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236,484 | be17f7a2f605722e6b9985a58f8f1d352f03900a | By . John Edwards . There has been an intriguing fall-out from Inter Milan’s latest attempt to prise Bacary Sagna away from Arsenal, with suggestions in Italy that the experienced right-back may remain in the Barclays Premier League but not at The Emirates. After tieing up the signing of Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic on a two-year contract with an option for a further 12 months, Inter have turned their attention to recruiting a full-back, central midfielder and striker in an effort to spark an overdue revival in their fortunes. Sagna is their first choice to fill the full-back position, and Sportsmail understands a delegation from the San Siro visited London in the last few days for negotiations about a summer move. VIDEO Scroll down to watch some of the transfer targets in action . Gunning for it: Bacary Sagna, battling Eden Hazard, may move to one of Arsenal's Premier League rivals . Linking up: Inter have already snapped up Manchester United stalwart Nemanja Vidic for their new back-line . They left disappointed, and the talk . in Milan is that Sagna will either sign a new deal with Arsenal or join . another Premier League club, with Chelsea and Tottenham being mentioned. Galatasaray have not . given up hope, but a source close to Inter said: ‘The impression that . came out of the talks was that Sagna and his wife are settled in London . and want to stay there. He . is hoping Arsenal come up with an acceptable offer, but there is . interest from other Premier League clubs. We are hearing Chelsea and . Tottenham.’ After securing Vidic’s signature, Inter have distanced . themselves from claims they may move for Arsenal defender Thomas . Vermaelen. Hands up: The right-back could yet stay at the Emirates and sign a new deal . Politics could . play a part in Arsenal’s pursuit of Julian Draxler after his club . Schalke found themselves caught up in the escalating crisis over . Russia’s military movements in Crimea. While . the rest of Europe condemns Russia’s involvement in eastern Ukraine and . calls for tough sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s regime, Schalke’s . top brass continue to enjoy a close relationship with the Russian . president. Controversy: Julian Draxler's (left), challenged by Nacho Fernandez, move to Arsenal could be boosted . The . Bundesliga club have been sponsored by Gazprom since January, 2007 and . wear the Russian government-backed gas company’s name across the front . of their shirts, much to the dismay of not only Greenpeace activists but . leading German politicians. Increasingly, . influential political figures in Germany are calling on Schalke to cut . their ties with Gazprom, so far to no avail. Schalke . chairman Clemens Toennies admitted he has a direct line to Putin, and . is on friendly terms with the Russian leader, but was adamant he will do . all he can to resist pressure to end the partnership: ‘Are we still . friends? I am not a politician, but he shows his interest in our club by . always asking about our results whenever we speak. It is a good . relationship.’ However, . with little indication political tension is about to ease over Russia’s . activities in Ukraine, pressure is likely to mount on Schalke to seek . alternative means of funding. It . can only have a destabilising effect on the Bundesliga club and . increase Arsenal’s prospects of convincing Draxler he would benefit from . a fresh start, when they resume their efforts to sign him in the . summer. Postal service: The situation in Russia may have given Arsene Wenger greater hopes of signing Draxler . Fernando Torres . is not Chelsea’s only bargaining tool in their attempts to pep up their . attack next season with the summer acquisition of Atletico Madrid . striker Diego Costa. A . return to his former club and spiritual home could be on the cards for . Torres, but Atletico are much more likely to be swayed into sanctioning . Costa’s departure for Stamford Bridge if Thibaut Courtois was included . in the deal. And it . does appear ever more likely that Courtois would be happy to go along . with it. Now in his third season on loan at Atletico, he is so enamoured . with the lifestyle over there that he has been going out with a Madrid . girl for the past 12 months and has even bought a house in the Spanish . capital. You blue-ty: Atletico Diego Costa is No 1 on Chelsea's strikers wanted list for the summer . Between the sticks: Atletico want to sign keeper Thibaut Courtois on a permanent deal . Chelsea have . responded by offering him contract talks, but the outcome of those could . hinge on his prospects of being installed as first choice ahead of Petr . Cech. Sportsmail . understands the Belgian keeper may ask for a guarantee that he will . start as number one next season before committing himself to a new . improved deal. If that . proves a stumbling block, he knows he can count on just such an . understanding at Atletico, where his place has never been in doubt. ‘My . future is unclear, and I do need to sit down with Jose Mourinho and . discuss it,’ he admitted. In action: Fernando Torres could be in line for a return to his former club in return for Costa . With . Nemanja Vidic bound for Inter Milan and Rio Ferdinand possibly heading . for retirement, Thomas Vermaelen could provide a short-term solution to . Manchester United manager David Moyes’ defensive requirements after . stalling over the offer of contract talks at Arsenal. Moyes . is scouring the market for top-quality candidates who can serve . United’s defence for years to come but may consider Vermaelen’s wealth . of experience a useful addition to the ranks. On the sidelines: Gunners defender Thomas Vermaelen could provide a short-term solution for David Moyes . The . Belgium defender, who can operate at centre-half or left-back, shares . the same agent as Robin Van Persie and is a close friend of the United . striker. Of even more interest to Moyes is the response Vermaelen gave . to news that Arsenal are ready to begin discussions with him about . renewing his agreement with them. As . he considered his lack of starting opportunities this season, due to . the form of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, he said: ‘Now is not . the time for talking about new contracts. We can speak after the season . has finished. I did not expect to play as little as I have, but the two . defenders in front of me have played well and maintained their fitness. I . just have to accept that.’ Applause: Vermaelen could plug a gap in defence for Manchester United boss David Moyes . | Bacary Sagna may leave Arsenal for another Premier League club .
Politics may help the Gunners sign Julian Draxler .
Chelsea face a swap for Thibaut Coutois to land Diego Costa .
Thomas Vermaelen could plug a defensive gap for David Moyes . |
258,804 | daf4b374e81501ecb348beeb57508d8e9b24c74a | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 06:29 EST, 27 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:57 EST, 27 September 2012 . A mother whose two-year-old son died after she left him in a boiling hot car for 12 hours has been jailed for 35 years. Mollie Shouse, 29, left the boy in temperatures of up to 150F (66C) while she passed out at her apartment in Louisville, U.S., after taking drugs. She showed remorse only for herself and had to take responsibility for the death of her son Kenton Brown, a judge said yesterday. 'No remorse': Mollie Shouse was told to 'take responsibility' for allowing her son to die as the judge sentenced her yesterday . Shouse was convicted of murder last month by a Jefferson County jury, who recommended the sentence that was imposed yesterday. The 29-year-old will be eligible for parole in 20 years. Jefferson Circuit Judge Olu Stevens said Shouse had lied repeatedly to the police about what had happened when her son died on May 21, 2011. Convicted murderer: The 29-year-old left the toddler in her car while she got high on drugs in her apartment . 'You have to take responsibility for this,' he said. 'You are responsible for this life that . is no more. I didn’t see anywhere… where you showed remorse for what . your child went through, what he suffered at your hands.' Shouse showed little emotion at her . sentencing and did not speak on her own behalf, according to the Courier Journal. Afterwards, she looked . back in the courtroom at her family, who had pleaded for leniency. Prosecutor Erin McKenzie said the sentence was not unduly harsh, because Kenton, strapped in his car seat, 'suffered for hours upon hours while his skin seared against the hot plastic of the buckle between his legs.' The sentence is believed to be one of the longest in the country for a child left in a vehicle, according to American organisation KidsAndCars.org. There have been several other local cases in . which children were left in hot vehicles and died, in which the courts . were far more lenient with those responsible. Shock: Shouse reacts to the jury's . verdict last month, left, after they recommended she serve 35 years for allowing . Kenton Brown, right, to die . Horrifying death: Shouse's car, where she left her son in temperatures so hot that his his skin 'seared' against the plastic buckle of his car seat . A man whose eight-month-old son died after he accidentally left him in a hot car in June was not even indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury. But prosecutors said Shouse’s case was different because she knew she was risking her child's life and decided to ignore the danger. 'This was a deliberate decision on her part,' said Ms McKenzie after the sentencing. 'She chose to get high and it was convenient for her to leave him in the car to do so. The car seat was a babysitter for her.' | Prosecutor said toddler's skin 'seared' against the hot plastic buckle strapping him into his car seat .
Mollie Shouse, 29, left him there while she took drugs in her apartment . |
171,864 | 6a6f87b546049ba88399d286bced8864ae27b7af | (CNN) -- How do two convicted murderers walk out of prison? Too easily, it appears. Charles Walker and Joseph Jenkins were free for some time, though this fact didn't become public knowledge until this week. As Florida authorities looked for the two men, they also insisted they aren't to blame -- even if others dropped the ball or were fooled in a big, big way. "We've had a system failure that resulted in two individuals being erroneously released," Orange County, Florida, Sheriff Jerry Demings said. "...This is very frustrating for all of us who work in the system." The sheriff said Friday evening the two were thought to be in the Orlando area. In fact, they ended up getting caught Saturday evening about 360 miles to the northwest at a Panama City motel, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced. The two fugitives, both 34, hadn't needed a Hollywood-style jailbreak or even a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card to spring themselves out of the Franklin Correctional Institution. Instead they used forged documents indicating their life sentences had been modified and they could leave. The legal-looking documents contained bogus reproductions of several key players' signatures, including those of the Orlando-area state attorney or the assistant state attorney and Judge Belvin Perry. They bore the seal of the Orange County clerk of court's office. The documents were processed by the state Department of Corrections and the men were released. Processing the paper work is more akin to data entry than high-level analysis or approval, noted veteran Florida criminal defense attorney Mark O'Mara. "However it was done, it was well-planned and they know the system well enough to place it," said O'Mara, a CNN legal analyst known for representing George Zimmerman. As well as those behind the convicts' release might have executed their scheme, some think others in authority could have done better, but the agencies involved are defending their actions. The orders to release Walker and Jenkins looked legitimate, said Ninth Circuit State Attorney Jeffrey L. Ashton. The county clerk of court's office didn't do anything wrong, spokeswoman Leesa Bainbridge said. It acts "like a post office," Bainbridge said, "Our role is to take orders and send them to the appropriate agency." That last agency, the state Department of Corrections, is throwing up its hands as well. The court passed along documentation indicating the two murderers' sentences had been changed, and "it's not our job to question what the court does," said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Misty Cash. "The fault does not lie on us. No one is getting in trouble here for what happened," she said. Whoever is to blame, the price is being paid. Law enforcement officials worked overtime to try to find Walker and Jenkins, with a reward of $10,000 apiece being offered for information leading to their capture. The relatives of the men's victims were angry, scared and wanted an explanation. And while Demings said Friday he didn't know of any similar premature releases of inmates, O'Mara said that given how smoothly this plan worked, how readily available court documents are in Florida, and how seemingly simple it was to pull off, it would be naive to think this hasn't happened before, freeing other convicts well before their time was served. "I doubt it happens very much, because this is very unusual," said O'Mara. "But this could have gone for 10 years or more." Sentenced to life without parole, then set free . In September 1998, Joseph I. Jenkins killed Roscoe Pugh Jr. during a home-invasion robbery attempt. Six months later, Cedric Slater was gunned down on an Orlando street corner -- shot dead, a jury determined, by Charles B. Walker. Both killers were convicted and sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole within two years of their crime. While it's not known if they knew each other, they were at the same prison in North Carrabelle, in Florida's Panhandle. Jenkins left there on September 27, and Walker left on October 8, according to authorities. They had motions indicating the sentences had been reduced, as well as court orders granting the request. Investigators later discovered these documents were forged. Asked how someone might replicate the documents, O'Mara noted that court filings in Florida cases are available online, so they might be mimicked by "anybody with a little common sense," access to a word processing tool and the gall to replicate signatures seen on those records. There might have been a screw-up, but Cash said there is no "cover-up" at the Department of Corrections. That agency's chief, Michael Crews, has promised a "vigorous and thorough review" to make sure others weren't also wrongly freed. "This will be a lesson learned for all involved. We may now look more closely at what the court sends," Cash said. "Our system is being accused, and people are being led to believe that the DOC let these guys walk out the front door, and that's just not the case." There's good reason to question, and change, the system, O'Mara said. Whereas victims are notified before a defendant's pretrial release, there's no such notice -- even to prosecutors -- before a convict walks free, he pointed out. In fact, the first that prosecutors got wind of what happened was after they were contacted by a member of Walker's family, Ashton said. An October 8 letter from the Department of Corrections to Slater's mother, Evangelina Kearse, notified her a "court order and amended sentence caused (Walker's) sentence to expire." "Please be aware that recent actions causing the release of this offender are beyond our control. Nevertheless, we apologize for the delay in this message," it said. It doesn't have to be this way, O'Mara said. "Let not only the victim's family know well ahead of time, then send it to the state's attorney," he said, surmising prosecutors as well as victims won't let mistakes by so easily. "...That's an easy fix." Not the first case, perhaps not the last . One irony is that Florida authorities were completely ignorant that such ruses can work. On October 7, charging documents were filed against another inmate, Jeffrey Forbes, for allegedly trying a similar scheme in 2011. Forbes is accused of forgery and attempted escape after a police detective who initially helped convict the man discovered he was scheduled to be released despite being sentenced to life in prison for the attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, according to Ashton's statement. The investigation revealed that someone had forged Ashton's name on a bogus court order reducing the sentence and a circuit court judge's name on the order reducing Forbes' life sentence, the statement said. Nonetheless, Walker was freed thanks to his own forged documents the very next day -- October 8. Both he and Jenkins appeared to play by the rules afterward. They both went to the Orange County jail to register as felons -- Jenkins on September 30, Walker on October 11 -- an audacious "and really smart move" by both men, because it bought them time before authorities were tipped off anything was awry, O'Mara said. While their releases may have initially seemed legitimate and innocuous, the two convicts had been classified as escapees by this week. One of the officials whose signature was forged said he wouldn't be surprised if something like this happens again. It may not work exactly the same way, but it would be unwise to assume criminals won't try whatever they can to get out of prison, said Judge Perry. "People, particularly people with criminal minds, come up with ingenious ways to beat the system," Perry said. "They have nothing but time on their hands to think of things." CNN's Joseph Netto, Chelsea J. Carter, Eliot McLaughlin, Kevin Conlon, John Zarrella and Kim Segal contributed to this report. | NEW: The 2 fugitives are arrested in a Panama City motel, state agency says .
Authorities: Forged documents helped free murderers Charles Walker, Joseph Jenkins .
"We've had a system failure," says Florida sheriff leading hunt for 2 fugitives .
Their release raises questions that others may used illicit documents to get out of prison . |
71,471 | ca98549b01ced78e3982171ac02b830bf418bed6 | Jesse Helt was given 30 days in county jail, placed on supervised probation for 12 months and fined $572 and ordered to pay restitution. In February 2012, he made Polk County's Most Wanted List . The homeless man who accepted Miley Cyrus's VMA gong is on the run from police after breaking probation following a drugs test, it has been claimed, just as he heads home. Jesse Helt, 22, told MailOnline he is looking forward to seeing his mother, but his homecoming may have a sting - in 2011, a judge in his home state of Oregon issued a warrant for his arrest for repeatedly violating the terms of his probation. Helt could be arrested on arrival. He was arrested in October 2010 after he tried to break into a flat where he said a man had sold 'bad marijuana' to him. He was charged with burglary, criminal mischief in the third degree and criminal trespass in the 1st degree. The burglary charge was later dismissed. On November 23 of the same year, he was given 30 days in county jail, placed on supervised probation for 12 months and fined $572 and ordered to pay restitution. In mugshots obtained by MailOnline, Helt was booked on probation violations on July 24, 2011 and August 22, 2011. In February 2012, Helt made the Most Wanted . List for Polk County. He was listed number two on the list wanted for . first degree trespass. Local Judicial Services Specialist Jon Troike told The Sun: 'He still has an outstanding warrant. If he's contacted by the police in Oregon he would be arrested.' Helt is accused of using marijuana, not providing a urine sample, failing to report to his probation officer, not abiding by the set curfew and not completing community service as mandated. Last night Helt boarded the 7.50pm Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles International Airport that took him back home, the $360 economy ticket paid for by Cyrus . Scroll down for video . Home: Jesse arrives home after Miley Cyrus paid for his flight home to see his mother for the first time in three years . Run-in with the law: In this mugshot dated October 30, 2010, Helt has longer hair . after his arrest for breaking into a man's flat who had sold him 'bad . marijuana' Wanted: In this booking mugshot taken on August 22, 2011, Helt has gotten rid of his longer hair. In that year a judge in his home state of Oregon issued an arrest warrant for repeatedly violating the terms of his probation . He was wearing scruffy black jeans, trainers and a black hoodie and had no luggage with him other than a small carry-on sports bag and a skate-board, which he clutched under his arm. He left the aeroplane behind other passengers and the were no family or friends to greet him as he walked through the airport. Instead Helt took a taxi for the 45-mile journey back home to Salem, south of Portland. Speaking briefly to a MailOnline reporter on the same plane, Helt said that he was ‘glad’ to be finally back home. ‘I miss my mom, I haven’t seen her in three years,’ he added. And referring to his troubles which began when he was a teenager and led to him living homeless in Los Angeles, he added: ‘I’ve been suffering since I was the age of 13, but I’m glad to be back home.’ Miley Cyrus paid the $360 economy ticket for Jesse Helt to go back to Salem, Oregon . Jesse Helt, the would-be model, and Jesse Helt, the internationally famous friend of Miley Cyrus . Helt became famous when took to the stage to accept Cyrus's gong and made a speech about homeless young people in California that reduced the singer and many of the audience to tears. Cyrus reportedly 'auditioned' 'six or seven homeless kids' before choosing Helt to accompany her to the VMAs, according to The Sun. Linda Helt, 62, told MailOnline: 'Jesse's had ups and downs like anybody else... he didn't wanna give up and run on home to mommy, but only he knows the reasons, that's for him to say.' Speaking from her home, Mrs Helt, who has three other sons and a daughter, said: 'He wanted to be in Los Angeles and he had opportunities and he took them, but you know, he's had his ups and downs like anybody else. 'It was his choice, he was always welcome, he could always come back any time. If he needed help, I'd help him, we help one another,’ she added. Helt grew up in Salem, and he went to Chapman Hill Elementary, Myers Elementary and West Salem High School. Mrs Helt said that her son moved to Los Angeles a few years ago: 'Because he wanted to make it on his own.' Stunned by his appearance on the VMAs on Sunday night, Mrs Helt said: 'This will change his life, absolutely. This will turn things around for him and I believe God is the one that is doing it, God is making a difference and Jesse believes that. 'He's a good kid. He was nervous up there on stage, but that's how it is when you have a passion for something like he does. Somebody's helping him and he wants to help someone too.' Mrs Helt praised Miley for taking action on youth homelessness. 'Miley has taken Jesse to her heart and I’m really glad for Jesse,' she said. Mrs Helt told The Oregonian said Jesse had called her at 1am following his appearance at the VMAs, revealing was now flying home after Miley gave him some money. He likes long hair: Helt had toned down his hair by the time he took to the VMA stage on Sunday night . She told that at one point, Jesse's living situation in LA became so bad he called her and said: 'Mom, I'm living in a bush!' Delighted with the attention her son has got, she said: 'It's time for him to have some good luck. He needs to be blessed.' Just a cursory look online reveals that Jesse had attempted a career as a model, posting pictures on the Model Mayhem website and writing: 'I'm Jesse and I just moved here from Salem, Oregon about a year ago. If your interested in working with me please shoot me an email. I'm not turning down any work right now and would love to work with all kinds of photographers.' He also posed for photographer Zell Thomas and on his Facebook page describes himself as 'really super nice' and a 'Christian'. Cyrus, 21, told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show that she chose to this year's VMAs to spread an important message after last year's racy duet with Robin Thicke made headlines across the world, saying: 'I just didn't realise my platform, I didn't realize my power. 'I really realised it after the VMAs [last year] … there's something special and there’s only few people that experience this that no matter what I do, there's no winning or losing, it’s just going to be talked about. Period.' She added: 'There's going to be talk, so what do I want them to talk about? If I'm going to be given this loud of a voice and this big of an image and this big of a platform and this huge of an opportunity to talk to young people in American right now, what am I really trying to say? Because I don’t think what I was trying to say is what happened the year before.' And she admitted she kept things so hush hush that she did not tell anyone about her plan - even her friend Katy Perry, whom she was sitting near at the VMAs. It's a long way from Oregon to the VMAs: Jesse Helt (left) back in Salem with an equally hirsute friend . During the show, Miley even pretended that Jesse was her boyfriend, prompting Katy to offer him a drink, as Miley laughed: 'I'm like, "This kid has to give this speech!" 'I’m like, "Katy, please don't get Jesse drunk right now" … I didn't want to tell her because I was scared if someone found out, they’d try to stop me … no one knew. The only person I told, because I knew that he would respect it, was Juicy [J], who was sitting next to me. I couldn't hold it in, I was so excited. I knew that he would respect Jesse and it was cool to have someone there who could keep us both calm.' Pictured sitting on the side of the stage with a nervous Jesse gave his speech, Cyrus said: 'The courage that he showed to get up there and give that speech. 'I didn’t know how everyone was going to be and seeing his hands shake, it kind of broke me. I wish they wouldn’t have kept putting the camera on me to make it about me crying. I cry when I’m the happiest.' And as for her Moonman trophy - Cyrus said that Helt gets to keep the statue. It came as a complete surprise to the millions of viewers and the audience when Helt walked up to collect Miley's trophy. My Friend's Place Executive Director, Heather Carmichael, told MailOnline that Helt was 'incredibly brave' to stand up and talk at the VMAs. But she said the charity wasn’t aware that he would be invited to speak at the awards ceremony, saying: 'We did not know about the invitation and we certainly didn’t know what that evening would look like. ‘But I really feel like that Miley has a genuine intention to raise awareness and it's stunning for this issue. 'This issue exists in every community and people are stepping over these young people on the street and don’t want to acknowledge that there's a problem.' | Jesse Helt, 22, accepted the Video of the Year Award on Miley Cyrus's behalf .
He told the emotional audience that he'd spent much of his youth homeless in Los Angeles .
He is on the run from police in his hometown after breaking probation .
Arrested in October 2010 for attempting to break into a home in Salem .
Helt claimed the occupant had sold him 'bad marijuana'
In November 2010, Helt given 30 days in county jail and placed on supervised probation . |
78,194 | ddadf7629e2b92332ab29e9640ed5f4174a68de2 | By . Michael Powell . A doctor’s toddler daughter drowned after she slipped off his shoulders while he was taking photos and plunged into a swollen river. Coventry-based anaesthesiologist Megha Reddy screamed for help as 18-month-old Manvi disappeared under the water and was washed downstream in strong currents. A frantic search was launched for the girl and rescue divers pulled her body out of the river more than four miles away. Tragedy: Eighteen-month-old Manvi Reddy drowned after she slipped from her father's shoulders into the River Musi in Hyderabad as he took photos during a month-long family holiday to India . Looking: Witnesses said Dr Reddy (left), 42, and his wife Pratibha, who emigrated to Britain 15 years ago, were said to be in a state of shock and being comforted by family members following the accident . Awful: Coventry-based anaesthesiologist Megha Reddy screamed for help as 18-month-old Manvi disappeared under the water and was washed downstream in strong currents . Horror: Megha Shyam Reddy (third from right) and his wife Pratibha (second from right) wait as the rescue team search for their daughter . The tragedy had happened as Dr Reddy . took pictures on the bridge over the River Musi in Hyderabad with Manvi . and her two brothers during a month-long holiday in India. Witnesses . said Dr Reddy, 42, and his wife Pratibha, who emigrated to Britain 15 . years ago, were said to be in a state of shock and being comforted by . family members following the accident on Thursday. Dr Reddy had been holding Manvi on his left shoulder while taking pictures with his sons, Sanvi, five, and ten-year-old Pramog. The infant then slipped and plunged into the river below, before being swept away. Grim search: Indian police and rescue officials hunt for the lost youngster. Rescue divers pulled her body out of the river more than four miles away . Long way down: Dr Reddy had been holding Manvi on his left shoulder while taking pictures from this bridge with his sons, Sanvi, five, and ten-year-old Pramog . Grief: Manvi's mother Pratibha is comforted after breaking down when the child's body was recovered . The Reddys outside the mortuary where their daughter's body was taken: The doctor and his family travelled to Hyderabad last month to attend a family wedding, and were set to return to Britain next Wednesday . Witnesses said Dr Reddy’s screams brought bystanders to the scene who comforted the stricken father as a major search and rescue was launched. The doctor and his family had travelled to Hyderabad last month to attend a family wedding, and were scheduled to return to Britain next Wednesday. A spokesman said the Foreign Office was aware of the death, but would not comment further last night. | Girl, 18 months, was swept away in the River Manvi in Hyderabad .
Parents said to be in state of shock following incident on Thursday . |
249,896 | cf696f56fb47e20ba0a00e4484b858476f897161 | By . Leon Watson . He's the cool, calm and collected Frenchman who's dubbed 'The Professor' in football. But yesterday Arsenal's long-serving manager Arsene Wenger was humiliated when he fell flat on his face. After seeing his title-chasing side thrashed 5-1 by Liverpool, Wenger took an embarassing tumble on his way back from the city. Strolling through: Wenger arrives at Liverpool Lime Street Station after the defeat . Slipped up: Wenger looks in pain as he takes a tumble coming into the station . Helping hand: A police officer comes over to help Wenger back onto his feet . Back on track: Another police officer helps Wenger with his bag as he is brought back up . The French slipped while carrying suitcases on his way into Liverpool Lime Street Station after the loss. The 64-year-old grimaced in pain and rubbed his behind as two British Transport Police officers helped him up. A club spokesman said: 'He's fine.' Predictably, the fall led to a flurry of activity on Twitter. One user said: 'Wenger knows how to make an exit from Liverpool. When his team slips up so does he. Steady the ship man!' It was just one of those days for Wenger, who saw his side go 4-0 down within 20 minutes at Anfield before conceding another before they pulled one back. On top of their game: Liverpool celebrate their humiliation of title rivals Arsenal on Saturday afternoon . 'What is important is that we respond to that result, especially respond with a different performance because our performance overall was poor,' Wenger said. 'On the concentration level, on pace, on defensive stability, it was very poor and we always looked vulnerable. 'If you concede two early goals from set-pieces then you are in a position where you always have to come out. 'I just think the whole team have failed to turn up with the right performance. We know that you need to be better focused at this kind of level.' Hit the road, Jack: Arsenal midfielder Wilshere can't believe his side's capitulation against their rivals . 'Overall our performance was just not good enough and I include myself in that performance. 'For me it is maybe better I don't talk too much, go home and respond better on Wednesday night. 'Congratulations to Liverpool. They were the best team today and we were very poor - only our fans were good for 90 minutes.' Disappointing: Wenger watches on at Anfield . What's gone wrong? Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny blasted the performance . And it wasn't just the manager who slammed the hapless performance. Goalkeeper . Wojciech Szczesny, who also conceded six at Manchester City in . Decemeber, said on his Facebook page that it was 'f...ing embarrassing' Per Mertesacker also apologised to the fans, who were in high spirits throughout the game despite the result. | Arsene Wenger left humiliated when he fell flat on his face .
He slipped carrying luggage at Liverpool Lime Street Station .
It happened after his side lost 5-1 to Liverpool yesterday . |
40,151 | 714df0ab49812536b3eb487b4eb8316526591b0c | (CNN) -- Australia's ailing flag carrier was sent into a tailspin Thursday, as the airline reported its biggest ever loss. In its latest report, Qantas revealed an after-tax net loss of $2.6 billion (A$2.8 billion) for the year to June 30, with the cumulative effect of high fuel costs, falling demand, and a massive writedown of its international fleet blamed. "There is no doubt today's numbers are confronting, but they represent the year that is past," said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who added that he predicted a return to underlying profitability in 2015. "We have now come through the worst. With our accelerated Qantas Transformation program we are already emerging as a leaner, more focused and more sustainable Qantas Group." Tough times . Despite his optimism, the carrier has faced an extremely turbulent ride in recent years. In February, it announced plans to cut 5,000 positions over the next three years as it seeks to claw back costs. The airline employs 33,000 people, according to the company website. About 93% of them are based in Australia. Qantas has also clashed with domestic unions over plans to review its maintenance operations. Union officials accused the airline of planning to outsource ground jobs at a cost of thousands of Australian jobs and of putting profits first. The dispute came to a head in late 2011, when the carrier grounded its fleet -- with unionized pilots, engineers, ramp, baggage and catering crews effectively locked out -- affecting around 100,000 passengers at the time. The airline was eventually ordered to end the dispute by the government. Joyce has also blamed competition, particularly in Australia's busy domestic market, for many of Qantas' problems, suggesting that rival Virgin Australia -- which has been rapidly adding flights since 2011 -- has the advantage of an "uneven playing field," as their price war intensifies. "The Australian domestic market has been distorted by current Australian aviation policy," he said earlier this year, referring to the fact laws restrict Qantas from receiving foreign investment. Virgin, by comparison, is supported by three foreign airlines -- Air New Zealand, Etihad and Singapore Airlines -- which helped the company raise more than $300 million in investment last year. | Qantas reveals after-tax net loss of $2.6 billion (A$2.8 billion) for the year to June 30 .
High fuel costs, falling demand among reasons given by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce .
Airline has been beset by problems, including industrial action, domestic price war . |
13,538 | 266c10c7b7709ef57a62789539cbcd70b0379432 | Every school child in Los Angeles is to be given an iPad following a $30million deal with Apple. The Los Angeles Unified School District announced on Tuesday the decision after teachers voted iPads the cheapest product and the best quality in the market. iPads will now be handed out in 47 schools to give students from low-income households a better chance in the classroom as new national and state tests are to be taken on the devices. Core issue: Each school student in Los Angeles is to get an iPad to use in class . Supt. John Deasy said that the tablet project would be paid for using school construction bonds that are repaid over decades, according to the LA Times. By only using Apple devices, the school district will pay out millions of dollars to the California-based company over the next two years. Mr Deasy and another board member did not take part in the vote on the iPads because each has stock in Apple. Each iPad will cost $678 which is more than the retail price because it comes with special educational software. Students will be allowed to take the devices home and although there will be blocks put in place for damaging material like pornography, children will be able to access social media. However there were critics of the scheme including board member Richard Vladovic. He admitted that he had already dropped and broken two iPads and there was a danger students could do the same. Big investment: Apple Inc. is set to make millions of dollars from the deal with the LA school district . | iPads will be handed out in 47 schools across the California city . |
210,933 | 9d300147b6dfd9f3ff156e8ea4768de7daf577c3 | (CNN) -- Senate Democrats claimed a major victory this weekend after voting to end debate on their version of the health care bill. The Senate is on track to hold a final vote on Christmas eve, but there's still a long way to go before a bill is on President Obama's desk. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about what's in the House and Senate health care bills and what's next. Where does the health care debate stand? The House passed its version of health care reform last month. The Senate, which follows different procedures than the House, is slated to vote on its version of the health care bill before Christmas. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs a simple majority of 51 votes for final passage. Assuming the bill makes it through the Senate, a conference committee will then need to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions and merge them into one bill. Both chambers will then need to pass the revised bill before it is sent to the president's desk. Read Dr. Sanjay Gupta's take on the health care bill . Why does Obama want health care reform? The president made health care reform his top domestic priority. He says overhauling the health care system is key to getting the economy back on track. The president says he wants to reform health care in order to slow the growth of costs for families, businesses and the government. He also wants to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care, regardless of their income or medical history. Who will be covered and how much will it cost? The House plan is projected to guarantee coverage for 96 percent of Americans at a cost of more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The Senate plan is projected to cover 94 percent of Americans with an $871 billion price over the next 10 years, according to the CBO. How will this be paid for? The House plan imposes a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals with annual incomes over $500,000, as well as families earning more than $1 million. The Senate plan increases the Medicare payroll tax on individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples earning more than $250,000 from the current 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent. The Senate bill also imposes a new tax on insurers that provide so-called "Cadillac" health plans valued at more than $8,500 for individuals and $23,000 for families. The 40 percent tax would be on the value of the plan. In addition, it imposes a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning salon treatments. Both bills call for cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare and Medicaid. Republicans say that those cuts will impair Medicare coverage, but Democrats say the savings will come from eliminating waste and fraud. The House and Senate bills also call for fees on medical device manufacturers. Do I have to buy health insurance? The House and Senate bills both require individuals to buy health insurance. The House bill imposes a fine of up to 2.5 percent of a person's income for noncompliance. The Senate plan imposes a noncompliance fine that starts at $95 in 2010 and escalates to $750 in 2016. It also requires parents to provide health coverage for children up to age 18. What if I can't afford coverage? The House and Senate plans both include a hardship exemption for poorer Americans. Both bills subsidize insurance for a family of four making up to roughly $88,000 annually, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level. With subsidies, premiums for a family of four at 133 percent of poverty ($29,326.50) would be a maximum of $440 under the House plan, while premiums for a family of four making the highest amount eligible would be a maximum of $10,584. Under the Senate plan, with subsidies, premiums for a family of four at 133 percent of poverty would be a maximum of $821.14, while premiums for a family making the highest amount eligible would be a maximum of $8,643.60. I own a business. Do I have to provide coverage for my employees? The House plan requires companies with a payroll of more than $500,000 to provide insurance or pay a penalty of up to 8 percent of their payroll. Under the Senate plan, starting in 2013, companies with more than 50 employees would be required to pay a fee per worker if its employees rely on government subsidies to purchase coverage. What if I have a pre-existing condition? Both the House plan and the Senate bill would eventually limit total out-of-pocket expenses and prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. Both plans also bar insurers from charging higher premiums based on a person's gender or medical history. Insurers can only vary rates based on three things: age, geography and family make-up/size. What is a health insurance exchange? "Health insurance exchange" refers to the marketplace of the health insurance options. Obama has defined the exchange as a "one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, cost and track records of a variety of plans -- including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest -- and choose what's best for your family." The House bill creates a national health insurance exchange designed to make it easier for small businesses, self-employed and the unemployed to pool resources and purchase less expensive coverage. The Senate bill creates state health insurance exchanges in all 50 states. What is a health care co-op? Nonprofit health cooperatives, or "co-ops," are being proposed as an option to compete with the private sector and as an alternative to a government-sponsored public health insurance option. Co-ops are owned and governed by the same people they insure. The House and Senate plans both establish "co-ops" and strip insurance companies of an antitrust exemption that has been in place since the end of World War II. What happened to the public option? The House bill creates a public option, which is a government-funded, government-run health care option, similar to Medicare. The public option would be a part of an insurance exchange available to people without coverage or unable to afford private coverage. The Senate bill does not create a public option. Instead, it allows nonprofit private insurers to offer coverage with approval of Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the federal employees' health plan. What will happen to Medicaid? The House and Senate bills would both significantly expand Medicaid, the government-run health care plan for the poor. The House plan extends coverage to individuals earning up to 150 percent of the poverty line, or roughly $33,000 for a family of four. The Senate plan extends coverage to those earning up to 133 percent of the poverty level, or just over $29,000 for a family of four. Will abortion treatments be funded with federal dollars? The House bill prohibits any health plan receiving federal subsidies from offering coverage for abortion. The Senate plan allows states to choose whether to ban abortion coverage in health plans offered in the insurance exchanges. Individuals purchasing plans through the exchanges would have to pay for abortion coverage out of their own funds. Will illegal immigrants be covered? The House bill mandates insurance coverage for illegal immigrants and allows illegal immigrants to enroll in the public option and to buy private coverage in the national insurance exchange, but prohibits government subsidies for such private coverage. The Senate plan exempts illegal immigrants from the health coverage mandate, and prohibits illegal immigrants from participating in the insurance exchanges. CNN's Tom Cohen, Kristi Keck and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | Senate and House bills will need to be merged .
House plan would create public option; Senate plan would not .
Both bills mandate coverage; both include hardship exemption .
Bills would prevent insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . |
22,536 | 3ff5037d89af722c49f93c1d23d9f2521df64076 | A San Diego State University student fell to her death early Friday from the roof of a five-story apartment building near the campus after telling a friend she wanted to do something 'daring.' Melissa Kennon, 19, plunged off 50ft from an apartment ledge shortly before 4 a.m., said San Diego police and the county Medical Examiner's Office. Kevin Rampen told 10News Kennon wanted to be daring by climbing out onto the ledge. Melissa Kennon, 19, a San Diego State University student, fell to her death early Friday from the apartment block . Miss Kennon, plunged off 50ft from an apartment ledge (pictured) shortly before 4 a.m., said San Diego police and the county Medical Examiner's Office . Medics at the scene said Kennon was awake and breathing when she was taken Scripps Mercy Hospital, but she died six hours later. Pictured: The roof Miss Kennon climbed on . He said he asked her to get down but saw her lost her balance and plunge to her death. 'Literally [my] heart sank. I looked over, she just landed on the ground. 'I immediately called 911, rushed down to the floor and just talked to the operator ... scariest thing I've ever seen,' Rampen said. 'She was breathing. It was kind of not consistent, which was really concerning to me.' Medics at the scene said Kennon was awake and breathing when she was taken Scripps Mercy Hospital. Medics at the scene said Kennon was awake and breathing when she was taken Scripps Mercy Hospital . The fall was believed to have been an accident, SDPED Officer Frank Cali said. The 19-year-old was a sophomore studying psychology . She was initially listed in critical condition, but police said the young woman died just before 10 a.m. The fall was believed to have been an accident, SDPED Officer Frank Cali said. She was a sophomore studying psychology. 'Our community is deeply saddened by the passing of Melissa Kennon,' said a statement releaed by Eric Rivera, SDSU vice president of student affairs. 'Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and loved ones, who have shared with us how much Melissa loved SDSU. 'It is heartbreaking when a young life is lost. We will honor Melissa by Sharing strength and support with one another as we process through this difficult time.' | Melissa Kennon, 19, died on Friday following the fall .
Witness Kevin Rampen said Kennon wanted to be daring by climbing out .
Police said alcohol is believed to have been involved in the accident .
She was a sophomore studying psychology . |
35,250 | 6437432565de663664536ef673d009293672ae0c | The return to the ground of their former club can be the making or breaking of a Premier League player. Will they buckle under the pressure or show the fans what they have been missing? It is Rio Ferdinand's turn this weekend, with the former Manchester United stalwart returning to Old Trafford with QPR. The defender will no doubt get a better reaction than players such as Sol Campbell and Samir Nasri at their old teams, but how do the United faithful usually greet their former heroes? Sportsmail looks at the some of the welcomes over the years. Rio Ferdinand is set to start at Old Trafford this Sunday as QPR take on Manchester United . Rio Ferdinand enjoyed several successful years at Manchester United but left in the summer . Paul Ince (Liverpool, Middlesbrough) Nicknamed the Guv'nor, Ince helped United to their first top division title in 26 years in 1992/93. However, Sir Alex Ferguson soon got tired of his attitude and shipped him off to Inter Milan. No United fan would have expected him to end up at Liverpool two years later in 1997 though, and they didn't give him an easy ride on his first appearance back 'home' at Old Trafford. The England international was booed from start to finish in his two games as a Liverpool player there, and although things were a little easier with Middlesbrough, Ince took it to heart. 'I sweated blood for six years for that club and some of them give me stick,' he said. 'It disappoints me.' Paul Ince was given a hostile welcome when he returned to Old Trafford with Liverpool in 1998 . Ince left United for Inter Milan at first and later played for Middlesbrough at their home . Peter Schmeichel (Aston Villa) Often heralded as the greatest goalkeeper in the Premier League era, Schmeichel, like Ince, ended up at one of United's biggest rivals. But his relationship at the club is much different. After scooping five Premier League titles in his seven years at Old Trafford, Schmeichel made his way to Aston Villa and Manchester City via Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. The goalkeeper received a rapturous reception with the Midlands side, while even when representing the blue side of Manchester he was talked about fondly. Has admitted he was glad he pulled up injured in the warm-up ahead of City's visit to Old Trafford so his feelings wouldn't get the best of him, while he was even forgiven for producing his trademark celebration when Kevin Keegan's side won 3-1 at Maine Road earlier in the season. Peter Schmeichel was emotional when he returned to Old Trafford for Aston Villa but was received well . Schmeichel won the Champions League with United in what was his last game for the club . The Danish goalkeeper injured himself in the warm-up as Manchester City went to play their rivals . David Beckham (AC Milan) The poster boy from the famous Class of '92 graduates, Beckham walked out the door (helped along with a kick from Ferguson) in 2003 to join Real Madrid. The midfield maestro said he would always support Manchester United, but had to wait until a loan move with AC Milan before he could meet the fans once again. The Champions League tie was all but over by the time Beckham got on, while he was seen greeting and cuddling members of staff in the tunnel at half-time. Given a standing ovation at full-time, Beckham donned the anti-Glazer green and gold scarf as he exited the pitch. 'When I first heard about the tie I think I almost cried because it is such a special place for me,' he said. David Beckham applauds the fans after returning 'home' with AC Milan in the Champions League in 2010 . Manchester Untied fans display a banner to welcome Beckham back to Old Trafford . Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) 'I expect to have a good reception. While at United, I always gave my best and I had good relations with the fans,' Carlos Tevez, September 18, 2009. Two days later he was subject of vile abuse, coin throwing and a chorus of boos upon entering the arena. Poor old naive Carlos. But what else can he expect after leaving United despite the admiration of Ferguson, to join the wealthy rivals in a big-money deal? After the 4-3 defeat, Tevez said: 'It was incredible because I have never seen something like that happen in the two years I played at Old Trafford, . 'As soon as I entered the field the atmosphere was very different. It was hard to take because previously I was always wanted by those people. But I suppose in football situations change. Welcome to Manchester. Carlos Tevez controversially made the move to sign for Manchester City from Manchester United in 2009 . The Argentine had several happy moments with United but joined the wealthy rivals . Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Ever since turning up as a Portuguese teenager in 2004, Ronaldo's relationship with the United fans was special. For they had watched the scrwany winger transform into the best player in the world. Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in 2013 for a crucial Champions League round of 16 game for Real Madrid. He had joined his dream side, the Galacticos, for a world record fee two years earlier. Undeterred by the emotions but also appreciative of the booming claps before kick-off, Ronaldo netted in a controversial fixture that saw Madrid advance in front of a fuming Ferguson. The forward refused to celebrate, earning the respect of the Manchester faithful, and may well be back again soon.. ‘I love Manchester,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘Everyone knows that — I have said it many times. Manchester is in my heart. I left many good friends there, the supporters are amazing and I wish I can come back one day.’ Cristiano Ronaldo didn't celebrate when he scored for Real Madrid against Manchester United in the last 16 . | Rio Ferdinand should start for QPR against Manchester United on Sunday .
The defender should expect a fine reception at Old Trafford .
Unlike Paul Ince and Carlos Tevez, who were booed at the stadium .
Peter Schmeichel, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo were cheered . |
286,064 | feaa615b66b8e2bfc8aeec6e89823f980f5c2b13 | By . Meghan Keneally . The frosty relationship between the late Senator Ted Kennedy's first wife and his widow has apparently improved over time. A new report in the National Enquirer claims that the famed Democrat's widow Vicki has tried comforting her predecessor Joan over the past few years after the surprise death of Joan's eldest daughter. Ted, the younger brother of former President John F Kennedy, had three children with Joan, and their eldest Kara died from an unexpected heart attack in 2011, two years after her father succumbed to a brain tumor. Easing the tensions: Senator Ted Kennedy's first wife Joan (left, front) and second wife Vicki (right, back) reportedly did not get along during his life but Vicki has supposedly tried to become closer (the two women pictured at Kennedy's sister Eunice's funeral two weeks before his death in 2009) Final year: Senator Ted Kennedy (pictured in August 2008 at the Democratic National Convention) was diagnosed with a brain tumor three months earlier . Family: He and his first wife Joan (pictured in 1991, nearly a decade after their divorce) had three children together- Kara (left), Patrick (second from left) and Ted Jr (center) 'Their animosity toward each other was evident at his funeral rites, but in the years since, Vicki has reached out to Joan,' an unidentified friend told The National Enquirer. 'Vicki's been concerned that Joan might fall off the wagon again and has repeatedly checked on her.' Joan, 77, has had a history of alcohol abuse and both been arrested for drunk driving on a number of occasions and sent to court-mandated rehabilitation programs. She was married to Kennedy for 24 years before they divorced in 1982. Kennedy married Vicki- nearly 20 years his junior- in 1992, and while the longtime Massachusetts senator was alive, the two women did not reportedly get along. Coming together: Vicki is seen in the front row during her husband's funeral in August 2009, with her stepdaughter Kara standing directly behind her and Kara's brother then-Congressman Patrick Kennedy behind . Keeping to their corners: There were reports that Vicki and Joan (pictured with her son Patrick at the Boston service following Ted's death) were kept away from each other at the Senator's funeral . Kara's sudden heart attack following her . daily work out in Washington D.C. on September 16, 2011, came as a blow . to the family that was still recovering from the loss of their last . patriarch. Time and joint grief for the children that Vicki treated as her own once she married Kennedy have apparently helped soothe the earlier tensions between the two women. 'Vicki will no doubt see Joan this summer and together they'll mourn Ted on the fifth anniversary of his passing,' the anonymous friend told The Enquirer. 'You have to think Teddy would be happy that they're friends and he'd be looking down, smiling.' His family also has some good news to celebrate, as another one of their own has decided to enter the family business. After . Joan and Ted's youngest son Patrick stepped down from Congress shortly . after his father's death, their second child Ted Jr just recently . announced that he hope to enter politics on the state-wide level. Unexpected: Kara Kennedy, seen left in April 2011 with her two children by her side, suffered a fatal heart attack five months after this photo was taken while at a gym . Watching out for Joan: A friend has revealed that Vicki has reached out to her husband's first wife (seen back center following her daughter's casket) after Kara's death because there were fears that Joan would start drinking again . The 52-year-old former healthcare lawyer is running for a seat in the Connecticut state senate. 'I've always thought my brother could be a really powerful leader, I'm not just talking elected-office sense, but leadership sense,' Patrick said about his brother before Ted Jr made his official campaign announcement. 'He's just got such a tremendous personal story. I've always thought he'd be a very compelling political figure because he's integrated work with public policy with his own personal experience.' | Ted Kennedy's widow Vicki has reportedly reached out to his first wife Joan after the sudden death of her daughter Kara .
