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140,006 | 4104792556de37004e011e2bb7f09101c8db8e45 | When you are the first beaver to be spotted in the wild in England for 800 years, it must get a little lonely. So thankfully, the male pictured at the aptly named River Otter last month has now found some companions to swim with. Amazing images of the family of wild beavers have been captured by the same retired environmental scientist who pictured the solitary male. Scroll down for video . Just months after a solitary beaver was spotted near the River Otter in Devon, new pictures have emerged showing the creature is not alone. A total of three beavers, two are pictured, have been caught grooming themselves, gnawing the base of trees and playing together in the same location . The three European beavers are thought to be adults and were filmed paddling together and gnawing at trees on the riverbank. Their presence suggests that beavers may be breeding outside captivity for the first time in centuries. Eager beavers: Could the Environment Agency be replaced by furrier workers? Tom Buckley set up three infra-red cameras – which take photographs when they sense movement – along a stretch of the river in east Devon after he first noticed trees had been nibbled there last October. He said he believed the male had been lost from a breeding farm but nobody claimed him. There are several such programmes in the UK, including the nearby Ottery St Mary, but none of the animals are unaccounted for. ‘When we saw three, that’s a totally different situation altogether,’ said Mr Buckley. ‘Three indicates a family and looking at the footage, all three are quite sizeable and active, which indicates to me that they are not young. I would expect them to be at least two years old. ‘That indicates they may have been around for at least two years or more. ‘During that time, they may have been fitting in very nicely in terms of the environment.’ Mr Buckley said he couldn’t believe his eyes when he came across the images of the first beaver at the river last month. ‘For me, there was a combination of amazement and a little bit of disbelief,’ he said. ‘I had looked through hundreds of video clips and there was nothing at all in them. ‘Then there was one beaver, I was a little bit taken aback.’ The trio has also been seen interacting with local wild otters and felling trees in the area. The beaver is shown in the bottom left of this image, while the top of the otter is the shown swimming past him . The animals were pictured in a sequence of shots taken beside the River Otter, in Ottery St Mary, near Exeter, Devon, pictured . Beavers were hunted to extinction in England and Wales during the 12th Century and disappeared from the rest of the UK 400 years later. Landowner David Lawrence admitted he has no idea where the creatures, a single beaver is pictured, have come from . Beavers were once common throughout Britain but were hunted to extinction in England and Wales 800 years ago due to their highly valued fur, meat and for castoreum – a secretion of the animal’s scent gland which was used as a headache cure. They remained in Scotland but disappeared from the UK completely 400 years ago. Natural powers: Facts about beavers . The family’s arrival in Devon this month remains a mystery but David Lawrence, who owns the land, said he is delighted with his new neighbours. ‘We are quite happy for them to be here,’ he said. ‘At some point we will possibly have to go in and clear up some of the wood because it could possibly cause a flood problem. ‘But it’s all very interesting – my wife has just started a holiday business with a safari tent and this will give people something extra to look at.’ The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is investigating the sighting. A spokesman said: ‘It is unlawful to release beavers in England – we are looking into this case and will consider what action to take.’ Steve Hussey, of the Devon Wildlife Trust, said: ‘This is not necessarily the right way to go about having beavers reintroduced to the English countryside. It would be better if it was done in a planned way. ‘But now they are here we need to take a really close look on the impact they have. ‘I think we should leave them alone but observe their impact on the local landscape.’ There are two species of beaver, the European and North American. The European is considered ‘vulnerable’. It is extinct in most of Western Europe, with around 700,000 living in the wild in territories stretching from Eastern Europe to the Chinese and Mongolian borders. There were several attempts to breed American and European beavers to boost numbers of the European species, until scientists realised they are genetically incompatible. Sightings of a single beaver, pictured, were reported in July 2013, and again in January this year, in the same location where the family has been seen. These images, as well as the new shots of the beaver family, were all captured by retired scientist Tom Buckley . During recent years beavers have been reintroduced in captive areas as part of breeding programs including at Ottery St Mary and Gloucestershire - but none are unaccounted for. Here, a beaver gnaws on wood in captivity . Tom Buckley used a trail camera - which automatically takes photos when it detects signs of movement - and positioned it at several points around a small island near the river, after spotting evidence of bite marks on trees. This image is one of the results . The retired scientist first noticed a tree that had been damaged from nibbling, which made him want to get photographic evidence of the beaver's existence.This photo documents the damage done by the wild beaver . | A trio of beavers has been spotted on River Otter, in Ottery St Mary, Devon .
Retired scientist Tom Buckley has been filming the area for several months .
He caught the family grooming themselves and gnawing the base of trees .
They were also seen interacting with local wild otters .
Sightings of a single beaver were reported in July 2012 and in January .
Beavers were once native to England but were hunted to extinction during the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century . |
1,295 | 03adac41ba523c10b74222828e1465982f18e1e9 | By . Gemma Mullin . The fire which ripped through part of Eastbourne Pier is now being treated as suspicious, police have said. New information today suggests the blaze on the 144-year-old structure on Wednesday ‘may have been started by someone, either deliberately or accidentally’. It comes after David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne visited the town to announce a £2million cash injection to help with the aftermath of the blaze. Scroll down for video . David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne visited Eastbourne pier today after pledging to support town . The Prime Minister walks alongside the devastated wreckage along with George Osborne and members of the East Sussex Fire and Rescue who managed to save most of the structure . Outside the former entrance to the pier, David Cameron speaks with members of the fire service . Detective Inspector Mark O'Brien, of Sussex Police, said: ‘As a result of our investigation we have received information to suggest that the fire may have been started by someone, either deliberately or accidentally, and our investigation is now focusing on that line of enquiry. ‘A temporary scaffold platform has been erected adjacent to where the fire is thought to have broken out in order to enable scenes of crime officers and fire investigators safe access to the area.’ Police have called on people to submit pictures or video footage taken at the entrance or on the pier in the hours before it started. Superintendent Laurence Taylor said: ‘The area around and under the pier is still very hazardous and there is a security team deployed to stop people putting themselves in danger.’ The Prime Minister met with the crew from the Inshore Lifeboat Station as the wreckage stood behind him . David Cameron shaking hands with members of the fire and rescue service who saved most of the building . The Prime Minister visited the town today with George Osborne as he pledged to support the town. The pair met with members of the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and the crew from the Inshore Lifeboat Station. Mr Cameron said: ‘The Government is absolutely committed to supporting coastal towns, and through our long-term economic plan we are creating jobs and boosting tourism. ‘I know that the loss of one of Eastbourne’s most prominent and well-loved landmarks will have hit the town hard and I am determined to do all I can to help local businesses recover.’ The fire happened at the height of Eastbourne’s important summer tourist season. In the next fortnight, the resort hosts its biggest summer tourist event - the annual Airbourne Air Show - which draws tens of thousands of visitors. Mr Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne also announced an extra £3 million for the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund to encourage growth and create jobs in coastal towns. Mr Osborne said: ‘Eastbourne Pier is a much-loved local attraction and this fire is devastating news. I am therefore delighted to be able to provide financial support so we can minimise the effect on business and tourism. People walk along the beach to catch a glimpse of what remains of devastated Eastbourne Pier . The town is now set to receive a £2 million boost after a fire destroyed its Grade II listed pier this week . ‘We will work with Eastbourne as a matter of urgency to ensure that the funding is provided without delay so people can start enjoying the pier again.’ Coastal Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt named 10 coastal towns which will receive £8.5 million from the fund in the latest round of applications. The money will be used to boost tourism, regenerate historic sites and provide new flood defences, Downing Street said. But there is hopes that the fire-hit pier could reopen again as early as next year, as two-thirds of it was untouched by flames, according to Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd. The Liberal Democrat MP has said that following talks with East Sussex’s chief fire officer, the structure appeared ‘pretty sound’ and called on the community to rally round the pier’s stricken traders after fears that some had no insurance. Mr Lloyd said: ‘There is real damage but I’m confident that it can be repaired. Crowds gathered on Wednesday as the popular pier went up in flames and plumes of smoke billowed out . It took more than 80 firefighters to dampen down the tangled wreck of Eastbourne Pier after the blaze . Crews were still dousing flames the morning after a large section was destroyed and left a charred shell . ‘It’s still very much standing, and I’m very hopeful and confident that it will be reopening next year and be back in business.’ Helen Brook and Stuart Pearce, who were due to get married on the pier in three weeks’ time, have seen their dream dashed. The couple were to have wed on a section of the Victorian structure which escaped the flames. Ms Brook told ITV Meridian: ‘Once we heard that people were safe and had been evacuated, it then hit home what it meant for us. ‘Since yesterday, it has been a very emotional couple of days. We are just shell-shocked really.’ Holiday makers walk along the promenade with the pier stretching out to sea in the background . Passengers landing on Eastbourne Pier after a boat cruise in 1936. The paddle steamers took passengers to destinations including Folkestone, Sandown, Brighton, Hastings and even as far afield as Boulogne in France . East Sussex has been cursed by the devastation of some of its beloved piers in recent times. In 2003 the 148-year-old West Pier in Brighton was reduced to a mangled mass of metal by two major blazes within two months. In Hastings, the Grade II listed pier was almost destroyed in a fire in 2010 following years of neglect by its then-Panama-registered owner. Efforts are now well under way to restore Hastings Pier after more than £13 million was secured mainly though the Heritage Lottery Fund. | Fire tore through 144-year-old structure, which housed shops and cafes .
David Cameron has pledged to support the town with the cash injection .
He says he is determined to do all he can to help local businesses recover .
PM and Chancellor also announce extra £3m for Costal Communities Fund .
The fire happened at height of the town's important summer tourist season .
Hopes the pier could re-open as early as next year, says Eastbourne MP . |
65,838 | bae7e260732e3c53aadf9175f6bd1462a94d03e1 | By . Daily Mail Reporters . Tragic: Sydney Kustu was a former professor of biology at UC Berkeley. She killed herself Tuesday by mixing common chemicals and creating toxic gas that caused an entire San Francisco Bay area hotel and the surrounding block to be evacuated . A respected UC Berkeley sciences professor has now been identified as the woman who committed suicide in an historic San Francisco Bay Area hotel room using toxic gas on Tuesday, her 71st birthday. The landmark Berkeley City Club was evacuated around 2pm after Sydney Kustu mixed common chemicals to produce deadly sodium azide gas, authorities said Wednesday. Kustu, a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, was discovered dead by a maid and had reportedly left notes warning of the dangerous chemical. Colleagues said she was divorced and had a son. The club and hotel were immediately emptied and the surrounding streets and sidewalks closed to vehicles and pedestrians. Authorities treated it as a hazardous materials situation from the beginning thanks to Kustu's notes, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, but it took hours to ride the building of the substance. 'We treated the situation with an abundance of caution given the nature of what we were dealing with,' BPD spokesperson Officer Stephanie Polizziani said. According to Berkeleyside, coroners will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death unless 'a risk of exposure of the chemicals to employees' is determined. Kustu was at one time a member on the faculty of Berkeley's Plant & Microbial Biology Department, where she was recruited in 1987. Hotel guests and residents at the landmark Berkeley City Club were evacuated on Tuesday afternoon after an 80-year-old resident committed suicide in her room using a toxic chemical . The victim reportedly left a suicide note outside her apartment alerting first responders to the hazardous situation, police said. Other residents and guests were evacuated, but there no one else was injured. 'The known quantity of what appeared to be a hazardous material has been removed,' Sgt Okies BPD Sergeant Joe Okies said at the time. The Julia Morgan-designed Berkeley City Club is a hotel and private social club with an indoor swimming pool and a restaurant, as well as a hair salon and meeting spaces. The victim reportedly left a suicide note outside her third floor apartment alerting first responders to the hazardous situation . | Sydney Kustu mixed common products to produce deadly sodium azide gas in her hotel room on Tuesday afternoon .
The divorcee reportedly warned hotel staff by leaving them notes about the gas .
