he said, addressing King's daughter. 'I only stepped into his shoes for a moment, but I asked myself, ''How did he do it?''' Scroll down for videos . Actor David Oyelowo, who portrayed Martin Luther King Jr in the new movie Selma, became emotional during his speech at the Annual Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia . Youth hold up signs as part of a performance during the annual service to honor Dr King, held in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday . Jaiya Smith, 14, carries a sign reading 'Hope' down the aisle during the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday commemorative service . President Obama and First Lady Michelle work on a literacy project with children during a day of service at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington, in celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr holiday . Malia Obama went with her parents to the Boys & Girls Club in Washington D.C. on Monday during the public holiday in honor of Dr King . U.S. Representative John Lewis, center, is comforted by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, left, as he wipes a tear at the Martin Luther King memorial service. Lewis said of King: 'The memory of such a great man can never, ever fade. I still think about him almost every day' U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (5th left) and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (5th right), participate in a wreath laying at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Monday . At the service in Atlanta, attendees held up names of those who died during the Selma marches including Jimmie Lee Jackson, Reverend James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo. LeRoy Moton was a passenger in Mrs Luizzo's car during the Selma marches when she was shot by the KKK . He explained that he, like King, has four children and said he cannot imagine walking through life knowing there are people who wanted to take their lives or that of his wife. Also present and slated to speak at the service were civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Bernice King invoked the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Eric Garner in New York City and the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio. 'I cannot help but remember many women and men who have been gunned down, not by a bad police force but by some bad actors in a police force,' she said. She called on those who came to celebrate her father's legacy to act out against injustice but also to remember his message of nonviolence. 'We cannot act unless we understand what Dr. King taught us. He taught us that we still have a choice to make: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation. I challenge you to work with us as we help this nation choose nonviolence,' Bernice King said. U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who told the crowd he was just 17 when King sent him a bus ticket to come to Montgomery to join the civil rights movement, recalled the man he called his hero and his leader, a man who is 'still a guiding light in my life'. 'The memory of such a great man can never, ever fade,' Lewis said. 'I still think about him almost every day.' Tributes to civil rights leader Dr King Jr were held around the U.S. on Monday as protests over the treatment of minorities by law enforcement rolled on across the country. Observers of Martin Luther King Jr. Day have this year linked the federal holiday to a rallying cry in recent months during demonstrations over police brutality: 'Black lives matter.' In a pre-dawn rally in Oakland, California on Monday, about 40 people converged on the home of Mayor Libby Schaaf, calling for harsher punishment of police who use violence against civilians. Cal Murrell, otherwise known as 'The Happy Preacher', shouts out during the service in Georgia where Martin Luther King's daughter, Dr Bernice King, spoke to the vast crowds . Dr Mohammad Bhuiyan, fourth from left, joins hands with actor David Oyelowo, center, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, second from right, and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga, during the singing of We Shall Overcome at a service honoring King . North Carolina NAACP president William Barber, center left, and South Carolina NAACP president Lonnie Randolph, center right, march to the SC Statehouse. Speakers at the rally asked the crowd to fight the apathy that things are good enough with civil rights in America . They chalked outlines of bodies on the tree-lined street, played recordings of King's speeches and projected an image of the slain civil rights leader with the words 'Black lives matter,' on the mayor's garage door. Other protests were planned in major cities such as Dallas and New York, where the family of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a police chokehold, was set to lay a wreath on the Brooklyn street where two uniformed officers were ambushed in December by a gunman claiming to avenge Garner's death. Across the country in northern California, tickets sold out for the final run on Monday of the Freedom Train, the last of the more than two dozen official train services launched 30 years ago by Coretta Scott King in honor of her husband, according to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Association of Santa Clara Valley. President Obama honored Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy on Monday by 'big-brothering' members of the next generation. The President, wife Michelle and daughter Malia traveled to a District of Columbia site for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington where they helped paint murals and assemble 'literacy kits' made up of flashcards and books intended to help the center's young kids improve their reading and writing skills. The family was joined by Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Sasha Obama was not with her family. In a proclamation issued last week, Obama said the U.S. has made 'undeniable progress' since King agitated for justice and equality for all. But Obama said securing the gains requires 'constant vigilance, not complacency' and he called on all Americans to stand together for good jobs, fair wages, safe neighborhoods and quality education. Much of Obama's Cabinet fanned out across the country Monday to participate in community service projects and events in remembrance of the slain civil rights leader. In St Louis, Missouri, people gathered outside the Old Courthouse before taking part in an annual march in honor of Dr King. The nearby suburb of Ferguson has been recently rocked by police violence following the shooting of unarmed black teen, Michael Brown . Bobby Taylor holds an image of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during a march in King's honor on Monday in Atlantic City, New Jersey . People marched at a Martin Luther King day rally in Harlem, New York on Monday past a banner with the message 'Black Lives Matter' Vice President Joe Biden spoke on Monday at a Delaware breakfast honoring King. He said communities and police departments need to build trust. 'Do we see each other?' Biden asked. 'Do we see each other for who we are?' Biden devoted his 27-minute speech to the tension between police and minorities in some communities around the country following the deaths of two unarmed black men in encounters with white officers in Missouri and New York City this summer. The incidents touched off protests and a national debate over police conduct. Tensions escalated after two New York City police officers were fatally shot last month by a man who suggested in online posts that he was retaliating for the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. The gunman, who was black, committed suicide. 'Men often hate each other because they fear each other,' Biden said, quoting King. 'They fear each other because they do not know each other. They do not know each other because they cannot communicate, and they cannot communicate because they are separated.' 'We have to bridge that separation ... particularly today between police and the community that exists in some places.' NAACP branch of Atlantic City President Betty Lewis, center, speaks during a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day March in New Jersey . VP Biden, left, is shares a moment with Mistress of Ceremony Bebe Cooker, right, in Wilmington. Biden said minority communities around the country need to work to bridge the separation between police and the residents they serve during his speech to honor Dr King . Biden did not mention a weekend incident in which several gunshots were fired from a vehicle speeding by the driveway of his Delaware home. Biden and his wife were not home at the time, and there were no reports of injuries. Police continue to investigate the incident, which prompted the Secret Service to boost security at Biden's home. 'It really is good to be home,' said Biden, who left immediately after speaking to a crowd of about 200 people in a half-filled ballroom on Wilmington's riverfront. Biden's speech came just days after a rally in support of police drew about 300 people to downtown Wilmington. Even as the rally was being held, police were involved in a shooting that left a man in critical condition. Authorities said an officer returned fire after the man shot at police following a traffic stop. Police have released few details about Thursday's shooting, including the race of the officers and the occupants of the vehicle. 'Cops have a right to go home at night to see their families,' Biden said. 'All minorities, no matter what the neighborhood, have the right to be treated with respect, and with dignity.' Elsewhere, in D.C., U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson made a speech during a wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall alongside . U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson speaks during a wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall . Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson walks with a group of people including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, during a wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial . Oprah Winfrey locks arms with David Oyelowo, left, who portrays Martin Luther King Jr. in the movie Selma, Ava DuVernay, the director and rapper Common, far left, as they marched to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in honor of Martin Luther King Jr on Sunday . | President Obama and wife Michelle will help with a project at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington while observing the day .
Faith, community and political leaders gathered at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to celebrate King's legacy where his daughter, Rev. Bernice King, urged people to remember his message of nonviolence .
David Oyelowo, who played King in the movie Selma, became choked up as he talked about putting himself in King's place: 'I felt his pain. I felt his burden. I felt the love he had for his family'
Observers of MLK Day have this year linked the federal holiday to a rallying cry in recent months during demonstrations over police brutality: 'Black lives matter' |
4,840 | 0ddc35d8f7dcef8f59473ca38d4e8d13f72d4bf2 | (CNN Student News) -- November 20, 2014 . Once you see what's happening in Buffalo, New York, you'll understand why we're defining lake-effect snow at the beginning of today's program. The Keystone XL Pipeline and a possible chocolate shortage are examined in depth. And the third installment in our series on affording college takes you to a private campus where students can work down their tuition. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News! | This page includes the show Transcript .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call. |
14,342 | 28ac4144cb4bbcf8c981544e5dfe6da1215c83cf | (CNN) -- The tiniest iPhone rumors can cause a big uproar. The latest: The blog TechCrunch on Wednesday published a story claiming the next-generation iPhone will have a new connection port that's about a third the size of the one on the current model. The reaction on blogs and on Twitter has been largely negative, with commenters saying the new port -- used to charge the phone and connect it to other devices -- would render obsolete existing chargers and accessories such as speaker sets. "Every other phone manufacturer decided back in 2008 to conform to the MicroUSB standard, and that's been wonderful," one commenter, identified as Scott Ableman, wrote on the TechCrunch story. "But Apple wants people to feel they have to buy proprietary accessories from them. Don't get me wrong. I respect them as marketers and profiteers. I just hate their contempt for me as a customer." "Are standards just too easy for Apple to use?" asked Calob Horton, a writer for the blog Pocketables, which focuses on mobile technology. "Does the company feel the need to create its own, proprietary hardware to feel special, more profitable or even more popular?" He added: "I understand the lust Apple has towards thinness and being able to cram more tech into a small package, but it can be achieved without its own port designs that can make the devices incompatible with other companies' products." Apple hasn't announced whether or not it's working on a new iPhone, much less confirmed specifications such as the type of dock that will be included, and the company did not respond immediately to CNN's request for comment. Most observers expect Apple to introduce its next iPhone this fall since the current 4S model was launched last October and the company has a history of releasing upgraded phones each year. TechCrunch said its report is based on interviews with three independent manufacturers of Apple accessories that said the new iPhone will include a 19-pin dock instead of the current 30-pin model. In 2003, Apple introduced the 30-pin dock connector on the third-generation iPod. Since then, the port has been a fixture at the bottom of Apple's mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad. The connection type is proprietary, meaning cords and accessories that use the 30-pin dock only work with Apple devices. Still, the dock has become "insanely ubiquitous," as Pocketables writes, to the point that it's almost a standard of its own. It's unclear if the new dock will be another only-Apple standard. Writing for the site ZDNet, Jason D. O'Grady said the new port "presumably" adheres to the Micro USB standard, which is used on most other mobile phones. If that's the case, he said, the switch could have all kinds of advantages, including saving consumers money (a 30-pin cord from Apple costs $19; Micro USB cords start at less than $1) and making it easier for Apple to comply with a European law that requires Micro USB ports on new mobile phones. (Apple gets around this by selling an adapter in Europe.) Either way, if the Apple standard changes, iPhone owners may be left, as @shmidtb writes on Twitter, with "a bunch of worthless cords" on their hands. What do you think? Would you welcome a new connector format? Let us know in the comments. | The next-generation iPhone will have a smaller connection port, according to a report .
A different-size port would mean existing iPhone charging cords won't work on new model .
Such a switch could save customers money if Apple switches to a standard port size . |
266,577 | e548f1de10a842a66024ed9447526b0e95347a11 | (CNN) -- An Indiana judge Monday froze the assets of Marcus Schrenker, a suburban Indianapolis financial manager who authorities say tried to fake his own death by crashing his private plane into a Florida swamp. Marcus Schrenker exited his small plane before it crashed, and investigators are looking for him, police say. Investigators looking into his business dealings for possible securities violations requested the temporary restraining order in Hamilton County Superior Court, said Jim Gavin, spokesman for the Indiana Secretary of State. He said the order, which also applies to Schrenker's wife, Michelle, and to his three companies, is aimed at protecting investors, and is related to a receivership filing. He didn't elaborate. Heritage Wealth Management, Heritage Insurance Services and Icon Wealth Management are "the subjects of an active investigation by the Indiana Securities Division," Gavin said. Public documents list Schrenker as president of Heritage Wealth Management in Fishers, Indiana. A search warrant related to the inquiry was served December 31, Gavin said. According to The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Indiana, Michelle Schrenker filed for divorce in Hamilton Superior Court on December 30. A hearing was set for February 5. Schrenker, 38, took off alone Sunday night in a corporate plane, a Piper PA-46, from Anderson, Indiana, en route to Destin, Florida. Authorities said the Fisher, Indiana, businessman parachuted to the ground before letting the plane crash in the Florida panhandle. The craft came down near the Blackwater River, only 50 to 75 yards from homes, said Sgt. Scott Haines of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. Watch more about the mysterious flight » . "It is a neighborhood -- some very nice waterfront property," he said. Military aircraft from Whiting Field, which were dispatched to intercept the plane after Schrenker reported an emergency, witnessed the crash about 9:15 p.m. CT. The crews fired flares and noticed the plane's door was open and the cockpit was dark, Haines said in a news release. They got no response. Haines said the plane appeared to have been put on autopilot at around 2,000 feet, over the Birmingham, Alabama, area, before the pilot parachuted to the ground. Schrenker had contacted air traffic controllers, saying that the windshield imploded. "The pilot stated that he was bleeding profusely," the news release said. "Radio contact with the plane was not able to be established after that point. When deputies located the plane at the crash site, no blood was present and the door to the plane was open." The Childersburg, Alabama, Police Department reported that Schrenker approached one of its officers shortly before 2:30 a.m., "and said that he had been in a canoeing accident with some friends," a news release said. Childersburg is about 35 miles southeast of Birmingham. Childersburg officers, unaware of the plane crash, took Schrenker to a hotel in nearby Harpersville. After hearing about the crash, they went back to the hotel, where they found that Schrenker had checked into the hotel under a fictitious name. "When authorities entered Schrenker's room, he was not there," the release said. Authorities said Schrenker checked in under a fake name, put on a black cap and fled into a wooded area. Hotel manager Yogi Patel, who identified Schrenker on surveillance video, told CNN that Schrenker was the only guest overnight. He signed in as Jason Galouzs of Bolingbrook, Illinois, Patel said. A hotel employee said Schrenker went up to his room, but didn't enter before leaving the building. iReport.com: Are you near the crash site? Tell us about it . Steve Darlington, manager of Anderson Municipal Airport, told CNN the plane was in fine condition at takeoff, and said Schrenker is "an accomplished pilot" who owns "a couple of airplanes" and flies regularly. No agency has come forward to lead the probe. "The FBI is looking into the matter, along with other agencies," said Paul Draymond, of the Birmingham FBI office. Kathleen Bergen, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said several factors indicated the pilot likely left the plane before the crash: a "detailed review of radar data," the fact that the plane was switched to autopilot before it crashed, the sighting by military jet crews and the fact that the cockpit was found mostly intact with no one inside. After the pilot alerted air traffic controllers about the alleged problems with his plane, authorities tried to persuade him to land in Pell City, Alabama, east of Birmingham, Haines said. Schrenker also flew an acrobatic plane, and made a video featured on a YouTube site. A message preceding the video warns, "No pilot should attempt this stunt. You will get yourself killed. Pilot specially trained to fly unlimited acrobatics and shows." CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this report. | Authorities say pilot tried to fake his own death by crashing his private plane .
Officials searching for Marcus Schrenker, who they say parachuted out of plane .
Investigators looking into possible securities violations request the restraining order .
Manager in Alabama says Schrenker was his only guest at hotel overnight . |
44,037 | 7c2fb9cb09661e6763db3163f62dc4b951ecf2aa | (CNN) -- MotoGP leader Jorge Lorenzo hopes he can overturn Honda's qualifying dominance for Saturday's Assen TT race after setting the third fastest time behind Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. The Spaniard holds a 25-point advantage over polesitter Stoner after winning the last three races in motorcycling's elite class. World champion Stoner recovered from a morning crash to deny Honda Repsol teammate Pedrosa first place on the grid. "I tried my best in the last lap of qualifying but I made a little mistake in the last chicane on braking and lost a few tenths," 2010 world champion Lorenzo said on the MotoGP website. "I was surprised at Casey's last lap; it was fantastic and so fast and Dani was also very close to him. We have a good position for tomorrow on the front row and we have a good race pace and I'm confident with the bike so I'm happy. "Qualifying is one thing but the race is another, tire choice will be important for the race." Stoner, who has announced he will retire at the end of this season, claimed his third pole position of 2012. "This morning was probably one of my biggest crashes, which is saying something! The crash really knocked the wind out of me, I hurt my head, neck, wrist, knee and shoulder -- it was a bad one for sure," he said. "The team did a really great job, they kept their heads down even when I wasn't riding to my full potential or the bike's full potential and when we were struggling to get the rear tire to work, they didn't give up. "Then when we came back onto the soft rear tire for the first time since FP1, the bike had much more feeling and we were able to put together a fantastic lap and put it on pole. As far as race pace goes, we're still struggling and we need to work on this and make some decisions before the race." The 26-year-old Australian, who also won the world title in 2007 with Ducati, has triumphed in two of the six races so far and was second last time out in Britain. Pedrosa, who is third in the standings 39 points behind his compatriot Lorenzo, was edged out by just 0.115 seconds. Lorenzo's teammate Ben Spies won the race last year, but will start sixth on the grid on Saturday. "Qualifying was a frustrating experience. We tried a setting this morning and went backwards, so the first bit of qualifying we tried a modified setting from yesterday which again wasn't working so well," the American said. "We went back to yesterday's set up with a minor change but only got one lap in, which turned out to be my fastest lap. Unfortunately one of the CRT bikes got in the way on my qualifying lap. I know they are out there trying to do their thing as well so it's difficult." German rookie Stefan Bradl was fourth for LCR Honda in his best qualifying performance, while Britain's Cal Crutchlow was fifth and his Yamaha Monster tech 3 teammate Andrea Dovizioso was seventh. Alvaro Bautista, who won his first pole at Silverstone this month, will start eighth ahead of Ducati's former world champions Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi. | Casey Stoner wins pole position for Saturday's MotoGP race in Netherlands .
World champion recovers from practice crash to head off teammate Dani Pedrosa .
Series leader Jorge Lorenzo rounds out front row after qualifying third on Friday .
His Yamaha teammate Ben Spies, last year's race winner, is back in sixth . |
163,488 | 5f65161d033ec75f923c68daf01633cd4ceb2c2c | A former Microsoft manager who had never even smoked marijuana 18-months ago is planning to turn his budding pot business into the Coca Cola brand of cannabis. Jamen Shively, a former Microsoft corporate strategy manager said that he envisions his Seattle-based enterprise becoming the market leader in recreational and medical cannabis, just like McDonald's dominates fast food and Starbucks, coffee. His brand, Diego Pellicer, is named after Shively's great-grandfather, a former U.S. diplomat and the 'dot bong' entrepreneuer is rapidly acquiring medical-marijuana dispensaries across Washington state and Colorado - which he hopes is the start of pots first established international brand. High Flyer: Marijuana entrepreneur and CEO of Diego Pellicer Inc. Jamen Shively announces plans to create the first U.S. national marijuana brand in Seattle, Washington, May 30, 2013 . Shively, 45, whose six years at Microsoft ended in 2009, said he was soliciting investors for $10 million in start-up money and he has already roped in former Mexican President Vicente Fox - hoping to open a 'legal' pot trade between the U.S. and Mexico. 'Let’s go big or go home,' said Shively to the Seattle Times. 'We’re going to mint more millionaires than Microsoft with this business.' 'I’ve just fallen in love with the plant,' Shively told the Times. 'Especially in the medical realm I’ve gone from entrepreneur to advocate to activist, seriously.' Fox appeared at a news conference on Thursday in Seattle, along with Fox, where he recounted how the war on drugs has ravaged his country and praised the states of Washington and Colorado for voting to legalize the recreational use of marijuana last fall. Pot Partners: Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox (left) talks during a news conference next to marijuana entrepreneur and CEO of Diego Pellicer Inc. Jamen Shively (right) in Seattle, Washington, May 30, 2013 . Handshake:Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, left, turns to Jamen Shively, CEO of Diego Pellicer, after speaking during a news conference Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Seattle . Happy: Former Mexican president Vicente Fox, (left), speaks as Jamen Shively, CEO of Diego Pellicer, looks on during todays news conference May 30th, 2013, in Seattle . 'It's a giant market in search of a brand,' Shively said of the marijuana industry. 'We would be happy if we get 40 percent of it worldwide.' A 2005 United Nations report estimated the global marijuana trade to be valued at $142 billion. Washington state and Colorado became the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana when voters approved legalization in November. Shively laid out his plans, along with his vision for a future in which marijuana will be imported from Mexico, at a Thursday news conference in downtown Seattle. Joining him was former Mexican President Vicente Fox, a longtime Shively acquaintance who has been an advocate of decriminalizing marijuana. Fox said he was there to show his support for Shively's company but has no financial stake in it. 'What a difference it makes to have Jamen here sitting at my side instead of Chapo Guzman,' said Fox, referring to the fact he would rather see Shively selling marijuana legally than the Mexican drug kingpin selling it illegally. 'This is the story that has begun to be written here.' The Face of Cannabis in the 21st Century? Named after Shively¿s great-grandfather and former vice governor of the Island of Cebu in the Philippines, Diego Pellicer, Inc. is poised to become the first name brand marijuana sold in the U.S. Cashing In on Legal Changes: A customer smokes marijuana inside of Frankie Sports Bar and Grill in Olympia, Washington on December 9th, 2012 . Inspiration: Jamen Shively, a former Microsoft corporate strategy manager, said he envisions his enterprise becoming the leader in both recreational and medical cannabis - much like McDonalds in the fast food industry . Stoned: A man lights his pipe at the 4/20 pro-marijuana rally in Civic Center Park in downtown Denver April 20, 2013. Thousands of marijuana enthusiasts gathered for an annual weekend celebration of legal cannabis in Colorado . Shively told Reuters he hoped Fox would serve an advisory role in his enterprise, dubbed Diego Pellicer after Shively's hemp-producing great grandfather. The sale of cannabis or marijuana remains illegal in much of the world although countries mainly in Europe and the Americas have decriminalized the possession of small quantities of it. A larger number of countries have decriminalized or legalized cannabis for medical use. Shively acknowledges that his business plans conflict with U.S. federal law and are complicated by regulations in both Washington state and Colorado. He said he is interested in buying dispensaries that comply with local and state rules and are less likely to attract the scrutiny of authorities. 'If they want to come talk to me, I'll be delighted to meet with them,' he said of federal officials. 'I'll tell them everything that we're doing and show them all our books.' Furthermore, he paraphrased stoner legend and Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi to sum up his attitude towards the authorities. Legal Dispensary: Employee Stephen Young restocks the shelves behind bullet-proof glass at Northwest Patient Resource Center in Seattle, Washington . 'He said ‘Darth, if you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.’ On his first experience with marijuana: . How he arrived at marijuana from Cannabis: . Washington state's marijuana consultant, Mark Kleiman, said he was skeptical of Shively's plans, and feared that the businessman is seeking to profit off others' addiction. 'It's very hard for me to understand why . anybody seriously interested in being in the marijuana business, which . after all is against the federal law, would so publicly announce his . conspiracy to break that law,' said Kleiman, a professor of public . policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the . U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle, referred questions to the Department . of Justice headquarters. Department officials did not immediately return . calls seeking comment. Washington . state Representative Reuven Carlyle, a Seattle Democrat, sees promise . in Shively's initiative. Any industry emerging from the shadows will . inevitably undergo consolidation - and thereby simplify the task of . regulators, he said. 'The . fact that an entrepreneur is publicly pushing the envelope around a . branding and value-based pricing opportunity, I would say that's in the . water in Seattle,' said Carlyle, chairman of the House Finance . Committee. 'That's in our DNA ... We could have predicted that as much as the rain.' Shively . said he has already acquired the rights to the Northwest Patient . Resource Center, a medical marijuana operation that includes two Seattle . store fronts. He . added that he was close to acquiring another dispensary in Colorado, as . well as two more each in Washington state and California, with the . owners given the option to retain a stake in their businesses. 'We've created the first risk-mitigated vehicles for investing directly in this business opportunity,' he said. Shively . said he ultimately plans to create separate medical and . recreational-use marijuana brands. Shively said he also plans to launch a . study of the effectiveness of concentrated cannabis oil in the . treatment of cancer and other illnesses. | At a news conference in Seattle on Thursday former Microsoft manager Jamen Shively discussed his plans to launch a new internationally recognized marijuana brand .