Joan and Ted's daughter died of a heart attack in 2011- two years after the death of the longtime Senator .
Friends have said that Vicki was fearful that Joan, who has a history of alcohol abuse, would start drinking .
The five-year anniversary of Ted Kennedy's death is this August . |
78,486 | de69ee7d59a9ee963441b5dfac18198bb2757528 | New York (CNN) -- While Superstorm Sandy's punch has weakened, its wrath is still being felt. Walloped by severe storm damage and flooding, the New York City area's extensive transportation system is struggling to get back online, while some area airports are resuming service on Wednesday. Other Northeast and mid-Atlantic airport and ground transportation systems were gradually resuming operations. Here's what's happening in many of the affected areas: . Sandy's impact: State by state . Airline operations resuming . New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey would open Wednesday morning for limited service, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday night. In preparation for JFK's opening, some airlines were to land aircraft at the airport late Tuesday night. New York City's LaGuardia International Airport is expected to remain closed through Wednesday because of significant damage. N.J. transit operations center underwater . The Port Authority strongly advised travelers to contact their airlines before heading to any of the airports, even if they are open. Delta Air Lines expects to resume limited domestic service to JFK International Wednesday afternoon. Some of the Northeast's other airports are coming back to life. The Boston and Philadelphia airports and the three airports serving the Washington/Baltimore area are open and operational with some airlines already resuming limited flight service. Southwest Airlines (including subsidiary AirTran Airways) is planning to resume normal operations by midday Wednesday across most of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, with the exception of the New York City area and Philadelphia airports, according to a statement. United previously announced that it hoped to resume service at the major Washington area airports and Cleveland on Tuesday evening, weather permitting. Most carriers will allow affected passengers to change their itineraries without penalty. You can check advisories from the major airlines -- American Airlines, Delta, United, US Airways, AirTran, JetBlue and Southwest -- on their websites. More than 19,500 flights have been canceled as a result of the storm, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.com. More than 7,000 Tuesday flights were canceled, FlightAware figures show. By 9 a.m. Wednesday, more than 2,800 Wednesday flights and more than 480 Thursday flights had been canceled. Public transportation upheaval . New York City's critical public transit network was still crippled Wednesday, although bus service was operating "as close to a normal weekday schedule as possible," according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's website. The MTA's commuter railroad service remained suspended Wednesday. Seven subway tunnels under the East River flooded in the course of the storm, and two Long Island Rail Road tubes and two vehicular tunnels were inundated. One subway bridge, three subway yards and six bus facilities also were flooded, according to MTA's website. Six of MTA's seven bridges were open Wednesday, the exception being the Cross Bay Bridge. The MTA said it's too early to estimate how long it will take to restore systemwide service. In New Jersey, most NJ Transit services remained suspended Wednesday, with the exception of bus service in Camden County operating on a weekday schedule. Commuter bus and train service will be running Wednesday in Maryland, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. Some service in Philadelphia was restored Tuesday, and Southeastern Pennsylvania's regional rail commuter lines were scheduled to resume service Wednesday morning, according to a SEPTA statement. In Boston, most transit service resumed Tuesday, with some delays, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. In Washington, bus and rail service was restored on modified schedules. Normal operations were expected to resume Wednesday. Amtrak will provide some modified service between Newark, New Jersey, and points south starting Wednesday. Trains between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia, and between Boston and Portland, Maine, will also run. However, trains directly to and from Penn Station in New York will be idle. Consult Amtrak's website for more details. CNN's Joshua Levs, Aaron Smith and Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | NEW: Amtrak has no estimate for when trains to and from Penn Station will be back up .
Some New York City area airports set to offer limited service Wednesday .
The New York City transit system sustains devastating damage .
More than 19,500 flights have been canceled, a flight tracking site says . |
58,356 | a57805a1d7bda51e5f189574f4732c1b48c76211 | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen married National Football League star Tom Brady Thursday in an "intimate" sunset ceremony, US Weekly magazine reported on its Web site. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen attend a Metropolitan Museum of Art gala May 5, 2008, in New York City. The couple wed at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, in front of mostly immediate family members, the entertainment magazine reported. The two had dated since 2006. The bride wore a Dolce & Gabbana gown. Her three dogs, which attended the ceremony, wore matching Dolce & Gabbana floral lace collars, the Web site said. Bundchen, 28, is the highest-paid model in the world, the business Web site Forbes.com reported last year. New England Patriots quarterback Brady has gone to the Super Bowl four times, winning three of those games. | Couple weds at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, US Weekly reports .
Bride wears a Dolce & Gabbana gown; her three dogs attend the ceremony .
She's world's highest-paid model; he's gone to the Super Bowl four times . |
88,504 | fb2efe65d71aaf9fa885d4ae681ec3eeed9fa636 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 17:31 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:51 EST, 28 January 2014 . The remains of 55 people have been unearthed from a graveyard at a former reform school with a history of abuse, researchers said today. University of South Florida researchers began excavating the graveyard at the now-closed Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in September. The dig finished in December. Official records indicated 31 burials at the Marianna site but researchers had estimated there would be about 50 graves. Researchers have now found some of the remains of 55 people in a graveyard at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida . ArtPart of a coffin found in a grave at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida was found during the December dig . All the bodies found were interred in . coffins either made at the school or bought from manufacturers, said . Erin Kimmerle, a forensic anthropologist leading the university's . investigation. Some . were found under roads or overgrown trees, well away from the white, . metal crosses marking the 31 officially recorded graves. Now, . researchers will try to identify the remains and determine the causes . of death. The bodies were buried sometime between the late 1920s and . early 1950s, researchers said. 'We know very little about those who are buried,' Kimmerle said. A brass plate that read, 'At rest' - likely from a coffin lid - was found close the reform school which was known as a place of abuse . Artifacts from a coffin found in a grave at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. Excavations now indicate that more bodies may have been buried at the site than previously recorded . University of South Florida investigators at a research site in a graveyard at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. The death count at the mass grave has now risen . They found buttons, a stone marble in a boy's pocket and hardware from coffins. Researchers recovered thousands of nails and a brass plate that read, 'At rest' - likely from a coffin lid. DNA from the remains will be sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for analysis. Twelve families have contacted researchers in the hopes of identifying relatives that might have been buried at the school, and officials hope dozens of other families will come forward and provide DNA samples to compare with the remains. Ovell Krell of Auburndale is one of . the relatives who already has come forward, hoping to find out what . happened to her brother. George Owen Smith was sent to Dozier when he . was 14 in 1941, and he was found dead a couple of months later. University of South Florida assistant professor of anthropology Dr. Erin Kimmerle exhumes a grave at the Boot Hill cemetery last year at the now closed Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida . His . family never recovered his body, and Krell hopes to claim his remains . and bury them with their parents at a family plot in central Florida. 'We are hoping for closure,' she said. Another . dig is scheduled next month. Nearby residents and former employees and . inmates at the northwest Florida school are helping investigators . determine other potential burial sites, Kimmerle said. Dozier opened in 1900 and closed in 2011 for budgetary reasons. Some . former students from the 1950s and 1960s have accused employees and . guards at the school of physical and sexual abuse, but the Florida . Department of Law Enforcement concluded after an investigation that that . it could not substantiate or dispute the claims. The . University of South Florida secured a permit to exhume the remains . after beginning its own research and verifying more deaths and graves . than documented by law enforcement. White metal crosses mark graves at the cemetery of the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida . The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys is pictured in 1936. The white building in the background is allegedly where abuse took place . Former inmates at the reform school from the 1950s and 1960s have detailed horrific beatings that took place in a small, white concrete block building at the facility. Ovell Krell speaks about her deceased brother George Owen Smith who was sent to Dozier when he was 14 in 1941 and died a couple of months later. His body was never recovered . A group of survivors call themselves the 'White House Boys' and five years ago called for an investigation into the graves. In 2010, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ended an investigation and said it could not substantiate or refute claims that boys died at the hands of staff. USF later began its own research and discovered even more graves than the state department had identified. USF has worked for months to secure a permit to exhume the remains, finally receiving permission from Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet after being rejected by Secretary of State Ken Detzner, who reports to Scott. Robert Straley, a spokesman for the White House Boys, said the school segregated white and black inmates and that the remains are located where black inmates were held. He suspects there is another white cemetery that hasn’t been discovered. 'I think that there are at least 100 more bodies up there,' he said. 'At some point they are going to find more bodies, I’m dead certain of that. There has to be a white graveyard on the white side.' Among those that have pushed to allow . USF to conduct the research are Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi . and Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. The main hallway of a building at the now-closed Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys known as 'The White House.' Many men who were kept at the school as children have said that they were horribly beaten in this building . 'My goal all along has been to help bring closure to the families who lost loved ones at Dozier. I feel great relief that the work to identify human remains is now underway,' Bondi said through a spokeswoman. DNA obtained at the site will be sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for analysis. If matches are found, remains will be returned to the families. 'They . want to bury them in family plots and next to the boys’ mothers and . things like that,' Kimmerle said. 'Anyone whose remains are unidentified . will be re-interned here at Boot Hill.' Any . remains that are re-interned will have a grave marker and their DNA . will be recorded in case anyone other families seek to identify remains. Survey flags left by University of South Florida researchers are pictured at the cemetery. Investigators used ground-penetrating radar and soil samples to find at least 50 graves on the grounds . | Records indicated 31 burials at site but researchers estimated there would be dozens more at Arthur G Dozier School for Boys .
Former inmates at the reform school in Marianna, Florida from .
the 1950s and 1960s have detailed horrific beatings that took place .
At least 12 families have contacted researchers in hopes of identifying relatives that might be buried at Dozier . |
227,780 | b2f2c8ee441888139b3ee8ee1c91bd28deb4f203 | Women around the world are carrying out a practice which not only leaves them in pain but at increased risk of HIV. 'Dry sex' involves women reducing moisture in their vaginas in order to make intercourse more pleasurable for men. This can can lead to cuts, sores and inflammation in the vagina, and increases the chance of a condom breaking, journalist Wendy Syfret reports for VICE.com. These factors in turn increase the chance of the women contracting sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. Women in developing countries are putting their health at risk by carrying out a practice known as 'dry sex'. This involves drying out the vagina using substances from sand to pulverized rock to bleach, in order to make sex more pleasurable for men . Dry sex is known to be carried out in South and Central Africa, and Indonesia. It is borne out of a cultural belief that men find sex more pleasurable if a woman's vagina is dry, and that men will reject women whose vaginas have been ‘stretched out’ by sex. To achieve dryness, women insert, chalk, sand, pulverized rock, herbs, paper or sponges before sex, according to journalist Ms Syfret, who has reported on the practice in South Africa. They also douse their vaginas in detergents, antiseptics, alcohol and bleach. Women in Java, Indonesia, even 'smoke out' their vaginas by standing over burning herbs, LoveMatters reports. In other areas of Indonesia it is common to insert a cigar-shaped stick made of a plant root. While World Health Organization consultation papers show global health officials are aware the problem exists, most of the research on it is decades old and there are no broad figures on its prevalence. A 2009 study looking at how dry sex spreads HIV in Zambian women found knowledge of the practice was widespread. Around two-thirds of the 812 women polled had used traditional dry sex medicines at some point in their lives, and about half were currently using them. But a reluctance to discuss sexual health meant the practice was not debated. The researchers concluded: 'Most of the available information has been anecdotal, speculative or inadequate - mainly because of cultural reluctance to discuss or investigate personal sexual issues.' Dry sex is a practice where women reduce moisture in their vaginas in order to make intercourse more pleasurable for men. It is borne out of a cultural belief that men find sex more pleasurable if a woman's vagina is dry, and that men will reject women whose vaginas have been ‘stretched out’ by sex. To achieve dryness, women insert, chalk, sand, pulverized rock, herbs, paper or sponges before sex. They also douse their vaginas in detergents, antiseptics, alcohol and bleach. Women in Java, Indonesia, even 'smoke out' their vaginas by standing over burning herbs. In other areas of Indonesia, it is common to insert a cigar-shaped stick made of a plant root into the vagina. Not only is this practice extremely painful for the women involved, it can lead to cuts, sores and inflammation in the vagina, and increases the chance of a condom breaking. These factors increase the chance of the women contracting HIV. The practice is known to be carried out in South and Central Africa, and Indonesia. Similarly, a sexual health clinician and campaigner in South Africa told VICE most people are aware of the problem but it is not talked about, and hasn't received enough attention from the country's Government for policies to be drafted. Dr Marlene Wasserman, commonly known in South Africa as Dr Eve, said the continued practice of dry sex shows the lack of education relating to equality and women's rights in the area. 'It's definitely a class issue,' she told VICE. 'Basically, a woman's reputation depends on the size of her vagina. 'Among women who are less informed and less educated, there's an unbelievable ignorance around the idea the vagina adapts to the penis.' She explained that both men and women fail to understand that the vagina is capable of expanding during sex - and then back to its usual size afterwards. There is also an incorrect cultural belief that if a woman has a partner with a large penis, her vagina will remain permanently 'stretched' - and future partners will think she is promiscuous. The practice is ingrained in culture, passed between generations of women, she added. She continued: 'Men aren't saying to women, "Put Dettol in your vagina".' Instead, they insinuate a woman is promiscuous due to the state of her genitalia, she explained. For women dependent on their boyfriends or husbands, attaining commitment and pleasing them is extremely important. The idea that pain is normal or acceptable during sex has taken hold, she adds, and most women in South Africa would not think of sexual pleasure as something they necessarily have a right to. Dr Wasserman said: 'I've been part of a task force with the World Association of Sexual Health, and we've launched the declaration of sexual rights - the right to pleasure - and we've been really pushing that. The practice of dry sex can cause sores and cuts in the vagina, and can make it more likely a condom will break during sex. These factors increase compound the spread of HIV. Here, the virus is pictured under the microscope . 'Women are surprised that's one of their rights. 'We know 33 percent of women have and tolerate painful penetration. That becomes part of what they expect from sex.' Dr Wasserman has a radio show which attempts to dispel myths about sexual health. She also hosts seminars for young adults and parents in order to educate people about healthy sexual practices. 'It's about educating people and trying to raise awareness,' she said. 'The conversation began when we realized HIV was impacting more heterosexual women in South Africa than gay men. 'There was a drive then to say to women: "Don't put Dettol in your vagina; don't dry your vagina out. This is dangerous." But the conversation hasn't gotten going, and women are suffering.' She draws similarities between the practice of dry sex in developing countries and the vaginoplasty operations Western women undergo in order to tighten their vagina. 'They're having their own genital mutilation,' she said of the women who opt for these procedures. 'It's just a little more advanced and expensive than putting creams in your vagina. 'But isn't the principal the same? It's incredibly unhealthy as well to go have your vagina tightened because you want to have a honeymoon experience or have your partner think you're youthful.' | Practice of 'dry sex' involves drying out the vagina to increase friction .
This is supposed to make sex more pleasurable for men .
Women use substances from sand to pulverized rock to achieve dryness .
They also douse with detergents, bleach, antiseptics and alcohol .
Leads to vaginal cuts and sores and can increase risk of condom breaking .
These factors increase the likelihood of the woman contracting HIV .
Campaigners are calling for more education on sexual health for women . |
100,864 | 0df686c00e039e494bad9376c1caf1267bda1904 | She's a charming cetacean who one minute will allow you to put your arm around her -- and the next leave you nursing injuries. As swimmers off the west coast of Ireland are finding out, you don't mess with Dusty the dolphin. Now authorities have been forced to erect signs around Doolin Harbor, County Clare, after a woman was hospitalized last Sunday by the feisty bottlenose dolphin -- the fourth such incident since May. Dusty has a checkered history in the area. First spotted in the waters off the coast of County Clare in 2000, reports began to surface as far back as 2004 that she was a little temperamental. According to media reports, one diver even claimed that Dusty had tried to drown her. Officials say that a record has never been kept of precisely how many incidents Dusty has been involved in -- but they believe that the number has escalated this year. Village suggest this could be because Dusty moved to Doolin Harbour -- which is much more heavily populated with swimmers than her previous hunting ground -- back in 2011. In the latest incident, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group reports that Dusty rammed a woman in the abdomen resulting in her hospitalization. It's only the latest in a series of incidents, the group says, with one woman having to be flown back to Germany via air ambulance as a result of her injuries. The IWDG also warns that pursuing Dusty could also result in an injury or even a fatality. And don't even think about trying to take her picture. As one sign states: "If she does grab a camera etc, let her have it, or she might ram you or hit you with her tail." Clare County Council has now commissioned the IWDG to produce advisory posters warning people not to approach Dusty. It has also asked lifeguards to put out red warning flags whenever Dusty is spotted in the area. But beyond that there's little else the authorities can do: the bottlenose dolphin -- which can grow up to 10-feet long -- is an endangered species and is protected under law. Swimmers on the west coast of Ireland -- beware. | Reports suggest Dusty the dolphin, found on the west coast of Ireland, has attacked swimmers .
A woman was hospitalized last Sunday -- the fourth incident since May .
Authorities are now erecting warning signs around Doolin Harbor, County Clare .
The bottlenose dolphin is listed as an endangered species . |
28,114 | 4fb072229b89c2d570d00fb9df15ac5c2ae08208 | This dramatic video shows the moment that a car with a four-year-old passenger flipped and landed in a field after the driver led police on a three-minute chase. Driver Scott Tony Smith, who was banned from the roads, reached speeds of almost 100mph as he was pursued by police through County Durham after being caught driving too quickly. The car, an MG ZT, is seen weaving in and out of traffic on residential roads before speeding on to rural lanes - where it flips over a hedge and into a field after emerging from a T-junction at dangerous speed. Scroll down for video . Chase: The chase started after the car, driven by Scott Tony Smith, was seen speeding through County Durham. Officers reached speeds of almost 100mph in their pursuit of the vehicle, an MG ZT . Dangerous: After chasing Smith through a number of County Durham villages, police follow the car on to more rural roads. They are just moments behind the car when it shoots out from a T-junction (above) Flipped: The car lifts into the air and flips over, before landing in a field. Smith, the boy, and the boy's mother, who was also travelling in the vehicle, all escaped the incident without any major injuries . Smith, the boy and the boy's mother, who was also in the car, all escaped without major injuries, despite the child not being seated in a secure child seat, Durham Crown Court was told. Police chased Smith, 23, through the villages of The Middle and Craghead after asking him to pull over in South Stanley. Driver: Smith, who was driving the car, was banned from the road at the time of the dangerous chase. Above, the 23-year-old outside court today . At one stage, the camera, mounted on the police car, captures the video as it runs a red light and mounts a kerb to avoid oncoming traffic on a restricted road where roadworks were taking place. The pursuit reached its dramatic conclusion when the car shot out from a T-junction and flew over a hedge opposite. It is captured flipping in the air before landing in a farm field. The footage will be shown when Smith appears in court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to four charges relating to the incident, which took place on October 29. He admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police, and a child cruelty charge. Tony Davis, representing Smith, told the court that in the circumstances of the incident, by his admission to dangerous driving, the defendant has no defence to the child cruelty charge. 'The child in the car was not in a secure child seat. He has no legal defence to it, and that's why he's pleaded "guilty" to it.' Adjourning sentence to allow for preparation of a probation report, Judge Robert Adams told Smith: 'In ordering the pre-sentence report, I'm giving you no promises as to the sentence. 'All options will remain open to the court.' Smith, Stanley, County Durham, who remains disqualified from driving, was bailed to return for sentence in the week beginning January 19. Reckless: Smith, who was banned from driving, is filmed as he weaves the car through traffic on single-carriageway roads. At one point the silver car mounts a kerb (pictured) in his attempt to escape police . Terrifying: The car flipped over a hedge and into a field after emerging from a T-Junction too quickly. The dramatic moment, pictured above, was captured by a police camera mounted to the pursuing vehicle . | Scott Tony Smith was chased by police through villages in County Durham .
He was travelling with a four-year-old boy and the child's mother .
The 23-year-old reached speeds nearing 100mph as he reached rural roads .
The car, and MG ZT, flipped into a field after emerging from a T-junction .
Scott, the boy, and the boy's mother, all walked away from the incident . |
229,069 | b49cf663ebb946bc6099b8b46a58179f6096f7b1 | By . Daniel Mills . An 18-year-old Gold Coast girl has won her bid to have a $680,000-a-year drug subsidised so that she can receive ongoing medical treatments to keep her alive. Bianca Scott, who spent her recent 18th birthday wishing to stay alive, will finally have access to her first government-funded dose of Soliris, which will save her family more than $24,000 a fortnight and help her fight a very rare immune disease which attacks her internal organs. Ms Scott is suffering the life-threatening blood disease called atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome, or aHUS which can result in blood clots and can destroy internal organs. Bianca has had 11 doses of Soliris since February, costing her family about $250,000, but now she will be given the drug for less after a joint State and Federal Government-funding agreement was reached. Scroll down for video . Bianca Scott was diagnosed with a rare condition called aHUS when she was seven months old, it reappeared late last year . Since her diagnosis, Bianca has spent most of her time in hospital in Brisbane, where she undergoes dialysis and plasma transfusions . Bianca is one of 70 Australians living with aHUS and among 10 who need the treatment urgently. So far she is the only Australian with access to the subsidised drug but it is hoped her case will open the debate up further for Soliris to be accessible to everyone. It is a short-term solution, her mother Tammy Hamawi said, but one that she hopes receives long-term funding. “We have won but we haven’t secured Bianca absolutely to access this medicine long-term,” Ms Hamawi told The Courier Mail. Bianca's mother, who had given up her job running her own mentoring and business consultancy company to care for her daughter, thanked Senator Barry O’Sullivan and Gold Coast MP Karen Andrews who told her on Tuesday that Bianca would get the treatment. She had been spending all of the family's money, as well as money borrowed from friends, on the life-saving treatment. She was forced to stop the treatment on June 5, given the ongoing financial demands. She said the government intervention in helping Bianca prolong her life is a big bonus - given Soliris 'is the only treatment' which helps manage her condition. 'Without a doubt Soliris is the most expensive drug in the world,' said Ms Hamawi. 'It is the only treatment in the whole world for aHUS.' Bianca was diagnosed with aHUS, which can strike at any age, when she was seven months old. She then found out then that her uncle had died of the disease as a child. Unusually, the illness lay dormant in Bianca before resurfacing late last year, just a few weeks after she finished high school. Bianca's mother Tammy Hamawi (left) discovered a drug that could treat aHUS, called Soliris, which costs $24,000 per fortnightly dose . Bianca was first diagnosed with the life-threatening illness when she was seven months old (pictured here after her initial diagnosis) So far Ms Hamawi has been able to pay for five courses of the treatment, with help from her family and from donations . Soliris is currently available at a subsidised rate for people suffering with another ultra-rare disease, called paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) through the Life Saving Drugs Program (LSDP). It was being considered by the LSDP as a treatment for aHUS when the LSDP was put under review by the federal government earlier this year. The drug was then moved for consideration to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). The PBAC recommended that Soliris be subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme for sufferers of aHUS, though there are still several bureaucratic steps to go through before any subsidy will come into effect. Kirsten Bruce, a representative of the aHUS Patient Support Group Australia said that the PBAC recommendation leaves many questions unanswered. Of particular concern, she says, is that under the proposed conditions, patients will only be eligible for the drug is they are currently experiencing a flare-up of the condition, and will only be allowed to take the drug for six months after they have recovered from the attack, even though it is recommended that sufferers remain on the drug for the duration of their lives. 'Sufferers want to know who will qualify for Soliris, whether they'll be able to stay on it long-term, there are so many question marks,' she said. 'The tragedy is there's a drug that's available, that works, and it sits on pharmacy shelves, the doctors want to be able to prescribe it but they can't.' A spokesperson for the Federal Department of Health confirmed that it was currently in negotiations with Alexion, who hold the patent for the drug. Alexion were contacted for comment. 'Mum noticed symptoms and she took me to hospital and they told me the aHUS had come back. Since then I was faced with this terrible battle,' she said. 'I couldn't keep any food down, I was always vomiting, I couldn't stand up, I'd feel very dizzy, I had fevers… sadly I have chronic kidney failure now.' She required an endless run of hospital visits – with Bianca requiring eight-hour stretches of dialysis three to four days a week, as well as plasma infusions – before Ms Hamawi heard of Soliris. 'Thank God for Google!' she said. Ms Hamawi was able to fund five doses of the drug, with the help of her family and friends, and two further doses were bought using donations, including a $19,000 donation from Bianca's school and an anonymous $10,000 donation. 'I am so grateful for that,' said Bianca. 'I thank everyone for that.' Since starting on Soliris on Valentine's Day, Bianca has turned a corner. She still requires dialysis, but the plasma infusions, which she describes as 'weird' and 'scary' have stopped, her hours in hospital have significantly decreased and she is feeling much better. Her blood tests are also showing vastly improved results, with the nephrologist telling Bianca on Monday that if her results continue in the direction they're going she might be able to come off dialysis. But with the cost of Soliris currently so high, it was cost $680,000 a year to keep her on the drug, Bianca and her mother do not have the money to buy their next dose, which Bianca is due to take on Thursday June 19. Without Soliris, Bianca will likely deteriorate, and if left too long, the damage to her kidney will be so severe that she will have to remain on dialysis for the rest of her life. 'She's 17, can you imagine a lifetime of chronic kidney failure? And when I say a lifetime, it's not going to be a long life,' said Ms Hamawi. Ms Hamawi is frustrated at Alexion, the U.S. company that produce Soliris and own the patent for the drug. 'On the one hand $680,000 a year to save your child's life is a big price, it's too high,' she said. However, most of her anger is directed at the Australian government, which she says is 'a system that we thought was there to protect and look after us [and] has in a way let us down'. 'It baffles me how could you justify fuelling aeroplanes to go and look for an aeroplane that’s who knows where. But when someone needs mediciine, and it is the only medicine that is available, you sit there and negotiate and it might take six months,' she said. For more information on Bianca's condition or to donate visit Bianca's Battle. Bianca (pictured right going to her school formal just before the aHUS resurfaced) is Tammy's only child . The 18-year-old is trying to stay positive despite her chronic condition . Soliris costs $24,00 for each dose of the drug . | Bianca Scott will receive subsidised life-saving drug treatment .
She suffers from a rare immune condition called aHUS .
Soliris treats the condition but at full price costs $24,000 a fortnight .
The 18-year-old's mother spent up to $250,000 treating her daughter .
Her case has opened up debate to subsidise the drug long term . |
127,027 | 30329a35df554a8bc6a37845a4ea03ec8bdfb6a0 | (CNN)Amber Vinson says she followed all the rules when caring for an Ebola patient. So how did the Texas nurse contract the deadly virus? "I have no idea," she told CNN. "I go through it almost daily in my mind: what happened, what went wrong. Because I was covered completely every time. I followed the CDC protocol. ... I never strayed. It is a mystery to me." Vinson, who was declared Ebola-free last week after treatment at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, spoke with CNN's Don Lemon in an exclusive interview that aired Thursday. She described her experience fighting the deadly virus and fired back at critics who said she should never have boarded commercial flights after treating an Ebola patient. "I'm a nurse. I care. I care for me, I would not put myself in danger. First, I would not take Ebola to my family and my best girlfriends. I would not endanger families across the nation, potentially exposing them to anything," she said. "I had no symptoms. There was no way, at that time -- I could not transmit it." The 29-year-old nurse choked up thinking of the harsh reactions of some people after they learned she had Ebola. "It's just not me," she said. "All I do is care. All I want to do is help. I would never try to hurt anyone." Opinion: Ebola will elevate respect for nurses . 'I did what I was supposed to do' Shortly after Vinson's diagnosis, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden told reporters that she shouldn't have taken the flights. "The CDC guidance in this setting outlines the need for what is called controlled movement. That can include a charter plane, a car, but it does not include public transport," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director told reporters at the time. "We will from this moment forward ensure that no other individual who is being monitored for exposure undergoes travel in any way other than controlled movement." Vinson said she felt like Frieden blamed her without any basis. "I did what I was supposed to do, and now you're saying I should not have flown," she said. "You know, I checked multiple times before I even left Dallas to see if it was OK to go." And when her return flight from Cleveland to Dallas got repeatedly delayed, Vinson said she checked her temperature multiple times and reported it to the Texas Health Department. Then her contact there would speak with the CDC. "She would tell me if i was OK to go or not," Vinson said. "And I got the OK every single time." 'It's a struggle' Vinson's diagnosis came amid a wave of national concern about the possible spread of Ebola in the United States, especially after it became known she had flown on two commercial flights after treating Duncan. She became the second person known to have contracted Ebola in the United States, and the second nurse from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas to get the virus after caring for an Ebola patient. Learning that her colleague, nurse Nina Pham, had contracted Ebola was a shock, Vinson said. "My heart dropped," Vinson said. "I was afraid for myself. My first thought was, Nina is a great nurse. I know her nursing. She follows rules and protocol as closely as I do. If this happened to her, it can happen to me. It rocked my world." Several days later, Vinson was diagnosed with Ebola after returning to Dallas from a trip to visit family in Ohio, where she was planning her wedding. Days after being inside a bridal shop, she was isolated in a hospital, fending off the virus. It wasn't an easy battle, Vinson said. "It takes so much out of you. It really does. It is very draining. And even now ... walking a short distance, I get short of breath," she said. There were several particularly rough days, she said. "You've got to force yourself to get up, and forcing yourself takes a lot out of you, too," she said. "It's a struggle. You're fighting for your life." Mom: 'I just wanted to be there' For Vinson's family, it was also a harrowing ordeal. Like television viewers across America, Debra Berry stared at a TV screen and saw her daughter walking from an ambulance into the airplane that would take her from Dallas to Atlanta for treatment. It was a devastating sight for Berry, who was quarantined in Dallas and so couldn't be with her daughter. "I wouldn't have cared if she had triple Ebola. I'm her mother. Give it to me. Wrap me up in Hefty bags," she said. "I just wanted to be there. Because I knew in my gut that she was alone." Hearing remarks people made about her daughter didn't help. "I think they could have used the science to guide the situation, rather than make the comments they they did," Berry said. Even now, she said, "people just aren't listening." "I want them to hear that my daughter is a hero," she said. Vinson's fiance, Derrick Markray, said the intense media spotlight has been difficult. "It's not like she's an entertainer who was looking for fame," he said. "It found her." In the interview with Lemon, he described the agony of the first days after Vinson's diagnosis. He feared the worst, realizing that if Vinson died, her remains would be discarded as hazardous waste; there wouldn't even be an urn at her funeral. "The reality of it all just really set in, the gravity of it," he said. He wondered, "Can our system really handle this?" Ready to rebuild . Vinson survived the deadly virus. Doctors can't say for sure exactly what saved her, though they say her young age and how quickly she received treatment were likely factors. Going forward, Vinson said it's clear that more planning is necessary for U.S. hospitals to better handle Ebola. "We weren't the best prepared," she said. "We did not have extensive training. We did not have a level of feeling comfortable with putting on and taking off the protective equipment. We didn't have the time to practice it. There was not a lot of education done beforehand." That, she said, is a lesson that hospitals need to take seriously. "Everyone needs training," Vinson said. "Health care providers need to feel comfortable. They need to feel like they're protected so they can provide the best care." Vinson said nursing remains her passion, but she doesn't know when she'll be suiting up in scrubs again. "Right now I have to take care of me," she said. "It's taken weeks. I feel like I gain a little bit of strength every day," she said. "But I know me, and I'm not at the position right now where I feel comfortable providing care." For the 29-year-old nurse, it's also time to get her life back on track. After her diagnosis with Ebola, cleanup crews destroyed her engagement ring and the wedding binder she used to plan her upcoming nuptials. "We've got to rebuild," she said. And if anyone else contracts Ebola, she's ready to step in -- this time by donating blood to help in their treatment. "Are you going to give plasma?" Lemon asked her. "Absolutely," Vinson said, "as soon as I am able to do so." CNN's Greg Botelho and Jason Hanna contributed to this report. | "I feel like I gain a little bit of strength every day," nurse Amber Vinson says .
Vinson says she followed the CDC's rules when caring for an Ebola patient .
She says she has "no idea" how she contracted the virus .
She defends her decision to travel on commercial flights, saying she had no symptoms . |
279,528 | f61f3dafbc7eae639335d66002f107ca6f0ebd67 | No, the richest fight of all time has not been set in paper, let alone stone. Not yet. Yes, the lines on the contract still wait to be dotted, let alone signed upon by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. But yes, also, the big businesses needed to help generate the prize-ring’s first £200million bonanza are swinging into action already. The travel industry, especially. Manny Pacquiao (left) and Floyd Mayweather chat at an NBA match last month . Air and accommodation packages have now gone on sale here in Britain for the second half of the week ending Saturday, May 2 in Las Vegas. Cost – anything up to £4,000-a-head for deals based on flights in economy. The MGM Grand – the giant resort and casino on that neon Strip in the desert – has been keeping its Grand Garden Arena on hold for some time now. More significantly it has just raised its basic room rates for the nights of May 1 and 2 – by more than treble to in excess of $500 (£325) for the first time. Other hotels in Vegas are also hiking their prices. All the above are selling like hot cakes. Everyone is gambling that the deal of the century will be done. Packages to watch the potential £200million bout are already on sale with some companies . It is believed that ringside seats will cost $5,000 (£3,250) each, with the pay-per-view subscriptions in the US being priced at $100 (£65) each... if it happens. The only thing which might bring it all crashing down in is a premature announcement that the fight is truly on. One of Mayweather’s stipulations is that he makes the announcement. Pacquiao has publicly conceded that privilege. But wishful media speculation that he has signed a contract, supposedly based on information from unattributed sources close to the Filipino camp, threaten to crush the hopes of the boxing world, the PacMan himself included. Mayweather does not like that. He dismissed the story out of hand when he attended the NBA All-Star game in New York at the weekend, when many expected him to declare the fight on: ‘It’s not true. I’ve not signed yet. He’s not signed yet. It’s all speculation and rumour.’ The Money Man’s Showtime TV paymaster Stephen Espinosa confirmed: ‘There is no contract yet. Sorry to tell the truth.’ Mayweather attends the NBA All-Star match at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday . Still, there were sighs of relief all round when Mayweather added: ‘Hopefully we can make it happen.’ Maybe the thought of the fortune to be made softened his stance a little. The most recent estimates suggest that Mayweather stands to bank a minimum of $150m (£97m), Pacquiao at least $100m (£65m). There are suggestions that only two sticking points remain to be unglued, one between Showtime and the HBO television network who deal with Pacquiao, the other involving two rival beer breweries who each sponsor one of the boxers. WBC President Jose Sulaiman is blaming the delay on 'abuse of power'. Although he is not sure by whom. Sulaiman, on a flying visit to London said: 'It could be one or both the fighters, promoters, the managers, or the TV stations but I want to make it clear its not us.' Pacquiao lands a left hook on Chris Algieri on his way to victory in Macau back in November . Mayweather is this organisation's world welterweight champion and Sulaiman adds: 'We are doing everything possible to remove any obstacle from this happening. It's not fair to the fans if they don't make this fight, which everyone wants to see. It will be terrible it it doesn't happen this year because it would be bring so much greater exposure to boxing and transform the sport.' Even so, he raised the prospects of it happening this year rather than next as 'no better than 50-50.' Meanwhile, the long wait goes on. But even as it does so boxing lovers the world over, in their anxiety about missing out, are gambling on advance bookings. In terms of his credibility and his legacy, it may not be wise for Mayweather to disappoint them. George Groves has been promised that if he remains patient he is guaranteed his world super middleweight title shot later this year. Saint George was disappointed when the WBC suddenly granted Anthony Dirrell the right to a voluntary defence of their belt prior to meeting his mandatory challenge of Groves. Dirrell is being allowed to fight an opponent of his choice in April but WBC President Jose Sulaiman assures Groves: 'Dirrell will then have to fight George by the autumn.' George Groves has been told he will have a world super middleweight title fight this year . Martin Murray truly believes he can become the first boxer to defeat the most dangerous fighter on the planet. Gennady Golovkin, the heaviest pound-for-pound puncher in the world, says he will defend his middleweight crown by knock-out when they meet in the ring in Monte Carlo this Saturday night. Murray, who came up only narrowly short in his two previous world title challenges to Felix Sturm in Germany and Sergio Martinez in Argentina, says: ‘I’m not afraid of him.’ In that, at the very least, we can believe him. Martin Murray takes on hard-hitting Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo on Saturday night . Golovkin has promised to knock out the Brit and retain his WBO and IBA belts . But it would be a monumental achievement for the impressively reformed convict from St Helens to overcome the unbeaten Kazakh. Golovkin knocks out opponents for fun, as Anglo-Irish warrior Matthew Macklin is one of many to have discovered already. Andy Lee, Ireland’s holder of another version of the middleweight championship, will be among those in attendance/ He is keeping a watching brief in case he overcomes the challenges of, first, Peter Quillin in America, then Hertford’s Billy Joe Saunders and goes on to face Golovkin in a unification battle. *Golovkin-Murray will be televised live on Channel 5 on Saturday night. | Floyd Mayweather in talks to fight Manny Pacquiao .
Las Vegas fight could be worth a world-record £200million if it goes ahead .
Deal not signed yet but travel companies already offering packages .
George Groves has been promised a world title fight by the end of the year .
Martin Murray believes he can beat Gennady Golovkin on Saturday night .
CLICK HERE for all the latest Mayweather and Pacquiao updates . |
80,673 | e4ab093a5485c63aa6eb22688006c7f9f8ff1de5 | By . James Chapman . and Jason Groves . and John Stevens . An Opinium poll for the Daily Mail puts Nigel Farage's Ukip comfortably ahead of Labour, on 32 per cent to 25 per cent . UKIP are on course for an unprecedented victory in today’s European Parliament elections - despite Nigel Farage admitting he is ‘frazzled’ and cannot go on being the party’s dominant face. An Opinium poll for the Daily Mail puts Ukip comfortably ahead of Labour, on 32 per cent to 25 per cent. The Conservatives are on 21 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats battling the Greens for fourth place, each on a miserable 6 per cent. Both Labour and the Conservatives appear reconciled to Ukip coming out on top, despite weeks of controversy over allegations of racism, homophobia and misogyny against the upstart party’s candidates. David Cameron is ordering Tory troops to focus on a Westminster by-election in Newark early next month as an opportunity to halt the Ukip bandwagon. Conservative strategists point to a sharp decline in Mr Farage’s personal ratings in recent weeks and compare him to a ‘shock jock’ radio host whose outbursts will not convince voters at a general election. Labour officials, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that failure to top the European poll would augur ill for their chances of winning power in 2015. They insisted Ed Miliband will not bow to pressure from some Labour MPs to backtrack on his refusal to match the Conservatives’ promise of an in/out EU referendum, even if his party is beaten by Ukip. Mr Farage said a Ukip victory in the European elections would represent a political ‘earthquake’ and repeated his willingness to do ‘a deal with the devil’ or make local pacts with MPs from other parties if it would help guarantee a referendum on Europe. But he conceded the party would haemorrhage votes at next year’s general election unless it can persuade voters it is more than a ‘one-man band’. The Ukip leader has blamed tiredness for his suggestion last week that everyone knows ‘the difference’ between Romanians and Germans. Mr Farage, whose second wife Kirsten is German, said he would not be happy if Romanians moved in next door. Both Labour and the Conservatives appear reconciled to Ukip coming out on top . ‘Right at the moment I’m so frazzled after a month on the road,’ he told the Mail. ‘This has been relentless. I have been doing this damn hard, maybe too hard actually. ‘This must change; we cannot go into a general election with me being seen to be the dominant figure.’ Mr Cameron said only a Conservative government could deliver a reformed relationship with Brussels, with new controls on free movement and further restrictions on migrants’ benefits. That would followed by an in/out referendum on Britain’s membership by the end of 2017. The Prime Minister said: ‘I’m convinced that we will get the changes that we want and my aim is to secure Britain’s place in a reformed European Union. ‘But that’s the real choice at this election – you’ve got Labour and the Liberals who can’t see anything wrong with Europe and you’ve got Ukip who can’t see anything right with Europe and want to walk away.’ The Liberal Democrats are preparing themselves to lose all of their MEPs in the European elections today, according to a leaked document advising top party figures on how to react to the defeat. It reveals they have been advised to say they ‘expected’ to lose up to all of their 12 representatives in Strasbourg and to simply say they are ‘disappointed’. The embarrassing memo, leaked to the Guardian newspaper, reveals that in the event of the party winning no seats, or just one or two, in the European elections, they should say: ‘Disappointed with the result but the party remains resolute and this was expected at this point in the electoral cycle.’ If the party clings on to two to three MEPs, senior Lib Dems have been advised to say it is ‘a good result considering the circumstances’. And three and five seats should be billed as ‘a very encouraging result... much better than almost everyone predicted’. In 2009, the Lib Dems won 11 seats and another defected to them a year later. The internal document was presented to the Wheelhouse group, the body chaired by the Lib Dems’ general election co-ordinator Paddy Ashdown. | Opinium poll has Ukip on 32 per cent, with Labour trailing on 25 per cent .
Tories on 21 per cent, with Lib Dems and Greens a distant fourth and fifth .
Farage says a Ukip triumph will be a 'political earthquake' for Britain . |
1,235 | 037986f88efe2bc0b05699cb1d53c50b5903318f | (CNN) -- A spokesman for Somalia's Islamic party, a militant group in the horn of African nation, has confirmed that the group has merged with the brutal and more hard-line group of Al Shabaab. The spokesman, Mohamed Osman Arus, told the local media in a news conference that his group has essentially been absorbed by Al Shabaab. "We, the Islamic party, have decided to join Al Shabaab both militarily and principally and the reason is, we want to combine our force and fight against the forces of the transitional government and those of the African union," said Arus. Arus said the group's leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is on U.N. terror watch list, is among those to have joined Al Shabaab and there will be no Islamic party structure any longer. Members from Al Shabaab are seen to be taking control of all positions previously held by the Islamic party both in and around Mogadishu, according to residents in the capital. Al Shabaab and Hiz bul Islam, as the Islamic party is locally known, have fought bitterly in some parts of southern Somalia. The two groups have struggled for control of the lucrative port city of Kismayo. In all the cycles of fighting, it was the Islamic party or Hiz bul Islam who lost, according to observers. Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report . | Militant party says it is joining with Al Shabaab .
The party, known locally as Hiz bul Islam, is being absorbed by harder-lined group .
The party had been on the losing side in struggles with Al Shabaab . |
216,613 | a470f64fb7301ad8554ae9b3ddf24f80e81fd04c | The 'biggest national security threat' to the U.S. at this juncture is not terrorists abroad, says former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, it's Congress. 'It's the total dysfunction in Washington. The fact that so little can be done by the Congress,' Panetta told CNN's Jim Acosta on Sunday during an appearance on State of the Union. Earlier in the broadcast Panetta, the Pentagon chief from 2011 to 2013, said ISIS 'truly represents kind of a whole new face in the war on terrorism' because the extremist group is well-funded, well-armed and 'has a strong command and control.' 'And as a result of that, I think that they can conduct the kind of offensive operations that can be very effective,' he said, and therefore they must 'be met tooth and nail with everything we've got.' The United States needs to bolster its strategy in confronting ISIS if it is going to achieve its mission of degrading and destroying the terror group, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Sunday . ISIS, Panetta told CNN's Jim Acosta, 'is a whole new chapter in terms of the terrorist threat to that area and to our country.' But the 'biggest' threat to U.S. national security is the dysfunction of Congress, he said . ISIS, he proclaimed, 'is a whole new chapter in terms of the terrorist threat to that area and to our country.' Panetta said President Barack Obama has the 'right pieces in place to try to confront ISIS' and noted that the U.S. and its partners have 'made some important gains' in stopping the territorial expansion of militants in Iraq. But even after prompting from fill-in host Acosta, Panetta would not say he agreed with Obama's claim last week that the United States' coalition 'is on the offensive' and ISIS 'is on the defensive.' The president's 'strategy has to be bolstered in a strong way,' he asserted. 'We've got to be able to ensure that we are committed every day of the week towards making sure that this strategy works, that we disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat ISIS.' Panetta acknowledged, as he did in his memoir, released in October of last year, that Obama and his administration bungled its response to the chaos in Syria and that the White House should have asked Congress for the authority to fight ISIS at least six months before it did. The U.S. has been carrying out airstrikes on ISIS in Iraq since August, Syria since September, but it did not make a formal request to Congress for power to go to war with the terrorist group and its affiliates until last week. The White House has been relying on a 9/11 era document for its authority to carry out military operations in the two countries. It last week asked Congress to tear up a 2001 Authorization of Military Force Agreement and replace it was an updated 'right-sized' resolution giving the president the ability to conduct an air and ground war against ISIS in any country it invades. Despite its close work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to come up with a draft that satisfied both political parties, legislators are dissatisfied with the president's request for varying reasons. They have suggested they would not support the proposed AUMF in its current form. In this photo taken last Wednesday, President Barack Obama (center) delivers a statement on the legislation he sent to Congress earlier in the day to authorize the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIS, while Vice President Joe Biden (left) and Secretary of State John Kerry (second right) and then-Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (right) listen. The following day Ash Carter was confirmed by the Senate as Pentagon head, replacing Hagel . Panetta lashed out at Congress on Sunday for Members' unwillingness to put aside their differences to pass legislation addressing key problems. They can't 'resolve the issue of homeland security. They can't deal with budgets. They can't deal with immigration reform. They can't deal with infrastructure. They can't deal with other issues,' he said, referencing a dispute over funding for Homeland Security that must end by Feb. 28 to avoid a partial shutdown of the department. 'If they wind up not being able to deal with this war authorization, that sends a terrible message to the world,' Panetta warned. The former Defense head and CIA director stressed that ISIS 'is not an enemy that you can kind of stand aside and not confront.' 'If we stand aside, if we don't get involved, if we don't provide leadership, unfortunately, nobody else will,' he claimed. 'That's why it's important for us to take a leadership position' in Iraq, Syria and 'elsewhere in confronting terrorism,' he said. Panetta said he had 'tremendous confidence' in newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's skill set and ability to steer the president toward victory in the country's battle against ISIS. 'He's very bright,' Panetta said. Noting that Carter served as his No. 2 at the Pentagon, Panetta said the new military chief knows the Department of Defense inside out. But 'in the end, it's the president who has to ultimately decide' whether to take the advice of his top military advisers, he said, or not. | 'It's the total dysfunction in Washington. The fact that so little can be done by the Congress,' Panetta said during an appearance on State of the Union .