Hotel guests and residents had to be evacuated but no one was injured . |
271,949 | ec46596e14c357a6a4cd8147ab3ce33f6fecb61c | Barack Obama and Mitt Romney go to the polls neck and neck tomorrow after a final sprint through crucial states where the result – as in the country as a whole – is too close to call. Poll after poll over the weekend confirmed it would be one of the closest presidential elections in US history, putting the two White House contenders in a dead heat. The pair were neck and neck in four swing states which are likely to determine the winner of the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Scroll down for latest video . In profile: The winner is not determined by the nationwide popular vote but in state-by-state contests, making nine 'battleground' states very important in such a tight race . In one of the biggest prizes of the election, Ohio, Mr Obama has a slight lead over Mr Romney with 48 per cent compared to 44 per cent support among likely voters, the poll showed. On Saturday Mr Obama had been ahead by a point in the same poll. In Florida, another big prize, Mr Obama was on 48 per cent and Mr Romney on 46 per cent. Rally: Mitt Romney waves to the Republican faithful in Cleveland, Ohio, as he pushes for votes in the crucial swing state . In Virginia, Mr Obama leads Mr Romney 47 per cent to 46 per cent among likely voters. In Colorado, the candidates were tied. Nationally, 48 per cent said they would vote for Mr Obama and 47 per cent for Mr Romney. Given the closeness of the race, it means the result is now down to which party can ensure their supporters get to polling stations in the ten or so ‘battleground’ states. More than 27million people have already voted in 34 states and the District of Columbia. So far, Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in Florida, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. Republicans have the edge in only one swing state, Colorado, which Mr Obama won in 2008. Both sides said they were confident of victory as their candidates flitted back and forth across the US trying to fit in as many target states as possible. But in what Republicans claimed was an illustration of Mr Romney’s growing popularity – and Democrats said was a ‘desperate ploy’ to stave off defeat – the challenger has started targeting states that were previously seen as safely pro-Obama. Yesterday Mr Romney not only stopped off in swing states Virginia and Ohio, but also in Pennsylvania and Iowa, two states where Democrats have far more registered supporters. Speaking in Des Moines, Iowa, Mr Romney said the President had fallen short of his promises and vowed the country was ‘two days from a new beginning’ and ‘a better future’. He told supporters: ‘We’re Americans. We can do anything. The only thing that stands between us and some of the best years we can imagine is a lack of leadership – and that’s why we have elections.’ Making use of the presidential plane, Air Force One, Mr Obama was able to spend yesterday stopping off in four battleground states – New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio and Colorado. He has been joined in these final rallies by Bill Clinton, who has put aside his previous bitterness at the way Mr Obama deprived his wife Hillary of the 2008 party nomination. Joined by Mr Clinton in front of a roaring crowd in Concord, New Hampshire, Mr Obama once again tried to compare his economic policies with those of the previous Democrat President. Go-go Mr president: Supporters greet Barack Obama during a rally at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Florida as he criss-crossed America today . He said: ‘We have come too far to turn back now. We have come too far to let our hearts grow faint. It’s time to keep pushing forward.’ On Saturday night in Virginia, Mr . Clinton attacked Mr Romney’s habit of shifting positions on key issues, . saying: ‘He could be the chief contortionist for Cirque du Soleil.’ Despite . the narrow gap separating the candidates in most polls, Mr Obama is . clinging to a narrow lead in a majority of swing states. Most pundits . suspect this will give him a crucial advantage tomorrow. Attention remains focused on one battleground state above all others. According to the number crunchers, Mr Romney will find it very difficult to win the 270 votes he needs in the electoral college that decides the victor unless he carries Ohio. But polls have shown this midwestern state, many of whose voters rely for jobs on a car industry which the President bailed out, remains in favour of Mr Obama by at least three percentage points. More than eight in ten voters across the globe would keep Mr Obama as President if they had a say in the US elections, a major poll has found. The MSN survey of more than 570,000 people in 36 countries found that only 19 per cent favoured Mr Romney. The only country that preferred him was China, giving him 52 per cent of the vote. In Britain, Mr Obama took 85 per cent of the vote. n Up to 40,000 people in New York will need to be rehoused in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. State governor Andrew Cuomo said the ‘massive, massive housing problem’ could take months to resolve. Last Monday’s storm left 107 dead in the eastern US. | The candidates are neck and neck in swing states which will decide the winner of the White House .
Poll says Obama has 4% lead in Ohio and 2% in Florida; 27 million people have already voted . |
245,353 | c98fb4cd5cec16e175fd79dd2a6ee28080928c37 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 03:24 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:36 EST, 2 October 2013 . An unemployed mother of six who lives on benefits and has just moved into a £150,000 four-bedroom council house has boasted on Facebook about her taxypayer-funded lifestyle. Neither Maggie Flisher, 26, nor her husband Gavin, 31, have worked since the birth of their first child in 2005, and instead the couple collect around £27,000 a year in benefits. Now Mrs Flisher, who claims that she is 'super-fertile' which makes contraception impossible, has gloated shamelessly on the internet about 'haters' who criticise her state-subsidised life. Enjoying a state-funded life: Gavin and Maggie Flisher, who have moved into a new housing association house with Lacieann, eight, (centre, rear) Elektra, six, (far left) Gavin Jnr, five, (centre), Lilyrose, two, (right) and three-month-old twins Paris Nicola and Martinjames (front left and right), say their critics are simply envious . She wrote that working was 'a mug's game', adding: 'Why work when I can legally take your hard-earned money and you can't say s*** to me?' In a series of provocative messages on the social networking site, Mrs Flisher, who says depression prevents her from getting a job, suggested those whom she said were 'jealous' of her many benefits should do the same. She said critics who wanted a bigger house should ask the government for one, suggesting that that was what they were there for, and said that she, who hasn't worked since she was 21, had had enough of working. In another post, she boasted of enjoying a midweek night out at her local pub, saying: 'Just been out and got STEAMING... love spending all my money that you HATERS don't', the Sun reported. And in another post, she boasted that what she was doing was perfectly legal, and suggested those who were outraged by it were simply envious. The Flishers have just moved into a spacious terraced house after complaining for years that their old one-bedroom council flat in Maidstone, Kent, was too small. The Flishers, pictured in their previous one-bedroom council flat, have been moved into a four-bed house nearby . The Flishers moved into their new house last month after complaining their pleas for a new house were ignored . Last month the jobless couple moved in to the housing association house in Tovil with children Lacieann, eight, Elektra, six, Gavin Jr, five, Lilyrose, two, and six-month-old twins Paris Nicole and Martin James. Mrs Flisher said most of her pregnancies were a result of contraceptive failure - she said she had tried, and been let down by, the Pill, condoms, arm implants and a contraceptive injection. The eight-strong Flisher family, pictured at their old flat, left, have now moved into a four-bedroomed house . | Maggie Flisher, 26, has just moved her family into house in Tovil, Kent .
She and husband Gavin, 31, are unemployed and rely on state handouts .
With six children aged six months to eight, they say they're 'super-fertile'
Mrs Flisher has boasted on Facebook saying critics are simply 'jealous' |
185,338 | 7c10e1c1e25c0fc0fbb351b98fbcb352d1d980ca | By . James Chapman . and Matt Chorley . PUBLISHED: . 16:41 EST, 21 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:17 EST, 22 April 2013 . Unruly: Elizabeth Truss says children in British nurseries are not taught how to behave themselves . Education minister Elizabeth Truss has been criticisied for 'ill-judged' criticism of nurseries after she declared they were producing a generation of toddlers with no manners. Ms Truss condemned ‘chaotic’ pre-schools that allow children to do what they want all day long, leaving them unable to sit still and listen by the time they get to primary school. But industry bodies today said her remarks did not chime with experiences in nurseries across the country. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Miss Truss said many nurseries were filled with toddlers ‘running around with no sense of purpose’. She called for a traditional approach akin to that found in France, where children typically start working with a graduate-level teacher from the age of two and are expected to say ‘hello’ when an adult enters the room. In the Commons today she defended her remarks, telling MPs: 'It is a very sad fact that 33 per cent of children arrive at school without the requisite communication and language skills that they need to take part in school education.' The minister’s criticism comes as the Government prepares to offer tax breaks to help working parents with the cost of childcare. From 2015, working couples will qualify for tax breaks worth as much as £1,200 a year per child. Some Tory MPs have claimed the scheme discriminates against stay-at-home mothers, but ministers say there is evidence that up to a million women want to work but are put off by nursery or childminder costs. Miss Truss’s intervention suggests the Government believes there is much work to be done to improve the quality of care in nurseries before the tax breaks come into effect. She said education watchdog Ofsted will be expected to mark down pre-school providers who do not take on better-qualified staff and offer children more structure. ‘This isn’t about two-year-olds doing academic work – it’s structured play which teaches children to be polite and considerate through activities which the teacher is clearly leading,’ she said. ‘At the moment fewer than one-third of nurseries employ graduate-level teachers and have structured, teacher-led sessions. We know that’s very beneficial. ‘What you notice in French nurseries is just how calm they are. All of their classes are structured and led by teachers. It’s a requirement. 'They learn to socialise with each other, pay attention to the teacher and develop good manners, which is not the case in too many nurseries in Britain.’ Teaching manners: Children need their days in nurseries structured in order to learn manners as well as how to behave in a classroom in time for primary school . She said of the UK system: ‘Free-flow play is not compulsory, but there is a belief across lots of nurseries that it is. I have seen too many chaotic settings, where children are running around. There’s no sense of purpose. ‘In these settings where there aren’t sufficiently qualified staff, and children are running around, we are not getting positive outcomes. Improving care: Miss truss, a mother-of-two, says nurseries need to better prepare children for school . ‘We want children to learn to listen to a teacher, learn to respect an instruction, so that they are ready for school.’ The married mother of two, who is increasingly tipped for high office, said it was clear that far too many existing nurseries are ‘not good enough’ – and stressed the importance of good preparation for primary school. ‘Children get into the habit of waiting their turn, of saying hello to the teacher when they come into the room,’ she said. The minister highlighted the Government’s changes to rules on child-to-adult ratios, to encourage nurseries to employ better-paid graduates. Teachers can already look after up to 13 children aged three and four years, compared with just eight for less well-qualified staff. Her intervention will delight parents and educators who believe a more traditional approach is necessary in vital pre-school years. However, it risks angering trade union leaders and those who insist it is best to ‘let children be children’ before they reach primary school. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: 'It is frankly astonishing that the minister in charge of childcare makes such ill-judged, off-the-cuff statements about what she believes is happening in day nurseries and pre-schools. 'The picture the minister paints is not one that would be recognised by anyone who knows anything about child development and learning.' But Purnima Tanuku OBE, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association said: 'We agree with the minister that a chaotic environment is not good for children. 'We believe that learning needs to be age appropriate and support the children’s individual needs. Group led structured learning is important but must be balanced with the opportunity for one-to-one adult:child interaction.' From September, Ofsted will only consider ratings of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ to be acceptable for nurseries and pre-schools; the ‘satisfactory’ rating will be scrapped and replaced with ‘requires improvement’. Ofsted head Sir Michael Wilshaw recently decried the ‘absolute nonsense’ that more exams are needed to work with animals than young children. | Childcare Minister Elizabeth Truss condemned British pre-schools .
Miss Truss claimed children in nurseries are not taught how to behave .