Shively says he imagines his company becoming as powerful in the $142 billion pot industry as Coca Cola or Starbucks are in their fields . |
235,123 | bc62a02dd0365e47d8355bf5939c95e01e503988 | By . Helen Pow and Victoria Wellman . PUBLISHED: . 17:56 EST, 1 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 4 January 2013 . Tragedy: Dana Ferrari, 28, was struck by a train on the no.2 train track at 34th street on New Year's day in the early hours of the morning . The family and boyfriend of a young New Jersey women who was killed by a subway train after stumbling onto the tracks on New Year's day are reeling in shock with unanswered questions as to how she ended up there. Dana Ferrari, 28, a pediatrician's office employee, had travelled to Madison Square Garden with fiancé Blake Pupo and his brother to see a Phish concert on New Year's Eve but disappeared in the middle of the night's festivities. Witnesses at the 34th street subway station say they saw Miss Ferrari in the early hours of the morning staggering around the no.2 line platform before stepping onto the track and lying down. The New York Post reports that . according to law enforcement officials, it was too late by the time the . driver saw her and she was struck by the train just after 5 a.m. The . horrific news comes just days after an unsuspecting man was shoved . under a Manhattan subway train by a mumbling woman in a horrific hate . crime, and just weeks after a homeless man pushed a Queens father-of-one . onto the tracks after an altercation on the platform. According to the victim's sister, Leslie . Ferrari, 22, of Andover, Mr Pupo went to the bathroom during the . concert and when he returned his fiancée had gone. 'He’s a mess,' she told the Post. 'We’d like to have more answers. How did she get into the train station?' Family members cannot make sense of . the unspeakable tragedy, seeing no reason that Miss Ferrari would take . her own life. Her sister recalls a text message she sent to her at . midnight that read: 'happy new year! i love you'. Love: Miss Ferrari (right) had been at a Phish concert at Madison Square Garden with her fiance, Blake Pupo (left) during which he had gone to the bathroom and returned to find she had vanished . But a police source told the New York . Daily News that Miss Ferrari had been spotted walking down a flight of . service stairs to the track bed about 5:20 a.m. Furthermore, contrary to witnesses . claims that the victim appeared intoxicated, Miss Ferrari insisted that . her sister 'definitely wasn't a drinker.' Dana Ferrari was identified by the CVS loyalty card attached to her keys that belonged to Mr Pupo. Train death: Witnesses saw Miss Ferrari staggering about the No. 2 subway platform at Penn Station 34th Street where she allegedly walked onto the track and lay down . Stumbling: Despite reports that the victim appeared intoxicated, the city Medical Examiner's Office is still investigating the bizarre tragedy . Raised in Newton, New Jersey, she had been engaged to Mr Pupo since 2009 and had lived in Dingman's Ferry, Pennsylvania with him and their dog. While her sister said that the medical examiner informed the family that the death was being treated as an accident, Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city Medical Examiner’s Office, said the cause of death was still listed as 'pending further study.' 'We are doing testing and further investigation,' including toxicology tests, she told the New York Post. Loss: Dana (right) worked with her sister, Leslie (left) who said she had no reason to suspect anything was bothering her sister or that she would take her own life . Happier times: Miss Ferrari (middle row, centre) was an avid concert fan along with her fiance who had made plans for the couple to stay at the Marriott that night . New Year's Eve: The shocking incident occurred just blocks from Times Square, where millions of revelers watched the ball drop hours earlier . Subway deaths are common in New York City. Last year, according a report in the Daily News, there was about a fatality a week. But they have been getting extra scrutiny in recent weeks after the two men were shoved to their deaths in December. In the most recent case, which took place on Thursday in Queens, Erica Menendez, 31, has been charged with murder as a hate crime in connection with the incident, which resulted in the death of 46-year-old Sunando Sen. | The incident happened on the No. 2 line platform at Penn Station, which is on 34th Street and Seventh Avenue .
Dana Ferrari reportedly climbed onto the tracks at around 5:20 a.m. and laid down before she was struck and killed by the train .
This is at least the third track death in the past month, after two men were shoved under trains in December . |
95,708 | 07049ef0d3a3fcbbf760ec7d3f61b735e60a7c56 | By . Emily Allen . Last updated at 12:38 PM on 29th February 2012 . The number of British women dying from breast cancer has fallen by more than 10 per cent in five years. The death rate from the disease is now on par or lower than France and Germany, according to Italian and Swiss researchers. Ten years ago the UK's death rate from the disease was higher than France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. Scientists say the death rate has fallen fastest among under 50s claiming better treatment and not screening appears to be the reason . However, although British women with breast cancer . now have a better chance of beating the disease, the . country still lags behind the European average. Scientists say the death rate has fallen fastest among under 50s, claiming better treatment and not screening appears to be the reason for the decline. They said deaths will continue falling this year to 15.95 per cent per 100,000 women compared to 18.39 per 100,000 women in 2007. This represents a drop of 13 per cent over five years. UK . -10.64% . SPAIN . -9.21% . FRANCE . -8.89% . ITALY . -7.71% . GERMANY . -7.15% . POLAND . -2.48% . EU OVERALL . -8.44% . However, it's still shy of the European average of 14.9 deaths per 100,000 women. Spain tops the league, with fewer than 12 per 100,000 in the population predicted to die of the disease. The findings were published in the . journal Annals of Oncology after researchers studied cancer rates in 27 . member states of the E.U. using World Health Organisation (WHO) data. Spain tops the league, with fewer than 12 per 100,000 in the population predicted to die of breast cancer . Dr Rachel Greig, of the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said that it was 'reassuring' to see that the number of deaths from the disease could fall at a time when the number of women contracting the disease is increasing. She said 12,000 women a year were still dying of the disease in Britain. Professor Carlo La Vecchia, one of . the study leaders from the University of Milan, told the Daily . Telegraph that the figures show 'important advancements in treatment and management are playing a major role in the decline in death rates'. A Department of Health spokesman said more than £750million was . being invested to help diagnose cancer earlier and provide people with . access to the latest treatments in order to save 5,000 more lives a year . by 2015. | Scientists say better treatment is behind the decline .
12,000 British women still dying of the disease a year . |
220,294 | a925739dd212273d0590729ae3e16e429e6f2a70 | (CNN) -- Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, made her first public appearance Friday alongside her husband, Prince William, just over a month after she gave birth to Prince George. The two spoke to members of the public at the start of the 131-mile Ring O' Fire coastal ultramarathon in Anglesey, Wales, where the family lives. Catherine, looking relaxed and in casual dress, was not carrying her son, who's third in line to the British throne. The world got its first glimpse of George since he left the hospital in family photographs released earlier this month. They were taken by Catherine's father, Michael Middleton, in the garden of his Berkshire home. William, a search-and-rescue pilot, has been stationed at a Royal Air Force base on the remote Welsh island of Anglesey since 2010. | Prince William and Catherine greet members of the public at the start of an ultramarathon .
It is Catherine's first public appearance since she gave birth to Prince George in July .
The royal baby has not been seen in public since leaving the hospital where he was born . |
168,836 | 6669d13635a642759fb24f24154ea5a9da77323c | (CNN) -- A Chicago police officer was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during a struggle with a suspect in a police facility parking lot, police said. Officer Thor Soderberg was walking to his vehicle in the parking lot at 61st and Racine on the city's South Side, after completing a shift with the department's Operation Protect Youth program, when he encountered the offender, said James Jackson, assistant superintendent of police operations. "The 24-year-old suspect disarmed the officer and then shot him," Jackson said at a news conference Wednesday night. The department believes the suspect then was involved in an armed robbery a short distance away from the shooting, where he fired additional shots, said Jackson. "Several officers quickly responded and there was an exchange of gunfire with the offender. The suspect was shot. His injuries are non-life threatening," said Jackson. The suspect was in stable condition at Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, according to a police spokesman. Soderberg was 43 years old and an 11-year veteran of the department, said Jackson. He was most recently assigned to the department's education and training division. | NEW: Chicago police identify officer killed in struggle .
Shooting occurred in police facility parking lot .
Suspect shot in gun battle with responding officers .
Suspect hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries . |
133,112 | 381cf4a2e4c8e57fcae1998a8a0e3ce9abca339d | Ann Walters, 61 (pictured at age 39), was found dead on her living room floor, 10 hours after she called NHS 111 for help . A distraught son found his mother dead on her living room floor nearly 10 hours after she phoned for medical help. Ann Walters' call to the NHS 111 line was categorised as an emergency, passed to the 999 service and an ambulance was dispatched to her home. The journey was estimated to take around seven minutes. However, for reasons that remain unclear, the ambulance turned back when it was just four minutes away - under instruction from the NHS 999 service. Mrs Walters, 61, had a hole in her heart and it is thought she died from died from heart failure. Her son Lawrence Thorpe, 24, found his mother on the living room floor of her home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, at 6pm. He checked her phone log and discovered she had called the NHS 111 line at 8.25am. However no medical help arrived at his mother's home until an out-of-hours GP arrived at 8.30pm that evening. It remains unclear why the GP had been asked to attend, given that Mrs Walters' initial call had been passed to the emergency services. And it is not known whether the GP was called by the NHS 111 service or the 999 service, however both are run by South Central Ambulance Services (SCAS) in the area. SCAS said it had launched two investigations into the incident, which occurred on December 28 last year. One investigation will focus on why the ambulance was sent back and the other on why it took so long for an out-of-hours GP to attend. Mr Thorpe believes had the ambulance arrived at his mother's home, she could still be alive today. He now wants to know why help was sent so late. He said: 'Knowing there was an ambulance minutes away from reaching my mum, I believed it could have saved her life. 'Even if it was only for an hour so, my sister Felicity could have had a chance to say goodbye.' Mr Thorpe continued: 'At about 8.30pm, an out-of-hours GP came to the house to see my mum. 'Obviously we told him what had happened and he said he had been called at 4.45pm. The ambulance service is now carrying out an investigation into Mrs Walters' death. Her daughter Felicity Thorpe, 25, (left) and son Lawrence, 24, (right) believe that had she received help sooner, she may have lived . Mrs Walters (pictured here aged 54) had a hole in her heart and it is thought she died of heart failure. An ambulance sent to her was recalled when it was just minutes away from her home . 'However, because of a high workload he said he couldn't get to her until 8.30pm.' SCAS has said it does not know why an earlier ambulance was cancelled, but the phone operator involved has been suspended, according to Mr Thorpe. He said: 'I'm infuriated that she called for help and that no help came. 'Instead I was left to find my mother dead, and my sister - who hadn't spoken to my mum for several years - was robbed of her chance to say goodbye. 'I want to share this story so that in future, others may not have to suffer a similar fate. 'At least that way, her possibly-preventable death will not be in vain.' A SCAS spokesperson said: 'The original call was answered and correctly assessed by the NHS 111 service and was very quickly and appropriately passed to the 999 service given the nature of the call and the information given by the caller. Felicity and Lawrence Thorpe, Mrs Walters' children, say they were 'robbed' of the chance to say goodbye to their mother (pictured here aged 23) 'A full investigation is currently underway focusing on all aspects of our response to this patient. 'South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust takes our response to patients very seriously and we would like to apologise to the family for the distress caused as a result of this regrettable incident and would like to offer our sincere condolences. 'We are in contact with the patient's family so that we can fully address their concerns. 'SCAS follows all internal policies and procedures in the handling of such cases. 'As this investigation is still ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time.' | Ann Walters, 61, was found dead at 6pm on December 28 last year .
Her son, Lawrence Thorpe, 24, found she had called NHS 111 at 8:25am .
Call was passed to the 999 service, which sent an ambulance immediately .
But when it was minutes from her house, the ambulance was recalled .
A GP later turned up at Mrs Walters' home, hours after her death .
Investigation into her death is being carried out by South Central Ambulance Services, which runs the local NHS 111 and the 999 services . |
216,279 | a3ff4ed315ed2bc57d9e714f1c64f97622c185e9 | (CNN) -- This weekend, Manchester United's Alex Ferguson will attempt to become the first manager in history to win three Champions League titles when his side face Barcelona at Wembley. The achievement, which would match the late Bob Paisley's European Cup feat with Liverpool in the 1970s, is not only a testimony to Ferguson's run of success since taking over at Old Trafford in 1986, but also continues the remarkable legacy that Scottish managers continue to have on football as a whole. From Ferguson to Matt Busby, Kenny Dalglish to Bill Shankly, George Graham to Jock Stein, the impact that Scottish managers have had through the years is so great that it has changed the course of history for some major football institutions. Earlier this month, Ferguson, the son of a Glasgow shipbuilder, guided United to a record 19th English league title, with all but two of those successes coming under the guidance of either Ferguson or Busby -- whose five league titles would surely have been many more but for the 1958 Munich air crash which decimated his "Busby Babes" squad. Liverpool's period of dominance in English and European football began when Shankly -- who was born and raised in a tiny Ayrshire mining village -- took over in 1959, helping the club to three league titles, a feat matched by compatriot and current Anfield incumbent Dalglish. Arsenal had spent 18 years in the football wilderness before Graham, the youngest of seven children brought up by his mother after his father died when he was still a baby, took over and led the club to two titles in three seasons in 1989 and 1991. And the legendary Stein, another to be brought up in a coal mining community, led Celtic to become the first ever British winners of the European Cup in 1967, with Busby guiding United to victory the very next year. The trend for successful Scottish managers has now spanned seven decades and Jim Fleeting, the Director of Football Development at the Scottish Football Association (SFA), told CNN that he believed the continued success of his compatriots was no coincidence. "Scottish people, by nature are hard workers -- they are grafters, are open minded, and traditionally looking to better themselves," said Fleeting. "It is a Scottish trait, but particularly from the Glasgow area. Many of these successful managers come from that part of Scotland. It is a very working class and hard working region of the country," he continued. "I don't know why so many successful managers come from Scotland, but the traditional values and ideals that are instilled into people definitely help. "It is significant that not as many managers come from the more middle class Edinburgh area, where, traditionally, the financial industry would get most of its workforce from." The figures back up Fleeting's claim. Out of the last 26 seasons, 18 English titles have been won by Scottish managers, compared to just two by Englishmen, a remarkable statistic. And when the English Premier League season finished on Sunday, seven managers from the Glasgow area were sitting in the dug-out, with Paul Lambert arriving next season following Norwich's promotion to the top tier. Former Scottish international Mark McGhee, who was a member of Ferguson's successful Aberdeen side, prior to his move to United, before later becoming a Premier League manager in his own right at Leicester, endorsed Fleeting's view. "I think the people of Glasgow are different and unique compared to the rest of Scotland," McGhee, himself a native Glaswegian, told CNN. "Despite the success of these managers they are not pretentious or big time and maintain a sense of reality and humility, which I believe is a huge factor to getting the best out of players. "What Ferguson does in particular is manage to get players to believe that he feels things personally. So, if you play badly, you are letting him down as a person, as well as the team, and his players really bought into that ethic," added McGhee. Another major factor in the development of Scottish coaches and managers has been the rise in prominence of the Scottish national training center in Largs, on the Ayrshire coast. The SFA run a number of UEFA coaching courses at the academy and many top Scottish managers, past and present, have passed through its doors at one time or another, as well as many other leading coaches worldwide including Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas Boas of Porto. "I don't think the academy has been the primary reason for the success of Scottish coaches and I don't think we can take credit for their achievements," said Fleeting. "But we have had Stein and Ferguson, as well as many other top coaches, giving seminars here, and that knowledge and expertise must rub off. "Young coaches come here and they know they must sacrifice having their summer off, learning from experienced tutors and mentors," he added. "At the end of the day, a coaching diploma is no guarantee of success but it is a confirmation of professional competence, and hopefully the techniques learned at Largs have helped them along the way." McGhee was another coach who spent time at the Largs training center, and he too believes the skills he learned there went some way to his success as a coach. "The mentors on the courses encouraged us to learn different skills, to think outside the box," said McGhee. "We were forever being challenged to think of new ideas with the principle being that the skills we were being taught was only the beginning of our coaching journey. "In my case, I found it a ground-breaking and modern way of learning. We had coaches from all over the world on our course and the SFA seem to be some years ahead of their English counterparts in the development of coaches." And the biggest example of McGhee's view is Ferguson himself. Come Saturday night, one of the greatest coaches football has ever seen could be out on his own as the number one of all time. | Alex Ferguson on the brink of winning his third Champions League winners' medal .
Ferguson one of many Scottish managers to have succeeded in England and Europe .
Scottish managers have won 18 of the last 26 English league championships . |
81,771 | e7b60317b6ce70843520500d47315551d2b242c2 | (CNN) -- Vito Maggiolo, an assignment editor in Washington who has been with CNN since the network started in 1980, was sent to Beijing in the spring of 1989 to help cover the historic visit of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to China -- like everyone else who was sent to Beijing. Vito Maggiolo (right) argued that a letter requiring CNN to stop broadcasting did not have the correct seal, or "chop." "All of us went to China prepared for and expecting to cover what for us was a fairly routine, scheduled, structured event," said Maggiolo. "Then we had this whole event in the square materialize and suddenly ... we found ourselves covering a mini-revolution." Maggiolo missed the actual crackdown -- his visa had expired so he was pulled out a few days before June 4 -- but what he'll always be remembered for, he says, is his last-ditch role in the confrontation between CNN and the Chinese authorities that ended with the Chinese halting CNN's live transmission on the morning of May 20. Alec Miran, the special events producer for the Gorbachev visit, had been negotiating with the Chinese to try to stay on the air. The entire debate between Miran and the Chinese officials in CNN's control room, filmed by a CNN production person with a handycam, was broadcast live on the network. "It was riveting television," Maggiolo said. Watch the debate between Marin and the Chinese officials in CNN's control room. » . "Miran was telling them that we had a document that said we could transmit until such and such a time," Maggiolo recalls. "He was saying that if that had changed, we needed a new document saying that. The Chinese officials then handwrote the notice on a yellow legal pad." Then an ABC producer came in, Maggiolo recalls, and read and translated the document. "He read this document and then there was this moment of silence," Maggiolo said. "It was then that I chimed in. 'Excuse me, I said, but this doesn't have an official chop on it. China was extremely bureaucratic then. They lived and died by the chop. I was just trying to use their own bureaucracy against them to try and slow things down." Maggiolo's so-called "chop challenge" brought another brief moment of silence before one of the Chinese officials said the document didn't need a chop because it had his signature on it. Watch Maggiolo's "chop challenge" to the Chinese authorities » . "It turned out to be a futile effort," says Maggiolo, "but I gave it the old college try." "That was my 15 seconds of fame," he says. "A lot of people who know me remember that -- that I challenged the Chinese." (Watch the so-called "chop challenge" to Chinese officials.) See photos of the CNN team in Tiananmen Square in 1989 » . Just a few days later, on June 4, Maggiolo was back in Washington at a D.C. firehouse, where he volunteered, shooting video for the fire and emergency service there. "We were watching events on television," he said. "My heart was just pounding. I knew we had people in the square." "I was anguished," Maggiolo said. "I just wanted very much to have still been there." Vito Maggiolo still works as an assignment editor in CNN's Washington bureau. Daniela Deane was a chief sub-editor at the Reuters news agency in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen crisis . | Vito Maggiolo was sent to Beijing to help cover Mikhail Gorbachev's visit to China .
"We found ourselves covering a mini-revolution," he said .
When Chinese officials tried to stop CNN broadcasting, he challenged them .
