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169,328 | 671797159894ae53453403eaf407286c2d5b3f2a | By . Jason Groves and Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 18:41 EST, 8 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:01 EST, 9 April 2013 . Pledge: David Cameron has previously said he would introduce a charge to halt the rise in plastic bag use but has so far failed to act . David Cameron was under mounting pressure to curb the use of plastic bags in England last night as Northern Ireland became the latest part of the UK to introduce charging. The Prime Minister pledged two years ago to take action to halt the ‘unacceptable’ rise in plastic bag use, but has so far failed to act. The pressure on Mr Cameron to meet his pledge was ramped up further last night as supermarket giant Waitrose indicated it backed charging for bags. At least one of the ‘big four’ supermarkets has also told the Daily Mail it supports the proposal and argues it is time for the Government to bring in a compulsory scheme. Leading clean-up campaigners have blasted the Prime Minister and called for the introduction of a charge that would both remove billions of bags and raise money for good causes. Some six billion bags were handed out at tills by major stores in England alone last year, a figure that has risen for two years in a row. Wales introduced a 5p charge with all-party support in October 2011, which led to a reduction of some 90 per cent in the number given out at tills. Northern Ireland introduced a 5p levy yesterday and the Scottish government is expected to follow suit next year. The ruling SNP has a manifesto commitment to ‘seek to phase out free plastic bags in supermarkets’. That leaves only England where the Westminster government has failed to act, despite repeated promises from both Mr Cameron and Nick Clegg. Julian Kirby, of Friends of the Earth, said: ‘The levy in Northern Ireland will make a huge amount of difference to the amount of harmful plastic bags in trees, eaten by animals and blown into our seas. ‘England is not only behind Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland but behind states in the US and other countries in Europe who have done this.’ Leaders from Keep Britain Tidy, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage met Environment Minister Lord de Mauley last week. However, they were given the brush off when he promised no action beyond monitoring how schemes work in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The coalition of green groups wants England to join the rest of the UK and introduce a 5p charge by the end of next year. Block: The move to introduce a charge is reportedly being stopped by Owen Paterson, pictured, and Chancellor George Osborne . Spokesman Dr Sue Kinsey said: ‘The Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs appears to be saying that the people couldn’t afford a charge or retailers wouldn’t cope – but we know from the Welsh experience this just isn’t true.’ Two of Britain’s cheapest and fastest growing supermarket chains are Aldi and Lidl, both of which charge customers for bags. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Boots and WH Smith have coped with the 5p bag charge in Wales without any drama. Waitrose makes clear to shoppers on its website that it fully supports the 5p charge introduced in Wales, saying the legislation fits with its philosophy to cut down on waste and litter. A spokesman, however, declined to say when it would like a 5p charge to be introduced in England. Retailers are reluctant to introduce a fee on a voluntary basis, fearing it will give rivals a commercial edge. Consequently, they want a national scheme. Many Conservative MPs and councillors support charging as do the Lib Dems and Labour. However the measure is apparently being blocked by Chancellor George Osborne and Environment Secretary Owen Paterson because of fears about the impact on the cost of living. Marks & Spencer has led the way on bag charging. It introduced a 5p fee in 2008 at the same time as the Daily Mail launched its Banish the Bags campaign. Since then, it has cut the number of bags issued by 78 per cent and raised more than £4million for charity. A Defra spokesperson said: 'We want to work with retailers to help them lift their game to cut the number of bags they hand out. 'We are monitoring the results of the charging scheme in Wales and the outcome of the Scottish consultation on a charge so that we can make a fully informed decision.' | Pressure mounts as Waitrose indicates it backs charging for bags .
England is only one of home nations without a charge . |
214,848 | a225d0baab5c757b740130b3b09f85d0e1c2951a | (CNN) -- Beijing police have significantly stepped up security measures in China's capital, in what the country's state media described as "an escalation of anti-terror efforts" following a string of attacks. Beijing has deployed more than 1,300 armed police officers and 150 patrol vehicles throughout the city at major intersections, according to Xinhua, China's state-run news agency. Each armed vehicle, comprised of nine police members and four assistants, are expected to cover a three-kilometer (1.86 mile) radius and respond to any incident within three minutes. The presence of these armed vehicles were called a "deterrent to terrorists," according to Xinhua. Such visible measures come as China reels from several bloody bomb and knife attacks in rail stations over the past few months. Reaction to attacks . Separate incidents, in Kunming in March, where 29 were killed and 130 injured in knife attacks, as well as in Urumqi -- where three were killed and 79 hurt -- at the end of April and in the southern city of Guangzhou a few days later, with a further six injured, have highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Last year in October Tiananmen Square, Beijing's iconic tourist destination, was the site of another alleged terrorist attack, when two Uyghurs crashed a jeep in the Square. Five were killed and dozens injured in the incident. China's Minister of Public Security, Guo Shengkun, recently advocated hardline tactics against potential terror attacks. "We should keep the pressure on and dare to strike heavy blows... and firmly foil such plans before they become realities," the minister was quoted in the state-run People's Daily newspaper. Separatists from the Uyghur minority group have been blamed for the attacks, which are classed as acts of terrorism by authorities. Many Uyghurs, most of whom live in the far-western province of Xinjiang, decry Beijing's influence and the creep of ethnic Han culture into their lives. Separatists want the creation of an independent state called East Turkestan. The central government say that they have done much to improve the lives of those in the remote region. Q&A: China's restive far west . Tiananmen connection? The international media has been reporting on the high-profile crackdown in Beijing as the 25th anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square approaches. The connection was not highlighted by Chinese media, as mentions of the incident have been scrubbed. Several activists, including the prominent humans-rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, have been detained ahead of the anniversary, which takes place on June 4. China's porous borders . Meanwhile, China's minister of national defense has highlighted the country's borders with Myanmar, Laos and Thailand as a weak point in the fight against violent Uyghur separatism. "(We must) strictly control the border and, according to law, crack down on violent terrorism, drug manufacturing and trafficking and other criminal activities," Chang Wanquan said on the ministry's website. The state-run newspaper Global Times reported that last month, security checks were lacking at key transport hubs and that passengers had been carrying "caged livestock, hammers and knives" when they boarded Shanghai's subway. | 150 police vehicles, 1,350 armed officers to be deployed on capital's streets .
Officials say deployment is measure to protect citizens against possible terror attacks .
Significant stepping up of security comes ahead of 25th anniversary of June 4th crackdown on Tiananmen Square .
Defense minister says that southern borders need to be better protected to prevent terrorism . |
226,366 | b11c160fb49346c1f35b0a64031392fffe8f019a | (CNN) -- Penn State University will be hit with fines in excess of $30 million as part of "significant, unprecedented penalties" expected to be announced Monday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a source familiar with the case told CNN on Sunday. While the school's football program will not face the so-called "death penalty" that would have prevented the team from playing in the fall, the school might have preferred a one-year suspension because of the severity of the scholarship losses, postseason sanctions and other penalties, the source said. "If I were Penn State or any other school and were given both options, I'd pick the death penalty," the source said, adding the range of sanctions "is well beyond what has been done in the past" and "far worse than closing the program for a year." The expected punishment is part of the continued fallout from the child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted in late June of 45 of the 48 counts he faced involving 10 young victims. The news came the same day the statue of Penn State's iconic head football coach Joe Paterno was removed from outside the campus stadium. iReporter: This is an end of an era . The NCAA's punishments follow an independent investigation led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, whose report held four top Penn State officials, including Paterno, responsible for failing to stop the abuse. Everything the NCAA "needed to know was detailed in the Freeh report," according to the source. Monday in Indianapolis, the NCAA plans a press conference "to announce NCAA corrective and punitive measures for the Pennsylvania State University," it said in a statement. The NCAA last imposed the so-called "death penalty" to a football team in 1987 against Southern Methodist University's program in the wake of a payments-to-athletes scandal. The source says the sanctions "will really paint a picture that essentially says that leadership failure and systemic failures can't be tolerated." NCAA President Mark Emmert wrote a letter to Penn State President Rodney Erickson in November that included four questions he wanted the university to answer. According to the source, the NCAA felt the questions were answered by the Freeh report and therefore it could act before the university responded. The source wasn't sure if the university has been made aware of the penalties yet but says the university was not involved in the decision. It was "not a negotiated process," the source said. While not divulging specifics, the source said, "The penalties go well beyond the loss of a scholarship or not being able to go to a bowl game." The source also said the plan includes provisions to provide "leeway" and "minimize the impact" on current players who had nothing to do with the Sandusky scandal. Photos: Final tributes, Paterno statue removed . Also Sunday, in State College, Pennsylvania, the 900-pound bronze statue of Paterno was removed. Penn State President Rodney Erickson said in a statement the statue is being stored in a "secure location." The statue was removed exactly six months after Paterno, the winningest coach in Division I football history, died of lung cancer. Paterno had coached at Penn State for 61 years, 15 of them as an assistant. He died less than three months after he coached his last game, an October 29 victory over Illinois that gave him a record 409 wins. Under Paterno's 46-season tenure as head coach, the Nittany Lions won two national championships, went undefeated five times, and finished in the top 25 national rankings 35 times. The tribute to the coach, who died in January, had become an object of contention after the child rape scandal involving Sandusky. However, Paterno's family said they believe taking down the statue serves no purpose. "Tearing down the statue of Joe Paterno does not serve the victims of Jerry Sandusky's horrible crimes or help heal the Penn State community. We believe the only way to help the victims is to uncover the full truth," the family said in a statement. "It is not the university's responsibility to defend or protect Joe Paterno. But they at least should have acknowledged that important legal cases are still pending and that the record on Joe Paterno, the board and other key players is far from complete," it added. Dan Vecellio, a staff writer for the blog Black Shoe Diaries, said there were about 100 people who watched the statue taken down, put on a forklift and driven into the stadium through a loading-dock door. Penn State board member resigns over Sandusky scandal . The Freeh report found several Penn State officials concealed evidence that Sandusky had sexually abused minors. Freeh concluded that Paterno could have prevented further sexual abuse had he taken action. "I now believe that, contrary to its original intention, coach Paterno's statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our university and beyond," Erickson said. "I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse," he added. Sunday, Penn State employees began placing fencing around the statue, as well as a tarp. Local and university police were at the scene, and some students gathered near the football field, Beaver Stadium. Airborne banner: Take down Paterno statue . Another tribute to Paterno -- the university library that bears his name -- will remain as it is, Erickson said. "The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno's commitment to Penn State's student body and academic success, and it highlights the positive impacts coach Paterno had on the university," he wrote. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called Paterno "a powerful man who acted selfishly" who "deserves no public honors whatsoever." "We're glad the statue is gone but that's just a tiny step forward," SNAP spokesman David Clohessy said in a statement. "We as a society must learn that a good way to deter child sex cover-ups is to punish, not praise, those who instigate such cover-ups." NCAA not ruling out tough sanctions on Penn State football . Sandusky is expected to be sentenced in September. His legal team has said it will appeal the convictions. Two former university administrators are awaiting trial for their role in the scandal, and more charges are possible as the state's attorney general investigates what Penn State may have known about Sandusky's behavior. Opinion: Why the Paterno statue needs to stay . Sculptor of Joe Paterno statue questions fate of his work . Photos: Paterno through the years . | Source: The Penn State sanctions are "well beyond" past penalties .
Source: NCAA will not suspend team, though school may have preferred that .
Statue of Joe Paterno taken down from outside stadium .
Family of late coach says "tearing down" statue will not help victims, community . |
219,041 | a781d633ee8f94933c6348219a509284e1553708 | For many people, a pet can be their most loyal companion - a trusted soul-mate with whom they experience the highs and lows of life. Now, photographer Elena Shumilova has captured the inseparable bond that exists between pets and their owners in a heart-warming selection of pictures. They capture children and their pets at various moments in every-day life in Moscow and Andreapol, Russia. Children are pictured playfully chasing their pets in a woodland, gazing out of a frosty, steamed up window before bed and finally snuggling up with their pets as they doze off. Scroll down for video . Photographer Elena Shumilova captures a young boy gazing out on to a lake with his arm wrapped around his pet dog . A young boy rests his head against his loyal companion as they snuggle up together on a cosy rug . A boy and his cat collect leaves in one of the pictures taken by Ms Shumilova to demonstrate the unique bond between pets and owners . A young girl is chased by her dog as she charges through a woodland - the photographer said 'pets are members of our family' The photographer shows the moving moment a girl cuddles her cat - the pictures were taken in Moscow and Andreapol, in Russia . The pictures are taken by Elena Shumilova, a mother-of-two. She said: 'I felt so inspired when I was creating these images. Pets are members of our family and there's nothing more natural and more important than the desire to care for someone you love. 'The children in the photos are from Moscow and Andreapol, and they are photographed with their own pets.' She added: 'Children and animals - that's my life. 'I am mum to two boys and we spend a lot of time on the farm. I shoot my boys, my dog, rabbits, ducks and sometimes my friends and their children. 'And I always photograph my kids and friends when we go for a walk.' A girl shelters under the lashing rain on a rock with her spaniel and cat also jostling for a dry spot under her umbrella . A boy and his cat create drawings on a misty window in the selection of pictures that show the powerful bond owners have with their pets . A child drifts off to sleep while cuddling her puppy - the photographer said she felt 'inspired' while capturing the moving moments . Rural settings, natural phenomena and the changing seasons seem to be the greatest stimuli in her works. 'When shooting I prefer to use natural light – both inside and outside. I love all sorts of light conditions – street lights, candle light, fog, smoke, rain and snow – everything that gives visual and emotional depth to the image,' the photographer said. The work was commissioned by Petcurean Pet Nutrition. Jaimie Turkington, from Petcurean, said: 'The images Elena has contributed to our Nourish for Life campaign fully express the depth of the human and pet bond in a way that words alone never could. 'She captures something pure, yet powerful about our relationships with our pets that will connect with all kinds of pet parents, anywhere in the world.' | Pictures are taken by mother-of-two Elena Shumilova of children and their pets in Moscow and Andreapol, Russia .
Photographer captures the inseparable bond that exists between children and their pets in the selection of images . |
122,490 | 2a4f75dbf40d3e3cc3c78f593c4d01f540678cb5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . The parents of two children who were found stabbed to death last year at their home on Manhattan's Upper West Side say they survived by turning to each other. Kevin and Marina Krim spoke on Wednesday evening at a New York fundraiser for their nonprofit, the Lulu and Leo Fund, named for their two children killed on October 25, 2012, allegedly by their nanny. In a rare public speech, Kevin Krim said that the couple found a reason to go on by leaning on each other, and their friends and family. 'We had every reason to feel alienated from the world after this happened,' he said. 'And to really, truly survive and to live again, we had to have a reason to live.' Kevin Krim spoke at the benefit on Wednesday night saying that he and his wife Marina survived the devastating murders of their two young children by turning to each other . Marina and Kevin Krim, whose son and daughter were stabbed to death last year, held a fundraiser on Wednesday for the charity set up in honor of their children . He said they miss their children every . day, and they will forever. "We are just heartbroken," he said. "But . they inspire us every day as well. Their lives give us a purpose." He said they miss their children every . day, and they will forever. "We are just heartbroken," he said. "But . they inspire us every day as well. Their lives give us a purpose." Krim, . a CNBC digital media executive, said the art and creativity were . important to Lulu and Leo, and that's why they started the fund - aimed . at giving money to arts programs. The . nonprofit late last month announced its first grant would go to Free . Arts NYC, a nonprofit that provides under-served children and families . with mentoring programs through the arts. The fund specifically supports . the Free Arts "Parents and Children Together with Art" program, where . families work to increase communication and teamwork. On . Wednesday, the couple was hosting a silent auction with items like four . tickets to Saturday Night Live, and an on-set pass for Sesame Street. The event was hosted by Jim Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money," and attended . by Katie Couric. The . parents whose two young children were murdered in their New York . apartment last year announced the birth of their son today. Marina and Kevin Krim shared the happy news on a Facebook page . set up in the memory of their two children, two-year-old Leo and . six-year-old Lulu who were allegedly stabbed to death by a nanny in . their Upper West Side apartment in 2012. The message, posted on Friday to the Lulu & Leo page, reads: 'From Marina and Kevin Krim - . 'We . are very excited to share with you that Felix Harrison Krim, all 8 . pounds, 10 ounces, and 21.5 inches of him, arrived today. Marina, Felix . and all of us are healthy and happy. He said they miss their children every . day, and they will forever. "We are just heartbroken," he said. "But . they inspire us every day as well. Their lives give us a purpose." Krim, . a CNBC digital media executive, said the art and creativity were . important to Lulu and Leo, and that's why they started the fund - aimed . at giving money to arts programs. The . nonprofit late last month announced its first grant would go to Free . Arts NYC, a nonprofit that provides under-served children and families . with mentoring programs through the arts. The fund specifically supports . the Free Arts "Parents and Children Together with Art" program, where . families work to increase communication and teamwork. On . Wednesday, the couple was hosting a silent auction with items like four . tickets to Saturday Night Live, and an on-set pass for Sesame Street. The event was hosted by Jim Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money," and attended . by Katie Couric. The . parents whose two young children were murdered in their New York . apartment last year announced the birth of their son today. Marina and Kevin Krim shared the happy news on a Facebook page . set up in the memory of their two children, two-year-old Leo and . six-year-old Lulu who were allegedly stabbed to death by a nanny in . their Upper West Side apartment in 2012. The message, posted on Friday to the Lulu & Leo page, reads: 'From Marina and Kevin Krim - . 'We . are very excited to share with you that Felix Harrison Krim, all 8 . pounds, 10 ounces, and 21.5 inches of him, arrived today. Marina, Felix . and all of us are healthy and happy. Krim, . a CNBC digital media executive, said the art and creativity were . important to Lulu and Leo, and that's why they started the fund - aimed . at giving money to arts programs. The . nonprofit late last month announced its first grant would go to Free . Arts NYC, a nonprofit that provides under-served children and families . with mentoring programs through the arts. The fund specifically supports . the Free Arts "Parents and Children Together with Art" program, where . families work to increase communication and teamwork. On . Wednesday, the couple was hosting a silent auction with items like four . tickets to Saturday Night Live, and an on-set pass for Sesame Street. The event was hosted by Jim Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money," and attended . by Katie Couric. The . parents whose two young children were murdered in their New York . apartment last year announced the birth of their son today. Marina and Kevin Krim shared the happy news on a Facebook page . set up in the memory of their two children, two-year-old Leo and . six-year-old Lulu who were allegedly stabbed to death by a nanny in . their Upper West Side apartment in 2012. The message, posted on Friday to the Lulu & Leo page, reads: 'From Marina and Kevin Krim - . 'We . are very excited to share with you that Felix Harrison Krim, all 8 . pounds, 10 ounces, and 21.5 inches of him, arrived today. Marina, Felix . and all of us are healthy and happy. The couple have launched a nonprofit organization, the Lulu and Leo Fund, in honor of their two young children who were murdered last year . He said they miss their children every . day, and they will forever. 'We are just heartbroken,' he said. 'But . they inspire us every day as well. Their lives give us a purpose.' Krim, . a CNBC digital media executive, said the art and creativity were . important to Lulu and Leo, and that's why they started the fund - aimed . at giving money to arts programs. Last month the nonprofit organization announced that its first grant would go to Free . Arts NYC, a nonprofit that provides under-served children and families . with mentoring programs through the arts. The fund specifically supports . the Free Arts 'Parents and Children Together with Art' program, where . families work to increase communication and teamwork. On . Wednesday, the couple was hosting a silent auction with items like four . tickets to Saturday Night Live, and an on-set pass for Sesame Street. The event was hosted by Jim Cramer of CNBC's Mad Money and attended . by Katie Couric. Loss: Two-year-old Leo and his big sister Lulu, six, were found in a pool of blood in the family's home . Victims: Only Nessie, whose picture has been pixelated, escaped harm as she was with her mother . The Krims' former nanny, Yoselyn Ortega, has been . charged with murder over the deaths of two-year-old Leo and . six-year-old Lulu. She has pleaded not guilty. Marina . Krim discovered her children when she returned from picking up the . couple's third child, Nessie, from a swim lesson. The . Krims shared some happy news last month letting supporters know that they had a baby boy. Jim Cramer of CNBC's Mad Money (right), Greg Breinberg and the PS22 Chorus at the Lulu & Leo Fund Fall Benefit . The entrance to the New York benefit tonight which was also attended by Katie Couric . The message was posted to the Lulu & Leo page, read: 'From Marina and Kevin Krim - We . are very excited to share with you that Felix Harrison Krim, all 8 . pounds, 10 ounces, and 21.5 inches of him, arrived today. Marina, Felix . and all of us are healthy and happy. 'Thank you all so much for your support!' Baby Felix joins the Krims' surviving daughter, four-year-old Nessie, and was born just two weeks before the first anniversary of the horrific murders. Fit for trial: Yoselyn Ortega, 50, pictured in court in July, was deemed mentally fit to stand trial over the murders of the two Krim children . | Kevin and Marina Krim spoke on Wednesday at a fundraiser for their nonprofit organization the Lulu and Leo Fund .
Kevin Krim said the couple will miss their children forever but they were also an inspiration to them .
Marina Krim, 36, found her daughter Lulu, 6,and son Leo, 2, stabbed to death at family's Manhattan apartment last October . |
163,406 | 5f46a2703e144f8340a01a98270dfb242bd1fd19 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:25 EST, 26 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:43 EST, 30 October 2012 . Police in a Colorado town where the body of a missing 10-year-old girl was found said Friday that they want to question their teenage suspect, Austin Sigg, in two unsolved child enticement cases. A sketch developed in the September incidents bears some resemblance to 17-year-old Sigg, who's being held on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Jessica Ridgeway, Arvada police spokesman Sgt. Mark Nazaryk said. The sketch and Sigg's mug shot wasn't an exact match, Nazaryk noted. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Alleged killer: Austin Reed Sigg, 17, was arrested late Tuesday night after Westminster police received a tip that led them to a home near Ketner Lake Open Space . Evidence: Authorities said Sigg's DNA was found on Jessica's backpack . Investigation: Westminster officers pictured Wednesday collecting evidence from the home of Austin Reed Sigg . He also said investigators were . trying to determine if Sigg had access to a royal blue, four-door sedan . described by witnesses in both cases. The September child enticement cases involved a man who tried to lure two boys about the same age as Jessica into a car. No suspects were identified in those incidents. Sigg is being held without bail on . suspicion of murder and kidnapping in the death of Jessica, and . attempted murder and attempted kidnapping in the case of runner at a . neighborhood lake in May. Prosecutors were expected to formally charge . him next week. In arguing that Sigg be held without . bail, prosecutors disclosed that Sigg confessed and that DNA evidence in . the case was overwhelming. Jessica disappeared three weeks ago . after leaving her home in the Denver suburb to walk to school. She never . arrived. Her remains were found on October 10. Yearbooks showed Sigg was a member of the choir in his freshman and sophomore years. Former schoolmate Sarah Morevec said Sigg had been bullied for having a high voice. From missing to murdered: The Colorado . schoolgirl's gruesomely dismembered body was discovered in a park 10 . miles from her home on October 11, six days after she vanished on her . way to school . Dakota Foster graduated from Standley . Lake in 2011, a year before Sigg left. Foster on Wednesday said he and . his friends sat at the opposite end of a cafeteria table from Sigg and . his friends. 'He was really nice and laughed a lot with us and told jokes, and laughed at our jokes,' Foster said. Foster, 19, said he didn't know Sigg . well, but 'he used to hang out with a lot of us in what we called the . goth corner (of the school cafeteria), where all the metal heads were.' 'He wore all black so he fit it,' Foster said. He added he wasn't surprised that Sigg left high school after the 11th grade. 'I know he didn't like his classes very much,' Foster said. 'He always complained about school.' Neighbor Brooke Olds, 13, said Wednesday she usually saw Sigg alone on a skateboard or scooter. 'He was shy and kept to himself,' she said. Police said they notified the . Ridgeway family of the arrest Wednesday morning. Jessica lived in . Westminster with her mother, Sarah Ridgeway. Jessica's father, Jeremiah . Bryant, lives in Missouri. Jessica's great-grandmother Donna . Moss told Kansas City-area reporters that she feels for Sigg's mother . but has to fight the rage she has toward Sigg because she knows as a . Christian she should forgive. 'I think it's all I've got within me to not want to just burn him, and I mean burn him,' she said. The arrest brought some relief to the . community, where some parents said they were nervous about letting . their children play outside as authorities searched for Jessica's . killer. 'Every parent in every Colorado community will rest a little easier . tonight,' said Gov John Hickenlooper, who has a ten-year-old son, . Wednesday. 'While we still mourn the death of . Jessica Ridgeway, we are relieved an arrest has been made and the . pursuit of justice can continue.' Hard-work: Westminster Police Chief Lee Birk, pictured during a press conference on Wednesday, praised his team and the community for their help in the case . Crowd: Members of the tight-knit Westminster community gathered to listen to the police announcement . The Colorado schoolgirl's dismembered body was found six days after she vanished on her way to school. In the abduction attempt, an . unidentified young woman was jogging around a lake about a . half-mile from the Ridgeway home when she was grabbed from behind by a man. Evidence: Police towed away Austin Sigg's car, pictured . The . attacker tried to cover her mouth with a chemical-soaked rag but she was . able to escape. According to The Post, the woman described her attacker as a . light-skinned Caucasian male between 18 and 30 years of age, 5 feet 6 to . 5 feet 8 inches tall with a medium build and brown hair. The link between the two cases was confirmed just days after police found a tuft of blonde hair a mile away . from where 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway's body was discovered. After police were alerted to the . scene, a grid search was conducted . while the hair was taken into evidence. But Westminster police . investigating the murder initially dismissed claims that the hair was a . definite clue in the case. A spokesman told the Denver Post last . week that there was nothing to suggest the hair has anything to do with . Jessica or was even human. Another recent clue in the tragic . investigation was a wooden . cross which police believe belonged to Jessica's killer, describing it as a 'pivotal piece of evidence' in the case. Pictures of the cross, which is 1.5 . inches tall by 1 inch wide cross and has a hole at the top so it can be worn as a . necklace, were released by Westminster Police Department on Friday. Hope gone: After the grisly discovery of Jessica's body on October 11, the search for Jessica turned into a hunt for her killer . Recent clue: Pictures of the cross, which is 1.5 . inch tall by 1 inch wide with a hole at the top so it can be worn as a . necklace, were released by Westminster Police Department on Friday . Life cut short: Jessica's body was so dismembered that police had trouble identifying the body . Heartbroken: Jessica's dad, Jeremiah Bryant, pictured, breaks down during a press conference, as Jessica's mother describes their little girl . Family in mourning: Jessica's father, Jeremiah Bryant (left) and mother, Sarah Ridgeway, (second right) were initially investigated by police but have since been cleared of any involvement . At about 5pm on Wednesday October 10, . dozens of officers flooded into Pattridge Park in Arvada, combing the . foot of a hill, walking no more than five feet apart, reportedly working . on a credible tip. The focus of their search was an . abandoned cabin that appeared to have been part of a former mining . operation. The area is now a popular park where neighbors often come to . hike, ride bicycles and fly model airplanes. Police said they did not suspect Jessica's parents, who are divorced and fighting a custody battle . over her, had any involvement in the disappearance. The U.S. Marshals Service, immigration . officials and state Department of Corrections have been reviewing registered . sex offenders in the area. During the heartbreaking investigation, authorities have received more than . 1,500 tips from the public, searched more than 500 . homes and gone through over 1,000 vehicles hunting for clues. VIEW POLICE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE . | Austin Reed Sigg, 17, was arrested late Tuesday night at his home after his mother tipped off police .
Confessed to the murder of Jessica and attempted abduction .
Police now want to question him .
Jessica's body was found six days after the 10-year-old went missing during her walk to school on October 5 . |
155,998 | 55a811de0b88dae6959b57cd11482cda0f8edb37 | Shocked: Police are still investigating the mystery shock that killed Christian Lorinczy, 13, after he touched the fence at a middle school football game . A Michigan teen has died after being injured by an electrical shock at a middle school football game, authorities say. Christian Lorinczy, 13, of Ypsilanti, was playing catch with his friends during a middle school football game at the Ypsilanti Lincoln High School football field at around 8.30pm Tuesday when their football was thrown over a nearby fence,CBS Detroit reports. The eighth-grader went to retrieve the ball and was found, by his friends, lying near the fence. Authorities say that Lorinczy received an electric shock when he leaned against the fence on a metal ramp leading to the bleachers. Michigan Live reports that an off-duty Augusta Township firefighter and a nurse who were in the crowd immediately went to help the boy. Lorinczy was then rushed to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Lincoln Middle School administrators shared the news of Lorinczy's death Friday morning on the Lincoln Consolidated School's website: . 'Dear Lincoln Families, . We have some very difficult news to share. As all of you know, Christian Lorinczy, a student at Lincoln Middle School, was involved in a very serious accident on Tuesday night. We had hoped that he would fully recover, but unfortunately, this morning we learned that Christian has passed away... Our thoughts are with the Lorinczy family and the entire Lincoln community at this very difficult time.' After the incident, CBS Detroit reports, the stands were evacuated, the football game was cancelled, and power to the field was shut off. Authorities are still investigating what could have caused the fence to deliver an electric shock. Mystery: The mystery of what could have caused the fence to shock the boy is concerning parents and Ypsilanti community members . Ellen Bonter, superintendent at Lincoln Consolidated Schools, told Michigan live that Lorinczy's incident is the first she's heard of the fence being electrically charged. However, a Lincoln High School freshman told Michigan Live that numerous students knew the handicap ramp's railing could deliver an electric shock. Ellen Bonter, superintendent of Lincoln Consolidated Schools, said Tuesday night was the first she heard of the handicap ramp's fence being electrically charged . A DTE energy spokesperson also told Michigan Live that crews were called to the scene shortly after the incident, but it was determined that the Michigan-based company's equipment was not involved in injuring the boy. The mystery of what could have caused the fence to shock the boy is concerning parents and Ypsilanti community members. Parent Linga McClair expressed in an interview with Detroit Local 4 news her concern for her daughter and nieces who spend a lot of time at the school's football field. 'It just seems really strange,' McClair said. 'So, it's concerning and so we want to find out why.' | Christian Lorinczy, 13, died after being shocked by a handicap ramp fence at a Michigan middle school football game .
Authorities have no clue what could have caused the fence to become electrically charged .
A high school boy said numerous students knew the fence could deliver an electric shock . |
222,344 | abd237ce34d04f71adba159384952a6d31ccd490 | Roberto Mancini is still without a win since returning to Inter Milan after they slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat by Udinese. Mauro Icardi's first half effort appeared to have set the hosts on their way to victory but goals from Bruno Fernandes and Cyril Thereau meant Mancini's winless run continued. When Inter won the Scudetto in the 2006-07 season under Mancini, they lost only one league game all season, but they have already lost two out of three since his return. Argentine forward Mauro Icardi opened the scoring for Inter Milan during the Serie A clash with Udinese . Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes equalised for the visitors 15 minutes after the half time interval . Cyril Thereau scored 11 minutes after his side's equaliser to give them a shock victory . Inter dominated the opening half of play against Udinese, whose coach Andrea Stramaccioni was facing his former club for the first time, but had only a Icardi goal to show for it. Bruno Fernandes levelled with a superb strike from just outside the box in the 60th minute and Cyril Thereau scored the winner 11 minutes later. The French forward took advantage of a mis-judged backward pass by Rodrigo Palacio, rounded Samir Handanovic and easily scored into the empty net. 'I'm not sure what happened in between halves,' Mancini, whose side are languishing in 12th place with 17 points, told Sky Sports Italia. 'I haven't had enough time to reflect on it. After Udinese tied the score we stopped being a team. I'm extremely disappointed.' Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini has failed to win a game since returning to the club . Mateo Kovacic attempts to hold off Udinese's Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu while dribbling with the ball . Inter defender Pires Ribeiro Dodo holds his head in his hand after his side concede the second goal . Udinese legend Antonio di Natale challenges Inter's Juan Jesus at the San Siro . | Argentine forward Mauro Icardi opened the scoring for Inter Milan .
Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Cyril Thereau handed Udinese the win .
Roberto Mancini has lost two of three games since returning to the club . |
233,654 | ba7ccea403b77d7f5d1f6f6875322bc51870ac12 | This year marks the 30th anniversary of the charity I set up with my husband Bill Travers and eldest son Will, after we appeared in the moving and highly successful film Born Free. The true tale of Elsa the lion cub and the game wardens, George and Joy Adamson, who raised her and then released her back into the wild has inspired and delighted generations. Over the years we have had the backing of The Mail on Sunday and its readers. To have that kind of support to make people think and care about animals is invaluable. It was an elephant which led us to establish the charity that became the Born Free Foundation. Scroll down for video . Virginia McKenna and Elsa the lion cub starred in 1966 movie Born Free (pictured) Cruel: Anthea pacing her prison - she was bought by a Tenerife restaurant owner as an attraction for his business . After the 1966 film, Bill concentrated on making wildlife films. One of them was An Elephant Called Slowly, about Pole Pole, a little female elephant who had been captured by the then Kenyan government when she was only two and given as a gift to London Zoo. Her sad story is told below and it prompted us to set up Zoo Check, which later became Born Free. We have spent three decades exposing the suffering of captive animals and, sadly, it is work that is as necessary today as it was all those years ago. We are desperate to improve the plight of more than 40 solitary elephants held in zoos and circuses in Europe. We also work with Elephant Family, the charity founded by the Duchess of Cornwall’s late brother, Mark Shand, to save the endangered Asian elephant. I continue to visit zoos around the world to monitor the animals kept there. Where possible we try to have them removed if they are in poor condition – or at least to improve those conditions. When Bill and I set up Zoo Check, it was dismissed as a nine-day wonder. But today Born Free is an internationally renowned organisation with more than 100,000 supporters and a host of celebrity supporters, including Joanna Lumley, Martin Clunes, Helen Worth and Amanda Holden. Bill died 20 years ago and our son Will is now president of Born Free. And both of us feel as strongly about the cause as we did at the start. Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna visiting Pole Pole the Elephant - the animal was snatched from her wild family and given as a gift from the then Kenyan government to London Zoo . In the early days, I was nervous about putting forward my views because we were not scientists, and many people probably thought we didn’t know what we were talking about. But now, because I’m old, and I know I haven’t that much time, everything is more urgent. I’ve got to speak out. I want to be judged for what I believe in. I still have plenty of fire and fight. This month I am publishing my first book of poetry, and I am taking a group of people to Kenya on safari. We will visit Elsa’s grave, of course, which will bring back many memories. I hope her descendants still roam the Serengeti. But there remains a lot of unending work to do to ensure lions still live there in the future. My dream is to create a sanctuary for elephants in solitary captivity in Europe, perhaps in Italy or the South of France. The cramped cage that Anthea and Raffi lived in (left) and Rikki the leopard relaxing . Yesterday the Born Free Foundation lent its support to the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos. Our patrons, actress Rula Lenska, broadcaster Nicky Campbell and racing driver Darren Turner joined hundreds of members of the public to draw attention to the 50,000 elephants killed every year for their ivory. Shockingly, an elephant is massacred every 15 minutes for its ivory, and a rhino is killed every nine hours for its horn. Often these magnificent beasts are still alive when their tusks and horns are hacked from their faces. Here are just a few of the Born Free Foundation’s success stories, many made possible by you. But we must do more. Won’t you join us? Join Born Free today for the original 1980s price of £12 to mark the 30th anniversary. Visit bornfree.org.uk to help elephants and other wild animals in need. Rikki, a sweet-natured leopard, was discovered in 1994 locked inside a 6ft x 6ft cage on top of a disco building in Tenerife, along with lions Raffi and Anthea. During his years of captivity, Rikki had suffered extreme distress caused by the barren conditions and lack of exercise. He was also suffering from poor nutrition. Rikki had been born in a travelling circus on the island before the restaurateur took him. Mail on Sunday readers raised thousands to free him and the campaign was joined by Janet Ward, mother of Julie Ward, the 28-year-old photographer murdered in a Kenyan game reserve in 1988. For five years Rikki lived in a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, run by the Born Free Foundation, before finally, in 1999, he was released into a sanctuary near Port Elizabeth in South Africa . This pair of lions were bought as cubs by a Tenerife restaurant owner as an attraction for his business. He also kept Rikki the leopard captive as a customer attraction (see his story below). For five years, Raffi and Anthea were incarcerated in the tiny, rusting cage perched on a sun-baked roof. Some reports at the time claimed they had been fed live dogs within sight of a luxurious hotel. Malnourished and frustrated, the thin and filthy lions spent their days pacing back and forth. Anthea and Raffi pictured being released from captivity in the the Shamwari reserve in South Africa . The Foundation launched a campaign to free them and, with the support of The Mail on Sunday, managed to rescue them in 1995. A special hotline was set up for the animals, and horrified readers of this newspaper contributed a total of nearly £60,000. The lions spent two years in a UK big cat sanctuary before being shipped to the Shamwari reserve where they were released and eventually reunited with Rikki, who had already been saved. Pole Pole was only two when she was snatched from her wild family and was given as a gift from the then Kenyan government to London Zoo. Bill and Virginia did everything they could to stop the move but the baby elephant’s fate was sealed. In 1982 the couple went to see Pole Pole in London and were dismayed by her miserable existence. With no companions of her own and prematurely aged by captivity, she had become difficult to manage. The death of Pole Pole the elephant inspired Virginia McKenna's Zoo Check, which evolved into the Born Free Foundation . Clearly frustrated, she paced her barren enclosure. But when they called her name she stopped, turned and came to them, straining with her trunk to reach their hands. ‘It was a heartbreaking and life-changing moment,’ recalls Virginia. The Travers renewed their campaign to give Pole Pole a better life, but in 1983 when she was just 16 (elephants can live to over 60) she died. Determined her death would not be in vain, in 1984 the Travers launched Zoo Check, which evolved into the Born Free Foundation. Call of the wild: Pitou the leopard is freed at last . For ten years, their home was a 20ft cage set into the cliffs of Monte Carlo. But after a five-year campaign by The Mail on Sunday and the Born Free Foundation, leopards Sirius and Pitou were set free in 2008. The animals were part of the Jardin Animalier, started in the 1950s by Prince Rainier. The decision to release them was taken by his son and successor Prince Albert. They were taken to the Shamwari reserve in South Africa, where Pitou, aged 14, set off with a roar from her cage. Sirius, 13, had to be coaxed out. The campaign had begun with a Mail on Sunday report that led to thousands of protest letters, which Virginia and a group of children delivered to Monaco’s consulate in London. Today he is the star of a much viewed YouTube clip. But in 1969, Christian the lion was bought as a cub from the then Harrods pet section by two young Australians, John Rendall and Ace Bourke, for 250 guineas.C . Naming him Christian, they raised him in their flat on the Kings Road, and he became a star of swinging London. He exercised in a nearby churchyard, and the friends wrote a book about him, A Lion Called Christian. But he grew from a 35 lb cub to a rather more imposing 185 lb adult a year later. His future was secured when he was spotted by Virginia and, with the help of George and Joy Adamson, was taken to Africa. A year later, Bourke and Rendall went to see him. Although warned they shouldn't approach Christian as he was now wild, the lion clearly remembered his human chums,and his exuberant delight at their reunion has become a YouTube phenomenon. Cool cat: Christian the lion in London with John Rendall, right, and Ace Bourke - the pair bought the cub in Harrods before raising him and releasing him into the wild . | Virginia McKenna and husband Bill Travers set up the charity in 1984 .
Had previously made hugely successful 1966 Born Free film about lion cub .
They saw appalling conditions zoo animals were kept in and decided to act .
Initiated Zoo Check scheme which grew into today's international charity .
They're now putting weight behind Global March for Elephants and Rhinos .
Group has more than 100,000 supporters including many celebrities . |
235,564 | bcf3d2a9881d09707886d8b72fb4e7e7d8dcd1a0 | By . Damien Gayle . A 90-year-old woman was locked away and left to starve to death by her own children, police say. Xiaoming Tsui survived a month of captivity in her bedroom by drinking water and eating a few porridge oats neighbours were able to throw in while her children were out. When police burst in at the end of last week to free her after a tip off posted online, her first words were: 'Please, feed me, feed me.' Horrific: Ninety-year-old Xiaoming Tsui is helped to wash after nearly a month in captivity with no food after her children allegedly hatched a plan to starve her to death because they were tired of caring for her . Her daughter and son are now facing charges of attempted murder after police accused them of 'a cold and calculating plan to get rid of someone they found expensive and tiresome to deal with'. A police spokesman said: 'The woman fell ill and to get rid of the problem of having to care for her, her children attempted to make her die from starvation in the locked room. 'They didn't send their mother any food, telling her it was so she didn't need the bathroom, and would allow no-one in to see her.' Neighbours in Yangjuan village in Hunan, China, who realised Mrs Xiaoming was not being given much to eat were able on several occasions to pass oatmeal up to her through an open window. Although they did not know that she was being given nothing, it is believed that one of them was the person who posted the anonymous online message which alerted police to her plight. Emaciated: Her daughter and son are now facing charges of attempted murder after police accused them of 'a cold and calculating plan to get rid of someone they found expensive and tiresome to deal with' 'There had been friction between the old lady and her children for some time,' said the police spokesman. 'She was becoming an increasing burden to them and so they decided to kill her by starving her to death. 'Then they planned to tell the authorities that she simply stopped eating.' The spokesman added: 'This is not just a family dispute, but calculated murder. Obviously, the selfish children wanted their mother to die to save them trouble of taking care of her.' | Xiaoming Tsui survived thanks to neighbours who threw food to her window .
She was only saved after an anonymous person posted a tip-off online .
Her son and daughter have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder . |
266,622 | e55902507d729fb5ea6c2cff12fd545fa742355a | (CNN) -- If you've ever griped about being mired in a traffic jam, there was proof this weekend in Russia that it could have been worse. Much, much worse. The backup Sunday afternoon on part of the main highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg -- the country's two most populated cities -- stretched 125 miles long, according to media reports cited by state-run RIA Novosti news. Video showed fog, but little evident precipitation after days of heavy snow. Even so, movement along sections of the M-10 highway largely was limited to foot traffic, not vehicular traffic, as trucks and cars sat motionless. Efforts to clear roads had some impact by early evening, by which time tie-ups were down to 34 miles along the M-10 highway, reported the State Automobile Inspectorate, a division of Russia's Interior Ministry. The length of the traffic jam was shrinking about three-fourths of a mile every hour, a spokesman for that agency told the state news outlet. That is an improvement, but still a far cry from the "normalization" of traffic that Russia's Emergencies Ministry said would occur by 6 p.m. Sunday, according to RIA Novosti. An Emergencies Ministry spokesman reported that, by then, one lane in each direction of the M-10 was clear of snow -- allowing trucks to creep along at 5-10 kph (3-6 mph). Blame for the slow slog goes, at least in part, to bad weather. The traffic headaches began Friday, when heavy snow began falling in western Russia. By the time it finally tapered off, three feet had fallen. While snow and related traffic woes are hardly unprecedented in Russia in December, drivers had other reasons to complain. In comments on social networking and news websites, as related by RIA Novosti, stuck drivers and passengers reported cafes along the clogged roadway took advantage of them by ratcheting up prices. Others said some gas stations had run out of fuel, or grumbled that authorities weren't much help. Video showed an inflatable tent popped up on the side of highway, with tables inside full of people filling up on food and drinks. In addition to hot food and warming stations, the RIA Novosti report noted the Emergencies Ministry was making psychological support available to those having trouble coping with the days-long traffic nightmare. "(Emergencies Minister Vladmir Puchkov) is making sure that all necessary measures are being taken and that all vital personnel in afflicted regions have everything they need," a ministry spokesman said. | Heavy snow starting Friday caused traffic woes in western Russia .
By Sunday afternoon, backups on a major highway reportedly stretched 125 miles .
Vehicles were finally moving better by the evening, though still only at 3 to 6 miles per hour .