He said ISIS 'truly represents kind of a whole new face in the war on terrorism'; they must 'be met tooth and nail with everything we've got'
'If we stand aside, if we don't get involved, if we don't provide leadership, unfortunately, nobody else will,' he claimed .
Panetta served as Secretary of Defense from 2011 to 2013, and before that he directed the CIA for Obama . |
267,040 | e5e3f28cd929cf9b9df0ebe0a39be186920427b7 | A Porsche owner was left facing a £15,000 repair bill after she lent her beloved car to her friend who filled it up with the wrong fuel. Businessman Alan Thompson, 64, wanted to thank friend Elizabeth Moulton, 66, by returning her Cayenne 4x4 with a full tank after borrowing it for the weekend - but he pumped petrol into the luxury off-roader unaware it actually ran on diesel. Mrs Moulton . immediately noticed the £50,000 Cayenne had a problem and drove the spluttering . car to her local Porsche dealership - with Mr Thompson offering to pay . for the damage. But . they were left angry when the dealership quoted her £14,600 to fix the car, . before another garage eventually solved the problem for just . £1,000. Alan Thompson and Liz Moulton were left angry when they were given a £15,000 repair bill after Mr Thompson accidentally put the wrong fuel in her Porsche Cayenne . Mr Thompson said: 'I wanted to take it back with a full tank. She drove off and I had no idea there was a problem. 'It is a common and very easy mistake to make when especially when you get to my age, when one frequently makes mistakes. 'We all make mistakes but I do object to being ripped-off to such a ludicrous extent by Porsche who I have found to be unsympathetic, inefficient and unhelpful.' The dealership Mrs Moulton originally took the car to in Stratford, East London, said the Porsche needed new fuel pumps, fuel lines, a fuel distributor, pressure regulator and sensor, six high pressure injectors, a fuel hose and even a replacement fuel tank - quoting her £14,60 for the work. Mr Thompson then got quotes from other official Porsche dealers and found their prices ranging from £5,000 to £10,000. But he eventually found a garage who would solve the problem it for £1,000 - and Mr Thompson has accused Porsche of trying to rip him off. Mr Thompson wanted to say thank you to Ms Moulton by returning the car with a full tank after he borrowed it for a weekend . Mrs Moulton has forgiven her friend the blunder, but is angry at Porsche for trying to charge her nearly £15,000 to solve a problem which eventually cost £1,000 to fix . Mr Thompson, who drives a Mercedes, says a local Mercedes dealer told him they charge £450 when it happens to their cars. The garage he ended up using carried out the work for just over £1,000 - with the 4x4 not needing any of the new parts Porsche had listed. They removed the fuel, fitted a new fuel filter, filled it with a fuel flush detergent to clean out the remainder of the contaminated fuel and then filled it with the diesel. They charged him £1,103 for parts, labour and VAT and the Cayenne is now running as it was before the mix-up. Mr . Thompson said: 'I'm happy as I'm over £12,000 better off than if Liz had . had Porsche Stratford carry out the work as per their estimate of . £13,169.24. 'Porsche should invest another £20 on fitting a fail-safe device to their new vehicles as BMW, Ford and Land Rover do. The fuel cap cover is clearly labelled with the correct type of fuel, but Mr Thompson say Porsche should fit the cars with a device that prevents users filling up with the wrong kind . Mr Thompson is not alone in making the mistake, over 120,000 motorists fill up their car with the wrong fuel each year, prompting some manufacturers to fit safeguards . 'I am pretty sure that every potential buyer of a new Porsche diesel will be delighted to pay £100 for what I would regard as a must have option.' Mr Thompson, from Hadley Wood, North London, said Mrs Moulton was very understanding about his fuel blunder. Mrs Moulton said: 'I was dumbstruck when I was told the cost, I didn't know what to say or do. I couldn't be furious with Alan but I was furious with Porsche. I just thought "for goodness sake". 'Now the work has been carried out, the car is running brilliantly. I just think Porsche should be taken to task over this.' Porsche have defended the original quote they gave, insisting other parts of the engine would have become damaged and would have needed replacing . But . Porsche defended itself over the incident, saying the quote was . 'representative of the work that is recommended to be undertaken in this . situation'. A statement from the German manufacturer said: 'By not only filling the tank with petrol but also driving the vehicle with the wrong fuel, it is likely that the engine (in particular the fuel system) suffered considerable damage. 'As diesel fuel acts as both a lubricant and a fuel in a diesel engine, the contrasting solvent-effect of petrol could also have caused longer-term impact on the cylinders, valves, pistons etc. In short, it is highly damaging to the engine.' Porsche added its diesel vehicles are fitted with warning labels on the fuel flap and surrounding area which highlight 'very clearly' the type of fuel the car requires. Over 120,000 motorists fill their car with the wrong fuel each year and a number of manufacturers now having safeguards to prevent it from happening. | Alan Thompson borrowed friend Elizabeth Moulton's Cayenne 4x4 .
He wanted to return it with full tank, but put in petrol instead of diesel .
The friends were left angry after Porsche tried to charge £15,000 for repairs .
They eventually found a garage which solved the problem for £1,000 .
Mr Thompson says the company should fit a device to prevent the mistake .
But Porsche stand by their original quote, saying other engine parts would have needed replacing after the blunder . |
65,846 | baebfb817879891df9c6d07393ecee913c4af3fa | (CNN) -- NBA players and owners did not reach a deal early Thursday on the bitter labor struggle that has postponed the basketball season, but the two sides agreed to meet again later in the day to continue with the negotiations. NBA commissioner David Stern had said that players had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to accept the terms of a labor offer that would give players between 49% and 51% of basketball revenues. If it didn't accept the deal, the NBA would offer another proposal that would offer players 47% of basketball revenues. Stern said he had frozen that deadline to allow negotiations to continue. "Every day that we lose another game it causes both sides to recognize the damage," Stern told reporters. Both sides met for about 12 hours Wednesday and early Thursday morning. "We spent a lot of time covering all of the issues that we still have remaining, but we can't say there was significant progress made today," Fisher said. The NBA season has been canceled through at least November 30, and the two sides are hoping they can reach a resolution before more games are called off. Stern has said the 2010-2011 season was not profitable for most of the league's 30 owners, who want cost-cutting help from players. The league lost as much as $300 million last season, according to Stern. One of the battles has focused on the owners' rejection of calls by the players' union for an average $7 million player salary in the sixth year of a new labor deal. The current average salary is about $5 million. Other big issues include a fight over a move by owners to gain the bigger share of revenues and whether the NBA will strengthen its salary cap. The league's owners began a lockout of players in early July. | Both sides agree to meet Thursday .
"We can't say there was significant progress made today," Derek Fisher says .
The league's owners began a lockout of players in early July . |
109,004 | 188573ce13bf36515b859a73d61761ff5f2cb286 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 05:58 EST, 16 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:34 EST, 16 January 2014 . The grieving mother of a baby who died just hours after his birth has claimed two hospitals would not admit her when she started bleeding heavily. Christina Evans says Good Hope and Birmingham Women’s Hospitals both said they were unable to treat her as they were full. Jayden Lee Potts’ short life came to an end just hours after he was born, 16 weeks early, at Birmingham City Hospital. Christina Evans (pictured with her daughter, Elisha) says two hospitals were unable to admit her when she started bleeding heavily six weeks before her due date with baby Jayden . His mother said that before she was admitted to City Hospital and underwent a Caesarean section, both Birmingham Women’s and Good Hope Hospitals informed ambulance crews they didn’t have the capacity to admit her. The 25-year-old, from Rhyl, north east Wales, was visiting her father in Kingstanding, Birmingham, when the tragedy occurred. She has now called for a review of emergency hospital spaces for women in premature labour. ‘It was horrible,’ she said. ‘It felt like no-one cared about us. ‘Jayden was born after an emergency Caesarean section and weighed just 1lbs 9oz. I don’t ever want another woman to have to go through what I did.’ Ms Evans’ brother called 999 when she started bleeding heavily while staying with her father on November 1. She started bleeding because her placenta had ruptured. Ms Evans was eventually admitted to Birmingham City Hospital after being told Good Hope and Birmingham Women's Hospitals were too full. Jayden was delivered by C section but died soon afterwards . She claims paramedics spent precious moments calling hospitals in a bid to find a place for her to deliver Jayden. A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: ‘Being a visitor from north Wales, the patient was not booked into a maternity unit in Birmingham to have the birth. ‘As such, and to avoid the possibility of having to make a subsequent hospital transfer, the ambulance crew rang round local hospitals to establish who was able to accept her. ‘The situation was being explained to the patient while the ambulance crews were making the enquiries with hospitals. Good Hope Hospital says it's surprised Ms Evans was told by paramedics that she could not be taken there . ‘The first hospital to accept was City Hospital and she was taken there straight away.’ Following the tragedy, Ms Evans is now back in Rhyl with her partner Kriston, 21, and four-year-old daughter, Elisha. Concerns premature maternity services could be critically over-stretched have heightened after bosses at Birmingham Women’s Hospital admitted they were full to bursting on the night Ms Evans needed treatment. Birmingham Women's Hospital says it would have been 'clinically unsafe' to admit Ms Evans that evening as the hospital was very full . Chief executive at the hospital, Professor Ros Keeton, said it would have been ‘clinically unsafe’ to admit the mother. She said: ‘We are very sorry to hear of Mrs Evans’ traumatic experience and extend our sympathies for her loss. ‘We would like to reassure the public that Birmingham Women’s Hospital would never turn away an emergency patient because she wasn’t from the area and, indeed, we accept emergencies on a regular basis. Ms Evans says she hopes no other woman ever has to go through what she experienced . ‘The only reasons we would decline such an admission would be if we did not have the capacity to take a woman or her baby, and to do so would be clinically unsafe. ‘On this particular evening we could not offer the neonatal intensive care cot which Jayden would have needed, as all of our 39 cots were full. ‘The cross-city policy is for such emergencies to be referred to the unit with the specialist resources available.’ Maggie Coleman, matron and site lead for Maternity Clinical Services at Good Hope Hospital, said: 'We would like to send our sincerest condolences to Ms Evans at this very sad time. The safety and care of women and their unborn babies is our top priority and we have strict guidelines stating a woman would never be refused admittance to our maternity unit. 'Good Hope Hospital is a designated level 1, Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), which provides special care only to premature babies of 34 weeks gestation and above. 'Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust is part of the South-West Midlands Newborn Network (SWMNN), and has a level 1 unit at Good Hope Hospital and a level 3 unit at Heartlands Hospital. 'We take patient feedback very seriously and are surprised to hear that the paramedics told Ms Evans that we refused to admit her. I would urge Ms Evans to get in touch with us directly so we can investigate her concerns.' Jayden’s parents have also lodged a complaint against Birmingham City Hospital, alleging a delay in providing a death certificate meant they could not take the baby’s body home for a week. A spokesman for Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs City Hospital, said: ‘The death of any baby is very tragic and we understand that this is a difficult time for Christina and her family. ‘We have already provided a full and detailed response to Christina regarding the issues she has raised and would like to reiterate our sincere condolences to Christina and her family.’ | Christina Evans called an ambulance when she started bleeding 16 weeks before Jayden's due date - she was staying with her father in Birmingham .
She says paramedics called Birmingham Women's Hospital and Good Hope Hospital but both said they were too full already to admit her .
They eventually took her to Birmingham City Hospital where Jayden was delivered by C section - he died a few hours later . |
268,971 | e86cb47a671145b10dda2d4ddbcb52373b6c69c9 | An artist has created a series of hyper realistic finger paintings which look just like choppy seas, and spectacular icy landscapes. Zaria Forman, 31, whose works take up to a month to complete, has created the landscapes to document the ever-changing beauty of regions affected by climate change. Forman, from Brooklyn in New York, USA, led an Arctic expedition to the north west coast of Greenland purposely with the aim of creating art inspired by the dramatic geography. Her mother, Rena Bass Forman, originally came up with the idea but died before her daughter could see it through, and so she promised to carry out the journey in her name. After formal training at Skidmore college Forman now exhibits extensively in galleries and venues throughout the United States and overseas. Forman's drawings that served as the set design for the classic ballet Giselle, and were used in the set design for House of Cards, a Netflix TV series directed by David Fincher and starring Kevin Spacey. The paintings are put on sale on her own personal site, ranging in price from £3,000 ($6,000) to £4,500 (around $9,000). Her main focus is pictures of the ocean, with much of her art taking the form of pictures of sea spray on the shore, or water cascading over rocks or icebergs . Zaria Forman paints waters that are incredibly choppy, and ones that are serenely still, with both giving her a unique challenge in her work as an artist . Zaria Forman, the artist behind the seascape visages. Forman uses layers of paint to make the distinctive shadows and ripples that make her works of art look so real . (Left) Forman's landscapes are an attempt to capture the beauty of randomly formed icy landscapes. (Right) Forman uses a variety of different techniques, from paint to chalk, to create her vistas . In addition to exhibitions, recent projects include a series of drawings that served as the set design for the classic ballet Giselle, which premiered in October 2012 at the Grand Theatre of Geneva, Switzerland. Ten of the drawings were also used in the set design for House of Cards, a Netflix TV series directed by David Fincher and starring Kevin Spacey . Some of Forman's works of art look hyper-realistic, while others are more artistically vivid, but all of them revolve around the same theme . Sometimes the sea takes a backseat in focus to other parts of the picture, like the photo-realistic clouds, and the wind blowing spray into the air . Zaria Forman was formally trained at Skidmore college, and now exhibits extensively in galleries and venues throughout the U.S. and overseas . Each of Forman's pictures are an attempt to capture a unique part of the landscape, where sometimes the icebergs and land masses are the focus, and other times they take a back seat to the ocean . Some of Forman's pictures look so realistic you would be forgiven for thinking that they are simply photographs rather than laborious works of art . The artworks all seem to capture a particular theme; cold, made possible by Forman's extensive use of rich, deep, blue coloured paints . Originally from Brooklyn in New York, Forman, led an Arctic expedition to the north west coast of Greenland purposely with the aim of creating art inspired by the dramatic geography . Some of Forman's works of art have been inspired by standing on the shores of the ocean, while others were inspired by the arctic voyage . Forman's mother, Rena Bass Forman, originally came up with the idea but sadly didn't live to see it through . The finger paintings also seem to capture warmer seas, with this particular image looking more like tropical ocean than arctic ocean . Some of Forman's works have gone on sale for around $9,000 in private sales and auctions, and many are advertised on an artwork selling site . In her paintings, Zaria Forman has not only captured the freezing cold areas, but also the time of day, with many pictures depicting different stages of her voyage to the icy seas . This picture, depicting flowing seas disrupting calmer ones, was perhaps inspired by the view from a boat voyage, of the sea rather than a larger vista . Forman in her studio. The paintings are put created on boards placed and affixed against the wall, before they are transformed into works of art . | After training at Skidmore college Zaria Forman now exhibits extensively in venues throughout the United States .
Forman, from Brooklyn in New York, was inspired by her mother to capture an arctic expedition through art .
In addition to exhibitions, her drawings .
served as the set design for the classic ballet Giselle .
Ten of the drawings were also used in the set design for House of Cards, a .
Netflix TV series starring Kevin Spacey . |
158,156 | 587e94c0e8c042d30ff13746ac23199d3c6fef98 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 06:23 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:46 EST, 6 June 2013 . Accused: Shane Hawkins murdered his 11-month-old baby son by violently shaking him before giving six different versions of how he died, a court heard . A father murdered his 11-month-baby by violently shaking and throwing him before giving six different versions of how he died, a court heard. Shane Hawkins, 25, allegedly shook eleven-month-old Kaydon before 'throwing him down' causing bleeding and swelling to his brain and eyes. The court was told a neighbour above the flat shared by . Hawkins and his girlfriend Anna Libby heard arguing on the . day Kaydon was rushed to the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Miss Libby left for work leaving their . son with Hawkins - but just 17 minutes later he was forced to dial 999 . to summon paramedics to the property. Kaydon was rushed to hospital on December 11, 2010 but died three days later. Hawkins, of Bodmin, Cornwall, denies murder at Truro Crown Court. Martin Meeke, prosecuting, said: . 'Kaydon was only 11 months old when he died and we say this defendant . killed him by shaking him so violently that it caused brain injuries . that he could not recover from. 'Having shaken him, he either threw him down in his cot or struck his head, causing bruising to his head.' The trial heard Hawkins gave six different reasons of how his son died. He first told paramedics that Kaydon had fallen - then told a hospital doctor he had slipped from his arms and hit his head on the floor. He then told a friend the baby had gone 'floppy' and later Hawkins explained to a medic that he dropped Kaydon on the carpeted floor. Injuries: Hawkins, 25, allegedly shook eleven-month-old Kaydon violently before 'throwing him down' causing bleeding and swelling to his brain and eyes. The baby was rushed to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, pictured, but later died . Upset: At the start of his trial today at Truro Crown Court, Hawkins, pictured, sobbed in the dock as opening of the case was outlined . His fifth version of events came after . he told another doctor Kaydon had started vomiting before telling police . his son had banged his head on a heater. Mr Meeke told the court: 'On the day Kaydon was . taken to hospital, a neighbour in the flat above reported hearing . arguments and things being thrown around. 'He then heard a huge thud which got his . attention and he wondered what it could be, 20 minutes later he noticed . the blue lights outside.' Fiona Libby, Anna Libby's sister, told the court Kaydon had previously showed signs of injury. She said: 'When he was two to three weeks old he had two black eyes, just under his eyes and slight bruising on his nose. 'When he was a month old he had a cut mouth, his lip was cut and all his gums were black. 'The only time I remember him not having marks on him was when Shane was working full time.' She continued: 'Once, Shane picked him up and Kaydon began crying like he was scared, I've never seen him cry like that before.' The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Shane Hawkins, 25, allegedly shook .
eleven-month-old Kaydon violently .
Court heard he threw him, causing .
bleeding and swelling to his brain .
Hawkins and girlfriend heard arguing on .
day baby was rushed to hospital .
25-year-old denies murder at Truro Crown Court .
He was pictured apparently reacting to press cameras outside court . |
171,024 | 695ac34ab0f95a2302da71e35e7ed905ecc0b769 | By . Steve Doughty, Social Affairs Correspondent . Mothers who fail to obey court rulings will in future be 'brought up short, according to Appeal Court judge Lord Justice McFarlane, pictured . Separated mothers must no longer get away with ‘Catherine Tate justice’ that prevents fathers from seeing their children, a senior judge said. No mother should be able to ignore court orders, stop a father ever meeting his children, and then tell him ‘Am I bothered?’, Appeal Court judge Lord Justice McFarlane said. He said that radical fathers’ groups were right to complain that men were often wrongly shut out of their children’s lives. Mothers who fail to obey court rulings will in future be ‘brought up short’, the judge said. The warning from Sir Andrew McFarlane, one of the country’s most experienced family judges, follows a series of reforms earlier this year designed to speed up cases which decide on how separated parents will share the care of their children. It follows years of failure to enforce orders giving fathers contact with their children. In around 4,000 cases a year fathers go back to court repeatedly to try to get access to their children because mothers defy the courts. Judges have rarely fined or imprisoned intransigent mothers because most believe that to punish the mother would harm the children. At one point the last Labour government considered, and then dropped, the idea of making disobedient mothers wear electronic tags. Sir Andrew said in a speech that he hoped the reforms introduced this spring will compel more mothers to stick to the rules. ‘Where, post separation, a child lives with one parent, it is hard to underestimate the expectation that the system will now place upon that parent to respect and to meet the need for the child to have a good, sound, ordinary relationship with the other parent,’ he said. ‘These changes should, and in my view must, mark the end to what I might call the Catherine Tate approach to post-separation parenting, where the parent who holds all the trump cards, because the child is currently living with them, simply shrugs her shoulders and says to the other parent, who merely wants to see his child, “Am I bothered?”’ Sir Andrew said that groups like the radical Fathers 4 Justice ¿ which organised disruptive demonstrations at landmarks and in parliament in the 2000s ¿ had a case. A campaigner is pictured dressed as Batman on a balcony at Buckingham Palace in 2004 . ‘The system, the law, now requires them to be bothered. They have a responsibility to be bothered and if they persist in abdicating from that responsibility they can expect all those they encounter in and around the court system to bring them up short.’ Sir Andrew said that groups like the radical Fathers 4 Justice – which organised disruptive demonstrations at landmarks and in parliament in the 2000s – had a case. ‘Whilst deprecating some of their tactics, I had, in the course of a number of meetings, sat down in calm circumstances and listened to the stories of a number of fathers who considered that they had been profoundly let down by the system. ‘Whilst it might be that there are genuine, child focused, reasons why individual members of the various fathers’ groups have been denied contact, that could not be said of most of the individuals I have met in that context over the years. There is, in my view, a core validity to the essential complaints that these fathers make.’ | Mothers who fail to obey rulings will be 'brought up short', judge says .
Appeal Court judge Justice McFarlane says men often wrongly shut out of their children's lives .
In a speech, he says separated mothers must no longer get away with 'Catherine Tate Justice' |
220,362 | a93f689195cc39117fd8baf9a14e2f6f17baa224 | French-born Fabrice Anthamatten, 39, was convicted in both France and Switzerland on rape charges dating back as far as 2001 . A man-hunt is underway in Switzerland after the body of a Swiss therapist was found dead in the woods in Switzerland just hours after she had escorted a convict on a reintegration to society session. Adeline Morel, a 34-year-old mother and therapist, went missing with Fabrice Anthamatten, 39, yesterday. Her body was hidden in a bag in the woods in Versoix near the Swiss city. Anthamatten had been charged with rapes going back more than 10 years. French-born Anthamatten was serving out his sentence at Geneva’s Champ-Dollon prison - he was convicted in both France and Switzerland on rape charges dating back as far as 2001. Back then he was given a five-year sentence for rape and in 2003 he was given another 15 years. The pair failed to show up for an equestrian therapy session scheduled for yesterday morning. They were seen travelling in a white Citröen Berlingo with licence plates GE 719 149, according to local police. Police forces in Switzerland, France and Germany are combing the area around Geneva and Basel, using helicopters and policedogs, following a tip-off that Anthamatten may be hiding there. Anthamatten was permitted to leave the Geneva prison under Morel’s escort for the purposes of 'reintegrating' him into society, thelocal.com writes. A criminal investigation has been launched into the affair, while Anthamatten remains on the run. The case has raised questions about leniency towards convicts and how a convicted rapist could have been trusted to leave the prison with only a woman as an escort. Geneva, Switzerland: Adeline Morel's body was hidden in a bag in the woods in Versoix near the Swiss city . It also resembles another case in May this year, when convicted murderer Claude Dubois, 36, strangled a 19-year-old woman in Payerne in the Canton of Vaud, the French-speaking western part of Switzerland. Dubois, who was later arrested, was serving a prison sentence at home while wearing an electronic surveillance bracelet. | Anthamatten, 39, was permitted to leave prison under Morel’s escort for purpose of 'reintegrating' him into society .
The pair failed to show up for an equestrian therapy session scheduled for yesterday morning .
The case has raised questions how criminal could have been trusted to leave prison with only a .
woman escort . |
49,793 | 8cc7b7186f1ae09e52c89e74c49610990c710d99 | (CNN) -- Every woman who's worked in an office has her story about discrimination or, as they say in the HR confabs, "inappropriate behavior." Mine is the day I was chatting with colleagues in a newsroom some years back when I suddenly felt two meaty hands massaging my shoulders. "I'm not sure who you are," I said before turning to face my uninvited masseur. "But take your (expletive-deleted) hands off me." The mystery hands belonged to my editor. I thought about that day while reading "The Good Girls Revolt," the just-published history of the first class-action discrimination lawsuit ever brought against a media organization in 1970. Lynn Povich, a 47-year journalism veteran who started as a secretary in the Paris bureau of Newsweek magazine in 1965, tells the story of 46 women with degrees from top schools who got tired of a system that relegated them to jobs checking facts and clipping newspaper stories, while men with similar credentials got the bylines and big salaries. Povich and her female coworkers recruited fellow plaintiffs at secret meetings in the ladies' room. They hired Eleanor Holmes Norton, the civil rights lawyer who today is a District of Columbia congresswoman. And then they announced their lawsuit on March 16, 1970, inspiring the headline "Newshens Sue Newsweek for Equal Rights" in the New York Daily News, which went out of its way to note that most of the plaintiffs were young, "and most of them pretty." The magazine's official response: "The fact that most researchers at Newsweek are women and that virtually all writers are men stems from a newsmagazine tradition going back almost fifty years." Noted. A string of similar lawsuits against other news organizations ensued, and journalism's male guard was embarrassed into making some changes. Today, a woman is editor of the New York Times, and a woman has just been named that newspaper's public editor. You might think that gutsy efforts like those of the "Dollies," as the Newsweek women were called by their male bosses, would have led to a media world that was all fixed on the gender front 42 years later. You'd be thinking wrong. It's a funny thing about journalism. The public has this idea that the media world is run by bleeding-heart liberals more focused on homeless shelters than tax shelters. You know, progressive thinkers looking to change the world. Reality is it's a business like most others, run largely by men who push back at serious threats to their authority. In the old days, I had to stand up to cretins like Massage Man. Betsy Carter, a Newsweek researcher who would go on to found New York Woman Magazine in 1987, had to put up with some guy she barely knew who walked by on deadline and "planted a soft kiss on her neck," as Povich describes it. Today's woman journalists are less likely to get massaged and smooched on the job. But 42 years after that lawsuit, women are still shut out: Men make up 60% of newspaper employees, write 80% of newspaper op-eds and author most articles in "thought leader" magazines such as the New Yorker, which last year had 242 female bylines, 613 male. The record for "new media" is better than print, though men and women are still nowhere near parity. In a report earlier this year, the Op-Ed Project said 33% of op-eds in the Huffington Post and on Salon were written by women. At Newsweek, where a woman, Tina Brown, has run the show since the merger of Newsweek and The Daily Beast website in November of 2010, the imbalance has improved in the four decades since the women's lawsuit. In a March 18, 2010 cover story "Are We There Yet" written by three Newsweek women, the authors said 39 percent of the people on the masthead were women, up from 25% in 1970. But men still had the star power, writing 43 of the 49 cover stories the previous year. Now try to square those numbers with these: Over the past 10 years, between 70 and 76% of all journalism and mass communications graduates have been women. At one of my journalism jobs, I blew a fuse one day over my male colleagues getting the high-profile web page spots where readers would find their stories while my work was out of sight. I complained, and my boss shot back an e-mail saying I'd cooked up a "conspiracy theory." Lest I should get any future impulses to be uppity, he warned, "I don't plan to address this issue again." Even a newshen with a byline is supposed to know her place. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Susan Antilla. | Susan Antilla: Women used to be routinely harassed and passed over in newsrooms .
She says more women have gotten better posts, but men still dominate the business .
She says men have 60% of jobs at papers, write 80% of op-eds and get far more bylines .
Antilla: Women are up to 76% of recent news grads; what's wrong with this picture? |
136,172 | 3c2af561820ae8b898f31b562d706fda831f2125 | PUBLISHED: . 00:10 EST, 11 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:03 EST, 11 February 2014 . Free to study: Rudy Guede is being allowed out of prison after serving just six years of sentence for the murder of Meredith Kercher . The drifter convicted for the killing of Meredith Kercher has insisted Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are guilty of her murder, as it was revealed he is being allowed to leave prison to study for a degree. Rudey Guede, 27, who is serving a 16 year jail sentence for the murder and sexual assault of Meredith, spoke out as it emerged he is now eligible for day release after serving just six years of his sentence. Because of the Italian legal system Guede is entitled to early release as he has served almost half his sentence - and has been a model prisoner with no incidents of misbehaviour during his time in prison, the Daily Mirror reports. In a letter to his lawyer Walter Biscotti, he said: ‘I want to underline that the people who committed this terrible crime are still free and that the truth has still not emerged and that it will never be found, especially if people continue to listen to false testimony and liars.‘All I have heard is lies and a distortion of the facts especially when it comes to my character. The judiciary must seek to establish the truth because that night I did not kill anyone and the people responsible for what happened that tragic night are still free.‘The court still insists that I was guilty of sexual assault but I did not commit that crime and even the autopsy proves that. This is a painful episode for me and for Meredith’s family. I am seen as the ideal guilty person but I had nothing to do with this.’ Guede was initially convicted under a fast track trial in 2008 and sentenced to 30 years in jail for Meredith’s murder and sexual assault but this was later reduced to 16 years on appeal. During his trial he admitted being at . the murder scene but he insisted he had been in the toilet at the time . Meredith was attacked, and that he emerged to see ‘someone resembling . Sollecito’ fleeing the scene and ‘Knox outside the house’ where the . murder took place in Perugia in November 2007. British student Meredith Kercher was found with her throat cut in her bedroom in the central Italian city of Perugia. Rudy Guede was found guilty of murder and sexual assault . DNA tests established Guede was at the scene after his fingerprints were found in Meredith’s blood and he was also identified from a faeces specimen found in a toilet at the house. He told the court that convicted him that he had found Meredith bleeding to death and then tried to save her by stemming a wound to her neck but then fled as he relaised she was dying. Last night Guede’s lawyer Valter . Biscotti confirmed that Guede was now eligible for parole and had been . given permission to study at an undisclosed university near Perugia but . he had not yet left prison to take up his place on the course. He said: ‘Rudy can go out of prison for . several hours at a time now and that’s the law all over Italy. He spends . his days studying history. Raffaele Sollecito has been ordered to serve 25 years and Amanda Knox 28 years after a judge upheld their original guilty verdicts for the murder of Meredith Kercher . 'He spends some hours with a teacher, we don’t want to say where he is because he will get swamped by people from all over the world. ‘At the moment he’s not going out. But he can if he wants to, he just has to make an application. Last month an appeal court in Florence upheld the original murder convictions on Knox and Sollecito and a judge ordered that she serve 28 years while he was given 25 years - although neither sentence has been enforced as a further appeal stage has to be concluded. Both Knox and Sollecito have insisted they are innocent and have blamed Guede for the murder with Sollecito saying: ‘There is no evidence of me or Amanda at the scene while Guede’s DNA is everywhere.’ | Rudey Guede is serving a 16 .
year sentence for murder and sexual assault .
Allowed out on day release to study History at university near Perugia .
Eligible as he has been a model prisoner with no incidents of misbehaviour .
He insists Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are guilty of the murder . |
190,626 | 82cdd136b1a77b52359da714a5af42048c4f1db1 | By . Julian Robinson . A firefighter started blazes himself in a bid to save his local closure-threatened fire station from being shut down, a court heard. Richard Naughton set fire to set fire to recycling skips in Knighton, Powys, Wales, to increase the number of call outs. A court heard the 33-year-old wanted to make the Knighton fire station - which had been threatened with closure - appear to be more viable. Richard Naughton, pictured left and right, thought he could help Knighton fire station in Powys appear more viable if there were more call outs . Richard Naughton, pictured with colleagues six in from the right in the back row, set fire to skips in Knighton, Powys . Naughton, of Knighton, admitted two charges of arson at a previous hearing in November last year. And JPs sentenced him to a 12-month community order with a positive skills course and 90 hours of unpaid work at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates' Court. Naughton was also ordered to pay £330 compensation to Powys County Council for damage to a skip, £225 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Richard Doyland said: 'This is a serious crime and you must pay back the community.' Richard Naughton, pictured, admitted two charges of arson at a court hearing in November last year . Magistrates heard that Richard Naughton set fire to the skips in a bid to save closure-threatened Knighton fire station, pictured . The court heard he admitted committing arson by damaging skips belonging to Knighton Recycling Centre on November 11 and November 18 last year. Magistrates were also told mechanic Naughton had been a retained firefighter for seven years but has since resigned. Defending him in court, Colonel Tim Van Rees said he had 'acted thoroughly stupid, though with good intentions.' He added: 'He loved serving his community and now he has resigned and he won’t be able to again.' | Richard Naughton set fire to skips to increase call outs, a court was told .
He wanted Knighton fire station in Powys to appear more viable, court hears .
Carried out arson attacks in a bid to save closure-threatened facility .
The 33-year-old handed community order after admitting to two charges .
He has since resigned from service after seven years as retained firefighter . |
99,119 | 0bad3b057c4c92e1f63a2b0e7f2a68a6ed3de7d2 | Jada, a Houston-area 16-year-old, was getting ready for finals week and looking forward to a summer hanging out with friends and finding a job. On June 1, she went to a friend of a friend's house party. She recalls little of what went on that evening, she told CNN, but does remember passing out and waking up the next morning at another friend's house with her clothing askew. Weeks later, she received text messages showing photos of her unconscious and undressed that appeared to have been taken at the party. Soon, those photos spread on social media, with Twitter users mimicking her passed-out pose and adding the hashtag #jadapose. Jada and her mother filed a police report about the incident June 22. "It is an active investigation," said Jodi Silva, a spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department. "We're following up on leads that have been given to us. We don't want to rush the investigation, because there are many facets to it." In light of the photos and humiliating #jadapose meme, Jada might have chosen to hide in shame. But in a time when all aspects of teen life have moved from private to public forums, something unique happened: She took hold of the story. Jada chose to show her face with the support of her mother, Sukiedia. (The family has not used their last name in interviews.) The teen began speaking to local and national media about the incident and took a photo with the hashtag #iamjada to reveal the real person behind the viral photos. "There's no point in hiding," she told a Houston television station. "Everybody has already seen my face and my body, but that's not what I am and who I am." From beauty queen to rape activist . CNN does not normally identify victims of sexual assault but is doing so in this case because the alleged victim is speaking out. Jada isn't the only alleged assault victim moving to reclaim her name and image. In 2013, Missouri teen Daisy Coleman spoke publicly with the support of her mother after claiming that she was raped by a popular member of her school's football team. Last spring, a young woman took to Twitter to ask rape victims to share what they were wearing when they were assaulted, to knock down the assumption that their attire "asked for it." It led to a discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #RapeHasNoUniform. "With the case of Jada, the very technology that was used to make matters worse was used to improve matters," said Stephen Balkam, who has a teenage daughter and is CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute. In the past week, as word spread about the #jadapose meme, messages of support have poured in. "Rape isn't funny," one post says. Social media users are adopting the #IamJada hashtag and posting photos of themselves with a fist raised in solidarity. "This could be you, me, or any woman or girl that we know. What do we plan to do about this ugly epidemic? #justiceforjada," actress Jada Pinkett Smith wrote on her Facebook page. Even as public support for Jada is swelling, it's clear that online abuse isn't going away anytime soon. "Teens need to understand that their online behavior has lasting and permanent impacts," Jim Steyer, a father of four and CEO of Common Sense Media, wrote in an e-mail. A 2011 Pew study found that 88% of social media-using teens reported that they have seen someone being mean to another person on a social network, and 15% of teens using social media reported being harassed. More teens are pushing back at this meme-ification of violence by speaking up and creating communities of kindness. But it can sometimes be a trickier path for parents to navigate, experts say. "Being proactive in our kids' online lives is key," Steyer wrote. "It's not just about turning off devices or encouraging responsible use. It's about creating a culture of empathy. It's about knowing what to say and do when your kid is at risk, monitoring (without spying), and knowing the difference between bullying and behavior that is 'kids being kids.' " When online abuse goes viral, it doesn't mean the pain is virtual -- and the solution isn't one size fits all. Scholar Danah Boyd writes about the importance of nuance in addressing online bullying in her book "It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens." "Blaming technology or assuming that conflict will disappear if technology usage is minimized is naive," she writes (PDF). "Recognizing where teens are at and why they engage in particular acts of meanness and cruelty is important to creating interventions that work." But parents don't have to do it alone. Resources on A Platform for Good can help guide conversations with teens about their digital reputation. Common Sense Media works with schools across America teaching the K-12 Digital Literacy and Citizenship curriculum. MTV's A Thin Line campaign aims to stop the spread of digital abuse. And author MacKenzie Bezos started the Bystander Revolution, which offers simple ideas to encourage kindness and defuse bullying. Having a dialogue with kids around acceptable online behavior can begin by talking about events in the news, such as #iamJada, or at school. That starts with teaching kids empathy and accountability. How to talk to your son about rape . Parents "should encourage their kids to be up-standers and not bystanders when they see something as negative as what was happening to Jada," Balkam said. Speaking up may not be easy, he adds, but it's worthwhile, whether you're a bystander or a victim of abuse. As for Jada, supporters are calling her "brave" and a "hero." And she is beginning to feel like one. "Yes, I feel like a heroine, because it takes courage to speak out and show your face, " she said. | A Houston teen told her story on television after photos of her passed out became a meme .
Hers is example of images depicting alleged abuse making the rounds among teens .
Parents can combat online abuse with resources and discussion, experts say . |
223,076 | acc98b4498d5d823580af394f73dc522f0acdd6a | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 04:22 EST, 7 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 7 January 2013 . Caution: Justice Minister Jeremy Wright says reform is needed after it emerged that record numbers of career criminals are getting off with warnings from police . More than 26,000 repeat offenders were given a caution or verbal warning instead of being taken before the court, figures from the Ministry of Justice have revealed. The figures, for the year up to June 2012, include up to 4,500 criminals with more than 15 previous offences on their criminal record. This means 4.9 per cent of all adult offenders escaped with a caution, the highest proportion on record and more than twice the 2.2 per cent recorded a decade ago, reported the Daily Telegraph. A total of 91,475 adult offenders were given a reprimand, warning or caution for a new crime and of those, 26,346 had three or more previous convictions or cautions. Nearly 4,500 were guilty of 15 or more previous offences. Dee Edwards, of the R and K Foundation, a crime victims' group, branded the figures 'horrendous' and called the criminal justice system a 'joke'. She said: 'Rehabilitation is clearly not working and yet we still give them nothing more than a smack on the wrist. 'We are letting people go off the rails and even the law is not taking responsibility for them.' The Magistrates’ Association recently made a statement warning that police were giving out cautions and fines in situations where criminals should be taken to court. Justice secretary Chris Grayling today said he was 'extremely concerned' by the figures. He said: 'I am extremely concerned by these figures and am already looking into how police cautions are being used. 'We shouldn't remove the right for police officers to exercise discretion but the public are right to expect that people who commit serious crimes will be brought before a court where very tough sentences are available.' The high use of out-of-court disposal such as a cautions, warnings or penalty notices for disorder was previously criticised in a joint report by the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. And think-tank the Policy Exchange last year warned serious offenders are escaping justice because of an erratic and inappropriate use of cautions and penalty notices. Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said: 'Criminals who commit serious crimes should always be prosecuted and brought before a court where very tough sentences are available. 'Reoffending has been shamefully high for too long and the public expect better. We can't keep having people going around and round the system. 'That is why we are reforming the criminal justice system so offenders are properly punished and the root causes of their behaviour addressed.' But Conservative MP Nick de Bois, a member of the Commons Justice Select Committee, said: 'These serial offenders see the justice system as just an inconvenience in their career in crime.' Hardened: A total of 4,483 criminals with 15 or more previous offences were given warnings or cautions by officers. File picture . | More criminals than ever are escaping court, Ministry of Justice figures show .
Nearly 27,000 repeat offenders received cautions in 2011-2012 .
Minister has promised reform so lawbreakers are 'properly punished' |
36,485 | 676c7f573f38300866746d7e4433ff071e3cafed | (CNN) -- Melissa McCarthy is one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood right now, so it's no wonder that Elle magazine named her one of their top 2013 "Women in Hollywood," and even put the plus-size comedian on the cover. However, some critics are crying foul at the cover shot, decrying it as fat-shaming. In an article for Slate.com, writer June Thomas laments, "McCarthy's hair covers a quarter of her gorgeous face, and with her hands stuffed deep into her coat pockets, the only visible flesh is a tiny triangle between the coat's lapels and the briefest glimpse of calf." Why Elle magazine got McCarthy right . McCarthy is seen wearing a large green coat that covers nearly her entire body, with unruly hair that also covers a portion of her face. In contrast, other actresses who had their own covers, such as Reese Witherspoon, showed off their bodies in figure-hugging outfits. People on Twitter expressed their outrage and disappointment: "#Elle Put Melissa McCarthy In A Big Coat To Hide Her Body - The coat is gorge, but the difference in shots is sad," tweeted Curvy Exchange, a community that buys and sells plus-sized fashion. Elle responded to the controversy by releasing a statement about the November issue: "On all of our shoots, our stylists work with the stars to choose pieces they feel good in, and this is no different," a spokesperson for the magazine said. "Melissa loved this look, and is gorgeous on our cover. We are thrilled to honor her as one of our Women in Hollywood this year." See the original story at HLNTV.com. | Actress graces the cover of Elle magazine's 2013 'Women in Hollywood' issue .
Critics say McCarthy hid her body, while other actresses showed off figures . |
139,239 | 4009d33411fb9ea051f965c30d4c6628e6fb6520 | A Colorado mother spent the night scared and ‘praying nothing would happen’ after she got a missed call from ‘Satan’. Jenn Vest was half asleep while breast-feeding her son when her phone rang from the number 1-666-666-666. After that call, she received 48 text messages from different numbers, all with only the single word ‘Satan’ in the messages. Scroll down for video... Freaky call: The Colorado woman got a missed call from the number, 116666660666 . 'Freaked out': Jenn Vest was half asleep on Monday night while breast-feeding her son when her phone rang from the number 1-666-666-666 which she says scared her so much she stayed awake all night . ‘It really freaked me out because I was half asleep feeding my son and it woke me up. She said she thought she might have been dreaming at first. 'Then I stayed up the rest of the night praying and hoping nothing would happen,’ Vest told KUSA TV. The woman said she tried calling the number back, only to get a recorded message saying the number was no longer in service. Bombardment from hell: Then Vest got 48 text messages in a row from different numbers all with the same message: 'SATAN' The phone number has been used to prank people in the past, sometimes with threatening messages telling people they were going to die. 'Yesterday I got a phone call and my mom answered it. It said "Ian Folk (my name) has three days to live". Of course my mom has been freaking out all day about it. i pushed last call on my phone and it says the number is 666-666-6666. I try to call it but it isn't a real number. it was pretty creepy,' says one person on a blog. Another person wrote: 'I just got a call from 666-666-6666 (which was creepy enough). An automated voice that sounded like the old Apple text to speech guy stammered sputnik at me for a bit then called me a f**kstick and told me to press 3 to remove myself from the calling list.' Vest said she did not know how someone had found her number but said she had recently hung up business flyers and thought that it could stem from them. According to one comment, there is nothing to be scared of and that it is an automated service people can use at the website, www.ospenterprises.com/phone/. People who want to play a prank of their friends can do it through that website, according to the comment. However, the said website was not working at the time this story was published. | Jenn Vest was breast-feeding her son when her mobile phone rang from the number 1-666-666-666 .
She received 48 texts with the word ‘Satan’ in the message .
Same phone number has been used to prank people before .