He argued, without success, that the letter did not have the correct "chop" or seal . |
228,541 | b3eca1cf179e9386e16f0fe0e2bfe59f3a4461aa | (CNN) -- Relations between the United States and Iran, already strained by U.S. sanctions on Iran's central bank and Iranian naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, are on the verge of spinning out of control. What can push the two nations into a military confrontation is the fate of a former Marine, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati. A Revolutionary Court in western Iran sentenced the dual U.S.-Iranian citizen to death on January 9, claiming that he is a CIA spy. It is not often that the fate of entire nations hinges on that of a single individual, but the execution of a Marine by Iran will almost certainly inflame public opinion and tilt the balance toward war. But perhaps what will save the day is an incident that placed friendship and trust, rather than enmity and paranoia, between Iranians and Americans. Days before the death sentence was passed on the Marine, American sailors rescued 13 Iranian fishermen held hostage for several weeks by Somali pirates who had seized their fishing vessel off the coast of Oman. Those Somali pirates may have pulled off a diplomatic stunt that has eluded American and Iranian politicians for more than three decades. For a brief moment, the pirates healed the wounds of history. Two nations split since the hostage crisis of 1979 found their fishermen and sailors forced into each other's arms by a turn of fate. It was a most embarrassing embrace, with both governments trying to figure out how to handle the threat of friendship. Even the pretense of hostility came down. It fell upon one of the rescued fisherman, Fazel Ur Rahman, to revel in the twists and turns of fortune. As devout seamen are wont to do, he interpreted his miraculous rescue by the Americans as an act of God. "It's like you were sent by God," he told the American sailors. "Every night we prayed for God to save us. And now you are here." Like Sinbad the Sailor, Rahman and his shipmates vanished in time. But then they found themselves returned to an Iranian port. They will no doubt relate their encounter, not with predator drones but a giant and gentle American whale. One can already hear the peels of laughter and shrieks of disbelief as Rahman tells the story of how they were disgorged out of the belly of the Somali shark because the American whale spoke Urdu. It may be that our fate is determined by crusty histories and fixed ideologies. But given the gulf separating Iranians and Americans, this metaphor is worth reflecting upon. The rescue of the fishermen also evokes memories of a distant past and dreams of a hopeful future. While the Islamic Republic's ideologues portray America as a belligerent and hostile power, most Iranians recognize that if it were not for America's defense of Iran's sovereignty in 1946, Joseph Stalin would have devoured northern Iran. Many ordinary people in Iran, far from seeking a war with the United States (or Israel), silently pray to God for an end to their hardships. They dream of an Iranian Spring. Sadly, in the modern Middle East, divine interventions -- God's creativity and compassion -- have taken on an ugly tone. If God favors this tribe or that faith, then must it mean that other faiths and tribes are to be destroyed? The acts of God -- earthquakes, floods, plagues, famine and such -- veer from the minor to the massive. Add nuclear weapons to God's arsenal and there is very little room left for tiny fishermen and their benevolent God. But what if the fisherman Rahman was right? With a Marine's life and so much else at stake, what if the whole rescue incident was an act of God, his way of shaming world leaders by showing how even the most clueless of pirates can turn sworn enemies into friends, however temporarily? For helping the hapless Iranians and the Americans find common ground, even if it's at sea, the pirates deserve a toot, a hoot and quite possibly a salute. Whether the future of U.S.-Iran relations will be stormy or turn hopeful, only God knows. Centuries before, Hafiz, the greatest of Persian poets, may have captured the essence of the fishermen rescue incident in describing what it means to offer friendship and show humanity. His wisdom can perhaps draw Iranians and Americans together: . "Plant the Tree of Friendship for It Brings Forth Boundless Joy. Uproot the Saplings of Enmity for It Summons Countless Sorrows." Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amir. | Amir: the fate of a former Marine can push the U.S. and Iran into a military conflict .
He says that the incident of American sailors rescuing Iranian fishermen is a diplomatic feat .
Amir: what if the whole rescue incident was an act of God?
He says many in Iran dream of an Iranian Spring, they do not want war with the U.S. (or Israel) |
144,561 | 46f25f152cb4112a757e3f3f3862530b98e340ad | (CNN) -- It's a rare thing for the threads of an ongoing crisis to be pulled so closely together in a discrete event, compressed in time and space as if they were part of a dramatization, as they were when President Obama met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this month in the Oval Office. This session had it all: primal Israeli, Iranian, American and even Arab interests; nuclear proliferation and global energy supplies; existential dangers; war and peace. The meeting was no doubt made more difficult by the strained relations between the two leaders, but in truth, this one needed little personal antipathy to make it hard. Even though both men had announced that Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon was unacceptable, there was no final agreement on how to prevent that from happening. In many ways, I suspect, the two men talked past one another. Recall high school math and being forced to solve algebraic equations? Something like that may have taken place in the Oval, with Obama pointing out how hard we were working to solve for "y" where "y" represented Iranian intentions. Unfortunately, in the prime minister's equation, "y" had already been defined as a constant. Israel believes that it knows where the Iranians are going. In its equation, the unknown is "x." What does the United States intend to do about it? Clearly, the president was aware of this. Comments about having Israel's back, rejecting containment, even a little tough talk about not being one to bluff -- all this was calibrated to convince Netanyahu that this president would act. But when? On the long flight back to Jerusalem, Netanyahu was surely asking himself that question. Israel's window of opportunity to attack Iran's nuclear network is closing. Even allowing for Israeli ingenuity and courage, this was never going to be easy, and it's getting harder by the day, as much of the target is being moved into a fortified mountain near Qom. If Israel defers the attack much longer, its military option will simply cease to exist as the Iranian program gets more hardened, more dispersed and more advanced. The American window, of course, will remain open longer, a reflection of the raw numbers, weapons, mobility, range and proximate basing that the United States can bring to bear. But will America move? Can Israel afford to give up its own place in the lineup in the belief that the United States, hitting lower in the order, will actually go up to the plate and take its swings? And so Netanyahu will ask himself, what are their red lines? What will convince them to act? Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta probably gave the clearest administration statement when he said that if "we get intelligence that they're proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon, then we will take whatever steps are necessary to stop it." That, combined with the president's repeated statements that Iran getting a nuclear weapon is "unacceptable," surprisingly aligns this administration with the George W. Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emption. That doctrine famously described it as a duty to "anticipate and counter threats, using all elements of national power, before the threats can do grave damage." Combining "unacceptable" with "whatever steps are necessary" seems to put Iran's possession of a weapon -- or, more accurately, an Iranian decision to pursue a weapon -- in that doctrine's category of "hostile acts by our adversaries." And that imposes quite a burden on American intelligence. I recall thinking with the announcement of the pre-emption approach in 2001-02 (while I was director of the National Security Agency) of how good American intelligence would have to be to identify such threats and to identify them at the confidence level that would be needed to justify America shooting first. How tall an order that could be was evident in the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. There the intelligence community not only got most of it wrong -- there was no active nuclear program, nor were there chemical or biological weapons stockpiles -- we compounded the mistake with overconfident language that invited others to use intelligence as evidence. Intelligence is designed to inform policy-making even in the face of doubt, to allow officials to judge potential action while ambiguity still exists. It rarely reaches the level of evidence required in a court of law to prove matters beyond a reasonable doubt. We may have gotten it a little better in 2007, when we informed the president that Syria had built a nuclear reactor with North Korean assistance. However, we cautioned him that we had low confidence that it was part of a nuclear weapons program, not because there was an alternative explanation that made much sense but simply because our body of knowledge on the other parts needed for such a program (like a reprocessing facility or weaponization work) was pretty thin. In that instance, the president rejected pre-emption. (The site was bombed by Israeli aircraft.) And now with Iran, intelligence judgments remain anchored to a controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that in 2003, Tehran had "halted" its nuclear weapon design and weaponization work. That estimate was based not on the absence of evidence that such work was ongoing but rather on evidence that it was not. And despite some suspicious and troubling Iranian activity since then, the estimate has survived largely intact, under three subsequent heads of national intelligence and of the CIA. So there we are. The challenge for American intelligence now is to inform the president of an Iranian decision to weaponize its nuclear stockpile with sufficient confidence and in sufficient time for him to decide to launch a pre-emptive war in one of the world's most sensitive and volatile regions. It's hard to imagine a higher bar, especially since building the "sufficient confidence" will almost certainly eat into the "sufficient time." And especially since, when that last situation room meeting is held, the intelligence will probably not be at that courtroom evidentiary standard of beyond all reasonable doubt. The president showed that he could act in the face of ambiguity when he launched the Abbottabad raid to kill Osama bin Laden. This one will be even more difficult. For Netanyahu, we can identify this as "x." For the importance of "x," see above. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael V. Hayden. | Michael Hayden: U.S. policy on Iran implies pre-emption idea from Bush administration .
He says Israelis want to know if U.S. would act on Iran nuclear sites in time .
Hayden says a decision to stop Iran's nuclear program requires strong intelligence .
He says it's a high bar to prove that Iran decided on developing nuclear program . |
307 | 00ee21a748990441c0e8691f0cc9b54b98ece497 | By . Emily Crane . A shortage in Frozen merchandise has triggered an inflated online black market with desperate parents willing to shell out big money for the popular Disney toys after stores across Australia sold out. Parents are now spending hundreds of dollars to import merchandise toys from the Disney film, with dolls being sold on eBay for as much as $1,000 and dress up costumes ranging from $174 to $530. Retailers reported shortages in Frozen merchandise within days of the movie's release on Boxing Day and Disney Australia's marketing director Kate Kavanagh said all Frozen dolls and merchandise had now sold out nationally. Scroll down for video . Freeze on toys: Parents are paying hundreds of dollars trying to import merchandise from the Disney film Frozen after Australian stores ran out of stock . 'The results have been extraordinary. When something like this is such a surprise hit and there's such demand for consumer products, it's rare we have enough,' Ms Kavanagh told the Daily Telegraph. Disney has admitted to underestimating the popularity of the film, which has so far reaped $1.2 billion at the international box office. The animated film is based on the story of two princess sisters, Elsa and Anna, with one of them having powers to create ice and snow. Disney has admitted to underestimating the popularity of the film, which has so far reaped $1.2 billion at the international box office. Parents at this US Disney store lined up outside to try and buy Frozen merchandise . Sydney dad Michael Procter managed to get his daughters – Angalina, 6, and Aurora, 4 – two Elsa dolls in the US last week but the Disney store had limited purchases to one doll per person. He had to ask a friend to buy the second doll. Six-year-old Tahlia Crewe had to make her own merchandise with her mother's attempts to locate toys falling short. 'There's nothing left, nothing. Toys'R'Us and Target, I've continuously looked. I've looked at Amazon, and Google searched for official merchandise, and I can't find anything,' Jasmine Crewe told the Sydney Morning Herald. Target has 18,000 Frozen dolls on order for July, according to a spokesman for the retailer. Frozen-inspired dress up costumes for Elsa and Anna range from $174 to $530 on eBay . | Disney dolls sell for up to $1,000 on eBay after Australian stores sold out .
Retailers reported shortages in toys after film's release on Boxing Day .
Parents forced to spend hundreds of dollars importing from overseas . |
59,744 | a9a5f3956193f3242eaf66d1e1f1855afa8a89f0 | If home is where the heart is, a new survey suggests that most people aren't sure exactly where they live. More than half of people cannot pinpoint the exact location of the human heart on a diagram, and nearly 70 percent can't correctly identify the shape of the lungs, according to the survey. This lack of knowledge isn't just embarrassing -- it could lead to a poorer quality of health care, some experts say. In the study, published in the journal BMC Family Practice, a research team surveyed 722 Britons -- 589 hospital outpatients and 133 people in the general population. They gave the volunteers four diagrams of human figures and asked them to choose the one that showed the correct size and location of a specific organ. (For example, the heart diagrams showed various size organs on the far left side of the chest, directly in the center, anchored on the center/left chest, and on the right side of the chest.) Overall, people knew less basic anatomy than the researchers expected -- even those patients being treated for a specific condition involving that organ. Participants generally answered half the questions correctly, including 46.5 percent who knew which drawing represented their heart. In all, 31.4 percent correctly identified the lungs, 38.4 percent the stomach, 41.8 percent the thyroid, and 42.5 percent the kidneys. The intestines and bladder were the most easily identified, with 85.9 percent and 80.7 percent, respectively, answering the question correctly. Health.com: Are you cholesterol smart? Take this quiz . There was little to no improvement compared with a similar study conducted in 1970, says lead author John Weinman, Ph.D., of King's College London. In that study, subjects correctly identified eight major body parts about half of the time. (The researchers used the same body parts from the 1970 study and added three more: the pancreas, gallbladder, and ovaries.) Given the accessibility of the Internet and the prominence of health stories in the news media today, Weinman's team expected that people would now know more about their body. Weinman says he wouldn't be surprised if a study based in the United States produced similar results -- or worse. "I imagine they would be similar, but there could well be regional variation, depending on which part of the U.S. the participants were from," he says. "Actually, I asked one of my colleagues, who is from the U.S., and she felt that Americans might be worse because, to quote her, 'Very many Americans don't even know where New Jersey is, so how would they know where their pancreas is?'" Health.com: Eat Smarter in your 30s, 40s, and 50s . That may sound harsh, but time and again, U.S. studies have shown that doctors overestimate how much their patients understand about their conditions and treatment. Adam Kelly, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, conducted a 2007 study, that showed that doctors overestimate patient literacy and that a lack of patient knowledge leads to poorer care. Kelly believes the problem could be "even more profound" in the United States, although a similar study has not been conducted in America. Still, anatomy may not be the best measure of health literacy, says Sandeep Jauhar, M.D., the director of the heart failure program at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and the author of "Intern: A Doctor's Initiation." Health.com: Computer games that boost your memory . "They would like us to draw the conclusion that because the patients can't identify these organs anatomically that that is an indication of low health-care literacy -- and that may or may not be true," he says. "I work with heart failure patients, and whether they can identify where their heart is is not so important to me as long as they know which medicines to take and when." Many patients with heart failure, unfortunately, don't know which medicines to take, can't identify their symptoms, and don't follow up with their doctors, Jauhar says. "So health illiteracy is definitely a big problem," he adds. "I just don't know that this is the best study to show that Americans or Europeans are illiterate when it comes to their health care." The study suggests that patients with liver disease and diabetes may be the most health-literate: They were the only two groups to do better than the general population when identifying their affected organ. Overall, 75.3 percent of those with liver disease could find the liver (versus 45.9 percent in the general population) and 53.7 percent of diabetics could locate the pancreas (versus 30.8 percent). Health.com: How I survived a heart attack at 43 . "It is possible that patient-education material for people with diabetes may help to increase their knowledge [of the pancreas], but it is still only at the 50 percent level," Weinman says. "The same explanation may also be true for liver disease, but it may be a chance finding due to the sampling of patients for this study, and it really needs replicating in other larger studies to be certain it is a robust finding and to search for possible reasons for it." Weinman says there's a mountain of evidence to prove that effective communication from doctors increases patient satisfaction and understanding, leading to better clinical outcomes and improved adherence to treatment. Health.com: I lost my insurance, stopped my diabetes medication, and had a heart attack . Jauhar agrees that health literacy improves not only the quality of health care, but also life expectancy. "Health literacy is clearly very important, and how well patients are versed in their own health care is probably just as important a factor in determining longevity as genes or socioeconomic status," he says. "These are important factors in how long someone lives." Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 . | More than half in British survey couldn't identify heart's location .
U.S. results could be similar or worse, some experts speculate .
Health literacy contributes to better care received, better patient outcomes . |
175,533 | 6f34071204e17081f0cf923b7b2025b648dde410 | Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Rescuers searched frantically for survivors after a packed ferry carrying at least 250 people capsized in southern Bangladesh, killing at least 32 people, police said Tuesday. The MV Shariatpur-1 sank in the Meghna River after colliding with a cargo ferry early Tuesday while passengers slept, a survivor said. "We were seven in a cabin in the ferry, and six of my family members are still missing," Mohammad Dulal Dewan told CNN. "Everything happened before I could understand anything." The 55-year-old survivor said he "jumped into the river and was rescued by people in another passing ferry." Dewan and his family were traveling to Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, to see his brother-in-law off to the United States. Shamim Fakir was scheduled to fly on his U.S. trip early Wednesday, Dewan said. He was still missing Tuesday evening. Mohammad Azizul Alam, the administrative chief of Munshiganj district, said officials had received a list of 61 missing people from families and the death toll might increase. "We believe many bodies are still trapped inside the sunken ferry, and the rescue operation is still on," Shahabuddin Khan, police chief of Munshiganj, told CNN. Khan said divers from the Bangladesh navy and the Fire Service and Civil Defence took part in the operation in addition to police and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority. The water authority's chairman, Khandker Shamsuddoha Khandaker, told reporters the ferry had been traced 70 feet (more than 20 meters) under water. About 30 people were initially rescued after the ferry collided with the cargo boat on the river in Munshiganj district, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Dhaka. The ferry was traveling to the nation's capital from Shariatpur district. Ferry accidents are common on Bangladesh's vast river network. Hundreds of people die in such accidents every year as the operators often ignore rules. Nearly 4,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives in ferry accidents since 1977. | NEW: Survivor says, "Six of my family members are still missing"
NEW: At least 250 people were on board when boat collided with another ferry, police say .
NEW: More than 60 people remain unaccounted for, an official says .
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh . |
237,212 | bf0290b9200cc5cb59e937650ae7938b4152cbd1 | (CNN) -- A fuel tanker rammed into a bridge and exploded into a ball of fire Thursday, killing 22 people and sending flames sweeping over the Saudi Arabia capital, state television reported. In addition to the fatalities, at least 111 others were wounded, according to the report. The accident occurred at a busy intersection in Riyadh. It affected an unknown number of cars and left buildings with gaping windows. Read more: Electrical fire kills 23 at Saudi wedding . | NEW: More than 100 hundred are wounded in the Riyadh accident .
Explosion sends flames sweeping over the Saudi Arabia capital . |
31,255 | 58d591682b82300b8beda4d38e5c43f0f8a1033f | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 12:36 EST, 20 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:36 EST, 20 November 2012 . A 'dangerous' paedophile who was jailed after he was caught watching girls at a swimming pool a day after he was released by the Court of Appeal has today been freed once more - by the same court. David John Filor, 31, walked free in April after appeal judges said his potentially lifelong sentence for child porn crimes was unlawful. Within 24 hours he was spotted by police watching children play in the swimming pool at Newport leisure centre. 'Dangerous': Filor was jailed for 30 months in August after being caught watching girls at Newport Leisure Centre, pictured, thereby breeching his sexual offences prevention order . He admitted breaching a court order banning him from loitering near places likely to attract children and was jailed for 30 moths at Cardiff Crown Court in August. However, today he was released again after three senior judges at the Court of Appeal in London said the prison sentence was 'excessive'. Mr Justice Males, sitting with Lord . Justice Laws and Mr Justice Griffith Williams, cut the sentence to eight . months, allowing immediate release. The judge said that, although there . was a risk his offending might escalate in future, a sentence 'out of . all proportion' with what he actually did could not be justified. Filor, of Argoed, Blackwood in Gwent, was initially jailed in January 2011 after admitting possessing child and extreme pornography. He was found with a cache of 430 images of child sex abuse, 78 of which were at the most depraved level as categorised by police. The images included some of surgical procedures being carried out on children’s bodies and photos of bestiality, the Court of Appeal heard in April. Filor was found to be a 'dangerous' offender, the court in April heard, after he confessed to 'fantasising' about sexual attacks on children. He was given an open-ended imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence last year, designed to keep him behind bars until considered safe for release. '...while the risk of future offending is a . factor, it cannot justify a sentence which is out of all proportion to . what the appellant has done.' The Court of Appeal in April ruled the sentence was 'unlawful' because he must be punished for what he did and not what he might do in the future. The following day he visited the leisure centre despite being banned by a sexual offences prevention order. Filor was followed and monitored by 17 police surveillance officers. On CCTV footage, he can be seen paying particular attention to a girl of about nine as she walks past and watching a children’s swimming pool through a window. Giving the judgment today, Mr Justice Males said Filor had a 'long-standing and disturbing' sexual interest in young girls, but had not been in trouble for contact offences. The judge who sentenced him had been influenced by a pre-sentence report suggesting that Filor was 'extremely dangerous', based on other allegations. Appeal: Judges at the Court of Appeal, which sit at the Royal Courts of Justice, pictured, in London, said the sentence was 'excessive' But he had not been prosecuted for those allegations and did not accept them to be true, meaning he should not have been sentenced on the basis of them, Mr Justice Males said. He added: '[Filor] must be sentenced for the offence to which he has pleaded guilty and, while the risk of future offending is a factor, it cannot justify a sentence which is out of all proportion to what the appellant has done. 'In this case, what the appellant has done is relatively modest. It was a single occasion. It didn’t involve contact with any child. 'It occurred in a public place where the children were accompanied by their parents and were under supervision. 'We have no doubt that the sentence passed in this case was excessive.' The sentence was reduced to eight months, but due to 124 days already spent in custody, Filor was eligible for immediate release. | David John Filor, 31, was jailed for 30 months in August for breeching his sexual offences prevention order .
He watched young small girls at Newport Leisure Centre a day after his release from jail in April .
Court of Appeal judges said he has a 'long-standing and disturbing' sexual interest in young girls .