Some travelers griped about price gouging, lack of gas and the response from authorities . |
1,086 | 03169728c6cf358012d02e3a46c1a7e54e6c3019 | A prominent Republican woman launched a she-said, she-said battle over wages on Wednesday morning by accusing the White House of paying women less than men – just hours after President Barack Obama begged Congress to outlaw the practice. High-stakes gender politics made an appearance in Tuesday's State of the Union address when the president insisted that 'Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work.' 'Really,' he said to cheers from Democrats on Capitol HIll. 'It’s 2015. It’s time.' On Wednesday morning former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina claimed 'the president hasn't really led in this regard. He's not paying women equally by his own measures in his own White House.' 'He's not paying women equally,' former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (left) said of the president, during a morning-show joust with White House adviser Valerie Jarrett (right) President Barack Obama made a point of mentioning pay equity for women in his State of the Union speech, a political dog-whistle that motivates Democratic voters but is subject to widely varying interpretation . The line brought applause from Democrats but not much enthusiasm from Republicans, who 'won't stand – literally – for pay equity,' according to some wags on Twitter . Fiorina, herself a potential 2016 presidential candidate, glossed over details from the administration's annual Report to Congress on White House Staff that show women are paid equally for the same work but aren't trusted with as many high-level jobs. She aired her complaint on MSNBC's Morning Joe program, where she faced off against top Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. 'Every woman across the nation agrees that equal pay for equal work is absolutely required,' Fiorina said. 'I also think it's just a fact that laws exist on the books today, and if a woman is being discriminated against because of her gender, she should use the full extent of that law.' Jarrett fired back. 'Let's unpack your question a little bit. ... In the White House women do earn equal pay for equal work,' she said. Obama's salary data show that male white-collar White House employees earn an average of about $88,600, compared with $78,400 for females. That 13 per cent wage gap is in line with the federal government as a whole, according to the Office of Personnel Management. But it's larger than the overall gap in the District of Columbia, which the Washington Post reports is 9.9 per cent. Nationally, women in the U.S. earn 23.5 per cent less than men. That number, like the White House's, results in large part from women holding more junior-level jobs with lower salaries. Fewer men take time away from their careers to raise children, giving them access to continued career advancement and salary growth. And some researchers point to trends in women's employment that suggest many mothers accept lower wages in exchange for better health benefits and greater flexibility in working hours. That may be one reason why 87 men in the White House earn six-figure salaries, something only 53 women on Obama's staff can say.compared to 53 female White House officials. The White House's 2014 report also showed that there are two more men than women in the highest-ranking positions. Fiorina's spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the longtime tech executive, who ran an unsuccessful bid for a California U.S> Senate seat in 2012, hinted during the on-air tussle that her real target was labor unions and their preference for seniority-based pay systems. 'The single greatest impediment to equal pay for equal work is this seniority system, which pays not on merit, not on performance, but on time and grade,' she claimed. 'And who is it who supports the seniority system? Unions, government bureaucracies, the vast majority of constituencies that the Democratic party represents and who support the Democratic party.' Paying women 'by merit and by their results,' Fiorina insisted, would result in a system where 'women will be paid equally.' Fiorina, a onetime US Senate candidate in California, now lives in Virginia and is weighing a presidential run in 2016 . Jarrett is among the Obamas' oldest friends from their Chicago days, and is seen in Washington as a political 'fixer' who has the president's ear more often than his Cabinet secretaries . Jarrett fired back that Obama's State of the Union barb about pay equity was a reference to the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that Republicans have consistently blocked since 2009. The National Women's Law Center supports the measure, saying it would allow judges to take a close look at companies' pay practices to be sure any gender disparities 'serve a legitimate business purpose' and spring from 'factors other than sex.' Business advocates and their Republican supporters, however, maintain that there is a broad list of reasons why some women earn less than some men. In 2009 the U.S. Department of Labor commissioned a study from the CONSAD Research Corporation that counseled the government on how to interpret wage data from the U.S. Census and other sources. It found that 'differences in the compensation of men and women are the result of a multitude of factors.' 'The differences in raw wages may be almost entirely the result of the individual choices being made by both male and female workers,' the report concluded. The Equal Pay Act Of 1963 already makes it illegal to pay women less than men for performing the same job in the same company. | Former HP chief Carly Fiorina blasted Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett over the president's State of the Union demand for pay equity .
White House pays women on average 13 per cent less than men – but technically gives equal pay for equal work .
Salary differences are due to more men than women having higher-paying White House jobs .
Fiorina is a potential 2016 presidential candidate . |
120,139 | 27446b630aae642a74e733a3834840c8e0eedc82 | Swingers in tech-obsessed Silicon Valley have tuend to apps to help aid them in their sex partner swaps and alternative lifestyle parties. Where once there were random key exchanges, entrepreneurs like Ben Fuller have created technology to bring together San Francisco Bay engineers who fancy other techies' husbands and wives. At Fuller's Bronze Party, he says some attendees first chase away their inhibitions with a cocktail while others show up already confident about who they plan to approach thanks to something members use to prep for the event called Auto-date. Tech swingers: Silicon Valley swingers have, not surprisingly, turned to tech to help facilitate their lifestyle . '[It] allows you into the party itself, to choose the people that you're interested in, and if you choose and they choose, you get a notification,' Fuller told CNN. And by virtue of his clientele's profession, Fuller says he's always getting helpful hints and tweaks to the technology he uses. CNN's Laurie Segall, who interviewed Fuller, said in a recent Reddit AMA: . 'Lots of engineers, a mobile developer who worked at a big Silicon Valley company, a lawyer - all types. 'What was interesting was the guy who started the bronze party (swingers event I attended) said a lot of startup people would come to events and then help him with his website and getting around gmail filters.' Contemporary key parties: Couples like these engineers are using apps that are synonymous with keys at yesteryear's key parties to help them figure out who among their like-minded partiers, they'll continue their night with . So what happens at a Silicon Valley sex party? According to husband and wife engineers who've been together 10 years, it's a lot like a typical night out. 'Whereas you might go to a bar, pick up somebody and take them home for the evening if you're single, here it wouldn't be unheard of to do that even if you're married,' said the couple's husband half. He also said it's not just Fuller's apps he and his compatriots use to find like-minded people. 'We just heard from a threesome -- two women and a man -- who said "Oh, we heard about it on [anonymous posting site] Secret."' Money to be made: Entrepreneur Ben Fuller created the Silicon Valley swinger gathering Bronze party and runs a multi-million dollar business that connects swingers through an event ticketing platform and partner-sorting app . | California entrepreneur Ben Fuller runs an event called Bronze Party that's frequented by engineers and other tech employees in search of sex .
Many attendees come with their husbands and wives and often use app's like Bronze party's Auto Date, which acts like a contemporary 'key'
Fuller's sex party event platform Modern Lifestyle boasts a network of 50 sex clubs nationwide and sold $3 million in tickets in 2014 . |
270,076 | e9c8102a4cac55f5365b1f8fb389b50e404492ab | A decision to crack down on parents taking their children on holiday during term time by Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove is being challenged in the courts . Michael Gove's decision to crack down on parents taking children on holiday in term time is being challenged in the courts by a group of parents. The action to take the Education Secretary's ruling to judicial review is being backed by a petition signed by more than 200,000 parents. The group claims the rules are a breach of their human right to a family life. Parents Want A Say is being launched . today and co-ordinated by Karen Wilkinson, a mother-of-three from Bath . in Somerset, reports the Sunday Times. Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, who has successfully campaigned to open up the family courts, is advising the group. Ms . Wilkinson says it's not just parents looking for cheap holidays who are . being refused permission to take children out of school under the new . stricter rules. 'Requests . to take children out of school for weddings, to visit elderly . grandparents who live abroad or even in some cases, when doctors have . sanctioned the request because it's in the child's interest, are all . being turned down,' she said. This weekend it emerged that a ten-year-old girl from Tamworth was denied a day off for her grandfather's funeral. Mr . Gove's changes brought in last year end the right for schools to grant . up to 10 days holiday per year in special circumstances. Parents face fine of £60 per pupil . per parent if they take children out of school without permission and . those who refuse to pay could be fined £2,500 by the courts and even . jailed for up to three months. More . than 24,000 children are skipping school every day to go on family . holidays as parents ignore the threat of fines to escape peak-time price . hikes. Official figures . reveal a sharp drop in the number of schools giving permission for . term-time holidays following a crackdown by Mr Gove. But . growing numbers of parents are taking children on 'unauthorised' family . breaks, despite the threat of £120 fines and even court action. So-called 'middle-class truancy' is . linked to inflated prices imposed by travel companies during half-term, . Christmas, Easter and summer school holidays. Provisional figures show that more than 24,000 pupils skipped classes every day in the autumn term . Prices can be double normal rates and savings on the holidays often outweigh the cost of any fines. Mr Gove tightened the rules from last September to prevent unnecessary disruption to children's education. Heads were previously able to grant up to ten days holiday a year. But changes to the regulations remove references to the ten-day threshold and make clear heads 'may not grant any leave of absence during term-time unless there are exceptional circumstances', such as a family bereavement. Provisional figures show that more than 24,000 pupils skipped classes every day in the autumn term last year despite the crackdown. About three-quarters of these had been taken out of school without the permission of the head.Parents who fail to gain the consent of the head teacher risk truancy fines of £120 – or £60 if paid within 28 days. The true figures for pupils missing lessons could be higher since the Department for Education realised some schools had not been counted. | Action backed by a petition signed by more than 200,000 parents .
Group claims the rules are a breach of their right to a family life .
Challenge led by mother-of-three Karen Wilkinson, from Somerset . |
182,355 | 7822175db44133d244e8d04f4ebadbe3845e94c4 | (CNN) -- Generations of rock hounds and miners have turned the earth in western North Carolina, looking to bring a special ruby, sapphire or emerald -- the "big three" of the gem world -- to the light. The passion started early for Terry Ledford, 53, who operated a gem stand on weekends when he was a kid. "I always loved rocks," said the Spruce Pine resident. For W. Renn Adams, 90, the world of spodumenes, hiddenite and beryl runs even deeper in his blood. His Alexander County family has been digging for them since the 1880s. The men's interests became intertwined early this decade when they became partners on the Adams family farm, which grows corn along with its treasures below. They unearthed hiddenite, a rare pale-to-green mineral in the spodumene family, and other specimens. "We never found any good emeralds," said Adams. Until that day in August 2009. "It was just a normal digging day," said Adams, who used to grade roads before he retired. Using a track hoe and other equipment, Ledford worked his way down a hole in the earth and through a quartz vein, 14 feet below the surface. That's when he found it. Reaching below a crystal, he saw what looked to be part of a 7UP bottle. It was an emerald crystal. A very big emerald crystal. Some 310 carats of it. "Terry really had a time when he found that one," recalled Adams, without a hint of understatement. Dubbed the "Carolina Emperor," the gem has been trimmed to 64.83 carats and is called the largest cut emerald ever found in North America. It is being compared to an emerald that once belonged to Catherine the Great of Russia. And it could be yours. The co-owners are selling it, perhaps by the end of the year. While rubies and sapphires are found near Franklin, about 75 miles southwest of Asheville, different gems lure residents and visitors to Alexander County, about 30 miles northeast of Hickory. The small town of Hiddenite is named for William Earl Hidden, who mined North America's first emerald and hiddenite on the Adams property in the 1880s, said geologist Ed Speer. "Emeralds are very rare in the world and only a few countries host emerald deposits," Speer said. "North Carolina is lucky to have three known emerald districts, including the Hiddenite district." Michael Wise, a geologist with the National Museum of Natural History, said emeralds are more likely to be found outside North America. Most are from Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Afghanistan. According to Speer, emeralds (a beryl colored by chrome and vanadium) and the rarer hiddenite (spodumene) are together only in this part of North Carolina. Gems have created a cottage industry around Hiddenite, with amateurs and mining operations working the soil. At Emerald Hollow Mine, options for the energetic are "digging," "creeking" and "sluicing." "We have people from everywhere," said employee Whitney Day, who said the region offers 63 types of minerals. Mining has a significant impact on the state's economy, with gem mining a small part of that, said Speer, who has 40 years' experience in mineral exploration around the world. The presence of pegmatites, a form of igneous rock, is largely responsible for the number and quality of gemstones, he said. Although the public's imagination often revolves around precious gems and stones used in jewelry, including diamonds, collectors often come at gems from a different perspective. They may prefer a certain locality or type of gem, Wise said. "A serious collector may prefer an uncut crystal to a cut gem," he added. Adams said his family used to open the farm to the public in the 1970s and into the 1980s. People paid $3 to dig by hand and foot; no machinery was allowed. Since then, the small mining operation has been private. Failing eyesight has somewhat sidelined Adams, but he still has a penchant for the craft. "I like moving the dirt." Ledford, who also sells gems and operates an amethyst mine in Georgia, and Adams have had the six-sided "Carolina Emperor" crystal cut twice. It is now slightly wider than a quarter. They received a comprehensive analysis in early August, and are now marketing the stone. The emerald compares in size and quality to one surrounded by diamonds in a brooch once owned by Catherine the Great, who was empress in the 18th century, said C.R. "Cap" Beesley, a New York gemologist who examined the stone. Beesley told The Associated Press that Christie's auction house in New York sold that gem in April for $1.65 million. Chips or cuttings that resulted from the faceting of "Carolina Emperor" sold for between $10,000 (1.89 carats) and $15,000 (2.36 carats), said Ledford. Ledford, the son of a mica miner, said he would rate the quality of the gem an 8 on a 10-point scale. Its uniqueness and size, with color and clarity following, may put it in the area of the selling price for the Catherine the Great emerald, he said. Generally, larger gems are more likely to have internal flaws and inclusions, said Wise. But Douglas Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, who like Wise said he has not seen the stone, said those factors are not as critical as size and color. The Hiddenite emerald's biggest asset is that it is from an area not known for large emeralds, said Hucker. "If it wasn't from North Carolina it wouldn't be creating the buzz it is now," he said. Standards for colored gems are not as exacting as for diamonds, he added. Still, Hucker said, it is a large stone with desirable color and a potential buyer may be drawn to it. "When you combine all those things it increases the rarity." Hucker said that comparing the emerald to the Catherine the Great gem is a stretch because the empress, who he described as a "jewelry hog," was a person of special historic significance. Beesley's report, which calls the "Carolina Emperor" one of "the most important gemstones in American history," mentions an 18.88-carat pear-shape emerald, which until now was considered the continent's most valuable cut emerald. "This is a monster by comparison," said Wise. "Several people are interested in it," said Ledford, adding an unnamed museum has expressed interest. Meanwhile, Ledford and an assistant continue to operate at the Adams family farm. "Terry's emerald find is very exciting as it confirms that more large emeralds are still out there," said Speer. At 90, Adams can savor the moment. "This is what I always dreamed to find," he said. | Gem is called largest cut emerald in North America .
North Carolina pair found it on farm 14 feet below ground .
Emeralds and another gem, hiddenite, are found only in that area .
Co-owners planning to sell "Carolina Emperor" |
258,846 | db00fe262a032e8bbf8174b345dc4a77a3b03756 | (CNN) -- Power-sharing talks in Zimbabwe have stalled, with the government and main opposition parties unable to agree on the distribution of ministries. A women holds a sign inside a Harare hotel where power-sharing talks took place Thursday. Just one day earlier, there were reports that President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were close to reaching an agreement. But that fell apart Thursday. "We've reached a deadlock on the issue of allocating ministries, therefore we've referred the issue to the facilitator hoping that he finds creative ways of unlocking that deadlock," said MDC spokesman, Nelson Chamisa. "We are hoping that tomorrow the process will continue to try and find a resolution to the outstanding issues." Mugabe acknowledged that the negotiations have stalled. "We are hopeful for a breakthrough," he said. "The MDC has their position, and we have ours. "What we need is a compromise on both sides." It was reported Wednesday that the ZANU-PF party would oversee the Justice and Legal Affairs Ministry, while the MDC would control the Finance Ministry. Mugabe sounded confident at the conclusion of Wednesday's negotiations, saying: "We finish tomorrow." But MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was cautious. "The proceedings have been going on quite circuitously, but we have not concluded," he said. Both parties said they would consider the deal overnight. However, MDC spokesman Chamisa said Thursday that the two sides were deadlocked. "There has been some movement, but not enough to seal the deal," he said. It also appeared that more ministries remained on the table than had been indicated Wednesday. "What we seek is to achieve an equal distribution of the key ministries and responsibilities for the sake of giving the deal a chance," Chamisa said. "It is not on just Finance. They range up to 10: Justice, Information, Defense." The allocation of government ministries had emerged as the latest hurdle in efforts to sort out the power-sharing deal signed by Mugabe and Tsvangirai on September 15. The deal allowed Mugabe to retain his office while making Tsvangirai the prime minister. Arthur Mutambara, head of an MDC splinter group, became deputy prime minister. The two sides were sorting out the distribution of Cabinet posts last Saturday, when the state-run newspaper published what it said was the official list. That list gave key government ministries to the ZANU-PF, including Defense, Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Justice and Legal Affairs. The MDC said it had not agreed to the selections, but a ZANU-PF spokesman said all parties had given their approval. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who mediated talks to reach the power-sharing deal, arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday to participate in the negotiations. Media reports Wednesday had suggested the talks were stalled because Mugabe wants to shield his generals -- accused of election violence earlier this year -- from prosecution. Giving ZANU-PF control of the Justice Ministry would ensure no generals are tried, and the MDC has assured Mugabe they will not go after those allegedly responsible for the violence, according to another CNN source. Of the other ministries, ZANU-PF was fighting hardest to retain finance, sources told CNN. They said the party fears that if the MDC controls that ministry, it could audit how money has been spent by Mugabe's government. It is widely believed that the government misappropriated funds and used the public purse for itself, enriching party loyalists with government contracts and neglecting to develop the economy, which has all but collapsed. ZANU-PF would let go of finance only if the MDC promised not to investigate how government money was used in the past, the sources said. The contention around the home affairs portfolio is more complex. Mugabe had suggested that ZANU-PF and MDC share that ministry, with each party having control for six months. For years, the home affairs portfolio has been under the control of a key Mugabe ally, a ZANU-PF faction called ZAPU that has helped Mugabe retain influence in Matabeleland, an area where the president is hated. Mugabe fears giving home affairs to the MDC will alienate ZAPU members, causing them to join the opposition and further weakening the ruling party. Home Affairs also controls the voter rolls, which Mugabe's government has been accused of manipulating. The recent disputes threatened the power-sharing agreement, which was to end months of turmoil and violence after the country's presidential election in March. Tsvangirai garnered the most votes but did not win enough to avoid a runoff with Mugabe, who has ruled the country since independence from Britain in 1980. The MDC leader withdrew days before the June 27 runoff, alleging that Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report. | Parties tussle over finance, home affairs portfolios .
Reports suggest talks also stall because Mugabe wants generals protected .
Mugabe, Tsvangirai signed power-sharing deal on September 15 .
The deal was to end months of turmoil and violence after the presidential poll . |
4,403 | 0cb71bf637f81edc2e877255f025d195793c6fb0 | Black clouds, spectacular lightning strikes and howling thunder have rolled across Sydney, signalling an end to a glorious weekend stretch of hot, sunny weather. The weather turned quickly on Monday afternoon as apocalyptic-looking clouds descended on the city - and more is expected along Australia's east coast over the next 24 hours. It comes as hilarious footage emerged of a woman reacting to a huge lightning strike during a storm - and went viral after it was uploaded to YouTube. When Mother Nature put on a dramatic display last week over Newcastle, north of Sydney, the woman couldn't contain herself, shrieking as she ran inside for cover. Scroll down for video . Ready for action. A cameraman gets set to record the wild weather across the harbour city . Getting a head start on the commute? The weather turned quickly from bright and sunny to dark and stormy . Spectacular lightning was seen across Sydney on Monday afternoon . Sydney streets are clogged with traffic this afternoon as the storm clouds roll across the city . An eerie build-up beyond the city as a swirl of clouds seems to swallow up the last of the day's sunlight . Sweeping through. The view from an apartment block as the dark clouds move in as a severe storm cell prepares to hit Sydney for the second time in 24 hours . Lightning strikes are being posted on social media as Sydney suffers a second series of thunderstorms in less than 24 hours . In her post, Locke Hart, says that 'lightening (sic) hits the house 4 doors down from me ultimately causing an electrical fire. Thank goodness for our fire fighters tho! 'What wacky weather today! Yeah I sound like a sissy, but I thought it was kind of funny lol.' Up to 10,000 homes were blacked out as a result of the late Sunday storms which swept through northern New South Wales. A number of fires are also burning across the state after being sparked by lightning strikes. Scroll down for more video . Australia's east coast is bracing for more storm activity in the next 24 hours and storm watchers best beware, as a woman in Newcastle proved that sometimes getting too close, can be a health hazard . More than 10,000 homes were blacked out as a result of the late Sunday storms which swept through northern New South Wales . A number of fires are also burning across the state after being sparked by lightning strikes . The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) reports that it is battling 90 blazes so far, 47 of which are deemed out of control. Most were caused by lightning strikes late on Sunday that followed scorching temperatures in Sydney and around the state, NSW RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said. The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the unsettled conditions were being caused by a slow-moving low-pressure trough, with forecast of storms in southern and western parts of the state. Peter Zmijewski, senior meteorologist at Bureau of Meteorology, told Daily Mail Australia that the high temperatures were not unseasonal but because of the changing seasons. He said: 'This time of the year it’s a transition in the season and there are a lot of adjustments going on, this is why we can experience very hot and cold in the same day.' The November to January temperature outlooks indicate a warmer than normal season for both daytime and night-time temperatures across most of Australia. 'There's a build up of heat due to the clear sunny days which has allowed heat to build,' said Weatherzone meteorologist Kim Westcott. 'The heat is slowly moving ahead of a slow pressure trough.' 'It's not unusual, it's the summer pattern arriving and we have a lot of moisture in the air,' said Ms Westcott. According to the Weather Bureau, this time of the year it’s a transition in the season and there are a lot of adjustments going on, this is why Australians can experience very hot and cold in the same day . Up to 10,000 homes were blacked out by the fierce Newcastle storm on Sunday . The Bureau also states that 'the Pacific Ocean has shown some renewed signs of El Niño development in recent weeks'. 'Above-average temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean have warmed further in the past fortnight.' | Storm watcher freaks out as lightning strikes .
Sydney battens down the hatches as a second severe storm hits inside 24 hours .
More severe weather conditions expected along the east coast .
Fire and rain sparked by Australian spring heatwave . |
272,932 | ed808c50a291041abc6e4d2c3c8ecb0af9d4acd3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 08:31 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:32 EST, 6 June 2013 . Four Maryland abortion clinics have been shut down and three doctors have had their licenses suspended after a patient died at one clinic and regulators say they found lax procedures at all four. The clinics, run by Associates in OB/GYN Care, were shuttered last month after state regulators received a complaint about a patient receiving an abortion-inducing drug with no doctor present. The patient, 38-year-old Maria Santiago, underwent the procedure on February 13 in Baltimore and was 'still very drowsy' when she was allegedly left in the care of an unlicensed medical assistant. She suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest and died later at a hospital. Regulators said her doctor, Iris Dominy, had failed to use a defibrillator - which was later found to be broken. Dominy is one of the three suspended doctors, according to the Maryland Board of Physicians. Two more, Drs. Michael Basco and Mansour Panah, have also had their licenses suspended. Scene: Three doctors have had their licenses suspended after a patient died at an abortion clinic, located in this complex in Baltimore, in February after she was being watched by an untrained worker . The allegations appear in documents posted online by the state Office of Health Care Quality, which regulates the clinics - in Baltimore, Cheverly, Frederick and Silver Spring - and ordered them to close. The clinics are affiliated with . American Women's Services, a company controlled by Dr. Steven Brigham, a beleaguered abortionist whose license has been suspended or . revoked in five states. He was at one point charged with murder for late-term abortions, but the charges were dropped. Dominy lost her license because unlicensed employees at the . clinic were dispensing drugs to patients, the regulators noted, not because of the patient's death. Basco was on duty at the Baltimore . clinic on May 4 when an unlicensed clinic employee performed an . ultrasound on a patient and found that the woman was . carrying more than one fetus. The employee then gave the woman . misoprostol, a drug that's used to induce abortions, according . to the Maryland Board of Physicians. Suspended: Michael Basco, left, was on duty when an unlicensed employee gave a patient drugs. The clinics are affiliated with Dr Steven Brigham, right, who has had his license suspended in five states . The patient who died after visiting the Associates in OB/GYN Care in Baltimore on February 13 was 38-year old Maria Santiago. Santiago was 12.5 weeks pregnant at the time of the abortion and her doctor, Iris Dominy told Maryland Department of Health inspectors that Santiago slept through her abortion. The doctor then left the woman in the room with an unqualified worker, according to the inspector's report. The worker filled out paperwork as Santiago lay on the table. She later called for a second worker to help her move Santiago to the recovery area. The second worker noticed Santiago was pale and not breathing, and they notified Dominy. No one at the clinic had current CPR certification, and there was no attempt to use a defibrillator, which was found to be broken. Santiago's death certificate showed she died from Severe Pulminary Edema, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and Hypoxia Brain Injury. It is unknown how long she went without breathing. Inspectors found staff failed to provide proper post-anesthesia care and observation. After the patient took the drug, Basco arrived and . determined that the patient needed a surgical abortion because the . multiple fetuses had made her uterus larger, the board said. Basco told . the patient she would have to go elsewhere for a surgical abortion, they . said. Basco and other staff told regulators it was . standard procedure in the clinics for patients to be given misoprostol . at 11 weeks or later, regardless of whether a doctor was . present, the board wrote. Panah, the medical director of the clinics, was responsible for patient care at the time of Santiago's death. He previously had his license suspended by the board in 1988 for . sexual contact with three patients and again in 1995 for sexual conduct . with another patient. In 2011, he was placed on two years of probation . by the board for failing to meet appropriate standards for delivery of . quality medical and surgical care. Bardos, who also represents . Panah, said the allegations related to wrongdoing at the abortion . clinics do not involve his client. He said the previous sexual contact . cases 'involved kisses'. Marc Cohen, the attorney for Dominy, said that most of the allegations were broad and do not directly . involve his client, and that the patient's death at the Baltimore clinic . was not her fault. He said the allegation that unlicensed workers . administered drugs on her watch was false. 'She's a well-trained, . well-qualified and well-experienced doctor,' Cohen said. 'There just . appears to be something that happened to that particular patient, but . there wasn't anything wrong with the procedure as far as we know.' Lax procedures: The doctors and other clinic employees said it was standard procedure for patients to receive abortion-inducing drugs, like those pictured, whether a doctor was present or not . A . hearing on the suspensions of the doctors' licenses is scheduled for . next Wednesday. Bardos has requested a hearing before an administrative . law judge on the closure of the clinics. That hearing has not yet been . scheduled, he said. Richard Bardos, an attorney who represents Associates in OB/GYN Care, said Dr Steve Brigham is not the owner of the clinics or the LLC. He declined to identify the owners. But Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, or NAF, which represents abortion providers, said it was common knowledge among providers that the Maryland clinics belong to him. 'It's not surprising that his four Maryland clinics have been suspended,' Saporta said. 'We have been an advocate for his substandard clinics being shut down wherever they operate in the country.' | Dr Iris Dominy has had her license suspended 'for allowing unlicensed staff to give patients drugs at Baltimore clinic'
One of her patients, 38-year-old Maria Santiago, died after she was left alone with an untrained employee .
Dr Michael Basco and Dr Mansour Panah also suspended; said it was 'standard procedure' to administer drugs with no doctor present .
Clinics affiliated with Dr Steven Brigham, who has had his license suspended in five states and was once charged with murder . |
25,034 | 46ee43c859eb4f1e766dfc574f20fbeeea34cabc | Paul Lambert has claimed there was 'absolutely no bust-up' when Roy Keane quit as Aston Villa's assistant manager. Boss Lambert scotched reports Keane was embroiled in training-ground rows with Villa players before walking out on the club last week. Christian Benteke's first goal in nine months handed Villa their first win in 10 games in an edgy 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Tuesday night. Aston Villa assistant manager Roy Keane left his role at the Premier League club last week . Paul Lambert (far left) has refuted claims suggesting Keane left on bad terms . After denying any rift with Keane, Lambert hailed Benteke's resolve in notching his 30th goal in 60 Premier League games, his first since knee surgery in March. 'If anyone wants to know about Roy, I'll put it on your plate so you know: there's absolutely no problem whatsoever,' said Lambert. Former Manchester United lynchpin Keane's party line for quitting his Villa post was to focus on his role with the Republic of Ireland. Lambert added: 'He's got a lot of commitments with Ireland, he's never had a break from going away with Ireland, and never had a break from Aston Villa. So I totally respect his decision. 'Contrary to reports, there was absolutely nothing, absolutely no bust-up, no arguing, nothing like that. 'I thank him for his time coming to work for me. 'I spoke to him before the Burnley game, after the Burnley game, and we still have the same relationship. So I just want to put that to bed, alright? 'Back to your point, it's a massive four points in the last two away games, and we're four games unbeaten. 'Two young centre halves having played well, Benteke back in with a goal and I thought Alan Hutton was fantastic.' Christian Benteke wheels away in celebration after scoring against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park . Benteke scored his first goal since March against Neil Warnock's side during the first half . Villa crept up to 12th courtesy of just their fourth league win in 14 games this term, with Palace left frustrated due to toothless final-third play. Lambert hailed Benteke's return to goal-scoring form after a poor red card against Tottenham last month cost him a three-match ban. 'He's missed half the year, so that's the magnitude of it (his 30th goal in 60 league games), I'm delighted for him,' said Lambert. 'It was a great goal from Christian today. 'The suspension never helped his case, but that was a fantastic return.' Palace boss Neil Warnock lamented Scott Dann's mistake, allowing Benteke to pick his pocket and race away to score the game's decisive solitary goal. Warnock labelled Dann Palace's outstanding player this term, but conceded the centre back suffered 'cruel punishment' for his error. Eagles goalkeeper Julian Speroni dives to his left but is unable to stop Benteke's strike from going into his net . Neil Warnock was disappointed with Scott Dann's 'unfortunate' mistake which led to Benteke's winner . 'I think he should have kicked it over the stand, and not be ashamed to do it,' said Warnock of Dann's costly error. 'Brede (Hangeland) could have come out as well, but these decisions they make, they stand or fall. 'It's unfortunate for Scotty because he's probably been our best player. It's a cruel punishment, but hopefully he'll learn by that: you can't score in row Z can you? 'I can't fault the effort, I thought we started really well, played some good stuff and created some good chances. 'You've got to make your own lucky really, and we just lacked that little bit of quality. 'I thought Benteke just held them together, it's nice to have that type of player. 'We are disappointed the way the goal was given away and they didn't have to work hard for their goal. 'It just wasn't to be, just the gambling in the box, predators who latch onto knock-downs: they are the ones that count, and you've got to take advantage of opportunities like that.' | Roy Keane left his role at Villa Park after spending just six months at club .
Reports had claimed Keane was involved in training-ground row .
However Lambert has said the split was amicable . |
138,475 | 3f15b91d6d4779d28ac54a0a9609f475bfc69b5a | By . Alex Greig . A celebrity chef is being sued after allegedly firing a night cook from his staff at a Manhattan boutique hotel while the man was on leave caring for his dying wife. Robert Esselborn says Anthony Paris, who won the Food Network's Chopped in 2010, dismissed him while he was on family medical leave from his job at the upmarket Crosby Street Hotel in December 2013, just one day before his wife died. According to suit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, on December 19, four days after Esselborn requested time off to care for his critically ill wife and their two children, Paris emailed him demanding to know when he would be returning to work. Grieving: Chef Robert Esselborn lost his wife and his job within a day of each other . Sudden illness: Robert Esselborn lost his beloved wife Barbara after she suddenly and unexpectedly became critically ill . Esselborn explained that his wife Barbara was on life support in hospital and that he would reassess the situation on January 1, reports the New York Post. Paris then fired him, telling him the wait was 'too long,' and demanded he clean out his locker, despite knowing that Esselborn's wife was on life support. Barbara Esselborn died the following day. 'The Esselborn family was in a total state of shock and turmoil,' according to the wrongful termination suit. '[Esselborn] needed to care for his wife and children. He also needed to make critical decisions about how to medically care for his wife and what her wishes would be under the circumstances.' Barbara Esselborn, Robert Esselborn's . wife of almost 17 years, became seriously ill on December 15 and was . rushed to hospital with chronic organ failure. 'Over . the next 48 hours, the doctors had discovered that her vital organs . were shutting down and that her lungs and throat were infected,' the . filing reports. She then had a stroke and doctors told Esselborn his . wife was brain-dead. Heartless: TV chef Anthony Paris told Esselborn he was taking too long to care for his critically ill wife and the couple's two children and fired him . Grieving family: Esselborn took time off from his job to care for his wife and their two children during the painful time . On December 23, father-of-two Esselborn received an email from the HR department saying he'd been 'absent from work without notification,' reports the New York Daily News. Just over an hour later, Esselborn received an email from Paris telling him to disregard HR's email. 'I appreciate your situation and . value you as an employee, that's why we have waited. But at this time we . cannot wait until Jan. 1, 2014 for you to reassess your situation, we . will take this email as your resignation letter,' he wrote. Esselborn . responded to Paris, telling him 'the situation with my wife's health is . critical at this time' and that he required family medical leave. The . HR department responded, telling him he was not eligible for family . medical leave and that his position was terminated, reports the New York . Daily News. Barbara Esselborn was taken off life support the next day. Under New York's Family and Medical Leave Act, employees are entitled to take 12 weeks of 'unpaid, job-protected leave' annually for various situations, including 'to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition.' Luxe hotel: Esselborn was a chef at the Crosby Street Hotel, where Anthony Paris is executive chef . The suit claims that Paris 'willfully' failed to inform the HR department of Esselborn's request for family medical leave 'in an effort to retaliate against Esselborn for exercising his federally protected right,' reports the New York Post. 'Then I heard nothing,' Esselborn told the Post. 'No card, nothing, just "Turn in your key and have a nice day."' Esselborn's wrongful termination suit claims he was eligible for family leave because he had worked more than 1,250 hours at the hotel restaurant during the year he'd been employed there. The suit seeks unspecified damages from Paris and the Crosby Street Hotel 'for intentional, outrageous and extreme conduct.' Neither Paris nor the hotel responded to requests for comment. | Executive chef at a luxe Manhattan hotel Anthony Paris allegedly dismissed an employee who was caring for his sick wife .
Robert Esselborn's wife of 16 years Barbara became seriously ill on December 15 .
Paris and the HR department at the Crosby Street Hotel fired Esselborn just over a week later .
Barbara Esselborn died the next day .
Esselborn says he was entitled to family medical leave to care for his wife and their two children .
Paris has appeared on the Food Network's Chopped, winning the contest in 2010 . |
107,132 | 162a792d0598bce2739e1f570d5744ece8936d13 | Mentally ill Justin Massler wanted to 'talk some sense' into model's husband . Massler, 29, said he would 'go down in a hail of bullets' By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 6:08 AM on 10th February 2012 . A mentally ill man admitted today to terrorising Ivanka Trump with a barrage of creepy emails, tweets and online videos along with threatening to commit suicide in her Manhattan jewellery store. Justin Massler, who for months had been deemed psychologically unfit for trial, pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment and criminal contempt charges. He was sentenced at a Manhattan court to six months in prison which he has already served, plus five years of probation, during which . he must continue psychiatric treatment and medication. Obsession: Justin Massler (left) pleaded guilty at a Manhattan court after stalking Ivanka Trump (right). He was freed after having already served six months but was put on probation for five years . Dynasty: Ivanka with her billionaire father Donald Trump have taken court orders to prevent their schizophrenic stalker approaching them . Massler, from Reno, Nevada, had become fixated with Ms Trump, the daughter of tycoon Donald Trump and his ex-wife Ivana, saying in his dream life he wanted to marry her. Prosecutors said that his remarks had become ominous after he threatened to commit suicide in the model and businesswoman's store. During his two-year obsession, Massler also said he wanted to 'talk some sense into' her husband, . Jared Kushner and 'commandeer' the New York Observer which Mr Kushner publishes. According to the Manhattan district attorney's office, Massler wrote an email to the newspaper in August saying: 'I won't be ignored.' Double threats: Both Ivanka Trump and her publisher husband Jared Kushner were subjected to a barrage of emails, tweets and online videos from schizophrenic Justin Massler . Massler, 29, also said he would die before being caught and 'would go down in a hail of gunfire'. He posted bizarre YouTube clips in which he insisted aliens were forcing him to continue stalking the successful entrepreneur, according to the New York Post. Even after his arrest and a court order to stay away from Ivanka Trump, star of Celebrity Apprentice, and her family, Massler continued to try to contact them. Massler, who had his name legally changed to Cloud Starchaser and told authorities his address was 'a volcano in Hawaii', is schizophrenic and has a history of psychiatric hospitalizations, said his lawyer George Vomvolakis. Luxury lifestyle: Socialite Ivana Trump (left) and her daughter Ivanka at an event last year in New York . Massler was declared unfit to participate in court proceedings eight months ago but doctors concluded last month that his mental state had improved enough under medication for him to return to court. His lawyer said: 'When he's on his medication, he's fine. He's lucid, he's reasonable.' Massler also had to sign an order of protection barring him from any contact Ivanka Trump and her husband, along with father Donald and her siblings. Representatives for Ms Trump had no immediate comment. Ivanka Trump, who attended Georgetown University before going on to business school, is vice-president at her father's real estate company along with having her own jewellery, handbag and clothing lines. She married Jared Kushner in 2009 and last year had the couple's first child, a daughter named Arabella Rose. Bridal boutique: Ms Trump's flagship fashion store in New York was where her stalker Justin Massler threatened to commit suicide . | Mentally ill Justin Massler wanted to 'talk some sense' into model's husband .
Massler, 29, said he would 'go down in a hail of bullets' |
258,847 | db015b51bbacc42130a8144b1c759823eccdaa87 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 06:15 EST, 27 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:54 EST, 27 November 2012 . A terror alert was sparked at Miami International Airport after a Guatemalan man allegedly joked that he had dynamite in his luggage. Miami-Dade police said 63-year-old Alejandro Hurtado made the ill-advised joke yesterday when a ticket agent asked if he was carrying any hazardous materials, according to Fox News. When the agent told him he was calling police, Hurtado said he was only joking. Inappropriate: A Guatemalan man who made a joke about having explosives in his bag prompted the partial evacuation of Miami International Airport, shown here in this file picture . The Concourse was partially evacuated as bomb squad officers searched Hurtado's bag but found no explosives. Hurtado was taken into custody and charged with falsely reporting a bomb at an airport. Airport officials say the evacuation delayed one outgoing Avianca Airlines flight by an hour, as well as some arriving international planes. Bomb: When the ticket agent asked Mr Hurtado if he had any hazardous materials in his bag, he told them he had dynamite. File pictures . | 63-year-old told ticket agent he had a bomb in his bag .
When police were called, he said it was a joke .
Scare forced partial evacuation of Miami International Airport . |
86,476 | f570c08f3bdef3505927e87c3a249fccfc534151 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:59 EST, 14 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:53 EST, 15 October 2012 . The Reverend Paul Peverell’s flock happily contribute to collections during Sunday services. Yesterday, however, he turned the tables. Rev Pev, as he is affectionately known by his congregation, handed a £10 note from the church coffers to each parishioner who attended his Harvest Festival services. Pays to pray: Reverend Paul Peverell gave £10 to every member of his congregation who attended a harvest festival service at Christ Church in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire . Roll up! Rev Peverell hands out £10 notes yesterday to each member of his congregation during a harvest festival service . In return, the recipients were expected to use their windfall imaginatively towards acts of goodwill in the local community. His idea could be said to have . biblical origins. Some likened it to the Parable of the Talents, in . which a man shares out his wealth among three servants in a test of how . well they can use it in the service of God. Rev Peverell, vicar of Christ Church . in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, said: ‘It might be that they use that . £10 to buy ingredients to bake, then drop their efforts off where they . would be appreciated. Queuing up: Reverend Peverell said he wanted to keep the feel-good factor of the Olympics and Jubilee going and encourage acts of goodwill in the local community . Take note: The Rev Peverell instructed his parishioners to spend the money on someone in need . ‘Or they might take someone who is lonely for a coffee or to the cinema. I have given them lots of ideas.’ He expected to give out £1,500 in total but was keeping some money in reserve in case turn-out exceeded expectations. He said: ‘We have had a very positive . reaction from the congregation. No strangers turned up. I think they . thought they would have stood out like a sore thumb. A few people have refused to take the . money but said they will instead use their own to take part. It seems . the wrong way round, as usually members of the congregation give to the . church.’ Reverend Peverell expected to give out £1,500 in total with some money in reserve in case turn-out exceeded expectations . The vicar said he felt the initiative . might help sustain the feelgood factor left over by the Olympics and . Jubilee celebrations. He said the church often gave money . to big charities but this was a way of helping the immediate community. Rev Peverell said that he had faith that most of the money would be . passed on. He added: ‘There’s obviously a chance someone won’t pass it on. But for the ones that do, it will be worth it.’ | The Reverend Paul Peverell told his flock to spend it on someone in need .
He 'wanted to keep the feel-good factor of the Olympics and Jubilee going' |
173,357 | 6c59fbc70bf7984114c6c35abc2b2292d07a13d0 | The latest in a string of delays and alterations to the Affordable Care Act – nearly 30 in all –has the federal government deciding to delay penalizing about 500,000 Americans who have what President Obama recently called 'substandard' and 'junk' health insurance plans. Penalties scheduled to hit as many as 1.5 million such Americans who have not yet seen cancellation notices from their insurers were set to kick in just before the November 2014 congressional election. But now that deadline has been pushed back until five weeks before the 2016 presidential contest, creating a potential headache for Hillary Rodham Clinton – Obama's former secretary of state and his party's presumptive nominee to succeed him. Republicans immediately mocked the move as cynically political and designed to protect vulnerable liberals in Congress, noting Obama's quest to avoid a Republican-majority U.S. Senate when the dust settles eight months from now. If you like your plan, you can keep it -- until I'm nearly retired -- Obama seems to be saying, in a mvoe that Republicans are blasting as nakedly political . Ballgame: All eyes are on the U.S. Senate elections in November, after which Mitch McConnell (C) could become the new majority leader -- and the unpopular Obamacare law could propel Republicans to victory . Democrats fear that Americans frustrated with an Obamacare system that defied the president's many campaign promises, particularly his oft-stated pledge to protect those who wanted to keep their medical insurance plans and their doctors, will take it out on liberal legislators who voted for the law nearly more than four years ago. But the most the White House can do is delay the onset of chronic health insurance pain, not prevent it: Clinton or another Democrat will have to carry the Affordable Care Act's baggage into the 2016 election. Republican leaders met the announcement of the latest gear-shifting in Obamacare's implementation on Wednesday with rhetorical catcalls and we-told-you-sos. 'This move is a cynical ploy that delays thousands of insurance policy cancellations until after the elections,' said Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee, 'in the hopes that Americans won’t notice the spiking premiums and shrinking options they face under the president’s health care law.' 'Nothing, however,' Issa warned, 'can distract from the fact that the president blatantly broke his promise that "if you like your plan you can keep your plan."' House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia said in a statement that Democrats' worst fear is 'full implementation' of the Affordable Care Act. 'Time and again, the Obama Administration has shown its true colors by putting politics first and unilaterally delaying parts of the law to avoid political repercussions,' he sniped. 'Doesn't it say something that the authors of this legislation are worried that it's implemented before they face voters again?' Will she? Won't she? (Will she still want to?) Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, will have to carry Obamacare's baggage into a presidential contest if she runs . Health insurance policies that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney derided just months ago as 'substandard' will be acceptable until just before the 2016 presidential election . The net effect of Wednesday's announcement is that many Americans will be permitted to keep health insurance policies which, for a variety of reasons, don't meet the Affordable Care Act's standards. A senior White House staffer told CNBC that the number could reach 1.5 million . President Obama railed against those options throughout 2013, and administration figures have called them 'substandard' and 'junk insurance.' Explainer: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the latest sudden Obamacare policy shift represented a way for the government to ease the pain of transition . Those policyholders will be permitted to renew their plans through October 1, 2016, pushing their coverage well into 2017. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement that her agency's shifting policy would 'implement the health care law in a common-sense way by continuing to smooth the transition for consumers and stakeholders and fixing problems wherever the law provides flexibility.' 'This comprehensive guidance will help ensure that consumers, employers and insurers have the information they need to plan for next year,' she added, 'and make it easier for families to make decisions to access quality, affordable coverage.' The nuts and bolts of the regulatory walk-back are complicated. President Obama declared late in 2013 that Americans who wanted to keep their plans could do so, and Wednesday's move is an extension of that one. But by the time the president changed course last year, at least 5 million taxpayers had already received cancellation letters from insurance companies whose offerings didn't meet with Obamacare's strict minimum requirements. Not everyone can benefit from the White House's suddenly relaxed posture toward what will qualify as a 'compliant' insurance policy. State insurance commissioners, not the president, decide whether to allow insurers to continue offering plans from one year to the next. And the insurance companies are under no obligation to sell those plans in 2014. But to conservatives who smell the latest drops of blood in the water, the White House appears mired in a posture dedicated more to winning elections than to seeing Obamacare through. The move 'reeks of politics,' a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said. Gloves come off: House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said the Obama administration's move on Wednesday 'reeks of politics' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared it a 'desperate move to protect vulnerable Democrats in national elections later this year.' McConnell will likely become the Senate majority leader if Republicans gain six seats in November – and he survives his own tough election challenge from Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. On the other side of the U.S. Capitol, House Republicans, still angry that the Obamacare law's 'individual mandate' tax remains in effect for the 2014 tax year, staged a protest vote on Wednesday. Twenty-seven Democrats joined them, passing a bill by a 250-160 margin that would delay those penalties for individual taxpayers. The measure faces certain death in the Democrat-controlled Senate. | Next deadline for 'substandard' health care plans to disappear has moved from just before the 2014 election to just before the 2016 election .
Republicans mocked the move as cynically political, noting President Obama's desire to maintain Democrats' control of the U.S. Senate in the fall .
Democrats fear an angry public facing new health insurance costs and burdens will turn out in force to send them packing on Election Day .