Sometimes the number sends threatening messages telling people they were going to die . |
205,331 | 95cb0eea58036ea0a3fb993d979baace927dff85 | By . Daniel Miller . A massive rockfall in the Yosemite National Park saw some 16,000 tonnes of boulders crash 500 feet down a cliff, obliterating everything in their path and closing a popular hiking trail. Officials say the rock fell . from a cliff above the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir east of Wapama Falls, crushing trees and sending up clouds of dust as it broke up into numerous boulders. Fresh boulders were left completely covering the slope, with many tumbling down into the reservoir below. Landslip: A cloud of dust is sent into the air after some 16,000 tonnes of boulders crash down the side of a slope in the Yosemite National Park . Park officials say nobody was hurt in the slide, which happened on March 31, but around 400 feet of the Rancheria Falls Trail were destroyed just east of the Wapama Creek footbridges. The trail will remain closed for the forseeable future, however Park officials say hikers can still get to Wapama Falls by starting at O'Shaughnessy Dam. The Rancheria Falls Trail, a 13 mile round trip, takes in a less popular section of Yosemite but still attracts many hikers providing stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Park officials say the rock crashed down from a cliff near Hetch Hetchy Reservoir east of Wapama Falls, crushing trees and sending up clouds of dust as it broke up into numerous boulders . | Falling boulders crush trees and send up clouds of dust .
400 feet of the popular Rancheria Falls Trail were destroyed .
Route now closed just east of the Wapama Creek footbridges .
Park officials say nobody was hurt . |
244,362 | c839d00c3a34ab8312ae5ad462a34d5a6ec41681 | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 11:24 EST, 6 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:50 EST, 7 March 2013 . The extraordinary number of football players suffering from brain damage has rocked the NFL - but the league's boss is worried that the scandal could go even further. Commissioner Roger Goodell has apparently admitted that a player could die in the middle of the game, and is 'terrified' that such an incident could wreck the sport's reputation for ever. The NFL chief is now working with players, team owners and even the Army in a desperate attempt to improve the league's safety record before tragedy strikes. Fears: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is said to be worried about the prospect of a player dying on field . Since taking over as NFL commissioner in 2006, Mr Goodell has worked to improve the league's reputation in this regard, introducing new regulations and harshly punishing the New Orleans Saints over their 'bounty' programme. A profile of the 54-year-old in ESPN The Magazine reveals that he is nonetheless haunted by the prospect of a player dying on the field thanks to a head injury. 'He's terrified of it,' a former player who knows Mr Goodell told the magazine. 'It wouldn't just be a tragedy. It would be awfully bad for business.' While football has always been a . violent and potentially dangerous game, the issue of player safety in . both the short and long term has recently come to the fore. A . number of former players, including Dave Duerson, Junior Seau and Ray . Easterling, have committed suicide over the past four years after . sustaining repeated concussions throughout their careers. Super Bowl: But America's most popular sport also has a dark side with the issue of player safety . Chuck Hughes is the only NFL player to have died during a game - he collapsed on the field with a heart attack while playing for the Detroit Lions in 1971. Many athletes in other sports have died while playing, notably soccer player Marc-Vivien Foé who collapsed and died during a game for Cameroon in 2003. NFL officials including Mr Goodell have often tried to downplay the dangers of their sport, though they have simultaneously worked hard behind the scenes to make it safer. The league has been working with the U.S. Army in an attempt to record players' concussions better, according to ESPN, and could adopt military technology embedded in soldiers' helmets which gathers data on every concussion sustained. Death: Linebacker Junior Seau killed himself last year after suffering brain damage from repeated concussions . Mr Goodell has received praise from NFL team owners - who collectively employ him and pay him nearly $30million a season. New York Giants boss John Mara said: 'Player safety is Roger's number one priority. It's something, quite frankly, that he wants as part of his legacy as a commissioner.' But others are more sceptical - lawyer Peter Ginsberg claimed that the commissioner 'doesn't view individual players as anything more than commodities for the business'. DeMaurice Smith, head of the NFL Players Association, who has often clashed with Mr Goodell, even accused him of endangering players by pushing to expand the season to 18 games. 'It is diabolically brilliant,' he told ESPN. 'It also happens to be completely inconsistent with health and safety.' | Former player who knows the NFL boss said he's 'terrified' it will happen .
Suicides of brain-damaged ex-players have damaged the sport's image .
But the league commissioner fears the next step will be a death on the field .
Received praise for safety record from owners but others are less happy . |
63,119 | b351a475af9e94c756b87f887dfea9cbb7f3e84c | Hundreds of British Muslims have travelled to Iraq to fight for the extreme jihadist group ISIS, terror experts have said. The Government believes more than 500 British citizens have left the UK and gone to join rebel fighters in Syria, with many of them feared to have crossed the border to join the uprising in Iraq. The ruthless ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) extremists control large areas of land in Syria and are now turning their attention to Iraq and particularly Baghdad, having already taken the cities of Mosul and Tikrit. Meanwhile, British security experts are also looking at the possibility that home-grown extremists trained by the ultra-violent group may bring terror back to the UK. Scroll down for video . Britons are leaving the UK to fight with the ultra-violent ISIS group in Syria and Iraq, it was claimed today . Bloodshed in Iraq: This video grab shows violence on the road to Baghdad as ISIS marched south today . Carnage: Isis fighters, who took Mosul, pictured, earlier this week, are known for their violence and ruthlessness . One terror expert told MailOnline today: 'There is a fairly high chance that someone will attempt it.' More than 500 British Muslims are believed to have already travelled to Syria to fight against President Assad, and it is feared many more will join them. Many of them are now feared to have crossed the barely-existent border into Iraq with the ultra-violent ISIS militia. Charlie Cooper, researcher at the anti-extremist think tank, Quilliam Foundation, said: 'People are going from Britain and the EU . to fight for ISIS - the estimate is more than 500 and that number will . probably rise. 'If you want to go and fight jihad, ISIS, which holds a particularly extreme view of Islam and wants to create an extreme Islamic utopia, is a very . attractive group to fight for.' He added: 'Britons are going from Syria into Iraq because of this utopian promise. It is the only group in the world that has come close to establishing its version of an Islamic state, which is a big thing for people - including the British - who feel drawn to this kind of Islamic extremism. 'People who are starting to go out to . Syria from Britain will see the huge gains that ISIS has made in Iraq in the last few days and they will . be keen to join them because they see the potential.' ISIS is cash rich, having looted hundreds of millions of dollars from the Mosul Central Bank when it took Iraq's second city earlier this week, and is helped as a force by its terrifying reputation. Attractive to extremists: ISIS fighters preach an extreme form of Islam and want to create an Islamic utopia . Terror: Footage reportedly taken by ISIS shows Islamist fighters randomly shooting pedestrians and motorists . Mr Cooper said: 'They took Mosul with 800 soldiers - against a reported 30,000 Iraqi soldiers. Their reputation precedes them.' He said he believed the next week was crucial in establishing what ISIS' aims were, with the possibility that the group may try to secure its position in Iraq and stage a tactical retreat from Syria, or vice versa. Today ISIS continued its march south towards Baghdad, shooting civilians alongside Iraqi soldiers, according to the UN. A video purportedly taken by ISIS militants emerged this morning showing gunmen carrying out indiscriminate drive-by shootings. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it was . 'very concerned' with the escalating violence and was 'not going to take its . eye off the ball'. Mr Cooper warned that once the ISIS position was secure, there was a danger they may look to the west, with the possibility of British-grown, ISIS-trained extremists bringing their terror tactics back home. He said: 'It's estimated that one in nine jihadists return home from jihad wanting to try to commit terror offences at home, and I would argue that they would look to the west. 'In ISIS they fight in battalions organised by nationality, the French together, the Belgians together, and so on, which is a clever tactic as it means when they return home they have an organised network of people to coordinate. 'I think what's happening out there is really, really worrying.' Territory so far : The map shows the areas of Iraq and Syria currently controlled by ruthless ISIS forces . David Cameron's official spokesman acknowledged fears British citizens could be among the ISIS fighters in Iraq, saying: 'Our security services and all the relevant agencies will be monitoring those types of risks very closely. 'Clearly there is a very porous border between parts of Syria and parts of Iraq. 'As the Prime Minister has said, the greatest extremist activity and jihadist threats to the international community are in Syria. 'We need to keep these things under very close watch.' Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said: 'The police and security services are working to detect and disrupt terrorist threats from Syria and will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security. 'The Serious Crime Bill would extend the reach of the Terrorism Act 2006 so that UK-linked individuals and those who seek to harm UK interests, who travel overseas to prepare or train more generally for terrorism, can be prosecuted as if their actions had taken place in the UK. 'Syria is a dangerous place and the UK advises against all travel to the country. Even people travelling for well-intentioned humanitarian reasons are exposing themselves to serious risk, including being targeted for recruitment by terrorist groups. The best way to help Syrian people is by donating to UK-registered charities.' A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'Even people travelling for well-intentioned humanitarian reasons are exposing themselves to serious risk, including being targeted for recruitment by terrorist groups. 'The police and security services are actively working to detect and disrupt any terrorist threat from Syria and individuals who travel there. 'People who are thinking about travelling to Syria to engage in terrorist activity should be in no doubt that we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security, including prosecuting those who break the law.' Mr Cameron has spoken to the secretary general of Nato about the security situation in Iraq, Downing Street said today, stressing that Mr Cameron's conversation with Anders Fogh Rasmussen did not relate to any possible Nato deployment of military resources. ISIS flag: Khawaja is accused of attending a training camp linked to ISIS . A British Muslim reported to have been killed in Syria appeared in a London court today charged with training to be a terrorist with an extremist Islamic group linked to ISIS. Imran Khawaja, 26, of Southall, west London, who is accused of spending up to six months training with ISIS, appeared in court alongside his cousin, Tahir Bhatti, 44. Bespectacled Bhatti, of Watford, Hertfordshire, is accused of driving to Bulgaria to colleck Khawaja, helping him buy an AK47 assault rifle, and other offences relating to aiding or abetting the alleged terrorist. Khawaja, who was thought to have been killed in action when the terrorist group Rayat al Tawheed announced his death last week, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court today. He was accused of attending a Syrian terrorist training camp run by Rayat al Tawheed, and of buying return tickets to Kurdistan, from where he is believed to have entered the war zone, on a compromised credit card. Khawaja, believed to be known by the ‘battle name’ Abu Daigham . al-Britani, allegedly received firearms training at the base run by . associates of ISIS. He and his cousin, a father of seven who runs a taxi firm, were . arrested earlier this month by specialist counter-terrorism officers, . Westminster Magistrates Court heard. Khawaja . is also accused of buying return tickets to Kurdistan on a compromised . credit card, and is believed to have used this route to enter the . war-zone. Both men were remanded in custody until a hearing at the Old Bailey on June 27. | British Muslims are heading to Syria to fight with extremist rebel group, ISIS .
Now hundreds of them are feared to be crossing the border to fight in Iraq .
Security services looking at suggestion Brits fighting with insurgents there .
Ultra-violent ISIS has already taken Mosul, Iraq's second city, and Tikrit .
Pictures emerge today of more bloodshed as they head towards Baghdad .
Meanwhile, experts fear ISIS-trained Brits may bring terror tactics home .
PM David Cameron has spoken to head of Nato about situation in Iraq . |
221 | 00af3b469010e46f154734cfba77bb001791517f | By . Emily Davies . PUBLISHED: . 20:00 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:10 EST, 13 June 2013 . With their historic mansions and quaint tea shops - National Trust venues seem like the perfect family day out. But the charity has its eye on a rather different audience - as it prepares to host burlesque nights in stately homes. In a bid to attract younger visitors two racy performances featuring cocktails and scantily-clad dancers will be held, after last year saw a four per cent decline in visitors across the country. The National trust has its eye on a different audience at the Killerton estate in Devon . Vintage: The National Trust hopes hosting burlesque nights will help attract a younger crowd . The trust will seek to change perceptions to give off a less ‘buttoned-up’ impression to younger audiences. To reassure members concerned about the trust sexing up its image, a spokesman said performances would be ‘tasteful’ with dancers ‘showing off their corsets, feathers and pearls’. Organiser Shelley Barns told the Daily Telegraph: ‘It is a family event, so the burlesque dancers will be quite tame. ‘It is supposed to be a bit light-hearted. They won’t be getting completely naked, let’s put it that way. This is the first time they have performed anywhere like this.’ Felicity Boucher, a visitor services officer for the trust, said: ‘We’ve never tried anything like this before but with the backdrop of the house and garden it seemed like the perfect setting for an evening of cocktails and nostalgic appeal.’ The first event will be held on June 22 and 23 at the 18th century house in Killerton, Devon, which is known for its collection of historical costumes. One of the reasons for the turn to burlesque nights is the fact that there was a four per cent decline in the number of visitors to National Trust properties across the country last year . Two models pose on a vintage car. The trust hopes to give off a less 'buttoned-up' impression of its properties . The first event will be held on June 22 and 23 at the 18th century house in Killerton, Devon, which is known for its collection of historical costumes . Performers will include Kitty’s Dolls Burlesque and singer Lola Lamour, with adult tickets costing £18.50. The second will be at at Trelissick Garden Cornwall, featuring The Slinky Minkys whose dancers include Babalicious, Miss Pip Tease and Miss Guilty Pleasure. Last year it was reported the organisation - of which Prince Charles is president — was launching an X-rated digital guide to London’s red-light district. It was a far cry from the Trust’s mantra ‘to preserve and protect historic places and spaces’. Former Tory Prisons Minister Ann Widdecombe, said she was appalled by the charitable body’s attempt to update its image. She said: ‘I fail to understand how getting young people to listen to these stories of Soho relates in any way to the important and historic work of the National Trust.’ ‘In fact if this is the National Trust’s idea of attracting new members, I suggest they go for a brisk walk in the countryside to clear their brains and recover their senses.’ The National Trust events may raise an eyebrow among some traditional members who have previously also voiced concerns over the organisation’s so-called ‘Disneyfication’ drive. This is where the organisation has attempted to make its properties more appealing to younger visitors with innovations such as guides dressed in period costumes and interactive displays. | Charity to host racy performances at 18th Century Killerton House in Devon .
Hopes to improve organisation's 'buttoned-up' image .
Insists there will be no nudity - only 'corsets, feathers and pearls' |
282,258 | f999c07325695249059c1810097a4eee1f4757c7 | When Lay's announced that it would be launching a chocolate-covered potato chip, the reception was divided. But now that the limited-edition snack has gone on sale, Femail has had a chance to put it to the test. Proving the doubters wrong, the reaction to the salted Wavy chips dipped on one side in milk chocolate has been overwhelmingly positive. The five bags distributed across the team disappeared in a heartbeat - despite containing 800 calories each. Sweet AND salty: Lay's milk chocolate-covered potato chips have proved a unanimous hit on team Femail . Reporter Margot Peppers reflected on this fact afterwards, calling them 'very, very addictive. 'They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty,' she continued. 'Although the chocolate was . pretty rich. I couldn’t stop eating them!' Editorial manager Lucy Jones said they were 'like choc covered pretzels, but better,' and photo director Jolie Novak 'loved the smooth chocolate with a crunch and the subtle salty taste at the end.' Femail deputy editor Olivia Fleming . hailed them 'the best thing since the Cronut' - high praise indeed - . while social media editor Taylor Lorenz said that 'they are everything . I'd ever want in a potato chip and candy bar. I can't wait to pre-order . them by the box.' 'They are everything . I'd ever want in a potato chip and candy bar. I can't wait to order by the box' The chips were not without some . critique though. A couple of tasters remarked that they would have . preferred more chip and less chocolate - while another mused whether a . dark chocolate version would be tastier. What's more, even this snack-loving team felt defeated after eating too many. One editor admitted that they are 'totally delicious' but 'the bag is too big. Now I feel sick.' Margot echoed the opinion, but added: 'It was worth it though.' Success! The positive verdicts indicate that Lay's has struck gold with this unlikely combination . The chocolate chips are a limited-edition, only be available during the holidays and exclusively at Target stores. If they . prove popular, however, they could be made a permanent addition to the Lay's product . line. 'They are totally delicious but the bag is too big. Now I feel sick' 'When . you try something drastically different, you have to walk before you . can run,' said Ram Krishnan, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay. 'We wanted to test our way through this before . we go big.' Lay's chocolate potato chips is the latest unlikely product to combine sweet and salty flavors, a growing trend in the $31billion snack market that food manufacturers are keen to cash in on. Last month Pringles announced that it would be launching a series of holiday-themed flavors including mint-chocolate chip, pecan pie and cinnamon and sugar. If it proves a success, Mr Krishnan says 'it gives us latitude to offer other . flavor combinations that we've never done. . . [It] opens a world of possibilities that we haven't explored before.' | One reporter called the salted Wavy chips dipped in milk chocolate 'the best thing since the Cronut'
They are on sale exclusively at Target during the holiday season, retailing for $3.49 per 5oz bag . |
73,576 | d09982af9d516db8500a8ce386a5d4b2b60fc34c | Two suicide bombers detonated their explosives outside a historic church in Pakistan today killing 85 people in the deadliest-ever attack on the country's Christian minority. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing in the city of Peshawar, saying it would continue to target non-Muslims until the US stopped drone attacks in the country's remote tribal region. The latest drone strike came on Sunday when missiles hit a pair of compounds in the North Waziristan tribal area, killing six suspected militants, Pakistani intelligence officials said. Explosion: A Pakistani man helps an injured victim of a suicide attack at a church in Peshawar, Pakistan . Mourning: People gather at the site of suicide attack on a church in Peshawa this morning . The attack on All Saints Church, which also wounded 140 people, underlines the threat posed by the Pakistani Taliban at a time when the government is seeking a peace deal with the militants. The attack occurred as hundreds of worshippers were coming out of the church in the city's Kohati Gate district after services to get a free meal of rice. 'There were blasts and there was hell for all of us,' said Nazir John, who was at the church with at least 400 other worshippers. 'When I got my senses back, I found nothing but smoke, dust, blood and screaming people. I saw severed body parts and blood all around.' Help: A Pakistani Christian carries an injured woman on her arrival at the hospital . A relative cries after the victims of twin suicide bombings that targeted the Church are moved to a hospital . People stand beside the coffins to be used to repatriate bodies of the victims of the twin suicide bombings . A woman mourns the death of her relatives following the explosion which also injured about 140 people . Survivors wailed and hugged each other in the wake of the blasts. The white walls of the church, which first opened in the late 1800s, were pockmarked with holes caused by ball bearings or other metal objects contained in the bombs to cause maximum damage. Blood stained the floor and was splashed on the walls. Plates filled with rice were scattered across the ground. The attack was carried out by a pair of suicide bombers who detonated their explosives almost simultaneously. Authorities found body parts and have been trying to determine their age. The blasts killed 85 people and wounded another 140. The dead included women and children. The number of casualties from the blasts was so high that the hospital was running out of caskets for the dead and beds for the wounded, said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a former information minister of surrounding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province who was on the scene. Protest: Members of the Pakistani Christian minority burn tyres as they shout slogans against the bombing . Grief: Relatives clutch the coffins of their loved ones following the explosion today. Hospitals have run out of caskets for the dead and beds for the wounded . Tragedy: Coffins are lined up near the church as relatives flock to the scene to mourn their dead . Pockmarked holes caused by ball bearings contained in the bombs to cause maximum damage are seen . 'This is the deadliest attack against Christians in our country,' said Irfan Jamil, bishop of the eastern city of Lahore. One of the wounded, John Tariq, who lost his father in the attack, asked of the attackers, 'What have we done wrong to these people? Why are we being killed?' Ahmad Marwat, who identified himself as the spokesman for the Jundullah wing of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. 'All non-Muslims in Pakistan are our target and they will remain our target as long as America fails to stop drone strikes in our country,' Marwart told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location. Agony: This man's pain is clear to see as another man helps walk to safety . Fury: Christian men shout anti-government slogans in protest against the bombings . Jundullah has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on minority Shiite Muslims in the southwestern Baluchistan province. Hard-line Sunni extremists like the Taliban consider Shiites to be heretics. The bishop in Peshawar, Sarfarz Hemphray, announced a three-day mourning period in response to the church attack and blamed the government and security agencies for failing to protect the country's Christians. 'If the government shows will, it can control this terrorism,' said Hemphray. 'We have been asking authorities to enhance security, but they haven't paid any heed.' Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack in a statement sent to reporters, saying, 'The terrorists have no religion and targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam and all religions.' 'Such cruel acts of terrorism reflect the brutality and inhumane mindset of the terrorists,' he said. | Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing in Peshawar .
The attack on All Saints Church also wounded 140 people .
Explosion occurred as worshippers left the church to collect a free meal . |
134,719 | 3a3fbaabe00d67106cbbf23c102c55b196ac79a7 | A thief was caught on CCTV as he stole a charity collection tin full of cash while collecting a parcel from his local food bank. David Hindmarch was filmed as he took the money from a community cafe in Hartlepool, County Durham, where he was picking up a free box of food donated by volunteers. The 36-year-old was arrested after charity workers spotted him on security footage sliding the tin into his coat. He was given a suspended jail sentence last week after he pleaded guilty to the theft. Scroll down for video . Caught: David Hindmarch was caught on CCTV as he took the collection tin (circled) from the counter of the Hartlepool community cafe. He was caught after charity workers spotted him on the security footage . Target: Cafe One77, where the money was stolen. He took around £70 that was being collected for Hartlepool Families First, a charity that supports vulnerable families and young people, according to charity bosses . The CCTV footage shows Hindmarch, from Hartlepool, dressed in a hooded jumper and hat, approaching the counter and looking around the cafe before sliding the tin inside his coat. He took around £70 that was being collected for Hartlepool Families First, a charity that supports vulnerable families and young people, according to charity bosses. Volunteers from the organisation spotted the tin was missing and spotted Hindmarch stealing the collection tin after looking at the security footage. Officers tracked him down and he was given an eight-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court last Wednesday. Speaking after the court case, family charity manager Paul Thompson slammed the thief and said his actions were 'a real kick in the teeth'. He said: 'There was a strong sense of anger within the team. We rely on donations from members of the public and for someone to take some of those donations is just awful. Shifty: Dressed in a hooded jumper and hat, Hindmarch approaches the counter in the community cafe . Swiped: The 36-year-old looks around the cafe after sliding the charity collection tin inside his jacket . 'This particular can had mainly been filled by elderly people who come in for a free lunch group that we've been running. 'They struggle financially but always want to make a contribution and to say thank you. 'It's just a real kick in the teeth and the lowest form of theft.' Staff said Hindmarch went into Cafe One77 in Hartlepool to collect a parcel from charity group Paradox, who were handing out food on January 31. The cafe is also used by Hartlepool Families First, which helps residents living in disadvantaged areas - including children and young people with disabilities. Nervous: He appears to knock over a cup on his way out. Hindmarch was collecting a food parcel at the time . Getaway: The thief, who was handed a suspended sentence for the crime, is seen leaving the scene . CCTV shows Hindmarsh check nobody was looking before pocketing donations made to the charity by users. Mr Thompson added: 'We looked back through the CCTV and caught this nice fellow helping himself to the charity collection tin. 'We're going to have to anchor the tin to the counter now, so it will have to be unlocked before it can be removed. 'It's sad when you have to do that because chains kind of send out a bad feeling - but that's what we're going to have to do now.' Hindmarch pleaded guilty to the theft, was given an eight-week jail term suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay £50 compensation, £85 court costs and an £80 victim surcharge. | David Hindmarch stole £70 donated to charity helping vulnerable families .
The 36-year-old was in the community cafe picking up box of donated food .
He was captured on CCTV looking around before sliding tin inside his coat .
Judge handed him suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to theft . |
186,412 | 7d7b5bb48eac354248c5ed66fc981ca2f4edad5f | By . Associated Press Reporter and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:43 EST, 22 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:51 EST, 22 May 2013 . George Zimmerman's attorneys have released new photos showing evidence related to the night in February 2012 when the neighborhood watch volunteer shot and killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. The new batch of photos include pictures of Martin’s belongings on the night he was killed including the cell phone he used to speak to his girlfriend for the last time, plus the Skittles and bottle of ice tea he had just bought at a local 7/11. Defense attorneys have issued the photos as they prepare for Zimmerman’s upcoming second-degree murder trial, which is scheduled to begin June 10. Zimmerman in a cap and gown during a graduation ceremony at Seminole State College, although he himself didn't actually graduate because he failed a class . Included in the batch is a photograph of Trayvon Martin's cell phone which he was using to speak to his girlfriend when he was attacked . This bag of Skittles was found at the scene after Trayvon Martin's shooting . The photos, taken by Zimmerman's defense team on Aug. 8 at a state crime lab, show other important pieces of evidence including the hoodie with a bullet hole in it that Trayvon wore, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Two photos that had not been released before Wednesday show Zimmerman in a cap and gown during a graduation ceremony at Seminole State College. Zimmerman was pursuing a two-year criminal justice degree, but while he attended the ceremony, school records show he did not actually graduate, having failed one of his classes. Other images, which have been seen before, include photos of Zimmerman with a broken and bloody nose and surveillance images showing Martin buying Skittles and a bottle of iced tea at a 7-Eleven just minutes before the deadly scuffle. Final moments: Included in the batch of photos released by Zimmerman's defense attorneys are surveillance images showing Martin buying Skittles and a bottle of iced tea at a 7-Eleven just minutes before the deadly scuffle . A photo of Trayvon Martin's hooded sweatshirt showing the bullet hole that killed him has been submitted by George Zimmerman's defense lawyers . This can of Arizona iced tea was found at the scene of Trayvon Martin's death . These are the photographs his defense team believe will best serve their client's self-defense case when his trial begins next month hope these are the images that . Defense attorneys had to list all . evidence turned over to prosecutors. It include items they opted not to . make public because of Florida privacy laws, including half dozen . autopsy photos of Martin plus 17 taken of him at the scene of the . shooting. The 29-year-olf former Neighborhood . Watch volunteer killed Trayvon, an unarmed black 17-year-old, on Feb. 26, 2012, after calling Sanford police and describing the teenager as . suspicious. Zimmerman's defense team also filed a motion on Tuesday asking the judge to deny a request by prosecutors to ban blood samples from Trayvon Martin's autopsy from being submitted as evidence during the trial. According to Zimmerman's lawyers, the results of those blood tests showed traces of marijuana in Martin's system, and they argue jurors should know that. Other images include photos of Zimmerman with a broken and bloody nose . Zimmerman volunteer killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old, on Feb. 26, 2012, after calling Sanford police and describing the teenager as suspicious . The defense claimed Martin brought pot with him to Sanford and used it at least once before he was killed. But prosecutors called that evidence irrelevant to the events surrounding the shooting, saying there was no evidence suggesting Martin used the pot at or even near the time of his death, and no witnesses have suggested that the level of marijuana in Martin's blood had any bearing on the cause of his death. Two weeks ago Zimmerman told a circuit judge he would not be seeking an immunity hearing under the state's ‘Stand Your Ground’ self-defense law. Under questioning from Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, George Zimmerman repeatedly said ‘yes’ to a series of questions asking if he was aware he was giving up the right to a hearing before his second-degree murder trial in June. Back in court: George Zimmerman, defendant in the killing of Trayvon Martin, arrives with his attorney Mark O'Mara, right, for a pre-trial hearing . Heavy burden: Zimmerman, pictured left during his latest court appearance and right in a mugshot, reportedly has put on more than 100lbs from the time of his arrest in 2012 . A judge would have sole discretion in an . immunity hearing to decide if Zimmerman is exempt from culpability in . the shooting. A jury would make the determination in the murder trial. ‘After consultation with my counsel, yes, your honor,’ Zimmerman said. The judge had set aside two weeks at the end of April for an immunity hearing should Zimmerman want one. Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda had filed a motion asking that Zimmerman make clear his intentions on whether he wanted the hearing. Zimmerman's defense attorney, Mark O'Mara, told the judge there was nothing in the law that required the immunity hearing to take place before Zimmerman's trial and could be requested after prosecutors have presented their case. Major move: The former neighborhood watch leader told a judge that he will not seek an immunity hearing under the state's 'Stand Your Ground' self-defense law . High-profile case: Zimmerman (left) is accused of shooting dead Trayvon Martin (right), an unarmed 17-year-old boy, during a February 2012 confrontation in a gated community in Florida . ‘We'd much rather have the jury address the issue of criminal liability or lack thereof,’ O'Mara said. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense. Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old boy, was fatally shot February 26, 2012, during a fight with Zimmerman in a Sanford gated community. O'Mara also wanted the court to unseal details on a civil settlement totaling more than $1million that Martin's parents received from Zimmerman's homeowner's association. O'Mara contended the settlement could influence the testimony of Martin's parents, if they are called as witnesses. The judge said defense attorneys and prosecutors could see full copies of the settlement but the public would only be able to see a version from which some information has been removed. Opposing sides: Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara (left) asked the court to unseal details of a settlement that Martin's parents, represented by Benjamin Crump (right), received from homeowner's association . Nelson rejected a request by O'Mara to find fault with prosecutors for what the defense attorney described as violations in providing discovery evidence to them. O'Mara said that prosecutors' failure to disclose evidence in a timely manner had caused his team ‘hours and hours of work.’ The judge said she would hold a hearing after the trial to determine if prosecutors should have to pay for some costs that O'Mara said he incurred because of the alleged discovery problems. | Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial is set to start next month .
His attorneys have released a batch of photos including images of Martin's belongings from the night of his death .
Another photo shows Zimmerman in cap and gown - even though he never actually graduated .
The defense team also want to use blood tests that show traces of marijuana in Martin's system . |
156,840 | 56cae9b08013dacd71d5d74de5b80f4eba705c70 | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 08:05 EST, 19 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:56 EST, 19 November 2013 . If apps designed especially for couples weren’t bad enough, a New York-based firm has created a way for people in relationships to ‘touch’ their partners even when they’re apart. The TapTap wristbands are sold in pairs and one is worn by each member of a couple. When one person taps their wristband, the other person’s band vibrates to the same pattern - either as way of letting them know they’re thinking of them, or to communicate discreet messages. Scroll down for video . The TapTap wristbands are sold in pairs for $130 (£80) and one is worn by each member of a couple, pictured. When one user taps their wristband, the other person's band vibrates to the same pattern - either as way of letting them know they're thinking of them, or to communicate secret messages . Dimensions: 49 x 18 x 12 mm . Wristband width: 24mm . Weight: 30g . Battery: 80 mAh with up to seven days use on a single charge . Charging time: 80 minutes . Smartphone compatibility: iPhone 4s, iPhone 5 and above, any Android Smartphone with Bluetooth 2.1 and above . Colours: Black, blue, orange, silver, yellow and pink . Each band is said to last around seven days on one charge and includes LED lights to remind people of missed taps. TapTap is the brainchild of designers Woodenshark and the firm has created a Kickstarter campaign to get funding for the product. A pair of wristbands costs $130 (£80) and are fitted with a capacitive sensor and accelerometers to sense the taps. To connect a pair of wristbands, users need to download a free smartphone app to their Android or iOS device and enter their email addresses. The app also also lets users send and receive taps from their phone. The majority of the band is made of hypoallergenic plastic with a silicon TapSpot on the top. Each member of a couple is called a TapMate. According to the firm’s Kickstarter page: ‘TapTap connects you and your beloved one as if you never left each other. It is a way to say the most important thing to the most important person. Each wristband, pictured, is fitted with a capacitive sensor and accelerometers to sense the taps. Its 80mAH battery takes 80 minutes to charge and lasts up to seven days. The majority of the band is made of hypoallergenic plastic with a silicon TapSpot. LEDs are used to alert users to missed taps . ‘Your beloved is the only one who will feel that you touched your wristband. No matter how far away you are from each other, it feels like you just touched his hand. 'Two TapTap wristbands are connected only to each other, same as you two are.’ The company claim that a couple could use the wristbands to create secret languages, or send messages similar to Morse Code. ‘It is your secret language, whether you . want to say “I love you”, “I miss you”, “I’m thinking of you”, or “I’m . waiting for you”’, continued Woodenshark. Future models of the wristband, pictured, could be connected to game controllers, to record movement for example, or smart alarms to wake people up in the morning. Woodenshark is asking for $130,000 (£80,800) funding via a Kickstarter campaign and have currently raised $79,000 (£49,000) Future models of the wristband could be connected to game controllers, to record movement for example, or smart alarms to wake people up in the morning. Woodenshark is asking for $130,000 (£80,800) and have currently raised $79,000 (£49,000). The campaign ends on Friday and, if successful, the first bands will be shipped shortly after initially in the U.S. and Europe. Later batches will be available in China. | The TapTap wristband contains a capacitive sensor and accelerometer .
When one wristband is tapped, the other person’s band vibrates .
A pair of wristbands costs $130 (£80) and lasts a week on one charge .
The bands connect to each other via a free smartphone phone app .
They work with the latest Android and iOS devices running Bluetooth . |
257,333 | d90aebf32adce76a6cce372b7c0669c856d29075 | (CNN) -- I glanced at the map display on my side of the passenger jet's instrument panel. A small blue circle within 100 miles of the magenta line that defined our course identified the airport in Gander, Newfoundland. This would be our best alternate if our medical problem became an emergency. We were just shy of two hours into our flight from JFK to London when the flight attendant call chime sounded and I picked up the intercom handset. A woman in business class had fainted and was vomiting. A retired physician was attending. The flight attendant promised to keep me updated. With the handset still to my ear, I contemplated the situation and asked, "Has anyone determined whether the woman has a fever?" Silence. "Uh -- crap. No. Good question," the flight attendant said. A couple of months ago this would have been a matter of deciding whether we needed a diversionary landing. But this trip was flown just last weekend, and at a time of rampant Ebola paranoia. Fortunately, the story had a happy ending for all concerned. The woman had apparently overmedicated herself before the flight, and had mostly recovered by the time we parked at our arrival gate at Heathrow Airport. Even so, I conveyed the details to our dispatcher while en route, and every step we took was cautious. Paramedics met the aircraft. Passengers were not allowed to deplane until a determination was made as to the status of the ill passenger. Our flight attendants, exhibiting their professionalism, followed the appropriate medical protocols, accessing the in-flight medical kit, and our "Grab and Go" kit, which contains items such as latex gloves and clothing to protect responders from contagious bodily fluids. A recent article in The New York Times detailed how Ebola paranoia has indeed permeated the cockpit. Apparently, few pilots are willing to fly Ebola patients out of the hot zones for treatment; one director of an air ambulance service said he knew of only two such pilots in all of Europe. These pilots work for air ambulance or med-evac companies, flying mostly corporate-type jets. Compared with an airliner, these airplanes have more confined cabins and cockpits. I get it. Pilots are a skeptical bunch. When there is room for doubt, we don't necessarily believe the information provided by, say, health officials on subject matters outside our field of expertise. We deal in a world of black and white, where training prepares one to handle contingencies. Our personalities lean toward the control freak side of the scale. Controlling an engine fire is a systematic procedure practiced on almost every recurrent training cycle. Controlling a deadly disease is out of our realm and out of our comfort zone. But pilots are also reasonable. If someone wants us to fly Ebola patients, education and training first would be paramount. Credibility is important: Involve a respected medical professional in the education process and you will have a pilot's attention. Be honest about the risk for cockpit crews, especially if they will have frequent contact with symptomatic patients. A pilot procedure for the transportation of Ebola patients has to be determined right down to the movements and position of the crew, from takeoff to landing. Should crews be required to wear protective clothing? Masks? Goggles? Be doused with chlorine? Remain quarantined for 21 days after each evac trip? Once the standard procedure has been established, then contingencies need to be considered in the event of an in-flight emergency, whether it be mechanical or with the ill patient. In other words, give pilots a checklist to follow -- they are a pilot's bible. They don't cover every circumstance, but they provide a structured guideline. And finally, the air ambulance companies that contract to provide Ebola patient transportation need to compensate their pilots appropriately for the risk. More importantly, it must be mandatory to provide medical treatment if the worst occurs and Ebola infects an employee. The company must accept both the medical and financial responsibility. Regardless, air transportation employees, flying for hours in a cylinder with an infectious patient, are at risk more than the general public. Until more is understood about the source and initial containment of this dangerous disease, most likely my air ambulance colleagues will maintain their apprehensions, and just say "no." As for U.S. airlines, the procedures in dealing with the Ebola risk are left to the individual carrier, and the Centers for Disease Control has provided guidance via a linked website. It's more or less common sense, with most of the information educational for managing a potentially infected passenger once airborne. The website also covers the legality of denying boarding to passengers with serious contagious diseases: "U.S. Department of Transportation rule permits airlines to deny boarding to air travelers with serious contagious diseases that could spread during flight, including travelers with possible Ebola symptoms." Of course airline personnel would need to know about such an affliction before they could deny a passenger boarding. It's a life and death detail, and one that has been -- and will continue to be -- a deal-breaker for most pilots during a time of Ebola. But for the crews involved directly with Ebola patient transportation, it is still pilots beware. | Les Abend: With ill passenger on recent flight, learning if there was fever was key in Ebola times .
There wasn't, but it illustrates fears of pilots; only a handful agree to transport Ebola patients .
Pilots need prep, checklists. Controlling deadly disease out of comfort zone, he says .
Abend: Airlines must compensate for such risk -- but pilots likely to balk anyway . |
114,997 | 20688b365e761d3da8d888a9dc2986e383a80b96 | By . Rupert Steiner . PUBLISHED: . 19:10 EST, 4 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:06 EST, 5 April 2013 . Ruthless: Irene Rosenfeld provoked anger with her takeover of Cadbury's in 2010 . The boss behind the controversial Cadbury’s takeover has been awarded a 31.5 per cent pay rise – despite being accused of tax dodging and poor performance. Irene Rosenfeld sparked fury when, as head of American processed cheese firm Kraft, she took over the much-loved British company in a £11.6billion deal. America’s second highest-paid woman has now seen her pay package jump from £14.4million to £18.9million. The businesswoman, who received a £6.6million bonus, also claimed she needs to travel by private jet to be ‘productive and efficient’. This was despite a 36 per cent fall in net income at her firm Mondelez – which now owns Cadbury’s. Miss Rosenfeld provoked anger at Cadbury’s historic Bournville site after her ruthless takeover of the confectioner in 2010. She became a hate figure for breaking her promise to keep Cadbury’s Somerdale factory open only weeks after the takeover. And she repeatedly refused to account for her actions to politicians on the Commons business, innovation and skills committee. Indian tax authorities have even accused her firm of pretending to make chocolate bars at an imaginary factory in order to dodge extra levies. Despite all of this, she has been held up as an example of a model career woman in America. After rising through the ranks at Kraft over a 20-year period, Miss Rosenfeld left to lead rival food group Frito-Lay in 2004. Criticism: Irene Rosenfeld came under fire for the decision to close the Cadbury's factory in Somerdale . She engineered a return to Kraft as chief executive in 2006, but even big-name investors like Warren Buffett questioned her acquisition of Cadbury’s in 2010. In 2011 she confirmed her critics’ worst fears by announcing plans to lay off up to 200 people at Cadbury’s birthplace. Despite pledging not to make any plant closures or compulsory redundancies until March 2012, she ended up wielding the axe a few weeks later. After masterminding a plan to split Kraft in two, Miss Rosenfeld remained with the snack business that makes Oreo biscuits, Ritz crackers and Dairy Milk bars, while spinning off the larger cheese-based business which kept the Kraft name. However, since the split in October, Mondelez has disappointed. In its first two quarters, revenue growth fell short of its own forecasts, with net income down 29 per cent and 36 per cent respectively. But the poor results do not seem to have had any impact on Miss Rosenfeld’s huge pay rewards. She received a £6.6million bonus for splitting the businesses in two, basic pay of £1million, and a performance-based bonus of £1.3million – down from £2.7million in the previous year. The scandal-hit boss also received £10.2million in stocks, £1.6million in share options and a £4.47million lift in the value of her pension. | Irene Rosenfeld, head of American owners Kraft, gets 31.5 per cent pay rise .
Provoked anger with ruthless takeover of confectioner in 2010 .
Has refused to explain actions to House of Commons select committee . |
164,091 | 60341f37190554a765017152c441422a3c987f8e | Missing: Agnese Klavina, the girlfriend of a British businessman, is pictured partying at the Aqwa Mist nightclub in the Spanish resort of Puerto Banus shortly before she went missing in September . Two British men have been arrested over the mystery disappearance of a London businessman's girlfriend last seen three months ago at a Spanish nightclub popular with celebrities. Agnese Klavina, 30, vanished after a night out at glitzy Puerto Banus nightclub Aqwa Mist, a Premiership footballers' favourite and the venue for a packed Chris Brown concert this summer. Her anguished family, friends and boyfriend Michael Millis, a former owner of west London club Westbourne Studios, are planning to travel to Spain soon to make a new appeal for information on her whereabouts. An investigating magistrate probing Miss Klavina's disappearance has placed a secrecy order on the case, preventing public officials including police from making any official comment. But MailOnline has been told that three men, two of whom are understood to be British, have been arrested on suspicion of the waitress's illegal detention - indicating the authorities believe her disappearance was not voluntary - and their homes and cars have been searched. The three men, whose names and ages have not been made public, were released on bail after appearing before the investigating magistrate around a fortnight ago in a closed court hearing while the probe continues. Two of the men are believed to have been arrested after they were identified on CCTV footage leaving the club with Latvian-born Miss Klavina, who had been living on and off in London for the past five years. She was spending the summer in Marbella after flying to the resort in May to start work as a receptionist at luxury Marbella beach club the Ocean Club. She was last seen leaving Aqwa Mist, part-owned by football agent Rob Segal, at around 6am on September 6, with the two men filmed on CCTV. The 5ft 7in blonde, spotted shortly before she left talking to a woman of Russian appearance, was wearing a multi-coloured halter neck dress and carrying a large white Louis Vuitton handbag. Friends reported her missing later the same week along with her mother and sister after they flew to Spain when she failed to respond to calls and messages. They discovered her clothes and bank cards were still at a nearby flat where she was staying. Miss Klavina was last seen on CCTV leaving Aqwa Mist at around 6am on September 6 with two men . Happy: The Latvian-born waitress was spending the summer in Marbella after flying to the resort in May to start work as a receptionist at luxury Marbella beach club the Ocean Club . Her friends and relatives have put up missing posters around Marbella and the neighbouring resort of Puerto Banus. They have also set up a 'Find Agnese Klavina' Facebook page linked to a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for legal fees linked to the search. London-based Mr Millis, 38, admitted last night: 'We are very, very concerned. I'm 100 per cent sure Agnese would not have disappeared voluntarily. 'She updated her Facebook page constantly with every little detail of what she was doing and we would be in contact most days. 'There's been complete silence since the day she went missing. 'There are days when I fear the worst. And the secrecy order that's been placed on the case means we're not receiving any information on the police investigation. 'It's frustrating, but we understand it's the way things work in Spain and it's something we have to accept. 'We have hired a criminal lawyer to liaise with the police and the courts. 'What we do know is that nobody has been found and that gives us hope Agnese is still alive and can be reunited with her loved ones. 'We urge anyone with any information that can help to contact us or the Spanish police.' Aqwa Mist is one of four Marbella venues owned by international restaurant brand La Sala, whose shareholders include ex-Tottenham footballer David Bentley and defender Dean Austin. Footballer Ashley Cole is said to have spent £12,000 on champagne which he then sprayed over his friends during a night out at Aqwa Mist in July last year. Miss Klavina's fmaily found her clothes and bank cards were still at a nearby flat where she was staying . Her friends and relatives have put up missing posters around Marbella and the nearby resort of Puerto Banus . Hollywood star Eva Longoria, American actor and singer Terence Howard, and boxer Amir Khan have also partied there since its opening in June 2012. The stars of BAFTA award-winning reality TV soap opera TOWIE are also summer regulars at the club, which bills itself as Marbella's number one party venue. Mr Millis said: 'Agnese was really enjoying herself out in Marbella. 'She'd left the Ocean Club but had just started a new job waitressing and seemed really happy. 'I know from visiting Puerto Banus that beneath all the glitz and glamour there's a dark underbelly populated by all sorts of shady characters. 'I very much doubt Agnese would have gone off with two men she had just met in a club voluntarily. 'I'm just praying everything's going to turn out okay and the next phone call I get will be good news.' Agnese's sister Gunta, currently in her home city, Latvia's capital Riga, added: 'We have passed a very distressing 12 weeks since the disappearance of Agi and unfortunately we still have no news. Last known location: Aqwa Mist is a favourite with Premier League footballers and was the venue for a packed Chris Brown concert this summer . Footballer Ashley Cole (left) is said to have spent £12,000 on champagne during a night out at Aqwa Mist in July last year, while actress Eva Longoria (right) has also partied there since its opening in June 2012 . 'I would like to sincerely thank everyone who sympathises with us and who are trying to help us.' Spain's National Police last night declined to comment. A spokesman said: 'The secrecy order placed on the case means we cannot say anything.' Anyone with any information they believe can help should call Mr Millis on UK mobile (0044) 7731976471 or the Spanish National Police on (0034) 952762600 . | Agnese Klavina, 30, vanished after a night out in a resort near Marbella .
Latvian-born waitress last seen on CCTV leaving nightclub with two men .
Her clothes and bank cards were still at nearby flat where she was staying .