But ruled sentence 'out of proportion' with the crime he committed . |
15,340 | 2b9e4abe93d7e45ec0cd7be6ccac7ac0007ec8b1 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 23:19 EST, 31 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:20 EST, 1 February 2013 . An amateur dramatic society is finally staging its production of a musical tackling immigration and racial prejudice - after taking two years to find any black actors. Milton Musical Society, which is based in New Milton, Hampshire, had decided to produce Ragtime, set in 1902 New York - but the theatrical group had no black people among its 80 members. The only black person they knew working in the market town was a pharmacist - who did not sing or act - and the group’s committee said it would be inappropriate to allow white actors to ‘black-up’. Showtime: The cast of the Ragtime in Hampshire, which stars Nicole Northern and Alexander Clarke (front) Members had to go on a recruitment drive, . including approaching certain black people they spotted at work or out . shopping. They finally found their leading man and lady from towns 30 . miles away. The society had hoped to stage the . show last year but had to postpone it upon failing to fill the 10 black . roles in time. But it now has three black men and three black women in a . 55-strong cast. Society member Jonathan Shiner, 61, . said: ‘New Milton and the surrounding areas have largely white . populations, which is reflected in our membership. ‘When we are looking for a white man . or a white girl we have 100,000 options and therefore rarely have . trouble filling these roles. Practice: The cast of Ragtime the musical in rehearsals. It took two years to find black actors for the show . Teamwork: Milton Musical Society decided to produce the musical, which looks at immigration and racism . ‘However, with Ragtime, we need . around 10 black performers, who are able to sing and act to a high . standard. Unfortunately, there are very few black families in our . catchment area to begin with. ‘By the time you take out those who . are the wrong age or wrong gender and those who cannot sing and act we . lose a further 90 per cent. The odds of finding the right people are . stacked against us.’ He added: ‘We discussed the option of . blacking up early on but dismissed it immediately because it is not . appropriate in modern theatre practice. ‘You could put white people in the . shadows and pretend they are black, or have them on stage as a . silhouette, but we want to do it properly. Ideally, we would like 10 . black actors and actresses.’ Jazz hands: After two years Milton Musical Society have filled all the roles for Ragtime, which will be on in April . Instructions: Nicole Northern (left) and Alexander Clarke (right) pictured with director John Teather (centre) Leading man Alex Clarke, 48, who . plays Coalhouse Walker, said: ‘It's been a struggle finding black people . from this area to fill the roles. 'I've got about 5,000 friends or . followers on Facebook and I promoted the musical on there in a bid to find actors but we have still not got all we would like. ‘Most of my black friends and . followers are from larger cities, rather than rural Hampshire and . Dorset. Everybody at the society has been incredibly friendly and very . welcoming.’ Southampton-based race consultant Don . John said: ‘There are not many black people living in this part of the . country, so I understand why the society has had some difficulty filling . the roles. ‘It's very brave of the society to . stand by their principles and not go down the easy route of allowing . white actors to black-up. Musical posters: The society's committee refused to let white actors 'black-up' after deeming it inappropriate . Finally on: The society had hoped to stage the show last year but failed to fill the 10 black roles in time . ‘Letting white actors black-up would . be totally inappropriate. Some people might be outraged at white people . blacking-up but I think we have moved beyond that now.’ The Milton Musical Society was forced to cancel a production called The Top of the Pops Years last year in the wake of the Jimmy Savile (right) sex scandal. The show was due to be performed at a local hall in November but organisers decided to scrap it following complaints by the public. The group had already spend thousands of pounds promoting the show with materials featuring Savile. All tickets were refunded. The 400-seater theatre at the Regent . Centre, in Christchurch, Dorset, will host five performances of the . musical, with tickets costing £14.50 each. Rehearsals started one month . ago. The society's show posters say: ‘This . show follows the explosive relationships as immigrants arrive on the . great liners to a new land already struggling with racial harmony and . injustice. 'This real-life drama, set at . the turn of the century, follows the struggle of the black community to . assert their independence from the white community, against a . background of the country flooded with European immigrants hungry for a . new life, and industrial and civil strife.’ | Milton Musical Society will stage musical Ragtime set in 1902 New York .
Hampshire-based group previously had no black people among 80 actors .
It eventually had to recruit black actors from 30 miles away to play parts . |
217,082 | a50f413a99d147337d6f1256be42fd7a7e4babd8 | New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- Much has been made of the more than quarter-million homes lost to Katrina along the Gulf Coast, and with good reason. Ride through almost any neighborhood that was hit and even five years later you can see the skeletons of buildings, or empty lots covered with weeds. But to truly grasp the impact of this storm, you also have to consider who lived in those homes: Working families; the people who make the ports, the fishing business, the oil industry and the tourist attractions work. Florine Jenkins is one of them. Living in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, she has made a living as a housekeeper for many years. She is African-American, and old enough to tell tales of sitting in the balcony that was restricted for blacks at the city auditorium, while she watched white teens on the main floor below bopping to the music of Little Richard and Fats Domino. She fled Katrina and returned to find her home underneath a neighbor's house. And like many others here, she had no idea how to navigate the bewildering maze of paperwork involved in rebuilding; forms for insurance companies, government programs, contractors, utility companies, banks, mortgage brokers, on and on it went. "Did you have any idea how to deal with all that?" I asked her. She smiled, shook her head, and gave one of the longest single-word answers I've heard. "Nooooooooooooo." Then she met Nikki Najioli. Nikki works for Build Now, is middle-aged, white, looks like the businesswomen she is, and spends her days helping others sort out such problems. In a strange way, it helps that she lost her own home and fully understands the thicket of questions that followed the storm. "Do you tear down your house? Do you put it back together? If you put it back together do you have to elevate it? If you are going to elevate it, how high are you going to elevate it? And where's that money going to come from? It was just so overwhelming and even today it's still overwhelming." Calming down the fears, and restoring the confidence of people who are trying to rebuild, is what Build Now is all about. Simply put, it is a nonprofit construction company that offers an array of modestly priced home designs, an endless supply of free advice to anyone trying to build, and a commitment to bring the working class neighborhoods back. "This is the living room area," Ben Seymour, the construction manager for Build Now, says as he shows me around one model under construction in a neighborhood that saw eight feet of water. The house soars high in the air upon pilings driven deep into the earth; a lovely, modest home with soft colors, elegant lines, and a style that echoes the surviving homes around it. The homes are made without eaves that a storm could snatch at to tear off the roof. The front porch is anchored to the house much more robustly than as customary, so that it too can stand firm. And most importantly, Seymour says, the basic design of the house can be expanded or contracted to fit the needs and wallets of folks who are watching their money. "You can size it down. It still gives you a big open feel, and it's built to what you're going to use." So in every way, these really are working class family homes? "Absolutely. Absolutely," he says. "They fit the budget." Even though this is a nonprofit endeavor, and Build Now does try to help homebuyers find financing, this is not a giveaway program. Each person must pay a fair price. Out on the porch I run into Nikki again, looking out at the quiet neighborhood where a few restoration projects seem to be underway. "How much do these places cost?" I ask. "On average," she says, "about $150,000." Still, for a great many folks, the help they have received from Build Now and other groups which are helping neighborhoods rebuild, is priceless. Florine Jenkins beams as she shows me the rest of her new home in the 9th Ward, now filled with family photos, furniture, and other personal items. I ask her if she thinks, in retrospect, that she could have pulled off rebuilding on her own given enough time. Her answer is emphatic: No way. "I didn't know nothing about nothing like that. Build Now took care of everything." It is a heartfelt testimony to success: Once Katrina left her with nothing but questions. Now, once again, she has a home. | New Orleans residents still trying to rebuild homes hit hard by Hurricane Katrina .
Nonprofit called Build Now guides people through red tape of permits, insurance, financing .
Organization helps hart-hit neighborhoods such as 9th Ward . |
61,344 | ae3ad6d546dd39c9781a24968416993ca4478789 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 15:38 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:22 EST, 28 November 2013 . President Barack Obama says Americans have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. In a holiday edition of his weekend radio and Internet address, Obama gives thanks for the country's founders, the generations who followed, and members of the military, and their families, for the sacrifices they make. He expresses gratitude for the freedoms service members defend, including speech, religion and the right to choose America's leaders. Scroll down for video . A U.S. soldier serves himself desert during a Thanksgiving dinner at his base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 28 . Meanwhile, back in the US, President Barack Obama pardoned the 2013 National Thanksgiving Turkey 'Popcorn' with is daughters Sasha (3rd right) and Malia (right) during an event at the White House yesterday . He also has kind words for those who work to make America a more compassionate place. Obama says Americans are greater together than they are alone. He says togetherness is what every day, including Thanksgiving, should be about. In the Republican address, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham pays tribute to service members spending the holiday away from home, and their families. Troops lined up for traditional turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie for a taste of home in Kabul. A U.S. soldier gets a piece of the Thanksgiving cake served during a lunch at his base at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan . A U.S. soldier wears a turkey-shaped hat as he attends a Thanksgiving dinner at his base in Kabul, Afghanistan . Before getting stuck into their American-style meal, the troops prayed at the dinner table and reflected on what they are thankful for in 2013. Nearly 47,000 U.S. soldiers are in Afghanistan, but it isn't clear how many will still be there next year, after troops start to be pulled out. However, earlier this month, Afghan security deals revealed plans for military forces to stay on indefinitely in Afghanistan- costing the taxpayer tens of billions. The wide ranging document outlined plans to stay on until 2024 'and beyond' - maintaining bases in Afghanistan and paying to support and train hundreds of thousands of Afghan security forces. Afghan officials hope that up to 15,000 American troops will remain in the country after the scheduled 2014 withdrawl date as the United States faces a never-ending war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the war torn nation. A U.S. Army officer serves Thanksgiving dinner to a comrade at a dining facility at his base in Kabul, Afghanistan . The soldiers still had their weapons strapped to them while being served their dinner . The troops said cheers with a glass of bubbly alongside their Thanksgiving dinner at the NATO base in Kabul . U.S. troops pray before eating during a Thanksgiving meal at a NATO base in Kabul . U.S. troops eat during a Thanksgiving meal at a NATO base in Kabul . | Nearly 47,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan at the moment .
Obama gave thanks to the members of the military and their families, for the sacrifices they have made . |
137,414 | 3db7837072f724f04cf3121d8d800ecfc4ece8b1 | Ronny Deila will prioritise tying down his existing stars ahead of signing new ones when the transfer window opens at the turn of the year. With his Celtic side still in four competitions, the Norwegian admits he would like to make ‘one or two’ additions to his squad in the January window. However, with Kris Commons out of contract in the summer, John Guidetti coming to the end of his deal at Manchester City and Virgil van Dijk the subject of constant speculation, Deila intends on dealing with current players before his mind turns to fresh faces. Ronny Deila has admitted he will concentrate on keeping hold of his current players when the window opens . John Guidetti's Manchester City contract ends soon, and Celtic would like a permanent deal for the striker . Asked if the priority was ensuring his current stars prolonged their stays, Deila replied: ‘Yes, that is the case. It is much easier to develop what you have, when you know what you have. To get people in, is like getting presents. You never know what you get. It could be nice or something you have to throw away. ‘It’s very interesting to get presents but it does not always turn out the way you want to. ‘But you know what you already have. And you know players like Guidetti will be better (in the future). They are young. That’s the kind of players we want to get in so we can progress as a team and hopefully get to that level we want to be at in Europe. ‘We want to try and get Guidetti to go through. Keeping Virgil and Kris, these are important. There is always speculation over Virgil van Dijk, pictured training before Celtic's game against Dundee United . Kris Commons (centre) is also out of contract in the summer, so Deila is looking at keeping hold of him . ‘We also have to look for players who can add to the squad and make them better. If we can do that then we will be in a better position in February than we are right now. ‘The negotiations (with Guidetti) are going on. There is progress all the time. We will see if we can get what we want. If we do, everyone will be happy.’ Rangers, Dundee and Inter Milan stand between Celtic and progress in the League Cup, Scottish Cup and Europa League in February while only four points now separates the champions from Dundee United and Aberdeen in the Premiership. And, although optimistic for what the second segment of the season might hold, defeat at Tannadice last Sunday left the Norwegian casting a critical eye over what’s transpired under his watch so far. Celtic are currently still in four competitions this season, and Deila would like to add one or two to his ranks . Guidetti has impressed on his loan move from Manchester City this season . ‘When I see the possession and pressure we have and how we are controlling games, it is about getting possession into goal chances,’ he said. ‘With the potential we have, I would give us a five, six (out of 10) maybe. ‘We have a long way to go but it is quite good also. ‘This club is a sleeping bear. It is a huge club, we have so many talented players and good staff. 'We have just have to have the energy to work and progress, want to learn and get better. If you have that you can reach your goals.’ Meanwhile, Aleksander Tonev’s agent has claimed Werder Bremen were interested in ending the Bulgarian’s troubled spell at Celtic. The on-loan Aston Villa winger’s appeal against his seven-game SFA ban for a racial slur on Aberdeen defender Shay Logan was thrown out last week. Celtic have stood by Tonev and a deal to cut-short his time in Britain would be complicated by the fact they paid Villa a year’s loan fee in the summer. Agent Nikolay Zheynov said: ‘Werder have again shown interest in him, but at this stage we don’t yet know whether the transfer will go through.’ | Kris Commons is out of contract in the summer, while John Guidetti is coming to the end of his Manchester City deal .
Ronny Deila is therefore prioritising tying down his current stars .
Virgil van Dijk is also the subject of constant speculation .
Celtic are still in four competitions this season, including Europa League . |
79,252 | e0a64a9c1c6ac57c55a642dab622bd5d9d25e98c | For eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed (file photo) Just a handful of walnuts a day could be a way to improve your memory, a new report showed. Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed. The study led by Dr. Lenore Arab at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, found that cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts - regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. This cross-sectional study is the first large representative analysis of walnut intake and cognitive function. It is also the only study to include all available cognitive data across multiple National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The NHANES draws from a large sampling of the U.S. population, typically ages one to 90 years old. In this study, participants included adults ages 20-59 as well as 60 and over. Dr. Arab and co-researcher Dr. Alfonso Ang found that study participants with higher walnut consumption performed significantly better on a series of six cognitive tests. Dr. Arab said: 'It is exciting to see the strength of the evidence from this analysis across the U.S. population supporting the previous results of animal studies that have shown the neuroprotective benefit from eating walnuts; and it's a realistic amount - less than a handful per day (13 grams).' As the baby boomer population grows older, conditions affecting memory such as Alzheimer's and dementia will become a greater concern (file photo) The study adds to a growing body of research surrounding walnuts' positive effect on reducing cognitive impairment and overall brain health, which includes the possible beneficial effects of slowing or preventing the progression of Alzheimer's disease in mouse models. As the baby boomer population grows older, conditions affecting memory such as Alzheimer's and dementia will become a greater concern. According to a 2012 World Health Organization article, the estimated number of new cases of dementia each year worldwide is nearly 7.7 million, and the number of people living with dementia worldwide is estimated at 35.6 million. This number is predicted to double by 2030 and more than triple by 2050. There are numerous possible active ingredients in walnuts that may be contributing factors in protecting cognitive functions. This includes the high antioxidant content of walnuts (3.7 mmol/ounce); the combination of numerous vitamins and minerals; as well as the fact that they are the only nut that contain a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (2.5 grams per ounce), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits. 'It isn't every day that research results in such simple advice - eating a handful of walnuts daily as a snack, or as part of a meal, can help improve your cognitive health,' said Dr. Arab. | Walnuts improve concentration and information processing, according to scientists .
Only nut that contains significant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) - plant-based omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits .
Findings from study by David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles . |
257,488 | d93d0dfbade2186e67f856264f0cd0dd0c873ca0 | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 08:16 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:43 EST, 17 October 2013 . The parents of a severely brain-damaged girl blew her £2.6million compensation on a lavish lifestyle, a court has heard. Cathy Watson and her husband Robert Hills allegedly used the money to buy sports cars, jewellery, property and racking up huge credit card bills. The couple allegedly pocketed £500,000 over an eight-year period that was set aside for Cathy’s daughter Samantha Svendsen, Doncaster Crown Court heard. Payout: Cathy Watson, left, and Robert Hills, right, 'behaved as if they had won the lottery' after Cathy's daughter Samantha Svendsen received the payout, the court was told . The girl, who is now aged 29, was given a payout in December 1999 after the NHS admitted medical negligence leaving her with cerebral palsy. Jurors were told Samantha's mother and stepfather behaved 'as though they had won the lottery'. Watson, now 44, was given £270,000 to cover expenses she had already incurred and the rest of the £2.6million payout was given to the Court of Protection for the child's benefit. Samatha's mother and Hills, now 49, were given a ‘generous’ £4,000 a month . for household expenses to compensate them for not being able to work . through providing full-time care. Katherine Robinson, prosecuting, said that the couple bought a property in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, in February 2000 for £22,500 under a council right to buy scheme using part of the £270,000 paid to Watson for her own use. They later claimed £213,000 to from the Court of Protection to buy three properties - including the one they had already purchased. Miss Robinson said: 'The money was never used to buy that house because they already owned it.' They subsequently sold the property for £74,000 and spent the cash. Property buy: Watson and Hills ought a property in this road in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, in February 2000 for £22,500 under a council right to buy scheme - then later claimed money to purchase it, a court heard . The Court of Protection agreed in March 2004 to provide further money to buy a Florida villa, and £235,000 was released. Hills admitted stealing £145,000 which was ‘simply spent’, said Miss Robinson. The couple later started divorce proceedings and the Florida villa plan was cancelled. Hills also admitted not returning £25,966 from part of the refund for Samantha Watson is accused of stealing her share of the refund, totalling £41,334. Analysis of spending patterns revealed that, between 1999 and 2004, £200,000 was spent by the couple on cars, the court heard. Almost £18,000 was spent on jewellery and from March 2000 to December 2001, more than £100,000 was spent on credit cards. Miss Robinson added: 'They were behaving as though they had won the lottery.' Watson, 44, of Scunthorpe, pleaded not guilty to four offences of theft and one of transferring criminal property. Hills, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, has already admitted four offences of theft. The trial against Watson continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Cathy Watson and Robert Hills 'pocketed £500,000 over an eight-year period'
Couple behaved 'as though they had won the lottery'
£200,000 spent on cars, £18,000 on jewellery and £100,000 on credit cards .
Samantha Svendsen was given £2.6million payout after being left with cerebral palsy following NHS blunder . |
170,156 | 6838c92188f29ee35a09192116a722937cf4d8e1 | Steve Bruce has hailed the ‘exciting’ capture of £9.5million club-record signing Abel Hernandez. The Uruguay striker - a deadline-day arrival from Serie A side Palermo, where he scored 33 times from 111 appearances – has penned a three-year deal at the KC Stadium with the option of a fourth. And Tigers boss Bruce said: ‘Abel is a fantastic signing and highlights just how far the club has come in such a short space of time. On the move: Hull have completed a deal for Palermo's Abel Hernandez for £9.5million . Through the door: George Boyd penned a deal with Premier League new boys Burnley earlier in the day . Nightmare display: Steve Bruce was disappointed with his side's display against Aston Villa . ‘He is an exciting talent and like myself, I’m sure the supporters can’t wait to see him in action.’ Hernandez was part of Uruguay’s World Cup squad in Brazil and he has seven goals from 14 outings for his country. The 24-year-old has been on Humberside since last week but Hull had to wait for a work permit to be granted. He should make his debut when City entertain West Ham on September 15. | Uruguay international Abel Hernandez joins Hull for a club record fee .
Hull have received a work permit for Hernandez to ply his trade in England .
George Boyd has moved to Premier League new boys Burnley . |
210,365 | 9c782d4682af4637157c5d839b03ed44ba9b271f | (CNN) -- Manfred Zbrzezny wants to bulk up his arsenal. For the past few years, the founder of the Liberia-based Fyrkuna Metalworks and his team of skilful craftsmen have been collecting weapons scrap -- relics of the West African country's vicious civil conflict -- for their Arms into Art project. From their open-sided workshop near Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, the artisans expertly cut, melt and weld scrap metals to fashion them into intricate sculptures. In their hands, decommissioned AK-47s, RPG launchers and bazookas are transformed into elaborate candle stands, whimsical lamps and even life-size metal trees. "What was an instrument of suffering can become something beautiful and useful," says Zbrzezny, a German/Italian artistic blacksmith who's been calling Liberia home since the mid-2000s. Read this: Artist gives trash a second chance . "I want to do something serene out of all these things that are violent and nasty," he adds. "I prefer doing my pieces a little bit funny or sweet, instead of doing something macabre or rough." Remnants of war . For materials, Fyrkuna first relied on the decommissioned instruments of warfare gathered during Liberia's disarmament process. On some occasions, individuals who've come to know their work have also brought in discarded guns they've found for the craftsmen to work with. Zbrzezny, whose team of Liberian workers includes four staff and two trainees, says he is now looking to expand the project and hopefully export of some of his artwork abroad. Read this: Artwork shows conflict in new light . "I am trying to convince the United Nations mission in Liberia to turn over their weapons scrap to me so I could continue this work," he says. 'Healing process' Liberia, the oldest republic in Africa, descended into darkness in 1989, mired in the grip of a brutal civil war that shattered much of its economy and infrastructure. Read this: Fixing Liberia's water crisis . Although the fighting came to an end in 2003, leaving an estimated 250,000 people dead and thousands more displaced, many in Liberia still bear the deep scars of years of conflict. "There's nobody who wasn't affected by the war," says Zbrzezny, who first traveled to Liberia before the end of the conflict in 2003. He describes Fyrkuna's work as a way of helping the nation heal its wounds by transforming the destructive devices of its war-torn past into something positive. "Looking at Arms into Art the majority of people remains thoughtfully silent," he says. "This moment of silence acts like a flashback, a remembering of the war and ... is also an indicator for me that there is a long psychological work to do on the war issue. "There is still a lot of digestion on that and I hope somehow I'm part of that." | Craftsmen in Liberia transform scrap weapons into artwork .
Their art ranges from furniture and candle stands to lamps and trees .
Liberia descended into a vicious civil war in 1989 that last for 14 years .