Wants to follow French model on manners for children from the age of two . |
29,260 | 53213ee7d756e6cf9aab9ede10a4828bde6444a1 | (CNN) -- In the spring of 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to join sanitation workers seeking better pay, fairer treatment and the right to form a union. I was with Dr. King as he stood with workers, all African-American, all fighting years of labor repression and wages that relegated them to poverty. Dr. King was assassinated on that trip to Memphis. His death, just as the images of workers carrying signs reading, "I am a man," is forever seared in my memory. Today, August 28, marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the site of Dr. King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech. As tens of thousands prepare to commemorate our nation's progress toward racial justice, it's worth remembering a central meaning of that march: economic opportunity. Opinion: Did we really learn the lesson of the March on Washington? The state of economic opportunity today is a far cry from Dr. King's vision. Increasingly, American workers are struggling to make ends meet. Each day they are forced to make impossible choices between feeding their families and keeping the lights on, paying for gas or buying a coat. Income inequality has grown exponentially in recent years, as middle-class jobs that pay a decent wage have been replaced by part-time, low-wage work following the recession. All the while, corporations and CEOs rake in unimaginable sums. Nowhere is this two-tiered capitalism more dire than within the hidden workforce employed by federal contractors. According to a recent study by Demos, a public policy think tank, nearly 2 million private sector employees working on behalf of America earn wages too low to support a family, making $12 or less per hour. These are Americans who sweep the floors of our nation's capital, stitch our soldiers' uniforms and ensure quality care for the elderly and disabled, and yet they cannot afford necessities like food, housing and health care. Like the sanitation workers of Memphis, they are the backbone of our economy, and are in turn treated like second-class citizens. Throngs mark 'I Have a Dream' anniversary . Dr. King stood with those on the picket line because he knew that struggles for racial and economic equality were inextricably bound. He championed economic opportunity and jobs knowing that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. In this way, the urgency of the current economic crisis must be understood as a civil rights imperative. People of color disproportionately occupy the lowest rungs of the economic ladder, mirroring the lack of opportunity that pervaded the mid-20th century. Just as Dr. King looked toward leaders in the nation's capital to better living standards, so too can workers turn their attention toward Washington. At the height of racial tension and mass mobilization in the '60s, the federal government took the lead in advancing equality. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson went beyond the Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively ending racial discrimination in government contracting with the signing of an executive order. President Barack Obama ought to respond to the crisis of inequality in similar fashion. He could -- today -- sign an executive order requiring government contractors to pay their employees higher wages. With a sweep of the pen, President Obama could honor Dr. King's legacy -- and help fulfill his dream -- by mandating fairness and justice. It's fitting that the protests by low-wage workers spreading across the country adopt many of the same tactics as the Memphis sanitation workers, including the potent "I am a Man" message. Were Dr. King here today, I have little doubt he would join with the striking workers of federally contracted companies, fast-food giants and Wal-Mart. The struggle for labor rights and decent pay was central to the conviction that animated his life. 10 signposts on America's race journey . President Obama has promised to take executive action to improve the economy, circumventing a gridlocked Congress and raising the boats of millions of families. There is no better place to start than with working standards of federally contracted companies. More money in these workers' pockets will yield greater consumer spending, accelerated job growth and a more robust economy. And there is no better time to do it. On the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, and at a time of record levels of economic inequality, President Obama should follow in the footsteps of his civil rights predecessors. When he speaks on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he should outline an executive order that would raise standards for low-wage employees working on behalf of our country. Doing so is no panacea for continuing racial and economic discrimination, but is an important step toward realizing Dr. King's unfulfilled dream. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Lucy. | William Lucy was with MLK in Memphis supporting living wages for sanitation workers .
Lucy: MLK killed on that trip, and his dream of economic opportunity still unmet .
Americans struggle to make ends meet, he says, especially federal contract workers .
Lucy: President Obama could easily require government contractors to pay a living wage . |
33,668 | 5fcc5e0fd12ca62872be92bbd98f5f7699c9d959 | Lewis Hamilton had a morning to forget on Wednesday after he spun out of testing, hours after it emerged he had split from his long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. The British driver had completed 43 laps on the final day of this season’s opening winter test in Jerez, before he appeared to lose control of his Mercedes. Hamilton stepped out of the cockpit and cut a forlorn figure as he stared at his stricken car. Lewis Hamilton had a morning to forget on Wednesday after he spun out of testing in Jerez . Hamilton's Mercedes hoisted on to the recovery truck after the Brit spun out . Hamilton had completed 43 laps on the final day of this season’s opening winter test in Jerez . Hamilton inspects the front left wheel after spinning to a halt during testing in Spain . The session was temporarily red-flagged as Hamilton's Mercedes was recovered on Wednesday . Hamilton stares at his Mercedes after losing control and spinning out of testing in Jerez . Hamilton looks ahead after a day-to-forget following his spin and news of his split from Nicole Scherzinger . Hamilton watches on as he waits for his Mercedes car to be recovered from the track . The session was temporarily red-flagged as track marshalls recovered the car in which Hamilton will bid to retain his world title. Hamilton was back out on track later on Wednesday as the Formula One paddock gears up for the new campaign which begins on March 15 in Melbourne. The world champion is bidding to join Sir Jackie Stewart on three world titles after last year’s triumph. He is the bookies’ favourite and Mercedes have enjoyed an impressive start to pre-season. Hamilton’s team-mate and, arguably his greatest rival again for this year’s title Nico Rosberg, clocked up more than 300 laps during an impressive two days of testing in Jerez; the equivalent of driving from London to Rome. ‘Last year our weakness was reliability which cost us points, so we have focused on that because we want a really reliable car this year,’ said Rosberg. ‘It's important to see the problems now, which has been the goal to start off, so anything we find here will be much easier to solve.’ World champion Hamilton is bidding to join Sir Jackie Stewart on three world titles after last year’s win . Hamilton was back out on track later as he aims to put crucial miles on the clock during pre-season testing . Hamilton takes to the track on the fourth day of Formula One winter testing at Jerez on Wednesday . It's been a tough Wednesday morning for Hamilton as he spun out after news of his split emerged . The incident came hours after Hamilton’s private life hit the headlines with news that his relationship with Scherzinger was over. The pair had been together for seven years but the 36-year-old American singer, who supported Hamilton at last season’s title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi, has left the Briton due to the pressures of a long-distance relationship. A source close to the star told MailOnline: 'It was a mutual decision. The long distance kept them apart for long periods of time. 'They both spent most of their time alone because they were in different countries all the time. Nicole is heartbroken and devastated.' Scherzinger - currently starring in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Cats, in London - primarily resides in Los Angeles, while Hamilton is based in Monaco. The incident came after Hamilton hit the headlines with news that his relationship with Scherzinger was over . Formula One champion Hamilton has reportedly been dumped by Scherzinger - pictured here celebrating his title triumph at last season's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix . Scherzinger hugs Hamilton after winning the world championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix . | Lewis Hamilton lost control of his Mercedes to spin out of testing in Jerez .
The Formula One champion has split with girlfriend Nicola Scherzinger .
Hamilton was back on track later on Wednesday as the F1 paddock gets ready for the new campaign which begins on March 15 in Melbourne . |
83,296 | ec31d0741115469a325160bc85923ca8124a7799 | (CNN) -- Physician-assisted suicide is legal in four U.S. states and in one county of a fifth state. It is an option given to individuals by state law in Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Individuals must have a terminal illness as well as a prognosis of six months or less to live. Physicians cannot be prosecuted for prescribing medications to hasten death. Similar Montana and New Mexico court rulings are based on judicial decision and do not mention a time line. Mandated by State Law: . Oregon . Vermont . Washington . Mandated by Court Ruling: . Montana . New Mexico - Bernalillo County only . Other Facts: . The specific method in each state varies, but mainly involves a prescription from a licensed physician approved by the state in which the patient is a resident. Physician-assisted suicide differs from euthanasia, which is defined as the act of assisting people with their death in order to end their suffering, but without the backing of a controlling legal authority. In Oregon, "the physician must be a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) licensed to practice medicine by the Board of Medical Examiners for the State of Oregon. The physician must also be willing to participate in the Act." In Vermont, "only a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed to practice medicine in Washington may write this prescription...A physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other person shall not be under any duty, by law or contract, to participate in the provision of a lethal dose of medication to a patient." In Washington, "only a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed to practice medicine in Washington may write this prescription...participation is entirely voluntary. Health care providers are not required to provide prescriptions or medications to qualified patients." Statistics: . The process of reporting applications and deaths also varies by state. Only those states where physician-assisted suicide is mandated by law have a reporting process. Oregon has had a physician-assisted suicide law on the books since 1997, and has shown a steady increase in both prescription recipients and the number of deaths. At its height, in the year 2012, 85 deaths from physician-assisted suicide were reported. According to the 2013 annual report, since 1997, prescriptions have been written for 1,173 people and there have been 752 reported deaths. Washington - According to the 2013 annual report, since 2009 prescriptions have been written for 549 people and there have been 525 reported deaths. Vermont - Since May 2013, physician reporting forms have been completed for two people, according to the Department of Health. Timeline: . June 1997 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that state laws banning physician-assisted suicide do not violate the Constitution in the case Washington v. Glucksberg. The court left the matter of the constitutionality of a right to a physician's aid in dying to the states. October 27, 1997 - Oregon's Death with Dignity Act becomes law. Passed in a 1994 election with 51% of voters in favor, the law was delayed initially because U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan issued an injunction and then ruled it unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling and the injunction was lifted when the U.S. Supreme Court referred the matter back to the state in 1997. November 1998 - American pathologist and assisted suicide advocate, Jack Kevorkian, known as "Dr. Death," videotapes the death of Thomas Youk, submits it to CBS's 60 Minutes, and it is broadcast on television. The airing prompts murder charges against Kevorkian, rather than assisted suicide charges, because Kevorkian injected the drug into Youk, who had Lou Gehrig's disease. March 26, 1999 - Kevorkian is convicted of second degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance. He serves eight years of a 10 to 25 year sentence. November 4, 2008 - Washington's initiative, the Death with Dignity Act, is passed with 57.91% of voters in favor. March 5, 2009 - The Washington Death with Dignity Act goes into effect. December 31, 2009 - A Montana Supreme Court ruling in the case Baxter v. Montana asserts that the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act protects a physician who prescribes aid from liability. November 2012 - In Massachusetts, a death with dignity initiative appears on the November 2012 ballot. It is defeated by a slim margin with 51% voting against it. May 20, 2013 - Vermont signs the Patient Choice and Control at End of Life Act into law. January 13, 2014 - New Mexico Second Judicial District Judge Nan Nash rules in favor of an individual's right to die in the case Morris v. Brandenberg. In appeal by the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, the case is assigned to the New Mexico Court of Appeals/Supreme Court. The ruling remains in effect but only for Bernalillo County, according to the attorney general's office. November 1, 2014 - Brittany Maynard, a 29 year-old with terminal brain cancer, ends her life under Oregon's "Death with Dignity Act." She had moved to Oregon following her January 1, 2014 prognosis, in order to take advantage of the Death with Dignity law. There is no such law in her native California. She garnered a large following advocating for physician-assisted suicide laws via social media. | Legal in Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Bernalillo County in New Mexico.
The process of reporting applications and deaths varies by state.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws banning physician-assisted suicide do not violate the Constitution. |
53,086 | 96976dee3d9c2f60cca3ac7e780e1ddcbfa2f067 | By . Kerry Mcdermott and Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 12:00 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:39 EST, 29 November 2012 . Happier times: Douglas Quinn allegedly beat Elizabeth, seen here at a 2009 event, while they were on a trip to New York earlier this month . The home of the soccer boss who was arrested for allegedly beating up his wife was featured on a home makeover show where the lead decorator singled out issues in the couple’s bedroom. Douglas Quinn was arrested on November 10 when he was charged by the NYPD for allegedly attacking his wife Elizabeth and suffocating her until she passed out while they were on a weekend trip to Manhattan. The Quinns are based in Dallas, Texas and their mansion was featured on Bravo’s reality show ‘Million Dollar Decorator’ as host Kathryn Ireland attempted to redo her ‘friends’ home. Though it is unclear when exactly the episode that aired on Wednesday November 28 was shot, Ms Ireland introduces the project explaining: ‘They've just moved here and I totally helped them redo it’. Mr Quinn, who has two daughters, was hired by FC Dallas as the president and CEO of the club in 2010, so their recent move must have been within the city. Looking at the decorations, Ms Ireland likened the wood panelling to the scene of a fire, even though the true sparks flew when the couple went to New York to celebrate his 50th birthday and stayed at the Alex Hotel in midtown. More romantic: Ms Ireland put a map of Paris above their bed to remind them of their honeymoon . ‘In the master bedroom, my big objective . here was to paint out all of that terrible wood. Frankly to me it . looked like there'd been a fire. So we painted all of that out . immediately,’ Ms Ireland said in the show. A slideshow of photos shows how the decorator decided to paint over a good deal of the home’s dark wood panelling to give a lighter look. In one of the girl’s bedrooms, Ms Ireland used a canopy bed to create a whimsical feel. Bold entrance: The Dallas house features a wishing well right near the front door . When it came to personal touches for . the couple’s lovenest, she looked back at the couple’s romantic history . and put a map of Paris above their bed as it was the city where they . spent their honeymoon. ‘We found this great map and I think what drew both Liz and Doug to it was that it was Paris,’ Ms Ireland said in the segment. ‘They want to feel that they've been part of this journey with you. I'm so so happy with the way it's turned out.’ Even though the renovation of the home may be done, the same cannot be said for the couple’s legal problems, as the football club announced two weeks ago that Doug would be taking ‘an indefinite leave of absence from the club to attend to personal matters.’ The 6ft 5in boss was arrested on charges of assault and strangulation at around 4pm on the Saturday afternoon. Mrs Quinn, who was taken to New York Hospital and treated for injuries to her face, arm, legs and eye at the weekend, told the New York Post: 'We had a lovely night, and unfortunately things went wrong,' she said, adding that the couple - who have two children - plan to stay together. Police sources told the newspaper Quinn allegedly hit his wife repeatedly, choked her using both hands, before holding a pillow over her face until she passed out. Party: Quinn is accused of attacking his wife at the luxury Alex hotel in Manhattan on Saturday, where the couple were staying after the FC Dallas boss' 50th birthday party the night before . Quinn was arrested and later released on $20,000 bail following his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court. Lawyers representing the football boss said in a statement: 'In these cases, which are usually "he said, she said", there is often another side to the story, and there certainly is one here.' WATCH THE VIDEO HERE . | Hal Douglas Quinn allegedly attacked wife Elizabeth after an argument at the Alex Hotel in Manhattan on November 10 .