Obama's party may take a hit five weeks before the 2016 presidential contest, when Hillary Clinton or another Democrat will have to answer to contented holders of what the White House calls 'junk' plans . |
132,112 | 36dc0f6da8b2f2e3324ea38eb0a7a7d0c430129d | It looks like any recession-hit high street, with a ladies’ hair salon, a cut-price TV store and, in between, a disused kebab shop. But secreted above the shuttered premises that once sold Middle Eastern food is an altogether different import from the Arab world. The cramped flat in Cricklewood, North West London, is now the centre of operations for Egypt’s once-mighty Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood are reported to have set up their new headquarters above a disused kebab shop on Cricklewood high-street . It is from here that the . controversial Islamist organisation, expelled from power in a bloody . military coup in Cairo, is plotting its comeback. The . Brotherhood’s leader, deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, is in . jail following last July’s coup in which more than 1,000 died in street . clashes. But it still has the support of millions across the Arab world . and has been given shelter on Cricklewood Broadway by an Islamic . charity. President Mohamed Morsi faces trial for alleged treason after being forced from office, but his supporters are plotting a fightback from their London office . Yesterday, a . Brotherhood official denied it was using the down-at-heel premises. The . man, who would not give his name, told the Daily Mail: ‘This is the . offices of a legitimate business and nothing more.’ But . Mohamed Ghanem, 68, the expatriate Egyptian who has run the non-profit . World Media Services for more than 20 years, confirmed: ‘This is an . Islamic charity and we have same values of the Muslim Brotherhood. So . when their members had to leave Egypt, we helped them.’ Regulars . at an Algerian cafe across the road are in no doubt that the flat is . the organisation’s command centre. One said: ‘The Muslim Brotherhood . have been there for just under a year. The . leaders come and go throughout the day and the evening. Sometimes you . see them coming out with Muslim Brotherhood banners, on their way to . demonstrations.’ The HQ is . run by relatives of two Morsi aides who were arrested with him. One . official, who asked to remain anonymous, said London was ‘the capital of . a free democracy that values human rights and social justice’. Another . said: ‘We look forward to seeing those values brought back to Egypt . once our democracy is restored and our freedom from dictatorship and . repression won.’ Muslim . Brotherhood official Ibrahim Mounir, who is based in the UK, says that . while the organisation’s highest orders still come from Cairo, the . London office is a hub where members can meet in safety. ‘It is our objective that the coup leaders are held accountable for their atrocities,’ he said. Founded in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood advocates Sharia law and rejects Western values. It made its name fighting British rule in Egypt and was linked to the 1981 assassination of President Sadat. It won the elections following the 2011 Egyptian revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Mr . Morsi became Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, only to be . ousted by the coup after the Brotherhood’s disastrous rule left Egypt . divided and close to ruin. | Muslim Brotherhood in disarray after President Morsi forced from power .
Restrictions put on their operations in Egypt so they move to London .
A small flat above a disused kebab shop chosen to be headquarters . |
3,725 | 0ac2cb5ad039f37fc3fe8da10dd585ace769dee0 | Police shot a 17-year-old who opened fire during a high school football game between two local rivals. Eugene Brantley was hit in the arm by officers after interrupting the game between Mays and Carver high schools at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday night. Witnesses say there were about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter when they started hearing gunshots from outside the stadium. Stopped: This is the dramatic moment a police officer restrained 17-year-old Eugene Brantley on the side of a football pitch after he opened fire during a game between two high school football rivals . Response: Officers swarm around Brantley who was shot in the arm after interrupting the game between Mays and Carver high schools at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia . Some said around a dozen were fired as terrified players, cheerleaders and spectators tried to flee the scene. Brantley was then shot and was subsequently restrained by police on the track circling the outfield. Jonathan Gooch told WXIA. 'The first two went off and everyone stopped and started looking around thinking there can't be gunshots. 'After the next five, six, seven, all the players started running, all the coaches started running, all the officials jumped down to the ground, the cheerleaders didn't know where to go.' The game was called off after the ordeal, however because of play off implications, they will have to reschedule the game and start from the point where it was abandoned/ . Atlanta Public Schools have canceled or moved all high school and middle school games scheduled to be played at the stadium Saturday. In the aftermath, Brantley was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, obstruction, reckless conduct and carrying a weapon on school property. He was taken to hospital following the shooting and is said to be still receiving treatment. It is the second shooting at a school in the area this month. On Octber 3, Kristofer Hunter, a 17-year-old student was shot to death in the parking lot outside of Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn following a game. Dropped: Police retrieved a gun from the frenzied scene and then took the 17-year-old into custody . Reaction: Players, cheerleaders and spectators were forced to flee the scene at Lakewood Stadium with witnesses saying they heard at least a dozen shots . Detained: After police arrived at the scene and shot Brantleym, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, obstruction, reckless conduct and carrying a weapon on school property . | Eugene Brantley interrupted game at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta .
He was shot in the arm by officers and then restrained on the running track .
Match was between two long-time rivals Mays and Carver high schools .
Witnesses say a dozen shots were fired before police took him down .
Frenzied spectators and players were forced to flee the scene .
Game was immediately abandoned and will now be rearranged .
Is the second shooting in the Atlanta area in the last month . |
155,653 | 5533860667ecec4fa95d3984f7ead91a9e9ee5cf | (CNN) -- Long established as the premier portal for sound, your ears are facing increased competition from emerging techniques for transmission through your skeleton. Bone conduction has rapidly become a critical asset for treatment of hearing loss. While a new generation of cochlear implants has had spectacular success in recent years, they rely on air conduction and the patient possessing a functional pathway from outer to inner ear. For patients with severely damaged pathways, such implants offer no solution. Baha (bone anchored hearing aids) units work by passing sound from a microphone to a magnet or implant beneath a patient's skin, which is converted into vibrations in the skull and eventually arrives at the inner ear. This process extends the miracle of restored hearing to victims of such conditions as microtia or atresia, where the ear or canal is closed or deformed. "It's the natural spectrum of sound compared with traditional hearing", says Brian Walshe, spokesperson of hearing treatment company Cochlear. "Even with amplification it's the same, there's no distortion." The company recently launched a wireless Baha set, an indication of the technology's progress and growing popularity. Implants have become smaller and less invasive, while cosmetics have improved so that the system can be worn without advertising it. Bone conduction is not a new discovery. Ludwig Van Beethoven overcame deafness by biting a metal rod attached to his piano to hear his work. Neither do they need to be compensation for disability - such systems have been used by military in environments that require awareness as well as audio instructions. A member of the SEAL team which killed Osama Bin Laden wrote in his autobiography that bone conduction communication was critical to co-ordinating the raid. The innovation is beginning to seep into consumer electronics. In the early 2000s, headphone sets appeared that played music via the user's bones, but the systems were hamstrung by high cost and low quality, with common complaints about muffled and distorted sound. The makers of Aftershokz believe they have solved those problems with a unit that retails for $79. "The difficulty for bone conduction has been transmitting vibrations through bone with enough power for music, you need to be on the 20 - 20,000 Hz frequency range," says CEO Bruce Borenstein. "We have been able to power dual transducers with enough vibration to make the sound musical, which has been our big breakthrough." The bone conduction system offers key safety advantages over traditional earphones, by leaving the user's ears free so that they are not distracted from their environment. It is even possible to drive wearing them, as they comply with the legal requirement to be able to hear on the road. The Audiology Foundation of America have also supported the concept, stating that it causes less damage to the ears than ear buds. A flood of competitors are entering the market and innovation is not limited to headphones. Google Glass are using bone conduction rather than ear buds for their speaker system, although there have been teething problems. Multiple patents are emerging for underwater and deep sea communication systems, and the technology has become cheap and accessible enough to be viable for novelty items such as talking pillows. The field has even expanded to offer audio communications through diverse body parts including the teeth and eyes. "In theory you can hear from anywhere", says Dr. Sunil Puria, ear biomechanics expert at Stanford University. "Although practically there would be disruption by having to pass through soft tissue depending on the point of contact." The technology has offered a new dimension to advertisers, with BBDO trialling a system on German trains that plays targeted messages to commuters as they lean against the window. The company claim a positive public reaction, and promise the concept will deliver social benefits through delivering announcements and emergency warnings. But the scheme has been controversial, with civil liberty activists arguing it is invasive and delivers content without consent. Dr. Puria foresees another ethical concern. "As it vibrates your skull to generate sound, others around you can also potentially hear a message sent to you, so there will be privacy issues. That's a problem that needs to be solved." But he believes the major technological hurdles have been overcome. "There has been tremendous progress, from miniaturization, to wearable and wireless, so that we have reached the holy grail of not requiring earphones." From medicine to entertainment, from reef diving to sleeping in our beds, we may have to get used to a whole new set of voices in our head. Read more from Make, Create, Innovate: . Stealing from nature: Incredible new tech inspired by biology . Forget wearable tech, embeddable implants are already here . This 'Star Trek'-style molecular sensor fits in your hand, reads your food . | Bone conduction technology is helping some people with hearing loss to hear again .
But it could soon improve the lives of people with healthy hearing too .
Google Glass uses it to communicate with users without blocking the ear .
Talking pillows, safer headphones, and underwater music are all in the pipeline . |
170,594 | 68d392ad903a070c5eb8a75200912ef0bcb118ee | Secret service agents raided a chain of hotels in Istanbul looking for the wife of one of the Paris terrorists two days before the attacks began, it emerged last night. Dozens of officials stormed the Bade Otel in Istanbul looking for Hayat Boumeddiene, the world’s most wanted woman whose husband Amedy Coulibaly went on to shoot dead a policewoman and execute four hostages at a Jewish deli. The agents from Turkey’s National’s Intelligence Organisation (MIT) swooped on the chain’s four hotels on January 5 but the jihadi bride had already checked out and begun her journey to the Syrian border by then. Scroll down for video . Missed opportunity: The Turkish secret service raided the Bade Otel in Istanbul (left) on January 5 - but suspected terror mastermind Hayat Boumeddiene (right) had already checked out on her way to Syria . Lair: Room 102 of the Bade Otel in Istanbul, where Boumeddiene stayed days before agents arrived . Two days after the raid, the Kouachi brothers – Cherif, 32, and Said, 34, who were in the same terror cell as the couple – killed 12 at the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices. The counter-terror operation will now be considered a missed opportunity to capture Boumeddiene, 26, and possibly prevent the terror attacks she is believed to have masterminded. The French are said to have received a number of warnings before the attacks took place. Algerian intelligence sources warned their French counterparts on January 6 of the expected attack on the Charlie Hedbo offices that took place the next day. Boumeddiene arrived at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport on January 2 and checked into the budget £40 a night hotel in the city’s Kadikoy district. But she arrived in Sanliurfa, a southern town close to the Syrian border, on January 4. Naim Sonmez, the owner of the hotel chain told how on January 5 ‘dozens of men marched into reception’. He said: ‘One of them took out their identification badge and said, “We are from MIT and we can’t give you any information”. They took everyone out of the hotel. Staff, cleaning ladies. Even customers were taken out of their rooms by the agents. Arrival: Boumeddiene (right) flew into Istanbul on January 2 and was caught on the airport's CCTV footage . Failures: There are questions over whether Boumeddiene could have been detected sooner by authorities . ‘They searched for everything. They took all our records from reception for the previous month. They took all our documents and CCTV. The agents copied our CCTV and then wiped the entire footage clean. It is now blank.’ He said they did the same thing at all four of his hotels. The father, who is in his 50s, said he only realised the significance of the raid when he saw television reports saying that Boumeddiene had stayed in Istanbul before making her way to Syria. Another worker at the hotel added: ‘Staff were interviewed by the officers about two people who were supposed to be staying at hotel.’ A shopkeeper opposite said he noticed a lot of police activity in the area in the days before the raid. The man, who did not want to be named, said: ‘On the day of the raid I saw about a dozen men go inside and more wait outside.’ The Turkish government claims they gave France intelligence relating to Boumeddiene even before they were asked. Marriage: Boumeddiene and her husband Amedy Coulibaly, who killed four in a kosher deli in Paris . Armed: The veiled widow aims a crossbow at the camera in an image believed to have been taken in 2010 . Yesterday the foster family of France’s most wanted woman have told how they desperately tried to block her marriage to Coulibaly but failed because she was ‘deeply in love’ him. The Muslim family cared for Boumeddiene for eight years, after her mother died and her father struggled to cope. She lived at their home, a modest semi-detached house in a poor suburb of Paris on and off between the ages of eight and 17. Previous life: The jihadi couple on holiday before Boumeddiene's commitment to radical Islamism . Speaking from the home yesterday, they told of a ‘normal’ happy child, who enjoyed holidays and nature but who severed ties with them after her marriage to Coulibaly. Last week he shot dead an unarmed trainee policewoman and murdered four hostages at a Jewish deli as part of a coordinated terror strike in Paris. Boumeddiene, now 26, is suspected of helping plan the attacks, and is now thought to be in Syria with Islamic State fighters. Her foster family last night pleaded with her to come home. Speaking for the first time, her foster brother, now in his 30s, said the family had done everything possible to block the marriage to Coulibaly, a petty criminal who converted to Islam and became radicalised while in prison. ‘We tried everything to avoid this wedding and did everything to convince her not to marry this man,’ he said, adding: ‘She was very in love I think. The family said the last time they spoke to Boumeddiene was in October, when she called to congratulate her foster parents on their recent pilgrimage to Mecca. Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday Coulibaly’s hatred of police may have stemmed from an incident in 2000, when his best friend, 19 year-old Ali Rezgui was shot five times as they tried to flee from officers after attempting to steal motorbikes from a garage in the Parisian suburb of Grigny. Coulibaly suffered ‘profound guilt and anger’ in the aftermath, the dead boy’s lawyer said. | Dozens of officials swept on Bade Otel chain in Istanbul on January 5 .
But Hayat Boumeddiene had already checked out on her way to Syria .
Days later, her husband killed four hostages at kosher deli in Paris .
Boumeddiene, 26, is believed to have masterminded the terror attacks . |
202,675 | 92696d13e9b9123d09f9b86fad92dc5383532925 | By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 09:44 EST, 9 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:50 EST, 9 March 2014 . A reformed thug donated his kidney to a mother-of-three in an attempt to atone for his violent past. Peter Farrell, 42, admitted he was still haunted by the fact that as a young man he would beat up men who owed him money, and on one occasion was seen doing so by his victim's young son. The incident shocked him into renouncing violence, but wanted to make up for his actions by donating one of his kidneys to Saira Khan, 41 - becoming one of Britain's first Good Samaritan donors. Donor: Peter Farrell, from east London has become one of Britain's first Good Samaritan donors after choosing to give his kidney to Saira Khan . Mr Farrell underwent the operation last month, saying he wanted to fulfill a promise made to his grandmother, who died 10 years ago, that he would do something good in his life after his violent actions as a younger man. 'I was very cruel. I used to hurt people. I used to beat up people for money,' he told The Sunday Times. Father-of-four Mr Farrell, from east London, said that his grandmother had stood by him despite his violent escapades, and that he wanted to honour her request that he did something positive in his life. Mr Farrell said donating his kidney had brought him closer to his family, and had made them 'proud' of him. Mrs Khan, who suffered from kidney failure, had been searching for a donor since 2011, even advertising online in her attempt to find one. Members of her family, including her solicitor husband Omar, were tested to see if they were a match, but none were. Mr Farrell, who has worked as a barman and builder, did not know Mrs Khan, from south London, although he had met her Mr Khan previously. Surgery: Mrs Khan, who has three children aged nine, four and three, is now recovering from her surgery on February 12, at St George's Hospital, Tooting . Mr Khan had mentioned his wife's illness, prompting Mr Farrell to take action to help her, and he is one of the first donors in the country to choose which stranger is given an organ. He said: 'Without a doubt, giving my kidney is the best thing I have ever done in my life. I am so happy for her and her kids.' Mrs Khan, who has three children aged nine, four and three, is now recovering from her surgery on February 12, at St George's Hospital, Tooting. She believes that if would-be donors knew who their organ would be going to they would be more willing to donate. She said. 'He [Farrell] has saved my life. No one in my family could do it and he is a complete stranger.' The NHS has previously directed altruistic donors to give their organs anonymously and the donor and recipient were banned from knowing each others' identity until after the operation, and with both giving consent for their names to be revealed. There have only be 16 'directed altruistic' donations approved by the Human Tissue Authority, although it is not known how many have led directly to operations. All organ donations from living people in the UK must be approved by the HTA, based on criteria set by Parliament. The HTA ensures donors are aware of the risks associated with transplants, that they have not been offered any reward to donate and have not been put under pressure to do so. Potential donors and recipients are interviewed by an Independent Assessor who then submits a report to the HTA. During 2012/13 the HTA approved 104 non-directed cases, a rise from 38 in the previous year. Altogether, the HTA approved 1243 living organ donation cases in 2012/13, up from 1217 in 2011/12, inclduing 1047 ‘directed’ kidney donations. 'Giving someone an organ is a brave and amazing gift: to do it for someone whom you don't know is doubly so, and the huge increase in people will do so is incredible,' said an HTA spokesman. 'The HTA works on more living donation cases every year, and we expect this to continue.' | Peter Farrell, 42, chose to donate his kidney to Saira Khan, 41 .
Father-of-four wanted to atone for his actions as a young man when he beat up men who owed him money .
Mrs Khan had kidney failure and spent three years searching for a donor .
Only 16 'directed altruistic' donations have been approved by the Human Tissue Authority . |
278,317 | f488cafaa1c8d351fef193ffe958f22b7fa37c2a | (CNN) -- As the world knows, peace can sometimes be fleeting. One-time basketball bad boy Ron Artest, who changed his name to Metta World Peace and said it was meaningful and inspirational, was ejected Sunday from the Los Angeles Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder game for hitting James Harden in the head with his elbow. After scoring against the Thunder in the second quarter, World Peace was cheering his own shot when he hit the Oklahoma City guard in the back of the head, knocking him down. Watch the NBA.com video of the hit . Harden was on the floor for several minutes, and did not return to the game after being diagnosed with a concussion, according to the Thunder. World Peace was ejected from the game and faces possible suspension. The Lakers won 114-106 over the Thunder in double overtime. "During that play I just dunked on (Kevin Durant) and (Serge) Ibaka, and I got really emotional and excited. It was unfortunate that James had to get hit with an unintentional elbow," World Peace told reporters after the game. "I hope he's OK. The Thunder, they're playing for a championship this year, so I hope that he's OK and I apologize to the Thunder and to James Harden," he said. Hours later, World Peace tweeted that he watched the replay again: "Oooo .. My celebration of the dunk really was too much ... Didn't even see James ... Omg... Looks bad." Harden told ABC's Lisa Salters he had "a little bit of a headache." On Monday, the Thunder said Harden was undergoing testing. "Harden participated in a series of limited activities per NBA guidelines, but has additional steps that must be taken under the league-mandated concussion policy before he can make his return to the court," the team statement said. "He will be re-evaluated tomorrow and is currently listed as day-to-day." World Peace's act was called "disgraceful" by game commentators, and sports analysts said the behavior was reminiscent of the ball player they once knew as Ron Artest. "He has gone to such lengths to rehabilitate his image, and to revert back to this? He lost control," said Michael Wilbon, an ESPN analyst. Sports fans were baffled, some even amused, when World Peace announced last year that he planned to legally change his name from Ron Artest. "Ron Artest has contemplated the name change for years and always knew that he wanted his last name to be World Peace. But it took many years of research and soul searching to find a first name that was both personally meaningful and inspirational," his publicist said at the time. Back when World Peace was still Artest and playing for the Indiana Pacers, he made headlines in 2004 for his role in a brawl between players and fans at a Pacers-Pistons game after somebody threw a drink on him. The NBA suspended Artest for 86 games. Fast forward to September 2011, when Artest announced the name change. Even before it was finalized by the court, World Peace was working on making the world a more peaceful place. In 2011, he raffled off his 2010 NBA Championship ring to help mentally ill youths. For his work with the youth, he was given the NBA's citizenship award for philanthropic work. A star turn on "Dancing With the Stars" garnered the basketball player a new legion of fans. But in the world, peace sometimes comes with a price: The NBA is now reviewing World Peace's less than peaceable actions. | NEW: The Oklahoma City Thunder says James Harden is undergoing testing .
World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers knocks down Thunder's Harden .
World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, is ejected from the Lakers-Thunder game .
Harden tells ABC he has "a little bit of a headache" |
169,569 | 67734a71118c2acd8872600b5c99a12eea2e128d | Bungling: Andrew Cushman took a bath during a raid on a home and helped himself to a microwave dinner . A burglar who took a bath during a raid on a home and helped himself to a microwave dinner has been jailed for nearly four years. Andrew Cushman was caught after taking a soak in the tub and having dinner at a house he broke into in Chatham, Kent, on October 20 last year. Maidstone Crown Court heard how the 40-year-old serial burglar had sneaked into the house through the window and helped himself to various electronic items and tools. But before leaving the house he ran himself a bath and cooked himself dinner before trying to sneak out. However, his luck ran out when he was spotted by a neighbour - who wouldn't have noticed him had Cushman not spent more than an hour relaxing in the tub and eating a microwave meal. The neighbour approached the crook and demanded to know what he was doing in the house, when Cushman punched him in the head and ran off. The neighbour called the owner - a woman with small children - telling her she had been burgled and she came home to find her house 'trashed', with food gone from her freezer, the microwave splattered with food and her bath covered in dirt. The court heard how drug addict Cushman, of no fixed abode, was arrested after police discovered a hypodermic needle with his DNA on it in a cot of one of the victim's children. Detective Constable Steve Day of Kent Police, said: 'Cushman is a prolific career criminal with numerous convictions for burglary dwellings. 'He has had a significant impact on people's lives in the past with his criminal offending and in this case, entering a property and leaving needles around the house, including in a child's bed, is beyond contempt. 'This sentence should send a clear message out to burglary offenders in Medway that criminals will be dealt with robustly and that Kent Police will do everything in its power to make the public feel safe in their homes.' Guilty: Cushman was jailed for nearly four years at Maidstone Crown Court. He was trapped by DNA evidence from a discarded needle . Cushman denied two counts of burglary and common assault, but was found guilty and jailed for a total of three years and nine months. A spokesman for Kent Police said: 'A prolific burglar that took a bath and cooked food during a break-in at a house in Chatham has been jailed for nearly four years. 'When she (the victim) returned home she found the house had been trashed, food had been eaten, the microwave used and a number of hypodermic needles left around the house, including one in a child's cot. 'It was also found the intruder had decided to take a bath. 'A neighbour walking past the house at the time stopped after noticing the property had been trashed and confronted Cushman who was seen coming out of the house with some tools. 'The man asked him what he was doing and when he tried to look in the property, Cushman punched him in the side of the head. 'The man hit him back before running into the property to check if the occupant and her children were in and Cushman ran off.' He added: 'Officers sent the needles off for forensic identification which confirmed they were Cushman's.' | Andrew Cushman stole tools and electrical items from empty home .
Before he left he had a soak and a meal .
He also left hypodermic needles in a child's cot .
The 40-year-old has now been jailed for four years . |
267,424 | e655a0425b6f1d0671024c25b6859e624153c0de | Some lawmakers are rethinking their support of controversial anti-piracy bills that led to some websites shutting down in protest. The protest was in response to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill, a piece of proposed legislation that is working its way through Congress. A Senate committee approved a similar bill in May called the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which is now pending before the full Senate. The protest seemed to change the minds of lawmakers, including those that had strongly backed the bills in the past. "We can find a solution that will protect lawful content. But this bill is flawed & that's why I'm withdrawing my support. #SOPA #PIPA," Republican Sen. Roy Blunt wrote on his official Twitter page. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who was an initial co-sponsor of PIPA, reversed his position. "I have decided to withdraw my support for the Protect IP Act. Furthermore, I encourage Senator Reid to abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor. Instead, we should take more time to address the concerns raised by all sides, and come up with new legislation that addresses Internet piracy while protecting free and open access to the Internet," Rubio wrote on a Facebook post. Rep Lee Terry, R-Nebraska, an original co-sponsor of SOPA, also said he had changed his view. "Thank you for your concern about #SOPA. I have asked to have my name removed from the bill. However, the economic impact of IP theft is real and a solution is needed," Terry wrote on Facebook. Later Thursday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined the newly minted opponents of the bill. He had not previously voiced an opinion on the legislation. "While we must combat the online theft of intellectual property, current proposals in Congress raise serious legal, policy and operational concerns," McConnell said in a news release. "Rather than prematurely bringing the Protect IP Act to the Senate floor, we should first study and resolve the serious issues with this legislation." Share your thoughts on SOPA and PIPA on iReport . Wikipedia, one of the websites that shut down on Wednesday, returned Thursday with the message: "Thank you for protecting Wikipedia. We're not done yet." Clicking on that message takes a Wikipedia viewer to a thank you letter and instructions on how to continue fighting against anti-piracy bills that critics say could amount to censorship. "Your voice was loud and strong," the message said. "Millions of people have spoken in defense of a free and open Internet." (Why Wikipedia went down at midnight) On Wednesday, instead of the usual encyclopedia articles, visitors to Wikipedia's English-language site were greeted by a message about the decision to black out its Web page for an entire day. However, users were able to access its mobile site on some smartphones. Boing Boing, a blog that took part in Wednesday's online protest but returned on Thursday, said the U.S. Senate was considering legislation that would "certainly kill us forever. The legislation ... would put us in legal jeopardy if we linked to a site anywhere online that had any links to copyright infringement." "In the past, the media industry has often gone after particular infringers -- people who have downloaded stuff off the Internet and sharing it. And now they're going after websites that link to these things," Rob Beschizza, Boing Boing's managing editor, said Wednesday. "The bill is supposed to let copyright holders get court orders against them, and there's all sorts of various measures for getting sites blacklisted or blocked. "The problem is that the measures are so wide-ranging and so open to abuse that we're worried that sites like ours could be brought down by frivolous claims," he said. While not blacking out its home page, search giant Google joined the cause by covering its famous logo with a black rectangle and urging visitors, "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the web!" SOPA's supporters -- including CNN's parent company, Time Warner, and groups such as the MPAA -- say that online piracy leads to U.S. job losses because it deprives content creators of income. The bill's supporters dismiss accusations of censorship, saying the legislation is meant to revamp a broken system that doesn't adequately prevent criminal behavior. But SOPA critics say the bill's backers don't understand the Internet's architecture, and therefore don't appreciate the implications of the legislation they're considering. The controversy over SOPA and PIPA has turned into an all-out war between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Media companies have united in favor of the bills, while tech's power players are throwing their might into opposing them. (Hundreds turn out for SOPA protest in New York) "Both SOPA and PIPA are threats not just to the U.S. economy, and not just to all the jobs that this tech sector creates, but if they had existed, Steve Huffman and I could have never founded Reddit," said Alexis Ohanian, who co-founded the site. Millions visit Reddit to submit interesting links from websites, discuss them and vote on them, he said, calling it "sort of a democratic front page of the web." Reddit also went dark Wednesday morning and was back Thursday. One member of Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, who opposes the bills, said the unprecedented blackouts had "turned the tide against a backroom lobbying effort by interests that aren't used to being told no." Issa is pushing for consideration of his own plan, the OPEN Act, addressing the matter. (OPEN Act: An experiment in digital democracy) | SOPA, PIPA bills lose support on Capitol Hill .
Wikipedia back online after day of protest over anti-piracy legislation .
Wikipedia's website: "We're not done yet."
Controversy over online piracy pits Hollywood, tech companies . |
242,104 | c555566f083411faaa4b2dda3f41dea571ce3c57 | By . Deni Kirkova . John Lewis have appointed a new set of 'little' product experts to help design a toys and interiors collection for little ones. The so-called Little Panel consists of six 6 and 7 year olds who will help to shape the department store's Children's Rooms homeware range. Three boys and three girls from East London's Maryland Primary School in Stratford, will name new product items as well as writing product descriptions which can be easily understood by children of the same age. John Lewis' Little Panel, (left to right) Jasmine Rannie, 6, Lorenzo Hindley-Quattrini, 7, Teodora Buljcik, 7, Omar Kamran, 6, Julia Aleksandrowick, 7, and Kai Prasal, 7 . a duvet cover designed by the panelists, will now go into production ahead of going on sale in September of this year. In addition, descriptions written by the panel will appear on product packaging and on the John Lewis website. The children have also named four products, including Mr Sharky the shark bean bag and Tommy the toy monkey. Omar Kamran, aged 6, who named the shark bean bag said: 'I always go shopping with my mum and dad and now I am part of it as my opinions count.' Kai Prasal, aged 7, who has designed a new duvet cover, said: 'It's good giving toys names, because that's how they come alive. Teodora and Kai test out the new Children's Room department . 'I like my rainbow design as it has got lots of bright colours and is nice to look at. It was very exciting and I feel very lucky to do it.' The duvet cover, featuring a rainbow design, will be available online from September 2014. Dr Pat Spungin, Child Psychologist said: 'Children start to assert their independence and individuality from a very young age. 'With toddlers it is often tantrums and saying no, but as children grow older they're more comfortable expressing their personality. 'One of the ways in which they can do this is by choosing how to decorate their own personal space, their bedroom. 'Being able to choose among different furnishing styles, gives a child the feeling of independence and self-confidence that comes from making an important decision.' Aleksandra Zivkovic-Buljcik, Teodora Buljcik's mother, said: 'It's fantastic to see a retailer such as John Lewis involving children in product decisions. 'Over the last few years Teodora has developed her own taste and interests, for example, she particularly likes owls, so is naturally drawn to products that include them. 'I believe it's important as a parent to listen to your child's opinion and let them express their creativity when decorating their own private space. 'Teodora thinks in her own way, and I try to nurture this. I encourage her choices as this is how she expresses her personality and what makes her special.' Teodora, Lorenzo, Kai, Omar, Jasmine and Julia with Luke Arnold, Department Manager for Nurseries at John Lewis . Lorna . Jackson, Head Teacher at Maryland Primary School, said: 'It has been a . fantastic opportunity for the children, who have really enjoyed being . involved. 'We . see children develop their own personal taste at a young age, and we . encourage them to express their personalities as much as possible.' A John Lewis spokesperson said: . 'Children very much like to be involved in the design process of their . rooms, and are naturally very creative. This year we decided to work . with a small group of children to find out exactly what they want for . their bedrooms. With the help from our 'Little Panel', we will aim to . make buying children's homewares easier for parents and more fun for the . kids themselves.' The ongoing partnership will see children being being consulted for their input on new ranges and products. The children will not be paid but all of the Little Panel get to keep all the toys and products that they test - and of course full consent has been granted by all parents involved. The project is been part of their art project, so hasn’t taken anytime out of their school day. The initiative launched this week and will be piloted at the John Lewis Stratford store. The new duvet cover designed by the children can be found online from September 2014. Kai and Teodora with Deborah Kasozi, Nursery Sales Assistant. The pair are helping design the range . | The so-called Little Panel consists of six 6 and 7 year olds .
3 boys and 3 girls will help with store's Children's Rooms homeware . |
145,742 | 48741677148fd0d89982f51fa03d803760cbc264 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 2:17 AM on 2nd July 2011 . Oh, the pain. After all the waiting, the excitement and anticipation, Andy Murray’s name stays off the Wimbledon champions’ board for another year. The prospect of seeing a Brit in the final for the first time in 73 years – and maybe even its first champion since 1936 – was snatched away by the mighty Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the semi-final for the second year in a row. The 24-year-old Scot finished close to tears after winning the first set, then being overwhelmed by Nadal’s power. Going out: Murray's initial confidence in the match turns to misery . Down and out: Andy Murray shows his frustration on his way to a four-set defeat at the hands of Nadal . Depressing scenes: Fans watch Murray slip away with barely a whimper as Nadal ends his resistance . Number one: Rafael Nadal's progress to the final is assured after a commanding performance on Centre Court . In the dumps: The faces of Murray's mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears reflect his woes . But he can still hold his head high . as the best British player in decades – and the way his game has . improved, he will have many more chances of Grand Slam glory. Asked if he had cried, Murray, who . also lost in the semis two years ago, to Andy Roddick, replied: ‘Not . today.’ What was it like to get this far and lose? ‘It’s tough,’ he . said. ‘But I’m giving it my best shot each time and I’m trying my . hardest – that’s all you can do.’ Of Nadal, he said: ‘He’s one of the best players ever, and a great athlete on top of that.’ Gracious: The Scot congratulates Nadal on his triumph . See you next year: Murray salutes the crowd at Wimbledon as he bows out . Nadal told the BBC: ‘Seriously, I . feel sad for Andy. Against him I have to play my best to have any chance . and that’s what I had to do today.’ Asked what Murray needs to do to win a major, he said: ‘I think he’s playing well enough, probably a little more luck.’ The 25-year-old reigning champion . destroyed Murray’s new-found confidence, returning some seemingly . impossible balls to earn a final clash with Novak Djokovic. Team Murray: Andy's mother Judy and his girlfriend Kim Sears arrive on Centre Court for his semi-final match, while former athlete Denise Lewis enjoys the action . Beautiful day: Stunning Pippa Middleton enjoys the tense semi-final . Nadal's ladies: Mother of Rafael Nadal, Ana Maria, left, his girlfriend Xisca Perello, centre, and his sister Maria Isabel during the semi final match . Nadal turned the clock back to reveal . flashes of the swearing, uncontrolled, cap-throwing Murray which had . rarely been seen this year. Murray’s defeat wiped out all that . talk of comparison to Fred Perry, the last Brit to win the title in . 1936, and Bunny Austin, the last to get to the final two years later. Naturally the women in his life – mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears – saw every second of it from the players’ box. Celebrity fans: Kelly Brook and boyfriend Thom Evans enjoy the action . Fans were in confident mood ahead of Murray's semi-final with Rafael Nadal . Not alone: Fans of the Spanish sensation also flocked to Wimbledon to support their idol . Their faces became the barometer for . Murray’s progress, then the lack of it. Judy clapped with hands aloft . and shouted: ‘You can do it!’ to gee him up; leapt to her feet to share . moments of triumph; then became increasingly grim-faced. Kim sat in . silent synchronisation alongside her and spent a great deal of time . nervously tossing her hair. Whatever happens in the future, the . cliffhanger match they witnessed will be remembered as the day Murray . looked as if he might do it. But even with the nation’s hopes . pinned on him, the prospect apparently wasn’t worthy of filling the . Royal Box throughout. Fifty of the 75 seats remained empty for the first . three games, with the royals represented by the Duke of York and his . daughter Princess Beatrice. Pippa Middleton parked her celebrated . derriere in the stalls. Nor was it an occasion for which Murray felt the . need to be clean-shaven. The straggly facial fluff he has sported for . the entire tournament was still in evidence. Fans hoping to watch the semi-finals from Murray Mount are escorted into the grounds . Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in this afternoon's first semi-final . No man standing: Djokovic and Tsonga both end up flat on the floor after one rally . Hundreds of fans had camped out all night for the chance to be here on a day when tennis glory could have been in the offing. Four thousand backsides eventually . bagged places on the hillside renamed Murray Mount in his honour. Another 4,000 fans watched on a separate screen inside Court Two. The grass slope was dotted with Union . Flags, Scottish Saltires and occasional flashes of Spanish national . colours. Surrey (where Murray lives, remember) does have a county flag . but curiously, none was visible. Maria Sharapova, who plays in the women's final tomorrow, was out on the practise courts this morning . The Duke of York arrives with Princess Beatrice in the Royal Box on Centre Court . Katherine Jenkins and TV presenter Gethin Jones were in the crowd on Centre Court for the men's semi-finals . Liam Broady, 17, from Stockport, stormed into today's boys' final by beating the former world junior number one, Australian Jason Kubler . Wimbledon eventually could have a second court with a retractable roof. Having wrapped up a 15-year renovation project, the All England Club is contemplating future work, and one possible change being considered is adding a cover for Court 1. Centre Court has had a roof since the 2009 tournament. Wimbledon spokesman Johnny Perkins says that 'everything is up for discussion' and adds that 'a Court 1 roof can't be ruled in, but couldn't be ruled out'. There are two retractable roofs at the Australian Open, and the French Open says it will have a retractable roof on its main stadium by 2016. The U.S. Tennis Association says it does not plan to put a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the top court for the U.S. Open. | British number one takes thrilling first first set 7-5 .
But Nadal fights back with second and third and fourth set wins .
Djokovic destroys Jo-Wilfried Tsonga .
Murray vows to try harder in future and be 'more professional' |
90,017 | ffa289fcac9189cf9424fcb31e078c972ef6996d | When Sir John Hall announced during the 1990s his vision for Newcastle United to field a team of 11 Geordies at St James' Park in the future, the idea seemed fanciful at best. And, in the two decades since, the Premier League has become an increasingly international game, with young foreign talent squeezing out the opportunities for upcoming local players. Yet, on Sunday, Alan Pardew could send out a Newcastle United XI containing five Tynesiders - the first time that number will have started a match for the Magpies against bitter rivals Sunderland in the history of the Premier League. Midfielder Jack Colback could be one of five Geordies starting for Newcastle against Sunderland . Local lads Sammy Ameobi (left) and Paul Dummett are also set to line up for the Magpies onSunday . Toon keeper Jak Alnwick (centre) has been passed fit for the Tyne-Wear derby . Steven Taylor should be at the heart of the Newcastle defence against their rivals from the North East . There have been 24 Tyne-Wear - or Wear-Tyne - derbies in the Premier League, and never before have five Geordies taken to the field at the beginning of the match clad in black and white. Defenders Paul Dummett and Steven Taylor, winger Sammy Ameobi, midfielder Jack Colback and goalkeeper Jak Alnwick - who has been passed fit to play despite picking up a shoulder injury against Tottenham Hotspur - are all in line to appear at St James' Park in Sunday's 153rd derby. Alan Shearer celebrates scoring against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in his final Magpies appearance . 5 (3 starters, 2 substitutes) - Newcastle United 0-3 Sunderland, February 1 2014 (Steven Taylor, Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi; Paul Dummett, Adam Armstrong) 3 (1, 2) - Sunderland 2-1 Newcastle, October 27 2013 (Dummett; Sh Ameobi, Sa Ameobi) 3 (1, 2) - Newcastle 0-3 Sunderland, April 14 2013 (Taylor; Sh Ameobi, Campbell) 3 (1, 2) - Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle, October 21 2012 (Sh Ameobi; Taylor, Steve Harper) 1 (0, 1) - Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland, March 4 2012 (Sh Ameobi) 3 (2, 1) - Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle, August 20 2011 (Taylor, Sh Ameobi; Harper) 2 (2, 0) - Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle, January 16 2011 (Harper, Sh Ameobi) 2 (2, 0) - Newcastle 5-1 Sunderland, October 31 2010 (Andy Carroll, Sh Ameobi) 5 (4, 1) - Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland, February 1 2009 (Harper, Taylor, Carroll, Sh Ameobi; Ryan Donaldson) 3 (2, 1) - Sunderland 2-1 Newcastle, October 25 2008 (Taylor, Sh Ameobi; Harper) 4 (2, 2) - Newcastle 2-0 Sunderland, April 20 2008 (Harper, Taylor; Fraser Forster, Carroll) 3 (2, 1) - Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle, November 10 2007 (Harper, Taylor; Forster) 4 (2, 2) - Sunderland 1-4 Newcastle, April 17 2006 (Lee Clark, Alan Shearer; Harper, Michael Chopra) 6 (4, 2) - Newcastle 3-2 Sunderland, October 23 2005 (Peter Ramage, Taylor, Shearer, Sh Ameobi; Clark, Chopra) 3 (1, 2) - Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle, April 26 2003 (Shearer; Harper, Sh Ameobi) 3 (1, 2) - Newcastle 2-0 Sunderland, September 21 2002 (Shearer; Harper. Sh Ameobi) 4 (1, 3) - Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle, February 24 2002 (Shearer; Harper, Robbie Elliott, Sh Ameobi) 4 (2, 2) - Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland, August 26 2001 (Elliott, Sh Ameobi; Harper, Shearer) 2 (0, 2) - Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle, April 21 2001 (Harper, Sh Ameobi) 2 (1, 1) - Newcastle 1-2 Sunderland, November 18 2000 (Shearer; Harper) 2 (2, 0) - Sunderland 2-2 Newcastle, February 5 2000 (Harper, Shearer) 2 (2, 0) - Newcastle 1-2 Sunderland, August 25 1999 (Harper, Shearer) 5 (3, 2) - Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland, April 5 1997 (Elliott, Steve Watson, Shearer; Clark, Peter Beardsley) 5 (4, 1) - Sunderland 1-2 Newcastle, September 4 1996 ( Elliott, Watson, Shearer, Beardsley; Clark) Young Geordie striker Adam Armstrong is also likely to get a place on the bench for Newcastle . Newcastle players celebrate against Sunderland in the 3-2 victory at St James' Park in October 2005 - the last time six Geordies featured in a matchday squad for the Magpies against the Black Cats . And, with youngster Adam Armstrong likely to be among the replacements, the Magpies could have six Geordies in their squad against Sunderland for the first time since October 2005. On that day, Newcastle beat Sunderland 3-2 at St James' with the help of Peter Ramage, Shola Ameobi, Lee Clark, Michael Chopra and their favourite Geordie son, Alan Shearer. Taylor also featured in the line-up that day and is the only survivor heading into this weekend. Pardew will be hoping the abundance of Geordie talent will be able to inspire Newcastle and end their miserable recent record against their North East rivals. Shola Ameobi (left) and Peter Beardsley are two Geordies to have played for Newcastle in Tyne-Wear derbies . The Magpies have lost three derbies in succession - two matches at St James' ended 3-0 to the visitors - and have failed to win a home match against the Black Cats since their 5-1 victory on October 31, 2010. Newcastle have never lost four in a row to Sunderland and, following the 4-0 Capital One Cup quarter-final humiliation at Spurs in midweek, another defeat is unlikely to sit well with the Toon Army. Newcastle have lost the last three derbies in succession, including 3-0 at St James' Park last season . In fact, Gus Poyet's Sunderland are unbeaten in five North East derbies and appear to have had the psychological edge over Newcastle in recent matches - something Pardew will believe his Geordie representatives can rectify. And the presence of Colback in Magpies colours as opposed to the red-and-white stripes he adorned at the Stadium of Light for six years has added yet more intrigue to an already-fascinating fixture. Colback celebrates after Sunderland beat Newcastle in October 2013 (left) and playing for the Magpies . Colback made 135 appearances for the Black Cats and played against Newcastle last season . Ex-Sunderland striker and chairman Niall Quinn has already lamented the loss of Colback, explaining that the club did not nurture the 25-year-old to then see him star for their rivals. But with so many local players in with a chance of representing Newcastle in what, for many supporters, is the biggest home match of the season, it fits in perfectly with the club's 'Black and White Derby' idea. Posters have been displayed, emails sent out to fans and messages posted on the club website advertising the initiative and encouraging supporters to wear their replica shirts, bring along their Newcastle scarves and other attire to cover St James' Park in a 'sea of black and white.' This game is huge for both sets of supporters - and for Newcastle fans, they expect nothing less than a victory. Fabio Borini celebrates scoring for Sunderland against Newcastle at St James' Park last season . | Newcastle United host Sunderland in Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby .
Five Geordies could start for Magpies against Black Cats - Jak Alnwick, Steven Taylor, Sammy Ameobi, Jack Colback and Paul Dummett .
Youngster Adam Armstrong could also be among the substitutes .
Magpies have lost the last three Tyne-Wear derbies .
READ: Newcastle vs Sunderland was always going to be massive... but with Toon ousted from the Capital One Cup it goes to another level .
Niall Quinn: It hurts to watch Sunderland graduate Jack Colback playing so well for rivals Newcastle . |
192,680 | 856a12d614430eafc924f6256d2dd69167141f92 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:12 EST, 25 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:12 EST, 25 June 2012 . A woman desperate to become a mother died after a surgeon cut open her bowel during a procedure aimed at helping her to have children. The slit went unnoticed by medics at Birmingham Women’s Hospital and Pavla El Nahas died at her home in Birmingham, just over two days later. The 39-year-old had fatally inhaled vomit after becoming sick with bile seeping from the cut, an inquest heard. Pavla El Nahas married Sam in 2010. They had both longed for children and discussed baby names . Paramedics found Mrs El Nahas in bed, not breathing and without a pulse. They confirmed she died at just before 1am on June 23 last year. Her distraught husband, 30-year-old trainee security guard Sam, said after the hearing at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall: 'I was missing someone call me ‘dad’ and she was missing someone call her ‘mum’ - those were our dreams.' Mr El Nahas, added: 'We argued about having a son - I wanted to call him Abdul and she wanted to call him Youssef. 'I wanted blue eyes and she wanted brown eyes. We had great hopes. We weren’t bad people, why did this happen to her?' The couple met in Mr El Nahas’s native Egypt in 2006. He was a barman at the Sharm El Sheikh hotel where Pavla was staying on holiday. They married there two years later, before moving to England in 2010. However, after unsuccessfully trying for children the following year, TK Maxx warehouse worker Czech-born Mrs El Nahas was referred to the women’s hospital. Surgeons carried out a laparoscopy on June 20 last year, which is a minimally invasive procedure to explore her abdomen and pelvis. Medics said they could 'see nothing wrong' after the procedure. Grieving: 'We weren¿t bad people, why did this happen to her?' Mr El Nahas asked . Pathologist Dr Peter Acland, who carried out the post-mortem examination, said he discovered a gynaecological procedure carried out in the Czech Republic 'several years' earlier had resulted in Mrs El Nahas’s bowel fusing with abdominal wall scar tissue. This, he said, meant the usually free-moving organ wasn’t pushed away as the surgeon cut into Mrs El Nahas. Women’s hospital consultant obstetrician Dr Peter Thompson later told the hearing an internal investigation had cleared the surgeon of any wrongdoing and up to three in every 1,000 patients who had the procedure suffered such an abdominal perforation. Coroner Aidan Cotter ruled Mrs El Nahas died following elective surgery. He said: 'This does not mean that anybody did anything wrong, nor does it mean they didn’t do anything wrong.' He added: 'The surgery caused a small perforation in her bowel. That perforation later leaked and caused an infection. That infection made her very ill. 'Just that illness alone could and would have caused her death, but she actually died because while she was so very ill, some of her gastric contents came up and went into her lungs.' In a statement, Women’s Hospital NHS Trust chief executive Dr Ros Keeton said: 'The trust was saddened to hear of the death of Mrs El Nahas. A thorough investigation was launched and, while no problems were found with the medical care provided, we took the opportunity to review and improve communications with patients following surgery.' | Surgeons accidentally cut into Mrs El Nahas' bowel .