Three men in total arrested on suspicion of her 'illegal detention'
Her boyfriend Michael Millis said: 'There are days when I fear the worst' |
171,376 | 69d0281a95daa2777c445b659d29c31777931969 | Lewis Hamilton is fuelling up for his Formula One title charge. Fresh from finishing second at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the British star and his long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, raided the supermarket aisles. Hamilton is 17 points ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg with just one round, the season finale in Abu Dhabi in less than a fortnight’s time, remaining. Lewis Hamilton posted this picture, shopping at Waitrose, to his Twitter account on Monday evening . Hamilton finished behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix . Rosberg and Hamilton celebrate their 1-2 finish at Interlagos. Hamilton is 17 points ahead of his team-mate . And after touching down in London on Monday, Hamilton wasted no time in replenishing his food stock w . ‘Great to be back in London,’ Hamilton said. ‘Just been out grocery shopping with my lady helping her move into her new spot.’ Hamilton knows a top-two finish at the final round in Abu Dhabi will guarantee him his second title, but it is the unpredictability of the sport which means he cannot rest on his laurels. 'There is zero comfort going into the last race,' said Hamilton, who, without the controversial double points ruling, would bee able to claim his second drivers’ championship with a sixth-placed finish. Rosberg celebrates his victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday; his first win since July's German GP . 'There are 50 points to gain, which has never happened in Formula One before, and it just so happens to be this season. 'In the last race you never know what is going to happen, so I'm going into it to win.' Hamilton's positive mindset means he is refusing to contemplate for a moment the possibility he may not be crowned champion. 'Why would I think that? It's not the way to approach any race weekend,' he said. VIDEO Brazil boost for Rosberg as he edges out Hamilton . | Hamilton back in the UK after finishing second at the Brazilian Grand Prix .
He leads team-mate Nico Rosberg by 17 points with one race remaining .
Posted picture with his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger to Twitter account .
Hamilton knows a top-two finish will be enough to seal title in Abu Dhabi . |
274,957 | f0318992c28c3337e8297e6fd4a7f588d1557d51 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Libya will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to victims of terrorist attacks involving Americans in an agreement signed and finalized Thursday, the U.S. State Department said. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, left, and Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmad Fitouri sign the deal. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch signed the deal in Tripoli, Libya, on Thursday. If implemented, the deal will end Libya's legal liability in numerous lawsuits from families of victims of what the United States considers Libyan terrorist acts. It also paves the way for stronger ties between the two nations and increased U.S. involvement in the oil-rich nation. "This resolves the last major historical issue that has stood in the way of a more normal relationship between our two countries," Welch said. The deal had hinged on congressional approval. Last month, just before leaving for summer recess, Congress unanimously adopted the Libyan Claims Resolution Act, sponsored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-New Jersey. The legislation cleared the way to end the feud with Libya over terrorist attacks and creates a fund for victim payments. "The Libyans didn't believe that Congress would ever be helpful, and Congress didn't think Libya would ever do it," Welch said Thursday. "We found a diplomatic way to accommodate both sides by turning suspicion into an asset." Under the new law, Congress gives the Bush administration the authority to restore sovereign immunity for Libya only when the United States receives the agreed-upon money to pay American claimants in the fund and the secretary of state certifies it. See a timeline of events following the Pan Am attack » . Once the money is received into the fund, Libya would be exempted from legislation passed this year enabling terrorism victims to be compensated from frozen assets of governments blamed for attacks. The 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed 270 people, including 189 Americans. The 1986 La Belle disco bombing in Berlin, Germany, killed two American servicemen and injured 79 Americans. Libya has paid 268 families involved in the Pan Am bombing $8 million each of a $10 million settlement. It was withholding the remaining $2 million owed to each family over a dispute regarding U.S. obligations to Tripoli. Under the deal, Libya would pay more than $500 million to settle remaining claims from the Lockerbie case and more than $280 million for victims of the La Belle disco, according to Jim Kreindler, the lead attorney for the Pan Am families. It would also set aside funds to compensate victims of several other incidents blamed on Libya but for which Libya hasn't accepted responsibility. The total settlement could exceed $1 billion. The pact, supported by the victims' families, closes the book on a contentious period in U.S.-Libyan relations. Ties between the two countries began to improve in 2003, when Libya gave up its weapons of mass destruction program and began compensating Lockerbie victims. But lingering lawsuits prevented the two countries from fully normalizing ties. A joint U.S.-Libya statement issued Thursday in Tripoli said "both parties welcomed the establishment of a process to provide fair compensation for their respective nationals, and thereby turn their focus to the future of their bilateral relationship." This spring, Libya made a proposal to the Bush administration that held some promise in settling the dispute, Welch said. Over the next several months, he and State Department lawyers held closed-door negotiating sessions with the Libyan delegation in London, England; Paris, France; Berlin; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he finally secured a tentative agreement in late July. The afternoon he came back from Abu Dhabi, Welch met with Lautenberg and urged passage of the legislation. Welch said Libya would expect an end to the claims and put the longstanding dispute with Libya to rest, despite the lingering mistrust of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. "This could not have worked without a great deal of honesty on everyone's part," Welch said. On Thursday, Lautenberg issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the agreement. "For too many years, Libya has refused to accept responsibility for its horrific acts of terror against American victims," he said. "The signing of this agreement means these victims and their families can get the long overdue justice they deserve. Today's agreement is a critical development in moving Libya forward on its path toward diplomatic respect," he said. The State Department said the "agreement is being pursued on a purely humanitarian basis and does not constitute an admission of fault by either party." Senior State Department officials said the formula was designed to respect Libyan sensitivities about compensating victims for incidents for which it hasn't taken responsibility . But it also allows Libya to settle outstanding claims for U.S. air strikes on Tripoli in 1986, in which Libya claims more than 40 of its citizens were killed, including Gadhafi's adopted daughter. Donations to settle Libyan claims would be placed in the "voluntary" fund, from which each country involved in the claims draws the money to pay its citizens. Welch said no U.S. taxpayer money would be used to compensate Libya but said he was "optimistic" donations to settle Libyan claims would be made. Other senior U.S. officials said American companies eager to do business in Libya could possibly make a contribution. The deal is to be followed by a U.S. upgrading of relations with Libya, including the confirmation of a U.S. ambassador and possible American aid. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit Libya before the end of the year. | Deal ends Libya's liability in lawsuits from families of victims of terrorist acts .
Libya to pay more than $700 million to settle Lockerbie, La Belle disco cases .
Libya will be exempt from law allowing terror victims to be paid with frozen assets . |
193,127 | 860a1141cd075c5c78ac48d3c36501aa76530900 | By . Ian Ladyman . Follow @@Ian_Ladyman_DM . Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has told his players to put their tour tiredness to one side and concentrate on beating Real Madrid in the Michigan Stadium. Van Gaal repeated his regular complaints about United’s USA tour schedule after training on what is a poor pitch here this evening. However, with a draw against Real tomorrow guaranteeing United an International Champions Cup Final appearance against Liverpool or Manchester City on in Miami Monday, Van Gaal has stressed that he wants to win. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Van Gaal closely supervising training and get tough on Shaw . Confident: Louis van Gaal claims that Manchester United may not need to sign any new players this month . That's how we play! The new boss has been implementing a new style of play with his squad . 'Being away longer is a burden for my wife but not for me and the players,' said Van Gaal. 'I’m anxious to win. I always want to win and Man United is a club that always wants to win. 'I can’t say much about the progress of the squad as we have only had training sessions here. 'We have to see that also the players have had a culmination of tiredness of training and travelling and matches. 'I will think about the line up and think about how many players I will change. I will play 50 minutes with the first line up and then change it. 'We don’t talk about the pitches. 'They are used to NFL and that is a throwing game and doesn’t take care of the ground. 'The pitch isn’t good and that’s a pity because we have two fantastic teams who will have to play on a bad pitch. 'The ball wont roll. It’s bumping.' Van Gaal revealed that defender Chris . Smalling won’t play against the European champions tomorrow after an . injury forced him to train alone. Pleasing: Wayne Rooney said he is happy with the changes that Van Gaal is making at the club . Serious business: Wilfried Zaha, Rooney, Shinji Kagawa and Will Keane jog during training on Friday . The United boss added, though, that it will take something special to persuade him to turn his back on the 3-5-2 formation he has been working on. 'I can’t see my philosophy working with four defenders,' said Van Gaal. 'It will be five. Maybe there will be a time when I have to play with four. We will see. 'Now all the sessions are arranged for the five defenders system.' With the start of the Barclays Premier League season only two weeks away, United have only made two signings this summer. Asked if this was a problem, Van Gaal said: 'I want to give the current players an honest chance. We are winning everything, maybe we don’t need other players. 'Anyway, the transfer window still has a month left.' All smiles: Red Devils frontman Danny Welbeck (right) looks pleased during training as Rooney leads the way . United forward Wayne Rooney joined Van Gaal for Friday's press conference at an incredible college stadium that will cater for an enormous 109,000 fans, the biggest crowd United have played in front of for more than 50 years. 'It’s been great,' said Rooney. 'The manager has come in and we are playing a new system and learning that and trying to get better. Over the next few weeks we will get better. 'It’s been tough but the results will come I hope. It would be fantastic to get to the final against a rival but it’s important to beat Real and end the group as leaders. 'There will be 100,000 here and that will be great. On your marks: Rooney and the rest of the Man United squad were put through their paces on Friday . 'It will be amazing, the largest number of fans I have played in front of. It will be a great experience. 'The pitch is soft and the ball doesn’t roll. We have to adapt and try and win. 'I have enjoyed the role I have played in. I am looking forward to playing in a few more games and being successful.' Rooney revealed that he has been wearing protective strapping on his wrist but added that the problem isn’t serious. | Red Devils face Real Madrid in Michigan on Saturday .
United have already beaten LA Galaxy, Roma and Inter Milan in America .
Wayne Rooney is embracing Van Gaal's change in system . |
4,772 | 0db0221a9cb37db0e3b61400226fc43b094776c5 | By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 04:32 EST, 9 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:30 EST, 9 October 2012 . A couple had a dinner they will never forget after a car crashed through a wall and straight into their kitchen as they sat eating. Paul and Michelle Hammond, of Brantham, Suffolk, had sat down for dinner when they heard a massive crashing noise. The couple were left stunned as a runaway silver Peugoet 206 smashed straight through the wall and embedded itself in the kitchen. Shock: Paul and Michelle Hammond, of Brantham, Suffolk, had sat down for dinner when they heard a massive crashing noise and a silver Peugeot 206 came crashing through the wall last night . The car remains lodged in the house today following the accident at about 5pm last night. Mr Hammond said: 'We were in the kitchen when it happened. 'The whole wall just exploded in at us. We were very lucky not to be killed.' Shattered: The couple said the car 'exploded' through the wall into the kitchen and three people were injured . Crash: The car remains lodged in the house today following the accident at about 5pm last night . Fire crews using hydraulic equipment cut the couple in the car free, along with another member of their family, and they were taken to Ipswich Hospital to be checked-over. It is not thought their injuries were serious or life-threatening. The Hammonds have not been able to return to their home because there are fears that it is not structurally unsafe. Damage: The Hammonds have not been able to return to their home because there are fears that it isn't safe . | Paul and Michelle Hammond were stunned when a silver Peugeot 206 smashed through a wall and embedded itself in the kitchen .
They can't return home for fears their house is now structurally unsafe . |
69,047 | c3cc15f14ed945cbc2b6d6dea3fcd7d6388edb82 | (CNN) -- Are those airline baggage and cancellation fees taking a bite out of your wallet? They're certainly making money for U.S. airlines, which collected $6.16 billion last year: $3.35 billion in baggage fees and $2.81 billion in reservation change fees, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data released Monday. That's a slight increase from $6.04 billion collected in 2012. Those ancillary fees helped the 26 passenger U.S. airlines make a net profit of $12.7 billion in 2013, up from a profit of $98 million in 2012. Delta Air Lines topped the list, collecting $1.67 billion last year: $840 million in reservation change/cancellation fees and $833 million in baggage fees. United Airlines came in second place, with $1.38 billion in fees: $756 million in reservation cancellation/change fees and nearly $625 million in baggage fees. And the world's best airport is ... The new airline created by the merger of American Airlines and U.S. Airways, which are still reporting their data separately, would have topped the list if their fees were added together. The combined airline collected more than $1 billion in baggage fees and $848 million in reservation cancellation and change fees. Reporting as two airlines, American ranked third in the reservation cancellation and change fee category, collecting $521 million in fees, while US Airways came in fourth place with $327 million. U.S. Airways was third for baggage fees with $528 million, while American collected $506 million to come in fourth. American was the first U.S. airline to charge customers to check bags in June 2008, for a fee of $15. That year, American collected $277,991 in baggage fees, according to Department of Transportation data. Other U.S. airlines quickly followed suit, and as a group they collected $1.1 million that year. Fees have since crept up; American now charges $25 for the first checked bag, with some exceptions. . Which extra fees do you pay for when you fly and which fees will you not pay? Please share in the comments section below. | U.S. airlines made $6.16 billion in baggage and reservation change fees last year .
Delta Air Lines made the most money in fees, collecting more than $1.6 billion .
The combined American-U.S. Airways airline may top Delta next year . |
285,328 | fdb8d291be48fd3d748d8d7a05d4de167310130d | (CNN) -- Belgium set a date with the U.S. in the last 16 of the World Cup as the curtain fell on the gripping group stages in Brazil, while Algeria celebrated a historic first. Thursday's 1-0 victory over South Korea was more than enough for the unbeaten Belgians to advance from Group H as winners, despite having a man sent off. As their red and yellow clad fans celebrated in Sao Paulo, there were similar scenes of jubilation in Curitiba. Algeria made history in Brazil, reaching the knockout stages of the global tournament for the first time at the expense of Russia. "Les Fennecs" -- the Desert Foxes -- will need all their wiles as they face the might of Germany next. Germany had consigned the U.S. to a 1-0 defeat in Thursday's earlier matches but Team USA escaped from a grueling Group G -- which also featured Ghana and Portugal -- on goal difference. Belgium might think themselves lucky to march into the knockout stages with their unbeaten record intact after being forced to play more than half the match with 10 men. Steven Defour was sent off for a rash studs-up challenge on the cusp of halftime and South Korea sniffed blood, pressing forward after the break. But if the statistics tell us anything about Belgium, it is never count them out. Breaking upfield, defender Jan Vertonghen picked up the rebound of Divock Origi's fizzing effort to break the deadlock after 77 minutes. Belgium's last six World Cup goals have been scored in the last 20 minutes of the match. Team USA better be prepared for a lively finish when the two sides meet next Tuesday in Salvador. Algeria had arrived in Sao Paulo buoyant from a 4-2 victory over South Korea -- the North African country's first World Cup win in 32 years. When Russia took an early lead in the must-win showdown, a fairytale ending for Vahid Halilhodzic's side had seemed a remote possibility. Aleksandr Kokorin, who is nicknamed "Bieber" because of his youthful similarity to the Canadian pop star, was soon on song. He rose brilliantly to power home Dmitry Kombarov's cross after just six minutes and from there Russia looked intent on protecting the lead. But Algeria, cheered on by the undiminished enthusiasm of their fans, were not done yet. When a free-kick was swung into the box, the Russian defense rocked and Islam Slimani headed into an open goal with 60 minutes on the clock -- his second goal in as many games. The draw was enough for Algeria to join Nigeria as the second African side in the last 16. Meanwhile, Russia will be hoping to find answers before hosting the next World Cup in 2018. After failing to qualify for the 2006 and 2010 editions of the global football fiesta, the Russians have now fallen at the first hurdle in 1994, 2002 and 2014. The remaining 16 nations in the World Cup will enjoy a rest day Friday before the footballing fever gets even hotter on Saturday. Hosts Brazil face a tricky Chile side for a place in the quarterfinals while Colombia take on Uruguay, now rendered rather toothless by the ban for biting striker Luis Suarez. The controversial Liverpool player is not the only star name to take an early flight from Brazil. Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, Spain's defending champions and 2006 winners Italy were among the big guns saying adeus from Brazil. | Belgium set up last 16 date with the U.S. at 2014 World Cup in Brazil .
A solitary goal by Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen seals 1-0 win over South Korea .
Algeria reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in their history .
A late equalizer for Slimani sees Algeria advance as the expense of Russia . |
120,433 | 27a2ef7533b5464b2867f4f813ab61e18aa37bb0 | Nicola Mansfield is pictured with husband John on their wedding day . A mother-of-two developed life-threatening brain tumours - just weeks after her husband died from the same illness. Nicola Mansfield was devastated when just two weeks after their honeymoon, her husband John collapsed and was diagnosed with a brain tumour that developed into brain cancer. With her husband not expected to survive the year, she became pregnant and was able to tell him the news two days before he died at 35. But shortly after the tragedy, and expecting twins, she too discovered she had developed potentially deadly brain tumours. The couple, from Darlington in County Durham, were told in January 2012 that Mr Mansfield was terminally ill. They enjoyed one last holiday together and after a weekend in the Lake District, Nicola decided to make her husband’s final wish come true. She said: 'We came back from our holiday talking about baby names and I knew I had to make his dream come true so I asked him how he’d feel if I tried to get pregnant before he died. 'His biggest dream was to be a father and he was so happy he burst into tears. 'We knew our chances were limited after chemotherapy so we had John’s sperm frozen and, knowing we were living on borrowed time, had two eggs implanted to try and make sure one took. 'The process was really difficult on top of everything else but it was something John really wanted and I wanted to do it for him.' Knowing Mr Mansfield didn’t have long left, his Macmillan nurses arranged an early scan for his wife. However, he lost consciousness the night before his wife found out she was carrying twins. Mrs Mansfield said: 'The nurses said he could hear me so as soon as I came home, I told him - he grunted and that was his way of telling me he knew. 'I think that’s what he was hanging on for as he passed away two days later while I was sat by his bed - I held his hand as he took his last breath, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.' It was only following Mr Mansfield’s death that she discovered she too had brain tumours. The same team that nursed her husband went on to care for her, operating when she was 23 weeks pregnant. Nicola Mansfield was able to tell her husband John she was carrying his twins. He died two days later. She is pictured with son Archie John and daughter Ella Kate . Mrs Mansfield, who suffered hearing loss and headaches throughout John’s illness, said: 'The babies were too little to save and I knew there was a chance I could come out without them but that morning I felt calm, as though John was with me and I felt everything would be alright.' She credits the support of friends, family, district and Macmillan nurses with getting her through the hardest time of her life but says without twins Archie John and Ella Kate, she wouldn’t be here to tell her story. 'I didn’t want to continue living without John, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and without the twins, I would have given up,' she said. 'I wake up every morning wishing he was here but my babies are the reason I carry on. 'They’re his legacy and they’re amazing - they know who their daddy is and they blow kisses to his picture every night.' Nicola Mansfield, pictured, now helps to raise money for the charity Macmillan Cancer Care . Nicola Mansfield says that without her twins Archie John and Ella Kate, pictured) she wouldn¿t be here to tell her story . The twins are now 15-months-old and their mother is still undergoing treatment for a tumour, facial paralysis and hearing loss. Mrs Mansfield is now fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Care and lending support to other people suffering from cancer. She said: 'Don’t give up, no matter how hard life gets something good will happen - I’ve got my babies to prove it.' When Nicola and John Mansfield met, they knew within seconds that they would end up married. 'It was a whirlwind romance, we clicked from the moment we met,' she said. 'We knew we’d get married and it was a real love story, just like in the films - only ours had a tragic ending.' | Nicola Mansfield's husband John diagnosed two weeks after honeymoon .
She became pregnant and was able to tell husband two days before he died .
Just weeks later she too discovered she had developed brain tumours .
Her twins are now 15-months old and she is still undergoing treatment .
Mrs Mansfield has now become a fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Care . |
248,232 | cd336870d1930173c9190a2fee65cd8d86d4d634 | By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 08:11 EST, 16 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:24 EST, 17 November 2013 . Seven-year-old Nathan Smith was killed following a collision with a van last night in Middlesborough . A seven-year-old boy has died after a collision with a van last night. Nathan Smith had just got off the bus with his mother and a sibling at 6.40pm when he was knocked over by a Peugeot 206 van. The boy, from Lingdale, East Cleveland, suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to James Cook University Hospital but died a short time later. The driver of the van, a 22-year-old . male, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving . and has been released on bail pending further enquiries. The collision occurred in Boosbeck High Street near Church Drive in East Cleveland. Roads in the immediate area were closed for a short time to allow emergency services access and for investigation work to begin. Police . are appealing for any witnesses, particularly from any passengers on . the 4B Arriva bus to Skelton who may have seen what happened. Anyone with information should contact the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit on 101. Crash: The youngster was taken to hospital but died a short time later . Bus stop: Nathan Smith had got off the bus with his mother and sibling when he was knocked down . Police are appealing for any witnesses, particularly from any passengers on the 4B Arriva bus to Skelton who may have seen what happened . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Nathan Smith was with his mother and sibling .
He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died a short time later .
22-year-old arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving . |
67,472 | bf6ffe2ca015fa02de4240c6106aa72762bbd6d3 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 16:17 EST, 11 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:09 EST, 14 October 2013 . Google wants your permission to use your name, photo and product reviews in ads that it sells to businesses. The internet search giant is changing its terms of service starting Nov. 11, but it will only affect users with Google+. Your reviews of restaurants, shops and products, as well as songs and other content bought on the Google Play store could show up in ads that are displayed to your friends and connections when they search on Google. Google changes: The search giant has outlined the updates on its policies and principles page . However, you can opt out of sharing. Google's move follows a similar proposal by Facebook. The social network in August said it would show users' faces and names in ads about products they clicked to 'like'. That proposal was criticized by privacy groups. They asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into the matter. Google outlined the new changes on its website: 'Your Profile name and photo might appear in Google products (including reviews, advertising and other commercial contexts). 'You can control whether you image and name appear in ads via the Shared Endorsements setting' Google went on to explain why they're making the changes, writing: 'We want to give you and your friends and connections the most useful information. 'Recommendations from people you know can really help. So your friends, family and others may see your Profile name and photo and content like the reviews you share or the ads you +1'd.' More information about the changes can be found on Google's policies and principles page. Google's New York City headquarters on 8th Avenue pictured . | Changes will start on November 11 but will only affect users with Google+ .
You can opt out of sharing .
Your reviews and content bought on Google Play store could show up in ads displayed to your friends and connections when they search on Google . |
198,701 | 8d33fa4fe32dba688fe5bd3f4e7b1685e1702015 | To people on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and many around the world who watched it unfold, it seemed like a scene out of another country. "They are now firing into the crowd," a reporter says Wednesday night as loud blasts and fiery sparks show tear gas canisters apparently being shot by police. Screams follow. "They're firing rubber bullets," a reporter with KARG Argus Radio is heard saying on video. "They're attacking reporters; they are attacking civilians. They are firing up on the media." Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said pepper bullets were used. A CNN crew also found spent crowd-control stun grenades lying in the street. All the details of what happened amid protests over a police officer's fatal shooting of an unarmed teen have yet to come in. Multiple law enforcement agencies from the city, county and state levels have been dispatched to calm the protests. In the chaos, it was not immediately clear which agencies did what exactly -- though Ferguson Mayor Jay Knowles did say Thursday that St. Louis County police have been "in charge tactically since Sunday." Change is coming. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday the Missouri State Highway Patrol will head up security because "at this particular point, the attitudes weren't improving." Missouri state troopers take over security in Ferguson . Even if things turn around quickly, though, it won't erase the memories from this past week or end the debate about tactics. Chief among them are decisions like deploying heavily armed officers and using military equipment, which some experts say helped to make a bad situation even worse. Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore knows a thing or two about this kind of thing, having been dispatched to New Orleans in 2005 to lead recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. What authorities in Ferguson should have done, he said, is have "front line policemen" to face protesters, not a SWAT team. "The tactics they are using, I don't know where they learned them from," Honore said Thursday on "CNN Newsroom." "It appears they may be making them up on the way. But this is escalating the situation." 5 things to know about Michael Brown's shooting . What should police do with unruly protesters? Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, echoed that view Thursday, saying her "constituents are allowed to have peaceful protests, and the police need to respect that right and protect that right." "This kind of response by the police has become the problem instead of the solution," she added. Police said they responded with force only after the Molotov cocktails were thrown at them, and news photos showed some young men in the crowd lighting them. Yet Alderman Antonio French of St. Louis disputes this sequence, saying police started the violence and protesters responded. Joey Jackson, an HLN legal analyst, said if there are some protesters who are unruly -- unlike the majority -- then police "need to isolate those people and perhaps respond to them as opposed to firing upon the crowd in general." But the chief said police can't possibly go through the crowd and just remove certain individuals. "If the crowd is getting violent, and you don't want to be violent, get out of the crowd," he said of protesters. Mike Brooks, a former Washington police official who now serves as HLN's law enforcement analyst, cautioned against rushing to judge police over Wednesday night's fighting. "If there were, being thrown, rocks and bottles and Molotov cocktails, then they had to respond in kind," he argued. But Brooks also said he has serious questions about the arrest of two journalists inside a McDonald's by an officer who, according to reports, refused to provide his name. "Why did the police come in and ask them to leave?" Brooks asks. If there were a problem, it would be "up to the manager, the general manger of that establishment, to ask them to leave. I want to know what department these officers were from. And if I ask an officer, 'What is your name and badge number,' that officer better give it to me." Michael Brown shooting, protests highlight racial divide . 'In middle America, you don't need leftover equipment from Iraq' Critics of the law enforcement response include Attorney General Eric Holder, who said "the scenes playing out in the streets of Ferguson over the last several nights cannot continue." Some blame lay with protesters, he said. Even though "the vast majority ... have been peaceful," others have been marred by violence, looting and antagonizing of law enforcement. Yet law enforcement's aim should be to "reduce tensions, not heighten them," he said. That means respecting "at all times" the rights of those gathered to express sympathy with Brown's family as well as the ability of journalists to report the story. (Two reporters were detained and then released without charges Wednesday.) "At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message," Holder added. Throughout the week, authorities in Ferguson have said the armored vehicles and weaponry have been in place to keep the peace. Yet civil liberty advocates and others disagree, saying the response in Ferguson is symptomatic of larger, disturbing trends in law enforcement. In an extensive report issued weeks ago, the American Civil Liberties Union stated "American policing has become unnecessarily and dangerously militarized, in large part through federal programs that have armed state and local law enforcement agencies with the weapons and tactics of war, with almost no public discussion or oversight." "Militarization of policing encourages officers to adopt a 'warrior' mentality and think of the people they are supposed to serve as enemies," the report added. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is among those who don't think such equipment makes sense in Ferguson. He told CNN he and Rep. Lacy Clay want to personally urge Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to institute "very stringent requirements" whenever military equipment is disbursed, including special training of police. "I think the heavy equipment probably should go to only cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, where there is always a threat of some kind of a terrorist attack," Cleaver said. "But in middle America, you don't need leftover equipment from Iraq." Veterans critical of police response . Josh Weinberg, an Army veteran who focuses on security issues for the Truman Project, contends that police sometimes do "need high-powered weaponry" and other tools to go after "up-armored" and heavily armed criminals. "It's really scary," he says. But that doesn't mean the way Ferguson police used some of that equipment made sense, he argues. Videos showed "a bunch of guys on top of an armored personnel carrier," Weinberg said. "When we're rolling around in Afghanistan and there is a threat of being shot, you don't sit on top of an APC. That defeats the purpose." Weinberg says it's unfair to the military to call what happened in Ferguson evidence of "militarization," saying U.S. soldiers are well "trained in escalation of force." The police apparently "had their weapons up and pointed at protesters who are obviously unarmed," he said. In the military, he learned that "your force posture matches the threat. You only raise your weapon if there is a threat that requires lethal force." With a pointed weapon, Weinberg said, "you could make a mistake, maybe get startled, put your finger on the trigger and shoot somebody who doesn't deserve to be shot." And threatening people unnecessarily can increase the tensions and danger, exacerbating the situation, he says. "A crowd kind of has a mind of its own that develops over time, depending on what threat they perceive." Weinberg isn't alone. "As someone who studies policing in conflict, what's going on Ferguson isn't just immoral and probably unconstitutional, it's ineffective," Army veteran Jason Fritz wrote on Twitter. Fritz is now senior editor of War on the Rocks, which analyzes national security issues. His was one of the tweets included in a storify being shared widely online Thursday morning, with this line at the top: "The general consensus here: if this is militarization, it's the s***iest, least-trained, least professional military in the world, using weapons far beyond what they need, or what the military would use when doing crowd control." In another, author and former Marine logistics officer Jeff Clement wrote: "Our (Rules of Engagement) regarding who we could point weapons at in Afghanistan was more restrictive than cops in MO." A white man's response to Ferguson . Complete coverage on the Ferguson shooting and protests . | Congressman to call for "very stringent requirements" on disbursed military equipment .
Some claim the response in Ferguson shows militarization of law enforcement .
Veterans: Police are getting military weapons without the same training and rules .
Lt. Gen. Honore: "You're in trouble" when SWAT team is called for civil disturbance . |
113,454 | 1e6c0985823625fc68187db225141fe980a18a61 | Thousands of Pakistani protesters clashed with riot police as they marched towards the prime minister's house in Islamabad. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters, including women and children, who were calling for the resignation of Nawaz Sharif. It is thought that roughly 125 people were injured. The march's leaders, . cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and anti-government cleric . Tahirul Qadri, allege that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the 2013 . election due to massive voter fraud. They demand that he step down from his position but Mr . Sharif has refused. Scroll down for video . Pakistani police have fired tear gas at thousands of protesters as they tried to march towards the prime minister's home in the capital, Islamabad . Supporters of Imran Khan, the former International cricketer turned politician, listen to his speech during an anti-government protest in front of Mr Sharif's home in Islamabad . Pakistani opposition protesters wearing gas masks shout anti-government slogans as they try to move toward the prime minister's residence following clashes with security forces. Police fired tear gas at the crowds . Supporters of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and Canadian cleric Tahir ul Qadri, climb a container which was used to block the way of the prime minister's house in Islamabad . Scores of protesters broke down a fence outside the . parliament building adjacent to the prime minister's house, enabling hundreds of people to enter the lawns and . parking area, according to an Associated Press photographer at the . scene. Mr Khan and Mr Qadri called for the demonstration to move to the house after separate massive rallies in front of the parliament, where they have been staging a sit-in for days. Some 20,000 police in riot gear were charged with blocking the procession. In speeches, Mr Khan and Mr Qadri said they will remain peaceful and urged security forces to abstain from using force against the protesters. Both Mr Khan and Mr Qadri, a dual Pakistani-Canadian citizen with a wide following, also demand reforms in Pakistan's electoral system to prevent future voter fraud. Backed by parliament and a number of political parties, Mr Sharif has said he will not step down. Government negotiators are trying to convince Mr Qadri and Mr Khan to end their protest and abandon the demand for Mr Sharif's resignation. The demonstration began with a march from the eastern city of Lahore on August 14 - the country's Independence Day. Mr Khan and Mr Qadri had called for millions of protesters to join but crowds have not been more than tens of thousands. Nearly 125 people were injured in the clashes on Saturday between police and demonstrators, pictured, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif . Pakistani opposition protesters throw stones toward the police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the gathered crowds . Protesters march through the streets of Islamabad. The protesters' presence and heightened security measures have affected life and badly harmed business in the capital . The protesters' presence and heightened security measures have affected life and badly harmed business in the capital. The rallies have remained peaceful, with families picnicking and men and women dancing to drums and national songs. Riot police initially showed restraint to today's march but when the crowd started removing shipping containers used as barricades they fired tear gas that forced the crowds back. TV footage showed protesters, including women and children, scattering in retreat. Some fell to the ground and dozens were being treated in a hospital. Many, including two children, were shown being treated for the effects of tear gas. Riot police initially showed restraint to today's march but when the crowd started removing shipping containers used as barricades they fired tear gas that forced the crowds back . The demonstration began with a march from the eastern city of Lahore on August 14 - the country's Independence Day. The two leaders called for four million people to take to the streets in support . Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, left, has called for Mr Sharif, right, to resign. He also demands reforms in Pakistan's electoral system to prevent future voter fraud . Anti-government cleric Tahirul Qadri, pictured announcing the failure of negotiations with the government earlier this week, allege that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the 2013 election due to massive voter fraud . Police official Farman Ali said the injured have been moved to a government hospital.'They fired tear gas shells at us,' said Ahsanullah Fakhri, 28, who was bleeding from his leg, as he exited an ambulance with some seven other protesters who had multiple minor wounds. 'I think they are also firing some bullets, I think rubber bullets,' he added. Mr Khan described the police action against the crowd as illegal.He said: 'Now we will show this government, we will call for countrywide agitation and we will jam the whole of Pakistan.' Interior minister Nisar Ali Khan quickly visited the scene to boost police morale. He said: 'A group wanted to capture the prime minister's house and other buildings. We are under oath, and the police as well, to protect the state assets.' | March was led by Imran Khan and anti-government cleric Tahirul Qadri .
They allege that the Prime Minister won 2013 election due to voter fraud .
The two men demand that Nawaz Sharif step down but he has refused .
Demonstration moved towards Mr Sharif's house after separate rallies .
Roughly 125 were injured in the clashes with riot police in Islamabad . |
22,505 | 3fe18a2416edfa94495204b1b6a970728a0d4343 | Ethereal washes of green, inky blues and a shining white moon. Not many worldly sights equal that of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, captured at night. This dramatic series of photographs, taken by Norwegian photographer Tor-Ivar Naess, shows the phenomenon in all its glory. The 31-year-old from Nordreisa, Norway, became fascinated by the colour range of the lights that extend from 50 miles (80km) to as high as 400 miles (640km) above the earth's surface. Scroll down for video . This dramatic series of photographs were taken by Norwegian photographer Tor-Ivar Naess and shows the phenomenon in all its glory . Ethereal: Areas that are not subject to 'light pollution' are the best places to watch for the lights from like this image taken in Storslett . Tor-Ivar says: 'The Aurora Borealis is a very special phenomenon in itself. 'I began watching these lights for hours and it ignited something inside of me. 'Due to the fact that I have them available to me from the beginning of autumn until the beginning of spring I have the opportunity to perfect my photos. Tor-Ivar says the lights 'ignited something' inside him and he wanted to produce the perfect picture of them, like this taken in Djupvik, Norway . More transfixing images of the Northern Lights in Storslett (left) and Djupvik (right) taken by the 31-year-old Norwegian photographer . Bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere . 'My Aurora Borealis photos show the diversity in this spectacle, from the normal green veil to fast moving 'curtains' of light.' The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as 'Aurora borealis' in the north and 'Aurora australis' in the south. Straumfjorden in Norway: It takes a lot of patience and luck with the weather and behaviour of the lights to create the ideal image . For Tor-Ivar, the perfect shot takes patience and luck with both the weather and the behaviour of the auroras. Areas that are not subject to 'light pollution' are the best places to watch for the lights. Luckily, he doesn't have to stray far from his home town of Nordreisa in the county of Troms to produce these beautiful shots, all of which were shot in Norway. For two years he has scoured the area looking for the best possible locations and, once in the right spot, he can spend up to eight hours a time photographing the light display. Tor-Ivar: 'I still hope that no one hears me scream like a teenage girl at a boy band concert when these lights put on a show' Tor Ivar wants to show the beauty that northern Norway can conjure so that people from around the world will be tempted to visit themselves . 'Photographing the aurora borealis is very exciting, especially when the normal green veil bursts into curtains moving extremely fast over the night sky,' says Tor-Ivar. 'I still hope that no one hears me scream like a teenage girl at a boy band concert when these lights put on a show. 'It's important to remember that photographing the night sky requires the camera to record light for a long time in comparison to what you see with your naked eye. 'I want to show the beauty that northern Norway can provide, so that people from around the globe will be tempted to visit.' | Norwegian photographer Tor-Ivar Naess became fascinated by the colour range of the Aurora Borealis .
The 31-year-old from Nordreisa in Norway didn't have to travel far from his home to produce shots .
Once in the best spot Tor-Ivar can spend up to eight hours there waiting for the perfect picture . |
269,978 | e9a86f95a47c4a11332192ed580ab7b409b0ed58 | London, England (CNN) -- The new English Premier League season kicks off with the first round of fixtures this weekend - Fanzone details what to expect from the new campaign: . So what's new? There is no doubting the biggest Premier League news of the close season was Rafa Benitez leaving Liverpool to join European Champions League holders Inter Milan. With the increasingly cranky Spaniard gone, Liverpool plumped for Roy Hodgson who defied the odds last term by taking little old Fulham to the UEFA Cup final. Hodgson has arrived at Anfield bearing gifts: Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole, who joined the Reds swapping places with the Israeli Yossi Benayoun, and Danish hard man Christian Poulsen. Frugality, however, clearly remains the order of the day in English football. That is apart from big spending Manchester City who continued to sprinkle some much needed glitz into the title race with big-name signings such as Yaya Toure, David Silva and Jerome Boateng. Such an outlay means that Roberto Mancini will now be under tremendous pressure to deliver a top-four finish. If City are going to upset the status quo they will need to stop the Chelsea juggernaut. Last season the London side boasted easily the league's strongest squad -- particularly up front where they were able to draw on the goal-scoring abilities of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. This term they will benefit should Brazilian international midfielder Ramires replace Michael Ballack but the move of Ricardo Carvalho to Real Madrid could prove a major loss. The red half of Manchester continues to take a cautious approach to their spending with Alex Ferguson opting for talented young prospects to boost his squad with the likes of Fulham defender Chris Smalling, Mexican forward Javier Hernandez and Portuguese striker Bebe. Arsenal spent the close season battling to hold onto their captain Cesc Fabregas while attempting to plug the gaps in an already porous defence created by the departure of William Gallas, Sol Campbell, Philippe Senderos and Mikael Silvestre. Initial signs from Arsenal's preseason suggest that Arsene Wenger may have once again pulled a couple of rabbits out of his hat with the signing of new boys Laurent Koscielny and Marouane Chamakh. Arsenal will have to be on top of their game if they are to once again keep the likes of Manchester City and Champions League debutants Tottenham Hotspur from overtaking them. If being relatively hard-up wasn't enough of a cross to bear for the Premier League's football bosses, they have also had to deal with a new 'home-grown' ruling which demands squads must contain no more than 25 players over 21 with eight of those having spent at least three years in England from under the age of 21. The aim of this new law is to encourage young talent in the British game and to prevent the stockpiling of foreign stars. Take note, Roberto Mancini. Key players: When all was said and done last season, Chelsea won the title because they could rely on the goal-scoring heroics of two world class strikers: Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. When one was injured or out of sorts, the other would come into the team and do the business. No other side could boast such an embarrassment of riches especially in these financially difficult times. Ferguson will need at least one of Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Federico Macheda or Javier Martinez to help lessen the burden on Wayne Rooney if United are to wrestle the title back from Chelsea. Meanwhile, if Liverpool are to fire their way back into the Champions league, new boy Milan Jovanovic, who turned down Real Madrid to join the Anfield outfit, will need to offer the kind of goal threat that the side so often lacked in the absence of Fernando Torres. Key clubs: Once again, all eyes will be on Manchester City to see if they can maintain an assault on the top spots. Last season, many of their new signings failed to gel and a lack of consistency saw Tottenham seize that crucial Champions League slot. City's squad looks considerably stronger this season with a number of big name signings. Their bid for European football may be made easier if Spurs struggle to cope with the increased demands of playing in Europe. Outside of Manchester United and Chelsea, the only club who could conceivably make a bid for the title are Arsenal. However, unless Arsene Wenger can fix his side's defensive frailties, a lack of steel could prove to be their undoing again. At the other end of the table, the Premier League welcomes back Newcastle United who spent last season in the Championship but returned as worthy champions. The Magpies are joined by perennial yo yo club West Bromwich Albion and Blackpool who are led by the ever entertaining Ian Holloway. The team known as "The Tangerines" -- due to their bright orange kits -- may not be expected to gain many points this coming season but should be entertaining. Expert view: CNN's Alex Thomas - "12 months ago, I correctly predicted that Chelsea would stop Manchester United's run of Premier League triumphs -- but that doesn't make it any easier to pick this season's English champions. "Chelsea's squad is still strong, although their defense is weaker now that Ricardo Carvalho has left and Alex is injured. And I'm not convinced by Branislav Ivanovic at center half. "However, the Blues should be stronger in attack if Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou build on the improvement they showed last season, while Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel will benefit from the extra rest after injuries prevented them playing at the World Cup. "Although plenty of experts predict an open race for the Premier League title, it's hard to see anyone but Manchester United pushing the champions by the time we get to the dying weeks of the season. "Even Alex Ferguson admitted his team missed Cristiano Ronaldo last season but wingers Nani and Antonio Valencia will only get better and the club has bought well. If they add an attacking midfielder to their squad they are my pick to win back the title. "The other two places in the top four will be contested by the usual suspects and I see money talking loudest, with Manchester City finishing behind United and Chelsea but above Arsenal and Tottenham. "Liverpool will have a fight on their hands to improve one place to sixth, with Merseyside rivals Everton their closest challengers. Martin O'Neill's late exit has shot Aston Villa in the foot." | Champions Chelsea still the team to beat thanks to Drogba/Anelka strike force .
Roberto Mancini under heightened pressure to challenge for the title .
Manchester United's new striker Javier Fernandez must lessen goal-scoring burden on Wayne Rooney . |
159,728 | 5a7995dda352041a21fce306c3b0f67ce57e6c10 | With his speech in front of the United Nations today, Leonardo DiCaprio cemented his reputation as one of the world's highest-profile activists on climate change. 'You can make history ...or be vilified by it,' he dramatically told world leaders. After marching with 400,000 others on the streets of New York this weekend to demand tough regulations to cut the amount of CO2 being pumped into the air, DiCaprio opened a UN climate change summit by urging the world to crack down on polluters and 'put a price tag on carbon emissions.' But the 39-year-old Hollywood star's own jetset lifestyle reveals a double-standard on the issue of climate change. In his speech to the UN, he said: 'This disaster has grown beyond the choices that individuals make.' MailOnline can report that DiCaprio took at least 20 trips across the nation and around the world this year alone - including numerous flights from New York to Los Angeles and back, a ski vacation to the French Alps, another vacation to the French Riviera, flights to London and Tokoyo to promote his film Wolf of Wall Street, two trips to Miami and trip to Brazil to watch the World Cup. Scroll down for video . Jetset lifestyle: Leonardo DiCaprio is seen here getting off his private jet in Nice, France, in May - one of the nearly two dozen trips he took this year . Leader: DiCaprio has fashioned himself as one of the most high-profile climate change activists an today urged world leaders at the United Nations to cut global carbon admissions . Activist: DiCaprio participated in the 'People's Climate March' in New York this weekend, but refused to answer questions about how his own lifestyle impacts the environment . And those were just the trips where he was spotted in public. Additionally, DiCaprio owns at least four homes: two apartments in New York and mansions in Hollywood and Palm Springs. He also recently sold an estate in Malibu for $17million. And this summer, he spent his World Cup vacation on the fifth largest yacht in the world, a 482-foot behemoth owned by Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - a billionaire oil tycoon from the UAE. A rep for DiCaprio declined to comment for this story. DiCaprio has tried to stay green in other parts of his life. He owns a $4million apartment in an eco-friendly apartment building in Battery Park City. He drives a Toyota Prius and a $100,000 Fisker electric sports car. He's been spotted riding a bike around New York. In 2007, he produced and narrated the 11th Hour, a documentary about climate change and other threats to the planet. He also represents several environmental charities and has thrown his star power behind Formula E, a new racing circuit that uses electric cars, instead of roaring gasoline-powered vehicles. However, his jetsetting - both for business and pleasure - means that he he's producing a lot more CO2 than most people. When PJTV reporter Michelle Fields confronted DiCaprio about his lifestyle, he refused to answer and Ms Fields was quickly pushed out of the way by a minder . Expensive toy: DiCaprio rented the Topaz, the fifth largest yacht in the world to sail around Brazil for his World Cup trip. It is owned by a UAE oil tycoon . DiCaprio, seen here in 2009, is known to fly in private jets on many of his trips . Despite flying around the world on private jets, DiCaprio has been spotted in New York - seen here in August - riding public Citi Bikes around town . Even if he flew on a commercial jet for all of flights, his carbon footprint so far in 2014 would be a minimum of 40million metric tons of CO2 spewed into the atmosphere, more than twice the average American output for an entire year. That figure only takes into account his flights and assumes that he flew exclusively on commercial airlines . The A-list star is worth an estimated $220million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com, and it is known to frequently charter private jets. Carbon emissions for private jets vary, but by some accounts are more than 37 times higher than flying commercial. DiCaprio was the biggest star at this weekend's 'People's Climate March,' which drew 400,000 environmental activists to the streets of New York. Leo's Hollywood Hills compound includes two adjoining properties and a custom-built basketball court . Newest purchase: DiCaprio bought this six-bedroom mansion in Palm Springs, California, for $5.2million . New York digs: DiCaprio has owned a pad in the eco-friendly Riverhouse building (left) in Battery Park City since 2008, but recently snapped up and adjacent apartment for $8million. He also Forked over $10million to buy an apartment in the health-minded Delos building on Greenwich Village (right) On Tuesday, DiCaprio tweeted: 'Ran into this #climatechange pioneer at the @unitednations this morning. Thank you Vice President Gore.' He told a reporter from conservative PJTV media: 'We want to create 100percent clean energy, we need to make a transition in this country and we need to show leadership. 'And that's what we're doing.' However, when the reporter asked him about how his jetset lifestyle impacts the environment, she was quickly shunted away from the Wolf of Wall Street star by a minder. Today, he addressed the United Nations Climate Summit and told world leaders: 'My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task. 'You can make history ...or be vilified by it.' He urged them: 'We need to put a pricetag on carbon emissions, and eliminate government subsidies for coal, gas, and oil companies. We need to end the free ride that industrial polluters have been given in the name of a free-market economy, they don't deserve our tax dollars, they deserve our scrutiny.' DiCaprio met UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon . Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, your excellencies, ladies and gentleman, and distinguished guests. I’m honored to be here today, I stand before you not as an expert but as a concerned citizen, one of the 400,000 people who marched in the streets of New York on Sunday, and the billions of others around the world who want to solve our climate crisis. As an actor I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems. I believe humankind has looked at Climate Change in that same way: as if it were a fiction, happening to someone else’s planet, as if pretending that Climate Change wasn’t real would somehow make it go away. But I think we know better than that. Every week , we’re seeing new and undeniable Climate Events, evidence that accelerated Climate Change is here now. We know that droughts are intensifying, our oceans are warming and acidifying, with methane plumes rising up from beneath the ocean floor. We are seeing extreme weather events, increased temperatures, and the West Antarctic and Greenland ice-sheets melting at unprecedented rates, decades ahead of scientific projections. None of this is rhetoric, and none of it is hysteria. It is fact. The scientific community knows it, Industry and Governments know it, even the United States military knows it. The Chief of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Locklear, recently said that Climate Change is our single greatest security threat. My Friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task. You can make history...or be vilified by it. To be clear, this is not about just telling people to change their light bulbs or to buy a hybrid car. This disaster has grown BEYOND the choices that individuals make. This is now about our industries, and governments around the world taking decisive, large-scale action. I am not a scientist, but I don't need to be. Because the world’s scientific community has spoken, and they have given us our prognosis, if we do not act together, we will surely perish. Now is our moment for action . We need to put a pricetag on carbon emissions, and eliminate government subsidies for coal, gas, and oil companies. We need to end the free ride that industrial polluters have been given in the name of a free-market economy, they don't deserve our tax dollars, they deserve our scrutiny. For the economy itself will die if our eco-systems collapse. The good news is that renewable energy is not only achievable but good economic policy. New research shows that by 2050 clean, renewable energy could supply 100% of the world’s energy needs using EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES, and it would create millions of jobs. This is not a partisan debate; it is a human one. Clean air and water, and a livable climate are inalienable human rights. And solving this crisis is not a question of politics. It is our moral obligation - if, admittedly, a daunting one… . We only get one planet. Humankind must become accountable on a massive scale for the wanton destruction of our collective home. Protecting our future on this planet depends on the conscious evolution of our species. This is the most urgent of times, and the most urgent of messages. Honored delegates, leaders of the world, I pretend for a living. But you do not. The people made their voices heard on Sunday around the world and the momentum will not stop. And now it’s YOUR turn, the time to answer the greatest challenge of our existence on this planet... is now. I beg you to face it with courage. And honesty. Thank you. | Leonardo DiCaprio has positioned himself as one of the highest-profile climate change activists in the world .