Quinn beat and choked his 46-year-old wife before holding a pillow over her face until she passed out, according to police sources .
The couple were staying in the city for the FC Dallas boss' 50th birthday party the night before the alleged attack .
Pretaped episode of reality show aired Wednesday featured their home . |
192,707 | 8574f81fd63000207943b2c910a0c49a834f8f0c | By . Eddie Wrenn . PUBLISHED: . 09:33 EST, 24 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:41 EST, 14 May 2012 . Witness: Tom Crowe, 18, told the court how the accused, Elliot Turner, 'practised strangling him' The son of a wealthy jeweller accused of strangling his girlfriend in bed had practised the technique on his friend just days earlier, a court heard today. Elliot Turner, 20, allegedly killed aspiring model Emily Longley, 17, in a jealous rage at his parents’ home before they allegedly helped him cover up the murder. Today his friend Tom Crowe, 18, told the court that days before the blonde teenager’s death, Turner practised strangling him so hard 'he started to panic'. He also said that before Emily was killed, Turner even claimed he had already murdered her by clubbing her round the head with a hammer. The jury has heard Turner became jealous because he suspected she had been having affairs during their four month relationship. Mr Crowe said: 'Elliot and me had gone to a local park and he was saying Emily had really done it this time and was seeing other blokes. 'He said: "How shall I do it Tom? How shall I kill her, mate?" 'He looked lively and was taking short paces. I said: "I wouldn’t know, I’m not a murderer." 'He was coming up with ideas about whether he should set her on fire with petrol in his bedroom or drown her. 'My reaction was to think: "Christ, you’re nuts. That’s insane". 'He also mentioned a drugs overdose or whether she would choke on her own vomit if she got really drunk. 'Then we were joking around and having some horse play when we started wrestling. 'I gave a demonstration of how wrestlers strangle each other on the TV show Smack Down but I couldn’t get my arm around his neck. 'He is very muscular, powerful and strong because he drinks protein shakes and goes to the gym. 'He took hold of me the same way and put a lot of pressure on my throat and I started to panic. 'I was struggling and said: "Can you get off". I held my breath and tapped him on the arm to let go. 'He stopped and we had a joke about it.' Victim: Emily Longley was 17 when she died, allegedly at the hands of boyfriend Elliot Turner . On trial: Elliot Turner is charged with the murder of girlfriend Emily Longley . Accused: Leigh Turner, 53, and his wife Anita are charged with obstructing the course of justice . Emily, a student from Auckland, was found dead in Turner’s bed at the house in Bournemouth, Dorset, on May 7 last year. Winchester Crown Court heard Turner 'flipped out' and killed her during a drunken argument. Jurors were told he had become increasingly suspicious and jealous during their relationship. Emily changed her Facebook profile picture from one of them together during a three-week holiday to New Zealand in April. He . then allegedly left a message on a friend’s voicemail saying: 'She . changed it to her flirting with some other lads and made me look like a . knob.' Mr Crowe referred to Turner and their group of social friends as ‘The Firm'. He added that on April 30 Turner told friends he had battered Emily six or seven times in the head with a hammer and killed her. He . said: 'Elliot said he found out Emily was going to a nightclub on a . date with another boy, Louis Powell, by looking through her Facebook and . phone messages. 'We drove . to Klute mightclub in Bournemouth and on the way he was very angry and . aggressive, banging the steering wheel and speeding. 'He had a hammer and said he was going to batter her and the boy to death with it. 'He put the hammer in his trousers and went in the club while I waited in his car.' On the beach: Emily spent long periods of her life in New Zealand . Pictured together: Elliot Turner and Emily Longley, pictured in the days before her death . Crowe said: 'After three hours he came out and he was in tears and said he had done something awful. 'He said he had hit her six or seven times with the hammer and killed her. 'He was very convincing, I was in shock. He said he was going to hand himself in to police. 'We then picked up our friend and he told him the same story. 'But then he said: "only joking" and he stopped crying and was cheerful, jumping up and down. 'I was really annoyed with him because I thought he had actually killed her and had led me on.' Investigation: Emily was found dead at Elliot Turner's £300,000 family home . The . court heard Turner later threatened to kill the blonde teenager with a . lump hammer and boasted to her 'I will go to prison for it and still be a . millionaire when I come out.' After . the murder Turner is said to have written a letter of confession but it . was ruined with bleach by his father, Leigh Turner, 54 to 'destroy . vital evidence.' Turner was arrested following her death but then released on bail. Jurors . heard a police bug of the £350,000 Turner home in the affluent Queens . Park area recorded the family talking about 'fabricating evidence and . being worried about lying to police.' Family loss: Emily with her mother Caroline Longley . Flowers were left at the scene following the death of Emily Longley, pictured on a night out . Strangled: Emily Longley who was allegedly killed after Elliot Turner, 20, became suspicious that she was having affairs . The . court was told that after the death, Turner’s mother, Anita, 51, . removed from the house a coat her son had worn on the night aspiring . model Emily’s death. Police . scans of computers seized from the home found Google searches for . ‘death by strangulation’ and ‘how to get out of being charged for . murder.’ Officers made a . series of recordings at the Turners’ home between May 18 and June 14 . last year. They then arrested the three family members and charged them . in July. The court heard . pathologists who examined Emily’s body found injuries consistent with . asphyxiation, Turner had scratches on his arm and Emily had his DNA . under her fingertips. Emily was born in Britain but her family emigrated to New Zealand when she was nine and she was raised in Auckland. She . had returned to live with her grandparents in Bournemouth, to study for . a business national diploma at Brockenhurst College, Hants, and worked . part-time at Top Shop in Bournemouth. She was also signed up to a modelling agency and had appeared on the front page of a magazine in New Zealand. Elliot Turner denies murder and perverting the course of justice. His parents both deny perverting the course of justice. The trial continues. | Elliot Turner, 20, 'pretended he had killed girlfriend Emily Longley with a hammer on a night out' a few weeks before her death .
He also 'considered setting her on fire, drowning her, or simulating an overdose'
Friend 'began to panic when Elliot throttled him while imitating a wrestling move'
Turner's parents accused of destroying vital evidence following the death . |
196,435 | 8a3a385d895acb6552a8a58aadc339feeb7c0983 | Radio DJ Neil 'Dr' Fox was arrested at his studio in London today over claims that he sexually assaulted two women. The former Pop Idol judge was held on suspicion of four alleged offences just moments after he finished presenting his breakfast show on Magic FM. The married father-of-three was taken to a central London police station where he was questioned for more than seven hours. Scroll down for video . Radio DJ Neil 'Dr' Fox was arrested at the studios of Magic FM in Soho, London, just moments after he finished presenting his breakfast show this morning. He was being questioned at a central London police station . The broadcaster has been married to wife Vicky, pictured together in 2012 (left) and last year, since 1999. He is being questioned over alleged historical sex offences against two women, according to police . Fox (far right) is perhaps best known as one of the judges on Pop Idol alongside Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman. He has also presented a Channel 5 show based on the Top 40 Chart . Scotland Yard said three of the claims were 'historical' while a fourth is alleged to have taken place earlier this year. He has now been bailed, pending further police inquiries. The 53-year-old, who has been married to wife Vicky since 1999, has presented Magic FM's breakfast show for nine years. He was arrested by Westminster Police in front of colleagues at the station's studios in Soho, London, shortly after coming off air this morning. Bauer Media, which owns Magic FM, confirmed the arrest in a statement and said his show would be off air for the foreseeable future while the claims are dealt with. It said: 'Bauer Media can confirm that Neil Fox, presenter of the Magic Radio breakfast show, was today arrested by Westminster Police. He is currently being questioned about various allegations. 'In the circumstances Neil will be off air from tomorrow to enable him to devote his full attention to dealing with these matters. All other aspects of his contract will remain unchanged while matters are resolved. We can make no further comment at this stage.' Earlier this month Neil Fox hosted Magic FM's London's Biggest Breakfast which was attended by Mayor Boris Johnson, who hosted a breakfast club at the event. He joined the commercial radio station in 2005 . A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard did not name the broadcaster, but said officers had searched addresses in Fulham, west London and in the area of Littlehampton, West Sussex. The probe is the latest in a long line of high-profile and sensitive inquiries into the conduct of ageing celebrities up to 40 years ago. But his arrest is not part of high profile sex crime investigation Operation Yewtree, which was set up in the wake of revelations about BBC presenter Jimmy Savile. A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: 'Officers from Westminster this morning arrested a 53-year-old man following allegations of historical sexual assault relating to two women. Mr Fox, pictured left in 2011, who is known by nicknames 'Doctor Fox' and 'Foxy', started his career in local radio. Right: With Pamela Anderson at the National Television Awards in 2002, where Pop Idol won . 'Three of these are described as historic, though we have no time frame on them, and one allegation is from earlier this year. 'The man was arrested at a business address in central London and taken to a central London police station. 'He has now been bailed, pending further inquiries, to return in early December. 'Officers today searched two addresses, one in Fulham, and another in the Littlehampton area of West Sussex.' Mr Fox, who is known by nicknames 'Doctor Fox' and 'Foxy, started his career in local radio before moving the Radio Luxembourg and later Capital FM. There he presented in a number of slots, rising to fame as a DJ in the early 1990s. In 1993 he was given the job of hosting the Pepsi Network Chart on Sunday afternoon. The Top 40 show soared in popularity and at one time had a bigger audience than its Radio 1 rival. He was later rumoured to have been offered the coveted breakfast slot on Radio 1, following the departure of Chris Evans. Fox went on to present a Channel 5 TV show based around the Pepsi Top 40 Chart and has won numerous awards throughout his career. But he is perhaps best known as one of the judges on Pop Idol, a forerunner of X Factor, alongside Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman. The series ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003 and set the format of TV talent shows based on audience voting for the next decade. Two years later Fox took the breakfast show chair on 105.4 Magic FM and has remained there ever since. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The married 53-year-old was arrested at Magic FM studios in Soho, London .
He was questioned by police over alleged offences against two women .
Three claims were 'historical' and one alleged to have taken place this year .
Police searched addresses in Fulham, west London, and West Sussex .
Mr Fox's Magic FM breakfast show will be off air for the foreseeable future .