Fyrkuna Metalworks say its work is part of the nation's healing process . |
256,207 | d7a360659c1948ad8b4ec4480d7bebe66f19eb06 | Chris O'Hare got Great Britain off to a medal-winning start on the final day of the European Championships, taking 1,500 metres bronze in a race which Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad made up for the heartache of losing his steeplechase crown earlier in the week. The controversial 29-year-old made headlines across the world on Thursday evening after bizarrely choosing to remove his top as he entered the home straight, sticking it in his mouth and waving to the crowd. Mekhissi-Benabbad easily won the 3,000m steeplechase but, after an initial yellow card for show-boating, had the title stripped after Spain launched an appeal citing rules on clothing, shoes and bibs. Bronze: Chris O'Hare earned a bronze medal for Great Britain on the final day of the European Championships . The Frenchman looked noticeably downbeat and run-down as he qualified from the 1,500m semi-finals, but was back to his normal, extrovert self in Sunday's final. Making his move with 400m to go, Mekhissi-Benabbad raced to the line, beating his chest down the home straight to win the 1,500m gold in three minutes 45.60 seconds. This time he kept his vest on at the end of a race which O'Hare managed to win bronze for Great Britain in three mins 46.18 secs. Team-mate Charlie Grice crossed the line 12th having taken a tumble, while Ireland's Paul Robinson came home fourth. Ciaran O'Lionaird did not finish after taking a nasty-looking blow. Race: the gold medal was won by Mahiedine Makhissi-Benabbad, who made up for his steeplechase fiasco . 'I think I could have challenged Mekhissi-Benabbad if I'd have been closer to him in the final 200m,' O'Hare said after the race. 'His 3,000m steeplechase disqualification was silly regardless of his behaviour - he ran a superb race against a great field here today so fair play to him. 'This year's been a bit of a mess so this medal is a great outcome for me. I'm done with my season now, I'll have a few days off now and then get ready for the cross country season.' Great Britain added another bronze to their collection shortly afterwards in the women's 4x400m. Congratulations: Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad congratulates O'Hare after the race . As expected, individual world champion Christine Ohuruogu was left out in preference of the less experienced members of the team and they did not disappoint. Eilidh Child, fresh from winning 400m hurdles gold on Saturday, handed the baton over in the lead after the first leg, with Kelly Massey not fretting when she dropped down the pack as Shana Cox also got the baton in first place. Margaret Adeoye ran a fine last leg but was unable to sneak a top-two place, with France edging Ukraine to the line in a European-leading time of 3:24.27. | Chris O'hare has won 1500m bronze in Zurich .
Today is final day of European Championships .
Mahiedine Maekhissi-Benababd won gold after being stripped of victory in steeplechase for showboating . |
120,852 | 28334b3ac977fbaca0ae9768ec93b7464c3e0516 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 21:04 EST, 30 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:45 EST, 31 January 2013 . The Metropolitan Police has received more than £5million over three years from passing on the details of traffic accidents to victims' insurance companies and lawyers, it emerged today. It is legal for details of incidents to be given to other service providers, if they have been granted the victim's permission and act on their behalf. This information is then used for pursue compensation claims by lawyers for the victims. The Metropolitan Police has received more than £5million since 2009. Hampshire Constabulary has been paid more than £480,000 since 2010, and Fife Constabulary £194,000. Accident: It is legal for accident reports to be passed on to other service providers if those firms are acting with the consent of the victim (file picture) A Freedom of Information Act request was made by insurers LV= Liverpool Victoria, who said one in five victims reported they were encouraged to claim compensation by a police officer. Legislation due to be implemented this April will see a ban on the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal injury cases. It will also cap lawyers' fees on successful claims. LV= said that this legalisation has prompted a whiplash 'gold rush' and added that claims companies are now hounding people regardless of whether they have been injured or not. One in 20 road accident victims are contacted by a claims company within two hours of a crash, a survey showed. The research found that six per cent of victims were approached by lawyers within two hours and almost half within 24 hours. One in four claimants said they would not have sought compensation without third party intervention. Firms are even approaching victims at the roadside and in hospital, the report found. Information transfer: The Metropolitan Police has received more than £5million for reproducing accident reports since 2009 . It said that the number of people who have been contacted following an accident has increased by 52 per cent since 2010 to two thirds of victims - despite accident rates falling. 'The heavy-handed tactics of the “claims farming” industry has resulted in record levels of compensation claims for whiplash and other personal injuries - despite falling accident rates' John O'Roarke, LV= . The poll found that 13 per cent of those encouraged to make a claim were approached at the roadside, with ten per cent targeted at an information desk set up in a hospital. LV= said that many are persistently pursued in the weeks after, with one victim reporting that he was contacted a whopping 340 times following his accident and hounded to make a claim. Almost a third of those who made a claim admitted they exaggerated their injury to get compensation and a further one in ten said they made up the injury entirely to get the money. John O'Roarke, managing director of LV= car insurance, said: ‘The heavy-handed tactics of the “claims farming” industry has resulted in record levels of compensation claims for whiplash and other personal injuries - despite falling accident rates. Explanation: Scotland Yard said it did not sell details to compensation lawyers or claims management firms, and the money they were given was simply to cover their costs of providing the details . ‘Crash victims are being aggressively targeted by those who can make money out of their details and they are literally hounding them to make a claim within moments of an accident. 'As would be expected, every road traffic collision is investigated by police to see whether any offences have taken place and reports are filed as appropriate' Metropolitan Police spokesman . ‘Those tempted to make a claim when they do not have an injury should think again as making a fraudulent claim could lead to a hefty fine or prison sentence.’ Scotland Yard said it did not sell any contact details to compensation lawyers or claims management firms. The money they were given was simply to cover their costs of providing the details to firms acting on behalf of victims. ‘Every road traffic collision is investigated by police to see whether any offences have taken place and reports are filed as appropriate,’ a spokesman said. 'As is standard practice across the police service nationally, copies of these reports and associated documents are provided on request to solicitors and insurance companies acting on behalf of individuals involved in the collisions in order for insurance claims to be settled. 'This is carried out for an administrative fee.' Forces in Fife and Hampshire also said the fees received were to cover costs. | Metropolitan Police has received £5million in administration fees since 2009 .
Hampshire Constabulary been paid £480,000 since 2010 and Fife £194,000 .
Victims give consent to legal firms so they can request accident reports .
Police forces say the fees simply cover the costs of providing reports . |
30,390 | 56664012112612a7a9d91ee01a4b41010fa7e0f1 | By . Lillian Radulova . and Aap . Tony Abbott's government continues to languish behind the Labor Opposition, with the latest Newspoll showing the public would turf the government out in a landslide if an election was held today. The Newspoll, published in today's The Australian, shows that despite a tiny one per cent gain in the Coalition's primary vote in the last fortnight, Tony Abbott's government remains deeply unpopular with the electorate. The government's fortunes took a turn for the worst with the release of the May 13 Budget, which included cuts to welfare spending, schools and hospitals. When elected in September, the Coalition's primary vote was 45.6 per cent, but now it has fallen to just 36 per cent. Labor's primary vote in the September election was just 33.3 per cent, but has now risen under Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to 12.3 per cent. Scroll down for video . Surveys conducted by The Australian have revealed that the Labor party continues to be favoured by Australians two months after the governments budget release . Newspoll figures show that until May 4, voters favoured the elected government by at least 4 per cent. But surveys carried out from May 16 right up until Sunday, show a swing in the opposite direction. In the two-party preferred poll, support for the Liberal party has dropped down to 46 per cent while Labor is favoured by 54 per cent of voters, as of July 13. Newspoll also shows voters continue to prefer BIll Shorten over Tony Abbott as Prime Minister. A survey asking readers to determine the better prime minister out of the two parties leaders, also shows that the majority choose Bill Shorten over Tony Abbott by 5 per cent . The Newspoll findings come as phone polling carried out across the country revealed the unpopularity of the government's higher education cuts, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The survey found 69 per cent of those surveyed opposed increases in university fees while 65 per cent disagreed with the Abbott Government's 20 per cent public funding cut to university courses. Higher education cuts top the list of policies that voters are most unhappy about, according to the Sydney Morning Herald which found that 69 per cent of those surveyed oppose the increases in university fees . The survey also found 46 per cent were opposed to government funding for privately-owned universities, with only 28 per cent in support. The voter's dislike at the proposed cuts can also be clearly seen in the drop in support for federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Pyne's support has fallen by 13 per cent since last September's election, putting him at risk of losing his seat of Sturt in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs. Meanwhile, the Newspoll also found the majority of voters wanted the carbon tax scrapped. The poll found 53 per cent of voters want the Palmer United Party (PUP) to support the repeal bills, while 35 per cent want the party to vote against them. The latest survey was conducted after the proposal to axe the controversial carbon tax was blocked by PUP senators on Thursday. The federal government has since been in talks with PUP staff to discuss further changes to the bills, ahead of it going back to the lower house on Monday. Mr Abbott has said he is still committed to abolishing the tax. The Newspoll of 1207 voters taken on Friday, Saturday and Sunday also shows 85 per cent of coalition supporters want the carbon tax scrapped immediately, while eight per cent want it to remain and seven per cent are undecided. About 30 per cent of Labor supporters also want the tax's imminent removal, though the majority, 53 per cent, want Palmer United to block the bills. | The latest Newspoll shows support for Tony Abbott at lowest level since 2009 .
Labor has a 54 per cent to 46 per cent lead over the Coalition and would win an election comfortably if one was held now .
Support for the Abbott-led government has plummeted since the release of the federal Budget which many think is unfair .
Another poll found that 69 per cent of Australians did not support proposed increases in university fees . |
200,898 | 9015215dcecc8a6d7f67ca42b795b0973704a38a | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 23:12 EST, 1 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 23:12 EST, 1 March 2014 . The self-confessed Satanic serial killer who claims to have murdered more than 22 people may have kept a record of the slayings. Elizabeth Dean confirmed an ex-boyfriend of daughter Miranda Barbour, 19, gave her a diary he claimed was her's just as the teen appears to have revealed a motive for the supposed killings - revenge. Miranda Barbour told the New York Post from jail that she would have let Troy LaFerrara, 42, of Sudbury, Pennsylvania go had he stopped groping her when she said she told him she was barely 16-years-old - she was molested at age 4. Dean did not deny the horror journal was filled with details on the murders, but stopped short of confirming exactly what was scrawled on its pages. The Craigslist killer: Miranda Barbour says she will kill again if let out from behind bars . 'There are things in here that just can’t be true,' she told the paper. 'Some of this I just don’t believe. 'I don’t believe she has done any of what she is saying, and I don’t know why she is saying all of these things,' Dean continued. The mother also confirmed a claim made by her daughter that she was molested at age 4, saying she immediately went to police and the man was arrested. Revelations of the murder memoir come as Miranda Barbour claims she is confessing to the killings so she remains behind bars. 'I’m saying all this for me, I want to remain in prison,' she insisted. 'I told my lawyer I wanted to plead guilty to this. 'If I get out of here, I’d do it again,' she continued. Still in love: Elytte Barbour gave a different version of events during his own prison interview, but says he's still enamored with his teen bride despite the dozens of killings she has confessed to committing . Her conversations with a reporter from the Daily Item, a local paper, also shined a light on the killer couple's murder plans. She and husband Elytte Barbour decided he would hide in the backseat of her car and jump out when she said 'did you see the stars tonight?' Had LaFerrara backed off and decided against trying any sexual activity with the 'underage' woman, she would have let him go. Hubby did not respond to her two utterances of the phrase, so she had to improvise. 'He still didn’t jump up, so I hit him in the leg and then he popped out.' Victim: Barbour's father said he would hold the hand of his victim's widow, Colleen LaFerrara, while watching his daughter get executed. Colleen is pictured with husband Troy on their wedding day in 2011 . Elytte Barbour strangled LaFerrara with an electrical cord while Miranda Barbour stabbed him repeatedly in the chest until he was dead - they carried out the sinister plot on Elytte's 22nd birthday. They dumped his butchered corpse in an alley and went looking for cleaning supplies to clean the blood from her car, she said. 'There was just so much,' said the teen. 'It was everywhere.' The pair then went to a strip club before returning to the crime scene the next day to see police everywhere, . 'I saw all the police and said, ‘Well, I guess they found him,' she recalled. The shocking details come almost two weeks after her husband professed his love for her in an interview with CNN. Elytte Barbour told the network from Columbia County Prison in Pennsylvania that the news hasn't changed the way he feels about Miranda Barbour, 19. Just another family: The killer couple blended inauspiciously into the crowd at a fair last year . 'I still love her,' Barbour said over a secure telephone line from the jail where he's awaiting trial for allegedly luring a man through Craigslist, strangling and stabbing him 20 times with his love, three weeks after they were married. Speaking to CNN Wednesday, heacknowledged, 'Everyone wants to know about her credibility,' but wouldn't comment on whether her confessions were valid. However, he said she was upfront with him in 'about 50/50' of the alleged slayings, with respect to specific names of victims and the locations of the murders. He insisted he'd been cooperating with police so far, adding 'It seems like I have my life or death on the line right now.' The interview comes after his father-in-law Sonny Dean said he would support his daughter's execution if she is found guilty and even hold the hand of the victim's widow as she'd killed. Dean said he believes his teenage daughter may have been involved in one other murder besides the . November 11 fatal stabbing of LaFerrara. But he denied that she has killed 22 people - as she claims - and branded her a 'manipulator.' Police said LaFerrara met Barbour through her Craigslist ad, which offered companionship in exchange for money. Barbour, like the fictitious serial killer Dexter, said she only killed 'bad people.' 'Killer': Miranda Barbour (with a police officer in December) has been involved in more than one murder, her father has claimed. She is also accused of stabbing a man to death after meeting him on Craigslist . Investigators allege Barbour stabbed . LaFerrara about 20 times in her parked car as her husband, Elytte . Barbour, held a cord tight against LaFerrara's neck from the back seat . and then dumped his body in an alley. The . self-confessed teenage serial killer has claimed to have been involved . in a satanic cult and that she had a favorite knife which she added . notches to every time she slayed another victim. Dean told The Daily Item that his daughter was a heroin addict and is a liar and manipulator, but he doesn't think she is a mass murderer. 'Miranda lives in a fantasy world,' he said. Barbour . told The Daily Item last month that she had killed fewer than 100 . people but stopped counting at 22. She said she lured a man into an . alley in Alaska and watched as the leader of a satanic cult to which she . belonged shot the man before telling Barbour it was her turn. 'Believe very little of what Miranda says,' said Dean, of Texas. 'She has a long history of extreme manipulation and dishonesty. Investigation: Miranda Barbour is pictured right in her mug shot and left with her baby son. The father of the child died when her boy was one and authorities are now looking to see if his death was suspicious . 'She is good at manipulating people. She is the most manipulative person I have ever known.' It is possible she participated in a killing in Alaska, he said. He also did not dispute her claim of being a satanist. 'The reason I think that the Alaska incident is a possibility is that Miranda ran away from home at least two times that I remember, both for over a 48-hour period,' he said. 'Once was around the age of 13 and once was sometime the following year, when she was 14. I don't know what took place during either of those 48-hour periods.' Dean also said she had been in and out of treatment centers after she became hooked on heroin, and that she was so persuasive she was able to talk her way out of the centers. 'We couldn't stop it from happening and she was out.' he said. He . said once Miranda became hooked on drugs they refused to let her out of . the house unsupervised - meaning she could not have carried out the . many murders she has claimed. Scene: Miranda Barbour grew up in North Pole, Alaska (pictured), where she said she killed some victims. She later traveled south to North Carolina . Parallels: Like the fictitious serial killer Dexter (pictured), Barbour said she only killed 'bad people' 'Once . all this stuff with drugs started happening we locked our house down,’ he said. ‘She wouldn’t have had the chance to do any of these things she . said.’ Dean said he prays for peace and comfort each morning for LaFerrara's . family, especially the victim's widow, Colleen LaFerrara. In . a prepared statement to the family, he said if a jury decides his . daughter should be executed, 'I would stand side by side with you, take . your hand, and silently pray that some good may come of this.' According to a police affidavit, Miranda Barbour initially denied knowing LaFerrara until she and her husband were presented with evidence. 'The defendant stated that they committed the murder because they just wanted to murder someone together,' police said of Elyette Barbour. | Miranda Barbour, 19, says that she is confessing to the killings to keep her behind bars so she won't kill again .
Her mother Elizabeth Dean says she has a diary with stories that 'can't be true,' but would not confirm or deny they were records of murders .
Miranda Barbour said the original plan was to let victim Troy LaFerrara go if he backed when she said she was underage - but he didn't .
The self-confessed serial killer was molested at age 4 and may have decided to kill other child molesters . |
281,629 | f8d47dfd038e360a5276621bcb192150aed814c6 | By . Associated Press Reporter . and Josh Gardner for MailOnline . A central Pennsylvania man will serve 28 to 56 years behind bars for suffocating his girlfriend after she survived his deliberate, high-speed crash. Lancaster Online reports Benjamin Klinger pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced Friday. Authorities say Klinger was physically and verbally abusive to 17-year-old Samantha Heller during their turbulent relationship. Horrific: Benjamin Klinger (left) has pleaded guilty to intentionally smashing his car into a guardrail and then smothering to death his girlfriend, 17-year-old Samantha Heller (right) In December 2012, prosecutors say Klinger intentionally sped into a guardrail at over 100 mph. Police say he sat on Heller after she lived through the wreck near Manheim. A truck driver who came upon the 2am crash heard Heller hanging outside the window and screaming, 'Get off of me!' but was told by 911 operators not to move the crash victims. When police arrived, Klinger was sitting on top of Heller's head and torso, according to the arrest affidavit. 'Klinger was observed by the officers to be what appeared as 'slipping in and out of consciousness,' because he would close his eyes for several seconds, moan, and then reopen his eyes while continuing to be positioned on top of the victim's head and torso while the victim was face down,' police wrote. Based on medical records, investigators later concluded Klinger was pretending to be unconscious. Abusive: Klinger reportedly had a rocky and abusive relationship with Heller leading up to the horrific crime, for which he'll serve up to 56 years in prison . Shocking scene: An eyewitness said he heard Heller screaming for help as Klinger sat on top of her, but a 911 operator told the witness not to move the victims . An autopsy perform of Heller's body has revealed that the teen died from multiple injuries and asphyxiation. Dr. Wayne Ross, who performed the autopsy, concluded 'the cause of death is consistent with someone sitting on (Heller).' Detectives recovered marijuana, cash, a digital scale, a pipe, pills and a black air pistol from the wreckage. The 21-year-old Klinger apologized in court and said he takes 'full responsibility for the loss of a very special person.' He wept as he apologized, which Judge Margaret Miller said was the the first she'd seen 'any degree of humanity or emotion' in Klinger. The victim's mother, Sandy McFalls, says her heart has been shattered. 'I want you to have nothing else to do (in prison) but think about how you took her life and destroyed ours,' McFalls said in a statement to the court, reported LancasterOnline. Klinger's sentence includes time for a drug charge and for sending sexually explicit photos of a minor. | Benjamin Klinger will serve 28 to 56 years in prison for third degree murder as well as a drug charge and for sending explicit photos to a minor .
Authorities sat Klinger had a turbulent and abusive relationship with high schooler Samantha Heller before he killed her in late 2012 . |
13,905 | 2767dda267d4a8aaa8d7fc533a7ecb9ed3ca80a2 | A Left-wing cookery writer has sparked outrage by saying David Cameron should resign for using his ‘dead son’ as a front to privatise the NHS. Jack Monroe, who writes for The Guardian on cookery and poverty issues, said on Twitter that the Prime Minister should go because he ‘uses stories about his dead son as misty-eyed rhetoric to legitimise selling our NHS to his friends’. Mr Cameron’s son Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, died aged six in 2009. A father’s love: David Cameron with his son Ivan, who had cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Ivan died in 2009 . Offensive: Left-wing cookery writer Jack Monroe’s tweet attacking David Cameron . Last night, Tory backbenchers lined up to express their disgust at the ‘distasteful’ and ‘sick’ comments, and the idea that the Prime Minister would use his son for such a purpose. Mr Cameron has previously spoken about his admiration for the NHS and how it helped care for his son. At the last Tory conference, he questioned how Labour could ‘dare’ to claim he does not care about the Health Service when it had been so important for his family. Miss Monroe made her comments on the social networking website, where users were coming up with their own suggestions of why ‘#CameronMustGo’. In the kitchen: Miss Monroe made her comments on the social networking website, where users were coming up with their own suggestions of why ‘#CameronMustGo’ Guardian journalist: The grammar-school educated Miss Monroe writes a blog called A Girl Called Jack . Her suggestion was: ‘Because he uses stories about his dead son as misty-eyed rhetoric to legitimise selling our NHS to his friends’. The grammar-school educated Miss Monroe writes a blog called A Girl Called Jack. She started publishing recipes online aimed at people with low incomes, and last year began contributing recipes and columns to The Guardian. Miss Monroe also appeared in a Labour Party broadcast as a member of the public. Mr Cameron has been accused by the Left of promoting the privatisation of the Health Service as part of wholesale reforms which came into effect two years ago. Reaction: Andrew Rosindell (left), Tory MP for Romford, said the comments were 'deeply shocking', while Philip Davies (right), Tory MP for Shipley, said it shows 'how deeply unpleasant people on the Left are' Ultimatum: Sarah Wollaston (pictured), Tory chairman of the Commons health select committee, said the blogger should 'immediately apologise… or The Guardian should decide if she should go' Jack Monroe, 26, is a mother-of-one and food writer from Southend-on-Sea in Essex. She attended Westcliff High School For Girls but left aged 16 and worked odd jobs before becoming a control room employee for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service in 2007. Jack Monroe (r) with girlfriend Allegra McEvedy (l) Five years later, having left that job too after becoming unable to balance night shifts with looking after a young son as a single mother, she started a blog called A Girl Called Jack. The blog on budget food and recipes became a huge success and Miss Monroe now writes a weekly Guardian column - also contributing to other newspapers and broadcasters. She had planned to marry a long-term police officer girlfriend earlier this year, but their relationship ended last October. Now, Miss Monroe lives in west London with her new partner, mother-of-one Allegra McEvedy, a chef who was 44 yesterday. But critics pointed out that it was under Labour that private companies were invited in to run NHS services. Tory backbenchers expressed outrage at Miss Monroe’s comments. Nadine Dorries said: 'I respect Ms Monroe for many of her principles, but this is shocking. She is a parent, she only needs to imagine the unimaginable to know how hurtful and wrong that comment must be.' Charlotte Leslie added: 'Anyone of any integrity is left pretty speechless. Not only is this incredibly callous and hurtful from someone who is supposed to be in a position of some responsibility, it is also utterly inaccurate. 'It just goes to show what depths anyone must stoop to in order to find a criticism of a PM who has overseen a massive turnaround of this country from a Lefty Government that, in true Labour style, left us bankrupt.' Andrew Percy, a Tory member of the Commons health select committee, said: ‘This is not just a distasteful tweet, it is sick. ‘If a Right-Wing politician or columnist had made such a comment, Miss Monroe would be writing hand-wringing columns about how evil or cruel such a comment was. 'If The Guardian had any moral compass it would sack Miss Monroe and publish a front-page apology to the Prime Minister and his wife for the distress this comment has made.’ Andrew Rosindell, Tory MP for Romford, said: ‘This is thoroughly unpleasant and distasteful. David and Samantha’s tragic loss of their son has never been used to justify any Government policy. ‘These comments are deeply shocking and will cause enormous hurt. They should be withdrawn immediately.’ Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, said: ‘Left-wingers like this are always the first to take offence in what others say, but think it is fine to make the vilest comments themselves. ‘This just goes to show how deeply unpleasant people on the Left are – something many of us see day in day out, but others tend not to see. They preach compassion one minute but are more lacking in compassion than anyone.’ Sarah Wollaston, Tory chairman of the Commons health select committee, said: ‘What would The Guardian say about an MP who made such a disgusting and heartless comment? 'Would they call for them to be sacked? She should immediately apologise… or The Guardian should decide if she should go.’ | Jack Monroe writes for The Guardian on cookery and poverty issues .