He told the United Nations today: 'You can make history ...or be vilified by it'
DiCaprio, worth an estimated $220million, flew to France twice, London, Tokyo and several trips between New York and Los Angeles .
The A-list star drives a Toyota Prius and an electric car and bought an eco-friendly apartment building in New York .
However, even if he took only commercial flights his plane travel spewed 40million metric tons of carbon into the air . |
25,206 | 47673286ba8111f1733a9dd7032abc680d2a716e | Mark Twain only lived in Hannibal, Missouri, for 13 years, but many of his most famous stories were inspired by this humble Midwestern city. A visit to Hannibal today, with its excellent museums, preserved historic sites and old-timey antiques shops, offers a way to appreciate the impact this place had on one of America's best-known writers. And of course, Hannibal sits on the banks of the Mississippi River, which figured so large in Twain's life and writing. Famous fence: In Hannibal, Missouri you'll see the fence that Mark Twain's character Tom Sawyer persuaded other children to whitewash when he was supposed to paint it . MARK TWAIN BOYHOOD HOME & MUSEUM . A mere $11 gets you a look at nine historic sites and museums, all within a few blocks of one another. They include the actual houses where Twain and the real children who inspired his characters Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher lived in the mid-1800s. You'll see the bedroom window the adventuresome Twain climbed out of as a boy; you'll see the fence that his character Tom Sawyer persuaded other children to whitewash when he was supposed to paint it. You'll also get a real sense of what Hannibal was like when Twain lived here in the 1840s and early '50s, and how this place fed his imagination and sensibility. This was no lonely rural spot; it was a bustling river town, with three blacksmith shops, a distillery, tobacco factory and two slaughterhouses, with pigs herded through the streets. Twain — born Samuel Clemens — was not a privileged child. After his father died, his mother couldn't afford his 25-cent weekly school fee. He was apprenticed at age 11 to a printer, which led to work as a newspaperman. Later he was a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi. Boyhood home: This photo shows a room inside the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, depicting Twain and his characters. Twain grew up in Hannibal in the mid-1800s. The town on the Mississippi River inspired many of his most famous stories . An exhibit from a museum gallery operated by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal The exhibit depicts Twain contemplating his books and characters, many of which were inspired by his memories of growing up in the mid-1800s in Hannibal . His pen name, Mark Twain, was a river call that described the water depth. An interpretive center behind Twain's boyhood home offers photos, exhibits and wonderful quotes from Twain's writings that put his life and work in context. A museum gallery at 120 N. Main St. is filled with artifacts, from his top hat to 15 Norman Rockwell paintings created for special editions of 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn.' Twain's quips, prominently showcased, can seem as fresh and cynical as a 21st-century tweet, like this one: 'Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.' You can't miss the statue of Tom and Huck at the foot of Cardiff Hill on Main Street. Sculptures of Twain stand in Schwartz Gardens and Riverview Park. CONTEXT AND CONTROVERSY . The museums also tackle the controversies over Twain's writings. In his own lifetime, 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' — about the wild, ragged son of the town drunk who runs away on a raft with an escaped slave, Jim — was banned because it was considered vulgar. In the late 20th century, the book was banned because Twain's language and depiction of Jim were considered racist. One exhibit offers context for Twain's views: Slavery was legal in Missouri during his youth; his family rented or owned slaves when they could afford it, and he's quoted as recalling that nobody he knew ever questioned it. But one incident made him think twice about it, when he complained to his mother about a slave boy who sang and laughed incessantly. She responded tearfully that the slave child would never see his own mother again, and at least when the boy sang, 'it shows he is not remembering.' Becky Thatcher's home in Hannibal, part of a complex of historic sites and museums operated by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum. Becky was a fictional character in the writings of Mark Twain, who lived in Hannibal as a boy in the mid-1800s. Twain said a girl named Laura Hawkins, who lived in this house, was the model for Becky . River life: A riverboat docked in Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. Many of Twain's writings were inspired by his memories of Hannibal and the river . THE TOWN AND THE RIVER . For a small city (population 18,000), Hannibal offers some good eating. LaBinnah Bistro, 207 N. Fifth St., has friendly service, charming Victorian-era decor and an inviting dinner menu that includes fish, steak and Mediterranean dishes. LaBinnah is Hannibal spelled backward, named for the town's LaBinnah Club, where Twain spoke on his last visit to Hannibal in 1902 — one of five trips he made there as an adult. The new Mark Twain Brewing Co., 422 N. Main St., offers burgers, a big selection of beers and other pub fare. Hannibal has a wide variety of lodging. Treasure-hunters should check out the half-dozen antiques and gift shops on and around Main Street. If you're driving to Hannibal from St. Louis, about 120 miles (190 kilometers) away, get off the interstate and take the Great River Road, Route 79, which winds through tiny towns, fields and farms, with scenic stretches along the Mississippi. Honored characters: A statue of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn stands in Hannibal. The adventuresome boys were characters in novels by Mark Twain, who spent 13 years of his youth in the mid-1800s in Hannibal . | Mark Twain only lived in Hannibal, Missouri, for 13 years, but many of his most famous stories were inspired by this humble Midwestern city .
A visit to Hannibal today offers a way to appreciate the impact this place had on one of America's best-known writers .
Still standing are the the bedroom window Twain climbed out of as a boy and the fence fence Tom Sawyer persuaded other children to whitewash . |
146,078 | 48e2fab0f935c2f36ca5b573089f84a84e7b60ab | (CNN) -- A man stabbed four people aboard an Amtrak passenger train from Chicago, including the conductor, authorities said. The train was on its way to Port Huron, Michigan, when Amtrak called 911 on Friday night to report a passenger who appeared agitated, CNN affiliate WBND reported. It stopped in Niles, Michigan, where police responded to the scene, authorities said. By the time they arrived, the man had stabbed several people. The three men and one woman were hospitalized, but their condition was unavailable. One of the men was the conductor, the affiliate reported. The suspect is a 44-year-old from Saginaw, Michigan, according to the affiliate. It's unclear what his motive was. CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report . | The train was on its way from Chicago .
Report: Amtrak called 911 to report a man who appeared agitated .
It's unclear what the motive was . |
269,794 | e96e99ec99871dc0601d3cc17ec60e909b883d42 | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ask Steve "Lips" Kudlow how his band, Anvil, overcame bad management, a dead colleague, cruddy jobs, unpaid tour bills, raging arguments and now mockery as a Spinal Tap clone, and he has one word: "kismet." Robb Reiner and Steve "Lips" Kudlow have never given up on playing rock 'n' roll. He may be right. When Sacha Gervasi, a former teenage Anvil fan-roadie turned Steven Spielberg scriptwriter ("The Terminal"), decided to pursue a documentary about his old heroes, guitarist Kudlow was working part-time in his native Toronto, Ontario, delivering meals to schools. Drummer Robb Reiner was doing demolition work nearby. Anvil still played, but it was a far cry from the mid-'80s, when the band did a Japanese show with Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and the Scorpions and became a model for groups such as Metallica and Anthrax -- bands that had far more success than Anvil. Gervasi followed the group on an ill-fated European tour, watched them make an album with a name producer, and saw Kudlow and Reiner fight and make up, fight and make up, as they have since they were 15 and swore they'd rock forever. Watch Kudlow and Reiner talk about their passion » . The result is a documentary, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," that's earned rave reviews, is gradually rolling out across the country -- and has reawakened interest in Anvil. At times, "Anvil" invokes the spirit of "This Is Spinal Tap" -- besides Reiner's you-can't-make-this-up name, the guys even visit Stonehenge -- but, as Cinematical.com reviewer James Rocchi writes, the film's comedy is cut by an unflinching honesty. Watch "American Morning" host -- and former music reporter -- John Roberts talk to Anvil . "It's better than most music documentaries. It's better than most documentaries, period," he wrote after seeing the film at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. "I am about as metal as your aunt, and I was spellbound by 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil.' ... [It's] a hymn to the human spirit, played loud in power chords." The enthusiastic Kudlow and laconic Reiner came by CNN Center to talk about the film, their inspirations and why they've always been successful. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: What was the reaction when Sacha came to you and said he wanted to do a documentary on Anvil? Steve "Lips" Kudlow: I started crying, because it seemed like kismet, as if it was all meant to be this way. And quite honestly, it is. My internal optimism told me this is going to be the most successful thing that's ever happened to me, and perhaps one of the greatest things that's happened to rock music -- the greatest rock documentary that's ever happened. CNN: Robb? Robb Reiner: My initial reaction was that this was going to be cool, but I wasn't really sure if anybody would care. After Sundance, I knew that this thing was going to be very successful. ... [It got] standing ovations. At that point, I knew something was coming. CNN: The film, fairly or unfairly, has been presented as a real-life "Spinal Tap." Is that fair? Kudlow: It was purposely done. Reiner: It's fair. What can you say? We're a heavy metal band. My name is Robb Reiner. [The director] is the other Rob Reiner, and Spinal Tap is the fake Anvil. But, outside of that ... it was a Trojan horse to lead people into this. Realistically, we're not like Spinal Tap, and the movie's nothing like it either. It's a spin that's been created by the media, and we've just been having fun with it. CNN: A lot of times when a director sets out to make a documentary, the people who are in the documentary say, "You cut this out, you changed this." It's like a reality show. Did Sacha do this, or is it pretty much what you see is what happened? Kudlow: It's pretty much what you see is what happened. Reiner: They shot 320 hours of footage. The whole movie is a one-take movie. They just filmed everything ... they could have made five different movies out of the footage they had. Kudlow: Sort of. Reiner: Well, maybe three and a half. Kudlow: It might have been five more-boring movies. CNN: What was the first record you heard that said, this is the direction I want to go? Kudlow: The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, obviously ... Reiner: For me it was Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Grand Funk, Cactus, bands like that. Jimi Hendrix ... CNN: There's that funny bit in the movie in which you [Lips] talk about meeting Reiner by observing, "I heard this guy playing Cactus." And then later you met [Cactus drummer] Carmine Appice. Reiner: It's like foreshadowing there. Kudlow: And how do you get foreshadowing in a documentary? You don't. It's just that's the way things played themselves out. That's what I mean by kismet. It's as if the screenwriting were done by God. The stuff fell into place by itself. CNN: It's easy to make fun of a band -- or make a tragedy out of a band -- that doesn't quite make it. But back in the '80s, you were playing in front of tens of thousands of people. Even if it had ended then, you say in the movie that you've had the kind of success you were always hoping for. Reiner: We've been successful a lot as far as we're concerned. Kudlow: We've recorded 13 albums. Reiner: We've been touring for 30 years. Kudlow: Most of the magic that's involved here is the fact that we've always kept our guns loaded. We've always been prepared. And it's always staying on top of it and being ready for the opportunity when it came. And when Sacha contacted us after not seeing us for a number of years, it's not like we'd thrown in the towel or done anything like that. ... Reiner: The music got us here. There would be no movie if the music didn't mean anything, or hadn't meant something. Kudlow: You wouldn't get testimonials from some of these people if the music didn't mean something. We did make a difference. We were an influence. And we've always known that. And part of that is the fuel. CNN: Are you tying in concerts with the movie? Reiner: It's called the Anvil Experience. We show the movie and we play right after, in the theater. We've been doing that for the last two months throughout America, and it's like metal Beatlemania. CNN: There was another album due ... Reiner: "Juggernaut of Justice" is our next album. It's written, and we're just going to record at the end of the year and release it next year. We were going to keep rocking whether this movie came along or not. This movie is a rocket launcher to the mainstream, and here we are. | "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is a documentary that has reawakened interest in band .
Anvil's Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner have been dedicated to music .
Band went through hell in movie, but never lost passion .
A real-life "Spinal Tap"? Fair, says Reiner, but misleading . |
2,725 | 07fcb833939546928ffa81daf5917b455be9254e | An army veteran who served in Northern Ireland and Bosnia for almost 10 years and became homeless claims he was told he is not on a council's 'priority list' because 'he doesn't have a drink or drug problem'. Matthew Dennis, 39, has already been forced to sleep rough once and is now concerned he could end up having to sleep on the streets again. The former Lance Corporal claims he was told by Bournemouth District Council that as he does not have a drink or drug problem he is not on their 'priority list' for accommodation so has been left homeless. In failing to find him a home the authority also is not following the armed forces covenant, which was introduced by the Ministry of Defence, to ensure service personnel are not disadvantaged by being in the army. Scroll down for video . Army veteran Matthew Dennis has been left homeless after he claims Bournemouth District Council said he was not on a priority list for housing in the area because he does not have a drink or drugs problem . Under the covenant authorities are required to give priority to help former service personnel find housing. Bournemouth District Council claimed this did not apply after veterans had been out of the army for five years - but the Ministry of Defence said there is no time limit on the covenant. Mr Dennis said: 'I do feel let down.' 'I went to the council for help. They said since I don't have any problems with drugs or alcohol, I am not a priority.' Mr Dennis was evicted from his rented flat last week after losing his job as a kitchen fitter which he worked as since leaving the armed forces in 2000. He lost his job after the company went into liquidation. He is currently being put up in a bed and breakfast, at a cost of £95 a week - which is being paid for by Homes4Heroes. David Wood, a co-ordinator for the charity said: 'Matthew spent a few days sleeping rough before coming to us. He doesn't know the benefits system. He has worked all his adult life and has served his country for nine years and this is the first time he has needed help. 'At first a guy in the housing office said there was a place available but he had to go and check with his supervisor. When he came back 10 minutes later he was told he was not a priority case as he was not vulnerable. 'There was no more assistance offered. I was disgusted. David Wood (left) from Homes4Heroes said Bournemouth District Council should help the ex-serviceman . 'The Armed Forces Covenant outlines a duty of care our society owes our armed services, who have represented the country. 'Part of that duty is to ensure they are a priority for housing when they are vulnerable, as they are when they are on the streets exposed to the elements and attacks by others.' Mr Wood said the charity only has limited resources to pay to help ex-servicemen and women with housing. He said he believes Bournemouth District Council should be following the Armed Forces Covenant to help the 39-year-old. Mr Dennis claims he was told he was not a priority for housing by Bournemouth District Council . Bournemouth council claimed Mr Dennis was provided with advice and offered the option of applying for supported housing and refused, although he denies this, saying little useful information was provided. Kelly Ansell, the council's senior strategic housing manager, said the homeless were assessed on a case-by-case basis. She said: 'When specifically dealing with former HM Forces personnel our decisions take account of the military covenant and homelessness legislation which was applied in this case. 'Mr Dennis has the right to request a review of the decision made and we would be happy to re-visit the discussion on his housing options with him.' A spokesman for the council said the officer has considered vulnerability according to the homelessness legislation, and specifically considered whether the applicant is a ‘Vulnerable former members of the armed forces’. They said he would not have been told he was not considered a priority because of a drink or drug problem. | Matthew Dennis served in army for nine years becoming Lance Corporal .
But he lost his job after his company in Dorset went into liquidation .
Was evicted from flat in Bournemouth in Dorset and slept rough for 2 days .
Mr Dennis asked the council for help but claims he was refused support .
He was told 'because he doesn't have drink or drug problem not a priority'
Ex-serviceman is being temporarily housed by military charity .
Under MOD covenant ex-servicemen and women should be given support .
Council said it offered advice about supported housing, Mr Dennis denies . |
91,830 | 02212645bdac9135aa3d831166e7ee89e1ac75aa | By . Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 18:06 EST, 2 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:06 EST, 2 August 2013 . Peers with serious criminal records or those who stop attending Parliament could be kicked out of the House of Lords. The proposal follows the storm of criticism yesterday over the appointment of 30 new members – a move which left all three main party leaders accused of polluting politics. Now, after being attacked for rewarding major donors, cronies and lobbyists, senior ministers say they will seek to introduce fresh Lords reforms to cut the upper chamber. Lord Hanningfield (pictured left) was jailed, but could continue as a peer, while Lord Archer (right) could lose his seat following his perjury jail term . At the moment the Lords, which has swollen to 836 members, is second only to the Chinese Politburo as the largest legislature in the world. But under the proposals peers who do not attend the House or who have left the country will be told to retire. And those who have been given custodial sentences of a year or more will be stripped of their peerages. Currently MPs are kicked out of the Commons if they are sentenced to more than a year behind bars. But peers are simply banned from the Lords for the duration of their sentence or for the period when they are bankrupt. The new plans would affect Tory peer and novelist Lord Archer, who was jailed for four years for perjury and perverting the course of justice in 2001. The Lords (pictured) is second only to the Chinese Politburo as the largest legislature in the world. Under new proposals peers who do not attend the House or who have left the country will be told to retire . But they would not hit Lord Hanningfield, who received a nine-month sentence in 2011 for fiddling his expenses. Lib Dem ministers, backed by Tory Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin, are now drawing up plans to give life peers the opportunity to retire. They would keep their titles but would lose the right to claim allowances and vote on legislation. Ministers have also vowed to tackle the huge levels of absenteeism. At least 51 peers who are thought to have moved abroad are expected to lose their places. And hundreds of peers rarely or never speak in the upper chamber but are still able to claim allowances of £300 a day. Plans to make the Lords an elected chamber were shelved last year after a bitter row between the Tories and Lib Dems. The Lib Dems are still keen to remove the ‘historical anomaly’ that allows 92 hereditary peers to remain in the Lords. But they are apparently unwilling to push the idea for fear of generating further opposition from the Conservatives. Lord Oakeshott, pictured at his pub the Town of Ramsgate in Wapping, told Mr Clegg: 'I am now saying: Nick, you are in charge, show some leadership, don't bottle out' A senior Lib Dem source said his party would rather have an elected chamber, but that the Coalition will tackle the worst elements of the existing rules. ‘The current system is archaic, as we’ve seen this week. ‘Any other reforms in this area must not be seen as a substitute for meaningful democratic reform of the Lords,’ they said. ‘But we are looking at the areas of low hanging fruit which almost everyone agrees are crying out for reform – some sort of retirement plan, dealing with those who have been convicted of criminal offences and those who never turn up or live abroad.’ Proposals to offer peers a chance to retire have already been put forward by former Lib Dem leader Lord Steel. But Whitehall sources say government legislation is now being written that would bring all the Lords reforms into effect. Details of the new plans emerged as Nick Clegg came under pressure from his own party to ‘show some leadership’ and stop the next election being fought with ‘dirty money’. Lord Oakeshott, a former member of the joint committee on Lords reform, called for political donations to be capped at £5,000 to stop people buying their way into the Lords. Speaking on the Radio 4’s Today programme, Lord Oakeshott told Mr Clegg: ‘I am now saying: Nick – you are in charge, show some leadership, don’t bottle out. Please take a lead and shame people into doing it. We can stop the next election being fought with dirty money.’ | The Lords is second only to the Chinese Politburo as the largest legislature in the world .
MPs are kicked out of the Commons if they are sentenced to more than a year behind bars .
Plans to make the Lords an elected chamber were shelved last year after a bitter row between Tories and Lib Dems .
Lord Oakeshott called for political donations to be .
capped at £5,000 to stop people buying their way into the Lords . |
162,716 | 5e5f80e17f921505e4e75d1b7975722bdef287e2 | (CNN) -- An investigation into the deaths of two people who spent up to two hours inside a "sweat lodge" at an Arizona retreat last week has been elevated from an accidental death investigation to a homicide inquiry, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh told reporters Thursday. Self-help author James Arthur Ray has hired investigators to investigate two deaths at an Arizona sweat lodge. Authorities said James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, New York, died Friday at the Angel Valley Resort after spending up to two hours in the sauna-like sweat lodge. Nineteen others were treated for injuries. One person remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition, Waugh said. The dead and injured were attending a program by self-help author James Arthur Ray, authorities said. A search warrant was executed Wednesday at the James Ray International offices in Carlsbad, California, the sheriff said. Authorities were attempting to determine whether documents exist on how to construct sweat lodges and on their proper use, as well as documents showing whether participants were advised of the risks of sweat lodges either before or during the program. They also were searching for rosters from past events, Waugh said. Police would not say what, if anything, was found in executing the search warrant. Watch what goes on inside the 'sweat lodge' » . Asked why the deaths have been classified as homicides and the investigation upgraded, Waugh said, "We believe there are indications that it was not accidental, and ... we feel that there should be some culpability on some individuals." Those individuals could include Ray and possibly others, he said. A spokesman for Ray said authorities should be focusing on the investigation rather than talking to reporters. "The Sheriff's Department is trying this case in the media," said Howard Bragman, noting that Thursday's news conference was the sheriff's second this week. "There were no additional facts presented today; there were implications. I find words like 'homicide' -- when they don't have all the facts -- inflammatory and inappropriate at this time, and I think they're purposely inflammatory. ... Let's show as much zeal with the investigation and getting to the facts as they have in trying to tar my client," Bragman said. The sweat lodge was meant to be a "spiritual awakening" exercise for the participants in the "Spiritual Warrior" program, Waugh said. A sweat lodge is a dome-like structure covered with tarps and blankets. Hot rocks and water are used to create steam in the enclosed environment. The owners of the resort built the sweat lodge, Waugh said, under Ray's direction. A nurse on Ray's staff was present during the event, police have said. At least one of those who died was in the back of the structure, Waugh said. Ray was positioned near its door. There were no seats, he said; participants either sat or lay on the floor. On Tuesday, Ray said he has hired his own investigators to determine what happened at his Arizona retreat, located in a secluded valley 20 minutes from Sedona. "I have no idea what happened. We'll figure it out," Ray said. "I've lost people I love and really care about." Ray is the author of the best-selling book "Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want." Ray, described on his Web site as a "personal success strategist," has appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" and the "Oprah Winfrey Show," and is featured in the self-empowerment film "The Secret." The use of sweat lodges for spiritual and physical cleansing is a part of several Native American tribes' cultures. A traditional Native American sweat lodge is a small dome-like structure made of willow branches carefully tied together and covered in canvas. Rocks are heated in a nearby fire pit and placed inside the lodge, and water is poured over them to create steam. | 2 die, 19 injured in sweat lodge at Arizona retreat .
Self-help author James Arthur Ray sponsored the program .
"We believe there are indications that it was not accidental," police say .
Ray says he's hired private investigators to determine what happened . |
276,581 | f2537f462d6175a2511d0f8b0f9965feb1375f0e | By . Mia De Graaf . Parents have hit out at a junior school which took pupils as young as nine to an art gallery displaying explicit images of naked women and dead bodies. Children from Hafren Junior School were invited to Oriel Davies Gallery in Newtown in Powys, Wales, to see their own artwork, which had been placed on display. But part of the visit included a tour of the gallery’s own collection - including a collection horrifying images of women who appeared to have died violently. Horrified: Parents have hit out at Hafren Junior School for taking their children to Oriel Davies Gallery in Powys, Wales, where images of women who had died violently were displaying alongside the pupils' artwork . One shocking image in the gallery shows a bed splattered with blood stains and another appears to show the body of a dead woman slumped on a river bank. There were also several pieces of artwork involving nudity and angry parents have described the images as 'vulgar' and 'pornographic'. Stephanie Lockwood said she was horrified that the school had deemed the gallery an appropriate place for her 10-year-old daughter to visit. She fumed: 'I was mortified when I was told what she had seen. Some of the children on the trip were as young as nine. 'While at the gallery my daughter was shown what I would say is pornographic disturbing pictures. 'She is 10 years old and other class friends who also went were nine years old. 'When she came from school she told me what she had seen so I went to see the images my self. I was mortified. 'As well as the pictures there is also a video of a naked man covered in white and red paint, also there where images on the wall of what was made to look like dead people. 'I am horrified that Hafren School and the Oriel Gallery would expose my 10-year-old to these images.' Scarred: Children came home to their parents horrified after seeing an image of a blood-splattered bed and another of a naked woman slumped over the river bank in a series that the gallery defends as 'a visual display of fragility' Apology: The school for three- to 11-year-olds has been forced to apologise for the trip . Another mother, whose 10-year-old son was on the trip, added: 'It is a disgrace, surely they should have checked it out first. 'That way they could have let us know what was there and each parent could have decided if they wanted their child to go. 'My son has asked a lot of questions about death since looking at those horrible and vulgar images. He’s been scarred for life. 'It shook him up, he’s used to watching Austin and Ally or Good Luck Charlie on the Disney channel - not seeing blood soaked naked women.' Father-of-two Derek Lowe, 44, added: 'I don’t think it is right that a junior school is taking young children to view that sort of thing. 'It’s something that could corrupt young minds and stay with them for a while. 'I cannot understand their decision to take them to this sort of exhibition without doing a bit of research first.' 'It shook him up, he's used to watching the Disney channel - not seeing blood-soaked naked women' - Parent of 10-year-old pupil at Hafren Junior School in Powys, Wales . Defending the work on display, gallery director Amanda Farr said it was connected to visual artists who work with theatre, films and opera. She added: 'This exhibition is concerned with human endurance, vulnerability and the fragility of the human body. 'The exhibition is about visual artists who work with the stage. 'This includes artists who design stage sets for film, opera and the theatre, and also performance artists - some of whom use their bodies as part of their art. 'The exhibition contains one video piece by Philip Lee and some photographs of performance artists, Franko B and Anne Louise Wilson. 'These have images of the artists without clothes on. 'Oriel Davies also had a live performance by Philip Lee at the exhibition’s opening, and those who saw his performance found it a very moving and thoughtful artwork. 'It is our role as a public art gallery to show contemporary visual art in its different guises and forms, and we include performance art within this.' Headteacher Huw Jones said the gallery had an education officer who explained the context of the artwork but admitted that some parents had expressed concerns. He said: 'The school embraces opportunities for its pupils to experience art and culture as part of the national curriculum in Wales. Complaints: Parents at Hafren Junior School complained they were not warned what would be on display . 'After seeing their own work they were then shown a selection of artwork from the gallery’s own exhibition which is open to the general public. 'Some art did show nudity and surrealism but the gallery education officer, who works with schools and planned this event, was careful to explain the artwork and the context that it was to be viewed in. 'Some parents of children in our school have expressed concern about the exhibition and in light of this we have decided that no more pupils will view this particular artwork and Hafren School would like to apologise for any distress caused.' Hafren Junior School is a state school for boys and girls aged from three to 11 with 186 pupils on the books. It is situated in the centre of Newtown - a historic town in the Mid-Wales countryside - on the banks of the River Severn. | Hafren Junior School pupils taken to see their work on display in gallery .
Exhibition featured 'pornographic' images of dead and naked women .
One shows blood-splattered bed, another has a dead woman on river bank .
Gallery defended images as 'a visual display of human fragility'
School has apologised, said no more children will be taken to the gallery . |
64,679 | b7b31dbbd1cd68ae145262ca2497422cdd8f2c04 | BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- Dr. Carnell Cooper, a Baltimore surgeon, is saving lives inside and outside the operating room. Dr. Carnell Cooper's Violence Intervention Program provides training and support to trauma victims. Since becoming a trauma surgeon 16 years ago, he has dedicated himself to treating the many young African-American men who've been shot, stabbed or beaten, only to see them return to the ER with another severe injury just months later. But when one of his patients was readmitted with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in 1996, it changed Cooper's life. "The night that we pronounced that young man dead and my colleagues said there's really nothing we can do in these situations. ... I just didn't believe that," said Cooper, 54. "From that day forward, I said, 'Let's see what we can do.' " Cooper created the Violence Intervention Program (VIP) at the Shock Trauma Unit of the University of Maryland Medical Center, the state's busiest hospital for violent injuries. It became one of the country's first hospital-based anti-violence programs. "We approached this problem like any public health crisis, like heart disease or smoking," he said. "We tried to work on the root causes." Since 1998, VIP has provided substance abuse counseling, job skills training and other support services to nearly 500 trauma victims. "Using that scalpel blade to save their life is the first step," Cooper said. "The next step is to try to keep them from coming back." A 2006 study by Cooper and his colleagues, published in the Journal of Trauma, showed that people in the program were six times less likely to be readmitted with a violent injury and three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime. The issue hits close to home for Cooper. Born to unwed teenagers in Dillon, South Carolina, he grew up in a neighborhood where violent crime was commonplace; he had friends and relatives who ended up dead or in jail. But his grandparents made sure he stayed on the right path. As a straight-A student, he attended a prestigious high school in Massachusetts, then Yale University and Duke University School of Medicine. But while Cooper rose above his circumstances, he felt sympathy for the young men who rotated in and out of his operating room. "They could be my friends, my family," he said. Cooper's program attempts to help patients from the moment they arrive because victims of violence face a greater risk of receiving another violent injury. Everyone treated for violent wounds at the hospital is seen by a VIP case worker, often at bedside. For Cooper, approaching patients at this early stage is crucial. "We may get them in a moment when they are thinking, 'I just almost died,' " he said. "We say, 'We're going help you find a way to get out of the game.' " Watch Cooper talk to a victim of violence at his bedside » . VIP helps connect its members with additional support services, such as GED classes, conflict resolution, mentoring and parenting skills. A peer support group also meets at the hospital once a week. The success of Cooper's program has made it a model for others around the country and inspired the doctor to develop a larger initiative, the Violence Prevention Program, which includes other hospital-based efforts targeting young people in at-risk communities. Howard McCray, 29, turned his life around with help from VIP. He joined the program in 2001 after he was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the arm. Nicknamed "Pooh" for his resemblance to Winnie the Pooh, McCray's demeanor and lifestyle were once vastly different from the storybook bear's. "Before, I was into shooting people, robbing [them]," he recalled. "I've been in many gunbattles and been through the ER many times." Through VIP, McCray earned his GED and received job training and a driver's license. The program also helped him learn about budgeting money and paying child support. Today, McCray is an outreach worker for VIP, visiting patients at their bedsides and encouraging them to join the program. "I'm a changed man," McCray said proudly. "Dr. Cooper ... he saved me." Watch McCray describe how Cooper's program changed his life » . Helping people like McCray inspires Cooper to continue his work. "There are some individuals who we are not going to save, who are just immersed in the culture, but that's not the majority of folks," he said. "The majority of folks deserve a chance." Cooper believes it is all part of his responsibility as a doctor. "Every physician's goal is to save lives," he said. "This is another step in that process. In my mind, it's just what I should be doing." Want to get involved? Check out the Violence Intervention Program and see how to help. | Dr. Carnell Cooper's Violence Intervention Program helps trauma victims .
The program aims to break the cycle of violence by targeting its root causes .
Study: Participants are three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes . |
42,397 | 778db452d320ca04f4729b685f13d5a43f5da6af | By . Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 10:28 EST, 18 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 18 February 2013 . Hillary Clinton's will rake in hefty paychecks from a well-paying talent agency after stepping down as Secretary of State. Mrs Clinton is now represented by the Harry Walker Agency which is known for getting famous politicians and newsmakers six-figure sums on the lecture circuit. The venture is her first formal decision about what she is going to do now that she is no longer working, though she is widely considered to be the Democratic front runner should she decide to run for the presidency in 2016. Next gig: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has signed up with a talent agency and will likely begin commanding six-figure fees on the lecture circuit . Her decision to attach her name to his . particular New York-based agency comes as little surprise since her . husband former President Bill Clinton has long been represented by the . group since he left office in 2000. The move was clearly a lucrative one, as he made $75.6million from 2001 to 2010 from speaking engagements, making $10.7million in just 2010 alone. President Clinton is not the only big . name with the agency, as his former Vice President Al Gore has been . booking $175,000 gigs through their connections, and former New York . City mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani regularly brings in $100,000 per event. Former vice president Dick Cheney, . former Senators Olympia Snowe and Joe Lieberman, Obama campaign . strategist Jim Messina and former Secretary General of the United . Nations Kofi Annan are all represented by The Harry Walker Agency as . well. Her exact asking price has not been . reported, but Politico asserts that she 'will likely do some speeches . for no fee for causes she champions, and expects to occasionally donate . her fees for charitable purposes'. Following suit: Former vice presidents Dick Cheney (left) and Al Gore (right) are also represented by The Harry Walker Agency and are said to command $100,000 per speaking engagement . Bill Clinton- an average of $181,000, but in 2010 alone he earned $10.7million and a total of $75.6million between 2001 and 2010 . Al Gore- $175,000 . John Kerry- While working as a Senator prior to his presidential bid in 2004, Kerry averaged $1,400 per speach . Dick Cheney- $75,000 and first class travel for a three-person entourage . Rudy Giuliani- $100,000 per event and he made $9.2million on a speaking tour from 2006 to 2007 . Sarah Palin- $75,000 plus transportation . Bristol Palin- $14,000 . Charlie Sheen- $200,000 per appearance along with the use of a private jet . Kim Kardashian- Reportedly earned $600,000 from Tao Nightclub in Las Vegas for an undisclosed number of events . Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi- '$20,000 to walk the red carpet . While keeping mum about any future . presidential plans, Mrs Clinton has said that she plans to write another . book, this time about her work as Secretary of State. Publishing house Simon & Schuster . reportedly paid the former first lady an $8million advance on her first . book, Living History, which she published in December 2000. With any and all positions that she . decides to take, she will have to weigh the optics of if it would look . appropriate for a presidential candidate. That said, another concern is shoring . up a steady income, because it doesn't come cheap to live like the . Clintons and six-figure speaking fees will certainly help. Though there were early reports that . they might buy a house in the Hamptons area of Long Island, it appears . now that they will hustle between their current residences in . Washington, D.C. and Chappaqua, a quiet town in the suburbs of New York . City. She is also expected to either work . with her husband's Clinton Foundation or start her own, though no . decisions about that have been made at this point. The only thing that Mrs Clinton has . publicly confirmed is that she plans to rest after a very taxing four . years of traveling to 112 different countries. Time together: Aides think that Hillary will spend some time working with her husband's foundation as she finds her footing outside of the constraints of formal political office for the first time in decades . As Mrs Clinton remains coy about her . political prospects, her potential competitors are being very blatant in . their fundraising attempts. On the Republican side, both New . Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida Senator Marco Rubio have . raised significant sums for their campaign war chests in recent weeks. Mr Christie attended a fundraiser in . his honor at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's California home, and Mr . Rubio raised $100,000 by selling water bottles with his name on them, . playing on his thirst-quenching gaffe during the State of the Union . rebuttal. | Stepped down from her job as Secretary of State earlier this month .
Is widely considered the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 but she has not decided if she will run .
Has always said that her first plans will be to sleep and go on vacation after a taxing four years as Secretary of State .
Now she has signed up to earn whopping fees on the lecture circuit . |
224,712 | aef59fb81d3f2f820b7f0d24902aabb2b950ca00 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are severing their ties with al Qaeda, sources close to the historic discussions have told CNN. King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia hosted meetings between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a source says. The militia, which has been intensifying its attacks on the U.S.-led coalition that toppled it from power in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, has been involved in four days of talks hosted by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, says the source. The talks -- the first of their kind aimed at resolving the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan -- mark a significant move by the Saudi leadership to take a direct role in Afghanistan, hosting delegates who have until recently been their enemies. They also mark a sidestepping of key "war on terror" ally Pakistan, frequently accused of not doing enough to tackle militants sheltering on its territory, which has previously been a conduit for talks between the Saudis and Afghanistan. According to the source, fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar -- high on the U.S. military's most-wanted list -- was not present, but his representatives were keen to stress the reclusive cleric is no longer allied to al Qaeda. Details of the Taliban leader's split with al Qaeda have never been made public before, but the new claims confirm what another source with an intimate knowledge of the militia and Mullah Omar has told CNN in the past. The current round of talks, said to have been taken two years of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations to come to fruition, is anticipated to be the first step in a long process to secure a negotiated end to the conflict. But U.S.- and Europe-friendly Saudi Arabia's involvement has been propelled by a mounting death toll among coalition troops amid a worsening violence that has also claimed many civilian casualties. A Saudi source familiar with the talks confirmed that they happened and said the Saudis take seriously their role in facilitating discussions between parties to the conflict. A second round of talks is scheduled to take place in two months, the Saudi source said. The Afghan government believes the Taliban cannot be defeated militarily, and the Taliban believe that they can't win a war against the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi source said. The involvement of the Saudis is also seen as an expression of fear that Iran could take advantage of U.S. failings in Afghanistan, as it is seen to be doing in Iraq. Several Afghan sources familiar with Iranian activities in Afghanistan have said Iranian officials and diplomats who are investing in business and building education facilities are lobbying politicians in Kabul. Learn more about King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia » . The Afghan sources wish to remain anonymous due to their political roles. Coalition commanders regularly accuse Iran of arming the Taliban, and Western diplomats privately suggest that Iran is working against U.S. interests in Afghanistan, making it harder to bring peace. Saudi sources say perceived Iranian expansionism is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest concerns. Watch CNN's Nic Robertson report on the meeting » . The talks in Mecca took place between September 24 and 27 and involved 11 Taliban delegates, two Afghan government officials, a representative of former mujahadeen commander and U.S. foe Gulbadin Hekmatyar, and three others. King Abdullah broke fast during the Eid al-Fitr holiday with the 17-member Afghan delegation -- an act intended to show his commitment to ending the conflict. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. Learn more about Ramadan » . Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries that recognized the Taliban leadership during its rule over Afghanistan in the 1990s, but that relationship was severed over Mullah Omar's refusal to hand over bin Laden. During the talks, described as an ice breaker, all parties agreed that the only solution to Afghanistan's conflict is through dialogue, not fighting. Further talks are expected in Saudi Arabia involving this core group and others. | King Abdullah hosted talks in city of Mecca at end of September, source says .
Saudi Arabia has generally dealt with Afghanistan through Pakistan .
Talks are the first aimed at bringing a negotiated settlement to the Afghan conflict .
All parties agreed only solution to Afghan conflict is dialogue, not fighting . |
283,117 | fabdf1e98921ad54694b6976146b26e231623b74 | By . John Drayton . Peter Scudamore’s position as Premier League chief executive took a severe blow after sexist emails sent from his account were described as ‘unacceptable’ by Prime Minister David Cameron. Scudamore has been under fire for the past week following the publication of sexist emails sent from his Premier League account. The Premier League was on Sunday forced to defend its working environment after the woman who blew the whistle on Scudamore said she was 'humiliated, belittled and disgusted' when reading the messages. Expressing his view: Prime Minister David Cameron has described sexist emails sent by Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore as 'unacceptable' Feeling the heat: Scudamore has been under fire following the publication of sexist emails sent from his Premier League account . A Downing . Street spokesman said Prime Minister David Cameron shared the view . expressed by sports minister Helen Grant that Scudamore's comments were . ‘unacceptable’ but that it was for the Premier League to decide on his . future. The . Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Helen Grant ... was right to . say what she did, I have clearly associated the Prime Minister directly . with those remarks. 'But in terms of staffing decisions at the Premier League, it's for the Premier League.' A . Premier League statement said: 'We do not recognise this . characterisation of the working environment at the Premier League, nor . do we believe that it can be supported by the facts. 'The . chief executive has already apologised for any offence caused and a . proper review of all the evidence is now under way within the Premier . League's established and rigorous procedures. 'This . process is not yet concluded and it is therefore not possible to offer . comments in detail at this stage. However we will make a further . statement in due course. 'The Premier League continues to be fully committed to treating all staff fairly and on merit, regardless of gender.' Important role: Scudamore presented Man City players with their Premier League winners' medals . The emails referred to women in a derogatory terms, contained sexual innuendos, and made jokes about 'female irrationality'. The . Football Association's independent board member Heather Rabbatts, who . will chair a meeting of its inclusion advisory board to discuss the case . on Tuesday, has also issued a statement saying Scudamore should . consider his position in light of 'growing evidence of a closed culture . of sexism' at the Premier League. Abraham said she felt she had a duty to speak out about the contents of emails between her boss and his lawyer friend. 'Mr Scudamore has a huge amount of influence and is paid a vast sum of money and has behaved wrongly,' she said. 'Having . witnessed that I felt I had a duty to speak out. If I didn't then I'd . somehow be condoning his behaviour - just like the other people who saw . those messages. Pressure: Heather Rabbatts believes Scudamore should consider his position at the Premier League . 'Despite . what some people have said since the Sunday Mirror printed the story . last week, this is not the sort of thing that goes on in offices these . days. 'And . for those people who've attacked me for saying they were just 'jokes' I . wonder how they would feel if their wife or girlfriend or daughter had . to read messages like that. 'And how would they feel if those messages were written about their wife or girlfriend or daughter?' 'We've heard of casual racism and I think there's a lot of casual sexism in the game.' Sponsor . Barclays has expressed also its disappointment to the league, which has . raised the stakes ahead of Monday's meeting of the league's audit and . remuneration committee, chaired by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck. Buck . is a friend and shooting partner of Scudamore's, but the committee only . has the power to make a recommendation and consists of four members, . the others being Manchester United director David Gill, Stoke chairman . Peter Coates and Premier League referees' chairman John Williams. | Prime Minister David Cameron descrbies sexist emails sent from Premier League account of Richard Scudamore as 'unacceptable'
Scudamore has been under fire following the publication of the emails . |
22,527 | 3fee79dbc1c6dd3298f57edfc46880d2c1fa6cd9 | (CNN) -- It was with a heavy heart that I heard Edward Snowden has been granted, and apparently accepted, temporary asylum in Russia for one year. Short of locking him naked in solitary confinement as an example to other leakers, as was done to Bradley Manning, Russia is exactly where the American intelligence community wants Snowden. How better to discredit Snowden's warnings of the threat posed to civil liberties by our ever-growing surveillance state than to ceaselessly point out that he has found sanctuary in the arms of the FSB, the successor to the KGB? I suspect this latest development will nix any possibility of reform of domestic surveillance operations coming out of the House Judiciary Committee. Of course, at this point, where else could Snowden go? He had spent five weeks in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. That had to be a purgatory on earth. By leaning on our allies, America had effectively trapped him there. One should not take too seriously, though, the outrage expressed by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Congress over this latest Russian perfidy. By fleeing to America's traditional bogeyman, Snowden has seriously blunted his own effectiveness. He has become an easy target for the U.S. government to demonize. Into whose hands has Edward Snowden actually put himself? With nowhere else to go, he is now physically under the control of a government whose leadership under Vladimir Putin has raised human rights alarms worldwide for the alleged killing of dissenting reporters, the jailing of performance artists like Pussy Riot and -- most recently -- the criminalization of homosexuality. Putin's thumbing of the nose to the Obama administration may be seen as a great thing for Snowden and his fate, but it's important to bear in mind that today's Russia is no more a bastion of free speech than China. Opinion: How Putin's move could help Snowden and U.S. Years ago, I was convicted of espionage, sentenced to 40 years imprisonment, and packed off in chains to a federal penitentiary. It was more than I could endure, so one cold winter night I escaped through the razor wire. I at once became America's most wanted fugitive. I was hunted high and low by the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. I was shot at and chased and forever looking over my shoulder. I too contemplated seeking sanctuary in Russia. I thought long and hard about it because there was an easy route through Havana to Moscow. But I could not stomach the thought of it. I decided I would rather live the life of a hunted fugitive in my own country than spend my years controlled as a puppet of the KGB. After my arrest in 1977, I spent 25 years in prison. Contrary to what many believe, my partner and I did not give information to the Soviet Embassy to aid the Soviet Union. I did what I did because I wanted to publicize and strike back at the U.S. intelligence community for the things I saw that outraged me. It was a mistake that cost me dearly, and one that I lived to regret. I suspect Snowden will come to regret his actions just as deeply. This, more than anything else, would be the greatest tragedy of all. Opinion: What's in it for Russia? There is no doubt in my mind that Edward Snowden will rather be anywhere else on earth than in the arms of Putin's Russia. Of course, there are two exceptions to that statement: He does not want to be dead and he does not want to be sitting naked in an American solitary confinement cell. I do not see that his choices were all that great. Meanwhile, the U.S. surveillance state will go on stockpiling the sensitive personal data of the American people. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court will continue to function as a secret rubber stamp to spy on our own citizenry. The bulk collection of our telephone data will mushroom. The addresses of all letters and packages mailed and received will continue to be photographed by the U.S. Post Office. Internet companies will continue to be bent to the secret purposes of the surveillance state. The NSA will go on recording all our e-mail. Opinion: Snowden is an unwanted guest in Putin's Russia . Transparency, public disclosure, and open debate will be stifled as America becomes the world's first cyber-superpower. And politicians of both parties will go on fearing to resist lest they be blamed should a cyber-attack happen. Our surveillance state is only just beginning to flex its technological muscles. We have nothing to lose but our civil liberties. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Chris Boyce. | Convicted spy Chris Boyce: Snowden is right where U.S. intelligence wants him to be .