He is known as a judge on Pop Idol with Simon Cowell and Pete Waterman . |
209,709 | 9b940e7afd9893c89bcccdbf33d4a85ae6055004 | Guatemala's new anti-impunity commissioner, Ivan Velasquez, arrived to the Central American nation in October with an ambitious agenda, promising to probe links between drug traffickers and political parties. "We're going to investigate if organized crime has permeated political campaigns with their financing," he told CNN en Español in an exclusive interview. The announcement sent shock waves across a country that faces one of the highest murder rates in Latin America. Widespread institutional corruption and societal violence related to drug trafficking continue to be a concern, according to a recent U.S. State Department report. Previous commissioners have had successes exposing networks that colluded with the government. But Velasquez envisions an investigation that could expose the very apparatuses of criminal activity leaving no stone unturned. For Velasquez, it's a question of transparency. "We need to consolidate the activities of political parties so in return they can be more coherent, stronger and permanent," he said. The 58-year-old Colombian magistrate was tapped in September by the United Nations to take the helm of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, a special independent body of prosecutors known by its Spanish acronym CICIG. A special treaty-level agreement between Guatemala and the U.N. signed in 2006, gives the commission special power to investigate a limited number of sensitive cases. Investigating political parties is sure to ruffle feathers, but it's something Velasquez done before. And he's asking Guatemalans to take part. "In this investigation in particular we need the biggest citizen involvement possible," Velasquez said. "We will vet all of the information they are willing to give us." From Colombia to Central America . Velasquez rose through the judicial ranks exploring the links between congressmen and paramilitary groups in Colombia in the 2000s. This ended with several members of Colombian congress behind bars. During its worst period, Colombia overrun by organized crime before order was restored, Velasquez said. Guatemala can still prevent falling into those same depths that other countries have faced. "By what I have seen in Guatemala over the course of these last two months, we're in the beginning stages," he said. Guatemalan Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz is confident the commissioner's experience in Colombia will allow him to tackle such high-caliber investigations. After all, Paz said, "there are similarities in how organized crime has permeated different sectors of society both within and outside of the state apparatus." According to international observers, Paz's leadership of the public ministry in conjunction with the commission has been instrumental in quashing organized crime gangs. For Eduardo Stein, a former Guatemalan vice president who was one of the key negotiators to bring the CICIG to Guatemala, it could be a determining moment for this nation's democracy. "This is emblematic. Finally, we could have some sort if transparency in how we do politics in this country," Stein said. But other segments of society, including President Otto Perez Molina himself, appear less supportive of Velasquez's quest. Velasquez "doesn't have enough time" to investigate political parties and should only focus on finishing the commission's mandate, Perez told local media. Perez's office did not return CNN's multiple requests for comment. In the past, CICIG has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases, including the death of lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg, which nearly brought down the government of former President Alvaro Colom. Rosenberg had taped a video claiming that if he was killed it had been at the hands of the president. The commission's investigation revealed it was Rosenberg who had order the hit on his own life. The members of the hired eight-person gang were later convicted for the murder. Its long-term mission, however, is strengthening state institutions before the commission leaves in Guatemala, expected in 2015. The commission's mandate could also be renewed. But, since its inception, some Guatemalan legislators and other officials have lobbied unsuccessfully to have the U.N.-backed entity expelled. Velasquez isn't going quietly into the night over a little hostility. "Just because some segment of society opposes the investigation, it doesn't mean it will fail or be truncated," he said. Testing democracy . Despite the opposition that CICIG faces, however, there are many observers at home and abroad who support its mandate. An investigation into the nexus between political parties and organized crime has been a long way coming for both the CICIG and Guatemala, said Anita Isaacs, a longtime Guatemala scholar and professor of political science at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. "It's the next step that had to be taken," Isaacs said. "The landscape in Guatemala has shifted ever so slightly. It's been biting at the edges and it's finally gotten to the core." Prior to the commission's creation, Guatemala had a 97& impunity rate. Only 3 percent of homicides ended in a conviction. CICIG oversaw the hiring of hundreds of new prosecutors, the creation of new units and the purging of the country's public ministry. Under Paz's tenure, the attorney general's office slashed the impunity rate by more than a quarter. In a recent report of the public ministry's results for 2013, Paz's office convicted a record 7,122 people in 2013—an increase of 20 percent as compared to 5,941 in 2012. Michael Frulhling, Swedish ambassador to Guatemala, says the future lies in the hands of Guatemalans themselves. Sweden has donated more than $25 million to the commission. "In the end," he says, "the fight against impunity completely depends on the country's authorities." | Ivan Velasquez is the new commissioner for a U.N.-backed anti-impunity commission .
He vows to go after ties between drug traffickers and political parties .
Velasquez did the same as a judge in Colombia .
His work makes some officials uncomfortable . |
173,244 | 6c344dc9086fe818a91fe6753b45bbee94d746c0 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A distraught, sobbing Afghan Taliban member begged the court for mercy, but got none as an unmoved federal judge here Monday handed down maximum life sentences for convictions on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges. A guard watches over a pile of burning drugs in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2008. Khan Mohammed, 38, of Nangarhar Province became the first person convicted and sentenced in the United States under a 2006 law that increased the penalty for a defendant found to be involved with terrorism and distributing illegal drugs. Mohammed, who had been extradited from Afghanistan, was convicted by a jury in May of plotting a rocket attack on U.S. military forces and Afghan civilians at Jalalabad Airfield. He also was found guilty of distributing between $1 million and $3 million worth of heroin into the United States "to kill Americans as part of a jihad." Mohammed's court-appointed lawyer, conceding that "what he did was wrong," urged U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to be lenient and sentence his client to only 20 years in prison. Then the full-bearded Mohammed, dressed in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit, addressed the judge. With tears streaming down his face, and choking back his words, he begged for only one or two years. "I have little children and a woman. They depend on me," Mohammed began. "I'm so worried about them." His lengthy emotional appeal went on to include his reason for selling opium. "In my village that's how you have to make a living. There is no house there without opium," he said. Justice Department prosecutor Matthew Stiglitz, however, urged the court to "send a message of deterrence," and warned against "the confluence of drug trafficking and terrorism." "No, he's not the Osama bin Laden of terrorism. No, he's not the Pablo Escobar of the drug world," Stiglitz told the judge. "But this is where the rubber meets the road." Bin Laden is the head of al Qaeda, while Escobar, who died in 1993, was the most powerful of Colombian drug lords. "Afghanistan is ground zero for opium, and an almost limitless source of funds to the Taliban," he argued. Kollar-Kotelly agreed fully with the prosecutors, and strongly admonished the Taliban defendant. "You were convicted 99 percent by your own words," the judge declared, as she recalled how a "courageous" Afghan police chief wore an undercover wire to record Mohammed's plotting. "The fact that no one died is only because you didn't get the missiles you wanted," she said. "In 2006, you celebrated the Americans' use of the opium. It was a jihad. You knew the damage it could cause," the judge continued. "Because of your undiluted hatred for the United States, you might well have launched other attacks had you not been arrested." She added, "Terrorists stand unique among criminals. Deterrence is very important here." Then, concluding dramatically, the judge turned directly to the defendant. "I heard your concerns for your family but no acceptance of responsibility for your action," the judge said. "Defendants often express worry for their families, but if they considered the consequences of their actions beforehand, maybe they would have acted differently." | Khan Mohammed convicted of plotting rocket attack, selling heroin .
Mohammed the first convicted under law increasing penalties for "narco-terrorists"
Citing his family, Mohammed cries and pleads with judge to have mercy .
Judge says Mohammed had "undiluted hatred for the United States" |
274,543 | efa06771b4ac81f5c5a326d5b912815d514254da | A property tycoon shot at the wheel of his Rolls Royce by a cyclist was waiting in the car to sign a $5 million deal. Philanthropist Kameron Segal, 48, was hit in the face and chest in a parking lot on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, on Friday night just before leaving to meet his business partner. According to police the suspect, who is on the run, approached the driver's side window, pulled out the gun and fired twice. The victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in critical condition but is expected to survive. Closing a deal: Kameron Segal, 48, was about to close a $5 million deal when he was shot on Friday. Scene: Segal was shot in the face and chest in a parking lot on Sunset Boulevard as before leaving to meet his business partner on Friday night . The LAPD have now launched a manhunt for the shooter who was last seen by witnesses on a on a bike wearing a baseball cap and carrying a ruck sack. According to KTLA, witnesses saw the suspect fleeing on a bike after the shots were fired. Authorities believe he is a black man in his late 30s to early 40s, is said to be around six feet tall and was last seen wearing a baseball cap and carrying a ruck sack. Aerial footage of the scene showed fire engines and patrol cars surrounding the vehicle which has suicide doors - where the hinges are at the rear rather than the front. Mr Segal is the CEO of Williams Holdings property and acquisitions, one of the largest apartment complex owners in LA. He was interviewed by News 11 in 2013 after he installed solar panels on buildings throughout the city. In December 2013 he surprised a homeless woman who had lost her job by giving her an apartment for Christmas. A man matching the description of the suspect was taken into custody nearby but was later released. On the scene: Segal (pictured left in a photo shoot and right at a party) is prominent on LA's party scene . Injuries: The 48-year-old philanthropist and property tycoon (pictured in 2013) was then taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is expected to survive . The LAPD have now launched a manhunt for the shooter who was last seen wearing a baseball cap and carrying a ruck sack as he fled the scene . Businessman: Mr Segal is the CEO of Williams Holdings property and acquisitions, one of the largest apartment complex owners in Los Angeles. He was interviewed by 11 News about solar panels in 2013 . Philanthriopist: In 2013 Mr Segal surprised a homeless woman who had lost her job by giving her an apartment . Gathering: He is pictured (center) celebrating with a group of friends in May 2012 . | Kameron Segal was hit twice while in a parking lot on Sunset Boulevard .
He was minutes away from signing a $5 million deal, it has emerged .
Cyclist approached the driver's side window and fired twice .
The 48-year-old victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center .
Authorities said he is expected to survive, but the suspect is on the run .
Mr Segal is the CEO of property management firm Williams Holdings . |
193,657 | 86b1207fc9103f37fbbca5407935a2b8bd256e1d | (CNN) -- International cricketer Steven Davies has received the support of his England colleagues and team bosses after becoming the sport's first active professional player to announce that he is gay. Davies, a wicketkeeper-batsman with the county Surrey who has played in 13 limited-overs internationals for England, made his revelations in a newspaper interview with The Daily Telegraph published on Monday. "I feel now is the right time to be open about my sexuality. Those close to me have known for a while and have been nothing but supportive and understanding," he told the England Wales and Cricket Board website. "I'd like to thank Surrey and the ECB, as well as the England players and coaching staff. They have all offered me their full backing from the moment I told them. "My focus now is to play the best cricket I can for Surrey and get back into the England side. I am still the same person and I want to be remembered as a good cricketer, not a gay cricketer." The 24-year-old was not selected for the World Cup being played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but told coach Andy Flower about his sexuality before the tournament started this month. "This is something Steve chose to discuss with myself and the squad some time ago. I would like to make it very clear that Steve is first and foremost a very talented cricketer and a valued member of the England set-up," Flower said on the ECB website, which also featured a statement from its managing director Hugh Morris. Flower added: "His private life is his own concern and has absolutely no bearing on his ability to excel at the very highest level in international sport and I have no doubt that he will continue to work hard to regain a place in the England squad. "Steve has had and will continue to have the full respect and support of the entire squad and everyone involved in England cricket." It is rare for sportspeople to make revelations about their sexuality while still playing, and the closest precedent in cricket was Alan Hansford, a player with English county Sussex who admitted he was gay after retiring in 1992. Davies told The Daily Telegraph that he had been inspired by the example of Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas, who revealed his homosexuality two years ago. "It just showed me it can be done. He was brave enough to stand up and say who he was," Davies said. "It was a very courageous thing to do, so if I can help anyone else like he helped me, then that would be great." Former England international Vikram Solanki, now chairman of his country's Professional Cricketers' Association, said Davies' sexuality was no secret within the cricket community. "Many of those he plays with and against have known about this for some time, and none of them regard it as anything other than an entirely personal matter," Solanki said. Davies also received the backing of openly gay British actor, writer and television presenter Stephen Fry. "Brave, charming, modest and inspiring. No big deal yet of course a huge deal. Top man Steven Davies," Fry wrote on social networking website Twitter. Meanwhile, the West Indies thrashed the Netherlands by 215 runs at the 2011 World Cup in New Delhi on Monday. The two-time champions bounced back from last week's defeat by South Africa to get off the mark in Group B, posting a total of 330-8 in 50 overs as Chris Gayle top-scored with 80 and Kieron Pollard smashed 60 off only 27 balls faced. Pollard scored the third quickest half-century in the tournament's history. Teammate Kemar Roach then became only the sixth bowler to take a hat-trick at a World Cup when he polished off the Dutch line-up with three successive wickets to end with figures of 6-27 in an innings of just 115. It was a disappointing day for the beaten team, who last week scored 292 before losing against England. | English cricketer Steven Davies makes public announcement about his sexuality .
The 24-year-old is the sport's first active professional player to do so .
He said he was inspired by the example of gay Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas .
Kemar Roach takes hat-trick as West Indies beat Netherlands by 215 runs at World Cup . |
281,398 | f881f9c0813d1c026ac0cdae54fcb34b539a7296 | Forty years ago this week, the nation was captivated by one of the most horrendous crimes in living memory. An unprovoked frenzied axe attack by a total stranger on a ten-year-old as she walked home from school. And as police launched one of the biggest manhunt in South Wales Police history and detectives chased down leads on the appalling crime, only one thing seemed certain: that little Paula Hughes would never leave a normal, happy life - if she survived at all. But Paula has made a remarkable recovery, defying the negligible odds she was given by medics in the wake of the shocking attack. Not only did she go on to regain movement and speech following pioneering treatment in the U.S, but she also went on to have two children - and has now welcomed her first grandson into her life. Scroll down for video . Recovery: Paula Hughes (pictured right with her mother Gennifer Hughes) was left for dead after being attacked by an axe-wielding thug as she walked home from school in Caerphilly in 1975 . Left for dead: The young girl (pictured left before the attack and right afterwards) was hit over the head 15 times during the brutal incident . Paula, now 50, said: 'I didn't think I would ever be normal but if it was not for the programme I don't know what I would have been like.' She added: 'I was just going home from school and I went to the shortcut - that was the railway track - and for no reason somebody hit me over the head with an axe. 'Now I have got Robert, who is 15 now and Emily, 18, and she is a mother as well. I'm now a nan to Baby David. He's rather funny.' Smiling as she sits next to her mother, the sight is a far cry from what the family expected when surgeons told her mother Gennifer to 'forget her daughter' and leave her to die in hospital. Medics had told Gennifer that her ten-year-old had barely any chance of survival and would be unable to walk or talk if she did make it through. Her mother said: 'I just can't believe how it has all turned out, I never imagined that I would be a grandmother, never mind a great-grandmother. 'At this point in my life, I am so very happy. We have had our problems along the way, but I am so very glad I didn't listen to the surgeon who told me to just leave her.' The attack, which sent shockwaves through the community, took place on February 13, 1975. Desperate to get home after the school bell rang at Cwm Ifor Junior School for the day, Paula had thrown on her backpack and began walking back to her home in Caerphilly, as she did every day. But, as she took a shortcut along the railway embankment, she was struck over the head by the mystery attacker, who split open her skull in one of 15 excruciating blows. Evidence: Paula sits on her mother Gennifer's lap as she talks to Chief Inspector Harry Sambrook about what happened . Manhunt: The attack, which sent shockwaves through the community, sparked one of the biggest manhunts ever carried out by South Wales Police but the attacker disappeared . Detectives search the area where Paula was attacked for clues. The incident took place on February 13, 1975 . So desperate were Paula's attempt to shield herself from the man's menacing attack that her left hand was almost severed as she tried to protect her head. In hospital, surgeons removed a piece of brain tissue the size of an egg. But, despite the work carried out by medics, they warned Paula's devastated family that, if she even survived to the end of the week, she would never walk or talk again. For her mother Gennifer, who lives with Paula and her family in Gwent, the memory of what happened is as clear as if it were yesterday. 'The cat was ill, so I was planning on taking her to the vet after work,' said Gennifer, 69. 'I had told Paula that, if she was not home in time, I would go on to the vet so as I didn't miss them before closing. 'She wasn't there, so I left her a note saying that she should stay at home until I got back. I remember clearly that the weather was dreadful and I thought twice about going, but the cat really needed to see the vet.' When Gennifer got back, she found her neighbour at home, who was 'white as a sheet'. Re-enactment: Police re-enacted the attack on Paula alongside the Rhymney Valley railway line, Caerphilly . The young girl leaves her home with her mother Gennifer to meet a police car, which was waiting to take her to the re-enactment of the attack . Return: Despite her ordeal, Paula returned to the same spot where she had been attacked 12 months later to help police re-enact the scene, in the hope of finding the mystery man . Probe: Detective Constable Wendy Parry retraces the steps taken by Paula on the day of the fateful attack. Paula's friend Jacqueline Williams (pictured front) also walked with the officer . 'I remember thinking it was strange because the neighbour had red hair and a red face, but he was white as a sheet,' she said. 'He followed me into the house and I saw immediately that Paula's coat and shoes were not where she usually left them and the note hadn't been touched. I knew immediately something bad had happened and they took me straight to the hospital, but I still didn't know how bad it was.' When Gennifer got to the hospital, Paula's father broke the devastating news. 'He told me she had been hit 15 times with an axe - 15 times,' says Gennifer. 'I don't know how I managed to stay upright. That was the biggest shock of all and then I wasn't able to see her because she was in surgery. 'When we finally got to see her, she was all bandaged up and her eyes were almost closed. There was blood on her legs because they had been so focused on the surgery they had not had time to clean her up. None of it felt very real, it was like waking up in a nightmare.' Glyn Davies (left) came to Paula's rescue following the brutal attack, after finding her in a ditch near the railway line. Police hunting the attacker issued a photofit of the suspect (right) Fear: Parents who would usually let their children walk home alone from Cwm Ifor Junior School arrive at the school to the collect them following the attack . 'They told me that if she survived the next three days, she would never walk or talk again. 'One doctor told me to go away, leave Paula with them and to forget about her. He said I was young enough to have another family, but there was no way I was going to leave my daughter there.' Despite advances in forensic science, the brazen attacker has never been caught. Cruelly, heavy rain washed the evidence away and they have never been found. But the mystery over the attacker's identity became secondary to the remarkable recovery story which was to follow. Family: Paula's children Emily, now 18, and Robert, now 15, (left) and her grandson David, 16 months . Surgeons at Cardiff Royal Infirmary tried to explain to Paula's parents how badly injured she was. 'At the end of the day, they were not giving us much hope, and said that she was likely to be a vegetable because her brain injury was so severe,' recalls Gennifer. Gennifer refused to believe the doctors and took her daughter to America for pioneering assessment at the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential. With financial help from friends, Paula endured six years of physical and mental exercises, which lasted 14 hours a day. When they started the treatment, Paula was in a wheelchair, unable to feed herself. By the end, she was able to hold down a job in an electronics factory. Paula's health continued to go from strength to strength. She soon met John and together they had children Emily, now 18, and Robert, 15. Then, 16 months ago, Emily gave birth to David - her first grandchild. David's birth, which made Gennifer a great-grandmother, was yet another chapter in Paula's story which the family never thought they would see. Gennifer said: 'They get embarrassed when I say it, but I am so, so proud of them all. 'When Paula was pregnant first time, I didn't tell anyone, but I really hoped that she would have a girl because I could get to see a little girl grow up the way they should.' | Paula Hughes was attacked in Caerphilly as she walked home from school .
She was left brain damaged and doctors said she would never walk or talk .
But she made a remarkable recovery after being taken to U.S for treatment .
She went on to regain movement, speech and had a son and a daughter .
Ms Hughes has now watched her first grandson David take his first steps .
Her mother Gennifer said: 'I am so very glad I didn't listen to the surgeon' |
23,286 | 421c1bd03e20add53b312ada9aff9f994c375745 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 09:30 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:49 EST, 16 October 2013 . A bride and groom arrived home on their wedding night to find seven of their dogs worth £10,000 had been stolen. Dog breeder Diane Cross discovered all of the doors to her kennels had been broken open after she arrived at her home in Rishton, Lancashire. Thieves had stolen her four miniature schnauzers, a toy poodle and two dachshunds during the raid. Newlyweds: Diane and Ronnie Cross arrived home from their wedding to find seven of her 10 dogs had been stolen . Fears: Greyhound trainer Mrs Cross is fearing for the safety of the dogs . Stolen: These three-month-old dachshund puppies were stolen in the raid along with four miniature schnauzers and a toy poodle . Greyhound trainer Mrs Cross is now fearing for the safety of the dogs - particularly her two pregnant schnauzers. Mrs Cross and her husband Ronnie arrived home from their wedding at 11.45pm to find only three of their ten dogs had been left behind. Mrs Cross, 49, said: 'We came back in the car and Ronnie wanted to get me as close to the back door as possible so I wouldn’t ruin my dress. 'But as he opened the gate and the car lights shone on to the kennels, I could see the doors had all been forced open and three of the dogs were running loose. 'The thieves had taken seven of the dogs out from the kennels, round the back and across the field.' The bride, who was one of the first in the country to successfully breed the ‘snoodle’ - a cross between a poodle and a miniature schnauzer - had to quickly change out of her wedding dress to catch the remaining three dogs. Discovery: Mrs Cross and her husband Ronnie arrived home from their wedding to find only three of their ten dogs had been left behind . Kennels: The newlyweds discovered all of the doors to her kennels had been forced open after they arrived home . She said: 'I had just got married and this wasn’t the way I wanted to spend my wedding night. 'I have been a breeder for 25 years and I have never had any trouble, I’ve certainly never had a dog stolen. 'I worry how they are, as they won’t know who they’re with and they will sense each other’s fear. 'I just hope they are being treated well. I have been having nightmares and I can see the thieves grabbing the dogs in my sleep. I keep trying to rescue them, but I’m not able to.' The mother-of-one believes the theft was . planned and the dogs were likely to have been taken by someone who . knows the family’s routine. Last dog left: Mrs Cross has given away two of her remaining dogs since the break-in, leaving her with just one 15-month-old schnauzer, called Gabby (pictured) She said: 'It had to be someone who knew we were out. 'We left here at 3pm and were out for the rest of the day, and we were hardly going to come back home as we were getting married. 'They came wanting the dogs. They only wanted to get into the kennels, as the house wasn’t touched. 'I just hope they are being treated well. I have been having nightmares and I can see the thieves grabbing the dogs in my sleep' - Diane Cross . 'It’s an isolated house and they would have known they wouldn’t be seen.' The thieves also vandalised a white Transit van and left behind two gloves, one leather and one plastic, inside the kennel. PC Johanna Maden, from Rishton’s neighbourhood policing team, appealed for information about the incident, which happened between 3pm and 11.45pm on Saturday, September 21. She said: 'The RSPCA has also been notified and is checking all the pet sales websites. 'It should be noted that two of the female schnauzers are pregnant. The owners of these dogs have been left devastated and we want to do all we can to reunite them with their pets.' Mrs Cross hopes someone may know where her dogs are, and can help get them back to her before the two female dogs are due to give birth to up to 12 puppies between them. Theft: Mrs Cross said she believed the theft was planned and had been carried out by someone who knew the family's routine . 'How can seven fully-grown dogs just disappear?' she said. 'The two pregnant schnauzers are likely to be showing now and need to get to the vets. I worry that whoever has them will panic when they realise they are expecting puppies. 'One has had puppies before, so she might be alright, but the other one is likely to have difficulties without any help as this is her first litter. 'I’m just praying someone may know where they are.' Since the break-in, Mrs Cross has given away two of her remaining dogs, leaving her with just one 15-month-old schnauzer, called Gabby. 'I have brought her in the house so she’s not on her own,' Mrs Cross added. 'She’s howling and ever so terrified. You can see that she’s missing the other dogs desperately and probably remembers what happened that night. 'I have never felt so unsafe in my own home. I feel violated.' | Diane and Ronnie Cross discovered kennel doors broken after wedding .
Seven of the ten dogs had been stolen in the raid in Rishton, Lancashire .
Mrs Cross is fearing for safety of the dogs especially as two are pregnant . |
73,569 | d094ae3280e4a95836a637df0c9fca497c946313 | (Mashable) -- After retiring the floppy disk in March, Sony has halted the manufacture and distribution of another now-obsolete technology: the cassette Walkman, the first low-cost, portable music player. The final batch was shipped to Japanese retailers in April, according to IT Media. Once these units are sold, new cassette Walkmans will no longer be available through the manufacturer. The first generation Walkman (which was called the Soundabout in the U.S., and the Stowaway in the UK) was released on July 1, 1979 in Japan. Although it later became a huge success, it only sold 3,000 units in its first month. Sony managed to sell some 200 million iterations of the cassette Walkman over the product line's 30-year career. Mashable.com: Sony retires the floppy disk . Somewhat ironically, the announcement was delivered just one day ahead of the iPod's ninth anniversary on October 23, although the decline of the cassette Walkman is attributed primarily to the explosive popularity of CD players in the '90s, not the iPod. © 2013 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | The cassette Walkman was the first low-cost, portable music player .
Final batch was shipped to Japanese retailers in April .
First generation Walkman was released on July 1, 1979 in Japan .