She fatally inhaled vomit after becoming sick from the bile seeping from the wound . |
107,939 | 17264763282d1ab068cb7b2a3ebe7447d07961a1 | A picture posted on France's official Twitter account revealed a fundamental error ahead of their friendly match against Sweden... they'd spelled their own player's name wrong on the back of a shirt. PSG defender Lucas Digne has made a number of appearances for his country - every age category from Under 16s to the senior team - but it appears someone behind the scenes isn't quite sure how to spell his surname. In a picture posted on social media, it became immediately apparent that they had missed the letter 'I' from his shirt. A picture posted on France's official Twitter account showed a fundamental error on Lucas Digne's shirt . Digne (right) pictured in training up against one of his defensive partners, Chelsea's Kurt Zouma . Digne, whose kit is sandwiched between Dimitri Payet's and Yohan Cabaye's in the changing room, had no such problem on his second shirt, which was all present and correct. The 21-year-old plays his club football for Paris Saint Germain, for whom he signed in 2013, winning a league title in his maiden season. He began his career at Lille, where he played 49 games before his move to the Parc de Princes. Digne (right) speaks to France's national team head coach Didier Deschamps during a training session . | A picture posted on Twitter showed no 'I' on Lucas Digne's shirt .
His surname was spelled correctly on the second shirt not hanging up .
Left-back Digne signed for Paris Saint Germain in 2013 .
He has played for every level of international football from Under 16s . |
260,952 | ddf7018c1420457f64ed45f5e611e357eb4970dd | Barcelona can’t win anything without kids at the moment. After 18-year-old Munir inspired their opening day win over Elche they made it two wins in two thanks to 19-year-old forward Sandro. Luis Enrique’s team dominated Villarreal but despite superb displays from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves they owed their 1-0 win to their young Canary Island striker who scored the only goal of the game eight minutes from time. Last week’s hero Munir was picked to start ahead of Neymar and he had his first chance after five minutes when Alves fed Messi who crossed for the young striker but his shot was smothered by Sergio Asenjo. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Luis Enrique say Barcelona still have a lot of improvements to make . What an introduction that was! Sandro opened his Barcelona account by scoring the winner off the bench against Villarreal . Bundled home: The 19-year-old stole a march on his marker to stab home in the 82nd minute . So close! Neymar could not find a way beyond Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo during a frustrating evening for Barcelona . No way through! The hosts threw themselves in the way of Neymar in a bid to keep their clean sheet in tact . Tricky: Lionel Messi tries to glide past Villarreal's Victor Ruiz as Barcelona struggled to stamp their mark on the game . Battle: Messi and Jaume Costa vie for the ball during a tense encounter . Keeping a close eye: Denis Cheryshev moves beyond both Dani Alves and Munir El Haddadi in midfield . Villarreal: Asenjo, Mario, Musacchio, V. Ruiz, J. Costa, Pina, Bruno, Trigueros, Cani, Cheryshev, Giovani . Barcelona: Bravo, Dani Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Jordi Alba, Sergio, Rakitic, Rafinha (Xavi 75), Pedro (Sandro 71), Munir (Neymar 61), Messi . Goal: Sandro 82 . Messi also went close but was denied by Victor Ruiz as Barcelona made all the early running with both full-backs playing high up the pitch outside of the visitor’s narrow front three – Luis Enrique already with one eye on how the team will play when both Luis Suarez and Neymar are available to start with Messi. Pedro, the third man in Barca’s attack, had his first chance on 15 minutes but Asenjo again was able to make the save. Alves was being whistled by a mindless minority of home fans. The last time he was at El Madrigal he was racially abused by a supporter who threw a banana at him and he reacted by peeling the banana and taking a bite. The action gave rise to the ‘somostodosmacacos’ (we are all monkeys) anti-racisim campaign. The Brazilian was a constant threat but Villarreal were finally finding their feet and had their best chance of the first half on 23 minutes when Giovani Dos Santos crossed from the right. The centre evaded everyone and Ruiz was all alone at the far post onside and with the chance to put Villarreal ahead. He made poor contact with the ball and sent his effort over Claudio Bravo’s bar. Barcelona almost punished Villarreal immediately when they counter-attacked through Messi and Pedro was played in only to be fouled in the box by Mario. The penalty was not given and the chance was gone. Messi then hit the post with a free-kick that hit midfielder Manu Trigueros and and was pushed onto the frame of the goal by Asenjo. Barcelona continued to threaten down their right with Ivan Rakitic releasing Alves and the full-back winning a corner which came to nothing. Carlos Velasco Carballo was refereeing the game – the Spaniard was in charge of the Brazil v Colombia at the World Cup in which Neymar suffered a fractured vertibrae. He booked Alves five minutes before half-time when the defender complained of a kick from Villarreal’s Jaume Costa. With Barcelona no closer to breaking the deadlock at the start of the second half coach Luis Enrique made his first change on the hour and it was Neymar, who after a strenuous warm-up that also included signing autographs, replaced Munir. Barcelona almost scored immediately with Rakitic finding space inside the penalty area but dragging his cross-shot wide. Knock it and run! Pedro skips beyond Villarreal captain Bruno Soriano in an attempt to find the opening goal . Making himself known: Barcelona manager Luis Enrique bellows orders to his players . Still the crosses rained in from Alves’ right wing but there was no-one to convert them and Messi was getting increasingly frustrated. He went close with a free-kick that Asenjo pushed out for a corner and from the resulting kick the Argentine headed well wide. Barcelona then had their best chance so far. Messi crossed from the right and the ball dropped to Neymar almost on the goal line. The Brazilian only had to lift it over Ruiz who had gone to ground but instead he blasted against the defenders legs and watched it cannon away to safety. Nyemar’s next chance was much more difficult but again it was one you would expect him to score. This time he leaned back and lifted his effort over Asenjo’s bar. Down at the other end Tomas Pina hit the post as Barcelona were almost made to pay the ultimate price for their poor finishing. It was the cue for coach Luis Enrique to turn to Xavi who replaced Rafinha. Barcelona’s favourite route to goal did not change and neither did the result – yet another Alves cross reached Messi and this time his first time shot came back off the outside of the post. Barcelona were enjoying 75 per cent of possession but were still missing the finish until minute 82 when substitute Sandro Ramirez who had replaced Pedro midway through the second half turned the ball in from a yard out – from almost the same place Neymar had missed his earlier sitter. Neymar it was who played in Messi he tricked his way to the byline and when keeper Asenjo was unable to block his cross it reached the young B-team forward who made no mistake. Bit of a tussle: Bruno holds off Pedro as the Spaniard attempts to nip beyond him out wide . Tough tackler: Barcelona's Rafinha Alcantara steals possession off Mateo Musacchio in the La Liga battle . | Neymar came off the bench to play his first game of the season .
Lionel Messi hits the post from deflected free-kick .
Sandro replaced Pedro in the 71st minute before notching the winner .
Pina hit the woodwork for Villarreal as they had sensed victory . |
125,529 | 2e492ef5616e4f94e13a80c5ca1c313457f926c4 | Pam Corrigan, 77, has fought breast cancer for 30 years and endured dozens of operations, treatments and drugs . A 77-year-old woman has spoken of her 30 year battle with breast cancer, in which she discovered a tumour almost every six years. Pam Corrigan discovered her first tumour in 1984 and has since undergone a double mastectomy and countless rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She has even had cancer in the scar tissue left by her mastectomy. Over the past three decades, she has lived through innovations in treatment for the disease and helped pioneer experimental drugs which have since become commonplace. She has also raised more than £1 million for specialist treatment centres for breast cancer. Despite various different treatments, including three different drugs, her cancer has repeatedly returned over the decades. Mrs Corrigan, an accountant who lives in Bristol, is now in remission from her latest bout of the disease last year - and remains stoic and positive about the future. She said treatment of breast cancer has changed dramatically since the 1980s. 'When I was first diagnosed no one spoke about it. We would be kept on a general ward,' she said. 'There was no such thing as after care, it was more like 'we have done our job, that's it. 'No one was specially trained and although you could tell they wanted to do more for you, they had no training, so they were almost scared they would do something wrong. 'I remember going for check-ups in an old hospital and it had cubicles set up in a ward with just curtains around each area. You could hear everything that was being said. 'That was really hard, you didn't want to hear other people and you didn't want to make much of a fuss because you didn't want everybody else hearing about you.' Mrs Corrigan was first diagnosed with cancer after she went to the doctors complaining of a pulled muscle around her breast. Although medics suspected cancer it took weeks to formally identify the disease as the hospital had limited resources, including an old, inefficient scanner. After six weeks she was finally given the diagnosis and was admitted to hospital for a lumpectomy to remove the tumour, followed by radiotherapy. In 1991, Mrs Corrigan set up the charity BUST, which has raised more than £1 million for specialist breast cancer treatment centres. At that time, breast cancer was treated on general wards by general surgeons. Mrs Corrigan is pictured here at a BUST fundraising ball . Mrs Corrigan is pictured with husband Michael, 78, at the Cape of Good Hope in March 2009. Despite finding a tumour almost every six years, she remains positive for the future . Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen drug that is widely used to treat breast cancer. It‘s occasionally used to treat some other cancers. It binds to oestrogen receptors, cutting off the hormone so it can no longer feed the growth of cancer cells. A large new sutdy published last year found that women with breast cancer that keeps coming back may be able to beat the disease by taking Tamoxifen for ten years after surgery. Using tamoxifen for ten rather than five years halves the risk of women dying from the most common kind of breast cancer. The study was described as a 'pivotal moment' in the fight against the disease. Just four years later doctors discovered another lump and Mrs Corrigan was told a single mastectomy was her only choice. 'Having breast cancer as a specific entity was still just part of general surgery, you weren't treated specifically because you had it,' she added. In 1990, she was once more diagnosed with cancer when it developed in her scar tissue. After her doctor 'cut it out and dragged the skin back together', she was put on the then revolutionary drug Tamoxifen. This is used to treat breast cancer and occasionally other cancers. It binds to oestrogen receptors, cutting off the hormone so it can no longer feed the growth of cancer cells. Despite being prescribed Tamoxifen, just a year later Mrs Corrigan was back in hospital again when doctors found the disease in her scar for the second time and she underwent surgery to reform her breast. As she was recovering on the ward she met fellow sufferers Carol Thomas and Margaret Twiggs and they launched BUST, a charity to ensure specialist treatment could be given. All three had been shocked by the lack of support for breast cancer patients treated on general wards. Mrs Corrigan remembers that on general wards, there was only a curtain around a woman's bed so everyone could hear their breast cancer diagnosis. She set up BUST so that specialist treatment centres with separate diagnosis rooms could be opened. Here, she is pictured (far right) at the opening of a centre in Bristol . Mrs Corrigan is pictured with husband Michael in Chile in 2003. In 2000 her cancer returned and she had another mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Through her fundraising (right) she has managed to raise £1 million. Here she is pictured receiving a cheque from St Peters Wives group . They set about trying to help specialist surgeon Simon Cawthorn, who had taken an interest in breast cancer. Mrs Corrigan said: 'We saw how much needed to be done and how good a surgeon Simon was. He seemed much more interested in breast cancer than anybody else. 'People thought you were just on a conveyor belt and the next patient would be along with a hernia or something else. 'He was much more committed to breast cancer, and we thought surely we could do something to make his job easier.' 'We built one of the first breast cancer care centre with a dedicated area and dedicated support nurses so you had a place to go when you didn't get the best news. 'We built the new unit with nice consulting rooms, to treat people in a much more caring way.' Sadly, her cancer returned yet again in 2000 where she had another mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After being told she was in remission she developed more lumps six years later, and again in 2012. She had surgery once again in September 2012 to remove her lymph nodes completely, and went back on drug Tamoxifen. In July 2013. she underwent another bout of radiotherapy after doctors spotted a 'cancer hotspot' and it is hoped she is now, once more, in remission. Mrs Corrigan said: 'I don't want people in their 40s developing cancer, thinking "Oh my gosh it's not going to go away", my case is unusual. 'If when I first had it and they had Tamoxifen or another drug there is every chance it would never have come back. 'My cancer is low grade so it would be easy to stop it, if the advances had been around at that time.' Pictured is a newspaper clipping of a story about BUST when it was set up in 1991. Mrs Corrigan remembers being left on general wards and being treated by those who didn't understand the disease, as well as given unnecessary surgery and inefficient scans . | Pam Corrigan, 77, discovered her first breast tumour in 1984 .
Over the years, has discovered a new tumour roughly every six years .
She has undergone a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy .
Also had surgery to remove all of her lymph nodes and other treatments .
Has tried 3 different drugs and pioneered new - now commonplace - drugs .
Her charity BUST has raised £1 million for specialist breast cancer centres .
Is now in remission for her latest bout of the disease but remains positive . |
106,902 | 15e7a0640a45c4f6bd736e291cceb573f586cbff | The England WAGs have been banned from attending the World Cup in a bid to avoid the players being distracted. So news that a naked woman has been flashing at the squad's Brazil hotel will no doubt leave them reeling. The anonymous woman appeared on the balcony at the five-star Royal Tulip hotel while the team were training at their Sugarloaf Mountain training . base in Rio. Meanwhile on the other side of the world another naked woman caused a stir today when was . she was photographed on of the balcony of the Rio hotel the England squad are staying in . Look out: The woman admires the view from the balcony at the Royal Tulip hotel . Cover up: Maybe next time she should get dressed inside . The woman, who was completely nude, walked out of the sliding doors attached to her room and stood by the railings. She then walked back to her room before finally pulling out a black lace top. 'She wasn't exactly shy. She looked as if she was trying to attract someone's attention. She was well aware she could been seen,' a witness told the Daily Star. Team talk: England's Raheem Sterling and Wayne Rooney at the team hotel on Monday . Focused: England's Chris Smalling and Danny Welbeck leave the Royal Tulip hotel for training . Carrier bags: England's Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge . With . England needing victory against Uruguay to keep their hopes of staying . in the World Cup alive on Thursday, the last thing they need is any . distractions. There is an increased security presence at the hotel with England . staying there throughout the duration of their spell in the finals. Just . days before the Three Lions opening Group D defeat by Italy, three fans . managed to make their way past 20 armed guards after saying they needed . to use the toilet. Andy Richardson, 22, Alex Hill, 20, and Josh Pearce, 19 had selfies taken with Roy Hodgson's team. Security are on on duty 24-hours a day for the month-long tournament as . the team enjoy the hotel's indoor and outdoor pools, superior . restaurants and bars. On patrol: There is an increased security presence at the hotel during the World Cup . How've we managed this? England fans pose with Frank Lampard after blagging their way into the team hotel . Posers: The three supporters asked Liverpool and England midfielder Jordan Henderson for a quick snap . In . contrast to previous tournaments, England have just two floors of the . 17-floor, 418-room hotel, with the public and fellow guests allowed to . mingle freely with them. In May, the FA insisted it wasn't worried about England's World Cup . hotel even though out-of-date food was seized from the Royal Tulip. Health inspectors took 2.362kg of unusable butter as well as salmon and . Parma ham. Bizarrely, the luxury venue was also fined for not providing . condoms to guests. Meanwhile, despite Roy Hodgson's ban Wayne Rooney's wife has flown out to Brazil with sons Kai, four, and Klay one. She said: ‘I don’t want the boys to grow up and say, “How come you never took us to watch my dad play in the World Cup?”.’ She added: ‘I actually prefer watching the World Cup at home, especially when the weather’s fantastic.’ Coleen Rooney finally arrived in Brazil last night after a marathon journey from Manchester via Heathrow before settling into her five star boutique hotel in Rio de Janeiro . The . England team schedule means she and the boys might not even get to see . Wayne, but she said: ‘At least he knows we’re there and we’re going to . support him.’ It is not . known how many other WAGS will heed Hodgson’s ban but Alex Gerrard, 31, . the model wife of England captain Steven, 34, was seen partying with . friends on the beach of Spanish isle of Ibiza on Saturday seemingly . without a care in the world. The . mother-of-three has previously revealed that despite Hodgson’s . WAG-veto, she would travel to Brazil if England get through to the later . stages. On Thursday England will take on Group D rivals Uruguay, who also lost their first game, to Costa Rica 3-1. Since 1953, the national team has won three, drawn three, and lost four games against the South American side, and so far only three teams in the last century have ended up overall winners after losing their first match. The England v Uruguay game will take place at the Arena de Sao Paulo, and kicks off at 8pm. | The mystery flasher was seen at the five-star Royal Tulip hotel in Rio .
The anonymous woman appeared on the balcony this week .
England's WAG's have been banned from attending the World Cup . |
233,570 | ba64a3aef6f2f7b1ec31b318c524b5beeab1a15e | Tottenham will consider a move for Swansea striker Wilfried Bony once they exhaust the possibilities of signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea. Lukaku has an offer from Atletico Madrid that is superior to any other deal on the table at this stage. There is plenty of interest notably from Everton, Roma, Wolfsburg and Juventus while West Ham have already been turned down in a bid to take him on loan. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Tottenham and Atletico Madrid target Romelu Lukaku score . Control: Ivory Coast's Wilfried Bony (pictured) could be on Tottenham's radar if they can't get Romelu Lukaku . Price-tag: Swansea want £19million for Bony, having paid £12m in the first place . Passion: Bony is powerful, physical, has good technique and has shown an ability to score goals . Wanted: striker Lukaku (right) is wanted by Tottenham but Atletico Madrid have a superior deal on the table . Tottenham are not looking to offload Emmanuel Adebayor despite reports but there is interest in the former Arsenal and Manchester City striker. They are more inclined to listen to offers for Roberto Soldado, although Mauricio Pochettino is open minded at this stage. The Argentine does need another striker however, and Bony represents an alternative to Lukaku. He is powerful, physical, has good technique and has shown an ability to score goals in the Premier League. Swansea know there is interest from a lot of the top clubs and insist he will only be sold to one of the top six in the country. They have placed a price tag of around £19million on the Ivory Coast international and will hold out for that after paying £12m in the first place. Swansea have an offer on the table for Luc Castaignos of FC Twente but face competition from Benfica. Lookout: Mauricio Pochettino needs a striker at Tottenham and may turn to Bony to fill the void . | Tottenham will consider a move for Wilfried Bony if they can't get Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku .
Atletico Madrid have a superior deal on the table for Lukaku .
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino needs a new striker for next season . |
142,329 | 440fb7251f875e647433b17865b96055b168dfb3 | By . Sami Mokbel for the Daily Mail . Follow @@SamiMokbel81_DM . Arsenal are making promising progress in their attempts to land Olympiacos defender Kostas Manolas. Arsene Wenger wants to sign a new defender before the transfer deadline following the departure of Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona. The Gunners’ need for defensive cover has heightened following a hamstring injury to Kieran Gibbs that will rule him out for the next three weeks. Wanted man: Arsenal are hoping to sign Olympiacos defender Kostas Manolas (left) in a £6.5million deal . International: Manolas (left), pictured here tussling with Keisuke Honda, starred for Greece at the World Cup . As Sportsmail revealed last Wednesday, Manolas is a strong contender to fill the vacancy left by Vermaelen. And Arsenal are pushing hard to complete a £6.5million deal by September 1. The North London club believe Olympiakos will sell their highly-rated defender, who played for Greece during the World Cup. But doubts linger over whether Manolas is prepared to sign for the Gunners without the guarantee of regular first team football. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny - who is nursing an Achilles injury - are Wenger’s first-choice central defensive pairing. Likewise, new signing Calum Chambers has been excellent at centre-back since his arrival from Southampton. Competition: Manolas, pictured with Robin van Persie last season, will not be guaranteed first team football . New boy: Summer signing Calum Chambers has impressed since joining from Southampton . The level of Manolas’ first-team chances appears to be the key stumbling block towards the completion of a deal. But the Gunners are growing increasingly confident a deal can be reached. VIDEO Arsenal heading in the right direction - Winterburn . | Arsene Wenger wants a new central defender to replace Thomas Vermaelen .
The Gunners hope to sign Greece star Manolas this month .
The defender would compete with Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and new signing Calum Chambers .
But there are doubts whether Manolas will sign without the guarantee of regular first team football . |
185,982 | 7cd8b2e324d7ced767ea3293a2cfc1238fcd18f3 | Vladimir Putin today accused the Ukrainians of 'constantly shelling' the MH17 crash site amid steeply rising concern in the West that he has ordered massive military reinforcements to bolster pro-Moscow rebel forces. At least 21 trucks, six tanks and 14 howitzer cannons were seen driving through rebel-territory to Donetsk today, while residents reported a convoy of 12 unmarked military trucks. Ukraine alleges that recent days have seen a huge increase in military hardware, professional soldiers and AK-74 assault rifles fitted with laser pointers moving towards Donetsk from Russia. Today, scores of military vehicles were seen moving near Donetsk and farther to the east, following reports by a neutral intergovernmental watchdog of armed column without insignia in rebel territory. Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five more injured in the 'anti-terrorist operation zone' over the past 24 hours. Moving in: A Pro-Russian rebel military vehicles convoy was seen moving towards Donetsk on Monday . At least one vehicle in the convoy carried a Russian flag, and many of the of the unmarked vehicles were towing artillery. Two columns of hardware consisting of 50 tented KamAZ lorries were observed moving from Russia in the direction of Snizhne on 8 November, said spokesman for the National Security and Defence Council Andriy Lysenko. Almost every lorry was transporting an artillery system behind it, he claimed . Another column was spotted on Sunday. It consisted of tanks and self-propelled artillery systems. A shipment of new AK-74 assault rifles fitted with laser pointers was brought from Russia to Donetsk, he alleged. 'These are regular AK-74s, but they are fitted with laser pointers. We do not know for sure how many of them there are,' he said. 'They are reinforcing the terrorist forces with arms and personnel from the Russian Armed Forces. There is no doubt that professional Russian servicemen are managing this equipment,' said Lysenko. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe confirmed its own sightings by its Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine in recent days. This included two convoys of 17 military vehicles each spotted on 8 November around Sverdlove, nine miles east of Donetsk . In the first convoy five vehicles 'were towing Grad multiple-launch rocket systems. Two were loaded with ammunition crates'. Taking sides: At least one vehicle in the convoy carried a Russian flag, and many of the of the unmarked vehicles were towing artillery . The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE), which operates in East Ukraine and is widely seen as neutral, also reported an unidentified armoured column in rebel territory this weekend . 'The past week was characterised by an increase in the . intensity of shelling and the transfer of additional force: . ammunition, equipment and personnel, to terrorist groups,' Lysenko said. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the Ukranian government of delaying the investigation of the MH17 crash site by shelling rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine. Putin told Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that rebels were not hindering access to the site of the Malaysia Airlines crash, in which 298 people died in July when the aircraft came down in an area controlled by pro-Russian separatists. 'Of course the rebels are not shooting, that is done by the various military groups fighting on the side of Ukraine's official authorities,' Putin was quoted as saying by state news agency RIA-Novosti. 'The opposite side is constantly shelling this territory and that does not permit comprehensive working at the site of the crash,' Putin told Razak as the two met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing. Firing off: Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the Ukranian government of delaying the investigation of the MH17 crash site by shelling rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine and the West blame Russia for supplying the separatists with the Buk surface-to-air missile that shot down the Boeing 777 plane on July 17, while Moscow and the rebels have pointed the finger at Kiev. Five more coffins of passengers who were on the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight were flown to the Netherlands on Saturday for identification. Putin's accusations follows the heaviest . shelling in eastern Ukraine since early October. Sunday's strikes appeared . to come from territory held by both government and rebel forces. Intense . shelling by heavy artillery continued throughout the night and . into the early hours, and then picked up again later on Sunday . morning. The shelling could be heard in the centre of the city, . which had a pre-conflict population of more than 1 million. | Pro-Russian rebel military vehicles seen in eastern Ukraine .
Vehicles carried a Russian flags, and many were towing artillery .
Follows claims by Putin that Kiev is stalling MH17 investigation . |
151,163 | 4f7295afd20b3e22690d60b0f56ca1039ad6a43c | Youngster Jack Logan was the hero with two late tries as Hull FC produced a stunning fightback to beat Leeds Rhinos 24-19 and finish their First Utility Super League season in style. Leeds looked on course to end a run of four straight league defeats after taking a 19-4 lead just before the hour mark but the Airlie Birds came roaring back to ensure the Rhinos head into next weekend's play-off meeting with Catalan Dragons smarting from another loss. Carl Ablett was the star of the first half - denying Richard Horne on his 387th and final appearance for the Black and Whites before going over himself to cancel out Tom Lineham's 16th-minute opener. Ryan Hall (centre) celebrates after scoring Leeds Rhinos' third try against Hull FC . Leeds lifted their game after the restart as Danny McGuire, returning from injury alongside Rob Burrow, scored a trademark try and Ryan Hall displayed his strength to score his 200th career touchdown. Ex-Leeds forward Gareth Ellis reduced the areas and then laid on a try for Fetuli Talanoa as the Airlie Birds' comeback gathered momentum. Logan ensured a nervy final 10 minutes for the Rhinos and the pressure proved too much as the 19-year-old centre won it for Hull. Moments of quality were few and far between during a dire first half. Hall tried his best to inject some life into proceedings when he collected Kevin Sinfield's kick and quickly fed Ablett, only for the back-rower's return pass to fall into Hull hands. Zak Hardaker lost the ball in contact in his own 10 metres soon after and he was duly punished as Logan picked up and gave Lineham a simple score in the corner. The Rhinos would have hit back immediately but for a brilliant tackle by Talanoa after Sinfield had found a gap from a scrum move and sent Kallum Watkins racing away. Then came a moment which the Hull faithful had been waiting for, Horne with open field in front of him and with the line at his mercy. Ablett did not read the script and chased the half-back from deep inside his own half before executing a perfectly-timed ankle tap close to his own line. The England man made a vital contribution at the other end three minutes from the break, taking a pass from Burrow 10 metres out and powering his way over. Sinfield landed the conversion and slotted over a drop goal on the hooter to give Leeds a three-point cushion at the break. McGuire is regarded as one of the best support players in rugby league and he was on hand to finish off after Watkins had pounced on a loose ball and raced downfield just after half-time. Sinfield added the extras but was off target soon after when he chose to go for goal from a penalty given for a high shot on Burrow. The miss did not prove costly as Leeds crossed a couple of sets later after quick hands from McGuire and Liam Sutcliffe created the space for Hall to finish in the corner. Hull needed to score quickly and they did through Ellis, who hacked on a Kirk Yeaman grubber kick with his knee before pouncing on the loose ball. Ellis then turned provider with an offload to Talanoa close to the Leeds line and the Hull fans raised the volume inside the KC Stadium sensing a memorable fightback, which was well and truly on when Logan took Lineham's pass to score. Rankin sent over his first conversion at the fourth attempt to make it a one-point game. Hull kept pushing roared on by their vociferous supporters and they got a moment to savour as Logan slid over in the corner. | Hull FC defeat Leeds Rhinos 24-19 to finish their First Utility Super League season in style .
Leeds had taken a 19-4 lead .
Logan's late double completed Hull's fightback to finish their First Utility Super Season in style .
This was the Rhinos' fifth consecutive defeat . |
212,616 | 9f4e4dde5dcab4b5b74729e981c4af97e3d620d1 | By . James Salmon . PUBLISHED: . 18:19 EST, 19 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:35 EST, 20 January 2014 . House prices have soared by record levels this month, adding to fears of a fresh property bubble. Booming demand, the Government’s Help to Buy scheme and a lack of available properties have helped push up the asking price of the average home by a record £2,406 in January – a month that usually sees prices fall. The average asking price in England and Wales is now £243,861, compared with £229,429 last January, according to leading property website Rightmove. Increase: The asking price of the average home has risen by a record £2,406 in January, it is claimed. The most expensive area is Knightsbridge and Belgravia in central London, with an average property price of £4.4million . And 43 areas of the country have seen average house prices break the £1million barrier, according to a second report. Some 34 of these elite areas can be found in London, with the remainder in commuter zones in Surrey, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The most expensive area is Knightsbridge and Belgravia in central London, which has an average property price of £4.4million. But the report from estate agents Savills and analysts Property Database also highlights hotspots in other parts of the country that are rapidly closing in on the £1million club. Rise: The average asking price in England and Wales is now £243,861, compared with £229,429 last January . These include rural parts of Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Winchester, as well as parts of Bath, Oxford and Cambridge. Prices in the Brendon Hills area of Somerset have tripled in ten years to more than £800,000. According to the respected Rightmove House Price Index, asking prices on homes have risen by 6.3 per cent – or £14,432 – in the past year, marking the biggest annual increase since the start of the financial crisis in November 2007. Warning: Vince Cable has warned that the Government's Help to Buy scheme should be reassessed in light of London's 'housing boom' The 1 per cent rise this month will add to concerns that the housing market is starting to overheat. It comes as the boss of Legal & General, one of Britain’s biggest investment firms, became the latest senior business figure to call for the Government’s Help to Buy scheme to be scrapped in London, arguing that prices in the capital and the South-East have hit ‘absurd’ levels. Nigel Wilson said: ‘Help to Buy turbo-charges an already rising market inside London – stopping it would be economically sensible and help prevent the North-South divide getting even wider. ‘The Government should stop stoking up demand, there is already lots of demand and this will create a bubble in the future.’ Business Secretary Vince Cable has also warned that Help to Buy should be reassessed in light of a ‘raging housing boom’ in London. The launch of the scheme last year has boosted demand for homes by providing guarantees for those with smaller deposits and helping them get on the property ladder. This surge in demand helped drive the record 1 per cent increase in the asking prices between December 9 and January 11. Usually prices fall in January by an average of 0.2 per cent. | House prices have soared by record levels this month, it has been revealed .
Average asking price is £243,861, compared with £229,429 last January .
More than 40 places in UK have seen average price rise above £1million .
Most expensive place is Knightsbridge and Belgravia in central London .
Booming demand, Help to Buy scheme and lack of properties are to blame . |
53,671 | 98346f310fc16b84bce5519c600effced39243cf | By . James Gordon . Published: . 15:33 EST, 28 August 2013 . | . Updated: . 17:40 EST, 26 November 2013 . Buyers paid up to $17 million for canvases said to have been created modernist painters such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell. But it now appears that most, if not all of the 63 works of art (which fetched almost $80 million in sales) were nothing more than fakes and painted in a garage in Queens, New York. 'Thief': Glafira Rosales is accused raking in more than $33million by selling phoney artwork to New York galleries . Gallery president: Ann Freedman sold 40 works of art for Knoedler & Company thinking they were masterpieces when they were in fact fake. The gallery raked in $63 million . Authentic: This is what a REAL Jackson Pollock painting looks like . The paintings were instead created by an artist (73-year-old Chinese-American painter Pei-Shen Qian,) who was paid a few thousand dollars each to create the counterfeit masterpieces. Federal prosecutors have not named or charged the painter. There are few details except that it is known he trained at Manhattan art school and was selling his work on the streets of New York City until a Chelsea art dealer converted his work into a multi-million dollar fraud. Glafira Rosales, an obscure dealer from Long Island, has been charged with wire fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, after a lengthy FBI inquiry. Investigators say Ms. Rosales sold 40 of the counterfeit works through Knoedler & Company and received about $63 million from their sale. Atelier: The gallery owners were told the works of art had been in someones private collection and sealed up. In reality they were being created in a garage at this home in Queens . Talented: Pei-Shen Qian, 73, a quiet 73-year-old immigrant from China, is suspected of having fooled the art world by creating dozens of works that were modeled after America¿s Modernist masters that were later sold for more than $80 million . Another $17 million was garnered after sales through a second Manhattan dealer, Julian Weissman. Ms. Rosales has pleaded not guilty and was released earlier this month. Knoedler, until recently one of New York’s oldest and most respected art galleries, its former president Ann Freedman, 65, and Mr. Weissman have both repeatedly said they believed the works they sold had been authentic. ‘I am as shocked as everybody, more shocked, as I am the central victim. Fifteen years. In my head, these paintings have been right. Horrible,’ she told New York magazine. Knoedler sold 40 of the fakes for an alleged $63 million. Before shutting down abruptly in late 2011, the gallery made a $20 million payment to Rosales. The saga all began when Rosales approached Ms. Freedman claiming to represent a foreign collector who ‘was of Eastern European descent, maintained residences in Switzerland and Mexico, wished to remain anonymous, and had inherited the works ... from a relative.’ ‘The story was credible,’ said Ms Freedman to New York magazine. ‘Dealers often do not know the specifics of origin or background, or how the art left the artist’s studio. You cannot turn the pages of an auction catalogue or museum publication without seeing a majority of the works labeled ‘private collection.’ The chain of ownership is often out of order and incomplete.’ Low-profile: This is the garage in Queens where Pei-Shen Qian over a period of 15 years churned out at least 63 drawings and paintings that carried the signatures of artistic giants like Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman and Robert Motherwell . Freedman says that she did her best to get answers from Rosales. ‘I went to Glafira and pushed and pushed to get more information, relentlessly,’ Freedman said. ‘My ongoing diligence met more than the gold standard; there is plenty of evidence of that.’ She even claims that she had the paintings checked over to ensure their authenticity. ‘They were very credible in so many respects,’ says Freedman. ‘I had the best conservation studio examine them. One of the Rothkos had a Sgroi stretcher. He made the stretchers for Rothko. They clearly had the right materials. I got a consensus. Some of the paintings were featured on museum walls.’ Some experts were convinced due to the quality of the paintings that they could only have been achieved by the artists themselves. ‘‘The fact is that the entire Eastern establishment believed in them. I saw the paintings,’ said Stephen Polcari, a scholar of Abstract Expressionism ‘And they were very good. You wouldn’t think twice about them for a second. Ann did everything she could possibly do.’ Near-perfect copy: Rosales allegedly sold bogus versions Willem De Kooning works similar to this authentic piece worth more then $3million . A true original: This authentic Mark Rothko oil on canvas is part of 'Selections From the Collection of the Guggenheim Bilbao' Did she know? Ann Freedman ended up leaving Knoedler, until recently one of New York¿s oldest and most respected art galleries, around the time suspicions were aroused. The gallery then folded after more than 160 years . But others were not convinced so easily. One of the first experts to publicly identify some of these paintings as forgeries, Jack Flam, president of the Dedalus Foundation told the New York Times that not only the works themselves, but also the backs of the paintings and the way the canvases were treated and the frames constructed were virtually identical to that artists originals. ‘The way we look at reality is highly influenced by the context it’s presented to us. The fact that they were sold by Knoedler, a respected gallery, influenced people’s opinions, he said.’ The newly painted fakes were even heated, cooled and exposed to elements outdoors in order to make them appear older than they were. Stories were even created to explain the appearance of so many never-seen-before works. Both Mr Weissman and Ms. Rosales said the works had come from a family friend who had inherited the paintings. That they had been in the family since the 1950s and kept in a sealed container. Things began to unravel for the gallery in 2009 after forensic testing on two paintings supposedly by Robert Motherwell revealed paint chemicals that were historically inconsistent. Suspicion descended on the lot, and mufti-million-dollar buyers agitated for their refunds. Meanwhile, the FBI began circling Rosales. Ms. Freedman left Knoedler just as . these suspicions began to emerge. Soon, the 165-year-old business shut . up shop without warning - the very same week the buyer of the $17 . million Pollock sued both the gallery and her. Now the lawsuits have begun with eight customers so far suing after claiming they were duped into purchasing forgeries. Ms. Freedman’s lawyer, Nicholas Gravante Jr. told the Times ‘Rosales’s . confession confirms that Ann Freedman was the central victim of this . criminal scheme.’ Knoedler’s . lawyer, Charles D. Schmerler, said in a statement: ‘If proven true, the . new allegations against Rosales are a sad development for the entire . art world.’ He said that claims Knoedler knowingly sold inauthentic . paintings were without foundation. Astonishing: 'Untitled' by Jackson Pollock was one of the forged works. How imitations of the most heralded Abstract Expressionists by a complete unknown could have fooled connoisseurs and clients remains a mystery . Philip Vann, a Cambridge-based art historian told MailOnline that he is sceptical about how 'convincing' such so-called 'masterpieces' could ever appear to art experts. 'Usually when such a body of forged work is examined en masse and in retrospect, something stylistically awry, anachronistic and perhaps even downright dodgy becomes evident to the discerning eye. But if Mr Pei-Shen Qian's work avoids and evades all such doubts, then his quite unique, if totally deceptive artistic flair would be a matter of some wonder!' The paintings from Rosales proved to be enormously lucrative for the Ms. Freedman’s gallery. Among the sales were a ‘de Kooning’ that went for $4 million, a ‘Rothko’ for $8.3 million, and a 'Pollock’ for $17 million. ‘If something had been off or wrong on any one of the paintings, I would have put on the brakes,’ she told New York Magazine. She was so convincing, and so convinced, about the paintings that she even bought three herself — a ‘Rothko,’ a ‘Motherwell,’ and a ‘Pollock.’ ‘I was a believer. Not to be stubborn, but I lived with three of those paintings,’ she said. ‘I lived with them, and in the context of my personal collection.’ | 63 paintings thought to be rediscovered 'masterpieces' by modernist painters were fake .
Buyers paid up to $17 million for Pollock, Rothko and Motherwell canvases .
Paintings were actually made in a garage in Queens for $5,000 each .
Gallery owner received $63 million from their sale and is 'shocked' to find out their true origin .
Lawsuits have now been launched by customers who were duped into buying the paintings . |
102,810 | 10845dad8300bef6cff845e5887932d4f9707e8d | Profile: Ehsanullah Ehsan, pictured, listed his profession as a spokesman for the TTP Jamaat Ahrar - a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban . A senior terror commander used a business networking site to advertise his twisted set of skills, it has been reported. Ehsanullah Ehsan listed his profession on LinkedIn as a spokesman for the TTP Jamaat Ahrar - a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban. He described himself as 'self-employed' and listed his skills as 'jihad and journalism'. He also provided details on his education, employment history and language skills. The account was taken down by the company on Friday after it was approached by reporters from The Sunday Telegraph, who saw Ehsan's claims. Ehsan formed Jamaat Ahrar along with former commanders of the the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistan wing of the Taliban. The group declared their separation in August 2014. The newly-formed terror group was blamed for the devastating suicide bombing on the Attari-Wagah border in Pakistan last November that left at least 61 dead. Days after the attack, Ehsan issued a series of tweets, including one that identified the bomber and another that threatened India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had his Twitter account suspended after the incident, but now operates using a different name. A £650,000 bounty was placed on the terrorist's head in 2012 after he boasted that the group was responsible for the attempted assassination of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. A spokesman for the TTP told Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune at the time that Malala was shot because she was a ’secular-minded lady’. Ehsan later tweeted that the teenager would not be safe if she survived the attack. A spokesman for LinkedIn told the Sunday Telegraph that the company's security team had decided to 'restrict' the account - meaning it was no longer in operation. Responsible: Ehsan had a £650,000 bounty put on his head in 2012 when he boasted the Pakistani Taliban was behind the assassination attempt on Malala Yousufzai. Above, the teenager recovering in hospital . But she said that there was suspicion that it was a fake account, pointing to the 'lack of Taliban recruiting messages'. She added: 'Our security team has a high degree of confidence that it is a fake account, which is reason enough to restrict it.' The revelation comes a day after it emerged internet companies are refusing to pass on potentially critical evidence to GCHQ on serious criminals because they do not meet their criteria for causing enough harm. | Ehsanullah Ehsan listed job on LinkedIn as terror group spokesman .
Online profile offered information including education and employment .
Account was removed by internet company, which said it could be fake . |
282,997 | fa9454081245a20b58568d1ffee697764e99090b | By . Emily Sheridan and Sarah Fitzmaurice . PUBLISHED: . 19:25 EST, 7 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:03 EST, 8 August 2013 . Kelly Brook is said to have called the woman Danny Cipriani was allegedly sexting, using the rugby player's 'secret' phone she'd discovered. The 33-year-old model is said to have contacted Stacey Simcox and allegedly asked her: 'I take it you're another one he's f***ing,' according to The Sun. The paper claims Kelly tried to catch her boyfriend out by messaging Stacey asking to meet up again, but the pair had not actually met in person. Confrontation: Kelly Brook is said to have called Stacey from Danny Cipriani's phone after learning her boyfriend had allegedly cheated on her . But after Stacey appeared confused, Kelly is said to have wrote: 'Another Girl?? Spent an hr texting you all. It's Kelly Brook here.' The model is then said to have sent a naked picture of another woman called 'Jenna' to Stacey. Allegedly Kelly said the woman was another person that Danny was sleeping with. Stacey is then said to have asked Kelly to call her. Stacey told the paper: 'Kelly called immediately. I recognised her voice but she was snotty and understandably very angry. She said: "Take it you're another one he's f***ing. I've spoken to six other girls he's been f***ing."' It's over... again: Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani, pictured in London in June, have reportedly split up for the second time . The former Big Breakfast presenter's discovery came just days after they returned from holiday in Turkey. The Sun claims the Sale Sharks fly-half, 25, was even sending sexy messages to other women while Kelly nursed him back to health after he was hit by a bus in April. The paper also claimed Danny had slept with other women during their seven month romance. When Kelly found the messages, she threw . Danny out of her London home and has since deleted all recent photos of . him from her Instagram page. Sales manager Stacey, from Birmingham, claims she was bombarded with sexy messages and photos from Danny after meeting him eight months ago. Calm before the storm: Kelly posted this photo of the couple in Turkey just over a week ago - which has since been deleted . Happy together: Danny posted a photo of Kelly with their friend Kasia Wolejnio on holiday in Turkey on July 29 . Stacey told the paper on Tuesday: 'He'd send me filthy messages about what he wanted to do to me and begging to meet up for sex. 'It got progressively more explicit and I just thought, "What a rat."' Stacey said she refused Danny's . requests to meet up, even receiving an invitation as recently as July 27 . - the day he flew to Bodrum with his famous girlfriend. A friend told the paper: 'Danny is absolutely devastated. He just can't believe what he's done - he just wants Kelly back.' Other woman: Stacey Simcox claimed she was inundated with sexy texts from Danny . Not interested: Stacey insisted she didn't agree to meet Danny in person . Unfaithful? Kelly and Danny in London on June 29 - the last time they were photographed in public . While Kelly hasn't directly referenced . the split on her Twitter, she did post a saying on her Instagram on . Sunday, reading: 'Some people come into your life as blessings, others . come into your life as lessons.' She wrote a cryptic Tweet on Twitter on Tuesday, which she has since deleted, reading: 'I often wonder if more girls were willing to be ladies, would more guys feel challenged to be gentlemen?' In an interview in June, Danny denied speculation he was planning to propose to Kelly. He told the Sunday Mirror: 'I’m very happy where I am and I feel very fortunate to have Kelly. But I’ve got a bad knee so I definitely won’t be getting down on one knee any time soon. Relaxed: Kelly showed off her model figure on holiday just over a week ago . Heartbreak: Kelly posted this slogan on Instagram on Sunday . 'I think everyone has got their own . individual wants. Some want children and marriage, some don’t. I may be . one or the other. I don’t know.' Kelly started seeing Danny - who she . previously dated for 22 months until June 2010 - in January this year, . just weeks after she split from his former London Wasps teammate Thom Evans, 28. When Kelly and Thom announced their split, she vehemently denied it had anything to do with her spending time with her ex Danny. Reports at the time claimed Thom was unhappy that Kelly kept in contact with her ex throughout their relationship. 'Loverat': Danny was alleged to have 'sexted' other women while he was being nursed back to health by Kelly after being knocked down by a bus . Kelly and Danny share custody of their dog Rocky - which they got together during their original romance. Meanwhile, retired rugby player Thom has also moved on and is dating former 90210 actress Jessica Lowndes. In May, Kelly was involved in a war of words on Twitter with nemesis Katie Price - who briefly dated Danny in October 2011 - with the mother-of-three claiming Danny will 'never be faithful'. Cipriani has meanwhile got back to rugby training and was spotted looking glum on the pitch on Wednesday. An onlooker told The Sun: 'Danny looked completely miserable. He just kept his head down and got on with training.' Danny's representative declined to comment when contacted by the MailOnline. Kelly's spokesperson is yet to comment. Do you have a story? Call the Daily Mail Online showbusiness department on 02036151403. First time round: Kelly and Danny in January 2009 - when they first dated . Despite a eight year age gap and a split three years ago, the couple were photographed spending time together earlier this year. When Kelly announced her split from Thom in February, she insisted 'Thom and I mutually agreed to go our separate ways some time ago. It had absolutely nothing to do with a third party.' Just weeks after Kelly and former rugby player Thom started dating, the model announced she was pregnant with his child. However, tragically she suffered a miscarriage in May 2011 when she was five months pregnant. Kelly fell for Titanic star Billy on set of Three (aka Survival Island), which coincided with the end of her seven year relationship with Jason Statham. Despite their engagement, the pair briefly split in April 2008, but got back together, before finally calling things off in August that year. During their brief split, Kelly claimed she was 'too young at 28 to get married'. Kelly started dating action star Jason when she was just 18. During their seven year romance, Kelly lived with the actor in Los Angeles. She left him for Billy after falling in love, but insisted she was very honest with the English actor. She said in a 2004 interview: 'I respected him throughout the whole thing and I was totally honest with him. He doesn't hate me or think I humiliated him. What would have been ideal was if I'd been single for a while and then met Billy, but it just doesn't happen that neatly.' Former flames: Kelly and Thom Evans in 2011 (left) and Billy Zane in 2007 (right) First love: Kelly and Hollywood action man Jason Statham in 1999 . | Sales manager Stacey Simcox claimed rugby player bombarded her with sexy messages and pictures from his 'secret' phone .