Boyce: Russia, with such a poor human rights record, discredits Snowden's warnings .
Boyce: Snowden will hate it, but it's better than his possible treatment in a U.S. prison .
Meanwhile, the U.S. government will continue to spy on its citizens unabated, he says . |
15,778 | 2cca36e29c1efdb8af8516404308a24e6b2b2cbb | (CNN) -- In most of the old TV Westerns, there was a moment at the end where the cowboy rode away. He's delivered justice, empowered the townsfolk and ended the crisis. The good guy knows he will be needed elsewhere. It's mythology, of course; the historical American West was bloody and brutal and often without honor. But there were still a lot of people who hoped the cowboy icon was precisely the self-image Texas Gov. Rick Perry was realizing as he took the stage to make an announcement about his "exciting future plans." But this is not the scene where the cowboy rides away. It's a bit more like the one where he refuses to leave the saloon and has to be thrown out onto the street. In spite of promoting his Monday event in San Antonio for a week, Perry didn't speak in any detail about his plans. Democrats and progressives had a bit of excitement, however. The governor said he was not running for re-election to the state's top political job. It will be 18 months before Perry leaves office after a 14-year tenure as the longest-serving governor in Texas history. And that final year and a half and what he's going to do with it is where Perry exercised his skills at being politically vague. Which is why pundits tend to say Perry is hard to predict. But he's not. Since the day he switched political parties under the tutelage of Karl Rove almost a quarter century ago, Perry has been an extreme conservative who gave away hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to corporations. And when the tea party metastasized into Texas politics, he walked his conservatism over to the right edge of the flat earth. His lust for guns and God and his hatred of abortion rights and gay rights make him a strong Republican primary candidate among the activist voters, but an unlikely voice for most of America seeking a president in 2016. But he's still going to try, bless his heart. Perry will use his remaining time in office to raise money. The signal for this was the site of his announcement, which was a Caterpillar plant outside San Antonio. The manufacturer's chief executive reportedly has given Perry more than $680,000 since he became governor, and Caterpillar received millions in tax abatements and a $10 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund, which has disproportionately awarded money to generous Perry campaign donors. An Emerging Technology Fund and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas offered the same fiduciary delights for GOP business leaders that are believers in Perry. In fact, the institute's operation was so political all of the top scientists drawn to the project resigned and the district attorney in Austin launched a criminal investigation. When the district attorney was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge, however, Perry vetoed funding for her unit, which was investigating his potential misconduct. Case closed. It's good to be king. And he kind of is in Texas. No one should expect anything new out of Perry. He will keep traveling the country annoying other state leaders while talking about jobs in Texas and acting like he persuaded God to pour dinosaur wine into our soil and then seduced California tech companies into moving where real estate and labor are less expensive. Texas has always been a job engine because of natural resources, weather and people, not politicians. No mention will be made by Perry of the fact that a large number of jobs lured to Texas using taxpayer money are minimum wage, nor will he talk about how Texas is 50th in the percentage of population with a high school diploma, or how it's first in the nation with 28.8% uninsured. The governor will keep arguing against Obamacare regardless of the fact it insures 3 million more Texans and reduces the uninsured overall to 12%. Don't expect him to detail, either, that his state is 50th in per capita spending on health care, 51st in benefits for the Women, Infants and Children program, and, even though he is pushing abortion restrictions, Perry will certainly not let anyone know he presides over a state ranked 50th in the percentage of women receiving prenatal care in their first trimesters. And if his leadership has been so inspiring, why is it that Texas is also last in the percentage of the voting age population that actually votes? Instead, look for Perry to associate more publicly with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative state think tank founded by one of his biggest donors. He'll try to gin up a little gravitas on issues, work on keeping three items in his head at one time, and launch a Super PAC that he can use to support conservative candidates in 2014, and then call upon them for returned favors when he runs in 2016. The two Super PACs associated with his previous presidential stumble have about $500,000 already, and Perry has been consistently skilled at leveraging the governor's office to raise cash for his political fantasies. The Texas governor has a good life. And he knows it. He's already drawing his $7,698 a month pension from the state, and his $150,000 salary, living in a beautiful mansion in downtown Austin, and traveling on jets with an entourage of security and sycophants. But that's nothing compared with being president. So, no, the cowboy isn't riding away. He's hanging around the saloon. And trying to get another drink. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of James C. Moore. | James Moore: Rick Perry says he won't run for governor again but was vague on future plans .
Moore: Perry will run for president, even though his extremism is out of step .
Perry will use remaining time in office to raise money, launch Super PAC, he says .
Moore: He gave millions to corporations but has abysmal record on education, health care . |
94,155 | 05062a4613287944396dd02549b41a64f29f838a | By . Luke Salkeld . PUBLISHED: . 19:31 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:23 EST, 8 January 2014 . The shape of the British coastline is being changed for ever by storms that continued to lash the country yesterday. Some of our most famous natural landmarks have been washed away by the driving rain and howling winds. Swathes of Chesil Beach were lost to the sea and a 150 million-year-old stack known as Pom Pom Rock has collapsed on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. The latest damage followed the total . destruction of a rock arch at Porthcothan Bay in north Cornwall. It came . as forecasters released a weather map showing that all areas of England . and Wales are now at risk of flooding. Police told residents near . Chesil Beach in Dorset to move to upstairs rooms facing away from the . sea, while three severe flood warnings, the highest level, were issued . in the county. Scroll down for video . Before and after: The rock, known as Pom Pom Rock, pictured two weeks ago (left) and the boulders left scattered after the stack was washed away (right) Storms: Waves smash against the promenade in Aberystwyth, Wales . Collapsed: The stormy conditions brings down a Victorian shelter on the promenade in Aberystwyth, Wales, which was damaged by large waves . The Environment Agency confirmed that a large amount of shingle on the beach had been ‘displaced by the heavy weather’. Elsewhere, storms from the Atlantic continued to bring heavy rain on to saturated ground, putting added pressure on swollen rivers. Seven people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since the beginning of the Christmas period. The Environment Agency map showing the shocking extent of flooding in Britain revealed there are 360 flood warnings or alerts in place for England, Wales and Scotland. The Met Office said heavy showers, some with hail and thunder, would continue to lash parts of Britain today – as statistics showed some of us saw our wettest December in more than half a century. About 6.5 inches (165.1 mm) of rain fell in the South East last month – the most since 1959. Scotland endured its wettest month since records began in 1910, with 11.7 inches (296.1mm). Environment Secretary Owen Paterson insisted that flood management was ‘a real priority for this Government’, which was working closely with councils and insurers. Caution: 360 flood warnings or alerts were issued around England, Wales and Scotland, with three severe warnings in Dorset . Struggle: Villagers in Muchelney on the Somerset Levels use a tractor to transport them through the flooded roads . Astonishing: People photograph enormous waves as they break on Porthcawl, South Wales, where very strong winds and high seas create dangerous conditions . Where does the road end and the water begin? Flooding at Emsworth in Hampshire at high tide. Pictured is the South Street car park . He told the House of Commons that some energy network companies had been too slow to restore power to thousands of homes affected by the storms and floods over Christmas. His statement came as the misery continued for many communities. Flooding in the Somerset Levels has left villages cut off, and roads and buildings damaged. Waves of up to 27ft have been recorded at Land’s End in Cornwall. In Aberystwyth, seafront properties along the promenade were again evacuated. Searches are continuing in south Devon for missing 18-year-old student Harry Martin, who was last seen leaving his home to take photographs of the weather – with more than 100 people volunteering to look for him. Destruction: A major cleanup operation has started on the promenade on Aberystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom . Officials around the country have pleaded with people to keep away from the coast as onlookers continue to put their lives at risk by watching high waves crashing on to land. Meanwhile, tributes have been paid to the man who died after being washed out to sea in Cornwall on New Year’s Day. Harry Swordy, 27, from Guildford, had gone for a paddle with friends at Loe Bar beach in Cornwall but was dragged out by a huge wave. Friends Tom and Lou Luddington wrote online: ‘Harry was such an amazing character, so full of life.’ Concern was growing for an elderly dementia sufferer who was known to love the seafront after she went missing from her coastal home. Shirley Coalbran, of Hastings, East Sussex, went to bed around 11pm but the 76-year-old then got up again and left her home. A forecaster for Meteogroup said the weather would ease in the coming days. She added: ‘It will become less stormy and more settled, but temperatures are dropping.’ Precaution: Environment Agency workers check the river defence barriers on Osney Island in Oxford . Improvised transport: People wheel a canoe past the river defence barriers on Osney Island in Oxford . Travel: A resident uses a canoe as they paddle on flood water past houses flooded on the road leading to the village of Muchelney in Somerset . Looking out: Wave watchers get to close as the water covers the road in Porthleven. The Environment Agency said the risk of flooding continued this week . Destruction: The 18th-century pier at Portreath minus its 'monkey house' - a small stone hut - which was washed away by the massive Atlantic breakers this morning . | Parts of Chesil Beach were lost and the 150 million-year-old Pom Pom Rock .
collapsed on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset .
The latest damage followed the total .
destruction of a rock arch at Porthcothan Bay in north Cornwall .
It came .
as forecasters released a weather map showing that all areas of England .
and Wales are now at risk of flooding .
Seven people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded since the Christmas period . |
215,815 | a358447c42aabb62416958fcbf1183f08b1f0d3c | By . Sue Reid . PUBLISHED: . 22:33 EST, 28 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:57 EST, 29 March 2013 . Under a fierce spring sun in the Cyprus capital of Nicosia, Maria Ioannou, a British mother of two, queued outside a bank yesterday to discover if she still had a Euro to her name. The 35-year-old accountant from North London soon learned the devastating truth. She, and her husband, Michael, have lost their savings of £135,000 (160,000 euros) because of the banking crisis on the Mediterranean island. ‘Our dreams of building a house here in Cyprus, giving a good life in the sunshine to our two young children, have been shattered,’ said Mrs Ioannou, near to tears, after an hour’s appointment with the manager of the Cyprus Popular Bank, known locally as Laiki. ‘When he showed me details of our deposits, they had been stamped with the words: ‘Account blocked’. Scroll down for video . Maria Ioannou, a British mother of two has lost thousands in the Cyprus banking crisis. Pictured, an elderly woman looks at a savings book as people wait in line at a bank in Nicosia, Cyprus yesterday . Mrs Ioannou had waited her turn outside Laiki in the smart suburb of Pallouriotissa alongside a long line of Cypriots, a handful of Britons, and a young African. When the promised bank opening at midday was delayed by half an hour because of a computer glitch, shouts rang out among the increasingly angry people as they pushed towards the doors, guarded by policemen drafted in to stop violence and protect staff. On Wednesday night, five shipping containers filled with billions of Euros are reported to have been flown to Cyprus from Frankfurt and delivered to the island’s central bank to ensure money did not run out. A helicopter and police cars guarded the armoured cash convoy, thought to have been sent by the European Central Bank, on its way from the airport. Strict new rules have been imposed to stop a run on Cyprus banks which yesterday opened for the first time since the island’s economic meltdown started nearly a fortnight ago. A woman gestures as she waits outside a Laiki bank branch in Nicosia. Mrs Ioannou (not pictured) and her husband have lost £135,000 . Airports have are now searching passengers and stopping anyone trying to leave the country with more than 1000 euros (£845) and daily cash machine withdrawals are limited to 300 euros (£250). The clampdown, agreed by the Eurozone finance chiefs in exchange for a 10billion euro bailout (£8.5 billion) to the island has hit Mrs Ioannou and other depositors at two banks, Laiki and the troubled Cyprus Bank, at the heart of the crisis. Depositors with both banks can keep 100,000 euros (£84,000) but will lose all deposits above this amount to finance the island’s contribution to the rescue deal. It is the first time that a bailout condition to a Eurozone country has included the raiding of depositors’ accounts, a decision that has infuriated the islanders. Mrs Ioannou put more than 200,000 Eeros (£168,000) in the Laiki bank after selling her house in north London and de-camping to Cyprus a little over a year ago with her husband, and their two children, a son aged four, and daughter of one. She has now lost half of this money. Michael, a research scientist gave up a plum post at an English university and also put 160,000 Euros (£135,000) of his savings in the same bank. He learned yesterday that he will lose 60,000 Euros (£51,000) of the money. ‘We have not been able to sleep at night with the worry’ said Mrs Ioannou outside the bank yesterday. ‘I nod off for ten minutes, then wake up in terror at what has happened to us. My husband is devastated. 'The funds we deposited included money given to us as a wedding present by our family and friends. ‘We have bought a plot of land in Nicosia and have paid for architects to design a house with a garden, which is a rarity in the capital. Now we do not have the money to build the house. 'We will have to stay in our rented three bedroom flat. I wish I had never sold my terraced house in London, which will have gone up in price since. ‘Michael went to Laiki two months ago because was worried about rumours that the bank was in trouble. He said he wanted to withdraw the money he had brought to Cyprus from Britain and send it back to the UK, where he still has an account with a High Street bank. A security guard, right, stands in front of a bank. There were angry scenes at banks across the island yesterday . ‘The Laiki official sat him down and told him not to worry. The official said he had money deposited in the bank too and nothing was at risk. He persuaded Michael to keep the money there. ‘We have worked hard. We have saved our money and not taken risks. Now we will have to start all over again. My parents who live in London and were refugees to Britain after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 say this is a ‘Second War’ that those living here are facing.’ Like many Cypriots and Britons, Maria says she was attracted to the Laiki bank by a deposit account which offered something called a ‘monthly step up plan’. This allowed her to withdraw money each month to pay for architect’s costs and other outgoings as she planned the new house. It also offered an enticing interest rate of between 3 and 5 per cent - far higher than the current ones offered in the UK. Rage: Thousands of Cypriots protested against the harsh treatment imposed on Cyprus. The new agreement will see massive savings raids on those who have more than 100,000 Euros deposited in banks . ‘The bank was still advertising this “step up plan” on the Friday two weeks ago that the banks closed at 1.30 and the crisis began,’ she says with fury. In a further cruel twist, Maria was told yesterday that a 200,000 euro loan she and Michael, who was born in Cyprus, have taken out at the bank to help build their house will still have to be repaid. ‘So we cannot use some of our “confiscated” funds to pay that off,' she said. No, the bank has taken that and we will end up paying for a loan for years for a house that we cannot afford to build.’ She is just one of hundreds of Britons caught up in the Cyprus banking crisis that is threatening financial stability across the world. Those who have settled on the island last night spoke of their fears that they will not be able to sell their houses (which had already slumped dramatically in price before the current crisis began) without making a significant loss. Many believe that they couldn’t now get their money out of the country even if they could get rid of their properties. 'Our dreams of building a house here in Cyprus, giving a good life in the sunshine to our two young children, have been shattered,' said Mrs Ioannou . Terry Rose, a 67-year-old retired Army warrant officer, moved to Cyprus five years ago from Leeds in Yorkshire with his wife Hazel. They bought a newly-built home in the picturesque village of Pyrgos, perched on a hillside above Limassol where 40 per cent of the inhabitants are British. ‘If I sold the house now it would be at a loss. But how would we move the money out of Cyprus back to the UK anyway?’ he asked. ‘We are stuck here. I like Cyprus, but the choice of where we spend our retirement years has been taken away from us, just like that.’ The Roses have an 100,000 euro investment bond lodged with the island’s Alpha bank which has so far avoided the worst of the troubles. They had put it in the bank to pay for unexpected medical bills as they grew older. However, after the banking crisis blew up two weeks ago they began to worry that their money was not safe. Like all the others, the bank shut its doors. Staff did not return Terry’s emails or calls. 'We have worked hard. We have saved . our money and not taken risks. Now we will have to start all over again. My parents who live in London and were refugees to Britain after the . Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 say this is a ‘Second War’ that those . living here are facing.' He explained: ‘Lots of English people are frightened now and want to sell up. Many are retired people like us. 'At our time of life we should be enjoying ourselves. Instead we are worried sick that we are trapped here.’ Yesterday David Rumsey, of 3D Global financial advisors in Cyprus, warned that it is responsible people who carefully invested savings in the island’s banks who are now being hit by the controversial bailout plan. ‘It is ordinary people, both Britons and Cypriots, who are paying the price.' Certainly those in the bank queue, including Mrs Ioannou, seemed to prove his point. Stavros Shaelis a 61-year-old Cypriot businessman runs a small company importing plastics to the island. He had hoped to get permission to pay his suppliers through his Laiki account. Cash flow: The ban shut-down hammered businesses, which have been without access to their funds for two weeks . ‘I have not been caught by the 100,000 Euro confiscation, but I have not been able to do business for a fortnight because the banks have been shut. It has been difficult.’ And Ibrahim Bunduka, a 22-year-old Sierra Leone football professional playing for a Cypriot club was also waiting patiently. ‘I have 30,000 Euros in my account here,’ he said. ‘I want to get it out and send it to a bank in the UK. I am afraid of losing my savings after what has happened. ‘For months now the club has not been paying my salary on time. I feared the island had financial problems. I want to move to London this summer when my contract is over and take my money with me.’ When and how he will ever be able to do so remains to be seen. | Maria Ioannou's family has lost the staggering sum as a result of EU bailout .
They had hoped to build a beautiful home in the Mediterranean sun .
Now their hopes are in tatters thanks to banking crisis . |
191,096 | 8377ec2c34cf664edb335b482ed4acf41b7817f7 | By . Becky Barrow . PUBLISHED: . 20:27 EST, 10 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:27 EST, 10 December 2013 . Millions of women are being let down by a state pension system that treats them like ‘poor relations’, official figures revealed yesterday. The data from the Office for National Statistics show that 80 per cent of male pensioners get the full amount of £110.15 a week. But just 46 per cent of women receive the full state pension, which is based on National Insurance contributions. Official statistics show just 46% of women receive the full state pension compared to 80% of male pensioners . Many women give up work to look after children and so make lower contributions. Dr Ros Altmann, a pensions expert, said: ‘The state pension system was designed by men for men who had wives at home. ‘Women have been stung by a legacy of rough justice from the pension system. It has discriminated against women for years.’ Overall, a typical retired woman who is receiving her state pension, including additional extras, receives £112 per week. But a man scoops £34 more per week, with an average weekly payout of £146. This is equal to nearly £1,770 more every year. Many women give up work to look after children and therefore make lower contributions . For many women, this is the difference between turning on the heating or staying cold, between visiting relatives or being stuck at home. Malcolm McLean, a consultant from pension advisers Barnett-Waddingham, said: ‘It is clear that women are still very much the poor relations when it comes to the state pension.’ There are far more female than male pensioners in Britain, with around five million men and 7.3million women over State pension age in the UK. To make matters worse, the ONS said one in ten retired women get ‘less than half’ of the basic state pension. The figures follow the revelation yesterday that elderly savers are being stripped of thousands of pounds by middlemen when they retire and turn their pension pots into annuities. Half stay loyal to the insurer they have saved with while others turn to brokers in search of a better deal. But a report from the Financial Services Consumer Panel found many pensioners were being charged between £1,500 and £3,350 by brokers when moving a pot worth £100,000. The ONS also exposed the ballooning cost of paying the state pension to Britain’s ageing population. In 2012/13, the state pension and other payouts, such as pension credit, cost the Government £94billion. This figure is set to explode as people live longer. Two in five baby girls born this year will live to celebrate their 100th birthdays, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Pensions experts say the state system was 'designed by men for men' and discriminate against women . By 2062/63, the ONS forecasts the bill will have reached £438billion, a sum the Government plans to reduce by raising the state pension age. At present a woman can start claiming state pension at 61 and nine months. A man can start claiming at 65. It will be increased to 65 for women by 2018. The age for both men and women will then rise to 66 by 2020 and 67 by 2028. John Fox, director of the pension provider Liberty Sipp, said: ‘We all know Britain is facing a pensions timebomb. ‘With these official projections, the ticking just got louder.’ | Office for National Statistics show 80% of male pensioners get full amount .
Fewer than one in two women get full state pension, which is based on National Insurance contributions .
Many women make lower contributions because they give up work .
Pensions experts say system 'discriminates' against women . |
261,891 | df302138cee31a0a4f57a7313f2a0ef03e5e141e | Before every UEFA match there is a meeting of 'emergency personnel' who run through what to do in the event of any major incident before or during the match. This wouldn't be expected to cover a drone flying over the stadium with a politically-incendiary flag, however. While the referee does not attend this meeting, he is aware of potential issues, as England's Martin Atkinson would have been ahead of taking charge of Serbia against Albania in Belgrade. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the shocking scenes as Serbia vs Albania was abandoned . Serbia's game against Albania was abandoned after a drone flying over the stadium sparked chaotic scenes . Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic pulled down a flag carried by a drone - the Euro 2016 tie was later abandoned . Albania players flee the pitch and head to the relative safety of their dressing room following the chaos . The decision to take the players off the field may have been Atkinson's or he could have been advised to do so by UEFA's veteran delegate Harry Been, who is likely to have been sent there with any potential issues in mind. Once safely back in the referee's dressing room as the trouble unfolded on the pitch and in the stands, there will have been regular updates for Atkinson and his team of English officials as to how things were progressing. Out of courtesy, he will have been ‘consulted’ regarding the eventual abandonment - but the decision will have ultimately been made by Been. These incidents are rare but when they do happen it is always nice for the referee to have a senior delegate to take control or responsibility. The drone struggles to fly as players from both Serbia and Albania are involved in a scuffle on the pitch . Both supporters and players clashed on the turf as tensions reached fever pitch in Belgrade . Tensions boiled over as fans spilled onto the pitch after the politically-motivated flag was torn down . Players and officials scuffle after the flag is removed - the match was later abandoned . People often ask me about the toughest international game I've reffed. I had one particularly tricky incident in a Paraguay vs Colombia World Cup qualifier. Smoke from flares that had been set off at the start of the game meant that TV companies wanted the game stopped as their viewers couldn’t see the action. The Argentinian delegate and I decided to keep playing and allowed the smoke to clear. There wasn't any major backlash, although the fourth official got an earful from a TV producer. I was supposed to referee the Euro 2008 qualifier between Finland and Belgium, but was replaced by Mike Riley after my decision to retire. He had to stop play for six minutes when an owl landed on the pitch and was swooping on to the goals. When refereeing, you just have to expect the unexpected and follow the advice of the UEFA delegate. | Serbia's politically-charged Euro 2016 qualifier was abandoned .
Stefan Mitrovic sparked wild scenes when he pulled down a flag .
The flag was carried by a drone flying over the Belgrade stadium .
Harry Been, UEFA's veteran delegate, called off the match .
He would have consulted ref Martin Atkinson, who was officiating the tie . |
77,099 | da9d5bf9de38495bc904cdd7c63fcec7ed740b9d | A new company in Germany is trying to break into the fashion business selling stylish clothes designed and produced by prison inmates. Inmates design and produce the Haeftling range. The company Haeftling, which in English means inmate, has just opened its first store in Berlin. "We want to have basic, durable, timeless, beautiful clothes," said Stephan Bohle, one of the company founders. Many of the clothes, cooking aprons and even stainless steel food trays offered in the Berlin store were either designed or manufactured in jails, but not just German ones. One design shows a female comic figure that was drawn by a man sitting on death row in Texas. Bohle said part of the proceeds from sales go to organizations that support prisoners' rights and better conditions for inmates, like Amnesty International. But in some cases, money goes directly to the inmates that designed certain pieces. "In the case of the female cartoon figure, this man was almost granted a stay from execution because of the design he did for us but in the end unfortunately the appeals court ruled against him," Bohle said . The clothes offered at the Haeftling shop also tell the story of the inmates that designed individual pieces. A small text inside the item lays out the prisoners story, including the name, where he is in jail and how long the term will be. Some of the clothes are manufactured at a corrections facility in Halle, near Leipzig, in Eastern Germany. Watch the inmates at work » . Prisoners sew cooking aprons in a jail workshop for several hours a day. "It's wonderful, at least it takes your mind off jail for a little while," says Mario Hildebrand, who is serving a 20 month term in Halle. "We can really identify with this label," he said. "We are the prisoners and without us this label would not be possible, so we do take some pride in making these clothes." However, Mario said he would not wear the clothes himself: "Look, I am a prisoner, and I'm really not proud of it. It isn't something I want to be parading around." But others seem to be catching the fever. Bohle said the company wants to start selling in the United States. "We've had people from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles ask about Haeftling," he said in an interview in the flagship store in Berlin. Bohle said he hopes socially responsible clothes will also make for a good business for the company. E-mail to a friend . | Prison inmates design clothes for new shop in German capital .
Portion of profits go to prisoner rights organizations .
Clothes include tag include prisoner's name and sentence .
Products include design by inmate on death row in Texas, U.S. |
129,032 | 32b9aa918cc86c642ab96069a8c3c072b8ecde85 | Accused: Christopher Sena, 47, allegedly sexually abused children for more than a decade . A father who is accused of sexually abusing children for more than a decade told victims he would kill them or break their legs if they told anyone about the assaults, it has emerged. Christopher Sena, 47, his wife, Deborah Sena, 50, and ex-wife, Terrie Sena, 43, who all lived together in a trailer in Las Vegas, are accused of abusing at least eight children over 13 years. Some victims were relatives, while Christopher Sena also encouraged his children to bring their friends over to the house so that he could abuse them, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported. He allegedly told one girl and one male victim to 'bring female friends over' and to make sure they wore bathing suits, according to the police report. Another female victim, who is now an adult, said she saw Christopher Sena take 'a number of her friends' into his office, police said. One woman who says she was sexually abused told investigators that she believes her high school friends were assaulted by Sena. Neighbors told the Review-Journal that he would seem 'excited' when his sons brought girlfriends over to the house. Others described the Sena property as the place many neighborhood kids would hang out. Christopher Sena would erect a projector screen in the yard and hold movie nights, they said. To stop his victims from speaking out about the abuse, he told at least two of them that he would kill them or break their legs if they spoke out, they told police. Arrests: He lived in a trailer with his wife Deborah Sena, 50, (left) and ex-wife, Terrie Sena, 43, (right). The women are also accused of engaging in sexual activity with children . Christopher Sena was arrested in September when Deborah, who recently split from him, another woman and a child told a family attorney about the alleged abuse. The attorney went to police, as is required by law, and a SWAT team stormed the house on September 18 to arrest Sena and seize his recording equipment. Authorities allegedly found videos showing all three adults engaging in sex acts with children, which led to the arrests of Deborah Sena and Terrie Sena last week. At least eight minors were involved and some encounters were filmed as part of a child porn operation, police said. One alleged victim told authorities that when Sena started abusing her as a child, the two women were not aware of it, but when she was 17, she was forced to engage in sexual activity with them. That victim started to strike her stomach with a piece of wood, fearful that he would fall pregnant with Sena's child, police said. Scene: After his wife told a lawyer about the abuse, Christopher Sena was arrested at their home (pictured) in September. Officers seized electronic equipment and allegedly found videos of the abuse . Some of the victims say they were abused for years; one boy said the abuse started when he was three and continued until he was a teen, while another woman said she was abused two or three times a week by Sena for more than a decade. But according to police, who called it 'one of the most horrific sex rings in memory', he was not the only one carrying out the abuse. His ex, Terrie Sena, told police she was attracted to young male and female teens, and said it was 'really enjoyable' when one of the boys started to look like Christopher Sena. But she told authorities that she later felt 'ashamed' and 'dirty'. Terrie and Christopher Sena had three sons and a daughter together before splitting in 1997. But after they split, Terrie continued to live with her ex and their children, even when he took a new wife. Authorities also allegedly found footage of Deborah Sena, who left her husband in August, involved in sexual acts with the family dog. Deborah Sena told police that there was 'fear and intimidation' involved when it came to dealing with her husband Christopher (pictured together in an old photo), whom she split from in August . Deborah says her husband said that, if she loved him, she would do what he wanted her to do . She claims her husband told her she would do what he wanted if she loved him. One of the seized recordings also allegedly shows two Sena children having sex with the family dog, The Daily Beast reported. Christopher Sena is facing 23 charges, including incest, bestiality and felony child abuse. Many of the charges carry a sentence up to life in prison. The women, who were arrested on December 11, together face 27 charges, including child abuse and neglect, sexual assault of a minor and incest. Police said they expect more charges to be brought against the trio. All three have been held without bail. | Christopher Sena, 47, his wife, Deborah Sena, 50, and his ex-wife Terrie Sena, 43, have all been accused of sexually abusing children .
They 'assaulted at least eight children over 12 years'
All three live together in a trailer home, where the alleged abuse occurred .
Victims claim Christopher Sena threatened to break their legs or kill them if they spoke out about the abuse .
He 'encouraged his children to bring over their high school friends so he could assault them' |
206,635 | 978815fac0a56feb9a37eac14ef9cbe8159ac797 | (CNN) -- Afghan insurgents who staged a daring, well-planned raid on Camp Bastion, the military base where Britain's Prince Harry is deployed, were wearing U.S. Army uniforms, NATO said a day after the attack. It's extremely rare for Afghan insurgents to use U.S. uniforms in their attacks. The last time CNN can identify was more than two years ago, when NATO repelled attacks on two bases in Khost province in August 2010. No coalition troops were killed in that attack, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said at the time. At least two U.S. Marines were killed in the brazen strike late on Friday, and six jets were destroyed, ISAF said as it released more details about the raid. Well-trained, well-rehearsed fighters carried out the sustained assault in Helmand province, ISAF said. About 15 insurgents organized into three teams penetrated the base's perimeter fence and did considerable damage, destroying six refueling stations and damaging six aircraft hangars. The attackers toted automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. They destroyed six AV-8B Harrier jets and damaged two others before the attack ended, the coalition said. Fourteen of the fighters were killed and one was wounded and captured, ISAF said. Eight coalition military personnel and one civilian contractor were also wounded. It is too soon to say whether the attackers had "inside knowledge," ISAF spokesman James Graybeal said. ISAF would not say how the attackers got the uniforms, but CNN staff who have spent time in Afghanistan say they are for sale in markets there. There has been at least one other case of Afghan insurgents wearing U.S. uniforms, in May 2010. And in Iraq five years ago, there was a dramatic and successful raid using the tactic. Attackers wearing what appeared to be American uniforms were responsible for the kidnapping and killing of five U.S. soldiers in Karbala, Iraq, in 2007. Prince Harry is an Apache helicopter pilot based at Camp Bastion, but the British Ministry of Defence categorically rejected reports in Sunday's British press that he was just a few hundred yards away from the gun battle. Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and third in line to the British throne, "was in no way in any danger" during the latest attack, ISAF spokesman Maj. Martin Crighton said earlier. On Saturday, ISAF said the camp is secure and the strike would not "impact" air and ground operations. Camp Leatherneck, the U.S. side of the base, was not affected by the attack, Maj. Adam N. Wojack, an ISAF spokesman, told CNN. The joint base is located in a remote desert region of Helmand, the southern province in the Taliban heartland. The Taliban said it carried out the strike, calling it a response to the anti-Islam film stoking anger among Muslims. Yet Crighton said there had no organized demonstrations outside its gates before the assault. Afghanistan has seen only relatively small and peaceful demonstrations against the film during a week in which there were protests across predominantly Muslim-countries and other locations. Separately, four American troops were killed by Afghan police on Sunday, an administration official said after NATO's International Security Assistance Force reported the attack. The latest attack on coalition troops by their supposed Afghan allies brings the number of people killed in so-called "green on blue" incidents to more than 50 this year. The killing of the four Americans on Sunday is the latest in a series of incidents in which members of Afghan security forces have been suspected of turning their weapons on coalition or Afghan soldiers, known as green-on-blue attacks. White House says Karzai, Obama committed to preventing Afghan riots . Sunday's killings came only a day after the British Ministry of Defence announced that two troops had been killed in Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district. In that attack, a man wearing an Afghan police uniform fatally shot two members of the 3rd Battalion at a checkpoint, according to Maj. Laurence Roche, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said in a statement released by the ministry. The killing occurred the same day that another British soldier died in in a separate incident in Nahr-e Saraj, according to the ministry. He was killed when his vehicle struck a bomb. CNN's Chelsea J. Carter, Adam S. Levine, Kevin Flower, Jessica King and Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | NEW: It appears to be the first time Afghan insurgents have worn U.S. uniforms in years .
Insurgents in U.S. Army uniforms attack the camp where Prince Harry is based .
The well-trained, well-armed attackers kill two Marines and destroy six jets .
Four NATO troops killed by Afghan police were American, an official says . |
82,617 | ea4066475e228c4cda2fcdece65a0e8f68b345b0 | (CNN)Turns out the Beagle had landed, after all. The 11-year-old mystery of what happened to the UK-sponsored Beagle 2 Mars lander on its trip to the red planet's surface appeared to be mostly solved Friday with the announcement the craft had been spotted in high-resolution NASA images taken from orbit. The lander -- crammed with devices to look for signs of life on Mars -- never radioed home after hitching a ride aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter and dropping into the atmosphere on December 25, 2003. The images appear to show that the lander's solar panels didn't fully open after landing, preventing the craft from getting power and exposing the antenna it would have used to communicate with controllers on Earth, according to the space agency. While the reasons for that failure remain unknown, the discovery of the lander helps solve one of the most enduring mysteries in Martian exploration, said Mark Sims, a Beagle 2 team member from the University of Leicester. "Every Christmas Day since 2003 I have wondered what happened to Beagle 2," he said, adding that he'd almost given up hope of ever knowing what had come of the lander. "The highly complex entry, descent and landing sequence seems to have worked perfectly and only during the final phases of deployment did Beagle 2 unfortunately run into problems," he said. The lander, which is less than 2 meters (6.56 feet) across when fully deployed, was first spotted in the NASA images by Michael Croon of Trier, Germany -- a former member of the European Space Agency's Mars Express operations team, the UK Space Agency said. Croon is among a group of Beagle 2 team members who have spent years combing through images from NASA's HiRISE camera, which is on the agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, looking for signs of the missing craft, the agency said. He found it in an area near the planned landing zone, an impact basin called Isidis Planitia close to the Martian equator. The grainy images appear to show the lander resting on the surface, its solar panels only partially deployed. The craft's rear cover and parachutes are nearby. Had the lander deployed properly, a suite of onboard tools would have been used to analyze rocks, soil and atmosphere for signs of life. The lander -- the first European craft sent to the Martian surface -- was named after the HMS Beagle, the ship that carried Charles Darwin on a groundbreaking 5-year scientific survey. While its namesake resulted in no such breakthroughs, David Parker, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said the discovery proves the Beagle 2 had its successes. "The history of space exploration is marked by both success and failure," he said. "This finding makes the case that Beagle 2 was more of a success than we previously knew and undoubtedly an important step in Europe's continuing exploration of Mars." | A missing UK lander is spotted on the surface of Mars .
The Beagle 2 never radioed Earth after descending to the Martian surface in 2003 . |
273,739 | ee966243bb672475873963b631cf781b3f601c45 | CNN International are on the hunt for the Leading Women of 2014. We want to know which public figures or rising stars have caught your eye this year and deserve accolade for being an extraordinary woman of our time. In 2014, we saw teenager Malala Yousafzai jointly receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her incredible "struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education". After surviving a shot in the head by Taliban gunmen, Yousafzi has fought for the rights of girls to an education, become a leading spokesperson for women's rights, and is setting an example for women and girls around the globe. The topic of feminism was brought back into conversation by actress Emma Watson who also became the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and called on women and men alike to reclaim "feminism" to benefit all. 2014 Oscar-winner Lupita N'yongo's role in "12 Years a Slave" brought her firmly into the limelight in which she now sits comfortably as both a style icon and role model. These three, are just a few of the women who have excelled in 2014 and as the year draws to a close, we want to know who else deserves to be hailed for their accomplishments over the past year. We want women spanning a range of professions to be recognized from science and technology, to fashion, politics, sport, medicine and the arts. Do you know a rising star in your field? Has someone in the public eye this year impressed you? Let us know in the comments box below. The deadline for nominations is 17 December 2014. | CNN are on the hunt for 2014's leading women.
We want to hear about your public figures and future stars from a range of professions.
We want women from science, technology, fashion, politics, medicine and the arts .
The deadline for nominations is 17 December 2014. |
253,402 | d40204b56b761e54c2b0fff5fb927571b4d5b40e | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 5:17 PM on 27th January 2012 . A lawyer who tried to redeem a multi-million dollar state lottery ticket last night gave up his claim for the jackpot after officials called it into question. Crawford Shaw, 76, of Bedford, New York, withdrew his claim in Iowa to a $10.3million ticket after officials demanded to know who he represented. His mysterious decision - made ‘because I'm not going to argue with the lottery’ - ends one of the strangest jackpot pursuits of all time. Mystery: Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said on Thursday that it's the strangest situation officials can recall in the 26-year history of the lottery . The winning ticket was turned in last month on December 29, less than two hours before it would have expired a year after the drawing. Iowa Lottery officials tested and validated the ticket - but refused to pay out until they could verify the purchaser's identity, among other things. Officials identified the recipient as a corporation in Belize, Central America. The ticket was bought at a Des Moines petrol station in December 2010. The lottery now wants to know how Mr Shaw obtained the ticket to make sure it was not stolen and that a valid player bought it. Mr Shaw, who had signed the ticket as a . trustee for an entity he called the Hexham Investments Trust, never . revealed who was in the trust. Purchase location: Officials identified the recipient as a corporation in Belize. The ticket was bought at a Des Moines gas station in December 2010 (pictured) But officials said he misspelled the . name of the Bedford trust by leaving off the second ‘h’. Mr Shaw claimed . not to be a beneficiary of the trust. 'If we knew the details, we'd probably be writing a cheque tonight' Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich . In addition he told the Des Moines Register that he doesn’t know the identity of the person or people behind Hexham Investments Trust. Iowa Lottery officials gave him a deadline to tell them who he represented by 3pm local time today or forget about collecting the millions. In the meantime, the lottery revealed that Mr Shaw was ‘associated with criminal proceedings and bankruptcy filings in New York and Delaware’. Mr Shaw is the ex-CEO of bankrupt public . firm Industrial Enterprises of America - allegedly looted in a . $100million securities fraud scheme. Mistake: Officials said Crawford Shaw, 76, of Bedford, New York, misspelled the name of the Hexham Investments Trust by leaving off the second 'h' The chemical company, which Mr Shaw helped found, was looted and bankrupted in 2009 by a stock manipulation scheme. '(The probe will) ensure the integrity of the lottery and to determine whether those involved complied with state law' Iowa's attorney general . He was not charged with criminal wrongdoing but is a defendant in a civil suit by the firm. Mr Shaw claims to know nothing about the suit. In any case, he chose to call off his pursuit of the winning ticket payout, asking a Des Moines law firm to pass along his decision to lottery officials. The Iowa Lottery said that it received confirmation of Mr Shaw’s claim withdrawal shortly after 6pm on Thursday. The . lottery recently asked state criminal investigators to probe the . circumstances surrounding the purchase and redemption of the ticket. Jackpot: Crawford Shaw, 76, withdrew his claim to a $10.3million Iowa Hot Lotto ticket after officials demanded to know who he represented . The probe will ‘ensure the integrity of the lottery and to determine whether those involved complied with state law,’ Iowa's attorney general said. Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said on . Thursday that it's the strangest situation officials can recall in the . 26-year history of the lottery. 'I'm telling you, if I could take all of the suggestions it would be a heck of a fun book' Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich . Asked if he thought he'd get to the bottom of what happened, Mr Rich said: ‘If we knew the details, we'd probably be writing a cheque tonight.’ ‘I'm telling you, if I could take all of the suggestions (about the ticket being stolen), it would be a heck of a fun book,' he added. Mr Shaw said on Wednesday that if the jackpot were paid, the money would be donated to charity. He declined to comment further on Thursday. ‘It doesn't get much weirder than this,’ Iowa Lottery spokesman Mary Neubauer told the Des Moines Register. | Crawford Shaw, of New York, has withdrawn claim .
Iowa Lottery stunned by 'strangest situation ever'
Ticket bought for 'Hexham Investments Trust' group .
But Shaw doesn't know who the person/people are . |
65,986 | bb436091f5d0fef788e7d8226ec7ff4c1d9b235e | Taxpayers forked out a quarter of a million pounds to send Shrien Dewani to South Africa for a murder trial which collapsed before his defence even began. The care home tycoon from Bristol was sent to face a South African court after the murder of his new wife Anni in 2010, after allegations he had arranged for her to be killed. The 35-year-old was sensationally cleared in early December when the judge threw out the case and panned the evidence of the main prosecution witness as 'riddled with contradictions'. Cleared: Shrien Dewani is pictured left at Western Cape High Court for the start of his trial in Cape Town, South Africa, on charges of arranging his wife Anni's murder. Right, the happy couple on their wedding day . A report in the Daily Mirror says the Crown Prosecution Service spent £87,908 on QCs and £48,612 on junior counsel for the hearings leading up to Mr Dewani's extradition. The paper said a Freedom of Information request showed a further £23,464 was spent on psychiatric reports after Mr Dewani was diagnosed with stress-related mental health problems. It reported that the CPS revealed its solicitors had spent 496 hours on the case. Estimating the briefs were paid about £69 per hour, reporters Jeremy Armstrong and Jonathan Corke calculated that their fees added £34,000 to the cost. 'Police, transport, medical and other costs are likely to push the total bill to a quarter of a million pounds,' they wrote, adding that the Home Office and Scotland Yard also paid out during the extradition process but those figures were not included. Mr Dewani walked free after being cleared of any part in the killing despite Judge Jeanette Traverso saying that many 'unanswered questions' still surrounding the case. The decision to acquit Mr Dewani provoked a furious reaction from Anni's family who said they had been 'failed' by the justice system and would 'suffer sleepless nights for the rest of our lives'. They were outraged that Mr Dewani did not give evidence, choosing instead to have a statement read out by his lawyer at the start of the trial in which he admitted that he is bisexual in an apparent attempt to dismiss speculation over a possible motive for the murder. Furious: Ami Denborg, Anni's sister, weeps as she makes a statement expressing her shock at the South African justice system as she stands with Anni's brother Anish Hindocha, and her father Vinod Hindocha . Ashok Hindocha, Anni's uncle, said at the time: 'I was furious at the judge from day one - she just wanted to wrap up the case as quickly as possible. She appeared to be determined to have no time at all for the prosecution case. 'The way she spoke to Adrian Mopp, the prosecutor, was truly shocking. You can't speak to a prosecutor like he's an idiot - it was embarrassing to listen to. 'I felt sorry for him - she just never gave him a chance from the first day.' Mr Hindocha also vowed to meet Mr Dewani in court again after renewing the family's pledge to sue Mr Dewani for hiding his gay trysts. They believe they have grounds for legal action against Mr Dewani for leading Anni into marriage without revealing his sexuality and for compensation for the money the Hindocha family spent on the £200,000 wedding. Return: Mr Dewani in the back of a car being driven home from Gatwick after flying back from South Africa . Wealthy: An Avon and Somerset Police officer speaks into the intercom at the entrance of Mr Dewani's home in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol after paint was thrown onto the driveway of the house after he returned . Twenty-four hours after he was cleared of involvement in the murder of Anni during their honeymoon Dewani left South Africa at the first opportunity on a £3,000 first class flight. The millionaire businessman then travelled in his own private pod on an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai that touched down at 6.16am at Gatwick on December 10. The Home Office told the Daily Mirror that none of the money the UK taxpayer spent on the case is recoverable from South African authorities. | CPS spent nearly £137,000 just on barristers for extradition hearings .
A further £23,464 was spent on psychiatric reports for Mr Dewani .