Announcement delivered just one day ahead of the iPod's ninth anniversary . |
157,285 | 575b59b0eb3e784a3a41bf9f01f094adfc1ed87a | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 07:27 EST, 8 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:52 EST, 8 January 2013 . She is one of the world's most iconic boats which for almost 40 years travelled the world's seas. But following retirement in 2008, the much-loved Queen Elizabeth 2, known as the QE2, is now under threat of being broken up and sold for scrap. However, an ambitious multi-million pound scheme has now emerged to save the boat by permanently moving it to London and opening it as a plush hotel on the River Thames. The vessel is currently based in Dubai and its owners are said to be in talks with China about stripping it for scrap metal. But it is hoped that this can be prevented by moving the ship to London and transforming it into a luxury hotel. Ambitious: A multi-million pound scheme has now emerged to save the QE2 by permanently moving it to London and opening it as a plush hotel on the River Thames. This image shows how the boat, bottom right, could look . Base: She would be stationed at Carlsberg Wharf, opposite the O2 Arena, in London . She would be stationed at Carlsberg . Wharf - opposite the O2 Arena, and near the Emirates Cable Car, Excel . Conference Centre, and Canary Wharf. If . approved, the ambitious multi-million pound scheme would save the . retired ship from the threat of being broken up and sold for scrap. The Mayor of London's office have been informed of the plans and Government ministers have been urged to back them. Shipping expert Martin Cox, who runs the website Maritime Matters, said a reception building and walkway would be built on the riverside. Position: The boat would be located on the opposite side of this bank . Arrival: The Queen Elizabeth 2 is escorted by the UAE coast guard as she arrives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates following her retirement in 2008 . And the five star development could even house a decommissioned Concorde aeroplane. He . said: 'Recent correspondence with the Mayor of London's office and . other related UK sources illuminated a fully realised vision for QE2's . next era on the River Thames. 'Phase . One would see the whole area of Carlsberg Wharf demolished, replacing . it with parking, a reception building and a walkway to the ship. 'Phase Two would include the construction of additional commercial visitor attraction buildings, and possibly incorporate the supersonic Concorde plane. 'Of the original passenger accommodation, it is intended to use the 330 first class cabins and 250 of the larger tourist cabins for the hotel.' The QE2 spent 39 years carrying passengers around the world in luxury after she was launched by cruise firm Cunard in 1969. The QE2 was launched at the yard of John Brown in Clydebank, Scotland, pictured, in 1967 . She left her home port of Southampton for the last time in November 2008, sailing to Dubai.She was due to open as an international tourist attraction but development stalled as the global recession took hold and she has not moved since. The ship's Dubai owners are now said to be in talks with China about stripping it for scrap metal. Former owner Cunard has cast doubt on the reports - but fans of the legendary liner fear for her future. Almost 1,000 people have already signed an official e-petition urging the Government to support the 'QE2 London' project. It would be an expensive operation because the QE2 is unlikely to be able to make the voyage from Dubai under her own power after a long lay-up. QE2 would be loaded with enough ballast to sit on the tidal river bed and open as a five-star hotel with tours for the public. The QE2 was initially designed as a transatlantic service between her home port of Southampton and New York. Operated by Cunard, she began an almost 40 year career in 1969 and served as the flagship of the line until succeeded by RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004. During her years of service, the QE2 undertook regular world cruises and was known as being the height of glamour. Historic: Queen Elizabeth II questions one of the experts as she tours the kitchens during a visit to the QE2 at Southampton on the eve of the liner's maiden trans-Atlantic voyage to New York in 1969 . Originally featuring three classes of service, the ship appealed to stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and also captured the imagination of those less affluent,who were blocked by stairways and elevators from entering first-class spaces even for a peek. Passengers dressed for dinner in formal gowns and tuxedos and top-name show-biz stars entertained. In May 1982 she even took part in the Falklands War, carrying 3000 troops and 650 volunteer crews. This involved her being refitted with three helicopter pads, dormitories and fuel pipes to allow for refuelling at sea. Incredibly, more than 650 Cunard crew members volunteered for the voyage to transport the members of the Fifth Infantry Brigade. The vessel returned to the UK in June 1982 and was greeted in Southampton by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. | She would be stationed opposite the O2 Arena in London .
Government ministers have been urged to back the plans . |
249,054 | ce48914cb9d33850474fdce99b7493f38801eb2e | By . James Rush . A leafy Surrey borough, dubbed the Beverly Hills of Britain, has been named as home to the highest income taxpayers in Britain for the second year running. Sports stars and celebrities including Andy Murray and Sir Elton John are among the residents of Elmbridge, where HM Revenue and Customs collected more than £1.2billion in income tax in the 2011-12 tax year - more than a hundred times the £11.6million in corporation tax Google paid in 2012. Those living in the district paid an average of £16,600 - a rise of more than 3 per cent on the previous year. Andy Murray (pictured, left, with his girlfriend Kim Sears) is among the residents of Elmbridge, Surrey, where the highest amount of income tax is paid in the UK. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood (right) is another resident of Elmbridge, known as The Beverly Hills of Britain . Residents in the area of Elmbridge, one of the 28 so-called 'stockbroker belt' areas in the top 30, paid an average of £16,600 - a rise of more than 3 per cent on the previous year . It is the second year in a row the district of Elmbridge has topped the table for those paying the highest average income tax bills. It is one of 28 'stockbroker belt ' towns in the South East that make up the vast majority of the top 30 areas with the highest income tax payers, according to accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young. Mark Giddens, head of private client services at UHY Hacker Young said: 'The Government is increasingly reliant on the wealthiest parts of the South Eastern commuter belt and London for income. 'The Government has gradually increased the tax burden on high earners since the credit crunch. Residents of the area includes a number of celebrities, including Sir Elton John . Elmbridge is one of 28 'stockbroker belt ' towns in the South East that make up the vast majority of the top 30 areas with the highest income tax payers . 'Higher taxation of wealthy . individuals in the South East has proven to be an effective means to . boost tax receipts, but these numbers will not make for pleasant reading . for those affected.' Residents in Blackpool pay the lowest . amount of income tax in the UK, with payments of £2,290 a year - a . decrease of 4.6 per cent from £2,400 a year ago. Last year residents in Elmbridge were reported to have paid a total of £1.18billion - which was twice the amount drawn from Cardiff and Newcastle combined. Elmbridge's famous residents moved along the Thames to get away from the capital, and live in and around its principal towns of Esher, Walton on Thames and Weybridge. It is the second year in a row the district of Elmbridge has topped the table for those paying the highest average income tax bills . Residents living in the Elmbridge area paid an average of £16,600 in the 2011/2012 tax year . Those have included Jamie Redknapp and his wife Louise, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, broadcaster Chris Tarrant and a number of Chelsea FC footballers, who train at nearby Cobham. In January it was reported Chelsea defender John Terry received £21.25million after selling his two neighbouring houses in Surrey. The other two areas in the top 30 list which are not in the 'stockbroker belt' are London and the Cotswolds, in 14th and 29th place respectively. Elmbridge - £16,600 . South Buckinghamshire - £13,600 . Chiltern - £12,700 . Sevenoaks - £11,600 . Waverley - £11,500 . St Albans - £11,400 . Windsor and Maidenhead - £11,100 . Guildford - £10,200 . Tandridge - £10,100 . Mole Valley - £9,470 . Torbay - £2,710 . Hyndburn (Accrington) - £2,630 . Sandwell (West Bromwich) - £2,610 . Ashfield (West Nottinghamshire) - £2,610 . Stoke-on-Trent - £2,580 . Burnley - £2,580 . Strabane (Northern Ireland) - £2,540 . Kingston upon Hull - £2,470 . Blaenau Gwent - £2,460 . Blackpool - £2,290 . | Residents paid more than £1.2bn in income tax in the 2011-12 tax year .
Borough is home to famous faces including Andy Murray and Sir Elton John .
Each resident paid average of £16,600 - a rise of more than 3% on previous year . |
182,143 | 77d31194c1fe82d426afb8a0f832b6f6a1e155e1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:07 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:08 EST, 5 June 2013 . Tragedy: 10-year-old Eric Klyaz was shot in the chest Tuesday afternoon while playing with a friend in his Southern California apartment complex . Eric Klyaz, a 10-year-old in Miramar Ranch North, California, died Tuesday after accidentally being shot in the chest. The shooting occurred at an apartment complex on Ivy Hill drive, in a garage owned by a neighbor's family. Klyaz was playing with a 9-year-old girl in her parent's garage when a repairman heard a single gun shot and the girl screaming. He found the two kids in the garage and called 911 - dispatchers then instructed him on how to perform CPR. A neighbor, Mike Mee, also heard the gunshots and ran to the scene. Mee told San Diego 6 that he 'saw a young child laying on the floor in the fetal position with his back and there appeared to be a blood spot on his right side. Klyaz was on the floor, and the gun was laying on a nearby sofa. Police investigators said it was unclear yet whether Klyaz brought the handgun himself, or if the two found the 9mm semi-automatic in the garage. It was also unclear who shot the gun. The girl's parents were not home at the time of the shooting - her 14-year-old brother was in charge of her. After hearing the gun shots, Klyaz's father rushed out and found his son, who was not breathing. He cradled his son's head as CPR was performed on the boy. An injured Klyaz was rushed to Rady Children's Hospital, but was pronounced dead there later. Accidental shooting: Police investigators say it's still unclear who shot the gun or who owned the gun . The neighborhood clubhouse: The garage where the shooting took place was a popular place for the local kids to hang out, according to neighbors . Klyaz was a fourth grader at Dingeman Elementary, and had celebrated his tenth birthday the weekend before. Before the shooting, neighbors saw him riding his scooter around the neighborhood. Neighbor Michelle Rhea said he played with her children almost every day. Rhea described Klyaz to San Diego 6:'He was very sweet, he was very athletic. He loved to ride his bike and his scooter and he used to sound really creative and just - he was a nice kid.' Pending the investigation, the owners of the gun could face charges such as negligent storage of a firearm. | Fourth-grader Eric Klyaz was playing with a friend in her parent's garage when he was shot in the chest .
Investigators still unsure who shot the gun, or who the owned the gun . |
4,659 | 0d61f5e56db5a35b952bded46844b5a5b010cff1 | (CNN) -- Headlines and pundits once again declare that we have a crisis on our hands in the wake of discovering that North Korea is building a new nuclear reactor and a uranium enrichment plant. More ominously, Tuesday brought news of direct artillery barrages between North and South Korea, heightening tensions and costing lives. But as provocative and serious as this is, neither is a crisis. Both fit a clear pattern of North Korean behavior -- a pattern that ultimately holds out the opportunity for progress. Unfortunately, so far the U.S. response also fits a pattern of rhetorical condemnation but little in the way of creative or effective engagement. Some key lessons need to be re-learned in light of these developments. First, the fundamental security situation with respect to North Korea has not changed. Pyongyang's estimated stockpile of plutonium bombs remains the same (four to eight bombs' worth). It does not have the capability to deliver these devices by aircraft or missile and its plutonium program remains frozen or perhaps even further eroded, as described in a report by Dr. Sig Hecker, who visited the North's nuclear facilities two weeks ago. Tuesday, in a briefing in Washington, Hecker, the former head of the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory, said that his report had been "hyped" in the media. He detailed how the new facilities, while potentially capable of producing material for bombs, are hardly the quickest route for North Korea to do so. Here's why. Uranium weapons are bigger than plutonium weapons, thus more difficult to shrink to the size needed for a missile warhead. The facility Hecker visited could only produce one or two bombs' worth of material a year, it is not clear when it will be fully operational and it has been built to replace the plutonium production facilities, not add to them. The new, small light-water reactor under construction is actually not very good for producing weapons-grade plutonium. If North Korea wanted to expand its nuclear arsenal, it makes much more sense for it to restart the plutonium reactor it has, not replace it with this new one. Finally, the North Koreans said they would scrap their plutonium capabilities completely in exchange for improved relations with the United States. In short, it is conceivable that the facilities are what the North claims, its attempt at home-grown nuclear energy, a goal the North has had for decades. As Hecker said, the trip raised "as many questions as it answered." Second, as difficult as engagement is, it is preferable to the alternative, isolation and instability. Remember that North Korea succeeded in acquiring or building these new facilities during a time when sanctions were extreme and U.S. engagement was absent. In fact, we only know about the facilities because of an unofficial visit by Americans whom the North wanted to use to reveal them. Before that, the Bush administration's years-long policy of complete isolation allowed North Korea to produce plutonium, fashion it into bombs and test two of them. Only in the last two years of the Bush era did a change in U.S. approach bear some fruit in freezing North Korea's programs. "Strategic patience" has been the nickname for the U.S. approach to North Korea since the early weeks of the Obama administration, when Pyongyang rejected early overtures of dialogue. What the administration failed to grasp is that diplomacy with the North is pretty much the most difficult exercise one can do in international relations. But that does not mean you shouldn't continue to try, even when -- or maybe especially when -- the response is a poke in the eye. So where does this leave us? What can or should the United States do to respond to these latest developments? Here again, everything old is new again: Creative, thoughtful approaches to engaging North Korea have to be designed and tested -- persistently. Yes, U.S. overtures will annoy allies in the region, but not if done in concert with or through consultation with them. Yes, the administration will suffer reactionary criticism from the right for "dealing with evil" or similar screeds. But the stakes are too high to allow the long-term threats that North Korea poses to be hamstrung by near-term political scorekeeping. President Obama has to be bold. A number of ideas about how to proceed are offered in a recent piece by Lee Sigal of the Social Sciences Research Council. These suggestions, including economic incentives and diplomatic measures such as a trip by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to North Korea and the conclusion of a peace declaration involving both Koreas and China, are a good starting point. Sun-tzu, an ancient Chinese expert on the region, advised, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Good advice and as relevant as ever for the United States regarding North Korea. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul Carroll and Joe Cirincione. | North Korea's artillery barrage was serious, but this is not a crisis, say co-authors .