Said PM 'uses stories about his dead son as misty-eyed rhetoric' on NHS .
His son Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, died in 2009 .
Tory backbenchers express disgust at 'distasteful' and 'sick' comments . |
182,034 | 77b2504786f976c6d5845574872f96e7fbac5b1b | In a tiny village on a hilltop in India, Aarti Bhatt is sitting with a group of women taking lessons on menstrual hygiene. The 21-year-old gasps with disbelief when she learns that touching pickle when she is on her periods will not turn it rotten - and that cooking will not poison the food. But Aarti has grown up with these myths since she first started her periods seven years ago. Scroll down for video . Shilpi Bhatt, 15, (left), and Radha Maqlogha, 25, (right), pictured after attending a gathering of women aimed at debunking the myths they are fed about their menstrual cycle at a remote village in Rishikesh, India . A woman cuts pieces of recycled cloth ready to be folded and used as sanitary napkins at the Goonj NGO . Left to right: Deepa Dangwal, 28, Meena Bharti, 26, Arti Bhatt, 21, and Shivani Negi, 19, pose with the home-made sanitary napkins they received after attending a Goonj workshop . Shockingly, for many rural women in India they are told not to touch pickle, water plants, wear white clothes, enter the kitchen or temple, do any exercise or even speak the word 'period' when they're having their time of the month. Periods or the natural menstrual cycle are seen as a deeply rooted taboo and this has fueled an innumerable amount of restrictive myths. But the humiliation is worse for women like Aarti, from Baiyal village near Rishikesh in the state of Uttarakhand, northern India, where the menstruation restrictions are even more severe because their communities are so remote from modern life. Here, women are not allowed to even touch other women, not even their mother or sisters, because they're told their touch will infect them. Coming into contact with the opposite sex is completely forbidden as they're told it might make the men sick. Aarti said: 'When I first had my periods I was 14. It was naturally a very traumatic experience but before I could accept the change in my body I was blitzed with endless restrictions. 'The most baffling ones were the restriction into the kitchen and temple as I was suddenly "impure" and "polluted". 'My aunt said I was an impure thing and that I should restrict my movement to my home for the full four days and only after can I go about my normal life again.' Unfortunately, the myths related to periods are so deeply ingrained in the minds of village women that many accept them without any question. One 21-year-old at this gathering in the remote village gasped with disbelief when she learned that touching pickle when she is on her periods will not turn it rotten and cooking will not poison the food . Women pack the finished sanitary napkins in brightly coloured bags at one of the Goonj workshops in Delhi . Goonj sends the napkins out across rural India and organises campaigns and talks on menstrual hygiene . Deepa Dangwal, 28, at a meeting aimed at tackling the deeply rooted taboo around the menstrual cycle which has fueled an innumerable amount of restrictive myths for women in rural India . 'My mother said if I entered a temple during my periods I will pollute it and anger Gods who will punish me severely. I was terrified,' says nine-year-old Shivani Negi. 'My friends in school also go through the same agony. We are prohibited from entering kitchens or eating with others, we cannot touch plants either. 'It is said plants would dry up and die if we touch them. We cannot attend functions or religious festivals as we will make the occasion impure. 'It is so humiliating and I hate having to go through it every month. But mother says it is our tradition and we should follow the rules.' Even though these girls accept these myths and restrictions they are also left with minimal aid to stay to clean. Many do not have any access to sanitary towels. But a Delhi based non-government organisation called Goonj is changing all that. They're working to break the myths and educate women by organising campaigns and talks around the country on menstrual hygiene and providing sanitary towels made from recycled clothes in their workshops in the capital city. Anshu Gupta is the founder of Goonj, which means 'a voice', and feels the myths around women's monthly cycles in India are due to lack of basic education. He said: 'In India people treat periods as a shameful thing. Women try to hide it. They never talk about it openly. 'They are so ashamed of their periods that they even wash or dry clothes in secret, putting the strained cloth under another piece of cloth because they are embarrassed. A group of women take a break from making sanitary napkins. They are a godsend for many women . The napkins are vital for thousands of women who have no access to sanitary items during menstruation . Goonj, which means 'a voice', offers a lifeline to women who feel unable to talk openly about menstruation . Recycled clothes are dried up on the terrace and then brought down using a simple pulley system and later cut to a specific size and folded before they are then distributed to be used as sanitary napkins . Rishikesh is in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India. Many of the surrounding rural areas are remote . 'Many are always battling infections and womanly problems. 'We need to break the silence and talk so that these women understand it's the most natural thing in the world.' In India 70 per cent of women do not have access to safe and hygienic sanitary towels. Goonj is trying to help them with cheap sanitary towels made from recycled cloths and teaching them the importance of hygiene. It is during one such campaign organised in Baiyal that Goonj worker Priyanka Pahwa, 25, tried to dispel the myth of rotting pickle. Priyanka said: 'During our campaigns we have met women who are completely clueless about menstrual hygiene. 'They feel "dirty" and do not bother keeping themselves clean. They mostly use old and dirty rags or stuff sand into pieces of cloth instead of sanitary pads because of lack of money. 'Even washing and drying of sanitary clothes are all done in secret and are rarely properly dried in sunlight because of the shame, resulting in even more health problems.' These campaigns, though gradual, are encouraging young girls like Aarti and Shivani to break the myths and build their self worth and confidence. 'I will tell my school friends what I've learnt. I will spread the word. I wish we could all stop following traditions and talk more openly about periods. 'Rather than myths, we should be taught about our bodies and hygiene,' Shivani said. | In remote areas many women are told they are dirty and polluted on period .
Menstruation taboo means many believe they must not touch other women .
And any contact with men is forbidden because 'it will make them sick'
Women also told they will poison food if she cooks during period .
But Goonj NGO is holding lessons to try to break the taboo beliefs .
Women gather together in remote Baiyal village in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand .
One gasps in disbelief when told she will not turn pickle rotten . |
161,083 | 5c3b75eafefe516c5bf4ebb78d8fd03c67ab1d49 | A regiment of soldiers from a pint-sized battalion has been honoured 100 years after they volunteered for service in World War One. The Birkenhead Bantams were formed in November 1914 after the Wirral town's MP Alfred Bigland successfully petitioned for men of short stature to be allowed to enlist. Bigland's petition to the War Office led to the minimum height for soldiers in the Army to be lowered from five foot three inches, to just five foot. The pint-sized battalion has been honoured 100 years after they volunteered for service in World War One . As a result thousands of men who had been refused the chance to serve their country, were able to fight in the Great War. The Bantams, who were renamed the 15th and 16th Battalions, Cheshire Regiment, served in bloody battles including at Ypres and The Somme. By the end of the war in 1918, more than 900 officers and soldiers from the regiment had lost their lives fighting for Queen and country. A plaque has been unveiled at Birkenhead Town Hall, in Cheshire, and shows that 2,200 undersized recruits had joined the 1st and 2nd 'Bigland's Birkenhead Bantams' with four days of the war office reducing the minimum height for soldiers . MP Alfred Bigland's campaign to lower the minimum height for soldiers gained lots of media attention at the time, with newspapers such as the Daily Sketch featuring the petition (pictured) The Bantam battalions were first recruited in Cheshire following MP Alfred Bigland's petition, after he heard of a group of miners that had been rejected from every recruiting office on account of their size. Soon renamed the 15th and 16th Battalions, Cheshire Regiment, the Bantams undertook gruelling training and served in some of the most hard fought battles of the war including Ypres and The Somme. During WWI, two whole divisions, the 35th and the 40th, were formed from Bantams and tragically were virtually annihilated during the Battle of Ypres. Heavy casualties and the introduction of conscripted men of all heights eventually led to Bantam unit becoming indistinguishable from other regiments. The unit's centenary was marked at Birkenhead Town Hall attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, veterans and members of the Armed Forces. A plaque was unveiled revealing that 2,200 undersized recruits joined the 1st and 2nd 'Bigland's Birkenhead Bantams' in just four days. Mayor of Wirral Cllr Steve Foulkes said: 'Birkenhead Town Hall has seen many important events but few can match the significance of those that unfolded in these very rooms exactly 100 years ago today. 'The story of those brave Birkenhead Bantams and their part in the history of the Great War is awe inspiring, and we owe them a debt we can never repay. 'We can, however, remember them, and make sure that their bravery and sacrifice is never forgotten - which is why this memorial and events such as this are so important.' | Birkenhead Bantams were formed in Cheshire after a petition by local MP .
Alfred Bigland wanted to help miners who were too short to enlist .
His successful petition saw minimum height reduced from 5ft 3in to 5ft .
Over 2,000 recruits from across the UK joined the regiment in four days .
More than 900 of regiment's officers and soldiers later died in the conflict . |
277,218 | f32915790113e0966566e3e58827068875aea73b | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 09:38 EST, 2 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:07 EST, 3 May 2013 . An email exchange between Travis Alexander and one of his best friends has suggested he was a womanizer who used Jodi Arias physically and called her a 'skank'. In the correspondence from 2007, his friend Sky Hughes, who testified in Arias' murder trial, called him emotionally abusive and a 'heart predator' who liked to collect women. The emails were submitted by the Arias defense but never used in the Arizona court as the judge called them 'hearsay', but a copy has now been obtained by the Arizona Republic. They could help paint an image of Alexander, who was found stabbed, shot and with a sliced throat in his apartment in 2008, as emotionally abusive to Arias, his ex-girlfriend and alleged killer. 'Manipulative': Unreleased emails from a friend of Travis Alexander, left, accuse him of being emotionally abusive towards Jodi Arias, right, who killed him in his Arizona home in 2008 . Arias claimed that she killed him in self defense after he became enraged at her for dropping a camera. Prosecutors assert she murdered him in a fit of jealousy as he was seeing another woman. The emails from Hughes, who testified in the trial, show that in January 2007 she and her husband warned Arias she should move on from Alexander because of how he treated women. 'Travis, with love, you are a heart . predator,' Hughes wrote. 'You take great joy in making women fall for the T-dogg. You . laugh about what you can get away with. 'It would scare me to death if my . little sister liked you, in fact I wouldn't allow it.' When Alexander learned from Arias that Hughes had warned her against him, he responded angrily. Warning: The emails were sent from Sky Hughes, pictured, a close friend of Alexander's. She said that he treated Arias poorly and only used her physically while seeing a string of other women . Friend: But her husband, Chris Hughes, pictured on the witness stand during the trial, said they later fell out with Arias after she eavesdropped on their conversations with Alexander . 'You've crossed the line,' one email subject read, and accused the couple of doing 'irreparable damage to mine and Jodi’s . relationship'. 'She is paranoid that this evil person you have depicted . will someday surface,' he wrote. 'No matter what I say or do she will always have in . the back of her mind of this person that lurks in the shadows.' Hughes responded, pointing out that he only called Arias at 1am, 'jokingly calls her a skank' and would only kiss her when other people weren't looking. 'She was being treated horribly, you weren’t beating her physically, but you were emotionally,' she wrote. '...Know that I would love to see you marry Jodi, but just because you have never seen her cry, doesn't mean she hasn’t been crying. SHE LOVES YOU.' On trial: Arias is accused of killing Alexander in a fit of jealousy but she says she was acting in self defense . Troubled: The couple dated briefly before breaking up - but continued a sexual relationship . Mrs Hughes also said she told Arias that Alexander was simply using her physically to fulfill him in a way that another woman he was seeing, Deanna Reid, could not. But the Republic added that the Hugheses ended up falling out with Arias in April 2007 when they caught her eavesdropping on conversations she was having with Alexander on two occasions. When Arias asked if they would tell Alexander not to date her, Chris Hughes said he responded: 'We want nothing whatsoever to do with you.' The couple has since spoken out in support of Alexander, claiming that they were manipulated by Arias and that they believed it was 'normal' for their friend to be seeing a string of women. The trial, which began on January 2, had its final defense witness on Wednesday. Closing arguments are now expected before the case goes to the jury. | Emails were not used in trial as they were deemed 'hearsay' by the judge .
But the Arizona Republic obtained a copy of the emails from 2007 .
They show Alexander called Arias a 'skank' and 'enjoyed collecting women'
His best friends warned her against seeing him because of the treatment . |
237,856 | bfde097b6c5e925a5d210a1ea8e77e92aec6eb0a | After a decade of construction and almost four years behind schedule, the Middle East's latest airport destination began full operations earlier this week. Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, will eventually occupy 29 square kilometers (roughly a third of the size of Doha city itself) and comes in at a total cost of $15 billion. The giant facility will have an annual capacity of 50 million passengers as well as public spaces for art exhibitions, a VIP terminal inspired by Arabian sailboats and an aquatic themed mosque. Like an increasing number of oil and gas rich cities in the region, Doha is attempting to diversify its economy to make the most of new trade and tourism opportunities. For the head of Qatar's ambitious national carrier, the much-awaited development couldn't have come soon enough. "It gives us unlimited opportunities," Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar al Baker told CNN. "Doha International Airport was very congested. It was overcrowded. We could not give the standard of service we would prefer our passengers to have on the ground." Analysts say Doha, like its Gulf neighbors, understands the power and potential of aviation to provide a stable long-term industry in the region. "There's a recognition by the (Qatari) government that aviation plays a wider economic role which doesn't only directly support jobs," said John Strickland, director of aviation analytics firm JLS Consulting. "It (also) supports trade, it supports stability to develop tourism and we've seen that that's been done very effectively for example in Dubai," Strickland added. Dubai opened the doors of its second airport, the mammoth Dubai World Central, just last year. There are already plans to increase annual capacity there from the 120 million agreed upon during the initial design phase to over 200 million. "Ultimately we want to create the world's largest airport," said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. "The current largest airport in the world in Atlanta, Georgia, is about 89 million passengers so you can see the kind of scale and order we are looking at," Griffiths added. In Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, construction is underway for the new Midfield Terminal Complex at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Set to open in 2017, it will have a capacity of 30 million passengers per year alone. Such massive developments ensure competition in the region is stiff. But with so much capacity will there be enough tourism and trade to go around? That remains to be seen, but regional airlines seem convinced and are operating to ambitious expansion schedules themselves. "Step by step we're opening up the U.S. but we're also going to balance that with more cities in Southeast Asia (and) in the Middle East," said James Hogan CEO of Abu Dhabi carrier, Etihad. According to the International Air Transport Association, Etihad and the other Middle Eastern carriers are currently gaining more passengers than any other region. In the first quarter of this year Dubai International Airport (a separate facility to Dubai World Central) became the busiest in the world with more than 18 million passengers, overtaking 16 million at London's Heathrow. On top of this, many analysts believe the Gulf hubs -- situated just 8 hours flying time from two-thirds of the world's population -- are well placed to tap into many new and emerging markets in Asia and Africa. "I don't think the big hub airports in the Gulf are particularly competing with each other, they are more competing with other parts of the world," said John Strickland. "The Gulf is positioned between growing markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the airlines who operate out of these hub airports have very long range modern aircraft. "Many other airlines in other parts of the world are simply not equipped .... so, these airports should be able to grow side by side," Strickland added. If that's the case, all that's left is for the Gulf carriers to grab a piece of the lucrative aviation pie in the skies. See also: Answering Egypt's economic riddle . See also: Gulf looks to rival Paris as fashion capital . See also: Meet the Middle East's king of hotels . | Qatar's sparkling new airport is one of a series of ambitious aviation projects in the Gulf .
Countries in region looking to diversify economies to take advantage of location between east and west .
Middle East carriers growing faster than airlines in other regions, says IATA . |
61,848 | afaeb26023e59c5502191c140b0c47a7f8885e44 | The cost to taxpayers of refurbishing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Kensington Palace apartment has quadrupled – to £4million. Building work on the 22-plus room home has soared by £3million in the last year and includes the bill for William and Kate’s new kitchen and several bathrooms, the Mail can reveal. The vast project has seen Apartment 1A, which had been used as office space since the death of Princess Margaret, transformed into a ‘family home’. Scroll down for video . Fantastic: The Cupola room - part of the King's State apartments at Kensington Palace. Renovations of the couple's Palace flat have now reached £4million . Spectacular: The impressive King's Gallery - also part of the State Apartments. The royals will enjoy a new kitchen, several bathrooms and a new nursery for Prince George thanks to the taxpayer . Nation's treasure: London's Kensington Palace and its formal gardens. The royals will move in to Apartment 1A - which has been empty following the death of Princess Margaret . Although the couple are personally paying for all fixtures and fittings like curtains, carpets and furniture, the cost of building their new bedroom and even Prince George’s nursery has come from the public purse. One courtier last night insisted that the Kensington Palace project actually offered taxpayers ‘great value’ given the state of the crumbling apartment. But questions will be asked as to whether Buckingham Palace, which has forked out for the refurbishment, is spending public money wisely. Cuts to the Queen’s funding led to a dramatic battle between courtiers and the previous Government. Senior officials – who admitted at one point that the monarch was down to her last £1million in the bank – accused ministers of leaving them with a £40million backlog of essential work to royal residences. Just a few years ago Princess Anne was almost hit by a piece of falling masonry in the crumbling courtyard at Buckingham Palace, while staff are regularly forced to use buckets to catch the rain from its leaky roof. Not extravagant: The Duke and Duchess with Prince George and dog Lupo at their apartment window . From above: The royal residence - with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's apartment pictured in the foreground. A courtier insisted the renovations were 'great value' given the scale of the project . Move: The royal couple, who used to live in Notthingham Cottage where Prince Harry now resides, have spent millions transforming Princess Margaret's apartment . Following a comprehensive review of royal finances, the Queen now receives a Sovereign Grant to spend as she wishes on her residences and official duties. The sum was £37.9million in 2014-15. The Mail understands that a ‘significant proportion’ of the money set aside for essential repairs and maintenance has been spent on William and Kate’s new home. MPs have already questioned the use of money on private accommodation after discovering that £1million had been spent in 2012/2013. They were due to be told that the bill for Apartment 1A has spiralled to £4million, including VAT, when the Queen’s accounts are laid before Parliament on Wednesday. But after being contacted by the Mail with the figures, Buckingham Palace was forced to reveal details of the full cost. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said the Palace is their ‘one and only official residence’, where they will live for ‘many years to come’. But it was last refurbished in 1963 and needed a ‘significant amount of work’ to make it habitable again. He added: ‘The work included significant costs for the removal of asbestos, the installation of a new roof, the complete overhaul of electrics and plumbing and a significant amount of internal building work to return the residence to function as a living space. Facelift: Renovation work is started on the central London building. Following a comprehensive review of royal finances, the Queen now receives a Sovereign Grant to spend as she wishes on her residences and official duties . External work: More renovations are made on the building. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said the Palace is their 'one and only official residence', where they will live for 'many years to come' ‘To put it in perspective, there wasn’t even any running water.’ Because the palace is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, the refurbishment had to be of a high standard to meet English Heritage guidelines. In 2012/13 initial internal refurbishments cost £600,000 and the renewal of the apartment’s roof a further £400,000. It was indicated that further costs were to come, but nothing approaching the final bill revealed today. The couple, who also own Anmer Hall, a Norfolk country mansion given to them by the Queen, finally moved into the palace apartment last autumn after more than a year of building work. Margaret Hodge, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, last night said the bill would not go down well with either Parliament or the public. She said: ‘This is money coming out of the public purse at a time of great austerity and I am doubtful whether this is something the public would endorse. Former home: Princess Margaret in her drawing room - which William and Kate will now call home . 'And with so many people of the same age struggling to get on the property ladder, trying to scrape together a minimal deposit, then you would have thought they would show more sensitivity.’ But the spokesman for the couple insisted that they had done everything possible to keep the costs down, adding: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid privately for all the internal furnishing, including carpets and curtains. They were also at pains to ensure that the specification is not extravagant.’ A Buckingham Palace spokesman added: ‘This is a major Royal Household project that is specifically being created, driven and owned by us, not them. It is essential they have a home and this needed to be made into one. ‘The vast majority of these costs have gone on simply trying to make it habitable again.’ | Cost of Kensington Palace refurbishment soared by £3million in past year .
Vast project has seen Princess Margaret's former home transformed .
Includes new kitchen, bathrooms and nursery for Prince George .
Royal couple will be paying for all fixtures and fittings, carpets and furniture .