Sports star, 25, also alleged to have slept with other women .
Couple had reignited their romance in January after originally splitting in 2010 .
Kelly rang Stacey and claimed she'd spoken to six others that night who she insists had been 'f***ing Danny'
Stacey has revealed Cipriani once admitted to her he planned to marry Kelly despite his cheating behaviour . |
145,110 | 47ad6348de46f3e4610445c233e500750473edb7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:28 EST, 29 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:43 EST, 29 January 2014 . A 300-year-old rare Stradivarius violin was stolen by a robber who used a taser on Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster to force him to drop the valuable instrument. Frank Almond, who had the $6 million violin on indefinite loan from a local family, was leaving a concert at Wisconsin Lutheran College when he was attacked at about 10.30pm on Monday. Police believe Mr Almond was targeted for the Lipinski Stradivarius, which has been owned by a string of prominent musicians since it was first crafted in 1715. Scroll down for video . Loss: Frank Almond, right, had just finished a concert when he was attacked by a robber who stole his violin . Rare: The Lipinski Stradivarius, crafted in 1715, was on permanent loan to the concertmaster . The violin had been previously owned by a string of high-profile musicians, including Devil's Trill composer Giuseppe Tartini, wand Polish violinist Karol Lipinski. The Lipinski Stradivarius was crafted in 1715 by Antonio Stradiveri. An early owner was composer Guiseppe Tartini, who gave it to his student, Salvini. Salvini passed ownership to Polish violinist Karol Lipinski. After Lipinski played for him, Salvini is said to have smashed the musician's violin, before handing him the Stradivarius and saying, 'Try this instrument'. After Lipinski's death in 1861 the violin was acquired by Engelbert Röntgen, and it stayed with his family for three generations. In the 1940s the violin was sent to Cuba, where it was owned by a supporter of the Havana Symphony. But after fleeing the revolution, the violinist was forced to sell the instrument so he could start a new life in the U.S. It was bought in New York in 1962 by Evi Liivak, an Estonian who played secret concerts to keep spirits raised during the Nazi occupation. In 2008, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Frank Almond was given the violin on permanent loan. Source: A Violin's Life . It had survived the Cuban revolution, during which its sale helped a Havana musician escape to the U.S., and was used in concerts across Europe by a woman who escaped the Nazis. 'The artistic heritage of Milwaukee was assaulted and robbed last night,' Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said. Mr Almond, who studied at the Juilliard academy in New York, was left incapacitated on the sidewalk after being hit by a taser, as the thief fled to a maroon or burgundy minivan that was waiting nearby. The violin's case was found, empty and discarded, near the scene of the attack, according to Fox News. 'This is not something that can be easily sold for even a fraction of its monetary value,' Police Chief Flynn said. Only a few hundred Stradivarius violins, crafted by Antonio Stradiveri, remain in the world, and the FBI and Interpol are helping with the investigation. Mr Almond was offered the use of the violin in 2008, when a family clearing the estate of a dead relative contacted the concertmaster to ask his opinion of an instrument they had found. In an interview with The Violinist last . year, Mr Almond recalled how he had at first been skeptical, saying . that he is regularly contacted by people who believe they have found a . rare instrument. After . meeting the owners, who showed him paperwork and old concert programs, . Mr Almond was led to a bank vault where the precious violin had been . stored for 20 years. 'It . turned out that they had put it in a bank vault - a regular bank vault . at M & I Bank, which happened to be about, I'd say, 100 yards from . the concert hall,' Mr Almond said. Loan: Concertmaster Frank Almond at a performance. The violinist was tasered by an attacker on Monday . Attack: Frank Almond had just performed at a concert in Wisconsin Lutheran College . 'It was ironic - I'd been playing all the time in this hall, and there was a 1715 Strad, down the street in a bank vault.' The violin had an impressive pedigree, and allowed Mr Almond to perform on an instrument once used by 'godfather of modern violin playing' Tartini, and Lipinski. 'If you start thinking about everything behind that instrument, it's easy to feel quite tiny,' Mr Almond said in a previous interview. 'Sure, it was creepy to play the Devil's Trill sonata for the first couple times. But that's what the violin is for: playing. 'It's going to be here a lot longer than I am, and every day that I'm able to play on it, to me, it's amazing.' Craftsman: An illustration of Antonio Stradivari, who made the missing violin in 1715 . Origins: The violin's early owners included Giuseppe Tartini, left, and Karol Lipinski, right . Generations of music: The violin was also owned by Engelbert Rontgen, left, and Evi Liivak, right . Well traveled: Frank Almond waits to board a plane with the rare violin in 2009 . Its last owner had been a child prodigy from Estonia, whose music studies in Budapest were cut short when her father was killed by the Gestapo. Evi Liivak was known for playing secret concerts in bunkers to raise the spirits of those living under Nazi oppression. She took possession of the violin in New York in 1962, when her husband, a Milwaukee pianist, bought it for $19,000 from a Cuban who was forced to sell it after escaping Havana. Its enticing history led Mr Almond to record A Violin's Life in tribute to it. The CD features him playing pieces that had been composed or were associated with its various owners in the past 300 years. Although the violin needs to be played regularly to keep it in good condition, the aged instrument must also be kept in a temperature-controlled environment to preserve it. | Frank Almond was leaving a concert when he was attacked .
Interpol joins urgent search to find $6 million violin .
1715 instrument was on permanent loan to Almond from Milwaukee family . |
189,873 | 81db690cce3550e170b4ad160071069ccd0eec42 | By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 14:24 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:49 EST, 5 December 2012 . Veteran TV and radio presenter Stuart Hall was last night charged with indecently assaulting three girls. The former It’s A Knockout host and BBC Radio 5 Live commentator was arrested by police during a dawn swoop on his £1.5million detached home yesterday. The 82-year-old was then taken to a police station where he was questioned for several hours over accusations of indecent assault. Scroll down for video . It's a Knockout presenter Stuart Hall, pictured receiving his MBE in October last year, has been charged with sex offence allegations after a dawn raid on his home yesterday morning . Meeting the Royals: Stuart Hall and Sarah Ferguson (left) and with Prince Edward (right) during 1987's It's A Royal Knockout charity special . Thorough search: Police remove items from Stuart Hall's home in Wilmslow yesterday for forensic tests . Last night he was charged with . indecently assaulting three girls – one as young as eight – in alleged . attacks dating back to 1974. John Dilworth of the Crown Prosecution . Service said: ‘Following investigations by Lancashire Police into . allegations of sexual assault by Stuart Hall I have reviewed all the . evidence that they have gathered and have authorised Lancashire Police . to charge him with three counts of indecent assault.’ The first charge is that between September and December 1974 Hall indecently assaulted a woman who was then aged 16 or 17 years. The second charge alleges he indecently assaulted a girl aged eight or nine in 1983. Broadcasting stalwart: TV Presenter Stuart Hall posed at home with his wife Hazel in 1979 . An officer directs police cars into Mr Hall's £1.5million Cheshire home . Police officers leaving with bags of evidence from the family home of TV presenter Stuart Hall in Wilmslow Cheshire, yesterday . Finally he is accused of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old girl between July and September 1984. Mr Dilworth said: ‘I have concluded . that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction . and that it is in the public interest to prosecute this case.’ Hall, famed for his distinctively . highbrow approach to football commentary, was released from custody and . bailed to appear before magistrates next month. He was arrested in the early hours of . yesterday morning at his family home in a quiet leafy area of Wilmslow, . Cheshire, where he lives with his wife of 44 years, Hazel, 74. The TV presenter was famous for appearing on It's A Knockout and still contributes to BBC Radio 5 Live . Police officers arrived early yesterday morning to arrest the veteran presenter and search his Wilmslow home . The couple, who have two grown-up . children, Daniel and Francesca, are popular among the local community . where they carry out a lot of charity work. Yesterday forensic officers were . searching their five-bedroom house on the edge of the upmarket town – . which also boasts Sir Alex Ferguson as a resident. Neighbours were not answering their . doors yesterday but a builder working on a nearby property said: ‘We saw . two police cars in his driveway at 8am but had no inkling as to what . was going on. ‘We didn’t see him come out of the house or anything. The next thing we knew the police cars had gone. ‘It’s incredible to think they had come to arrest Stuart Hall.’ Hall meeting Muhammad Ali, former world heavyweight boxing champion, (left) and Henry Cooper (right), former world title contender . Mr Hall presenting It's A Knockout, the iconic gameshow that ran on-and-off between 1966 and 2001 . BBC Radio 5 Live last night announced that Hall would not be working for them while the police investigation was continuing. A BBC spokesman said: ‘In light of the . very serious nature of these charges Stuart Hall will not be working at . the BBC while the police continue with their enquiries.’ A police spokesman said: ‘We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. ‘We would encourage people with any . information about sexual abuse or who has been a victim of sexual abuse . to come forward and report their concerns confident in the knowledge it . will be investigated appropriately and with sensitivity.’ Zany: It's A Knockout was known for it's crazy games and madcap costumes . Mr Hall is known for his impassioned delivery and flowery phrases during his football commentary . Hall has been bailed to appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on January 7. The broadcaster’s arrest comes as the . beleaguered BBC continues to deal with the fall-out of the Jimmy . Savile sex abuse scandal. Police confirmed the arrest did not . form part of Operation Yewtree – the investigation into alleged sexual . offences by late Top Of The Pops presenter Savile and others. A spokesman said of Hall’s arrest: ‘I can categorically confirm this arrest is not part of Operation Yewtree in any way.’ Stuart Hall and wife Hazel Hall in 1986 . Hall is an avid antique clock collector. He is pictured here at home in Cheshire in 2007 . Stuart Hall’s distinctive tones, exuberant delivery and often florid football match reports have enlivened the airwaves for five decades. Along the way, the veteran broadcaster has earned ‘national treasure’ status – not least for his equally over-excitable commentaries on It’s A Knockout. As competitors clad in giant, silly . costumes hurled themselves around obstacle courses and frequently fell . over, Hall regularly failed to suppress his mirth and his fits of . incoherent laughter became, for many, as big a part of the popular BBC . TV show as its slapstick challenges. A 'national treasure': Stuart Hall presented It's A Knockout from 1972 to 1982 . So popular was the show, which Hall presented from 1972 to 1982 (as well as several subsequent special shows), that nearly one in three surveyed in a recent poll said it was one of the bygone features of British life they would most like to return. Hall, who was raised in Hyde, Manchester, and Glossop, Derbyshire, joined the BBC in 1959 as a general reporter on Radio Newsreel. Between 1965 and 1990 he presented the BBC’s regional news programmes for the North West. A lifelong Manchester City supporter, Hall was the original host of BBC quiz A Question Of Sport. He still works as a football reporter for BBC Radio 5 Live, where his reports often feature allusions to Shakespeare and various linguistic gymnastics. He claims to have coined the phrase the ‘beautiful game’ to describe football. In 1999 a House of Commons motion, congratulating Hall on his 40-year career, stated: ‘His rich mellifluous voice is redolent of Sinden and Gielgud intertwining Shakespeare, Keats, Wordsworth et al amid the mud and tears at Accrington Stanley.’ Hall was awarded the OBE last December in the New Year Honours list for his services to broadcasting and charity. He . said afterwards: ‘I’ve always regarded myself as a second-rate . provincial hack. Well, that was yesterday. Now I’ve got the OBE, I’m . still a provincial second-rate hack, but I’m a good one!’ Last year, asked if retirement was on the agenda, he said: ‘I intend to go on and on and on.’ Silly costumes: Stuart Hall pictured with Su Pollard and Les Dawson in historical fancy dress for a Royal edition of It's A Knockout in 1987 . VIDEO: Stuart Hall meets Sarah Ferguson and Prince Edward on It's A Royal Knockout. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Veteran broadcaster was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, yesterday morning .
Hall charged by detectives investigating historical allegations of indecent assault relating to three different girls aged between 8 and 17 .
Alleged offences are said to have taken place between 1974 and 1984 .
Former presenter was this evening bailed to appear in court on January 7 . |
129,551 | 33765ee01b60a06c00f8e4d89ab957f322cb931d | Mafia killings don't typically shock Italians -- as disturbing as the occasional hit may be, the tragedy usually affects only friends and families of the victims. But a coldblooded, point-blank killing this month in southern Italy has a nation grieving -- for a 3-year-old child. Nicola "Coco" Campolongo was shot in the head along with his grandfather, Giuseppe Iannicelli, and his grandfather's 27-year-old companion -- victims of an apparent mob hit over money. Their bodies were found January 19 in a burned-out Fiat Punto on the outskirts of Cosenza, in southern Italy's Calabria region. Iannicelli, who was serving a drug-related sentence on house arrest, appeared to be the target of the hit. "In all my years investigating organized crime murders, none has been as horrific as this one," lead prosecutor Franco Giacomantonio told CNN. "It is unimaginable that a child can be made to pay for the crimes of his parents." The killing even caught the attention of Pope Francis, who called Coco's death "unprecedented." He asked worshippers at his Sunday address to say a prayer for Coco and called on the boy's killers to repent for their crimes. Coco's 24-year-old mother, Antonia Iannicelli, didn't attend her son's funeral. She's serving a four-year jail sentence for the possession and sale of drugs. Police feared members of the powerful 'Ndrangheta crime organization -- believed to be behind the killings -- would target Iannicelli if she attended. Her two other children, ages 4 and 5, were moved to protective custody in another region of Italy. Iannicelli will be allowed to serve out the rest of her sentence on house arrest with her surviving children. The killing of such a young child has sparked debate in Italy about how to protect children growing up in the shadow of the country's crime syndicates in the impoverished south. Coco was just an infant when his mother began serving her jail sentence. On Tuesday, Francesco Talarico, head of the regional government in Calabria, wrote a letter to the president of Italy's national observatory of the rights of minors, urging the group to "lift the veil of silence" that often accompanies mafia crimes, and to "seriously investigate what can be done to protect the future of at-risk children like Coco." Coco's mother was already serving her second prison term for drug crimes tied to 'Ndrangheta -- one of the most powerful organized crime syndicates in the world, according to Francesco Forgione, head of Italy's Parliamentary anti-Mafia Commission. "Coco's mother is the first victim of the system," Talarico told CNN. "Her son had little chance to escape that life." In the wake of Coco's killing, Interior Minister Alfano Angelino and National Police Chief Alessandro Pansa signed an emergency protocol in the child's name to ensure the protection of children's rights. "We need ... to make sure the protocol does not forget children who are growing up in vulnerable situations outside the law, who may be victims or witnesses to crimes. We need to make sure Coco is the last child ever killed like this," Pansa said. No suspects have been named in the triple homicide, but Giacomantonio believes it is likely connected to the region's drug trade. Would the Mafia target Pope Francis over Vatican reforms? | Nicola "Coco" Campolongo was shot and killed last week .
His grandfather and grandfather's companion were also killed .
The boy's death has shocked the country, even catching the attention of Pope Francis . |
59,501 | a8ee959c42d6ec1dc267dcce1b9b5a8d033eda5b | By . Tom Goodenough . The man's time in the limelight was short-lived, however, as he was bundled away by officers . A man has been arrested after disrupting the Olympic torch relay by running naked past spectators. The streaker had 'Free Tibet' written on his back and managed only a short distance before being tackled by police in Henley-on-Thames. He was covered in a blanket by officers and led away. A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman confirmed that a 27-year-old man from Henley has been arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency. Hundreds of onlookers watched the man disrupt proceedings in the Oxfordshire town as the torch made its way through on the 53rd day of the relay. A Henley resident who was lining the procession route said the streaker came out of the crowd. Andrew Tinsley, and environmental scientist, said: 'The guy came out of nowhere. He definitely picked his moment to shine. 'The streaker completely out-footed the policeman on the other side of the bus. 'The juxtaposition of the bus relay logo of a running man and the streaker was immensely funny.' As well as emblazoning his back with the message, the streaker also carried a fake Olympic torch as he ran past spectators. On a notable day on the Olympic Torch . relay, the Queen welcomed torchbearers to Windsor Castle. Local residents ran through the grounds of the royal residence with the flaming symbol of the London Games as excitement over the global event mounted. In 17 days the Queen will declare the Games open during a spectacular ceremony at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. In the run-up to the sporting spectacular the Olympic flame has been travelling around the UK and has been greeted by cheering crowds for much of its journey. In the castle's quadrangle the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh watched as torchbearer Gina Macgregor, 74, ran into the open space after earlier receiving the flame from Renate Beynon, 66. Its journey began today in Oxford where athletics legend Sir Roger Bannister started the flame on its way at the site of his greatest sporting achievement, the Iffley Road track where he broke the magical four-minute mile barrier on a balmy evening on May 6, 1954. The man ran past crowds naked carrying a fake Olympic torch in upmarket Henley-on-Thames . As well as carrying the fake torch, the 27-year-old streaker also had 'Free Tibet' written on his back . The torch arrives through the Henry 8th Gate at Windsor Castle during a downpour this afternoon. It was then carried through the castle grounds to be met by the Queen . The sun rears its head as the Queen and Prince Philip watch torchbearer Gina Macgregor (right) pass the Olympic Flame Phillip Wells outside Windsor Castle . When the flame is exchanged between runners they touch their torches together, known as a 'kiss moment'. But in a bid to allow the royals to . watch a handball demonstration from schoolchildren the symbol of the . Games was put into a lantern. Minutes before the flame arrived grey . skies which had been threatening rain let go a torrential downpour . which forced guests under the shelter of the castle's Sovereign's . Entrance. Mrs Macgregor, from Taplow near . Slough, arrived soaking wet and met the Queen who was wearing a rain . cape and wielding an umbrella with Philip by her side. Laughing, Mrs Macgregor told the royal couple 'I looked fine this morning', and they both began chuckling. Earlier in the day, Sir Roger Bannister was joined by London 2012 chairman Lord Coe at the Iffley Road track in Oxford. Sir Roger said: 'It's an honour to be . included in a list of torch carriers which has included injured . soldiers back from Afghanistan and other places, and I'm glad that it's . taking place on this track in Oxford where I ran the four-minute mile in . 1954. Sebastian Coe, left, stands with Sir Roger Bannister after he returned to the site of his record breaking run . Sir Roger Bannister, left, passes the Flame to torchbearer Nicola Byrom on the track at Iffley Road Stadium in Oxford . Roger Bannister completed the first ever four minute mile at an athletics meeting in Oxford in 1954 . 'It . brings back happy memories and it also brings back some remembering of . the weather. Today it looks like it might rain and that day the weather . was so bad that I nearly decided not to attempt it. 'In retrospect, I'm glad because if I hadn't attempted it that day I might not have had another chance. 'In . a way I'm back in the sport that I belong to. I spent 10 years training . before I broke the four-minute mile. I send my best wishes to all those . who are training now and are competing in the Olympics in London.' Lord Coe said: 'It's very special. Roger has done so much inside British sport. 'Breaking the four-minute mile as a mark . of athletic achievement sits central in the history of our sport. He . paved the way for what we did in the late 70s and early 80s.' Hundreds of people watched as . 83-year-old Sir Roger carried the flame along the athletics track before . handing the torch to 25-year-old student Nicola Byrom. Rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave also carried the flame in a boat along the River Thames through Henley-on-Thames. Sir Roger Bannister, left, completed a somewhat more sedate lap of the Iffley Road track in Oxford than he is accustomed to, as he was watched by London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe, right . Sir Steve Redgrave carrying the Olympic Flame aloft on the Torch Relay leg between Wallingford and Henley-on-Thames . Sir Steve Redgrave's leg of the relay was overshadowed somewhat by the appearance of a streaker in Henley-on-Thames . Sir . Steve, a five-times Olympic rowing gold medallist, travelled through the . upmarket town in an eight-man boat using an oar with one hand and . carrying the torch in another. The former Olympian was able to keep up a sedate pace that allowed the thousands of spectators lining the route to cheer him on. In the background was the River and . Rowing Museum where the boat Sir Steve used to win his fifth gold medal . at the 2000 Sydney Olympics is on permanent display. He . exchanged the Olympic flame with the previous torchbearer as he sat in . the slimline vessel and then, with seven other rowers and a cox, set off . on a circuit of the riverbank. Once he had his feet on dry land, Sir Steve set off on a brief run to hand the flame on to the next torchbearer. He said: 'To have my hands on the torch is pretty special. It’s surreal - when I retired in 2000 I was asked to come on to the bid team. 'What we were working towards were the Games in 2012 and now it’s just 18 days away.' Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg today in Slough . Sir Steve Redgrave, who won an unprecedented five gold medals in his illustrious career said it was 'pretty special' to be asked to carry the torch . Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal also took part in the torch relay as it passed through Slough. The . Michelin-starred celebrity chef, renowned for his snail porridge and . sardine ice cream dishes, said he was close to tears as thousands of . people lined the streets to watch the flame pass. He said: 'I had no idea there were going to be this many people here. I've got a proper lump in my throat. 'The turnout is incredible. The energy - this is what the Olympics is all about.' The torch will travel a total of 87 miles today, and be transported by 111 torch bearers on the 53rd day of the relay. | Naked man carries fake torch through Henley as stunned crowd look on .
On the 53rd day of the relay, Queen and Prince Philip watch as torch is carried through the grounds of Windsor Castle .
Sir Roger Bannister begins day by returning to the Oxford site of his extraordinary sub-four minute mile of 1953 to carry the flame .
He was joined by London 2012 chairman Lord Coe as he completed his route .
Five-times gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave also carried the flame through Henley-on-Thames as he rowed one-handed down the river . |
20,028 | 38d62e7c79ffc766feab3ce7f77bd1f0b8b5f753 | By . Jenny Awford . A 62-year-old man has died in a house fire in what is thought to be Britain's first death from an exploding e-cigarette. His body was found in the living room of his flat in Wallasey, Merseyside, by a member of the public after a small fire broke out in the bedroom. Investigators believe the blaze started when an e-cigarette that was charging in the bedroom exploded and set fire to an oxygen concentrator - thought to have been used by the victim. A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said she was unaware of any other deaths caused by the electronic devices. Up in flames: The 62-year-old was discovered in his flat in Wallasey, Merseyside, by firefighters after a small fire broke out in the bedroom of the property - believed to have been caused by an electronic cigarette . It is thought that the man was using a third-party charger that did not come with the original e-cigarette. Emergency services were called to the address - a large house converted into flats - at 11.39am on Tuesday, but the fire was out before they arrived. The man has not yet been publicly identified, but next of kin have been informed. A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue said: 'The exact cause of death is yet to be established, but the subsequent fire investigation identified that an e-cigarette that had been charging in the bedroom exploded, caught fire and ignited the oxygen tube of an oxygen concentrator which may have been in use by the occupier.' An oxygen concentrator is used to raise the blood oxygen levels to prevent damage to the heart or brain by people with severe respiratory or circulatory conditions. Risk: Charging e-cigarettes are believed to have caused a number of devastating house fires . An inquest is set to be held and the death is not being treated as suspicious. Firefighters said the charging device being used at the time may not have been the one supplied with the original e-cigarette. Area manager for Merseyside Fire and Rescue, Myles Platt, said: 'Only use the original charger or electrical cables supplied and ensure you purchase electrical items from a reputable source.' 'We urge people to always use electrical equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and guidance, always ensure that no electrical items are left charging overnight or left unattended for a long period when being charged and do not mix parts from different e-cigarettes.' Handle with care: Investigators believe the blaze started when an e-cigarette (not pictured) that was charging in the bedroom exploded and set fire to an oxygen concentrator. Remember to use the correct charger on a non-flammable surface (file photo) How they work: Electronic cigarettes simulate tobacco by releasing an aerosol that resembles smoke . The blaze is the ninth fire believed to have been caused by the devices in Merseyside alone since January 2013. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: 'At this time the man's death is not being treated as suspicious and the matter has been referred to the coroner. The man has been identified and next of kin have been advised.' 1) Don't hold the button for longer than needed: . You should not have to hold down the vaping button for any longer than a few seconds. 2) Don't let the atomizer overheat: . Holding down the button on your e-cigarette long enough could cause the atomizer to overheat. 3) Use the correct charger: . Only use the charger that came with your e cigarette or is 100% compatible with your e cigarette. 4) Charge in a clutter free area: . The more material around the charger, the more likely it is there will be a fire. 5) Charge on a non-flammable surface: . Don't charge on top of carpet, paper cardboard. There have been a number of serious accidents and house fires caused by e-cigarettes in the last few years, increasing calls for tighter regulation of the devices. In April an e-cigarette exploded in a barmaid's face in North Yorkshire. Laura Baty, 18, was serving at the Buck Inn Hotel in Richmond when she heard an almighty bang and saw fire coming towards her. Before the teenager had time to think following the explosion on Saturday, she could feel the fire coming at her, adding: 'I felt the heat as I ran away'. And in June a family's home was left gutted by flames after an e-cigarette exploded while it was charging, killing the neighbour's cat. Gutted: Victoria Newton and her children (left-right) Dylan Thomas-James, Millie Anne James, and Lauren James, were left homeless after an e-cigarette exploded in their house, engulfing it in flames . Homeless: Ms Newton grabbed Dylan, four, as she fled the house after hearing an enormous bang upstairs . Victoria Newton, 34, and her three children were 'lucky to be alive' after the fire. She was at home with her four-year-old son Dylan and her two daughters Millie-Anne, nine, and Lauren, 13, when they heard a bang and the house in Leigh, Greater Manchester, became engulfed in flames. She said: 'It was a nightmare. My daughter Lauren had some friends round and one of her mates had plugged in her e-cigarette and they'd gone out playing.' | The man's body was discovered in the living room of his flat in Merseyside .
Investigators believe the charging e-cigarette exploded in the bedroom .
It ignited an oxygen concentrator which may have been used by the man .
The Department for Communities said it was unaware of any other deaths directly linked to e-cigarettes . |
70,133 | c6d2b58023bc6ad048a11e03eac6d918cf7184fa | (CNN) -- A handwritten letter thought to have been penned by the suspect in last month's ambush of two Pennsylvania State Police troopers details how he shot the officers and then escaped, two senior law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania told CNN on Monday. The letter, which authorities found during the manhunt for Eric Matthew Frein, does not offer a motive for the shooting, according to the officials. Authorities aren't sure if the letter was left on purpose or by accident, and it's unclear when or why the letter was written. But based on details contained in it, authorities think it was written by Frein, the officials said. Who is Eric Frein? State police spokesman Trooper Tom Kelly issued a statement Monday saying that he could not confirm any information provided by unnamed sources. Frein, 31, is suspected in the September 12 ambush that left Cpl. Bryon Dickson dead and Trooper Alex T. Douglass wounded outside the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania. A massive search for Frein followed, at times involving as many as 1,000 officers. Despite sightings and other leads, he has not yet been caught. Authorities previously said that a review of a computer hard drive used by Frein showed that he had planned the attack for years. Frein has been described as a survivalist and military reenactment enthusiast with a hatred for law enforcement, authorities say. | Letter details shooting and immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials tell CNN .
It's not clear whether suspect Eric Matthew Frein left the letter on purpose or not .
It doesn't offer a motive .
Frein is wanted in last month's ambush shooting of two Pennsylvania state troopers . |
199,312 | 8e01a438e3fd0b64ae62f7170816c51370693693 | By . Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 19:15 EST, 10 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:11 EST, 11 August 2012 . Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a loving husband and Hurricane Katrina hero whose acts of bravery and unjust incarceration inspired a nonfiction book, has been charged with hiring a hit man to kill his ex-wife and two other people. Zeitoun, 54, was booked on three counts of solicitation of murder on Thursday for hiring an Orleans Parish inmate to kill his ex-wife, Kathy, her son from a previous marriage and another man who was often seen in her company, according to New Orleans police spokesperson Remi Braden. The inmate, Donald Pugh, told police that Zeitoun gave him Kathy Zeitoun's cell phone number instructed him to pose as a prospective tenant for one of her rental properties. He was then told to kill her and the two other men once inside the vacant home in exchange for $20,000 – as long as the couple’s four children were not present, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Unraveled marriage: Abdulrahman Zeitoun, right, is accused of trying to have his ex-wife, Kathy, left, murdered after their once-loving relationship has turned sour . The Syrian-born New Orleans resident has gained notoriety after spending days rescuing stranded neighbors in his tin canoe and handing out water in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, ABC News reported. Zeitoun, who is Muslim, was wrongfully arrested by the police and National Guardsmen who mistook him for a terrorism suspect and spent 23 days in lockup without a hearing or the chance to let his wife know of his whereabouts. The dramatic saga was chronicled in the critically acclaimed 2009 nonfiction book Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. One of the focal points of Eggers’ book is the Zeitouns’ loving, happy marriage. But in the years since the volume was published, the relationship between the couple has come undone. Mr Zeitoun was placed on probation for a March 2011 attack on his wife. A police report cited by the Smoking Gun described Zeitoun as pushing Kathy to the floor and punching her in the head. The assault prompted Kathy Zeitoun to file for divorce, which was finalized last year. Zeitoun was arrested again last month after police said he hit Kathy’s windshield with a tire iron on a New Orleans street and struck her with it after she exited her car. The Times-Picayune reported that ‘Kathy Zeitoun said he later punched and choked her before a bystander intervened.’ Dave Eggers' 2009 book about the Zeitouns focused on the loving relationship between the couple amid the unfolding natural disaster . Zeitoun had been still in jail in connection to the July attack when he was charged with soliciting the murders. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Kathy Zeitoun, her son and the husband of a friend, Ahmad Al-Akoum, were supposed to be killed while her ex-husband was behind bars to ensure that he would not be a suspect. However, instead of carrying out the murders, the would-be hit man revealed the plot to police. Pugh was able to pick Zeitoun out of a photo lineup and produced an envelope with Kathy Zeitoun's phone number written on it. Dave Eggers, author of the bestselling novel, and Jonathan Demme, a filmmaker who has expressed interest in adapting the book into an animated film, issued a joint statement and said they have been in daily contact with Kathy Zeitoun since the July 25 attack. Hero: Zeitoun gained fame during Hurricane Katrina after spending days rescuing his stranded neighbors in his tin canoe and handing out water . ‘Our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of Kathy and the children. As the investigation proceeds, we hope that you will join us in respecting the Zeitoun family's privacy at this difficult time,’ they wrote. The New York Times reported that ‘in an interview with The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Ms Zeitoun said the book had accurately portrayed their relationship at the time. But she said her ex-husband had since grown angrier and more violent and his Islamic views had become more ‘radical.’’ After the book, the Zeitouns and Mr Eggers started a foundation to aid in the revitalization of New Orleans which has distributed more than $250,000 in grants, according to its website. Zeitoun is being held on $999,000 bond for the solicitation to murder charges and $150,000 for the domestic abuse charge. | Abdulrahman Zeitoun, 54, was charged with hiring inmate to kill his ex-wife, her son and a male friend for $20,000 .
Zeitoun was the protagonist of a 2009 nonfiction book detailing his acts of heroism during Hurricane Katrina .
Dave Eggers' book focused on Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun's happy marriage .
Zeitoun was unlawfully detained for 23 days during the disaster after police mistook him for a terror suspect .
The Syrian-born man was arrested twice for allegedly attacking his wife . |
272,804 | ed4fff00d13f6d3518bf6d79a2b675fd2dac34fe | (CNN) -- U.S. coach Eddie O'Sullivan said he "couldn't be more proud" of his players after Thursday's hard-fought 13-6 victory over Russia at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. It was the Eagles' first win of the tournament, after a 22-10 defeat to O'Sullivan's native Ireland on Sunday, with a superb 18th-minute try from scrumhalf Mike Petri after proving to be the difference between the two sides in wet conditions in New Plymouth. The Russians, making their World Cup debut, took an early 3-0 lead through a penalty from flyhalf Yury Kushnarev , but the U.S. rallied despite several misses from goalkicker Chris Wyles and the Bears were left with just a solitary bonus point to show for their efforts. "It was a great victory for us," former Ireland coach O'Sullivan told the World Cup's official website. "I thought it was a good match in these conditions. As a coach I couldn't have asked for more. I couldn't be more proud of these boys." The Americans also beat Russia by a seven-point margin the last time they met, at the Churchill Cup in June, but U.S. captain Todd Clever said Nikolay Nerush's side were making impressive progress. "I was very nervous at the end but they are a tough, tough team," the 28-year-old said. "They are improving every time we play them and are getting better and better." Russia's team director Kingsley Jones was satisfied his players were able to run the U.S. close, but the 42-year-old former Wales flanker bemoaned the mistakes made by the team. "Certain errors cost us the game," Jones said. "We didn't use our opportunities. Unfortunately, the lineouts didn't function but the team have come a long way to be competing right until the end of the game." The U.S. now sit third in Pool C, level on points with Ireland in second but having played one game more. O'Sullivan's team next play two-time world champions and current group leaders Australia on September 23, but face an uphill task to notch just a fourth victory in the four-yearly tournament's history. The other two were against Japan in 1987 and 2003. Russia's next opponents are Italy, who lost their opener 32-6 to Australia on Tuesday, then the Wallabies and Ireland. | The U.S. beat Russia 13-6 to win their first match of the Rugby World Cup .
The match in New Plymouth was Russia's first at a World Cup .
A converted try from scrumhalf Mike Petri proves the difference between the teams .
The Americans next face Australia, while Russia take on Italy . |
214,023 | a12c9cd62707c910c00b7e81dfc08a9d8625de7a | CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Mike Mette has been a Chicago police officer for almost four years. But now, as a result of a fistfight one night in Dubuque, Iowa, he is a convicted felon. Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, says he acted in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. Mette has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after Dubuque County Judge Monica Ackley found him guilty of assault causing serious injury. Mette says he's been wronged. "I was arrested for self-defense ... I was defending myself," he said. Mette's saga started in October 2005 after a night of drinking in Dubuque, where he was visiting his brother Mark. After the bars closed, Mette and his crew made their way to an after-hours party thrown by Jake Gotthard, a student at the University of Dubuque. According to court documents, Mette and his friends entered the house party, but decided to leave without paying the required $5 entry fee when they saw the room was mostly empty. Gotthard became angry, and with the help of his roommate, began chasing Mette down the street. Gotthard claims someone in Mette's group had stolen his cell phone and he wanted it back. Exactly what happened to the cell phone is still unclear. The altercation continued a block and a half down the street and eventually ended up in front of the house of Mette's brother. Fight could land cop in prison » . "That's when Mr. Gotthard hit me. He hit me with two fists like this, straight into the chest," Mette said. "He was yelling about his cell phone, telling me if he didn't get his cell phone back he was going to beat the crap out of me. He hit me several more times and then I pushed him away from me. It wasn't until after the third time is when he came back at me again and that is when I struck him." When police arrived, they found Gotthard lying on the ground with bruises and lacerations on his face, cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Mette, who had blood on his shirt and whose knuckle was bruised and cut, was arrested and charged with a felony. "[Gotthard] had bruises on the side of his neck, his arms, his elbow, his shoulders, on his back, that were simply not consistent with Mr. Mette's version that he only struck him once," said Assistant County Attorney Tim Gallagher. Dubuque doctors testified the injuries were consistent with someone who had been stomped and kicked. But a doctor testifying for Mette's defense rejected the Dubuque findings. He said all those injuries could have come from Mette's single punch and the impact from falling on the sidewalk. Gallagher said the decision to prosecute Mette was a tough one. "It's never an easy situation when someone is sentenced to prison, particularly when it's a police officer that we have to rely on," he said. "But we can't allow individuals to be given certain privileges because of their occupation." The case spawned a battle between newspaper columnists in Chicago and Dubuque. "Mette played baseball in college. But what's happening to him isn't about Iowa baseball mythology. It doesn't smell of corn. It stinks of the pig barn," wrote Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. He chalks the judge's decision up to small town politics. In a reply, a columnist for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald wrote that Kass is a "legendary muckraker" who is "training his scorn" on Ackley, the judge. Mette is currently on unpaid leave from the Chicago Police Department and is appealing his case. He will begin serving his five-year sentence in November. E-mail to a friend . | Mike Mette, a Chicago police officer, is heading to prison this November .
He says he was acting in self-defense when he punched Jake Gotthard .
Doctors testified Gotthard appeared as though he had been stomped, kicked .
Mette, currently on unpaid leave, is appealing the court's decision . |
124,238 | 2c9ac7a5e3fbe48ff1af52a17ae36d3a63202a54 | Washington (CNN) -- First lady Michelle Obama doesn't approve: "Don't you hate when trailers give away the whole movie?" she says, sitting on the couch with two staffers while chomping on a carrot. "Can't we just watch 'Frozen' again?" Instead she watched parts of a horror flick on the degradation of American's health as junk-food eating and soda-drinking teens turn into sick zombies after gorging themselves with sugary foods and drinks. Yes, it's a joke. It's a new video on the comedy website Funny or Die. The first lady's brief appearance in "Snackpocalpyse," a spoof thriller with actors Chloë Grace Moretz and Tyler Posey in a post-apocalyptic modern-day high school where junk food kills the students, falls in line with her focus on healthy eating and her Let's Move! campaign. But don't worry. As in most Hollywood films, things work out in the end. Heroine Moretz attempts to save the world with her healthy eating. We aren't sure, however, if Obama gets to watch Frozen. President Barack Obama was the first Obama to appear on the comedy website in an episode of "Between Two Ferns" during the rollout of the health care law. It was credited as introducing a host of young people to the health care law. Obesity rates drop for 2- to 5-year-olds . | Michelle Obama appears in a new Funny or Die video .
Her appearance is in line with her healthy eating initiatives and Let's Move! campaign .
Chloë Grace Moretz and Tyler Posey also appear in the video . |
84,977 | f107f575f041b423d1144ce82bdce592b8f8953e | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 11:29 EST, 4 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:21 EST, 4 September 2013 . An inspirational teenager is celebrating top exam grades after doing lessons via Skype as she battled a life-threatening illness. Natalie McCusker, 18, is starting the second year of sixth form just six weeks after a lung transplant to help in her fight against cystic fibrosis. The teenager, from Stretford, got four As and a B in her AS-levels despite being left housebound and hooked up to an oxygen ventilator as she waited 19 months for the transplant. Natalie McCusker has been the recipient of a double-lung transplant, after three years on the waiting list. Despite her illness she managed to pass her exams through taking part in lessons at school via Skype . Miss McCusker, who goes to Loreto Grammar School in Altrincham, said: 'Skype was brilliant - I was able to see the teachers and they could see me even when I was checking my phone or when my cat jumped on my bed. 'Now thinking about the operation it feels like it all happened to someone else. 'I sometimes think I can't believe that someone was willing to donate their organs - it's changed my life. 'Before I was bed-ridden and was on an oxygen ventilator for 24 hours a day. Now I'm more independent and am able to go out and see my friends.' Natalie McCusker (right) has joined forces with MP Kate Green (left) to fight for better care for transplant patients. Figures show patients in the north west have some of the longest waiting times for a transplant . Although there is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis, where the lungs and digestive system become congested, it is hoped the transplant will help Miss McCusker's live as normal a life as possible. Kate Green (right) plans for Natalie McCusker (left) to join her in Parliament to discuss changes in the law with top health ministers . She hopes to complete her A-levels before going on to university to study classics or ancient history. Her mum Geraldine added: 'I feel like I've got my daughter back.' Jane Beever, headteacher at Loreto Grammar School, said: 'Natalie deserves high praise for her AS Level success. 'It has been a pleasure to facilitate her academic needs via Skype. We are thrilled that she is now well enough to be back in the classroom to continue her studies. 'She is a true example of hard work and commitment and we are proud of her.' Miss McCusker has joined forces with Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green to fight for better care for transplant patients. Figures show patients in the north west have some of the longest waiting times in the country for a transplant - and are more likely to die while on the list. Ms Green now plans for Miss McCusker to join her in Parliament to discuss changes in the law with top health ministers, after she raised the issue in a debate in the House of Commons last month. | Natalie McCusker, 18, from Greater Manchester is battling cystic fibrosis .
She got four As and a B in her AS-levels while waiting for a lung transplant .
MP Kate Green has now joined forces with Miss McCuster to fight for better care and shorter waiting times for transplant patients in the north west . |
148,484 | 4c0305d6539643c8e809a8c47cf858c8dad29181 | By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 07:16 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:51 EST, 5 December 2013 . A runaway cow caused traffic chaos when it escaped from its field and ran loose on a motorway, evading capture for nearly three hours. It is the kind of sight you might expect to see on the streets of Pamplona but not on the fast lane of the A3, where motorists were stunned to witness the Highland cross heifer galloping along. They called 999 but the animal continued its journey for five miles before the police finally brought its adventure to an end. Moo-terway: The runaway cow, captured on camera by a shocked car passenger, caused havoc on the roads after it escaped onto a busy motorway and evaded capture for nearly three hours . The cow had escaped after being spooked, bolting out of its field in Farlington, near Portsmouth, charging through four fences, then onto a dual carriageway and then up a slip road onto the busy A3 (M) motorway. Drivers faced miles of tailbacks as officers tried to coax the out-of-control cow, which weighed around 60 stone, off the road and to waiting park rangers. Some worried motorists mistook the cow, with its large horns, for a raging bull and called the police. Startled passengers took photographs of the cow, which was also captured on Highways Agency cameras. Despite a two-and-a-half hour chase, the terrified animal was unable to be brought under control. As it was headed towards a school where the children were about to emerge from classes, the call was made to humanely shoot the cow before the afternoon’s rush-hour traffic kicked in, as she was deemed a danger to public safety. The stretch of road was closed to traffic while the animal roamed free on the usually busy stretch of motorway . The cow was shot dead by a police firearms officer after she left the motorway near Crookhorn, Hampshire for a golf course fairway. Russell Brown, animal rescue specialist for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'It was spooked, for whatever reason, and decided to run for it. 'Once they wind themselves up they can carry on and carry on.' The decision was made to kill the cow after it left the motorway and traipsed onto the 10th fairway of Crookhorn Golf Club - which is close to three primary schools. Mr Brown said: 'At that stage, because of conflicting reports, we were not sure if it was a Limousine bull. 'On advice from me, it was decided the best course of action would be to shoot it - to euthanise it. 'It was about 40 minutes from the three local schools packing up and it was a danger to human safety. 'Its temperament would not have allowed it to be easily corralled into a situation where it could have been calmed down.' The police are responsible for dealing with animal when they are loose in a public space. The RSPCA said shooting the animal on Tuesday was the most humane way of killing it to protect public safety. | Highland cross heifer travelled five miles up the A(3) motorway in Hampshire .
Cow burst through four slip roads and on to dual carriageway .
Passing motorists photographed runaway animal .
Police were forced to shoot the cow after it got close to primary schools . |
176,696 | 70bf477ff51c191a0ba3794363e9f905be6fa1b2 | Two former professional wrestlers accuse the WWE of 'selling violence' while ignoring concussions that they say left them with serious brain injuries. The men, including one who performed under the name Skull Von Krush, have filed a potential class-action lawsuit in federal court in Philadelphia that echoes thousands of suits pending against the NFL. The NFL litigation, pending in the same courthouse, could yield a $1 billion settlement if a judge approves the proposed deal. The WWE plaintiffs are 50-year-old Vito LoGrasso of Coatesville and 22-year-old Evan Singleton of Lancaster. Skull Von Crush: Vito LoGrasso who went by the name Skull Von Krush claims he suffers from migraines, memory loss, depression and deafness after nearly a decade with the WWE . Adam Mercer: 22-year-old Evan Singleton of Lancaster who went by the name Adam Mercer is now disabled because of brain trauma he suffered early in his career . 'Under the guise of providing entertainment, the WWE has, for decades, subjected its wrestlers to extreme physical brutality that it knew, or should have known, caused created latent conditions and long-term irreversible bodily damage, including brain damage,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit said that Singleton, who performed under the name Adam Mercer from 2012 to 2013, is now disabled because of brain trauma he suffered early in his career, which began at 19. LoGrasso suffers from migraines, memory loss, depression and deafness after nearly a decade with the WWE, the lawsuit said. His various stage names included Skull Von Krush and Big Vito. The Stamford, Connecticut-based company, led by Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, planned to comment later on Tuesday. The suit describes some of the more dramatic tricks performed by WWE wrestlers, including the flying head butt and the chair shot, which involves striking a performer in the head with a folding chair. 'Sold Violence': World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon raises his arm in the air to the audience during a fan appreciation event . 'When performed by, and on, hulking, poorly trained ... wrestlers with various levels of dexterousness, they (the tricks) are a recipe for disaster — and widespread, long-term brain damage,' said the lawsuit, filed by lawyers Harris L. Pogust of suburban Philadelphia and Charles J. LaDuca of Bethesda, Maryland. The lawsuit accuses the WWE of downplaying the seriousness of head injuries suffered in the ring and discouraging Singleton from seeing a neurologist. The plaintiffs also allege that two WWE performers were found after their deaths to have the brain decay known as CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and that 13 current or former performers committed suicide over 10 years. The suit seeks unspecified economic damages and medical monitoring. The NFL expects about 6,000 former players to develop Alzheimer's disease or moderate dementia in the coming decades. Their awards could reach $3 million to $5 million but would likely average $190,000 given their age and condition. Injured: Two former professional wrestlers Skull von Krish (left) and Adam Mercer (right) accuse the WWE of 'selling violence' while ignoring concussions that they say left them with serious brain injuries . | The WWE plaintiffs are 50-year-old Vito LoGrasso aka Skull Von Crush of Coatesville and 22-year-old Evan Singleton of Lancaster .