£34,000 went on CPS solicitors, while other costs added to the grand total . |
237,926 | bff39736f0c88bdb3059f37eb462a885ec05a8dc | Even though we are just a few days into fall, the traditional colours of autumn are already visible from space. Nasa today revealed these stunning images from its Terra satellite capturing fall colors around the Great Lakes and New England. The brown and orange shades are most pronounced in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin, upstate New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and southern Quebec and Ontario. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite captured this view of fall colors around the Great Lakes on Sept. 26, 2014. The changing of leaf color in temperate forests involves several causes and reactions, but the dominant factors are sunlight and heat. As explained by the U.S. Forest Service, certain species of trees produce certain colors. Oaks generally turn red, brown, or russet; hickories become golden bronze; aspen and yellow-poplar turn golden. Maples differ by species. Red maple turns brilliant scarlet; sugar maple, orange-red; and black maple, yellow. Leaves of some trees, such as elms, simply become brown. The changing of leaf color in temperate forests involves several causes and reactions, but the dominant factors are sunlight and heat. Since temperatures tend to drop sooner and sunlight fades faster at higher latitudes, the progression of fall color changes tends to move from north to south across North America from mid-September through mid-November. In late summer and autumn, tree and plant leaves produce less chlorophyll, the green pigment that harvests sunlight for plants to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars. The subsidence of chlorophyll allows other chemical compounds in the leaves—particularly carotenoids and flavonoids—to emerge from the green shadow of summer. The brown and orange shades are most pronounced in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin, upstate New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and southern Quebec and Ontario. You can also see faint traces of phytoplankton blooms in the lakes and offshore in the North Atlantic. NASA launched the Earth Observing System's flagship satellite 'Terra,' named for Earth, on December 18, 1999. Terra has been collecting data about Earth's changing climate. Terra carries five state-of-the-art sensors that have been studying the interactions among the Earth's atmosphere, lands, oceans, and radiant energy. Each sensor has unique design features that will enable scientists to meet a wide range of science objectives. These compounds do not decay as fast as chlorophyll, so they shine through in yellows, oranges, and reds as the green fades. Another set of chemicals, anthocyanins, are associated with the storage of sugars and give the leaves of some species deep purple and red hues. As explained by the U.S. Forest Service, certain species of trees produce certain colors. Oaks generally turn red, brown, or russet; hickories become golden bronze; aspen and yellow-poplar turn golden. Maples differ by species. Red maple turns brilliant scarlet; sugar maple, orange-red; and black maple, yellow. Leaves of some trees, such as elms, simply become brown. Weather affects the range and intensity of colors. If the weather stays above freezing, it is easier for anthocyanins to form. Dry weather, which increases the sugar concentration in sap, also increases the amount of anthocyanin. So the brightest autumn colors occur when dry, sunny days are followed by cool, dry nights. According to a paper published last month by researchers from Princeton University, climate change could someday delay the onset of fall color changes in some species, but also extend it later into the year. Warmer temperatures could lengthen the growing season for some plants, though moreso at middle latitudes than high latitudes. | Nasa's Terra satellite captured fall colors around the Great Lakes and New England .
Some researchers say climate change could someday delay the onset of fall color changes in some species, but also extend it later into the year. |
279,782 | f66fa6ca0b6e8338ef4ee6e74cb13145a7870428 | After Wednesday night's resounding 4-1 victory over Stoke, Manchester City had more to be cheerful about as Yaya Toure returned to training. The 31-year-old had been away with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, where the midfield powerhouse helped the Elephants to victory. City suffered in Toure's absence. Manuel Pellegrini's side managed just one win while the midfielder was with his national side, and that came on Wednesday against Stoke. Yaya Toure (right) returns to Manchester City training after successful African Cup of Nations trip . City goalkeeper Joe Hart gets set to throw an American football in the club's gym . Frank Lampard was all smiles after Manuel Pellegrini's side won 4-1 at Stoke on Wednesday night . Toure (left) is joined by Hart and James Milner as they prepare for Thursday's training session . The Manchester City players use towels to stretch the muscles in their legs in the club's gym . Since Toure left the Etihad, City had managed just three points from three draws in the Premier League before the 3-1 victory at the Britannia - and they crashed out of the FA Cup to Championship leaders Middlesbrough. Having scored his spot-kick in the Ivory Coast's 9-8 win over Ghana in the final, Toure looked ahead to City's challenge of retaining the title. ‘With my confidence I know football is not about one game or two games, especially in the Premier League,’ he said. ‘We have 38 games and if we want to achieve it (retaining the title) we have to win all the games. ‘I know it is difficult but now I have to go back and do my duty again.’ The first opportunity to begin that difficult challenge will be on February 21 against Newcastle. Meanwhile, City's January £25million signing Wilfried Bony will not be able to train with his new club until Friday as the former Swansea striker had to renew his visa before returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. The 31-year-old returns after a successful African Cup of Nations campaign with Ivory Coast . Toure scored his spot-kick in the epic penalty shootout against Ghana in the final . Along with his teammates the Manchester City midfielder celebrates as the winning penalty is scored . | Yaya Toure has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations .
The 31-year-old was back with Manchester City for training .
Manuel Pellegrini's side won just once while Toure was away .
The midfield powerhouse was part of the Ivory Coast's winning side .
City won for first time in Toure's absence on Wednesday against Stoke . |
102,709 | 106061a732622003ac3f4122e740dafc49405ca2 | By . Steve Doughty, Social Affairs Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 13:32 EST, 4 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:14 EST, 4 June 2013 . Restaurant customers ought to order smaller plates of chips, the Government's recycling advisers declared . Restaurant customers ought to order smaller plates of chips, the Government's recycling advisers have declared. They say that too many people leave cold fried potatoes uneaten on their plates - and as a result hundreds of thousands of tons of food waste each year have to be dumped by pubs, restaurants and fast food chains. They called for waiters to be trained to tell customers they ought to have less chips, and for 'stealth menus' designed to encourage diners to go for lighter meals. The campaign against chips was launched by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, a £30million-a-year quango set up to encourage more recycling. Its verdict that restaurant meals are too big and people ought to have fewer chips on their plate came just a day after a committee of MPs told families to stop eating meat on a daily basis. The Commons International Development Committee said people should eat less pork, lamb and beef because the country is never more than a few days away from a food shortage and because of the need to cut the amount of food thrown away. The WRAP recommendations on chips were greeted with hostility by the restaurant trade, which said it was impossible for waiters to tell customers to order short portions, because the customers would think the restaurant was trying to short-change them and diners would resent the implication that they were too fat. Richard Bradford of the Restaurant Association said: 'It's just not on. The customer is going to think the waiter is making a rude suggestion.' WRAP - which is financed by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - based its chips verdict on a large-scale survey of more than 10,000 people. It also ran a more detailed survey of over 5,000 people and 12 focus groups. They called for waiters to be trained to tell customers they ought to have less chips, and for 'stealth menus' designed to encourage diners to go for lighter meals . It found that people go to . restaurants either to fuel up on food or for a social occasion, and that . just over a quarter of them leave food on the plate. Most of these were young women, the survey said. It . added: 'The main dish and the accompanying sides were the courses most . likely to be left; while the appetisers, starters and desserts were less . likely to be left. 'The staple foods that tend to get left at the end of the meal are chips, vegetables and salad. 'Chips, vegetables and salad are seen by . some customers as plate fillers rather than part of the meal they . ordered. Some do not even consider these food types, especially salad . garnishes, to be intended for consumption.' It said that the food most often left on the plate was chips and that 32 per cent of people who leave food leave chips. The survey quoted people who said they regarded chips as 'extras' and one man who said: 'I always leave the grass.' WRAP said that to solve the problem 'eating venues could train their staff so they are better able to talk about portion sizes with customers and provide more information on the meals, for example ingredients, cooking. 'As the research findings suggest, . portion sizes can, at times, be a sensitive subject so discretion and . skill need to be used when communicating relevant information to . customers.' Menus might offer different-sized meals . and dishes which 'would give customers more choice and empower them to . order the right amount.' But the document, Understanding Out . Of Home Consumer Food Waste, warned: 'Any messages or communication . initiatives developed need to be stealthy and subtle, as diners do not . want to be told what to do when out enjoying themselves nor do they want . to think about food waste when eating out.' They said that too many people leave cold fried potatoes uneaten on their plates - and as a result hundreds of thousands of tons of food waste each year have to be dumped . Stealth . menu suggestions made by the WRAP research include portion sizes marked . by three chillies, by numbers of scoops, by different sized plates, or . by a three bear system in which different-scale meals would be called . mummy bear, baby bear and daddy bear. However Mr Bradford, who runs Porters English Restaurant in Covent Garden, central London, said: 'Our waiters have to ask people what side orders they want. These are free. If they then ask if people want a smaller portion, customers are going to think we are trying to get away with giving them less. 'Then people will start thinking we are trying to tell them they are overweight. 'Soon we will have TripAdvisor saying we are being rude to the customers and trying to cheat them. Recommendations for smaller portions are just not something that can come from the waiting staff.' WRAP's annual budget from DEFRA reached £80million a year in the mid-2000s when the body was given a major role in persuading local councils to abandon weekly rubbish collections and replace them with fortnightly bin rounds and compulsory recycling. However it was blamed for helping create a backlash at the polls against councils who stopped weekly collections after it published a controversial series of recycling recommendations. These told councils to introduce fortnightly collections only in winter so there would be fewer unpleasant smells in the early months, and not to bring them in close to an election so that voters could not register a protest. Its budget is now down to £30million and has been under review in the early months of this year. | Waste and Resources Action Programme said too many people leave chips .
Called for waiters to be trained to tell customers to order less .
Believe this would save hundreds of thousands of tones of food waste .
Committee of MPs also told families to stop eating meat on a daily basis . |
157,995 | 5844dc0cfd2e96bda7bd4bafba505dd8312a9bf7 | (CNN) -- Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as president of soccer's world governing body and immediately vowed to put "FIFA's ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters." At FIFA's Congress in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday, Blatter received 186 votes from football's 208 member football associations, to serve his fourth term as president despite the race becoming engulfed by corruption allegations within the organization. Blatter's only rival for the presidency, Mohamed Bin Hammam, pulled out of the race after he was suspended by FIFA's Ethics Committee on Sunday in relation to bribery charges surrounding Qatar's successful bid for the 2022 World Cup. PR guru Max Clifford: How to rescue FIFA . After Blatter's re-election was confirmed he told Congress: "I thank you for your trust and confidence. Our pyramid is intact, the base, the foundation is strong and together we have four years to continue on our path and do our job. "We will put FIFA's ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters. We need some time to do it, but we shall do it. "Today something marvelous happened and I'd simply like to tell you I'm deeply moved and honored. It's a challenge, a new one for me, and I accept it. Together we shall do it." Was Blatter right to be defiant? Earlier in the day, 172 of the 208 delegates voted not to delay the presidential ballot despite Blatter being the only candidate. Both the football associations of England and Scotland urged FIFA not to proceed following the suspension of Bin Hammam. After the result was confirmed, FIFA voted through changes proposed by Blatter to alter the process they use to decide the host nations for future World Cups. "I want to give more power to the national associations," he said. "In the future the World Cup will be decided by the FIFA Congress. The executive committee will create a shortlist -- but will make no recommendations only a list -- and the congress will decide on the venue." Russia and Qatar were chosen for the 2018 and 2022 events -- ahead of Spain and Portugal and the United States respectively -- in a controversial vote held in December last year which saw two executive committee members suspended for breaching "ethical codes." England missed out on the 2018 World Cup and had called for the ballot to be delayed. "This has been a very damaging time for the reputation of FIFA and therefore the whole of football," said David Bernstein, chairman of the English Football Association. The Scottish Football Association echoed the call. "The events of the last two days, in particular, have made any election unworkable," SFA head Stewart Reagan said in a statement. Never mind Saint Sepp, the system is to blame . Despite Blatter's re-election, the fallout from the corruption scandal persists. He admitted that the suspension of Bin Hammam, as well as FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, had hurt his organization. "I am the captain weathering the storm, this is a difficult period for FIFA and I admit that readily. Not only is the pyramid shaking but our ship has drawn some water. "We must do something because I do not want ever again that we face this undignified situation." On Wednesday, the head of the German Football Federation said FIFA's awarding of the World Cup to Qatar should be re-examined in the wake of the ethics scandal. "Especially regarding the awarding of the World Cup 2022 to Qatar, there has been repeated speculation and corruption allegations," Theo Zwanziger said in an interview posted on the league's web site Wednesday. "From what I am reading, I have to believe that there are substantial allegations that we cannot ignore or shove aside. And therefore I must believe that the awarding of this world cup must be re examined. "How this is to happen is something I would only like to talk about when I know more about the facts. I am coming from the outside and was not a member of the executive back then," he added. Zwanziger joins a growing chorus of voices critical of FIFA as the election loomed. But Zwanziger said the soccer body should not postpone Wednesday's election, a view that was shared by other powerful football organizations. Podcast: Is FIFA relevant to U.S. soccer fans? Sponsors of international soccer including Visa, Coca-Cola and Adidas have warned that the ethics scandal is hurting the sport. "The current situation is clearly not good for the game," a Visa spokesman told CNN Tuesday, echoing comments from other companies that pay to have their logos at the World Cup and other major soccer events. The Visa spokesman declined to be named. "The negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA," Adidas chief communications officer Jan Runau said. Sponsor Emirates airlines said it was "disappointed" by the "issues around the administration" of FIFA, and Coca-Cola said Monday that the ethics allegations were "distressing and bad for the sport." The concerns came as Blatter shrugged off corruption allegations within FIFA and said he would press ahead with his bid to be re-elected. Blatter said Monday night that the organization was not in crisis after the FIFA ethics committee suspended top officials Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam. The latter was the only contender against Blatter for the presidency. Bin Hammam was a major influence in Qatar's surprising victory in winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup finals. He and Warner have been accused of offering cash gifts to national associations in return for pro-Bin Hammam votes in the presidential election. Warner and Bin Hammam both deny wrongdoing. FIFA is the body that decides where soccer's quadrennial World Cup will be held, among other responsibilities. CNN's David Wilkinson, Ben Wyatt, James Montague, Frederik Pleitgen and Aaron Akin contributed to this report. | NEW: Sepp Blatter re-elected as president of FIFA for a fourth term .
Blatter, the only candidate, receives 186 votes from FIFA's 208 delegates .
The Swiss vows to put the FIFA ship back into 'clear and transparent waters'
FIFA vote to change the process used to decide World Cup host nations . |
94,253 | 05264829e4391110d0d7dd7ffb8aa36b9b4b787c | Djerba, Tunisia (CNN) -- Four more U.S. military flights were headed to Cairo from Tunisia on Sunday, evacuating Egyptians fleeing the Libyan conflict, a U.S. official said. One flight left early Sunday and three others will do so by Sunday afternoon, said Adam Lefringhouse, a defense attache at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. On Saturday, U.S. military planes carried out similar evacuations, returning passengers to Egypt. There are a few thousand Egyptians left in Tunisia awaiting evacuation after more than 40,000 were taken home, said Firas Kayal, a spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency, on Saturday. Many countries, such as India and China, put in place well-organized evacuation operations for their citizens. But others, including Egyptians and Bangladeshis, have been left to fend for themselves. Kayal said Saturday more than 10,000 Bangladeshis are awaiting transport in Tunisia. Many of them have had to walk to the border because their money was stolen by soldiers and they could not pay for transportation costs. One man suffered a heart attack and died, aid officials confirmed. On Sunday, the British government said it will provide emergency evacuation flights to repatriate 500 stranded Bangladeshis. Three commercial charter planes will take the Bangladeshis home from Djerba airport later Sunday, the British government said. "I have seen for myself the scale of the humanitarian situation on the Libyan border with Tunisia," said Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Secretary. "I vowed that we would do everything possible to give those stranded shelter and get them back home as quickly as possible." Meanwhile, three people died and 14 were missing when they tried to get off a ship headed from Libya's capital, Tripoli, to Crete, the Greek Ministry for the Protection of Civilians said Sunday. The ship was carrying about 1,280 passengers, mostly Bangladeshis. "From the evidence gathered so far, it appears the passengers were trying to disembark the 'Ionian King' (Cypriot flag) using a rope," the ministry said in a statement. The violence in Libya has generated an exodus out of the North African nation. Almost 200,000 people, a majority of them foreign workers, have fled Libya -- nearly 100,000 to Tunisia and a similar number to Egypt -- according to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The numbers of people entering Tunisia daily from Libya dropped to 1,800 Thursday and Friday and stood at 3,000 Saturday. Previously, they averaged 10,000 to 15,000 people. Hovig Etyemezian, a field officer for the U.N. refugee agency, attributed the drop in part to fear and the manipulation of the flow of refugees by Libyan authorities. "A lot of them were scared from leaving because of the fighting so they were staying in their houses," he said Saturday. "We fear the regime might be blocking refugees from the border." The U.S. State Department said Saturday it would donate $3 million to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of a joint U.S.-IOM partnership to help get home thousands of Egyptians and other nationals from Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. CNN's Ivan Watson and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | Many countries have well-organized evacuation operations .
But some nationals, such as Bangladeshis, have been forced to fend for themselves .
The British government says it will repatriate 500 Bangladeshis .
Ministry: Three people die and 14 are missing from a ship headed to Crete from Tripoli . |
155,054 | 546464539c7a9b289fd9322319b6bddffc0b6a50 | By . Damien Gayle and Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 04:30 EST, 22 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:24 EST, 22 October 2013 . A school principal and her husband have been charged with murder after 23 children died from eating pesticide-contaminated lunches at a school in eastern India. Nearly 50 people, the majority of whom were young children aged five to 12, became sick at the rural school in the eastern state of Bihar after eating the food in July. Almost half died. Police officer Varun Kumar Sinha said the school's headteacher Meena Kumari and her husband are set to face trial soon - they could face the death penalty if convicted. School principal Meena Kumari, pictured arriving at the district court in Saran district in India's Bihar state. She and her husband Arjun Rai have been charged with murder . Buried in the playground: Villagers look on as three of the children who died after eating food contaminated with pesticide are buried in the grounds of the school . Protest: Villagers chose to bury the youngsters in the school playground in protest against what they describe as government negligence . Tragic: Villagers gather round as the bodies are buried following the poisoning . Mass tragedy: Villagers stand around the burial . mound of a child in front of the school where she was fed contaminated . food. Police said the school's head had ignored warnings from the cook about the food . Investigating police officer Raj . Kaushal said the principal's husband, opposition politician Arjun Rai, . stored pesticide at the school, which was used on his agricultural farm. The school principal and her husband both deny the charges and have told police there was no deliberate act on their part. The charge sheet, filed in a court in Bihar state on Sunday, said the school chef cooked with the poison by mistake. Cooks have told police that the principal controlled the food for the government-provided free daily lunch. The headmistress fled her home, as police . claimed she forced a reluctant cook to serve up the food. Authorities say the cook had warned the head of the rural school, that . the cooking oil may have been contaminated. She had complained that the oil looked strange and gave off a foil smell when heated, but her concerns were dismissed. 'The headmistress said "continue cooking and serve the food to the children",' said Police Superintendent Sujeet Kumar. It . is thought that many of the children who ate the meal may have been . saved had the headmistress tasted the food before it was served, as . required under the rules of the Midday Meal Scheme. Children are said to be far more vulnerable to this type of poisoning than adults as they have low body weight. Soon . after the potato curry and rice was served at the school in rural . Chappra, Bihar, one of India's poorest states, pupils started . complaining of stomach cramps, then began to vomit and collapse. Grief: Women mourn the death of their children who died after consuming the contaminated meals . Family members of a school girl (not pictured) mourn her death: Twenty-three youngsters died after eating the food, and dozens more remain in hospital after suffering sever poisoning . Ninety . minutes later, the first victim, named as four-and-a-half year old Anshu Kumar, died on the way to hospital. Death came . so quickly for some that they died in their parents' arms while being . taken to hospital. Dozens of other children were treated for food poisoning. Authorities . discovered a container of pesticide in the school's cooking area next . to the vegetable oil and mustard oil, said Amarjeet Sinha, a top official in Bihar. In the aftermath of the tragedy the families . of some of the 22 primary school pupils who died buried the children in the . school playground in protest at 'government negligence'. Police initially arrested the school cook believing the poisoning could have . been part of a political feud between two branches of the same family, a . local police chief said. The . incident followed provincial elections in which Arsal Khan . Khichi lost to his cousin Jehanzaeb Khan Khichi, police chief Sadiq . Dogar said at the time. Investigators believe that mustard oil used in the cooking had been contaminated with organophosphate pesticides. Several of the parents buried their children in front of the school. Madav . Ram, whose 12-year-old son Rahul was one of the children who died, told . the Daily Telegraph: 'We decided to bury our children in front of the . school building to remind the government that they died because of their . negligence. 'We also plan to raise a memorial in the memory of the dead children inside the school.' Villagers stand next to mass graves of the schoolchildren who died: Authorities discovered a container of pesticide in the school's cooking area next to the vegetable oil and mustard oil . A villager walks past the graves: A forensic laboratory carried out tests on the dead children, the food and the uncooked grain stored by the teacher in her house . The clothes and shoes of a victim, placed by her family members on her grave: Post-mortem reports on the children who died have confirmed that insecticide was either in the food or cooking oil . Abandoned: A villager looks back towards the locked house of the headmistress of a school, who fled with her family after children started dying. The cooks said that the teacher controlled the food for the free daily lunch . Arsal Khan Khichi is accused of paying . a cook, Mohammad Rafiq, 50,000 rupees ($500) to poison food at his . rival's home on June 9, Dogar said. Nearly 50 people became sick and . were taken to the hospital, and 22 died. Jehanzeb Khan Khichi was not at . home when the incident occurred, Dogar said. Rafiq has confessed to poisoning the . food, Dogar said. Police waited to arrest him until they received . medical reports that confirmed the dead had been poisoned. Arsal Khan . Khichi is still on the run, and a murder case has been registered . against him as well, Dogar said. 'It's . not a case of food poisoning. It's a case of poison in food in a large . quantity, going by the instant deaths,' Mr Sinha said. Local farmer Ajay Kumar's 5-year-old daughter was among the victims. He was in his house, which is about 100 metres from the school, when he heard screams from neighbours saying the children had fallen ill. 'I rushed there and all the kids were on their backs or clutching their stomachs or vomiting. I picked up my girl and took her to the local hospital right away,' Ajay said. Parents hitched rides or took public transport to get to the hospital, which is about nine miles from the village, he said. Medical staff told them they had no medicines to give them. His daughter died shortly afterwards, writhing in pain on the floor. When Reuters visited the village, there were at least 18 burial mounds, many in a large field opposite the school. Some contained multiple bodies and villagers could not agree on how many children were buried in them. Many parents said they buried their children's toys and clothes in the graves. The . cooks, Manju Devi and Pano Devi, told The Associated Press that the . principal controlled the food for the free daily lunch provided by the . government at the school. She . gave them rice, potatoes, soy and other ingredients needed to prepare . the meal for Tuesday lunchtime and then went about her business. As the . children ate, they started fainting, the cooks said. The two cooks were not spared either. Manju Devi, 30, ate some of the food and fainted. Her three children, ages five, eight and 13, fell ill as well. While Pano Devi, 35, didn't eat the tainted food, her three children did. Two of them died and the third, a four-year-old daughter, was in the hospital. 'I will stop cooking at the school,' she said. 'I am so horrified that I wouldn't grieve more if my only surviving child died.' Doctors treating the children said they suspected the food had been contaminated with insecticide. Media reports said the cooking oil may have been stored in an old pesticide container, but there was no independent confirmation of this. 'The minute the children were brought in, we smelled this foul odour of organophosphorus,' said Dr. Vinod Mishra, a doctor in the medical team treating many of the children at Patna Medical College Hospital in Bihar's capital, Patna. Organophosphorus compounds are used as pesticides, which are widely available and are sold under a variety of different brands. Dozens sick: Schoolchildren receive treatment at a hospital after falling ill soon after eating free school meals . Treatment: The meal was cooked in the school kitchen, but school authorities stopped serving it as children started vomiting . The free midday meal was served to the . children in Gandamal village in Masrakh block, 50 miles north . of Patna, the Bihar state capital. Those . who survived the poison were unlikely to suffer from any serious after . effects from the tainted food, said Patna Medical College hospital . superintendent Amarkant Jha Amar. 'There . will be no remnant effects on them. The effects of poisoning will be . washed after a certain period of time from the tissues,' Mr Amar said. He . said that the post-mortem reports on the children who died confirmed . that insecticide was either in the food or cooking oil. He said . authorities were waiting for lab results for more details on the . chemicals. Horror: A father mourns as he holds his dead daughter today inside an ambulance, outside a hospital in Patna, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar . Location: It was not immediately clear how chemicals ended up in the food in a school in Masrakh, near Patna in Bihar, although one official said the food may not have been properly washed before it was cooked . The midday . meal plan is one of the world's biggest school nutrition programs. State . governments have the freedom to decide on menus and timings of the . meals, depending on local conditions and availability of food rations. It . was first introduced in the 19602 in southern India, where it was . seen as an incentive for poor parents to send their children to school. Since . then, the program has spread across the country, covering some . 120million schoolchildren. It's part of an effort to address concerns . about malnutrition, which the government says nearly half of all Indian . children suffer from. Although . there have been complaints about the quality of the food served and the . lack of hygiene, the incident in Bihar appeared to be unprecedented for . the massive food program. | Teacher Meena Kumari and her husband, politician Arjun Rai deny charges .
Principal ran away with her family after children began to fall ill .
She controlled the supplies for the school's daily free meal programme .
Cooks say they told her there seemed to be something wrong with the oil .
Doctors believe pupils were poisoned with organophosphorus pesticide . |
25,841 | 493e1a795805fcf0de2aaed7e6cd66566d4e6972 | Detectives investigating the acid attack on Victoria's Secret shop assistant Naomi Oni have arrested two of her friends, it emerged today. It came after the probe had started to focus on whether Miss Oni lied about the incident – triggering angry denials from the 21-year-old. But yesterday police said they had arrested a separate 21-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man who are known to the victim. Miss Oni was targeted by a woman wearing an Islamic veil as she returned home from her job at the lingerie store. Scroll down for video . 'Somehow I knew it was acid': Naomi Oni describes the horrific attack that left her with chemical burns . Emotional: Naomi Oni, 20, pictured with This Morning host Phillip Schofield earlier this month. A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of GBH . Shocking: Naomi Oni was returning from a shift at Victoria's Secret in Stratford, when the attack happened . She spent almost a month in a specialist burns unit while doctors fought to save her sight and carried out skin grafts to repair the scarring to her face inflicted in the early hours of December 30 last year. The acid had burned her face, arm, hand and leg and left her temporarily blinded. Reports over the weekend suggested detectives investigating the crime believed Miss Oni may have been somehow responsible for her own injuries. Police also seized her laptop and claims emerged that she had looked at websites detailing acid attacks before the incident. Sheila Maclean, who is a friend of Miss Oni, said her family was considering making an official complaint to police. Miss Oni said: ‘I’ve only just come out of hospital after having surgery to my eye. To see this story saying that I’d done it made me so angry and really hurts. ‘There’s no way I would have done this to myself. I want the person who did this to be caught.’ Yesterday a Scotland Yard spokesman stressed Miss Oni had not been arrested. He added: . ‘On Friday, 22 February, a 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of being involved in causing grievous bodily harm. ‘On Sunday, 24 February, a 28-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of being involved in causing grievous bodily. Both have been bailed to return, pending further inquiries.’ Campaigner: Miss Oni is understood to have researched high profile acid attack victim Katie Piper before she was attacked herself . Miss Oni has told of how she became . aware of someone behind her as she walked home after getting off a bus . in Dagenham, Essex, shortly after midnight. She was sprayed in the face . with burning liquid while she was speaking on her mobile phone to her . boyfriend Ato Owede, who is a 24-year-old law student. She said: ‘I felt a presence behind me a few minutes away from home so I turned around, not really expecting to see anybody. ‘But I saw a person wearing a niqab, a little taller than me. They were just staring coldly at me. I was startled so I turned away. Suddenly, from nowhere, I felt a splash on my right side and I just ran. ‘Before I even realised, it was burning, I somehow knew it was acid.’ Miss Oni was too afraid to return to her home after she was released from hospital and is staying with relatives. The attack has left Miss Oni, who works at the Westfield Shopping Centre, in Stratford, East London, with psychological as well as physical scars, a friend said. ‘I had seen a picture of her face but when I saw her in the flesh she looked a lot worse,’ he added. ‘She didn’t speak to me about the attack. I’ve noticed a bit of a change in her, she is more aware now, she is cautious about who she talks to. 'She is a bit more cautious around strangers.’ Scotland Yard yesterday repeated its appeal for witnesses to the acid attack. Officers are asking anyone else who may . have seen the victim in Lodge Avenue or seen anything suspicious around . the time of the attack to call Barking & Dagenham CID on 020 3276 . 1056. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Horrific injuries: Naomi Oni suffered burns to her face, head, arm and leg in an apparent attack in December . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Woman, 21, and man, 28, held after attack on shop assistant Naomi Oni .
She suffered horrific burns to her face, arm, leg and head in the attack .
The 20-year-old claimed she was attacked by a woman in an Islamic niqab .
She was in hospital for almost a month following the incident in December .
'Saying that I’d done it made me so angry and really .
hurts,' she said today .
Her boyfriend Ato Owede has dismissed the police's suspicions as 'crazy' |
115,856 | 2187801ca7ec5bc51007bebe98154b339751cc6f | The US Central Command released a series of videos Thursday showing massive coalition airstrikes on ISIS targets in northern Iraq. The cache of unclassified recordings includes footage from an attack on an ISIS tunnel in Kirkuk. The 30-second colored clip shows the moment a coalition plane dropped a bomb on the target below, causing a fiery blast that sent clouds of dark smoke billowing from the site of impact. Scroll down for video . Shock and awe: US Central Command released a series of videos Thursday showing massive coalition airstrikes on ISIS targets in northern Iraq . Fiery blast: This image shows the moment a bomb struck an ISIS-held tunnel in Kirkuk, Iraq, Wednesday . The impact of the explosion sent clouds of dark smoke into the air, which blotted out the sky . Another clip, this one black and white, shows an attack on a building in Kirkuk held by militants, and two other videos released by CentCom depict airstrikes on an ammunition bunker near the city of Baiji in northern Iraq. All of the videos are dated November 19 - the same day French officials announced that Rafale jets had struck Islamic State targets alongside coalition planes near the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk to help breach the group's front lines. Two Dassault-built Rafale fighters, both armed . with four missiles, targeted trenches used by Islamic State to . besiege the oil city, the defense ministry said in a . statement. 'This action was carried out simultaneously with our allies . to create a breach in the defensive positions held by the . terrorists on the front line between Iraqi forces and Islamic . State,' the statement read. US-led coalition forces also bombed an ammunition bunker near the Iraqi city of Baiji . Allied aid: French fighter jets are believed to have taken part in the operation targeting ISIS installations . Blitz: The bunker strike was one of 30 airstrikes on ISIS targets in both Iraq and Syria . On Friday, the US Central Command said that American forces and their allies have staged 30 airstrikes on ISIS installations in both Syria and Iraq. The 23 strikes in Iraq included six near Baiji that hit . ISIS buildings, vehicles and tactical units while . buildings, vehicles, a guard post and two tactical units were . destroyed near Sinjar in four air strikes, Central Command said. Similar targets were destroyed or damaged west of Kirkuk, near . Mosul and Ramadi and in Tal Afar. In Syria, six strikes near Kobani destroyed staging areas, . buildings and two tactical units, while another near Ar Raqqah . damaged an Islamic State barrack. Peshmerga troops took control of Kirkuk following the withdrawal of Iraqi armed forces in the face of the ISIS advance. Government and Kurdish troops are slowly starting to turn the tide since getting air support from the US-led coalition. Targets, including this bunker, were destroyed west of Kirkuk, near Mosul and Ramadi and in Tal Afar . Hitting them where it hurts: The 23 strikes in Iraq included six near Baiji that hit ISIS buildings, vehicles and tactical units . This image shows the moment a bomb struck an ISIS-held building in Kirkuk Wednesday . On Thursday, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in an interview aired on CBS This Morning that the Islamic State group is 'an incredibly powerful new threat.' Islamic State in Iraq and Syria fighters have seized swathes of territory . in lightning offensives in the oil-rich north of the . country, and have repeatedly attacked oil installations. He said the United States has never seen an organization like the Islamic State. Hagel he described ISIS as 'so well organized, so well trained, so well-funded, so strategic, so brutal, so completely ruthless.' Battle to the death: Smoke rising from Kobani town of northern Syria during the intensified clashes between Islamic State of Iraq and Syria members and armed groups, is viewed from Suruc district of Turkey's Sanliurfa near Turkish-Syrian border crossing on November 20 . US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in an interview Thursday that the Islamic State group is 'an incredibly powerful new threat . Islamic State in Iraq and Syria fighters (not pictured) have seized swathes of territoryin lightning offensives in the oil-rich north of Iraq . Hagel's comments came a week after he and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey warned Congress that the US campaign against the Islamic State militants could be long and difficult. Last Sunday, the extremist organization released a video showing the horrifying aftermath of the execution of captive American aid worker Peter Kassig, and on Friday ISIS posted online another recording in which British hostage John Cantile said he likely will be the next person to be beheaded. | Videos posted on YouTube by CentCom show strikes against ISIS-held bunkers, tunnels and buildings in Kirkuk and Baiji .
American forces and allies have staged 30 airstrikes on ISIS installations in both Syria and Iraq .
The 23 strikes in Iraq included six near Baiji that hit ISIS buildings, vehicles and tactical units . |
255,393 | d6944ce1aad334257e4c68f567df758cc73b9f17 | BRADDOCK, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- What happens when business and government turn their collective back on a town and just walk away? Braddock, Pennsylvania, is what happens. Braddock, Pennsylvania, has suffered since the steel mills went out of business in the 1970s and 1980s. When steel was king, the population of Braddock surged to more than 20,000 people. With its proximity to Pittsburgh and its location on the Monongahela River, it was an ideal location for a steel town. When steel mills began closing in the 1970s and 1980s, Braddock was not immune. In 1982, Braddock's main mill, the Carrie Furnace, closed its doors, putting thousands of people out of work. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, residents left the town seeking work in other parts of Pennsylvania. The 2000 census put the population of Braddock at 2,900, but it has dropped further, according to residents. Home prices have plummeted and real estate is as inexpensive as $6,000 for a single-family house. Historic pictures show a polished downtown and a bustling community. Now, most businesses have closed their doors, leaving only a handful to serve the community. A drive down Braddock Avenue, the main street, indicates the town has seen the bottom. The avenue is lined with crumbling offices and stores, boarded windows and empty lots where buildings once stood. But there is hope in the town. In 2005, Braddock elected John Fetterman by one vote as its mayor. He is originally from York, Pennsylvania, and has lived in the area of Braddock for eight years. He has an MBA from Harvard and started a program that helped dislocated youth from the area receive their high school equivalency degrees. At 6 feet 8 inches and 325 pounds, he is an imposing figure. He chooses to dress in Dr Martens boots, baggy jeans and Dickies short-sleeved shirts because he feels he is able to connect with the people better dressed that way. He shaves his head and has a goatee. Possibly the most intimidating aspects of Fetterman's appearance are his tattoos, clearly visible on his forearms, including the numbers 15104, the town's ZIP code. Watch as the mayor talks about his revitalization plan » . When asked if he thinks the town is at rock bottom, Fetterman replies, "I don't believe that it's the bottom in the sense that this is a bad place. This is what can happen when you turn your back on a community." Since he was elected, Fetterman has made it his mission to give Braddock a prosperous future. He has given incentives to businesses to relocate to his town. The main incentive is large manufacturing space at a fraction of the cost in a normal market. A company that converts diesel engines into vegetable-oil burning engines, Fossil Free Fuel, relocated to Braddock from Allen, Pennsylvania. "The initial building was about 14,000 square feet and supposedly the asking price was $25,000. And we were like how do you get so much space for so little money?" said David Rosenstraus, one of the owners of Fossil Free Fuel. "I think for a very small business like us, not having very much capital to work with building a shop, and investments going into tools and things inside the shop, [we] would be spread thin if we had to pay a lot for the actual building." On the site where the Carrie Furnace steel mill building still stands, the county plans to convert the contaminated land into commercial and residential space. Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato is driving this plan, "We don't look at this like a liability. We see some potential here. We can take back 147 acres, take back the riverfront and make this a viable spot again. But you have to invest public money into the infrastructure to make that happen. It won't happen on its own. For example, this place closed 25 years ago, it's still here. The public sector has to come in and invest." Braddock still has many obstacles to overcome, but Fetterman believes that it's possible to grow, "I'd like to see Braddock move towards -- continue to move towards -- a safer place that is moving towards better outcomes for everybody." | Braddock, Pennsylvania, thrived as a steel town .
Thousands of people left after mills shut down .
Mayor trying to use incentives to bring business back to area .
Real estate prices are incredibly low, enticing some to move to town . |
225,403 | afe176d665c44c8337a94056b283ac5e454ca285 | (CNN) -- The case of a missing 2-year-old boy who disappeared from an Arizona campground more than a week ago has turned into a criminal investigation, the Yavapai County sheriff announced Monday. Syler Newton was last seen shortly after midnight July 24, sleeping in a tent with the family at the Beaver Creek Campgrounds. About 1:45 a.m. July 25, the family noticed that he was missing from his sleeping bag. "The sheriff's office believes Syler did not wander from the campground and he is presumably dead," Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh told a news conference Monday. "The search effort is now in a recovery mode and the investigation has become criminal in nature." Waugh said investigators have spent the past three days searching more than 200 tons of garbage in a nearby landfill "to try to determine if in fact the boy's body was there." About 50 people, along with highly trained bloodhounds, had joined in the search for Syler, who was wearing only a diaper when he disappeared, according to Yavapai County Sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn. The bloodhounds, normally used by the state Department of Corrections for tracking down escaped felons, failed to detect the boy's scent outside the immediate campground area, investigators said as they described an exhaustive search that included aerial surveillance, scuba teams and underwater cameras. "Anything we could have done in that area has been searched," one investigator said Monday. Syler was camping with his custodial mother, Christina Priem, and her children, when he disappeared. Priem has said she was in the process of adopting the boy from his biological mother. D'Evelyn said last week that that "there's no evidence" that the planned adoption played a role in his disappearance, "but until we've exhausted every lead, all possibilities are being investigated." About 25 other people were at the campgrounds the night of Syler's disappearance -- all of whom have cooperated with investigators, according to the sheriff's office. | "The investigation has become criminal in nature," sheriff says .
Syler Newton was reported missing in the early morning hours of July 25 .
The search effort has turned to one of recovery, sheriff says . |
193,361 | 8650bbb53fef2e3caa43cfc996f8f17fc8f1d36e | Editor's note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. His new book, "Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security -- From World War II to the War on Terrorism," will be published in December by Basic Books. Zelizer writes widely about current events. Julian Zelizer says Woodrow Wilson got his Nobel Peace Prize at the end of a presidency marked by failure. PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- Did President Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? That debate will likely continue for weeks to come. But the more interesting question may be about what impact the prize will have on President Obama himself and the key decisions he must make about national security. The case of Woodrow Wilson, the last sitting president to be awarded the prize, offers some useful lessons. On December 10, 1920, Albert Schmedeman, the American Minister to Norway, accepted the Nobel Prize on behalf of President Wilson, who was being honored for his work in creating the League of Nations. The president had first been nominated in 1918, but strong internal disagreement within the committee delayed his receiving the prize. It was his actual campaign to gain ratification for the League of Nations agreement in 1919 that persuaded the committee he had earned the recognition. Schmedeman read a statement from Wilson, who was in poor health after suffering a stroke, that said: "In accepting the honor of your award, I am moved by the recognition of my sincere and earnest efforts in the cause of peace, but also by the very poignant humility before the vastness of the work still called for by this cause." Wilson realized that the award came toward the end of a presidency where he had failed to achieve many of his goals. There was a certain irony that the prize was awarded right at the time that President Wilson had failed to persuade the U.S. Senate to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, the agreement signed at the end of World War I. One of the Norwegian newspapers, the Aftenposten, ran an editorial that stated: "After disappointment in Versailles he returned home a beaten man, ridiculed by his adversaries and fellow-citizens. By circumstances out of his control he was restrained from promoting his international peace work. As President of the United States he was unable to do anything more, but history will keep memory of him as creator of the League of Nations. "To Europe and to great parts of America President Wilson looms as the man of peace who broke with the old doctrines and showed the way toward new ideas. He is, first and last, the great peace promoter -- popular among the victorious and among those beaten." When Wilson received the Nobel Prize, his presidency was one of dashed expectations. In addition to the fact that the U.S. Senate had refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles -- despite a massive campaign by the president to pressure them into doing so -- many other things had been difficult in Wilson's second term. Though he had run for reelection in 1916 as a president who would keep the nation out of war, Wilson led American troops into a bloody battle. Although Wilson had promised fellow progressives that he would not abandon the domestic principles he had embraced in his first term, once the nation was at war, his administration violated civil liberties, imprisoned wartime opponents, and abandoned much of an interest in creating domestic programs that were unrelated to the war. And while many peoples of the world had been deeply inspired by President Wilson's calls for self-determination, he backed off from pursuing those principles in exchange for international support for the League of Nations. Without American participation, the League of Nations ultimately proved ineffective in preventing war. Obama is fortunate that his Nobel Prize comes much earlier in his presidency. The Nobel Prize Committee granted the award to President Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." The secretary of the Nobel Prize Committee stated that Obama's achievement has been to shift the international climate toward issues such as diplomacy and negotiation, arms control and disarmament, multilateral institutions, as well as democracy and human rights. The good news for President Obama is that while he has had a tough few months in office, he still enjoys strong approval ratings in the U.S. and, as the award indicates, has significant prestige abroad. In other words, even after all the town hall meetings and the challenges with his agenda, expectations remain high about what this president can do. The president enters a period when he will be making critical decisions that will help shape the "international climate." He will need to decide how strongly to push for climate control legislation, what to do about the requests for more troops in Afghanistan, how to handle counterterrorism policy with regard to issues such as the closure of Guantanamo, and how to respond to Iran's nuclear program. As he makes these decisions, this award can serve as a powerful reminder about what his supporters were hoping he could achieve, and as a source of energy to pursue those goals. In his speech on Friday, Obama indicated that he was thinking in these terms. He said: "I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century." When Woodrow Wilson died in 1924, he understood all too well how devastating dashed expectations could be for a presidency. "I am a broken piece of machinery," he said on his deathbed. In Wilson's case, the Nobel Prize only amplified the limits of what he had been able to accomplish in the White House and the promises he had broken along the way. In President Obama's case, the award comes much earlier in his tenure and can serve a very different function, offering a compass to guide him as he makes critical decisions about national security in the weeks ahead. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer. | Julian Zelizer: The last sitting president to receive Nobel was Woodrow Wilson .
He says Wilson's prize came at end of a very troubled presidency .
He says Obama is being honored at beginning of presidency .
Zelizer: Prize can serve as a moral compass to guide Obama's actions . |
150,707 | 4edb3fb9bf71223c19e3b8641a080db0a31a4109 | In just a single minute on the web 216,000 photos are shared on . Instagram, a total of £54,000 ($83,000) sales take place on Amazon, there are 1.8 million likes on Facebook and three days worth of video is uploaded to YouTube. Cashback site Qmee has created an infographic that shows this information as well as how many tweets are sent, photos are viewed, Skype calls are made, domains are registered and more in 60 seconds. The graphic pulls information and figures from PC Mag, Business Insider and other sites to create a the snapshot. Google performs 2 million searches each minute and 72 hours worth of video is uploaded to YouTube within the space of 60 seconds. The infographic also claims that 70 new domains are registered and 571 new website are created within a minute online, at the same time there are 1.8 million likes on Facebook, 204 million emails sent and 278,000 tweets posted. Go-Globe.com designed a similar graphic in June last year. By comparison, the amount of emails sent has increased by 36million a minute. There are almost four times more Google searches than a year ago, and 180,000 more tweets are sent. YouTube video uploads have increased from 25 hours up to three days. Relatives and friends now spend the . equivalent of 1.4 million minutes chatting over Skype, compared to . 370,000 minutes last year. Facebook . figures appear to have dropped, however. This year there are on average 41,000 . status updates every second - 246,000 a minute - whereas according to . Go-Globe's figures, this time last year the figure was in excess of . 695,000. Exactly the same amount of domain names were created per minute in 2012 and 2013 according to the graphics. Cashback site Qmee has created an infographic that shows how many tweets are sent, Facebook posts are liked, Skype calls are made and YouTube videos are viewed in a single minute across the internet. It used information and figures from PC Mag, Business Insider and other sites to create a 60-second snapshot . The two graphics did not use exactly the same data sources meaning that the relationship is not directly comparable but it does give an indication about which sites and services are soaring and which are staying the same, or losing favour. The increase in posts across social networks has also seen an increase of what's been dubbed 'Twinglish'. Social media monitoring company Brandwatch found that one in every 150 English words used on Twitter is spelt incorrectly. On Facebook, one in 323 words are spelt incorrectly, on Google+ it's one in 238 and one in 556 words is incorrect on online forums. Women also favour the use of elongated words such as ‘sooooo’ and ‘loool’ on social networks. Go-Globe.com designed a similar graphic in June last year, pictured. By comparison, the amount of emails sent has increased by 36million a minute. There are almost four times more Google searches than a year ago, and 180,000 more tweets are sent . | Infographic gives snapshot of what happens across the web in 60 seconds .
This includes 72 hours of video uploaded to YouTube and 278,000 tweets . |
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