One courtier insisted project was 'great value' given former state of flat . |
252,578 | d2dfc3c65709919dd32a0b9f618cf0c2a8f567b3 | By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 11:39 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:44 EST, 23 April 2013 . The majority of U.S. women - 53per cent - will be following Kim Kardashian's lead by wearing one-piece bathing suits this summer, with most admitting that this option is better for their body shape. Of the 2,321 women polled by money-saving website CouponCodes4u, only 18per cent planned on emulating celebrities like Rihanna and Hayden Panettiere by sporting a bikini on the beach. The remaining 29per cent said they would choose a tankini as their swimsuit of choice. Body conscious: More than half of women in America are opting to cover up in a one-piece bathing suit on the beach instead - like voluptuous beauties Sofia Vergara, 40 (left) and Kim Kardashian, 32 (right) Of the respondents who planned on . wearing a one-piece to the beach, 57per cent said it was because this . conservative choice was better suited to their body shape. A third of the women who wanted to wear a one-piece explained it was the 'more comfortable' option. According to the study, it would appear that women choose their swimwear based on how flattering it is more than any other reason. 63per cent of the women polled said that they purchased a particular bathing suit only if it enhanced their body shape. The . study was intended to determine whether or not American women have become more . self-conscious about their beach bodies, and to see if their insecurities have affected their choice of beachwear. Indeed, when the women were asked if they thought they had the perfect beach body, an overwhelming 82per cent said they did not. Mark Pearson, chairman of CouponCodes4u, . said of the findings: 'While bikinis were once the most popular choice . of swimwear, it seems that some American women no longer feel that this . fashion piece is right for them or their body shape.' On the out: Less than 18per cent of U.S. women plan on wearing bikinis to the beach this summer in the style of 25-year-old Rihanna (left) and Hayden Panettiere, 23 (right) He added: 'More consumers seem to be . flocking back to the one-piece or even the tankini, citing comfort and . body shape as their top purchasing factors.' Not only have women apparently become more self-conscious of their bodies, but they also are increasingly fretting over the pressures of beach season. A third of respondents - 34per cent - said they planned on dieting in the lead-up to bikini season. 'More women seem to be flocking back to the one-piece or even the tankini' The study also discovered that while women may be increasingly insecure about exposing their bodies on the beach, that hasn't stopped them from buying swimwear altogether. The average amount spent on bathing suits each year was $54.79, with each woman buying an average of 2.5 new pieces of swimwear per year. Mr Pearson remarked on the study: 'What is important to mention is when picking the right option for your swimsuit, make sure you choose one that can last more than one season as otherwise you will be wasting your money.' He added that finding the right bathing suit can be difficult, but worth it: 'Choosing the right swimsuit is a bit like choosing the right suit - it can be expensive but get it right and it will last for many seasons to come, and you will look and feel your best while on vacation or at the beach.' | Fans of the one-piece include Sofia Vergara and Kim Kardashian .
Less than one-in-five said they would be wearing a bikini, while 29per cent said they would be wearing a tankini . |
169,261 | 66ffc30c725ff4e4c21cf14e52b69868e1875516 | A woman is set to scale one of the world's highest mountains for a second time after she forgot her first climb because of altitude-related amnesia. Doreen Cree first reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2012 but suffered altitude sickness during the entire expedition. The 53-year-old reached the summit of Africa's highest peak but had to be escorted down by a doctor and the illness caused her memory to black out. Doreen Cree first reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2012 but suffered altitude sickness during the entire expedition. She is pictured on her first ascent . Doreen Cree (pictured) reached the summit of Africa's highest peak but had to be escorted down by a doctor and the illness caused her memory to black out . It left the office worker with a five-hour gap in her memory including the moment - she was later told by fellow climbers - she watched the sunrise from the almost 20,000ft-high peak. She has a series of photographs of her taken at the top but cannot remember ever being on the climb - where she raised money for Alzheimer's Disease. But she is now determined to get the memories back - by climbing the mountain a second time. Ms Cree - known as Dee - of Hillingdon, west London, said: 'I was suffering quite badly with altitude sickness during the climb. 'My face swelled up and I looked almost unrecognisable. The last thing I can remember is five or six hours after the summit when we were climbing down. The condition left Doreen Cree (right) with a five-hour gap in her memory including the moment she watched the sunrise from the almost 20,000ft-high peak . 'The doctor said I'd get my memories of that particular six hours back, but they never came. And now I've got to do it all over again.' During the first climb Ms Cree and her group of sixteen others camped only a couple of hours away from the peak and raised around £65,000 for The Alzheimer's Society. She cannot remember the last remaining stretch of the climb but can just about recall being at Stella Point - 200m from the top. Ms Cree has now jumped at the chance to be part of a 35-strong team attempting to climb the mountain in January, once again for The Alzheimer's Society. She said: 'I suppose it's a bit ironic that I'm climbing to raise money for Alzheimer's but I cannot remember doing it. Ms Cree (pictured) has now jumped at the chance to be part of a 35-strong team attempting to climb the mountain in January, once again for The Alzheimer's Society . 'I love doing things for charity, and I wanted to raise money after the sudden death of my mum at Christmas in 2010. 'I never got to say goodbye, so I wanted to go somewhere high enough to say goodbye to her properly. 'I must have done that when I got to the top, but since I can't remember, I want to do it all over again.' Best friend Sue Cree, 62, hopes her friend will be able to remember the experience this time around. She said: 'Dee is the strongest person I know, we're like sisters. On the first day her knee went, but she strapped it up and carried on. That's the type of woman she is. Ms Cree (right) cannot remember the last remaining stretch of the climb but can just about recall being at Stella Point - 200m from the top . 'And to do all that and go all that way to not remember the final bit, the thing that kept her going up the mountain, is just too cruel. 'That's why she's doing it again. I've got nothing but admiration for her.' Memory loss is a common symptom of acute mountain sickness, caused by the body struggling to cope with a lack of oxygen at high altitude. The potentially fatal syndrome can occur at altitudes above 5000ft. Climbers usually spend time adjusting to the high altitude at a specialist camp to prevent the condition. | Doreen Cree first reached the peak in 2011 but suffered altitude sickness .
Office worker had altitude-related amnesia and cannot remember the trek .
It caused a five-hour gap in her memory including reaching 20,000ft peak .
She is set to climb mountain again as part of a 35-strong team next year .
The office worker has raised thousands of pounds for Alzheimer's Society . |
111,669 | 1c008b8b64d356b532b68ff66715e7704345ad92 | Hull City have splashed over £5million on the double signing of Harry Maguire from Sheffield United and Dundee United's Andy Robertson. Sheffield United were reluctant to cash in on Maguire, however they chose to accept Hull's offer on Monday after initially refusing to do business with the Premier League outfit. Scotland left-back Robertson has also agreed a deal to sign for Hull. All smiles: Harry Maguire and Andy Roberton have signed on the dotted line at Hull City . Wanted: Sheffield United's Harry Maguire has decided to join Hull . Dundee United accepted Hull's bid for the 20-year-old last week and the player held talks with the Barclays Premier League to see if the move was right for his development. A deal has now been done to continue Robertson's meteoric rise following his move from amateur side Queen's Park to Tannadice last summer. United manager Jackie McNamara earlier revealed that the deal, reported to be worth £3million, would see 21-year-old Hull left-back Conor Townsend move to Tannadice on a season-long loan. In a bizarre chain of events, the Sky Bet League One club released a statement saying they had accepted an offer from their Yorkshire rivals, only for Hull to claim they had withdrawn interest after their final bid was rejected. A club statement from Hull said: ‘Sheffield United rejected an offer from the Club five days (Wednesday) ago for defender Harry Maguire. This was the Club’s final offer and we have since entered into discussions with other transfer targets. ‘In light . of Sheffield United’s statement this morning the board will meet with . manager Steve Bruce this afternoon to determine whether we now wish to . pursue the transfer after the South Yorkshire club’s apparent U-turn.’ Busy man: Steve Bruce has brought in five new faces so far this summer . Earlier on . Monday morning The Blades’ managing director Mal Brannigan told the . club’s website: ‘We made it clear that we wanted Harry to stay by . offering him a new contract at the end of last season, unfortunately he . and his representatives chose a different path. ‘However, . as he is under contract at Bramall Lane, we exercised our right to set . our own valuation of him and after numerous bids which did not meet our . expectations, Hull City increased their offer and we have reluctantly . accepted. ‘As we . have previously stated, Sheffield United are not under pressure to sell . our players but on this occasion it was deemed the best for all parties . and now we move on with the aim of assisting Nigel Clough to strengthen . his squad.’ | Harry Maguire has left Sheffield United to join Hull for £2.5million .
Andy Roberton has sealed a move to the KC Stadium from Dundee United .
Hull boss Steve Bruce has signed five players so far this summer . |
96,855 | 08a3bcc04bb3dabe3a91ae4d02ce598ac45ebe0a | By . Neil Sears . PUBLISHED: . 14:47 EST, 26 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:36 EST, 26 March 2013 . If you have six different jobs, one office romance and are late 154 times, you’re the typical British worker. Mr or Miss Average also takes 125 days off sick and goes through ten job interviews before retirement. We also drink 32,396 cups of tea or coffee at our desks and get eight sizable pay rises. Stress: 2,000 British workers were polled in the study which found that the average employee will take 125 days off sick from work and have 875 arguments with other colleagues . Surprisingly, a survey of 2,000 . employees also found we only grumble about the boss 623 times over four . decades – or around 14 times a year. Although we have one office romance, we apparently have just three major bust-ups with our colleagues. The unpredictable economic climate also means the average worker will endure at least one period of unemployment or redundancy. He or she is likely to have at least one period during their working life where doctors will sign them off with stress. Number of different jobs - 6 . Number of companies worked at - 6 . Pay rises - 12 . Major bust ups / arguments - 3 . Small disagreements / grumbles - 875 . Office romances - 1 . Cups of tea / coffee - 45,500 . Sick days - 125 . Late for work - 188 . Periods of unemployment - 1 . Job interviews - 10 . Periods of serious financial worries - 2 . Redundancy - 1 . Periods of stress - 3 . Relationship strain due to long hours - 2 . Signed off work with stress - 1 . Financial stability is a big concern . for many adults, despite an average starting wage of £10,983.50, people . still struggle to cope with the rising cost of living. Most will work their way through two long periods of financial worry before seeing light at the end of the tunnel. For 34 per cent of the population, this means finding a second job to make ends meet. Four in ten admit the demands of their . job have had a negative impact on family life and relationships – with . the average worker going through a rough patch with their partner at . least twice. One third of those polled admitted . they sometimes lose the balance between their work and personal life, . letting long hours take over. And for 29 per cent, the stress of work and the impact it has had on their personal life has led to them seeking medical help. The survey was commissioned by . healthcare provider Benenden Health. Spokesman Paul Keenan said: ‘We . hear how UK workers are working longer and harder than ever before but . this health check of the average adult’s working life confirms what we . feared. Within an average career span, you’re . likely to find reasons to grumble 14 times a year yet will only change . jobs once a decade – perhaps because the grass isn’t necessarily greener . on the other side. ‘Heavy workloads and disagreements . with colleagues can all take a heavy toll on our well-being and many of . us are seeing this spill over into our home lives. ‘This is coupled with the ongoing threat of redundancy whilst the UK economy struggles to get back on track.’ Engineering workers will have the most . pay rises over the course of their career, getting ten boosts to their . salary over their working lifetime. Those in hospitality have the least . amount of pay rises getting just five. The culture and sport sector were . also found to be the most likely to have an office romance as well as . take more sick days than any other industry. Mr Keenan added: ‘There are small . positives – for example, those losing control of a work-life balance is . still in the minority. ‘But with over a third of people needing to find second jobs, maintaining this balance will become a losing battle.’ | Study polled 2,000 British workers about their jobs .
Average employee will have 875 arguments about other colleagues .
34 per cent of people will find a second job to make ends meet .
The modern British worker is now likely to have at least one period in their career when they will be signed off from stress . |
82,602 | ea3483b1ef31c25950ac34ca48a71240837b78b1 | Under court order, the Justice Department turned over nearly 65,000 pages of documents Monday night pertaining to the botched Fast and Furious gun operation. For years, these documents have been at the center of a dispute between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans, who demanded the documents back in 2011 as part of the investigation into the case. The documents were previously withheld under the administration's claim of executive privilege. They portray the behind-the-scenes effort at the Justice Department to respond to the beginnings of the scandal over a flawed operation run by agents from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecutors in the Phoenix U.S. Attorney's Office. Suspected gun traffickers were allowed to buy thousands of weapons, many of which turned up at violent drug cartel crime scenes in the United States and Mexico. The operation was exposed when a U.S. border agent was killed in a shootout near the Arizona-Mexico border and two firearms tied to Fast and Furious suspects were recovered at the scene. Want to know more about Fast and Furious? Get the fast facts . At first, the Justice Department incorrectly said that the ATF always tried to stop weapons from being trafficked. After months of revelations from whistleblowers, the Justice Department acknowledged the scope of Fast and Furious, and the scandal badly damaged Attorney General Eric Holder's standing. He became the first sitting Cabinet member to be held in contempt of Congress. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee, said the documents turned over don't satisfy a lawsuit he spearheaded seeking materials. Issa said in a statement: "When Eric Holder wants to know why he was the first Attorney General held in criminal contempt of Congress, he can read the judge's order that compelled the production of 64,280 pages that he and President Obama illegitimately and illegally withheld from Congress. "Since these pages still do not represent the entire universe of the documents the House of Representatives is seeking related to the Justice Department's cover-up of the botched gun-walking scandal that contributed to the death of a Border Patrol agent, our court case will continue. "I am deeply concerned that some redactions to these documents may still be inappropriate and contrary to the judge's order in the case. This production is nonetheless a victory for the legislative branch, a victory for transparency, and a victory for efforts to check executive branch power. "As the production is extensive and may contain sensitive information, our investigative staff will be carefully examining the documents." The documents weren't publicly released. But CNN reviewed a handful of the documents, which portray Holder frustrated as he tries to manage a controversy spiraling out of his control. In one April 2011 email exchange, he cautions aides against moving too forcefully to help block an Issa subpoena of a gun dealer who was helping law enforcement in an investigation. Holder lashed out: "Issa and his idiot cronies never gave a damn about this when all that was happening was that thousands of Mexicans were being killed with guns from our country. All they want to do -- in reality -- is cripple ATF and suck up to the gun lobby. Politics at its worst." The remark was a harbinger of a worsening relationship between Holder and Issa, which became public in bitter confrontations during congressional hearings. Brian Fallon, a Justice Department spokesman, said, "We have long been willing to provide many of these materials voluntarily in order to resolve this matter outside of court, and believe that producing them now should bring us a big step closer to concluding this litigation once and for all." The official said the documents provided Monday don't contradict what the Justice Department has said about the Fast and Furious operation and support an inspector general's finding that Holder didn't know about Fast and Furious before the controversy erupted. | Justice Department turned over nearly 65,000 pages of documents on Fast and Furious .
That's the botched ATF operation that was to track illegal gun sales to Mexican cartels .
Republicans have been seeking these documents since 2011 .
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, says he's not satisfied with what's been turned over . |
286,332 | ff04a921e5aa8d6150c2c71adf0e33d3f47cf7e5 | By . Suzannah Hills . The first ever gold coin to be struck in the U.S. more than 225 years ago is expected to fetch at least $5 million at auction. The gold doubloon was struck in 1787 and was the fledgling country's first ever coin intended for circulation in America's emerging colonies. Prior to its launch, settlers used foreign copper and silver coins they had brought with them or coins they had forged themselves. But only a handful of the gold doubloons were ever made and just seven exist worldwide today.The coin is estimated to sell for at least $5million when it goes under the hammer. Going under the hammer: This gold doubloon struck in 1787 is expected to sell for five million at auction . But experts believe it could fetch far more, beating the $7.6 million dollars paid for a $20 coin from 1933 called a Double Eagle, making it the second most expensive coin in the world. It could potentially even rival the $10 million world record set in January 2013 by the sale of a 1794 one dollar coin. The gold doubloon contains 26.66 grams of gold - slightly less than an ounce - and was worth $16 at the time, around $400 today. It was struck by New York goldsmith Ephraim Brasher, a neighbour to George Washington, and is being auctioned on behalf of coin expert Walter Perschke who bought it in 1979 for $430,000. On one side it features the Great Seal of the United States - an eagle holding an olive branch in its talons - and the motto 'e pluribus unum' meaning 'out of many, one'. On the reverse is a sunrise over a mountain with the words 'Nova Eboraca Columbia excelsior'. Columbia was an early name for the United Sates, Nova Eboraca is Latin for New York and excelsior - 'even higher' - was its motto. Worth more than its weight in gold: The coin contains 26.66 grams of gold which was worth $16 when it was made but is now worth $400 . Mark Borckardt, an expert in currency from Heritage Auctions, said: 'The Brasher Doubloon is a wonderful piece with an incredible history. 'It is one of the most famous coins in existence and among the most valuable too. 'What makes it so special is that it was the first gold coin ever to be struck in the USA. 'At the time the coins used by the fledgling colonies were either foreign ones they had brought with them or copper and silver coins they produced themselves. 'There were no gold coins and that was something Congress wanted to rectify. Top dollar: A Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, believed to have been the first silver dollar struck by the United States Mint, sold for slightly more than $10 million at a New York auction last January . 'Ephraim Brasher, a goldsmith in New York City and a neighbour of George Washington, produced a small number of gold coins called doubloons worth 16 dollars face value. 'Only seven now survive, two of which are in museums, and of the remaining five this one is the finest example - it is like new. 'The seller is a prominent coin dealer who bought the doubloon the last time it came up for sale in 1979 and has treasured it ever since. 'It will be many years before a coin like this comes up for sale again and we expect the auction to be a momentous event.' The auction will take place in Orlando, Florida, tomorrow. | The coin was struck in 1787 by New York goldsmith Ephraim Brasher .
It contains 26.66 grams of gold - worth $16 at the time and $400 today .
Experts predict it could sell for far more than its estimated auction price .
A 1794 one dollar coin sold for $10million in 2013 holds the current record . |
113,634 | 1ea024ebc759fef2de7338255b51f186d33d0db7 | Twitter responded Saturday to a backlash in the United Kingdom sparked by recent online threats against women by announcing it had revised its rules on abusive behavior. "It comes down to this: people deserve to feel safe on Twitter," says a statement posted by Twitter's UK boss Tony Wang and Del Harvey, senior director for trust and safety. The social network's announcement comes in the wake of rape threats made via Twitter against feminist Caroline Criado-Perez and Labour Party politician Stella Creasy, and bomb threats made to a number of women journalists. The women's treatment at the hands of Internet "trolls" has prompted outcry and fueled a wider debate over whether Twitter does enough to protect its users from ugly abuse. More than 120,000 people put their name to an online petition set up on Change.org calling for Twitter to add a "report abuse" button to tweets in the space of a week. "Abuse on Twitter is common; sadly too common. And it frequently goes ignored," the petition states. Twitter said Saturday an "in-tweet" report abuse button had been introduced in the latest version of its app on Apple devices, and that from next month the button will also be available in its Android app and on Twitter.com. This means users won't have to go to Twitter's help page to file an abuse report. "We have updated the Twitter Rules to clarify that we do not tolerate abusive behaviour," the statement said. "We want people to feel safe on Twitter, and we want the Twitter Rules to send a clear message to anyone who thought that such behaviour was, or could ever be, acceptable." Wang also tweeted an apology to the women who have been targeted by abuse in recent days. "I personally apologize to the women who have experienced abuse on Twitter and for what they have gone through," he said. "The abuse they've received is simply not acceptable. It's not acceptable in the real world, and it's not acceptable on Twitter." The company is adding extra staff to the teams that handle abuse reports and will be exploring new technology to boost protection for users, it said. Twitter's new pressure to limit hate speech . Arrests made over threats . A national cybercrime unit is now investigating allegations made by eight people that they have been subject to harassment, malicious communication or bomb threats, according to a police statement Friday. Two men were arrested in the past week in connection with the rape threats made against Criado-Perez and Creasy. Criado-Perez attracted the attention of Internet "trolls" by petitioning to have women displayed on British banknotes. The feminist champion and freelance journalist, whose campaign resulted in the Bank of England agreeing to picture "Pride and Prejudice" author Jane Austen on every 10-pound bill, tweeted throughout the abuse: "I actually can't keep up with the screen-capping & reporting -- rape threats thick and fast now." Creasy, who represents an east London constituency in Parliament, became the target of online rape threats after she spoke out in support of Criado-Perez. Newspaper columnists Hadley Freeman, of The Guardian, and Grace Dent, of The Independent, received a bomb threat via Twitter on Wednesday, as did Time magazine's Europe editor, Catherine Mayer, and Emma Barnett, women's editor for The Telegraph newspaper. | Twitter updates its rules on abusive behavior following a backlash in Britain .
"It comes down to this: people deserve to feel safe on Twitter," says the firm's UK boss .
Twitter is introducing "in-tweet" report abuse button to make it easier for victims to get help .
A series of threats against women prompted a public campaign for Twitter to do more . |
244,303 | c82c4eb506d3af30d2fd98eaadc95b2cc1763148 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 13:58 EST, 26 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:10 EST, 27 March 2013 . For some of even the most experienced drivers, parallel parking might not be the easiest manoeuvre. And the pressure of being watched by other drivers can make it even worse. But imagine having to pull of a high-speed parking move, using only the handbrake and the streeting wheel, to skid into a space with just five inches to spare - or 13.1cm - a gap shorter than the length of an average pencil. However, driven on by brotherly competition, Alastair and John Moffatt, from Gloucester, managed to do exactly that when they beat the tightest parallel parking world record. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Attempt: John Moffat was the first to break the world record, which saw him speed up to the space in the Mini Mayfair . Stunt: He then had to use only his handbrake and steering wheel to skid into the space . Tight fit: The space was just five inches bigger than the car itself . Easy does it: John appears to have got it just right as he begins to bring the manoeuvre to an end . The brothers used their amazing accuracy and driving skills to beat the previous world record, held by Ronny Wechselberger, which measured in at 14cm. Driving vintage Mini Mayfairs, each of the brothers attempted the stunt, watched on by the cameras and adjudicators. They had to skid the car into the space in one go, without touching either of the other vehicles or a white mark which outlined what would normally be the pavement. John, 31, was the first to break the record. He told This Is Gloucestershire: 'When I broke the world record I was in shock.' Alastair, his elder brother by two years, then matched the feat, once again after a number of attempts. How close? The car just about manages to squeeze into the gap . Success: The car appears to be perfectly in place . Judgement: The adjudicators have to assess whether all of the rules have been adhered to . Nervous wait: John waits with his hands over his mouth as the judges decide on whether the record has been broken . New world record: The judges make their decision and John takes the record . He said: 'When I achieved it, all I felt was relief. The light was fading and I only had one or two attempts left so the pressure was on. 'The fact that we hold the world record together is great as we are very competitive with each other but John continually reminds me that he got it first.' Their challenge was filmed in December for the new CBBC show Officially Amazing which features some of the funniest, most ridiculous, scariest and Amazing record attempts from around the world. Brothers in arms: John (left) and Alastair Moffat (right) have both managed to break the world record . Brotherly competition: Alastair makes another attempt to fit the car into the same spot . Another go: As the dark begins to settle, Alastair looks as if he might have been successful this time . What a fit: Alastair also manages to skid the car into the space and share the record with his brother . VIDEO: Tight squeeze! Two brother break world record for tightest parallel park . | Brothers Alastair and John Moffat now share the world record .