The two former professional wrestlers accuse the WWE of 'selling violence' while ignoring concussions that they say left them with brain damage .
LoGrasso suffers from migraines, memory loss, depression and deafness after nearly a decade with the WWE, the lawsuit said .
The lawsuit said that Singleton, who performed under the name Adam Mercer from 2012 to 2013, is now disabled because of brain trauma . |
222,097 | ab7c5057953d00cc099a07b59448e15e72be6ca4 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 13:35 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:17 EST, 10 March 2014 . Argos may not be known as a trend-setter but the catalogue chain showed it has some street cred when responding to a customer's complaint on Twitter. Immy 'Badman' Bugti contacted the store on the social networking site to ask when it would be 'gettin da ps4 tings' referring to PlayStation 4 games consoles at his local store, adding: 'Ain't waitin no more.' He added that a sales assistant in the store in Moss Side, Manchester was rude with 'bare attitude'. Viral tweet: Immy 'Badman' Bugti sent his Tweet to Argos to ask when they would be getting more PlayStation 4 game consoles in at his local store in Manchester . Rather than send a standard response, the store decided to respond in kind, tweeting @BadManBugti: 'Safe badman, we gettin sum more PS4 tings in wivin da next week y’get me. Soz bout da attitude, probz avin a bad day yo.' Both messages went viral with the firm’s response re-tweeted more than 1,500 times within hours. Hundreds of people also favourited both messages. Even ‘Badman’ Bugti seemed happy with the firm’s response, replying @ArgosHelpers: 'respect. Sick guy'. 'Safe Badman': Argos decided to respond to the customer with a little bit of their own street slang . Another happy customer: Badman seemed more than happy with the response from Argos . Many other users commended Argos' customer service team on their response and knowledge of slang. @TathanM wrote: 'Some of the people working for large company help twitter accounts are just brilliant' @OldBoysCo wrote: 'Fantastic response from the Argos help team. Safe Badman!' Immy Badman Bugti's tweet has now been re-tweeted more than 1,500 times . Many Twitter users complimented Argos' customer service team on their knowledge of slang . | Immy 'Badman' Bugti tweeted Argos asking when they will be 'gettin da ps4 tings' at his local store in Manchester .
He also complained about a rude sales assistant with 'bare attitude'
Argos decided to respond in kind, tweeting: 'Safe badman, we gettin sum more PS4 tings in wivin da next week y’get me'
They then added: 'Soz bout da attitude, probz avin a bad day yo'
Both tweets went viral with more than 1,500 re-tweets in just a few hours . |
7,677 | 15be0cc5495bf2e1e9fe0d0ffc62dec41ad8b997 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:19 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:19 EST, 12 April 2013 . Authorities are reopening the case of a teen who hanged herself after she was allegedly raped and bullied for months. The police force's Nova Scotia office said it had received new and credible information in the case of 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons, whose family said she was photographed while being sexually assaulted in 2011 and bullied after the photo went viral online. Her death on Sunday has been compared to similar cases in the United States, including a 15-year-old California girl who killed herself after her family says she was sexually assaulted by friends and a photo surfaced online. Victim: Rehtaeh hanged herself on April 4 after a constant campaign of bullying on the Internet and in real life that lasted a staggering 17 months even though she switched schools and moved house . Police had concluded there were no grounds to charge anyone in the Canadian case after an initial yearlong investigation, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Halifax now say a person who provided new information is willing to verify who the suspects are and cooperate with investigators. The reopening of the case comes after police were publicly criticized for their handling of the case. Tragic: Rehtaeh Parsons, 17, killed herself after allegedly being gang-raped and then bullied . Corporal Scott MacRae said he could not provide any details about who the source is or what the new information is. He would not say whether they were a witness and said it's too early to speculate if there will be charges. 'We're certainly encouraged by this,' he said. MacRae said Parson's family had been informed, and they 'welcome the re-opening of the file.' The Nova Scotia government came under criticism after Justice Minister Ross Landry initially ruled out the possibility of reviewing how the RCMP handled allegations that Parsons was sexually assaulted. Landry changed course this week, saying he had asked senior officials for options to review how the Mounties and the Public Prosecution Service concluded they could not file charges. A group reported to be the cyber-activist hackers Anonymous released a statement Friday saying it has seen 'several public statements' from one of the alleged rapists acknowledging that he had sex with Parsons while she was intoxicated and that she threw up during the assault. The group had earlier vowed to release the names of four males investigated in the alleged sexual assault if police did not reopen its investigation. Speaking to MailOnline, the victim's . mother, Leah Parsons revealed that the boy who allegedly raped her . daughter then circulated . the picture of the assault has admitted to her that he sent it to his . friends because he was just ‘bragging’. Questions: The girl's mother wonders what more could have been done for Rehtaeh while she was still alive . Grieving: Rehtaeh, with her father Glen Canning, said that his daughter died 'struggling to live' He also denied being a rapist even . though the photo shows him smiling as he has sex with Rehtaeh, who was . 15 at the time, whilst she drunkenly vomits out of window. Photos of the incident were circulated around her school, prompting her to drop out and switch schools in hopes that the bullying would stop. A funeral service for Parsons is scheduled for Saturday. | Rehtaeh Parsons 'was raped by four classmates when she was 15'
They 'took a photo of the attack and circulated it around the school'
Photo shows 'rapist smiling as he has sex with Rehtaeh while she drunkenly vomits out of window'
Police investigated but did not press charges due to insufficient evidence .
Now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are reopening the case . |
272,463 | ece94a708c2b0bce23067c8f6547f866c9106f2c | By . Rob Waugh . Last updated at 8:50 AM on 3rd January 2012 . Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flew over the moon at just 16.2 miles up to capture shots of the huge Aristarchus crater on the moon - a feature so massive it's visible to the naked eye from Earth, created when a huge comet or asteroid slammed into a plateau on the surface. Sixteen miles up is just over twice the height that jets fly on Earth. The cliffs of the Aristarchus crater are two miles high - twice as deep as the Grand Canyon - with layers of minerals exposed by the huge impact tumbling into the crater below. Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flew over the moon at just 16.2 miles up to capture shots of the huge Aristarchus crater on the moon - a feature so massive it's visible to the naked eye, created when a huge comet or asteroid slammed into a plateau on the surface . Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flew over at just 16 miles up, just over twice the height that jets fly on Earth - twice as low as the orbiter normally flies. The cliffs of Aristarchus are more than two miles high - twice as deep as the Grand Canyon . The ledges forming the wall of the crater, which look a lot like those of a strip mine, are blocks of surface rocks that slumped into the crater during the late stages of its formation . The archaeology of the huge crater is almost like a 'strip mine' on earth - cutting deep into the layers of minerals on the moon. The planners of the Apollo missions had the Aristarchus crater high on their list of targets for human exploration on the moon. This Hubble colour composite focuses on the Aristarchus impact crater, and uses colour information across the ultraviolet and infrared to accentuate differences between minerals . The images were acquired last year when the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter passed over just 16.2 miles above the surface; about two times lower than normal, and just above double the height that commercial jets fly on Earth. Aristarchus crater is located on the southeast edge of the Aristarchus Plateau. This gaping crater is 25 miles wide and more than two miles wide. Pyroclastic beads (volcanic glasses formed during fire-fountain style eruptions similar to those of Stromboli or the Hawaiian Islands) that blanket the area around the crater have slid down parts of the walls in dark streaks and clumps . The ledges forming the wall of the crater, which look a lot like those of a strip mine, are actually blocks of pre-impact crustal and surficial rocks that slumped into the crater during the late stages of its formation. The ledges forming the crater wall, which have a scalloped appearance, are sagging blocks of the pre-impact lunar crust. Bright and dark materials are exposed in patches along the walls. The floor of Aristarchus crater provides explorers a unique opportunity to study a wide variety of lunar rocks and geologic processes, possibly including how lunar granite forms. It's still not fully understood how granite formed on the moon - and Aristarchus crater is one of the best places to study it. | Orbiter flies past just 16.2 miles up .
Images of crater twice as deep as Grand Canyon .
Shows layers of minerals like strip mines on Earth . |
82,875 | eb00dd8b293e113bd631ba2a97e81fa84d8f62b0 | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korean and South Korean military units exchanged gunfire near their border Friday, South Korean authorities said. No casualties were reported. The exchange happened after North Korean forces fired two rounds from a 14.5 millimeter machine gun at a South Korean military guard post near the border town of Chorwon, South Korea, about 73 miles (118 km) northeast of Seoul, according to an official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The South Korean unit responded with three "warning shots" from a .50-caliber machine gun and warned the North Korean guard post by loudspeaker to desist, the official said. The demilitarized zone at the location of the shooting is 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) wide. Chorwon was the scene of heavy fighting during the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea on Friday threatened to retaliate against its neighbor for shunning bilateral military talks. The gunfire exchange apparently won't cancel reunions of families separated by the Korean War, which ended in a truce but no formal peace treaty. The weeklong reunions begin Saturday at Mount Kumgang, the two countries' joint mountain resort in the North. North Korea has requested record shipments of rice and fertilizer in exchange for concessions on the reunions, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported earlier this week. While there are occasional shooting incidents across the demilitarized zones, the tensest flash point on the peninsula in recent years has been the disputed maritime border in the Yellow Sea. There were fatal naval clashes there in 1999 and 2002. In March this year, the sinking of a South Korean vessel killed 26 in what a South Korean and international investigation team concluded was a North Korean torpedo attack. North Korea continues to deny involvement. The prickly relationship between the countries since the Korean War has had periodic conciliatory moves and flare-ups. Friday's incident occurred two weeks before the G-20 summit in Seoul. The G-20 includes industrialized nations and developing economies, which focus on economic issues and economic policy coordination. Authorities said a total of 50,000 police and riot police will be deployed during the summit on November 11 and 12, according to Yonhap. Journalist Andrew Salmon contributed to this report. | The incident was at the border of North Korea, South Korea .
Incident reportedly occurred at a guard post .
The demilitarized zone at the location is not very wide . |
4,150 | 0bfa55f5b55d9aaefe860a6f55cc909236a127b4 | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 06:00 EST, 13 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:30 EST, 13 August 2013 . A six-tonne elephant was rescued after it almost drowned in a popular tourist lake. The giant animal was cooling off in the water in the shadows of Jaipur's iconic Amer Fort in India when it started to struggle in a deep patch. The elephant, named Anarkali, was only coaxed out of the lake when her owner jumped on her back. In danger: Anarkali became trapped in deep water after wandering into a lake to bathe . Rescue: Her owner Arshad Ali rode a motorboat towards his animal before jumping onto her back . Anarkali, who gives rides to tourists, was bathing at the lake shore before wandering further into the water. Tourists could only look on as she began to struggle in a pocket of deep water. Pictures of the rescue show the elephant's owner, Arshad Ali, and her rider travelling to the stricken animal by boat. However, she was too afraid to move and remained trapped out of her depth. She only moved back to shore when Mr Ali leaped from the motor boat onto the elephant's back. On the move: He was then able to coax the elephant towards the shore with the help of sailors . Cooling off: Anarkali (pictured after the rescue) had got into deep water while she tried to bathe . With the help of fellow boaters, he was . able to gently coax the confused elephant back to shore, where a crowd . of onlookers had gathered. Owner Arshad Ali said: 'The elephants . love cooling off in the water, but after an elephant entered the lake . with a tourist on its back last year the administration banned elephants . from doing so. 'They love . bathing in clean water, but are no longer allowed to. So when the mahout . took Anarkali to bath in the shoreline the elephant wandered off into . the lake like he used. 'Thankfully Anarkali emerged unscathed after the efforts to save her. She is fit and healthy now.' Success: Dozens of tourists look as Mr Ali eventually coaxed the animal back to shore . | Anarkali the elephant struggled in deep water as she bathed .
Owner Arshad Ali had to jump on her back to coax her back to shore . |
180,698 | 75e983975123c228a1812f142ccaefd60262d4f2 | (CNN) -- A 2-year-old boy and his mother have been found dead inside a Massachusetts trash bin, leaving authorities Monday to track down whomever killed the two and put them there. Police discovered Maria Avelina Palaguachi-Cela, 25, and her toddler son Brian Palaguachi dead in the large metal bin Sunday night in the city of Brockton, about 25 miles south of Boston. Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz did not identify any suspects in the pair's killings Monday, though he did say their deaths are not a "random act." "We do not believe (there) is a general threat to public safety and the community," Cruz told reporters. "However, this investigation is focusing on an individual who has murdered a mother and her young child." The investigation began Sunday around 9:30 p.m. when Brockton police got an anonymous call about a body inside a bin behind the building where Palaguachi-Cela lived. The woman's body was found first, and the boy's body was found sometime later. Authorities told the public the boy was dead only after getting confirmation from the state medical examiner's office Monday, according to the district attorney. He said it was his understanding that both bodies "are fully intact." "We wanted to make sure that we had all the information that was necessary prior to making sure that we had another body," Cruz said, explaining the delay in announcing that the toddler, too, was found dead. Brian was Palaguachi-Cela's only child living in the United States, according to the district attorney, who added that "she does have another child in another country." He did not say where that other child was, where Palaguachi-Cela was from originally, or if immigration authorities are involved in the investigation. The mother was last seen Thursday at her home, Cruz said. Others lived at her residence, though authorities have not revealed who else lived there, and the initial investigation is focusing on relatives and friends of the victims. A neighbor of the victims, Denise Agnello, told CNN affiliate WHDH that the killings -- and the fact the bodies had been disposed of in a Dumpster -- were shocking. "I was horrified because I've lived here for 11 years, and nothing like this has ever happened," Agnello said. "That's horrendous." Their bodies Monday were sent to the state medical examiner in Boston, who will determine the cause and manner of their deaths. The trash bin has also been moved from the scene so it can be more thoroughly examined. While no one is yet in custody, the district attorney described the investigation as "very active." The gruesome nature of the discovery, he said, added a special urgency and sense of determination. "Who would do that to a 2-year-old child?" Cruz said. | NEW: A neighbor of the victims says she is "horrified" by the killings .
The bodies of a young boy and his mother were found in the city of Brockton .
The district attorney asks, "Who would do that to a 2-year-old child?"
No one is in custody, no one has been named as a suspect in the pair's deaths . |
229,008 | b486f18c6541e6b0d989cec31b3603234f23fc5f | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 14 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:13 EST, 14 March 2014 . A mother-of-two says she rediscovered true love when she remarried her husband after 24 years apart. After divorcing her first husband Chris Jackson, 62, in 1985, Ann Jackson, 57, remarried and had two children. But after the second marriage ended, an encounter with a long-forgotten photograph of her first wedding prompted Mrs Jackson, of Sheffield, to reconnect with him. Reunited: Ann and Chris Jackson at their second wedding. Ann says she has rediscovered true love now she has finally remarried Chris Jackson after 24 years apart . She said: 'I looked at the photograph and I was taken straight back to my first wedding. We looked so happy. 'I'd never fallen out of love with Chris. Even though our first wedding was wonderful, our second was a lot more meaningful because we realised that fate brought us back together.' Mrs Jackson, who works for a high street clothing retailer, first fell for for Mr Jackson, a tyre fitter, when they met at a wedding in 1973. Mrs Jackson said: 'He followed me around all night. We were instantly attracted to each other." Soon the pair were spending every weekend together. Mrs Jackson said: 'I moved to Chris's home in Wrexham when I was 19 and two years later, in 1979, we married. First time around: Ann and Chris cut the cake at their first wedding in 1979 - they went their separate ways in 1990 sue to 'circumstances' Long lost love: After the second marriage ended, an encounter with a long-forgotten photograph of her first wedding prompted Mrs Jackson to reconnect with him - Chris said he had never loved a woman like her . 'My family were over the moon I was marrying Chris. My mum adored him. 'I have very fond memories of our first wedding. After the ceremony we took the wedding party to the local bierkeller, the hofbrauhaus, for a celebration. The club's photographer was walking around taking pictures, but although we sat for a photo, we decided not to buy any pictures from him.' Mr and Mrs Jackson set up home in Wrexham but after seven years of marriage, things fell apart. Mrs Jackson said: 'I was a city girl at heart and missed the nightlife and company of my home town of Sheffield. 'Chris worked for his father's haulage company which kept him away driving trucks for weeks at a time. By the end, we were barely talking to each other. Chris couldn't abandon his family business, but I wasn't happy so I decided on divorce. Circumstances had driven us apart.' Fate: The photograph which brought Ann and Chris back together - their first wedding in 1979 . Young love: Mrs Jackson, who works for a high street clothing retailer, first fell for for Mr Jackson, a tyre fitter, when they met at a wedding in 1973 . Changed man: Speaking about seeing Chris again, Mrs Jackson said: 'He looked completely different. But his eyes were the same and looking at them I was instantly taken back' Family: Ann's children, Joshua, now 23, and Ellie, 17, at Ann and Chris's second wedding - where Josh gave her away . Mrs Jackson remarried in 1990 and would go on to have two children, Joshua, now 23, and Ellie, 17. But she said her first husband was never far from her thoughts. She said: 'My family still talked about Chris a lot. He stayed a big part of my life, even though we weren't in contact any more.' Mrs Jackson's second marriage ended in divorce after 19 years and in 2009 she returned to Sheffield where she bumped into the wife of the former head doorman of the local beer house. She said: 'She was headed to the launch of a book which had old photos of events there. I decided to buy a copy. The book included one of the images taken by the roaming photographer who had been on duty the night of Mr and Mrs Jackson's first wedding. Mrs Jackson said: 'I'd never seen the photo before and I couldn't help but smile. We were so happy and carefree. I realised I'd always loved Chris. 'My sister still had Chris's number. We tried it and, amazingly, it still worked. I hadn't spoken to Chris for years and my stomach was full of butterflies. All together now: From left, Ann's son Joshua, Ann's aunt Margaret, Chris, Ann's daughter Ellie and Ann . 'He kept repeating, "I can't believe . it's you". He asked me if I was married and I said I was divorced, and . he was glad about that. I filled him in on the path my life had taken.' Three . days later, Mr Jackson turned up on her doorstep. Mrs Jackson said: 'He . looked completely different. He'd lost his long, jet black hair. He . wore glasses and he seemed to have shrunk. But his eyes were the same . and looking at them I was instantly taken back.' Three . weeks later he asked her to remarry him. Mrs Jackson said: 'Chris told . me I was the only woman he'd ever loved and he would never get married . again unless it was to me. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry . him again.' Introduction: From left, Chris, Ann, and Ann's brother Brian at whose wedding their first met in 1973 . Mrs Jackson's children, who gave her away at their second wedding in April 2011, now live with Mr and Mrs Jackson in Sheffield. She said: 'Joshua and Ellie love Chris to bits and he would drop everything and do anything for them. 'We were meant to be together. It was true love, and it still is. My second marriage gave me my two beautiful children, and I'm so happy they were ecstatic about me marrying Chris. 'Our life is wonderful. There have been some ups and downs along the way but I'm exactly where I want to be now. 'It's hard to believe that one picture changed my life so much. It's the kind of thing you read about happening to other people. But it actually happened to me.' | Ann Jackson,57, first fell for Chris Jackson, 62, at a wedding in 1973 .
After seven years of marriage, things fell apart .
Mrs Jackson remarried in 1990 and had two children .
Her second marriage ended in divorce after 19 years .
In 2009 she returned to Sheffield where she found an old wedding photo .
Got back in touch with Chris and they remarried . |
175,219 | 6ec93778c68e24791508924214f07af27bfd6209 | By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 10:47 EST, 25 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:40 EST, 25 April 2013 . Further tests have been ordered on the body of Gareth Williams, the 25-year-old father-of one, who may be the first victim of a major UK measles epidemic. Mr Williams was found dead in his flat in Port Tennant, Swansea, South Wales, one week ago. A post-mortem examination to establish the cause of his death has proved inclusive, the Swansea Coroner's Office confirmed today. Gareth Williams (right) had been suffering with measles when died last week . 'The results were inconclusive and further tests have now to be carried out,' a spokesman said. The measles epidemic, centred on Swansea, showed no sign of slowing today as the latest figures for the area were released. Measles cases in the region have jumped by 56 in the last two days as the headline total reached 942. Worst hit are children and teenagers aged 10 to 18 who missed out on the vital measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab when they were younger. That was due to unfounded fears that the three-in-one vaccination was somehow linked to autism in children. Meanwhile, a major £20 million programme to vaccinate one million children and teenagers across England has been announced. It has been prompted by fears that the epidemic in Wales could spread across the border into England. In common with Wales, a large number of people missed out on the MMR jab and are unprotected against the spread of the disease. Before his death last week, father-of-one Mr Williams was in a relationship with Cairo Oneim (right) In both cases unfounded fears the three-in-one jab was linked to autism in children was responsible for the drop in vaccination uptake. Public Health Wales (PHW) today urged teenagers preparing to sit crucial GCSE and A-level exams to ensure they are vaccinated. The measles epidemic has infected over 900 people in South Wales . Major efforts to vaccinate thousands of children and young adults who missed out in the past are still under way. Weekend drop-in clinics held in a handful of hospitals in the region have seen thousands of anxious parents attending with their children. An urgent in-school vaccination programme has also been going on in parallel to ensure children are protected against the disease. The outbreak in Swansea is one of the biggest to have hit the UK in the last decade. Fears the disease could spread to . England have triggered a major catch-up vaccination programme targeting . one million children and teenagers. The £20 million programme will see GP surgeries, schools and community programmes used as vaccination centres. The campaign will target children and young people who have not had either one or two doses of the MMR jab. The scheme comes after Public Health England (PHE) revealed there were 587 confirmed measles cases in the first three months of this year in England. That is more than three times the 168 cases in the same period of 2012. A major vaccination programme continues unabated in Wales which has so far seen 83 people admitted to hospital due to the illness since the outbreak. Although the outbreak is centred mainly on Swansea, rates of measles are high throughout the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University, Powys and Hywel Dda health board areas, especially in Neath Port Talbot and North Powys. Health officials have also launched a nationwide programme to help stem the measles outbreak and prevent it spreading more widely across the UK. At least a million children and teenagers are to be vaccinated against measles in an attempt to stop expected outbreaks in England. Some will never have had a jab, while others have only had the first of two doses of the MMR vaccine. The £20million campaign follows a big rise in cases in South Wales, where public health officials have been running clinics to increase protection rates. | Measles cases in the region have jumped by 56 in the last two days .
Gareth Williams was suffering with measles at the time of his death .
But tests have been unable to confirm the virus was responsible for death .
Coroner has ordered further examinations in order to determine cause . |
40,207 | 7178dcc95ec1bd375f33794647ab2d39794f5719 | A grandmother who had been left disabled by a stroke died after she choked on her dinner which care home staff should have cut up for her. Partially sighted Mavis Clarkson, 78, who was unable to cut up her own food, died two days after she choked on roast lamb at Longton Nursing and Residential Home near Preston, Lancashire. Yesterday a coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death, but said that neglect was a factor in Mrs Clarkson's death, and criticised care home staff's 'gross failure' in preventing it. Mavis Clarkson, 78, pictured with her husband of 58 years, Trevor, died after choking in council care home . After the inquest, the mother of three's family condemned staff at the 58-bed, local authority-run home for failing to help the retired machinist. The inquest heard that staff knew Mrs Clarkson's food needed to be cut up because a stroke had affected her left side, but had failed to do so. Coroner Simon Jones blasted failings by the staff at Longton, saying they contributed to Mrs Clarkson's death in July last year and vowing to write a report about procedures at the home. He added: 'I'm satisfied the risks posed by the lack of a structured meal plan amount to a gross failure.' Speaking outside the inquest, Mrs Clarkson's husband of 58 years, Trevor, and their children David, Susan and Amanda said they saw the coroner's verdict as justice for their mother. And they said the verdict was significant not only for their family, but for relatives of other care home residents. Preston coroner Simon Jones blasted staff at Longton residential home, pictured, for their 'gross failure' Mr Clarkson said: 'The saddest thing is she was coming home to us - she was in the home and we made necessary preparations and did work to bring her home.' His daughter, Susan, added: 'For the last 15 months we have worked to get this verdict. Justice has been done, not just for her, but for other people in nursing homes. 'The week before she died we had taken her for a drink at the pub with her grandchildren. It's a lovely precious memory.' They described Mrs Clarkson, who enjoyed going on safaris and cruises, as adventurous and 'a brilliant mum.' The care home has not responded to MailOnline's request for a comment. | Mavis Clarkson was disabled and partially-sighted having had a stroke .
Needed help cutting up food, and staff at Longton Residential Home knew it .
But no-one cut her roast lamb up and she choked, dying two days later .
Coroner Simon Jones blasted the care home near Preston for 'gross failure'
Returned verdict of accidental death but said staff's neglect was a factor .
Mrs Clarkson's husband said: 'Saddest thing is she was due to come home'
Trevor Clarkson said he saw verdict as justice for his wife of 58 years . |
232,639 | b939d4b8f004a71024dcd9526d45b1a497499694 | BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Colombian emergency officials have begun evacuating 800 families from an area at high risk from the expected eruption of a volcano that killed at least six people in November. Colombians make their way across a landslide in November after the Nevado del Huila volcano erupted. The Nevado del Huila volcano is on orange alert, meaning an eruption is probable within days or weeks, the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining said last week. An eruption would cause an avalanche down the Paez and Simbola rivers, officials said. The town under evacuation, Belalcazar, sits on the bank of the Paez River about a half-mile (less than a kilometer) from the junction with the Simbola River. It was the worst-hit area in November's eruption. The volcano's crater holds 52 million cubic meters (1.8 billion cubic feet) of lava, said Colombia's Caracol Radio. That's the equivalent of 13.8 billion gallons. The Colombian national emergency agency said Monday it is ready to evacuate thousands of residents if the volcano's condition turns to red, which means an eruption is imminent or ongoing. The snow-capped Huila, the highest active volcano in Colombia, last erupted on November 20. At least six people, including four children, died then. Gas and hot ash caused snow on the mountain peak to melt, sending mud, rocks and floodwater rushing down the Paez and destroying at least 20 homes and washing out five bridges, the presidential office said at the time. Much of the sparsely populated region about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southwest of Bogota is a reservation for Nasa indigenous communities. All six fatalities were native Indians, the government said. The youngest victim was a year old. The Huila volcano, which has a summit of 17,598 feet (5,364 meters), has erupted four times. The first documented eruption occurred in the 1500s, then it stood silent for more than 400 years, according to the Web site volcanolive.com. Colombian emergency officials said Monday they are asking the 800 families where they want to be moved to, Caracol Radio said. Scientists with the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining, commonly known as Ingeominas, said they did not detect any major action inside the volcano Monday, Caracol reported. Ingeominas and the National System for Emergencies are monitoring the volcano around the clock and have acquired new equipment, including additional telecommunication gear and an infrared camera to monitor Huila's temperature. Officials also plan to install a microphone on Huila to detect any new rumblings from inside the volcano, Caracol said. Officials already are monitoring the volcano with four stations that detect seismological activity, a video camera, a communications network and a system that measures mudflow, Caracol said. | Eruption likely within days or weeks at Nevado del Huila volcano, agency warns .
Colombian volcano's eruption killed at least six people in November .
Some 800 families under evacuation from high-risk area .
Eruption would cause avalanche down Paez and Simbola rivers, officials say . |
185,853 | 7cb4be6ad74a33403679322cb0cdd66fffd38f56 | The United States used a British spy base to listen in on the phone calls of Angela Merkel and 35 other world leaders, it was claimed last night. RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire, which is run by America’s National Security Agency (NSA), is the biggest surveillance and interception facility in Europe. The base analyses satellite signals as well as mobile phone and electronic data from private individuals, governments and corporations. Concern: RAF Menwith Hill in Yorkshire has now been dragged inot the intelligence scandal . Last week it was reported that American spies had been listening in on the phone conversations of dozens of world leaders. Claim: NSA whistleblower J Kirk Wiebe implicated the British base . The allegations led Mrs Merkel to call Barack Obama and ask him to account for his agents’ actions. Now fresh claims by US whistleblower J. Kirk Wiebe, who worked for the NSA for 30 years, have dragged Britain into the scandal. Mr Wiebe believes US agents used the base to intercept the German leader’s phone calls – with the full knowledge of British officials. He told The Mail on Sunday it was likely agents at Menwith Hill ‘either directly collected the data or would have processed data’ from the bugged calls before sending the information back to Washington. Mr Wiebe, who left the NSA in 2001 over fears it was illegally gathering ‘huge swathes’ of electronic data from citizens in the US and globally, said: ‘If the information didn’t come from there, it is almost a certainty that it would have been processed there.’ He added: ‘Everything goes through there to be analysed before the information is sent back to Washington.’ Menwith Hill, which has 33 distinctive golf ball-shaped ‘radomes’ to house satellite dishes, was effectively handed over to the Americans in the 1950s in recognition of the important intelligence-sharing relationship between the two countries. The base works closely with Britain’s own top-secret listening station, GCHQ in Cheltenham. Committee: Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said there needed to be a 'robust and easily understood legal system of control' Any information processed or analysed at Menwith Hill is then sent back to NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Washington. The Ministry of Defence insists Ministers are ‘fully briefed on the activities at RAF Menwith Hill’. But concerns have long been expressed about the lack of scrutiny US spying operations face when they are carried out on British soil. Responding to calls for greater transparency, the Commons’ Intelligence and Security Committee – whose members are among a select group of British politicians with security clearance to visit the site – has promised to review the laws that keep a check on intelligence-gathering by Britain. Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, one of the MPs who sits on the committee, said there needed to be a ‘robust and easily understood legal system of control’. Listening in: Last week it was reported that the USA had listened in on world leaders including Angela Merkel (pictured) He told The Mail on Sunday that the current system of regulation was set up before some of the ‘far-reaching capabilities of intelligence-gathering’ were in existence. Sir Menzies said: ‘Parliament must therefore be ready to review whether the existing legislation is good enough. When it comes to relations with other countries there is a well-established relationship between the five eyes – the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. ‘Of these relationships, the one between the UK and the US is by far the strongest. But no matter the strength of any relationship, the responsibility for legality and for review must always rest with domestic government.’ Documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in June revealed how spies based at Menwith Hill managed to intercept Dmitry Medvedev’s calls as the former Russian president visited Britain for the G20 summit in 2009. But Mr Wiebe’s claim suggests that the base is used to intercept calls from politicians all over Europe, not just those who are visiting the UK. The Ministry of Defence said: ‘We do not comment on intelligence matters.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | RAF Menwith Hill, run by NSA, is the biggest surveillance facility in Europe .
Claims by US whistleblower J. Kirk Wiebe dragged Britain into scandal .
Base works closely with Britain’s own top-secret listening station, GCHQ . |
158,769 | 59464ad9ae6295f2fc45cc80e20c49090296d6cd | A 41-year-old mother of three from California has been acquitted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of her schoolteacher husband, and the jury deadlocked on lesser charges against her. Julie Harper was found not guilty Wednesday of murdering her husband of 11 years, Jason Harper, 39, in the couple's home in Carlsbad in August 2012 as their three children watched cartoons upstairs. Judge Blaine Bowman declared a mistrial on the charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter, and it is now up to the prosecution to decide whether or not to re-try Harper. Scroll down for video . Not guilty: Julie Harper, 41, pictured in court September 15, has been acquitted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of her schoolteacher husband, Jason, in August 2012 . Not so happy couple: A wedding portrait of Julie and Jason Harper is projected on a screen on the first day of the murder trial. The wife testified that her husband abused her throughout their 11-year marriage . In the course of the three-week trial, prosecutors argued that Harper shot dead her husband during a domestic dispute as part of a plot to regain her freedom. Authorities responded to the Harpers' home in the 2400 block of Badger Lane in Carlsbad after getting a call from Julie Harper's attorney. Officers entered the house and found Jason Harper's lifeless body lying on the floor of the second-story master bedroom. Police issued a bulletin to search for Julie Harper and her children, ranging in age between 18 months and 8 years. Sixteen hours after the killing, Harper turned herself in at her father's home in Scripps Ranch . Prosecutors described the Harpers’ marriage as turbulent and punctuated by frequent arguments over money and the wife's weight gain. A week before the killing, Mrs Harper filed for divorce and allegedly forged her husband's signature so she could withdraw $20,000 from two bank accounts and their daughter's college fund, reported 10News. Her version of events: Mrs Harper said in court she shot 39-year-old Jason Harper (right) in self-defense to stop him from raping or killing her during a domestic fight . Bust: After going on the run for 16-hours Julie Harper was arrested at her father's home in Scripps Ranch . Throughout the trial, Julie Harper portrayed herself as a victim of domestic and sexual abuse at the hands of her husband, and insisted that she fired the fatal shot in self-defense. But prosecutor Keith Watanabe challenged Harper's claims, saying that she had prepared for the final showdown with her husband by packing a ‘getaway bag’ and putting inside passports for herself and her children, U-T San Diego wrote. . After killing her husband, Watanabe said in court, his wife did not call 911 and hid the gun, which has not been found to this day. Julie Harper, a former real estate agent-turned-homemaker, testified that on that fateful night in August 2012, Jason was threatening to kill her, prompting her to fire the gun to stop him from sexually assaulting, or otherwise harming her. ‘He would just be in an absolute fury, in his rage, yelling and screaming,’ she was quoted as saying by ABC News. The 41-year-old woman told the jurors that in the course of their troubled marriage, Jason Harper, a math teacher and volleyball coach at Carlsbad High School, raped her no fewer than 30 times. Raving mad: The jury panel was shown this video recording of Jason Harper berating and hurling insults at his wife while holding one of their children in his arms . A few days before the shooting, Julie Harper said she had started sleeping with an unregistered handgun under her pillow for protection. ‘I didn’t even intend to shoot him. I only wanted to scare him or to make him stop,’ she said from the stand while under cross-examination, according to Times of San Diego. ‘[I] felt my hand jerk, and heard the loud noise, and he was still coming forward at me. And then all of a sudden, he froze, completely. Like a tree in the forest, he just fell forward at me.’ Who was Jason? Harper's friends and colleagues portrayed him as a 'gentle giant' and a loving father . The jurors got to watch video recordings made by Mrs Harper showing her husband yelling and hurling insults at her, at times in the presence of their children. In one of the videos, an enraged Jason Harper holding a toddler in his arms screams at Julie: 'You’re putting our kid in the day care and making me pay for it and you claim you're taking care of her. F*** you, b****!' But those close to Jason Harper, including his friends and colleagues, have painted a starkly different picture of the man, describing the father of three as a 'gentle giant.' ‘He was a very, very nice person,’ Harper's colleague Andy Tomkinson told 10News. ‘He was gentle, he was calm, he was above all a really, really good father.’ Another Carlsbad High School staffer Amanda Waters challenged Julie Harpers' claims that she had been abused by her husband. ‘My friend and colleague was portrayed as this abusive guy, and in my opinion, they [jurors] bought it,’ she said. In his obituary, the 39-year-old educator was described as a man who 'had integrity, was honest and taught his children what is right.’ Julie Harper is due back in court October 15, at which time the prosecution is expected to announce its decision regarding a possible retrial. | Julie Harper, 41, has been acquitted of first-degree murder in shooting death of her California schoolteacher husband, Jason, in August 2012 .
Harper shot her husband of 11 years during a domestic fight and went on the run in California with their three children for 16 hours .
In court Julie Harper argued she acted in self-defense out of fear that Jason would rape or kill her .
The prosecution claimed her actions before and after the shooting pointed to premeditation .
Harper could still be re-tried on lesser charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter . |
13,836 | 273d9e2cca7ec3e21099a634a6542a1acf24d7e8 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 05:56 EST, 8 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:37 EST, 8 October 2012 . When Deb Peters took up netball, the idea was to get fit and do something for herself. She never imagined it would end up saving her life. After embarking on an impressive fitness regimen of netball, running and swimming and losing four stone, the mother-of-four discovered a small lump. Mrs Peters, 46, from Bristol, decided to get it checked by a doctor - and was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was told that had she not slimmed down, she would never have spotted the 1cm lump. Fighting fit: Deb Peters lost four stone playing netball. She then discovered a cancerous lump in her breast that doctors say would have gone undetected had she still been overweight . Mrs Peters had not done much sport since school before suddenly taking the decision to get fit about 18 months ago. She said: 'I do think everything happens for a reason. What on Earth made me think after 30 years I’m going to get fit? 'I didn’t do anything before. But three of the children were at school and didn’t need picking up and dropping off. Changing habits: Mrs Peters had not exercised in 30 years until she took up netball, running and swimming . 'I was a bit bored and thought I would just do something.' She went to netball, started swimming with her son who had recently left the Army and took up running. Her consultant explained her out-of-the-blue decision to take up the sport was lucky because it meant her cancer was caught early. Mrs Peters said: 'When I saw the lump near my armpit I went to the doctor. I'd had lumps before that had been nothing. 'Then everything happened so quickly. You go from not thinking about cancer to meeting the cancer nurse and deciding whether you are going to have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. It’s really surreal.' The lump was removed during surgery at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, last December. Mercifully, the cancer had not spread. Mrs Peters then underwent a month of radiotherapy and will take medication every day for the next five years. Her consultant told her she was lucky to have lost the weight at such a vital time. 'Apparently I would never have seen the lump before I lost the weight, because it was tiny. I didn’t feel it but spotted it in the mirror when I got out of the shower. 'It was only 1cm big, so I certainly would not have seen it so soon otherwise.' Now the classroom assistant plays netball, swims more than 800 lengths and runs the equivalent of more than a marathon every week. She even continued her regimen even when having radiotherapy treatment in March. She said: 'Apart from the two weeks off after the operation I have done the same thing pretty much every day. 'I wanted cancer to be the smallest part of my life. 'Netball is fantastic because you are doing it with other people from all walks of life and you get a camaraderie you don’t really get on your own with swimming and running. 'I always loved netball at school and I am quite competitive. It’s fun and it’s for everybody. We’ve got teenage girls up to women in their 60s. 'I went back a couple of weeks after my operation and could take it at my own pace.' 'And when I was having treatment it was good to know I was going to see my friends and have a game.' Mrs Peters has now completed the Bristol Half Marathon and Great North Run with her husband Keith this year. She has also taken part in the Race for Life twice. She said: “When I started running everyone laughed but I gradually got more and more into it. 'And then I nagged Keith to come out with me and now we pretty much always run together.' October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. | Deb Peters took up exercise for the first time in 30 years .
Weight loss meant the cancer was detected early and still treatable .
Continued to play netball, swim and run while undergoing chemotherapy . |
22,675 | 405f8b53b7d5e15d39e00d9994a171c84e85e85f | By . Andrew Levy . PUBLISHED: . 04:31 EST, 5 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:09 EST, 5 September 2012 . The saying goes that revenge is a dish best served cold. Millionaire Anthony Mead, however, opted for the opposite when he suspected his wife was having an affair. The businessman gathered up her favourite designer dresses and tops worth £15,000 from her wardrobe, dumped them outside and doused them with petrol. Up in smoke: Sutheera Ashley-Mead had her clothes piled up and set on fire . Then, as their three children looked on, he set the clothes alight before sitting on a bench at their £945,000 home to watch as they burned to ash. Mead and his Thai-born wife, Sutheera Ashley-Mead, 50, have since separated and are heading for divorce after seven years of marriage. Suspicious: Anthony Mead sat on a bench and watched his wife's clothes burn . He also ended up in court, where he admitted arson at the house in Peldon, Essex, and was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence. Yesterday, the nightclub owner was unavailable for comment. But a friend, who declined to be named, suggested he had no regrets, saying: ‘All in all, he thinks it was worth it.’ Mead’s relationship collapsed when he discovered his wife’s infidelity, magistrates were told. Paul Torn, defending, said: ‘The family had a day out and during the day, Mrs Ashley-Mead had been on her phone texting quite a lot. ‘It raised suspicion. It appeared there was another person in the relationship.’ Describing the bonfire on July 18, he added: ‘Mr Mead saw the petrol canister, which had been left by a bench, and it demonstrates how very hurt he was that he did what he did. ‘He had been under a great amount of distress.’ When Mrs Ashley-Mead discovered what had happened, she called police and her husband was arrested. Yesterday, she denied having an affair when she answered the intercom of the couple’s gated two-acre estate, which is now on the market. ‘People can believe what they want to believe,’ insisted Mrs Ashley-Mead. ‘He saw some texts and he assumed that is what it was but there was no affair.’ She added that the destruction of her clothes was ‘a bit of a blur now’ and confirmed her husband had moved out. He is now living at his club, Robert’s, in Colchester. ‘We did have a lovely life together,’ she said. ‘He drives round in a Ferrari worth £200,000 and we have three children. ‘I am being strong for the children but there is no way we are getting back together. It’s going to be a divorce.’ Sutheera Ashley-Mead's wardrobe went up in smoke outside the couple's Essex home . The nightclub boss exacted revenge after becoming suspicious about his wife's constant texting . An estate agent is handling the sale of the former marital home. It is a modern five-bedroom property with views of the River Colne, an outdoor swimming pool and water feature with a bridge in the garden. Despite the separation, magistrates were told that Mrs Ashley-Mead did not want her husband to be punished and she had not sought any compensation from him. But District Judge John Woollard said it was right the prosecution had gone ahead because the arson happened in front of the couple’s children and had been reported to police. He ordered Mead to pay £85 costs but did not make a compensation order.Essex Police spokesman said: ‘We were called by the wife at 6.45am on July 18. The husband was arrested later that day.’ | Suspicious husband convicted of arson after dousing wife's designer wardrobe in petrol and setting it ablaze .
Sat on a bench and watched as £15,000 worth of clothes went up in flames .
Thai-born Sutheera Ashley-Mead insists: 'There was no affair.' |
245,654 | c9f57c120d768414280d8f7c2b86d24d761bf956 | By . Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 06:06 EST, 23 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:25 EST, 23 September 2012 . Beachgoers are being warned to think again before taking a plunge - after tests revealed high levels of raw sewage are spilling into the sea. Some of Brtain's most popular beaches, including Weston-Super-Mare, Exmouth and Blackpool, recorded the worst bathing water quality standards for more than a decade, according to a list obtained by The Sunday Times. All of the 26 beaches in England and Wales failed to meet even the most basic standards this summer. Always popular with tourists in the summer, high levels of pollution were even seen at Exmouth in Devon . The beach at Seaton Carew has made it onto the list for poor water quality this year . Plymouth Hoe has been affected by sewage spilling into the sea water . The results are the worst seen in ten years, despite water companies investing billions of pounds in stopping raw sewage being pumped out to sea and could spell disaster for beach towns across Britain that rely on tourism. In 2015, tougher standards are being introduced and will be partly based on this year's results. At the worst beaches, signs will go up warning people not to swim. At a conference in Blackpool on Monday, Robert Keirle, pollution programme manager for the Marine Conservation Society warned that beaches could be left deserted unless improvements were made. Mr Keirle estimated that Blackpool alone could face losing about £1billion in lost revenue over 15 years. Water companies needed to make more efforts, as well as farmers and householders to protect beaches from becoming polluted and there needs to be more information on the times of sewage overflows, added Mr Keirle. 'It is essential that all sewage overflows are mapped and monitored,' he told the conference. Tourist risk: Blackpool North and Blackpool South were both on the list . On the coast: the village of Staithes in North Yorkshire . The overflows, which operate during heavy rainfall, are one of the biggest causes of pollution flowing into the sea along Britain's coastline. They are supposed to operate only three times in one bathing season, but some resorts can have more than 100 sewage spills during a wet summer. More than 450 can also affect designated bathing areas, including 50 blue flag beaches. Steven Mogford, chief executive of United Utilities, based in the north-west, said the company was working to provide more information to the public about sewage overflows. The beach at Penzance, Cornwall, is picturesque, but the water quality for bathers is poor . Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset is another tourist hotspot, but has also been slated for poor bathing water standards . With its sweeping landscape, Mount's Bay, West Cornwall attracts plenty of visitors, but beware of the sea water . But the situation is critical for more than 40 beaches in England and Wales, which are projected to fail when the new standards are introduced in 2015. These include Rock in Cornwall, Combe Martin in north Devon and Blackpool. According to Surfers Against Sewage, the current sewer system is 'woefully inadequate' and said many overflows were not fit for purpose. But the environment department said 50% or resorts were expected to meet the standards, with 90% achieving at least the minimum. Sandsend, north Yorkshire Seaham, Co Durham . Seaton Carew North, Hartlepool Spittal, Northumberland . Staithes, north Yorkshire Allonby South, Cumbria . Blackpool North Blackpool South . Cleveleys, Lancashire Walney Biggar Bank, Cumbria . Walney West Shore, Cumbria Bude, Summerleaze, north Cornwall . Budleigh Salterton, south Devon Charmouth West, Dorset . East Looe, Cornwall Exmouth, Devon . Instow, north Devon Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset . Mounts Bay Wherry Town, Cornwall Plymouth Hoe East . Plymouth Hoe West Seaton, Cornwall . Shaldon, south Devon Weston-Super-Mare Uphill Slipway . Criccieth, north Wales Lladudno West Shore, north Wales . Thousands of starfish washed up on the beach at Budleigh Salterton in 2010 . Weston Super Mare, Somerset has also recorded high pollution levels . Popular among beachgoers for paddling in the waters, Llandudno West Shore, in north Wales failed to meet the basic standards this summer . Bude beach in north Cornwall failed to meet standards . High levels of pollution were recorded at Instow in north Devon . Bathers are being warned about Seaham in County Durham . Tourism could be affected at East Looe Beach in Cornwall by revelations about polluted sea water . At the seaside: Seaton in Cornwall may have to put up signs warning against bathing unless improvements are made . | Tests reveal worst bathing water quality standards in a decade across Britain's beaches .