The pair had to speed up to the space and skid in with a handbrake turn .
Space was 13.1cm bigger than car, beating the previous record of 14cm . |
214,741 | a2051414cff6bcb0001d1480b1bd181f1a6515e3 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 11:39 EST, 18 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:18 EST, 18 April 2013 . A mother died after attempting to save her two sons from a lethal rip-tide as they played at a holiday beach, an inquest heard today. Tragic Alison Tooby, 53, sprang into action after seeing her two sons, aged 11 and 13, getting into difficulties while body-boarding on September 3 last year. Classroom assistant Alison ran to help her stranded sons but was fatally caught in a strong current in the waves at Northcott Mouth in Bude, Cornwall. Tributes: Honeysuckle Parker-Crum, 8, Tilley, 9, and Archie, 6, lay flowers at Northcott Mouth beach where Alison Tooby died . Scene: Emergency services attempt to rescue Alison Tooby who later died after she was caught in very strong tides trying to save her two young sons . Members of the public, aided by RNLI Bude inshore lifeboat, rushed to help and rescued one boy while the other got back to shore by himself. Alison, of Taunton, Somerset, was found face down in the water and after resuscitation attempts failed she was airlifted to hospital and later pronounced dead. An inquest in Bideford, Devon, heard how the summer lifeguard cover has previously ended a day before the tragedy. In a statement, witness Rosalind Arthur, said: 'I saw a head bobbing in the waves, sometimes you could see it then the waves would obscure my view. 'I heard a scream from the woman shouting as if her life depended on it. She screamed "help me". 'I could not see her in distress but realised something terrible was happening in the sea, as this happened I saw her bobbing around 100 metres off shore. 'I then became aware of a young boy standing on the beach.' Martin Fry, lifeguard supervisor for the RNLI, attended the scene. He told the court it took him around three minutes to get to the beach in a 4x4 vehicle after he spotted the trio. Rescue attempt: Alison Tooby raced into the sea at Northcott Mouth near Bude, north Cornwall, last September as her two sons played in the water . He said: 'I saw a man bare chested in the water, I went straight in and could see two people in the water's edge 80 metres from shore clinging to a body board. 'At that stage these were my priority, so I went towards them, as I got closer I saw a lady in a black swimming costume face down in the water. 'My priority then changed to the lady, I paddled to her, pulled her from the water and turned her to face me and checked for vital signs but she was unresponsive.' Alison's partner, Mike McGuffie told the court: 'This was a tragic accident and I would like to thank everybody who helped. 'Especially the people who went into . the water to help because having listened to this today it is clear that . they were very brave to do that.' Recording a verdict of accidental . death, Coroner Tomalin said: 'Alison's partner has said she knew the . beach well and was certainly not of knowing her boys would be in danger. Verdict: A coroner today recorded a verdict of accidental death, but praised the actions of the 53-year-old . 'Tragedy is the right word to describe this incident in regards to losing her life but this could have been a lot worse of course as her children were also in danger. 'I am sure, as a parent would, she tried to help her children, in very difficult dangerous conditions. 'That is a reminder to all of us about the beaches in the south west and that we must respect the sea and take care. 'Please do accept my condolences to you, your family, your children and I thank you for coming today, I am sure it has not been easy.' Flowers: A floral tribute is laid at Northcott Mouth beach where Alison Tooby drowned after trying to save her two young sons . | Alison Tooby raced into the sea as her two sons played in water .
But she became overwhelmed by current at Northcott Mouth, Cornwall .
Coroner today recorded a verdict of accidental death . |
286,874 | ffb66344f2d5cb8c0d39b0a5ef5aeb96560de55a | By . Dan Bloom . A knife-wielding robber fashioned a disguise for himself by cutting eye holes into a carrier bag and putting it on his head. The man wore a white Londis plastic bag during the bizarre raid, which was caught on CCTV and terrified a lone female shop worker in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Police have now released footage of the incident in the hope they can track down the bag-wearing suspect. Scroll down for video . A head for disguises: A knife-wielding robber wore a white Londis plastic bag on his head during a bizarre raid . Terrifying: The man pulled a knife on the surprised shop worker and helped himself to cash from the till . The footage shows the man walking into a Day One store in Bennetts Gate, Hemel Hempstead, at 8.45am on May 9. With his eyes - and at one point his nose - poking out from gaps in the bag, he walked to the wine aisle while the shop worker was serving another customer. Once the customer had left he suddenly pulled out the knife, which appeared to be a few inches long, and demanded cash from the stunned worker. He helped himself to money from the till before dashing off, leaving the worker shocked but unhurt. So far police have been unable to find the suspect, and the incident featured last night on the BBC's Crimewatch in a bid to track him down. Conspicuous: The robber could be seen walking into the shop with eye holes cut in his plastic disguise . Waiting in line: He stood by the wine aisle before drawing the knife in the raid, which took place in May . DC Paula Mowbray, from the Local Crime . Unit at Hemel Hempstead Police Station, said: 'This was a distressing . incident for the owner of the store and we continue to make efforts to . identify this man. 'It’s an unusual choice of disguise and clearly parts of his face are still on display which is why we’re releasing this footage in the hope that someone will know who he is. 'If you believe you can identify this man please make contact as soon as possible.' Stunned CCTV viewers poked fun at the robber on the Herts Police Facebook page. Paula Thomas said: 'Shouldn’t laugh but really! What a complete muppet.' Raid: The Day One shop in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, where the robbery happened on a busy morning . Kate Cornelius added: 'Man could not . find a bag big enough to put himself in. Rubbish to be found and . discarded in the nearest prison!' And Mark Dorsett said: 'Times are desperate'. Anyone with information should contact police via the non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference number D1/14/2764, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. | Man donned Londis bag with eye holes in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire .
Female worker left shocked but unhurt after being threatened with knife .
Police appealed for witnesses over bizarre robbery on BBC's Crimewatch . |
38,704 | 6d6e0949a78ee9f533a5efa0766567a673be06ca | A grandmother has died from rabies after being turned away from the same hospital twice. Sharanjit Ubhi, 58, was bitten by her son's pet dog when she was visiting him in India. The dog gave her the fatal disease and when she went to Darent Valley Hospital, Kent, two months later, complaining of pain in her right arm, she was turned away. Mrs Ubhi had not mentioned being bitten by a dog and her observations appeared 'normal' but when she developed hydrophobia the family's GP recognised the symptoms and sent her for specialist treatment. However, it was too late and she became the first person in the UK to die from rabies for seven years. Sharanjit Ubhi initially went to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, but she did not mention a dog bite and observations showed up 'normal' The inquest at St Pancras Coroners Court ruled Mrs Ubhi died of brain and heart failure as a result of rabies infection. Giving a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: 'This was not a natural cause of death. It is quite clear this death resulted from an untoward incident, namely an injury by a dog. 'Whilst in India in March 2012 Mrs Ubhi was playing with a puppy and sustained a minor injury to her arm. But despite maximum treatment she died on May 27th, 2012, as a result of an accidental injury.' The mortality rate of rabies is almost . 100 per cent if people who are bitten do not seek help within a few . weeks of the symptoms starting to show. The . viral infection is spread by infected animals to humans most commonly . by biting or scratching. It can also be spread by animal saliva coming . into contact with a graze or cut on a human’s skin. As well as other symptoms some victims also develop hydrophobia - a fear of water. There are about 55,000 cases of rabies worldwide, but half occur in India. The . last known case of rabies in England occurred in July 2005 when a woman . from Manchester died after contracting it from a dog bite in the Indian . resort of Goa. In 2002 . David McRae became the first person to die of the disease in Britain for . 100 years after being bitten on the hand by a rabid bat in Scotland. Since 1946, 24 people have died after being infected with rabies abroad. Four of these were since 2000. Speaking after the inquest Mrs Ubhi's son Gurpreet, 29, said: 'The stigma behind rabies is that it's a big, drooling dog with bloodshot eyes that bites you. 'But this wasn't. It was a puppy so small you could pick it up in the palm of your hand. My mum wasn't even bitten, it was a nick, and when she showed it me I had to squint to see it. 'It's a tragedy what's happened to our family, but if this can highlight to Brits travelling abroad the importance of being properly vaccinated maybe something good can come out of this.' Speaking at her inquest today, her family said that the bite was so small she did not think of getting herself checked out by a doctor at the time. It was only when she suffered three days of pain in her arm while at home in Dartford, Kent, that she sought help from doctors. She was put into isolation at University College Hospital, London, but died on May 27 this year. Gurpreet Ubhi, her son, told the inquest that the family was 'totally distraught'. He said: 'What happened was a tragedy. It was very rare. My mum was a strong person. This is probably the only thing that kept my mum down. Describing what happened he . said: 'It wasn’t a bite as such. It was actually a pup which was so . small she could hold it in the palm of her hand, not a big dog as has . been depicted. She was taken to University College Hospital, London, where she was treated in isolation but died as a result of rabies . 'She was playing around with it and there was a slight nick on her arm. It was so minute it didn’t even register to her to get it checked out.' Back in England Mr Ubhi said his mother seemed fine until a week-and-a-half before she got seriously ill. 'She said she had pain in her arm. In hindsight you think I could have done so much more but at the time we still didn’t think anything of it. I told her to take a paracetamol and go to bed and said in the morning you’ll be fine,' he said. But the next day Mrs Ubhi’s symptoms had got worse and she complained of a burning sensation in her arm. Her son said: 'That’s when she actually told me what had happened in India three months ago.' A spokesman for Darent Valley Hospital said: 'We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this poor lady. The UK is rabies free. 'If a patient does present at hospital with vague symptoms a doctor is unlikely to consider rabies as a diagnosis unless the patient highlights animal contact in an at-risk country. The hospital responded to the information supplied by the patient at the time.' | Sharanjit Ubhi's bite was so small that she didn't think to get it looked at .
At hospital her observations were 'normal' and she didn't mention the bite . |
34,147 | 610470e8320c747fecbd4f3776857a6efebafcf9 | Discarded shoes and empty alcohol bottles lay on grass beside bodies . By . John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 17:41 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:18 EST, 17 July 2013 . With sunbathers dressed in bikini tops enjoying the good weather and tourists punting down the river, it looked like a pleasant summer’s afternoon in Cambridge. But as those making the most of the heat wave relaxed at the water’s edge on Jesus Green yesterday, two people lay dead on the opposite river bank. As families and tourists sat in the park by the River Cam, the bodies of a man and woman were left on the sun-scorched grass covered by orange and white blankets. As families and tourists sat in the park by the River Cam, the bodies of a man and woman were left on the sun-scorched grass covered by orange and white blankets . Police sealed off the area with blue and white tape after the man and woman, said to be in her 40s, were found collapsed shortly after midday. Two pairs of discarded shoes and empty alcohol bottles lay strewn on the grass beside them. The man and woman were declared dead at the scene and a second man was taken to the city’s Addenbrooke’s Hospital for treatment. It is believed all three had been drinking by the riverside as part of a group since the previous evening and had taken drugs, though it is not known what substance was involved. Police said there were early indications the deaths were drug-related but officers refused to rule out the searing 29C heat as a contributory factor. The deaths are not thought to be the result of overdoses. Detective Inspector Billy Bremner said: ‘We are aware that two people have died and a third was taken ill at about the same time. We are in the early stages of investigating these tragic deaths and are keeping an open mind as to the cause. Police sealed off the area with blue and white tape after the man and woman, said to be in her 40s, were found collapsed shortly after midday . ‘At this stage we can say that the three people involved are believed to have taken drugs in Cambridge shortly before becoming ill. We would urge anyone who has any information about the supply of drugs in the city to call police.’ One line of inquiry is that a contaminated batch of an illegal substance may be circulating in Cambridge, but the incident is not being linked to recent ecstasy-related deaths in Scotland. The deaths of seven young people in Scotland in the last two months are being linked to a batch of fake ecstasy tablets thought to contain toxic chemicals. An 18-year-old woman from Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, was the latest to die when she collapsed last Tuesday morning after taking a pill she believed was ecstasy. Police have warned that the suspect pills are green in colour and stamped with a Rolex crown logo, and that some have been found to contain the dangerous stimulant paramethoxyamphetamine, also known as PMA. The substance causes extremely high body temperatures, hallucinations and convulsions. Officers have also warned of a white pill with the Mitsubishi logo imprinted on it, found to contain the chemicals 5IT or AMT, and a yellow tablet with a star logo. Jesus Green, on the edge of the River Cam, is popular in summer with both residents and visitors. The river will this week play host to the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association Bumping Races. The event sees a number of crews racing at the same time on the narrow stretch of water. Rather than beginning side by side, the boats are lined up end to end, with one-and-a-half boat lengths (about 90ft) of clear water between them. | Bodies lay in the heat near the water’s edge on Jesus Green, Cambridge .
Nearby families and tourists sat in the park by the River Cam .
Discarded shoes and empty alcohol bottles lay on grass beside bodies . |
185,105 | 7bca93bf0a1fbf9f7053d3be1d8393e78cb6dd86 | Paris is on alert for a new terror attack after 'at least' five drones were spotted illegally flying around city landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Bastille Square and the U.S. embassy building. Unmanned aircraft were also spotted flying overnight near the French capital's Place de la Concorde and the Invalides military museum, where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried. French security sources where unable to catch the operators of the drones, which are typically fitted with video recording equipment and can be used for surveillance of a terror target to assess security levels and any spikes in pedestrian football ahead of a planned attack. Fear: Drones were spotted flying near the Invalides military museum, where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried . Alert: Paris is on alert for a new terror attack after 'at least' five drones were spotted illegally flying around city landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower (right) and the U.S. embassy building (left) New threat: French law bans small, civilian drones from areas such as nuclear facilities, which are protected by a no-fly zone that spans a 1.6-mile radius and a height of 1,000 metres. The above drone crashed on the grass near the White House in the United States last month . The first drone sighting was near the US embassy in the French capital at around midnight. Between then and 6am the Eiffel Tower, Bastille Square, the Place de la Concorde and the Invalides military museum 'were also flown over' , a security source said. 'It could be a coordinated action but we don't know for now,' the source, who asked not to be identified, added. 'We did everything to try and catch the operators but they were not found,' another source close to the investigation said. France has experienced a series of mysterious drone appearances in the last few months. On January 20, a pilotless aircraft briefly went over the presidential palace in Paris, while around 20 drones were earlier seen flying above nuclear power plants. However until Tuesday 'there have never been so many drones appearing in one night,' the security source said. Location: At some point between midnight and 6am, drone aircraft were spotted flying near Bastille Square . Tourist hotspot: The first drone sighting in the French capital was around midnight. Shortly after an unmanned aircraft was seen flying near the Place de la Concorde . The emergence of drones comes amid warnings by terrorist groups that they will attack the city, following January shootings which left a total of 20 dead, including three terrorists. ‘They could be seen throughout the night, but nobody knows who were operating them,’ said a police source in the capital. A specialist police aviation unit tried to establish who was at the controls, but there have been no arrests. There have been other mysterious drone flights across Paris, but this is the first time that such a concentrated number have been seen above so many potentially vulnerable targets. The US embassy has been threatened by numerous groups in the past, from Al-Qaeda to Algeria’s Armed Islamic Group. French law bans small, civilian drones from areas such as nuclear facilities, which are protected by a no-fly zone that spans a 1.6-mile radius and a height of 1,000 metres. Despite a heightened security alert over the risk of Islamist attacks in France, police so far have been unable to identify who is behind the drone activity. Experts say that the small unmanned craft would not pose a threat if crashed into a hardened nuclear facility. Fightback: Earlier this month France unveiled its latest weapon against the growing menace of rogue drones buzzing through their nation's skies: another drone, with a net . Caught: In a demonstration in La Queue-en-Brie, east of Paris, the mesh-wielding flying machine was shown snaring a DJI Phantom 2 drone - the same brand as one which crashed onto the White House lawn last month . France has barred six 'would-be jihadists' from leaving the country after discovering their plans to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State terror group. It the first such travel ban under a new law aimed at preventing French Islamic radicals travelling to the vast swathes of Syria and Iraq currently under the control of Sunni extremists. French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve says some 40 other French citizens will face travel bans in the coming weeks. He did not reveal the identity of the six people whose passports have already been confiscated. The bans are the first since a sweeping anti-terrorism law passed in France last year. The government is especially worried since attacks in Paris last month killed 20 people, including three gunmen claiming ties to Islamic extremists in Syria and Yemen. An Interior Ministry official says the passports and ID cards of the six have been declared invalid for six months - a measure that can be extended for up to two years. The news comes just days after Cazeneuve said he asked Google, Facebook and Twitter to work directly with French officials during investigations and to immediately remove terrorist propaganda when authorities alert them to it. Earlier this month France unveiled its latest weapon against the growing menace of rogue drones buzzing through their nation's skies: another drone, with a net. In a demonstration flight in La Queue-en-Brie, east of Paris, the mesh-wielding flying machine was shown snaring a DJI Phantom 2 drone - the same brand as one which crashed onto the White House lawn last month. The U.S. Secret Service was sent scrambling by the unexpected intrusion, but France has already faced dozens of drone overflights over sensitive sites. Mystery drones have buzzed nuclear plants, military installations and even the presidential palace in recent months, as fears run high of terror attacks linked to the Islamic State terror group. Concerned at the new technology, officials have asked scientists and companies to develop ways to monitor and detect intruding drones and their remote-control pilots; analyse and track their flight paths; and ultimately neutralise the drones, either temporarily or permanently, with the least collateral damage possible. Last October it emerged that holidaymakers who are planning to fly a camera-equipped drone in Paris’ tourist zones risk spending time in jail and being slapped with a hefty fine. An Israeli tourist found out the hard way this week when he was arrested in front of Notre Dame Cathedral while flying a drone above some of Paris’ top attractions. | Unmanned aircraft were seen flying over tourist hotspots in French capital .
Appeared in 'at least' five locations in the city between midnight and 6am .
Security officials were unable to catch the operators of the drone aircraft .
Civilian drones are thought a serious security risk and are banned in Paris .
They are used to access security levels of a target before a terror attack . |
142,148 | 43d014f79a91478606cb7f2a26c018787e483e9a | Kristine Hewlett was flung from nine-year-old mare Cher (pictured) in November and suffered a spinal fracture but she has vowed to ride again . A horse rider has vowed to get back in the saddle despite breaking her spine twice in two years after being thrown from the same mare. Kristine Hewlett, 25, fell off her nine-year-old Cher, when the animal bucked during a riding lesson. She was airlifted to hospital on November 30 where it was confirmed she had suffered a L1 fracture of the spine - a similar injury she had suffered after falling off Cher in 2011. It is the second time she has suffered serious injuries when she took Cher out for a ride. The 16.2 hand horse, a thorough-bred cross Cleveland Bay, is looked after at the White Horse Equine Centre, near Daventry, Northants. Kristine, who lives with her parents near the equine centre, said: 'We were doing some work without the stirrups and my horse went into canter and I panicked, which made her panic and we ended up doing, quite literally, the wall of death. 'I was pretty badly winded. I lay there for a couple of minutes and tried to get up but I couldn’t. 'We phoned for an ambulance but we were then called back to ask if there was a field for the air ambulance to land in. 'I think most people would rather not be strapped down on a board and flown to hospital. 'Since my first accident I have had to ride slightly differently and I am heavy on my right side so my balance isn’t as good. 'I could feel I was going to fall off and we were going flat out so probably travelling at about 25mph. 'Onlookers said I landed on my head and then flipped over and was then in heap. 'I was conscious so I remember it. I thought I had done my pelvis so I was just really nervous not knowing what injuries I had. I had so much adrenaline I don’t think the pain set in at first. Kristine, pictured riding Cher, had to be airlifted to hospital after the 25mph fall . Kristine, pictured on the day of the accident, said she will get back in the saddle but will not ride Cher again after breaking her back twice in separate falls in two years . 'My hat was in pieces so it really shows how important it is to wear a hat while riding. 'I just remember thinking I have got to get up, this can’t be happening again but my body just wouldn’t move. 'I won’t be riding Cher again which is sad but a friend of mine will be looking after her.' Kristine returned home from hospital on December 2 and now needs to remain flat for 22 hours a day for six weeks to help her fracture recover. She first broke her spine on July 27, 2011 when Cher, who weighs 70 stone, rolled on top of her before standing on her leg. The graphic designer spent eight months undergoing intense physiotherapy before she recovered enough to carry on riding. But despite her second scare she has vowed to carry on riding. She said: 'I have thought long and hard about my future but I love horses and I want to carry on taking lessons.' The equine centre declined to comment about Kristine’s accident. | Kristine Hewlett flung from horse Cher suffering L1 spinal fracture .
Airlifted to hospital and now has to lie flat for 22 hours a day for six weeks .
Comes two years after Cher rolled over her and stood on her leg .
Kristine said she will get back in the saddle but will not ride Cher again . |
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