Raw sewage has been spilling into the sea despite water companies investing billions in improvements .
Blackpool alone could face losing £1bn in revenue unless improvements are made to sewer systems .
More than 40 beaches are expected to fail when new standards are introduced in 2015 . |
201,804 | 914121aeeaf6f904a5de5837a84ee01feca046e7 | Ben's abusers used his phone to contact him and his parents only discovered the abuse by overhearing a phone call . Your child being abused is every parents worst nightmare, but for one couple, it was happening right under their nose in their own home. Ben was just 13 when he became the victim of online grooming and ultimately sexual abuse by four adult men. His parents, increasingly concerned about his reclusive behaviour, only discovered what was happening when they overheard a late night phone call between Ben and his abusers. What followed is a harrowing tale of not only unwinding the psychological control the groomers had over their son, but a struggle to get support and to see the abusers convicted. Speaking through actors to protect their identity, they have decided to share their story with charity the Marie Collins Foundation (MCF), the only children’s charity in the UK devoted to helping children and their families who have suffered online sexual abuse and exploitation. 'We became aware that there was a problem with our son he was very unhappy towards the end of 2010,' Ben's mother explains. 'He'd come out as being gay on Facebook in the summer of 2010 and the months following that he was very very unhappy, very unsettled. We put it down to the fact that he was struggling with his sexuality. We knew that something had changed dramatically in our son and the school wasn't picking up on it. 'We his parents didn't see it, the doctor didn't see it. 'He'd completely stopped talking to us, there was no communication going on at all but i was listening and watching all the time.' Powerless to do anything, they were forced to simply stand by as the son they knew disappeared before their eyes. It was not until January 2011 that the true horror of what was happening to Ben was exposed. 'We were in bed one night and I could hear him talking in his room. 'I got up and could clearly hear him saying "I will get the train", and I could hear a man's voice on his phone. A third of 9-19 year olds who go online at least once a week report having received unwanted sexual (31 per cent) or nasty (33 per cent) comments via e-mail, chat, IM (instant messenger) or text message, according to a study from the London School of Economics. Only 7 per cent of parents or carers think their child have received such comments. 'And i knew then, i knew immediately that he was being groomed.' Shocked, and unsure of what to do, they decided to call the police, who initially said they were unable to help, forcing them to involve the school, who in turn called in Social Services. Ben's mother recalls: 'They told our son that I had heard the conversation. It was dreadful, he wouldn't speak to us . 'Social Services said they'd need his phone. Two local policemen arrived and wrestled our son to the ground and took his phone. 'It was the most harrowing thing i have ever seen, he ended up in a corner sobbing. 'All he wanted was to have his phone back because one of the groomers had taken over his mind so much he couldn't bare to be out of contact with him. 'Earlier in that day i also found pictures of him on his laptop that he had taken of himself, naked images. 'A safeguarding officer spoke to our son privately and came out and told us our son had been involved sexually with four men. 'Our world completely collapsed.' There have been few studies into the level of online grooming and subsequent sexual abuse . Ben's mother and her husband were catapulted into an entirely unknown world as the police attempted to bring charges against the men and they attempted to unravel how their son had been groomed to meet up with paedophiles under their nose. Ben was given weekly support from social services, but his mother and father became increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of police prosecution. 'We knew the name and whereabouts of one of the men who had abused him, but he wasn't arrested until seven months later,' they explain. 'All through that year people we knew, and the police knew, to be paedophiles were left to roam. There were months between knowledge of these people and arrests, and then even longer before any charges were filed.' Ben is still in contact with social services as the family attempt to rebuild their lives. Although some of the men responsible for his abuse have been sent to jail, trials continue for others. Ben's mother explains: 'It is a question of time, consistency and appreciating the deep psychological damage that gets done.' Tink Palmer, chief executive of the Marie Collins Foundation, who have supported the family, explains that, sadly, Ben's story is not unique. 'Currently, both within the UK and internationally, the response to the needs of the child victims and their families is ad hoc and, in the main, does not take into account the particular differential impacts that such abuse has on those who are targeted. our vision is to improve services for victims and their families. 'Very few studies have been carried out regarding the number of children who are abused through grooming online, the nature of such grooming and its impact on the victims. In addition, our understanding of children’s risky behaviours online and the impact on their emotional development needs expanding. 'Because of its perceived characteristics (anonymity, speed) the internet and mobile technologies will be welcomed conduits for abuse by those wishing to sexually harm children. 'The charity have announced a groundbreaking partnership with BT to pilot a new programme that will eventually train all front-line workers to help children harmed in this way.' ** Names in this story have been changed to protect identities** . | Ben was groomed online by a group of paedophiles .
Eventually was sexually abused by four men at age 13 .
His parents only found out when they overheard a phone call .
Names in this story have been changed to protect identities . |
279,615 | f63a83b69a7b1a7c012fe204d1e4474a4418fd1f | (CNN) -- The charge is rather routine -- an Iowa man was arrested over the weekend, accused of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to a police report. What makes this case unusual are the passengers that police in Dubuque say were with him: a parrot on his shoulder and a zebra in the back seat. "They love going for rides," John Reiter's girlfriend, Vicky Teters, said to CNN affiliate KCRG. "We treat them like our kids. They come in the house, we take them outside and take them for walks. We take them for car rides," Teters told KCRG. "They go and get the mail with me." Dubuque Police Lt. Samuel Baxter told CNN that quite a few people called in to alert the police about a "zebra and parrot trapped in a vehicle parked at a bar." Officer Chad Leitzen described in his report what he saw as he arrived: "I did observe two white male subjects in the front of the vehicle. I also observed a zebra in the back seat of the vehicle and a parrot on the driver's shoulder." Leitzen then conducted a breathalyzer test that he said Reiter subsequently failed with a blood alcohol content of .148. The legal limit in Iowa is .08, according to Iowa's Department of Transportation website. Reiter was arrested Sunday and held overnight, while the zebra and parrot were taken safely to a friend's house. | Police in Dubuque, Iowa, say they found a zebra and a parrot in vehicle .
John Reiter is charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated .
His girlfriend, Vicky Teters, says of the animals: "We treat them like our kids" |
109,227 | 18c9d4228ae45635031b800cc0c81e2b6212a748 | (CNN) -- Real Madrid moved 13 points clear at the top of La Liga with a 4-0 win over Racing Santander at the Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday. Karim Benzema scored twice as Madrid notched up their 18th win in 19 matches since the end of September. The hosts went ahead in the sixth minute as Cristiano Ronaldo headed home from a Kaka cross. Santander made their task even harder when Domingo Cisma was sent off for handling the ball in the 38th minute and soon the deficit was doubled as Benzema scored from a tight angle moments before the break. Substitute Angel Di Maria netted a third in the 73rd minute before Benzema scored a fourth in the 89th minute. Barcelona can reduce the arrears to 10 points on Sunday if they beat Valencia at the Nou Camp. Espanyol are up to fourth place after claiming a point in a 1-1 draw with mid-table Getafe. Substitute Alvaro Vazquez gave Espanyol the lead in the 66th minute only to relinquish it a minute later when the referee awarded Getafe a penalty after Miku was brought down by Thievy Bifouma. Miku made no mistake from the spot. Meanwhile in Serie A, Juventus came from behind to beat 10-man Catania 3-1 in Turin. Pablo Barrientos gave the Sicilians the lead in the 4th minute before Andrea Pirlo put Juve back on level terms in the 22nd minute. Marco Motta's dismissal in the 65th minute saw Juve take control of the match with goals from Giorgio Chiellini in the 74th minute and Fabio Quagliarella seven minutes later wrapping up the three points. The win means Juventus now lead by two points but AC Milan can return to the top if they win at Cesena on Sunday. | Karim Benzema scores twice in 4-0 win over Racing Santander to put Real Madrid 13 points clear .
Espanyol up to sixth despite only drawing 1-1 with Getafe .
Juventus return to top of Serie A with a 3-1 win over Catania . |
44,821 | 7e57ad52451dcfdb1d6ad614cb87db522a63e15e | By . Hugo Duncan . PUBLISHED: . 19:40 EST, 20 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:47 EST, 21 March 2013 . George Osborne yesterday handed the Bank of England sweeping new powers to kick-start the economy – following talks with its new Canadian governor. In a shake-up of monetary policy, the Chancellor said the central bank should focus on boosting jobs and growth and not just controlling inflation. But the change of direction has fuelled fears Britain faces a prolonged period of record low interest rates and above-target inflation in a crushing blow to savers and pensioners. Campaigners accused the Chancellor of ‘a disgraceful betrayal of Britain’s savers’. New powers: Chancellor George Osborne's Budget statement outlined plans to hand new powers to the Bank of England to kick-start the economy . The move, outlined in the Budget, has been signed off by Mark Carney, who takes over as governor from Sir Mervyn King in July. It is hoped his arrival will herald a new pro-growth era at the Bank following two decades of relentlessly targeting inflation. The Bank of England has held interest rates at 0.5 per cent since March 2009 and pumped billions of emergency cash into the economy through quantitative easing in a desperate bid to stimulate growth. But Britain remains trapped in the longest downturn for more than a century. Mr Osborne said the Bank will still have a 2 per cent inflation target – but added it was no longer enough to spur the economy. ‘As we have seen over the last five years, low and stable inflation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for prosperity,’ he said. The Chancellor said the new remit gives the rate-setting monetary policy committee greater flexibility to support the economy rather than just target inflation. It paves the way for the Bank to let inflation remain above the 2 per cent target for some time if the economy is not strong enough to withstand interest rate rises. He also said the Bank ‘may wish’ to follow the route taken in the US where the Federal Reserve issues ‘guidance’ on the future path of interest rates. He added: ‘This can help the economy because it gives families planning their futures, and businesses wondering whether to invest, more confidence that interest rates will stay lower for longer.’ New governor: The move outlined in the Chancellor's Budget statement yesterday was signed off by the incoming governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney . Mr Osborne said the Bank will provide a report on how this might work in August.Richard Barwell, an economist at Royal Bank of Scotland, said explicit promises to keep rates low risked stoking inflation. He added: ‘My concern is the man on the street will believe an unconditional promise has been made to keep rates low and the small print – that everything depends on inflation remaining under control – will get lost in the translation.’ Simon Rose, of campaign group Save Our Savers, said: ‘The Chancellor has thrown savers to the wolves. The Chancellor’s announcement will lead to even lower savings rates and still higher inflation, with appalling effects for those relying on savings income.’ Analysis by Alex Brummer . Challenge: When new Bank of England governor Mark Carney walks into the inner sanctum of the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street in July, he will face a colossal task . Now we know why the Chancellor felt . it was worth making Mark Carney, the incoming Governor of the Bank of . England, the highest-paid head of a central bank anywhere in the Western . world. When the 48-year-old Canadian marches . past the pink-clad doormen into the inner sanctum of the Old Lady of . Threadneedle Street in July, he will face a colossal task. Carney is being asked by the . government to do for Britain what his counterpart at the Federal Reserve . Board in Washington, Ben Bernanke, has done for America. In the U.S., . unemployment has been brought down and growth rekindled. In the face of enormous problems in . the public finances in Britain, Carney is being asked to kick-start the . economy and free our government from the perils of slump and debt. To assist him, the Bank is being given . the power to use what the Chancellor yesterday called ‘unconventional . monetary instruments’ to conduct the biggest monetary experiment of . modern times. The new Governor will have carte . blanche to keep interest rates low and to print money — a process known . as ‘quantitative easing’ — for as long as it takes, until such time as . the British economy has spluttered fully back to life. In theory, the . more money in circulation, the more cash there is for businesses to . invest and consumers to spend. Yet there is an enormous risk that . this strategy of flooding the country with billions in newly printed . money could provoke a full-blown sterling crisis. This happens when . international investors and speculators lose faith in the pound and sell . it on the foreign exchange markets, leading to an uncontrolled fall in . the value of sterling. The other danger is that the flood of . money into the economy could lead to higher prices, which in turn might . unleash a surge in inflation far in excess of that already squeezing . British households. Speculation that the UK is about to . embark on a grand monetary experiment has already knocked the pound down . by 8 per cent against the dollar and 7 per cent against the euro (at . least until this week’s Cyprus crisis) since the start of the year. Carte Blanche: As the new Bank of England governor, Carney is being asked to do for Britain what his counterpart at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington has done for the U.S. The scale and speed of the fall in . sterling provides a sharp reminder of how the best-laid government plans . can be blown out of the water if financial markets start to believe . that the currency is being weakened. In preparing his Budget, George . Osborne found himself with very little room for manoeuvre. His . underlying strategy of placing the public sector on short rations to . stimulate recovery has so far not worked as well as he had hoped. A combination of factors, including . the worsening crisis in the eurozone and the tighter regulation of banks . — which has made it harder for them to lend to business and households — . has meant a longer and more sustained period of downturn than anyone . envisaged. Indeed, irony of ironies, the . independent Office for Budget Responsibility — Osborne’s own creation — . has delivered him another crushing blow by halving the growth forecast . for this year from 1.2 per cent (the figure it came up with as recently . as the autumn statement in December) to just 0.6 per cent. That means Britain’s debt burden — the . accumulation of years of feckless New Labour borrowing — will not start . to fall until 2017-18, a year later than previously promised. By definition a ‘neutral’ Budget — . which does not place any more cash in people’s pockets — of the kind . Osborne delivered yesterday cannot by itself deliver economic expansion. This’s why Carney is being asked to . pick up the ball and run with it at the Bank of England. The Chancellor . may have reiterated his commitment to holding inflation at 2 per cent, . but he is also asking the Bank to do far more than it already is. Downturn: In preparing his Budget, Mr Osborne found himself with very little room for manoeuvre . He is setting the Bank’s Monetary . Policy Committee the awesome task of pitching interest rates for set . periods of time at levels that will encourage higher growth and lower . unemployment, while pegging back inflation. This is precisely what has been done . in the U.S., where the central bank has promised to keep interest rates . at low levels and persist with radical policies such as printing more . dollars until normality has returned to the financial system in the wake . of the 2008 meltdown. It is not yet clear what . ‘unconventional’ methods Carney will use. But there are plenty of hints . buried in the Budget documents. Among those listed are further rounds of . printing money beyond the £375 billion already undertaken. Another strong possibility is to . supercharge the ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme, which has rekindled the . housing market by using the Government’s ability to borrow more cheaply . to lower the cost of mortgages and business loans. Carney might also consider the use of . official ‘negative interest’ rates, which means that banks are required . to pay an interest rate penalty for keeping their cash reserves safe at . the Bank of England. (At present they prefer to keep them in this safe . haven rather than lend to other banks that are less stable.) By thus charging a fee to the banks for not lending out their excess cash, Carney would hope to force them to lend more. One big downside of printing more . money and keeping interest rates low is that, yet again, savers with . money on deposit will see their returns savaged, and the hard-won . rewards of thrift undermined. Yet Osborne, Carney and the Government . will see this as a price worth paying if the avalanche of new cash can . resuscitate an economy operating well below its capacity. In his native Canada, Carney — the . central banker with the George Clooney looks — is lauded for having . steered one of the world’s richest countries successfully through the . great recession of recent years. In Britain he faces a much tougher . task in the shape of an unwieldy financial sector and a eurozone trading . partner going through its own banking and monetary crisis. Admittedly, the UK economy he inherits . is not in quite such bad shape as the Opposition parties and much of . the media would have you believe. It is growing, if only just, and the . capacity to create new private sector jobs — more than 470,000 in the . past year alone — is remarkable. If the Bank of England can lubricate . the machine sufficiently to boost expansion prospects, Carney could be . remembered as the monetary wizard who defied the odds and saved George . Osborne’s bacon. But if the eurozone implodes, . inflation takes off and interest rates are forced higher, then the . consequences could be dramatic, with house prices falling and ordinary . families left with huge mortgage debts they can’t repay. That is . George’s gamble. | Chancellor handed new powers to Bank of England in bid to boost growth .
George Osborne said Bank should focus on boosting jobs - not just inflation .
Move outlined in Budget has been signed off by incoming governor . |
15,158 | 2b15c6afb272ec20540f32b0856293b4b573f1f9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:30 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:32 EST, 17 January 2014 . A New Jersey camel with an uncanny knack for picking winning NFL teams has died just two and a half weeks before her home state hosts the Super Bowl. Princess, a Bactrian camel, was a popular attraction at Popcorn Park Zoo where, for ten years, she had gained a reputation for her prognosticating skills. Sadly the 26-year-old, who used Graham crackers to make her team selections, was suffering from arthritis and had to be euthanized on Wednesday because she was no longer able to stand. Gamble: Princess the camel tucks into her favorite Graham crackers that are used to help her predict NFL winners . Princess, said to be a New York Giants fan, began her illustrious career when a radio station appealed for animals to try select the winning Super Bowl team. Princess is not the only animal famed for having prognosticating sports skills. Paul the psychic octopus, from Germany, correctly guessed the outcome in seven of his team's games in the 2010 World Cup, as well as eventual winner, Spain. Chaco the screaming hairy armadillo, from Virginia, correctly predicted Baltimore Ravens would be the 2013 Super Bowl winner. Mr Nuts, a California cat, has an unbroken record for picking Super Bowl winners. He marks out his prediction by using a litter tray bearing the logo of what will be the losing team. Sonny, a New Zealand sheep, predicted a string of victories for the All Blacks in the rugby World Cup. 'She was a natural. We just used some Graham crackers,' zoo manager John Bergmann told Asbury Park Press. To help the camel choose, Mr Bergmann would write the team names on his palms and then cover the writing with a cracker. Whichever cracker Princess went for would become her winning team. She had a strong track record for accuracy, picking six out of seven Super Bowl winners. Her prediction last year, for the Baltimore Ravens, was correct and in 2008 she had a spectacular run, selecting 17 out of 22 NFL games correctly, including that year's Super Bowl winners the Pittsburgh Steelers. Princess, who 'never met a Graham . cracker she didn't like' was gearing up to make her pick for . the February 2 Super Bowl. She had made selections in all this season's games, up to the playoff between the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. Sports pundit: Princess shares her team selection ideas with zoo manager John Bergmann . On the ball: Paul the psychic octopus came to fame for his uncanny predictions in the 2010 World Cup . Lucky for some: Mr Nuts, a Californian cat, predicts Super Bowl winners by using a litter tray bearing the logo of the losers . Team spirit: Princess, the 26-year-old camel, was famed for her NFL predictions . 'Her absence leaves a big void in the park. It was not just her size, but her personality, and to not have her here leaves a big hole,' Mr Bergmann told NBC Philadelphia. Princess, a former pet of tobacco heiress Doris Duke, moved to the park after her owner died in 1993, and quickly became a loved attraction there. A Facebook page for the 'prognosticator extraordinaire' has been filled with tributes from fans around the world. | Former pet of tobacco heiress Doris Duke used crackers to pick top teams .
26-year-old euthanized before she could make New Jersey selection . |
235,105 | bc5b685cb1ae72cabb4da8fb0041250fa3845827 | From a 62-year-old pole dancer to a club DJ in her 70s, a new book hopes to change our ideas about what life is like after 70, 80, 90 or even 100. Photojournalist Vladimir Yakovlev, from Russia, travelled the world for two years searching for people who've discovered new hobbies and pleasure in their old age for his book The Age Of Happiness. The international project aims to alter our perception of life after retirement with pictures of inspirational pensioners like incredible Greta Pontarelli who has the body and flexibility of a young gymnast after taking up pole dancing to treat her osteoporosis. Greta Pontarelli, 62, turned to pole dancing as she needed to do strenuous exercise after she was diagnosed with bone disease osteoporosis . Greta, from California, started pole dancing two years ago, after she was advised to take up something to strengthen her bones. She needed something that would involve lifting weights but more fun. She said: 'Weight-lifting is very boring. That's why I looked into pole dancing' Greta Pontarelli, 62, from California, stays active by pole dancing after discovering at 59 that she had the fragile bone disease osteoporosis. She sad: 'To strengthen my bones, I needed strenuous exercise, something that would involve lifting weights. But just weight-lifting is very boring. That's why I looked into pole dancing.' She now competes internationally, showing off energetic moves and poses that would defeat most younger women. Among the photo subjects is Ruth Flowers, who decided to become a club DJ under the name Mamy Rock when she turned 68. After losing her husband suddenly, who she had lived with for 40 years, she found she no longer wanted to stay in their home in a village in Portugal. Everything reminded her of her loss and she decided she had to try something new. When she told friends she was set on becoming a DJ, they said her sorrow 'had driven her to madness'. Magazine publisher Lloyd Kahn, 79, first tried skatebording at 65 when he fell and hurt his hand but now he always wears protective gear . The day Pat Moorhead turned 80, he celebrated by performing 80 parachute jumps in a row, with no breaks. The 81-year-old spends most of his time travelling around the world with his wife; they have visited over 180 countries . After Yvonne Dowlen, 87, was injured in a car accident at the age of 80, doctors told her to stop skating but today she continues to compete . FIgure skater Yvonne said: 'If I ever get in a bad mood, I look at my peers with their oxygen bags, put on my skates and smile' When Yvonne Dowlen, from Colorado, US, was 80, she was in a car accident and was severely concussed. A doctor told her to hang her skates on a nail and consider her athletic career finished. But the former skating pro, who laced up her first pair of skates in 1939 when Franklin Roosevelt was in the White House, ignored his advice. Today 86-year-old Yvonne goes out on to the ice just as before and participates in competitions. She said: 'When I’m in a bad mood, I look at my contemporaries with their oxygen pillows, put on my skates and smile.' Ruth, who died last year at the age of 73, couldn't understand why everyone was so convinced that older people are supposed to sit quietly at home and not dance at night clubs. Over the two years of her life, Ruth performed over 80 times, playing at various clubs in London, Ibiza, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and even Tokyo. Vladimir included 14 extraordinary characters in his book who enjoy each day and inspire others to make their lives equally fulfilling. After listening to their stories, he took photos of them enjoying their favourite activities or particular way of living. Ruth Flowers became a club DJ under the name Mamy Rock at the age of 68 with no experience whatsoever. She died last year at the age of 73 but in the last two years of her life she performed more than 80 times, playing at various clubs in London, Ibiza, Paris, New York and Tokyo . Former Japanese POW John Lowe took up ballet when he turned 80. Now at 92, he dances professionally and enjoys performing on stage . John says that he dreamed about dancing his entire life. He rehearses at the theatre three times a week, and practices alone at home every day . John Lowe, 95, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, took up ballet at the age of 80. The father-of-four and grandfather-of-11 survived being a prisoner of war in Japan during the Second World War and continues to inspire, practising dance at home every day in the makeshift dance at his home, which he created by putting down a wooden floor and installing a ballet bar along the wall. He sometimes roller blades. When he turned 90 his family forbade him from leaping and turning 360 degrees in mid-air. Another star of the photoseries is 92-year-old John Lowe, who loves performing ballet. What makes John's story even more inspiring is that he only started when he was 80. John says that he dreamed about dancing his entire life. To stay in shape, John rehearses at the theatre three times a week, and on top of that, practices alone at home every day. At 86, German gymnast Johanna Quaas, is as strong and flexible as a woman 70 years younger and she continues to compete . He even arranged a dance room in his home by putting down a wooden floor and installed a ballet bar along the wall. Sometimes, to shake things up, he roller blades. When John Lowe turned 90, his family - four children and eleven grandchildren - forbade him from leaping and turning 360 degrees in mid-air. 'They are afraid that if I fall, they won't be able to put me back together, and, in a way, they are right,' he joked. Johanna Quaas, from Germany, appeared in her own gymnastics competition at the age of 11, but last year her improves moves found fame as videos of her training posted on YouTube went viral and generated three million views. Several of the subjects featured in The Age Of Happiness Project are an inspirational reminder that activity does not need to stop once you've collected your bus pass. Skydiving grandmother Montserrat Mecho, 78, is happiest when she jumps out of an airplane with a parachute strapped to her back . Over the last few years, the 78-year-old has jumped over 1,000 times and is also a skier, a wind-surfer, diver and record-breaking swimmer . At a time when most 78-year-olds are putting their feet up, skydiver Montserrat Mecho is proud to say she's done more than 1,000 jumps. The grandmother is happiest when she jumps out of a plane with her parachute strapped to her back. But her habits would shame the most active of young people as she's also broken records in swimming and is also a downhill skier, wind-surfer and diver. Meanwhile, in Novosibirsk, Russia, an Aikido group of over-60s includes Nina Melnikova, 73, and Antonina Kulikova, 73, who've been practicing the Japanese martial art for seven years. The women train twice a week for around three hours a session and perform highly complex throws and pins. Nina Melnikova, 73, and Antonina Kulikova, 73, from Novosibirsk, Russia, started practising the martial art of Aikido seven years ago . For most of his life, Paul Fegen was a multi-millionaire. Today, at 78, he's a card trick magician. Paul became bankrupt and lost all he had at the of 66. Now his main source of income is the modest compensation he receives for his performances as The Fantastic Fig . Former personal injury lawyer Paul Fegen, 78, was a multi-millionaire until he became bankrupt and lost it all at the age of 66. Now the California native performs as the walk-about magician The Fantastic Fig. He now relies on income from performing card tricks at events. Another Californian, 79-year-old Independent publisher Lloyd Kahn took up skateboarding at the age of 65. He stood up on a board, fell immediately, and hurt his hand. Since that experience, he now wears full protective gear including knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet. He said: 'I don't do any special tricks. I don't ride like the teenagers. I try not to go too fast, so that I could always jump off and land on my feet.' For more information visit vladimiryakovlev.ru . Duan Tzinfu, 73, demonstrates his amazing flexibility. He only started training when he turned 60 but can now wrap his legs behind his back . Before he training, 40 years of hard work at a glass production plant meant he could barely walk and couldn't even touch his toes . | Photojournalist Vladimir Yakovlev created photo series, The Age Of Happiness, to promote positive ageing .
He met a figure skater, dancers, skydiving fanatics, martial artists and a club DJ in their 70s, 80s and 90s .
Former Japanese POW John Lowe took up ballet when he turned 80 and now aged 95, he still dances regularly . |
197,966 | 8c409307227178bc7bd7021b480a71bf8a01c523 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:33 EST, 23 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:52 EST, 23 August 2013 . Nineteen years after the shooting death of a high school junior in Jersey Village, Texas, her boyfriend is being charged with the crime. Christopher Stoernell, 36-years-old and now living in Michigan, was arrested last week and charged with murdering his then 17-year-old girlfriend Ruth Majewski. The charges come after her family asked to have the case reopened two years ago. Justice begins: Christopher Stoernell, right, was arrested and charged today for the 1994 murder of his high school girlfriend, then 17-year-old Ruth Majewski, left . 'We thought that he killed her,' Ruth's father Richard Majewski said. 'And that’s what we thought all along. But I guess we didn’t pique enough interest at the time.' Ruth died after going over to Stoernell's mother's home on September 30, 1994. Five other teens were there, between the ages of 15 and 19, when they somehow came into the possession of a loaded gun. The kids were playing around with the gun, and Stoernell allegedly pointed it at his friends and jokingly pretended to shoot. Ruth was later discovered in a bedroom dead from a gunshot wound and her boyfriend was assumed to be with her at the time. 'He told law enforcement at the time that it was a suicide and/or an accidental shooting,' Sgt Eric Clegg of the Harris County Sheriff's Office told KHOU. Ruth's case remained cold until her parents pleaded that it be reopened again two years ago. The HSCO's Cold Case Unit took up the case, re-interviewing witnesses and analyzing old evidence, and found the evidence countered the self-inflicted gunshot theory. This it the 18th case the unit has solved since it was formed in 2009. Now Ruth's parents look forward to seeing the man they suspected all along stand trial. Mr Majewski hopes it will finally give them answers or a motive for their daughter's killing. After being charged with Ruth's murder, Stoernell was released and is currently free on $50,000 bail. | Ruth Majewski was 17-years-old when she was found shot to death in a bedroom at her boyfriend's house .
At the time, boyfriend Christopher Stoernell claimed it was a suicide or accidental shooting .
Stoernell is now being charged with her murder after the case was reopened two years ago . |
131,780 | 3663f314bf9a8a9dd8a1c282d2b0269ea7507b10 | By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 03:38 EST, 25 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:13 EST, 25 June 2012 . Rise: Transport Secretary Justine Greening said she was not prepared to stand in the way of the rise in fuel duty . Motorists will almost certainly have to pay 3.02p more for their fuel at the pumps to help pay-off Britain's debts, a senior minister has admitted. Transport Secretary Justine Greening said she was not prepared to stand in the way of the rise in fuel duty expected to come into effect in August. It means already cash-strapped families will have to fork out more than £1.40 a litre for petrol - most of which is tax. The move also sparks fears that the country could see a repeat of fuel . protests similar to those seen in September 2000 when petrol pumps ran . dry during a series of rolling blockades on the country's motorway . networks. Miss Greening she said wants to focus on pushing petrol companies to slash the cost of fuel at the pumps, to bring it in line with the falling cost of oil globally. Former Treasury minister Miss Greening told the Daily . Telegraph said: 'The taxes that we get in fund the public services that . we all rely on. 'Surely it’s better to challenge the petrol retailers to . pass on reductions to motorists and actually I think that’s probably the . most important thing to do.' At present, 57.95p is taken in fuel duty for every litre bought on diesel and unleaded. VAT adds another 20 per cent - around 24p at current prices. If the fuel duty rise is rubber stamped, it will mean almost 61p out of every litre of bought will go in duty. Fuel duty and VAT has kept petrol prices artificially high despite the falling cost of crude oil, although petrol prices have fallen this month by 4p for the second month running. Also, today three supermarkets, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco vowed to . slash the price of fuel at the forecourt passing on savings to customers . from falling oil prices. Breakdown of the cost of fuel from August when a 3.02p increase will be applied . Miss Greening said it was important . that the Treasury focus on cutting the deficit in light of what is . happening to some countries in Europe. Ministers will be left to find . £1.5billion to plug the income gap if the fuel duty rise is pulled. However, the Prime Minister is under pressure . to ditch the fuel price rise from senior ministers who have voiced . concern that it will damage support for the Tories from poorer voters. Ideas under consideration include cutting the 3p . rise to 1p or 2p, or deferring part or all of the rise until next . spring. Going up: How the price of petrol and diesel keeps rising even although for the past year the cost of brent (crude) oil has fallen, but prices have remained high . As of just a few days ago, 50 MPs, including seven Tories, . have now signed a Commons motion calling for the price rise to be . scrapped. Supermarket Asda is cutting the price of petrol. From tomorrow customers at Asda’s 196 filling stations will pay no more than 127.7p a litre for petrol and no more than 132.7p a litre for diesel. Asda said this was the lowest price for a litre of fuel since February 2011. The latest cut means Asda has shaved 14p off the cost of a litre of fuel since the end of April, reducing the cost of filling up a family car by almost £10. Sainsbury’s said it was reducing its fuel prices too, with petrol and diesel coming down 'by up to 2p per litre' from tomorrow. The AA said the 14p Asda reduction since April was welcome. While Asda had dropped its petrol price largely in line with wholesale, the UK average was down 10.5p a litre since the record high in mid-April. Tesco is also dropping prices, with its petrol and diesel coming down by up to 2p a litre from tomorrow. They were joined by leading businessmen, with the . boss of Asda also demanding the tax hike is cancelled. This week, the SNP will also try and . force the Coalition to scrap the duty rise by forcing a vote as the UK . budget complete the final stages of its passage through Westminster. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce has backed cross-party action to scrap the hike. Chief Executive Liz Cameron said it would be 'a welcome boost for . businesses which are having to contend with high transportation and . utility costs at a time when domestic demand remains subdued'. But Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has played down hopes of progress. He said last week: ‘Right now, taxation on fuel is 10p a litre less than it would have been if Labour’s plans had been in place. 'But given the huge issues we have . with public finances, we also need to make sure that we’ve got the . money coming through the tax system, and the increase in fuel duty is . part of that.' June's AA Fuel Price Report shows that, since mid-May, average UK . petrol prices have fallen 4.63p a litre, from 138.40 to 133.77. This . is on top of the 4.08p-a-litre fall the previous month and is the . biggest monthly drop since the petrol price dived 5.4p a litre between . mid-November and mid-December 2008. Pricey: Ministers will be left to find £1.5bnillion to plug the income gap if the fuel duty rise is pulled and Miss Greening said it was important to focus on the deficit . Even so, the overall . 8.71p-a-litre reduction in the pump price petrol since the 142.48p . record on April 16 is still short of where it should be, the motoring . group said. Under government pressure to make pump prices . transparent, the fuel industry will have to prove in the future that UK . drivers are paying a fair price for fuel, the AA said. In the past month, the average pump price of diesel has fallen 4.99p a litre, from 144.30p in mid May to 139.31 now. But UK diesel costs at least 4p a litre more than in Europe. | Justine Greening wants to push petrol companies to slash the cost of fuel at the pumps instead .
Rise will be 3.02p per litre from August .
It means cash-strapped families could have to fork out £1.40 per litre of petrol . |
123,960 | 2c3fa2c101ecaeb45b28ead4a0bb3398d403e197 | Wilson Kipsang of Kenya has won the men's title at the New York City Marathon. The former world-record holder has now won in Berlin, London and New York in just over 13 months. Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa was second, and 2010 champ Gebre Gebremariam third. Kipsang won in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 59 seconds. Wilson Kipsang (above) of Kenya stands and celebrates winning the New York City Marathon . Mary Leitany (centre) crosses the finish line after overtaking Jemima Sumgong with half a mile remaining . Boston Marathon champ Meb Keflezighi of the United States was fourth. Two-time defending champion Geoffrey Mutai was sixth. Mary Keitany of Kenya won the women's title, overtaking countrywoman Jemima Sumgong with about a half-mile to go. It was her first marathon since 2012 after the birth of her second child. Keitany won in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 25 minutes, 7 seconds - 3 seconds ahead of Sumgong, which would match the closest finish in the history of the women's race. | Wilson Kipsang wins men's title in 2 hours, 210 minutes, 59 seconds.
Mary Keitany won women's in 2 hours, 25 minutes and 7 seconds.
Keitany was three seconds ahead of compatriot Jemmima Sumgong . |
66,154 | bbb8ed18ec1f1db7ffe1936b295a9bd4970cb210 | By . Belinda Robinson . A former middle school teacher who performed a lap dance for a pupil in her class has been spared jail but will spend three years on probation. Felicia A. Smith, 42, from Spring, Texas admitted to the felony of having an improper relationship with a student at Stovall Middle School in Houston Texas in February. She was charged with the felony back in April and posted a . $30,000 bond. Inappropriate: Felicia Smith allegedly gave one of her students a lap dance in front of the entire class of teens . According to court records, Smith . performed the lap dance for the teenager in front of a class full of . students and ended the dance by hugging the boy and saying, 'I love you . baby, happy birthday.' Court records showed that Smith admitted to police that she gave the student a lap dance on his birthday after the class 'convinced her to do it.' The student told police that at the beginning of his third-period class, Smith placed a chair in front of the room and music began playing. The class began yelling for the boy to sit down, and when he did, Smith began dancing for the boy. He said he became aroused as Smith fondled him and rubbed her hands and buttocks on his body and allowed him to slap her buttocks. Felony: Smith admitted to the felony of having an improper relationship with her student at Stovall Middle School in . Houston Texas in February . Smith told police she remembered 'circling the student while he was sitting in the chair and losing her balance a few times which made the students laugh.’ Toward the end of the dance, according to the documents, the boy said Smith got on her knees and placed her head between his legs. The dance lasted almost four minutes and was reportedly captured on video. Shortly after the incident, the Aldine Independent School District said in a statement: ‘The safety and security of our students will continue to be a top priority in Aldine ISD.' | Felicia A. Smith, 42, admitted to the .
felony of having an improper relationship with a student .
She was not given a jail sentence but will spend three years on probation .
She allegedly gave a 15-year-old student a lap dance for his birthday during class .
The incident took place at Stovall Middle School in Houston Texas in February .
The boy told police Smith touched his body with her hands and buttocks during the four-minute dance .
The incident was reportedly captured on camera .
According to court records, Smith ended the dance by hugging the boy and saying, 'I love you baby, happy birthday' |
120,181 | 27516b76160306a7e1c44c09f4e5c518e087233f | It was set up to deal with non-emergency calls in a bid to free up phonelines for people who need urgent help from police. But when one dim-witted caller was unsure if he would need to dial a local code to call the 101 non-emergency number he decided the only people who could help him were emergency services. A recording of the 999 call made from Birmingham reveals the man asking a call operator if he needed to dial an area code or press a hash key to get through to 101. The 30 second call, in which the man addresses the call handler as 'sweet heart', has been released by West Midlands police to shame callers who waste police time. Scroll down for audio . A dim witted caller rang 999 to ask for instructions for how to call 101, the non-emergency number set up to free the emergency line. Bernard Hogan-Howe (left) marked the 75th anniversary of 999 calls in 2012 . The maximum sentence for the offence is six months in prison. A spokeswoman for the force said: 'The call is simply unbelievable. We take thousands of 999 calls every day and more than 90 per cent of those are answered within 10 seconds. 'Each call often takes minutes to deal with as staff have to clarify the situation. 'It may not sound like much, but if someone is trying to get through to report a genuine life or death emergency, every second counts.' The call was actually made last year but has released to raise awareness of the need for calls to be made properly so time is not wasted. Earlier this month neighbouring force West Mercia Police revealed one caller dialled 999 to complain about his wife - because she refused to give him the TV remote control. Other calls received by the force included a man who dialled 999 because he could not find his wallet and another reporting someone driving by with tinted windows. Operator: 'Police emergency.' Caller: 'Scuse me sweetheart, what I'm after right yeah is the situation is.' Operator: 'This is the police sir.' Caller: 'No, what I'm after is, is you know the 101 number?' Operator: 'Yes.' Caller: 'Do you have to press 0121? (Birmingham area code)' Operator: 'No, just 101.' Caller: 'And press the hash key.' Operator: 'No, just 101 sir.' Caller: 'Okay, thank you, right bye.' Operator: 'Okay, bye.' | Man called 999 to ask for instructions for how to call non-emergency 101 .
He asked if he would need to use the Birmingham area code of press # .
101 was set up by police to free up 999 for most urgent emergencies .
West Midlands Police released call to highlight problem of timewasters . |
48,210 | 88185086ede22c557ee66df61032ae3d5755bd19 | A couple cancelled their wedding reception after the bride-to-be was told to breastfeed their 13-week-old baby in a disabled toilet because it was 'not appropriate' in the restaurant. Emily Ellis, 26, was left in tears when a female receptionist at the Cumberland Hotel in Bournemouth told her she could not feed her young son Presley in the public area. She visited the three-star hotel last Monday with her fiancé Dan Smith to pay the £1,000 balance on their £2,500 wedding package, but they were forced to wait for some time. 'We were there for ages and I needed to feed Presley. I asked if I could I go into the restaurant to feed my baby and the receptionist said it would not be appropriate in a public area,' said Miss Ellis. Emily Ellis, 26, was left in tears when a receptionist at the Cumberland Hotel (pictured) in Bournemouth told her she could not breastfeed her son Presley in the restaurant, pictured with her fiance Dan Smith . The healthcare assistant, who has two other young children, was then invited to use a disabled toilet, leaving her 'shocked' and 'upset'. 'I said 'excuse me?' because I thought I must have misheard her but then she repeated it again. 'I was shocked that it came from a woman. I was upset by it. When we were on our way home I had a cry,' she said. The couple were so upset they walked out and Mr Smith, a nurse, called later to cancel their wedding reception which was due to be held on July 1. When he complained to the seafront hotel he was told the receptionist was new. The couple decided to cancel their booking at the hotel and are now frantically searching for a new venue as they are hoping to keep the same date. 'We sat down and spoke about it but I didn't think that was a good enough excuse. We cancelled the booking and are now frantically searching for another venue,' said Miss Ellis. 'They apologised but said it was because the receptionist was a trainee. I didn't really think that was a suitable excuse, what are they training their staff? The couple had visited the three-star hotel to pay the £1,000 balance on their £2,500 wedding package, but they decided to cancel their booking . When the couple's 13-week-old son Presley started getting restless, Miss Ellis, a healthcare assistant, asked the receptionist if she could feed him in the restaurant . 'It's not a training error, it's a human error. They wouldn't expect anyone else to eat their dinner in the toilet.' The couple had already sent out invitations to 45 guests for their summer wedding at the hotel when the incident occurred. They have received a full refund, but are concerned that they made have to pay extra for a last-minute booking. The Cumberland Hotel in Dorset said its staff were 'devastated' by the 'misunderstanding'. Pat Green, group operations manager at the hotel, insisted mothers are welcome to breastfeed in any of the public areas of the hotel. The Cumberland Hotel said its staff were 'devastated' by the 'misunderstanding', pictured is the lounge at the Dorset hotel . She said: 'We have always supported breastfeeding mothers in all public areas. We also try to provide a private facility when requested. 'The incident occurred when a new member of staff was asked by the customer if there was anywhere she could breastfeed her baby. 'Miss Ellis was at leisure to breastfeed in any of our public areas. 'It was wrongly assumed by the junior reception agent that by Miss Ellis posing the question, a private space was being sought as all public areas were in use. 'For this reason, she referred the guest to our disabled restroom, which contains a comfortable armchair for breastfeeding, and baby changing facilities. She also went to check whether there was anywhere else available for the guest to breastfeed in private. 'The hotel staff are devastated that this misunderstanding has caused so much upset and we acknowledge that this was a result of poor communication on our part. 'The agent is extremely upset and sorry and sincerely meant no offence to Miss Ellis and her partner. 'We have offered the guest a sincere apology along with a significant goodwill gesture, which the customer has declined.' She added that all staff will receive training to ensure it does not happen again. The hotel has offered the couple a complimentary two night stay with spa treatments and a three-course meal which they have turned down. Justine Roberts, Mumsnet CEO, said: 'It's bemusing that some people have a problem with breastfeeding. 'It is after all a natural, essential human process - babies need to be fed when they're hungry and women shouldn't be made to hide themselves away in toilets to fulfil that need.' Mother Lou Burns, 35, was asked to cover herself as she breastfed her baby in Claridge's hotel in December last year. She was left humiliated after staff at the five-star Mayfair hotel gave her a giant napkin to cover up as she fed her 12-week-old daughter Isadora during afternoon tea. Lou Burns, 35, was breastfeeding her 12-week-old baby (left) at the luxury Claridge's hotel in Mayfair when waiters asked her to cover up with a large napkin (right) to avoid 'causing offence' to fellow guests . Mrs Burns, who is married to comedy actor Nick Burns, was reportedly told by staff to use the napkin to avoid 'causing offence', but said she was left humiliated and burst into tears afterwards. At the time, she said: 'I was really shocked as I had never experienced this before. Through my tears I tried to explain that I was really quite cross.' Dozens of women braved freezing conditions to protest against the hotel's policy in a demonstration organised by Free to Feed - which campaigns for the 'normalising' of public breastfeeding. A group of about 40 mothers took part in a demonstration outside the five star Mayfair hotel following the incident . Classical musician Kathrine Jenkinson was banned from taking her 11 month old baby into the exclusive Oriental Club in central London, because no under 12s were allowed in. She had hoped a babysitter could look after the child in her dressing room while she played Haydn's Piano Trio in G major at the exclusive Club. Instead, the babysitter had to wait outside the venue in December last year, with Olivia Grace and Miss Jenkinson, 34, had to leave the building during the interval to feed her baby. Classical musician Kathrine Jenkinson was banned from taking her 11 month old baby into an exclusive London hotel . Meanwhile in August Natasha Barnett, 29, from Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, was told by a lifeguard at Middleton Pool that she could not breastfeed her five-month-old daughter Olive because it was 'classed as eating and drinking'. In June 2014, a mother was asked to sit in a corner by a waitress while breastfeeding her son - to keep her away from schoolchildren eating in the same restaurant. Carrie Davies, 27, was left feeling 'embarrassed and ashamed' after staff at Global Buffet in Cardiff suggested she move while feeding her four-month-old son Trystan. Ms Davies, who was lunching with a friend, was offered a spot by the restaurant's toilets, which bosses at the restaurant say was more 'convenient' for her in light of a large school party who had started eating there. Around 70 women descended on Sports Direct in Nottingham city centre in April last year to show support for 25-year-old Wioletta Komar, who claimed she was kicked out of the premises earlier this year for breastfeeding her three-month-old son. She claims a member of staff suddenly marched over and told her that breastfeeding mothers were not welcome because of 'company policy'. The sales assistant then told her that the store had no facilities for her and suggested she should go to McDonald's which had a baby and mother room. According to the Equality Act of 2010, it is discriminatory to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. Mothers who staged a mass breastfeeding protest at a Sports Direct store in Nottingham in support for Wioletta Komar, who claims she was asked to leave the premises for breastfeeding her son . | Emily Ellis, 26, was left in tears when she was asked to breastfeed in toilet .
Receptionist at hotel said it was 'not appropriate' in the restaurant .
Mother visited hotel with husband to pay £1,000 balance on £2,500 wedding .
Couple have now decided to cancel their booking and look elsewhere .
Cumberland Hotel said staff were 'devastated' by the 'misunderstanding' |
60,498 | abf2f657fb2e38554f34a21a87a6904a19c6f784 | The Duchess of Cornwall's brother left nothing from his £900,000 estate to his ‘secret’ girlfriend after he died without writing a will, it has been revealed. Mark Shand died unexpectedly in April aged 62 after falling and hitting his head on a pavement in New York. But as he had no will, the sole beneficiary was his daughter Ayesha, 19, from his former marriage to French actress Clio Goldsmith, the niece of billionaire Sir James Goldsmith. Mark Shand (left) died unexpectedly in April aged 62 before writing a will, meaning that none of his £900,000 estate will go to his on-off girlfriend Ruth Powys (right) All of Shand's estate will go to his daughter Ayesha, 19, who is pictured together with him in 2010 . Inheritance laws mean that nothing was inherited by Ruth Powys, 36, who became his on-off girlfriend after his divorce in 2009. Miss Powys, the CEO of Shand's charity Elephant Family, stated after his death that they were no longer in a relationship, but were still 'full of love for each other'. Some commentators claimed that the couple had been 'unofficially engaged'. Shand had his fatal fall while in New York to host a Sotheby's auction of egg sculptures decorated by leading artists in aid of his charity and underprivileged children. The Duchess of Cornwall described her brother as 'charismatic with a devil-may-care attitude to life' Mr Shand married charismatic actress Cleo Goldsmith (left), the niece of James Goldsmith. They had a daughter together, Ayesha (right) The event, attended by Princess Eugenie, raised nearly £1million, and was followed by an after-party at the exclusive Diamond Horseshoe club off Times Square. He reportedly stepped out for a cigarette after leaving the Rose Bar of the Gramercy Park Hotel, tripped and fell backwards as he tried to re-enter through a revolving door. The conservationist was taken to the nearby Bellevue Hospital and put on a life support machine, but died from his head injuries around nine hours later. Miss Powys, an advocate for human rights, revealed that she was at his hospital bedside and had her 'hand on his heart'. In a moving interview after his death, she added: 'Mark was my everything, my inspiration in life, he gave me everything I have, he's everywhere I look. 'We had been together off and on for many years after Mark was divorced, we were not together at this moment. 'I had moved to New York to try and separate myself from him, but we had the deepest love, we were full of love for each other. The former playboy and devoted conservationist pictured with his father Major Bruce Shand (left) He worked alongside Ms Powys, who was CEO of his charity Elephant Family, for around 10 years . 'Our relationship was low key, we had a shared passion for elephants, we had the same spirit. We were trying to separate, it was such a difficult thing to do - to try and move on, he wanted me to find someone my own age.' Six weeks before his death, he dismissed reports linking him to Strictly Come Dancing star Nancy Dell'Olio, the former girlfriend of ex-England football manager Sven Goran Eriksson. He admitted knowing Nancy through his charity work, but said he would be 'more likely to have an affair with a ripe pomegranate'. Records released last week reveal that the former playboy left £1,579,227 reduced after liabilities to a net estate of £926,543. Camilla who was extremely close to her only brother, has hinted at his careless attitude to personal finance . Camilla, 67, who was extremely close to her only brother, hinted at his careless attitude to personal finance in a tribute to him before his memorial service last month. She described him as 'my charismatic and sometimes infuriating brother' and 'a golden boy, blessed with good looks, charm and a devil-may-care attitude to life'. Shand was a regular at the famously decadent New York nightclub Studio 54 and dated a string of beautiful women including President John Kennedy's daughter Caroline, Bianca Jagger and supermodel Marie Helvin. He bought a neglected elephant called Tara in India in 1988 and rode her 800 miles from the Bay of Bengal to Patna on the Ganges. His subsequent book Travels on My Elephant became a best seller. | Mark Shand died unexpectedly in April aged 62 before writing a will .
His £900,000 estate will go to his daughter Ayesha from his first marriage .
None of the money will be passed to his on-off girlfriend Ruth Powys, 36 .
She worked alongside Mr Shand for 10 years at charity, Elephant Family . |
237,104 | bee01aa75c76ccdde999aefa0a27298c9d72e403 | Surrounded by barbed wire, sandbags and mud, this 60ft trench is barely distinguishable from those occupied by British soldiers fighting in the First World War almost a century ago. The enormous dugout has been painstakingly recreated by an ex-history teacher in his back garden in Surrey, and the dedicated 55-year-old even spent 24 hours living in its confines with a team of volunteers as part of his efforts to experience life as a WWI soldier. Andrew Robertshaw and 30 helpers spent a month shifting around 200 tonnes of earth to build the enormous three-room trench, which he hopes will teach people more about the horrific living conditions endured by British troops during the Great War. Scroll down for video . Endurance: Former history teacher Andrew Robertshaw built the trench to highlight the plight of WWI soldiers . The father-of-one has even spent 24 hours living in the hole - which features a kitchen, infantry room, and officers' dugout - as part of an overnight re-enactment of trench warfare in the garden in Charlwood. Mr Robertshaw - who acted as a military advisor on the Steven Spielberg epic War Horse - and a band of volunteers dressed up in replica uniforms and used rifles to fire blanks into the countryside during their stint in the trench. 'My grandfather fought in the war and was wounded three times,' said the historian, who also runs the Royal Logistics Corps Museum in Deepcut, Surrey. 'I wanted to show people that the war was about survival and not just about death. When the soldiers weren't fighting this is how they were living. 'The most common experience was living in a trench and trying to be as comfortable as possible while living in a hole in the ground,' he added. Replica: Mr Robertshaw enlisted the help of volunteers and soldiers from the 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal Logistics Corps for the ambitious project . Living conditions: Mr Robertshaw and volunteers spent 24 hours living in the trench and re-enacting warfare . Legacy: The historian said that, with Remembrance Day approaching, it was particularly important to reflect on what British troops endured . Mr Robertshaw, whose grandfather fought in the war, said he wanted to show how soldiers lived when they weren't fighting . With Remembrance Day approaching, Mr . Robertshaw said it was particularly important to reflect on the living . conditions endured by British troops. 'Many people will know someone who was involved in the war and it is a direct legacy to the world today,' he said. Mr Robertshaw and his band of . volunteers - which included soldiers from the 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal . Logistics Corps - got a glimpse into the life of a Tommy when they spent . 24 hours living in the trench and kept a diary of the experience. 'It's all about learning,' said Mr . Robertshaw, who explained that all of the participants wrote about their . experiences of cooking, eating and cleaning in the trench. ‘I . am an ex-history teacher and I just want people to know more about our . history and the First World War is such a big part of that,' said the . historian, who has appeared on the television programme Time Team and . worked behind the scenes on Who Do You Think You Are? ‘Particularly as Remembrance Day is coming up it is important to realise how those troops were living.' The former teacher is in the process of creating a video for use is schools, which will explore the trench and include footage of some of his First World War re-enactments. Mr Robertshaw is also hoping to launch a website through which schoolchildren can virtually explore the dugout. The historian, who has opened the trench to the public in the past, said: 'I usually target war enthusiasts and societies like the Western Front Association, as it will mean more to them,' he said. 'I have just made a tester video for schools to use when teaching about the war and I have had an idea to make the trench available via the web.' Mr Robertshaw said such a website would help bring history to life for youngsters watching. ‘A website for the trench could be used by schools to give lectures which are much more realistic then looking at a black and white photograph, which is what we have at the moment,' he said. Photographs of Mr Robertshaw's 24-hour stint in the trench are also included in his . book, entitled 24 Hour Trench: A Day In The Life Of a Frontline Tommy, which is set in April 1917. Warfare: Mr Robertshaw captured the 24-hour stint in the trench on camera for a book he wrote . Re-enactment: Mr Robertshaw and volunteers donned replica uniforms and spent 24 hours living in the trench . Realistic: The 'troops' used rifles to fire blanks in the Surrey countryside as part of the re-enactment . While the sprawling trench is . overlooked by a number of other houses in Charlwood, Mr Robertshaw said . he had received no complaints from neighbours and some even made cups of . tea for the 'troops' during the overnight battle re-enactment. Since building the dugout last summer . Mr Robertshaw has sold his Surrey house and moved, but eager to hold on . to the results of his ambitious project, he has retained ownership of the land housing the trench. Steven Andrews, 63, who lives next to the trench in Charlwood, told how he hears the sound of gunfire emerging from the dugout when re-enactments are taking place. 'My land borders Andy's land but we have never had any real problems,' he said. 'The only issue I have ever raised is that I have horses and when the re-enactments are going on they can get easily spooked. 'Last time we came to an agreement that Andy would stop shooting at certain times when the horses were out. 'We can hear the gunfire from the house, he uses real rifles used in WWI, but as it isn't very often we don't mind,' Mr Andrews said. Mr Robertshaw's latest book, 24 Hours In Battle, is due to be released next year. Images of the re-enactment are taken from the book 24hr Trench: A Day in the Life of a Frontline Tommy by Andrew Robertshaw, published by The History Press, www.thehistorypress.co.uk. Teamwork: Mr Robertshaw had help from a team of 30 volunteers to build the trench in the garden . Ambitious: The historian and his team spent a month working to create the sprawling dugout . Reality: Troops are seen in a trench in France during the First World War . Soldiers emerge from a trench and go over the top into battle during the First World War . | Former history teacher used a JCB to shift 200 tonnes of earth to create the trench in his Surrey garden .
Andrew Robertshaw enlisted the help of a team of 30 volunteers - including soldiers recently returned from Afghanistan .
Historian and his team spent 24 hours living in the trench as part of the ambitious project .
Mr Robertshaw has opened the trench to the public in the past, and hopes to create a website for schoolchildren to virtually explore the dugout . |
245,294 | c97e3fb5cffb354f37cadfbe2676ed6fda3079fa | Washington (CNN) -- Are James V. McVay's statements the shocking confessions of a man who planned to kill the president? The exaggerated claims of someone seeking attention? The rantings of a lunatic? Police, prosecutors and others are asking those questions after McVay, 41, was charged in the vicious stabbing death of a 75-year-old woman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Stopped by police Saturday near Madison, Wisconsin, some 450 miles away from the killing, McVay confessed not only to the stabbing, but to a crime he said he hoped to commit: the assassination of a president. In statements to police, and in an unusual jailhouse interview with reporters, McVay said: . -- He had spent two years while in prison developing a plan. -- He planned, first, to kill someone in Sioux Falls and steal that person's vehicle to drive to Madison. -- In Madison, he would break into another house to kill the occupants and steal their vehicle, or he would ambush a Madison police officer to steal that officer's gun. -- He planned to travel through Chicago, stopping again in Indianapolis to kill people and steal a vehicle to drive to Washington. "I'm going to kill and kill until I get him," he told police, referring to President Obama. "One of his favorite pastimes, golfing; I was going to get him at the golf range," McVay said in a remorseless interview with WKOW-TV reporter Tony Galli. He said the Sioux Falls victim, Maybelle Fetters Schein, was "collateral damage." It was not the first time McVay had made threats of this nature. In 2009, following an arrest involving another stolen car, McVay told police he had planned to travel to Washington where he intended to harm Vice President Joe Biden. Police notified the U.S. Secret Service, who twice questioned McVay, as well as family members and acquaintances. During the second interview, McVay recanted his statement about wanting to harm the vice president, a spokesman with the Secret Service said. Court documents provide a detailed account of McVay's alleged actions during the past week, when he again came to the attention of authorities. According to a police affidavit, police were sent to Schein's Sioux Falls home Saturday afternoon after a report of a deceased person. They found a garden tool and a cardboard box propping open the garage door, and a small figurine propping open the door between the garage and the living area. Schein was in her bedroom, dead of knife wounds to the neck. The victim's white 2007 Buick Lucerne was missing. Police soon learned the car was equipped with an OnStar device that allowed GPS tracking of the vehicle, the affidavit says. Investigators contacted OnStar, learned the car was near Madison, Wisconsin, and asked police there to stop it. The driver at first refused to stop, and police chased the car, eventually using a spike strip to bring it to a halt, police said. The driver, McVay, "had a brief standoff with the officers before being taken into custody," police said. As McVay was being placed in a patrol car, he made an unsolicited comment. "He said that he had 'killed an old lady' by stabbing her," and that he had stolen her car, police said. McVay waived his right to remain silent and continued talking, police said, outlining his plan to travel to Washington to kill Obama. McVay said he spent two years developing the plan, "solidifying" the plan about two weeks earlier when he discovered he was going to be released from South Dakota State Penitentiary to a halfway house. He said he walked away from the Sioux Falls halfway house on Friday, stole clothes and camping knives from a Walmart, and slept under a bridge for the night. On Saturday he awoke, walked into a nearby neighborhood, slipped into a partially open garage, used the knife to unlock the door to the residence, killed Schein and stole her car, according to his account in the affidavit. McVay is charged with premeditated murder, first degree murder and four burglary-related counts. He is represented by a state public defender, who could not be immediately reached Thursday. This week, when Wisconsin TV reporters interviewed McVay, he told them of the earlier interrogations by the Secret Service. "I played the game that I didn't have any homicidal intentions and I talked to Secret Service," he said. But, McVay told the reporters, his feelings hardened against Biden and Obama while he was in solitary confinement. McVay cited Obama's economic policies and other moves as a basis for the assassination plot, but also said alien forces were using Obama as a "puppet," WKOW reported. On Thursday, a Wisconsin judge ordered a competency evaluation of McVay. This week, Secret Service agents again interviewed McVay. But the Secret Service officials declined to say whether they believe McVay intended to attempt an assassination. And a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office said the office is reviewing the case, but no decision on federal charges has been made. | James V. McVay says a South Dakota slaying was the first step in his plan .
The final step, he tells a reporter, was to kill Obama "at the golf range"
A judge orders a competency evaluation of McVay . |
168,070 | 65611749caa528041a72069aacb691c62fb389d4 | By . Chris Kitching for MailOnline . Tour operator Thomas Cook has been ordered to pay more than £17,000 in compensation to a holidaymaker who became violently ill during his dream holiday in the Caribbean. Paul Hughes, from Redditch, Worcestershire, faces ongoing gastric symptoms following his ‘nightmare’ getaway at a resort in Cayo Guillermo, Cuba, his solicitors said. The 52-year-old booked the trip to the four-star Iberostar Daiquiri Hotel through Thomas Cook and he took legal action over ‘appalling’ hygiene conditions that he claims led to his illness. 'Nightmare': Paul Hughes became violently ill during a two-week trip to Cuba in January 2011 . Mr Hughes alleges undercooked food was served to guests, public areas in the hotel were dirty and he witnessed a chef leaving the toilet without washing his hands. He said: ‘Upon falling ill I suffered severe sickness and diarrhoea and extremely painful stomach cramps, it was horrendous. ‘Three months after we came home, my symptoms still hadn’t gone so I saw my GP who provided me with advice as to how to deal with my symptoms. 'My bowel habits still haven’t returned to normal and it feels like I’ve been left with a permanent reminder of the awful trip. It has been very hard to get used to this.’ Thomas Cook admitted liability for Mr Hughes’ illness, but his solicitors from the law firm Irwin Mitchell had to proceed to trial after the tour operator refused to agree a settlement which reflected the severity of his condition, the law firm said. Paradise: Playa Pilar, located in Cayo Guillermo, is considered one of Cuba's best beaches . At the end of a trial at the County Court in Birmingham, a judge agreed Thomas Cook must pay Mr Hughes compensation of more than £17,000. Thomas Cook said in a statement that it is disappointed by the outcome of the court ruling, but it accepts the judge’s verdict and is satisfied that the matter has been resolved. The tour operator said: ‘We feel it is important to note that our own findings with regards to the exact nature of the illness differed greatly from those of Mr Hughes’ representatives.’ Thomas Cook said it closely evaluates the health, safety and hygiene standards of properties, and the Iberostar Daiquiri Hotel scores high in customer satisfaction surveys. ‘Our records show that sickness levels among customers staying at the resort since 2011 have been minimal,’ the company said. ‘Accordingly, we believe Mr Hughes’ illness to be a rare occurrence and are confident that those due to stay at the Iberostar Daiquiri Hotel will enjoy the quality holiday experience they would come to expect from Thomas Cook.’ Compensation: Tour operator Thomas Cook was ordered to pay £17,000 to Paul Hughes for his ordeal . Mr Hughes said he is still scared to eat in restaurants after falling ill during the two-week trip with his wife in January 2011. He said: ‘I used to eat out a lot with my family but tend not to anymore as I’m too worried about suffering anything similar to what I had to go through in Cuba. ‘Nothing can turn back the clock but I am relieved the legal battle is now over. I just hope that my case acts as a reminder to those in the travel industry about the importance of following good hygiene practices so no one else has to go through a similar ordeal.’ Clare Comiskey, an international travel law expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said: 'Tour operators have a responsibility to ensure that the hotels they send their customers to are safe and comply with health and safety regulations, which are in place to protect guests. ‘It is disappointing that we had to issue court proceedings and then take Paul’s case all the way to trial in order to secure justice for him. ‘This is particularly unfortunate given the ordeal he has already been through, but we hope that the settlement draws a line under this chapter of his life and allows him to begin to move forward.’ MailOnline Travel has contacted Iberostar Daiquiri Hotel for comment. | Paul Hughes became violently ill during a trip to Cayo Guillermo, Cuba .
He says guests were served undercooked food and the hotel was dirty .
Mr Hughes has ongoing gastric symptoms three years after his holiday . |
283,020 | fa992f36fb5721b6b1afb705c803ca65f68e600d | By . Alex Greig . The man behind the massive Beanie Babies craze in the mid-nineties is notoriously reclusive, but new court documents have revealed previously unknown details of his life.Ty Warner, 69, is the creator of Beanie Babies, a billionaire businessman who admitted evading taxes in a secret Swiss bank accounts.Documents filed by his lawyers in an attempt to reduce his sentence, to be handed down on January 14, serve as a fascinating biographies of one of the business world's most private personalities. Remorseful: Warner was escorted from a Chicago courthouse after pleading guilty to tax evasion in October . Tax evasion: New details have emerged about the life of Beanie Babies creator Ty Warner in court documents filed by his lawyers . Warner was born in Chicago and had a 'challenging' upbringing in an 'unhappy family and a youth devoid of educational advantages.' He was sent to a military school at the age of 15 and then began college at Kalamazoo College in 1962, but was forced to drop out because he couldn't afford his tuition. He tried to enroll in the military but was deemed unfit to serve due to hearing loss. Warner's mother was diagnosed as a paranoid-schizophrenic, and he helped take care of her, taking on a series of odd jobs to make ends meet, including busboy, bellboy, and door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. A job as a salesman with Dakin, a company that produced stuffed toys and figurines, prompted Warner to form his own company, Ty Inc. Craze: During the height of the Beanie Baby fad there were queues and waiting lists for the limited edition toys . He launched the Beanie Baby in the early 1990s and the company went from a small business run from his own home to a multi-billion-dollar company by the mid-1990s. Warner designed the toy to be small enough for kids to carry around in their pockets and cheap enough that they could afford to buy them with their own pocket money. As the company grew, he employed business executives, but 'treated the final decision about the particular fabric or color of the company’s next Beanie Baby as a non-delegable assignment.' The document contains summaries of letters sent by friends, acquaintances and employees of Warner in support of him, describing 'spontaneous acts of generosity,' including paying for college tuition, operations and unlimited leave for employees with sick family members. Secretive: Warner shakes hands in a rare appearance to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Beanie Babies toy line at the American International Toy Fair February 16, 2003 in New York . Warner is well-known for his philanthropy, particularly to children's charities. According to the document, Warner has paid approximately $1 billion income tax over his lifetime. Warner's lawyers say the businessman was counseled by Swiss financial advisers to open accounts in the country for the 'safekeeping' of some of his assets. He apparently tried to come forward to disclose his assets to the IRS but was not permitted to the IRS's disclosure program, which would have enabled him to avoid prosecution. Philanthropist: Warner is well-known for his generosity to employees, friends and strangers alike . Pushing for a sentence of probation rather than jail time, the documents says the judge 'should keep in mind the Supreme Court’s admonition that “the punishment should fit the offender and not merely the crime.' By the time he is due to be sentenced, his lawyers say, Warner will have complied with all terms, including paying a $53 million Foreign Bank Account Report penalty and at least $16 million in back taxes and interest. The mystique of Beanie Babies remains today. The reclusive toymaker's creations are still going for big prices on eBay, with a 1996 Beanie Baby Peace Bear up for auction beginning at $5,000. | Ty Warner, 69, created Beanie Babies in the early 1990s, building a billion-dollar fortune off the back of the plush toys .
Warner was charged with tax evasion and pleaded guilty last October .
He is due to be sentenced January 14 and his lawyers have submitted documents asking for lenience .
The documents detail Warner's early life, saying he had a 'challenging' upbringing .
Warner had to drop out of college because he couldn't afford tuition .
He was unable to enlist in the Army due to poor eyesight .
His mother was schizophrenic and Warner worked many odd jobs to support her .
The billionaire is a known philanthropist, giving especially to children's charities .
Warner will pay $53 million Foreign Bank Account Report penalty and at least $16 million in back taxes and interest .
He is seeking to avoid prison time . |
69,073 | c3de9e44ccea96fd7688f2365a86956f44de4450 | By . Tamara Cohen In Brussels and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:50 EST, 27 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:19 EST, 28 June 2013 . Win: David Cameron, pictured arriving at an EU summit in Brussels, was confident of securing a deal to protect Britain's rebate . David Cameron scored a vital victory for taxpayers last night as he protected Britain’s £3.1billion EU rebate. The Prime Minister fought off a raid by France on the UK’s annual clawback of funding from Brussels. Paris said Britain’s refund should not be exempt from a deal to hand over £300million a year in taxpayer-funded farming subsidies for new member states. In a second victory for Mr Cameron, MEPs also backed down and agreed to the first ever EU budget reduction in its 56-year history. They will vote on the £30billion cut to £770billion next week. Mr Cameron blocked the refund raid after talks with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy ahead of the EU summit in Brussels. Exemption from the farming subsidy deal was a key part of the UK’s rebate settlement, agreed at landmark talks in February, but it has come under increasing attack from France. Mr Cameron said details should now be ‘locked down’ in EU law. A Downing Street source later said there were ‘assurances’ that Brussels will stick to February’s deal. The rebate was won for Britain by Baroness Thatcher in 1984 after her ‘handbagging’ of European leaders and her vow of ‘not a penny more’ for Brussels. The refund was granted because Britain get disproportionately less in farm subsidies than France. As he went into the meeting Mr Cameron said: 'It is absolutely essential that we stick to the deal we reached in February and that we protect the British rebate, and I will make sure that we do that.' A Downing Street source said afterwards: 'We have assurances from Mr Van Rompuy that we will stick to the deal done in February. We are confident this is resolved now.' Mr Cameron added: 'This council should be about doing in Brussels what we are doing in Britain, which is getting control of spending, making sure we live within our means, and then making ourselves more competitive, getting rid of regulations, making it easier for businesses to create jobs.' But despite reductions in some areas of spending such as regional aid, the cost of running the EU civil service, assembly and quangos will still rise by 1.7 per cent. And spending on the pensions of Brussels bureaucrats will rise by 7.2 per cent partly because of costs associated with an increase in officials taking early retirement. Martin Callanan MEP, the leader of the European Conservatives, said: 'This is an historic cut but we still have enormous amounts of fat that can be trimmed. 'Administration is normally the first thing to be cut in any government’s budget. Only in the EU would it increase at a time of belt-tightening.' Jobs: Mr Cameron is calling for rules to be relaxed to encourage firms to take on young people . The Prime Minister celebrated a major . diplomatic coup in Brussels in February after securing the first EU . spending cut in its history. But four months on, Francois Hollande's government launched a last-ditch attempt to slash Britain’s rebate. After talks with European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, Mr Cameron insisted the deal still stands. Under the agreement every other country with rebates had to agree to give up some of the money. Diplomats hailed it as the biggest . British triumph for the UK in an EU negotiation since the rebate was won . by Margaret Thatcher at the Fontainebleau summit almost 30 years ago. Mr Cameron’s deal will save UK . taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds on what they would have been . forced to pay under the European Commission’s initial plans to increase . the budget. The Prime Minister arrived at a summit in Brussels insisting he would block any attempt to reduce the rebate. Mr Van Rompuy has declared improving the job prospects of young people the main theme for the two-day gathering. Battle: The Prime Minister insisted it was 'essential' that the British rebate remained protected . Some 5.6 million are out of work in the eurozone, and in Greece and Spain the youth unemployment rate has rocketed to over 50 per cent. Mr Van Rompuy is emphasising the need for money to be pumped into projects that could boost their employment chances. But Mr Cameron is due to argue that loosening labour market rules and freeing up small and medium companies to take on young staff is more important. He has staked Britain's continuing membership of the EU on his ability to negotiate fundamental reform of it - with an in-out referendum due to be held in 2017 if the Tories win the general election. Mr Cameron could also face questions from German chancellor Angela Merkel and others after it emerged that eavesdropping agency GCHQ has been mass-monitoring global phone and internet traffic. Berlin has openly challenged the validity of the Project Tempora surveillance operation, the existence of which was revealed by US National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden. | Leaders agreed to an £819billion budget 'ceiling' in February .
Savings were made on various projects and perks for EU officials .
Britain's rebate secured by Margaret Thatcher was protected .
But France argued it should be cut to cover changes to farming subsidies . |
76,210 | d821ff9bbaaad389e00dfde951e444cbcf41648a | Google engineering director and futurist Ray Kurzweil believes we are close to realizing everlasting life and is dead-set on getting us there. The inventor and noted author believes the key to such a scientific breakthrough is a system of 'bridges' that enable the body to move from strength to strength over time. The youthful 65-year-old currently takes 150 supplements a day, which he argues if the first bridge. The idea is to build enough bridges to ensure the body holds out long enough for life-lengthening technology to come into its own. He has likened the biology of the body to computer software and believes we are all 'out of date'. Key to the fountain of youth: Ray Kurzweil, futurist and Google engineering director, says the biology of the body is much like computer software and that we are in need of of an upgrade. The hope is to go along enough 'bridges', or stages, to reach the point where life-lengthening technology is at its greatest . Bridge number one: Staying as healthy as possible. Ray Kurzweil currently takes 150 supplements a day to keep his body at its peak . In an interview with Canadian magazine Maclean's, Kurzweil says he hopes the supplements will keep him healthy enough to reach the 'nanotech revolution'. 'I can never say, “I’ve done it, I’ve lived forever,” because it’s never forever,' he said. 'We’re really talking about being on a path that will get us to the next point. 'Bridge one: Stay as healthy as possible with diet and exercise and current medicine. 'The goal is to get to bridge two. 'Bridge two (is) the biotechnology revolution, where we can reprogram biology away from disease. 'And that is not the end-all either. 'Bridge three is to go beyond biology, to the nanotechnology revolution. 'At that point we can have little robots, sometimes called nanobots, that augment your immune system. 'We can create an immune system that recognizes all disease, and if a new disease emerged, it could be reprogrammed to deal with new pathogens.' Such robots, according to Kurzweil, will help fight diseases, improve health and allow people to remain active for longer. Genius: Ray Kurzweil is considered a revolutionary in his field and is currently working on Artificial Intelligence . 'Biology is a software process,' Kurzweil told Maclean's. 'Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, each governed by this process. 'You and I are walking around with outdated software running in our bodies, which evolved in a very different era. 'We each have a fat insulin receptor gene that says, “Hold on to every calorie”. 'That was a very good idea 10,000 years ago, when you worked all day to get a few calories; there were no refrigerators, so you stored them in your fat cells. 'I would like to tell my fat insulin receptor gene, “You don’t need to do that anymore,”.' Kurzweil referenced a lab mice experiment at the Joslin Diabetes Center, which managed to turn off the mice's fat insulin receptor gene. The mice continued to eat, remained slim, did not get diabetes or heart disease and lived 20 per cent longer. Google is hoping to help expand the human lifespan with its new company Calico, which aims to make improvements in human health and well-being. Kurzweil has previously predicted that by the late 2020s humans will be able to eat as much junk food as they want because everyone will have a nanobot injected into their bodies that will provide all the necessary nutrients while simultaneously eliminating fat. Kurzweil is current work towards building smarter computers is being seen as the first step towards developing such technology. His goal is to improve the natural language processing skills in computers that will allow robots to read, consume and understand human communication. Kurzweil believes creating intelligent robots is key to human evolution. Leading the way: Google is hoping to help expand the human lifespan with its new company Calico, which aims to make improvements in human health and well-being. | Futurist Ray Kurzweil explains the biology of the body is like computer software that needs upgrading .
Key is a 'bridge to bridge' system where you maximize current methods in order to live until life-lengthening technology is at its greatest .
Kurzweil is currently taking 150 vitamin supplements per day .
We will eventually hit a stage where robots will subsidize our immune system . |
56,661 | a08e1a21aa236f0a21846d41ddc0667bd4bdf391 | (CNN) -- Pirates traded gunfire with Togo security forces early Tuesday from a hijacked oil tanker off the west coast of Africa, the International Maritime Bureau said. "Apparently there was an exchange of fire between pirates on board the hijacked tanker and the naval patrol vessel," said Cyrus Mody, spokesman for the maritime bureau, based in London. A representative for Golden Energy Management, the Greek company that chartered the vessel, said there were 24 crew members on board, all of them Russian. The representative had no information on the condition of the crew and said company officials in Athens have been unable to establish contact with the sailors. The Isle of Man-flagged Energy Centurion was seized off the coast of the Togolese capital Lome, where it was anchored. A security official in Togo said authorities received the alert from the oil tanker around 2 a.m. "We quickly sent patrols after it, but we did not succeed in catching the pirates who took control of the tanker and disappeared off the coast of neighboring Benin," said Col. Djibril Inoussa, the communications director of Togo Armed Forces. Pirate attacks down off Somalia, up off Nigeria . This is the second such attack in less than two weeks in the Gulf of Guinea, off the west coast of Africa. "This has been an area of risk and a hotspot for a number of years," said Mody. He said the number of piracy incidents in Nigerian waters has been severely under-reported, and tend to be overshadowed by Somali piracy. While Somali piracy remains a serious threat, there has been an increase of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, according to a recent report from International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center. The report said there were 32 attacks this year in the Gulf of Guinea -- including five hijackings, versus 25 in 2011. The main difference between the East and West African pirate activities is that almost all the incidents in Nigeria are conducted within its territorial waters, whereas most of the incidents along the eastern coast of Africa and the Gulf of Aden occur on the high seas, according to the maritime bureau. Mody said it is possible that the same group responsible for Tuesday's attack was involved in the hijacking of a UK-operated oil tanker August 19. That vessel was later released off the coast of Nigeria. "Their modus-operandi is to target mainly oil tankers, and steal the cargo," said Mody. He said refined oil -- gas or diesel -- is easy to sell on open black markets. The hijacked vessel is then either taken to the same location where it was picked up, or moved to another site and released. Mody said pirates also go through each crew cabin to see what they can take. He said crews are often beaten up, sometimes severely. "Nigerian incidents tend to be very violent towards the crew," Mody said. Man described as high-ranking Somali pirate gets multiple life sentences . Journalists Erick Kaglan in Togo and Elinda Labropoulou in Athens contributed to this report . | Pirates take over a Greek-operated tanker off the coast of Togo .
The pirates and members of the Togo navy exchange gunfire, the International Maritime Bureau says .
"This has been an area of risk and a hotspot for number of years," a maritime official says . |
32,615 | 5cb7b21d3838c0438389fbb6b9e5253001608b2f | A married Pennsylvania high school teacher was arrested again on Thursday, accused of having sex with a second teenage student. Lauren Harrington-Cooper, 31, of Wyoming Valley West High School, faces new allegations that she sent racy text messages and had sexual contact with a 17-year-old boy starting in October 2013. This arrest comes just a month after she was charged having sex with a different 18-year-old student in December. Harrington-Cooper has been suspended without pay from her teaching job. Pennsylvania high school teacher Lauren Harrington-Cooper was sentenced to 9 to 23 months in jail, accused of having sex with two students . Harrington-Cooper, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, is accused of meeting up with the teenager on several occasions after they sent each other text messages, then kissing and having oral sex. The Citizen's Voice reports that the boy told authorities that he picked up the teacher at her home and they drove around for 90 minutes before kissing in the car outside her house. After the pair continued to text they met up again and Harrington-Cooper allegedly performed oral sex on the 17-year-old student in a parked car. The teacher was arraigned on $25,000 bail on Thursday. She was also released on bail of the same amount after her first arrest in December. Court date: Harrington-Cooper was surrounded by reporters as she entered the court after her first arrest in December . That arrest came after the alleged . victim's parents found a sexually explicit conversation on a laptop . between Harrington-Cooper and the boy, 18. The . parents went to Wyoming Valley West High School and informed the . principal of the material and Harrington-Cooper . was arraigned on a single count of institutional sexual . assault. According to the Times-Leader, Harrington-Cooper, a ninth-grade English teacher at the school, told the victim's sister she thought he was 'hot.' The boy obtained Harrington-Cooper's phone number from his sister and the pair exchanged text messages. They agreed to meet up and Harrington-Cooper picked the boy up near his home several times during which they had sex and the teacher performed oral sex on the boy in the car. The alleged incidents occurred beginning December 13. Controversy: Lauren Harrington-Cooper (pictured with her husband) is a married high school teacher . Dancer: Harrington-Cooper's husband runs a dance academy and she would at times teach there (pictured) According to the Times-Leader, Harrington-Cooper admitted having sexual relations with the boy, whom she knew was a high school senior to investigators. Harrington-Cooper is married to Raphael Cooper, owner of Cooper Dance Academy. On December 19, he told the school's students and their parents that classes were cancelled due to 'a family emergency' via Facebook. Later that evening, he wrote: 'After the holiday, I , Raphael Cooper will address all of the members of our studio as to our future. Please keep everyone in our family in your prayers as we confront the days ahead.' Local high school: Harrington-Cooper teaches English at Wyoming Valley West High School . According to the Times-Leader, Harrington-Cooper was been placed under medical supervision after attempting to harm herself. According to the Citizen's Voice, Harrington-Cooper graduated from the University of Scranton in 2005. In addition to being a high school teacher, she teaches dance at Body Language Studios in Kingston. | Lauren Harrington-Cooper, 31, was arrested Thursday for having sex with a 17-year-old male student .
Married English teacher was also charged in December for sexual contact with a different boy, 18 .
Harrington-Cooper taught at Wyoming Valley West High School in Pennsylvania . |
280,399 | f73adbfff1c75b0b8e9a7af7cd5c5f7638a355bd | Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- If Diana Nyad never realizes her dream of swimming the Florida straits, it won't be for lack of trying. The 64-year-old began her fifth and last bid to swim from Cuba to the United States on Saturday morning. Previous attempts were thwarted by dehydration, ocean currents and excruciating jellyfish stings to her tongue. "There's the fine line between seeing that things are bigger than you and letting your ego go," Nyad said at a news conference in Havana Friday. "And there's another edge over that fine line where you don't ever want to give up and I am still at that place!" Were Nyad to swim the 103 miles from Havana to the Florida Keys, she would be the first person to do so without the benefits of a shark cage, flippers or wet suit. And it would validate her attempts, which have spanned 35 years. In 1997, Australian endurance swimmer Susie Maroney, then 22, completed the swim from within a shark cage. Along with the protection the cage offers against toothy predators, swimmers say the cage provides a barrier against waves and other weather hazards. Since Maroney's swim, some of the world's best endurance swimmers have tried to cross the straits of Florida without using a cage. All have been turned back. But few have done so as persistently or as colorfully as Nyad. The Key West, Florida, resident says she feels a special bond with Cubans and hopes her repeated efforts to swim between the two countries will help improve the still-tense relations between Havana and Washington. Nyad often tried to communicate in rudimentary Spanish during the news conference Friday. She has said that during her long swims, she sings the Cuban ballad, "Guantanmera," to herself hundreds of times. Cuban authorities said that after her latest attempt was announced in state media, they received a barrage of suggestions from across the island on how she could ward off the stinging jellyfish that ended previous attempts. This time, Nyad said, she will wear surgical gloves and a specially designed prosthetic face mask to prevent the jellyfish from stinging her. "It took us a year, we made mold after mold," Nyad said of the mask, adding it was the kind used to protect people who had suffered injuries to their faces. "It's a two-edged sword for me. It's cumbersome, it's difficult to swim with, but it doesn't matter. I am safe. There's no other way." Nyad will be accompanied by a 35-member crew aboard two sail boats. They will monitor her health, update her progress on social media and try to ward off sharks that might view her as a potential snack. If all goes to plan, Nyad said, the swim will take her three days to finish. CNN's Matt Sloane contributed to this report. | Her attempts started 35 years ago .
She hopes to swim the 103 miles from Havana to the Florida Keys .
If she's successful, she'll be the first person to do so without a shark cage, flippers or wet suit .
During her long swims, she sings Cuban ballad, "Guantanmera," to herself . |
18,072 | 3331358bf8e1befdbf6533c40e525d8ca6a5ab5b | Sorry end: The needletail pictured after its unfortunate and deadly altercation with a wind turbine on the Isle of Harris in the Hebrides . There had been only eight recorded sightings of the white-throated needletail in the UK since 1846. So when one popped up again on British shores this week, twitchers were understandably excited. A group of 40 enthusiasts dashed to the Hebrides to catch a glimpse of the brown, black and blue bird, which breeds in Asia and winters in Australasia. But instead of being treated to a wildlife spectacle they were left with a horror show when it flew into a wind turbine and was killed. John Marchant, 62, who had made the . trip all the way from Norfolk, said: ‘We were absolutely over the moon . to see the bird. We watched it for nearly two hours. ‘But while we were watching it suddenly got a bit close to the turbine and then the blades hit it. ‘We all rushed up to the turbine, which took about five minutes, hoping the bird had just been knocked out the sky but was okay. ‘Unfortunately it had taken a blow to the head and was stone dead. ‘It was really beautiful when it was . flying around, graceful and with such speed. To suddenly see it fly into . a turbine and fall out the sky was terrible.’ The last sighting of a white-throated . needletail was 22 years ago. A relative of the common swift, it is said . to be capable of flying at an astonishing 106mph. The bird was thousands of miles off course when it was originally spotted in Northumberland, before travelling further north. But it hadn’t reckoned on the wind turbine hazards of the Hebrides when it landed on the Isle of Harris. Average wind speeds in the area are 50 per cent higher than the national average, making it a valuable natural resource to tap into. Lewis and Harris, technically one island, already has a number of wind farms, with several more planned in future. See video of the bird captured before the accident below . Incoming: The turbine at Drinishader on the Isle of Harris which the rare bird crashed into, right in front of a group of keen twitchers who had tracked its progress all the way from Northumberland . The white-throated needletail’s journey through northern Britain was enthusiastically tracked by several bird watchers. A spokesman for the website Bird Guides said: ‘Why it is ended up in Harris is a bit of a mystery – it should be well away in Siberia, Australia or Japan. ‘It obviously got lost and the weather may have played a part. It is difficult to say. ‘It . was spotted by chance by two birders from Northumberland who were on . holiday, and they knew what they were looking at. So there is a chance . it may have been here a lot longer. ‘It . could have re-orientated itself and is capable of flying vast . distances. In fact it spends more time in the air than on the ground. So . it could have worked out it was in the wrong place and flown to where . it should be.’ Nick Moran, who runs bird tracking online for the British Trust for Ornithology, said he had been monitoring the bird’s progress since its arrival in the UK. He said: ‘It is not the happiest ending for a bird that has flown half way around the world. ‘It was a real day of mixed emotions for everyone there, they were all so happy they got to see it, but then witnessed it die.’ Mr Moran said that birds like this would be most at risk from turbines during the day when they are flying low to feed on insects. A spokesman for the RSPB said it did not know the exact details of the case but migrating birds can be blown off course when travelling and the needletail may have lost its bearings and ended up in the UK. She added: ‘Careful choice of location and design of wind farms and turbines prevents, as much as possible, such occurrences happening on a large scale. ‘Wind energy makes a vital contribution towards mitigating the impacts of climate change, which is the biggest threat to our native birds and wildlife.’ The Rare Bird Alert, an online service that notifies users of sightings, had passed on reports of the white-throated needletail on Tuesday. A spokesman for the service said users had told them the bird died on Wednesday. Yesterday morning, the service tweeted: ‘The white-throated needletail on Harris flew into a wind turbine and has died. ‘Pathetic way for such an amazing bird to die.’ It is not the first time a bird-watching trip has ended in tragedy. On a previous outing, a group of twitchers in the Hebrides had seen a migratory wryneck hit by a train. Video footage courtesy of Josh Jones/BirdGuides . | The white-throated needletail is usually only seen in Asia and Australasia .
Forty birdwatchers dashed to the Hebrides to catch a glimpse of this one .
But as they watched it was knocked 'stone dead' after impact with turbine . |
74,043 | d1f988b4a5826ded38ec34a3d4b540d526ee766c | (CNN) -- Hot summers when the city is crammed with tourists; cooler winters when the rain can swell the Arno: Florence is an all-year-round destination. Here are some of the city's seasonal highlights. A Verdi player finds a gap in the Azzurri team's defence during the 2003 Calcio Storico . Vintage clothes For a long time, image-conscious Italians wouldn't be seen dead in second-hand clothes. But recently they have started to catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to coveting the nearly new and Florence is host to the biggest used clothes fair in Italy. It's held twice yearly in February and July (Stazione Leopolda; +39 055 246 6198). Christmas in Florence Not only is the city wonderfully deserted at this time of year, but the lights that adorn every shop window give the place an almost magical feeling. You can buy everything from amber to reindeer skins at the Christmas market (Mercato di natale) in the Piazza Santa Croce from the beginning of December. Go ice-skating in the Piazza della Liberta or make for the Piazza della Republicca, home to Florence's enormous Christmas tree sparkling with 16,000 lights. On Christmas day, High Mass at the Duomo is an unforgettable experience. Scoppio del Carro, Easter Sunday Exploding the cart, or "scoppio del carro," at Easter is one of the oldest and most important Florentine traditions. Decorated white oxen drag an elaborate cart stuffed full of fireworks from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza del Duomo. A dove-shaped rocket in the Duomo is lit and shoots along a wire to the cart where it ignites the rest of the fireworks: impressive pyrotechnics ensue. Tradition has it that if the first rocket flies straight, it will be a lucky year for Florentines. Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, April to June The May Music Festival is a series of classical music concerts, recitals, and operas and ballet held in venues across the city. It is internationally acclaimed and tickets are hot property, so check the Web site for scheduling and book in advance (www.maggiofiorentino.com ) Calcio Storico Fiorentino, June 24-28 This traditional game is a testosterone-fueled mix of football and fighting played by young men from the four Florentine quarters: San Giovanni, Santa Maria Novella, Santo Spirito and Santa Croce. They may look amusing in their medieval-style pantaloons but there is nothing funny about the level of competition in this fierce sport -- players often seem more preoccupied with fighting each other than getting the ball in the net, which runs the length of the pitch. An amazing spectacle, especially because it is held in the shadow of the beautiful Santa Croce church in the piazza below. Festa del Grillo (Cricket Festival), Ascension Day If you are feeling low on luck, the cricket festival, which heralds the start of spring, could boost your fortunes. Singing crickets are thought to bring good luck and in days gone by children would fashion cages and hunt for crickets to take to the Parco delle Cascine. Nowadays, the crickets are likely to be fake, but you can buy them housed in endearing pastel-painted confections with windows and roofs -- and they are still considered lucky. .................................. What sights have you enjoyed in Florence? Send us your tips and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best. | Florence's seasonal highlights include twinkling lights at Christmas .
Easter brings "Scoppio del carro," an exploding cart stuffed with fireworks .
In late June, Florentine men play a fierce combination of football and fighting .
The cricket festival on Ascension Day is thought to bring good luck . |
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