They say the action fits pattern of North Korea's behavior and doesn't preclude progress .
Revelation of a uranium enrichment plant doesn't signal escalation in its weapons capability, they say .
U.S. needs to try economic and diplomatic measures to move ahead, they say . |
153,496 | 52598fc9e547e1e6909076cc9f4d431a274dad88 | Giant pandas are hogging the attention in the fight to protect species from extinction because they are cute and cuddly, even though they don't do much and show few signs of wanting to have babies. That's according to the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, which is devoting itself to: 'raising the profile of some of Mother Nature’s more aesthetically challenged children'. 'We care so much about mammals — cute, furry, cuddly things,' Simon Watt, the society's president told The Times Cheltenham Science Festival. Scroll down for video . The proboscis monkey is one of the endangered species ignored by conservationists because it is not as cute as the likes of giant pandas, says the Ugly Animals Preservation Society . The Myers' Surinam toad is under threat from the loss of its habit but its 'on the point of death looks' doesn't attract conservation support . 'Pandas are all right. However, if we're . only interested in those charismatic megafauna, we're going to leave . our lives a lot more dull.' The giant panda has been the logo of the World Wide Fund for Nature since the organisation was founded in 1961. Zoos around the world have breeding programs to encourage the creatures to get amorous, but often with little success. Mr Watt highlighted the Myers' Surinam toad, which looks like it's been squashed in a road accident, in remarks at the festival, reported by the Times. Even though the creature, found in a single province in Panama, is perfectly healthy, it looks 'on the point of death', he said. Its population is under the same threat as the tiger, but the toad is not held in the same affections. He pointed out that conservation was not a 'fun' task, with about 200 to 250 species becoming extinct every day. Giant pandas hog the attention of worldwide efforts because they look cuddly, even though they don't get up to much . The pthirus pubis, more commonly known as the crab lice, is in danger of extinction thanks to the popularity of pubic hair waxing . The probiscis monkey, recognisable by . its long nose, is suffering from a lack of attention because of its . large hooter, despite being critically endangered. Its home in Borneo, where it holds . protected status, is gradually being destroyed - leading to a 50 per . cent decrease in population in the last 40 years. The Chinese giant salamander, the world's largest amphibian, was championed by scientist Jamie Gallagher at the festival. 'It has been ignored for a long time as people gradually eat the animal into extinction,' he said. 'South China has managed to eat its way through 75 per cent of the population.' The Ugly Animal Preservation Society says the world would be a lot duller if only the cute animals were protected, instead of the likes of the Spanish Dancer sea slug . The Chine giant salamander is the world's largest amphibian but is being eaten into extinction . In January, the plight of the pubic . louse was publicised when a Sydney's main sexual health clinic said it . had not treated a case of crabs since 2008, and blame it on bikini waxing. 'It used to be extremely common; it’s . now rarely seen,' said Basil Donovan, head of sexual health at the . University of New South Wales’s Kirby Institute and a physician at the . Sydney Sexual Health Centre. 'Without doubt, it’s better grooming.' The Ugly Animals Preservation Society holds stand-up comedy events, with performers stating the case for an ugly and neglected species before the audience votes for their favourite. | The Ugly Animal Preservation Society was founded to raise the profile of 'more aesthetically challenged' creatures .
Giant panda has been the symbol of conservation since 1961 as the logo for the World Wide Fund for Nature . |
80,646 | e493fe7f282adb10c6b9af18d41f0181f17341e5 | By . Dan Bloom . A monster female Great White who is so notorious she has been nicknamed Joan of Shark has forced the closure of a popular beach. The beast - the largest ever tagged in Australia - is more than 16ft long, weighs around 1.6 tonnes and is believed to have made more than a dozen appearances in the last month. A photo taken by scientists reveals the moment they won a two-hour struggle to roll Joan onto her back and insert a sophisticated electronic tagging device into her gut. Scroll down for video . Just when you thought it was safe: 'Joan of Shark', who has been tagged once before, has reappeared off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, prompting a popular beach to be closed. She is more than 16ft long . Only some of the enormous animal was visible as a looming figure underneath the boat - and one of her giant fins was almost as large as the scientist tagging her. Mark Kleeman from the Department of Fisheries told ABC Great Southern: 'The shark [was] upside down, which induces a state called tonic immobility. In a sense, the shark basically goes to sleep.' Once she was rolled back over, he said, 'the shark came almost instantaneously back to life so she was quickly released, and she swam off very strongly.' The shark believed to be Joan was then registered multiple times off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, including nine times on Saturday alone. Popular Middleton beach had to be closed after the string of sightings, which were believed to have been prompted by a dying whale calf which had washed up on the sand. Scientists said the whale calf's distress signals and later, smells and blood, would have attracted Joan - who has been tagged once before - to the scene. Sighting: The shark has made several appearances at Ellen Cove on the coast of Western Australia . Ellen Cove, a popular part of Middleton beach, had to be closed after the string of sightings, which were believed to have been prompted by a dying whale calf which had washed up on the sand . Since then Joan has been spotted . again as recently as today, when she triggered receivers at Albany's . Ellen Cove just before 6am. A . Department of Fisheries spokesman said on Saturday: 'After nine . detections of a tagged white shark early today, the Department of . Fisheries is advising water users at Middleton beach to exercise . additional caution. Middleton beach has been closed by the City of . Albany. 'The detections . occurred over the period from 3.55am to 7.22am. The shark was detected . by a receiver that forms part of the State Government’s Shark Monitoring . Network. 'Water users should adhere to any beach closures advised by your local government rangers or Surf Life Saving WA. 'They . should also exercise caution when entering the water at South Coast . beaches and we encourage them to use patrolled beaches at all times.' Fisherman were reportedly the source of the nickname Joan of Shark, given in tribute to the 1400s French fighter Joan of Arc. Danger: Authorities said swimmers should be cautious and only use patrolled beaches (file photo) She was just 19 when she was burned at the stake by the English during the Hundred Years' War after helping lift the siege of Orléans in just nine days. She was later made a saint. Her shark namesake, meanwhile, is one of several being tracked by Western Australia's Department of Fisheries using satellite data and hundreds of monitors on the sea bed. Updates are sent live via Twitter to swimmers and surfers, who have every reason to be cautious. A series of maulings, some of which were fatal, prompted authorities in Western Australia to set up a shark cull and spend almost $4million improving their warning systems. A Shark Response Unit was formed in 2012 and last week authorities asked to extend their culling programme for another three years. The rules allow officials to kill and dump the bodies of any Great White, tiger or bull shark more than 10ft long after catching them using baited lines out to sea. | Female measuring more than 16ft long was tagged in Albany last month .
She was believed to be among those drawn to a washed-up whale carcass .
Beach was shut as fishermen named animal after 1400s fighter Joan of Arc . |
76,149 | d7fceb7ea12f2f524ceae65b64d6c34ff607e81b | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 06:46 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:42 EST, 3 March 2013 . Two non-executive directors have resigned from Mid Staffordshire health trust after yesterday's announcement that it will be going into administration. Board members Eleanor Chumley-Roberts and Dr Lyn Hulme are stepping down from the trust that was at the centre of the Stafford Hospital scandal. Deputy Chief Executive Maggie Oldham said: ‘The Trust Board wants to emphasise in the strongest possible terms that our focus remains on delivering care to our patients. Protest: People gather calling for NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson to resign . Eleanor Chumley-Roberts (left) and Dr Lyn Hulme (right) are unhappy that they had no input into the decision to put the trust in administration . ‘We want to reassure our patients and . all the local community that we will continue to put our patients first . throughout this challenging period. ‘We regret that the announcement by . Monitor has resulted in the resignation of two of our Non-Executive . Directors, Eleanor Chumley-Roberts and Dr Lynne Hulme. 'We would like to . thank them for the service they have given to the Trust.’ QC Robert Mr Francis's report into the Trust highlighted the suffering of hundreds of people . Mrs Chumley-Roberts said at yesterday's board meeting: 'Transparency within the NHS has always been important, as has putting patients at the forefront. 'Personally I have been very disappointed with some of the changes that have taken place at very short notice. 'I resign from the board today and will be giving three months’ notice.' Dr Hulme, who joined the board five months ago, said: 'I have been absolutely marginalised and made to feel irrelevant ever since.' This comes after it was announced that Mid-Staffordshire may be the first foundation trust to be put into administration. Monitor, the watchdog that regulates trusts, said it was considering the move in order to 'safeguard services' for local patients . South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) became the first ever NHS trust to be put into administration last year after it started losing around £1.3 million a week. Now Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust could be the first foundation trust - the flagship trusts of the NHS - to face the same fate. Monitor said it was consulting the Health Secretary and key organisations about the prospective appointment of trust special administrators. They said that if administrators are . appointed, they will devise a plan for the reorganisation and delivery . of services that will be subject to public consultation. Two months ago Monitor concluded that the . trust was 'clinically and financially unsustainable' after it was . revealed that a subsidy of £73million would be need to keep it afloat . for a further five years. David Bennett, chief executive of Monitor, said: 'We are now consulting on whether to appoint trust special administrators with the expertise to reorganise services in a way which is clinically robust and sustainable. Mid Staffordshire health trust is in control of Stafford Hospital, where an investigation showed substandard care resulted in hundreds of deaths . Monitor announced on Thursday that the trust could potentially be put into administration. Pictured, Staffordshire General Hospital . 'Their priority will be to make sure . that patients can continue to access the services that they need and . they will work with the local community to do this. 'Taking into account the consultation process, it would be several weeks before trust special administrators were in place. In the meantime, the trust board will continue to ensure the current range of services are delivered for patients and trust special administrators would then continue that responsibility.' A public inquiry into the trust said that patients had experienced 'appalling' care between 2005 and 2009. It said that the trust had cared more about cost control than the quality and safety of the care it gave. Mid Staffordshire health trust is in control of Stafford Hospital, where an investigation showed substandard care resulted in hundreds of deaths. The families of patients involved in the Stafford Hospital scandal protested outside a meeting of NHS bosses yesterday and renewed their calls for the resignation of chief executive Sir David Nicholson. A dozen people held placards with Sir David’s photograph accompanied by the words 'Resign', 'The man with no shame' and 'Too many deaths, no accountability'. Sir David, who has faced calls to quit since the Francis report revealed issues a Stafford Hospital, was instead given a vote of confidence. The trust has been the subject of three inquiries in four years. | Eleanor Chumley-Roberts and Dr Lyn Hulme resigned at a board meeting .
They do not like the recent moves the trust have made .
It was announced yesterday that the trust may be put into administration . |
263,292 | e1083486f6bf2f451c5e66256f359125c569b659 | (CNN) -- Two American hikers held in Iran and accused of spying after straying across the unmarked border there have been married in California, an attorney said. Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer married Saturday near the ocean, surrounded by some 200 family and friends, Ben Rosenfeld, a San Francisco attorney, said in a statement. "Friends and family assumed roles at their wedding, in the same spirit of community which suffuses Sarah and Shane's everyday lives, and which characterized the tireless broad support they received throughout their ordeal. Friends traveled from around the globe to be present. The group danced outside under the amorous cross-rays of Venus and a 'supermoon,'" he said. The newlyweds have since left for their honeymoon. Shourd, Bauer and a third hiker -- Josh Fattal -- were arrested after straying across the unmarked border between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran in July 2009. Bauer proposed during their time in prison, fashioning an engagement ring from a thread of one of his shirts. Shourd was released in 2010, and Bauer and Fattal were freed last year after 781 days in captivity and a trial for espionage that Bauer said was based on "ridiculous lies." | Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer married Saturday near the ocean .
They, along with Josh Fattal, were arrested after straying across the border in 2009 .
Bauer proposed during their time in prison .
Shourd was released in 2010, and Bauer and Fattal were freed last year . |
51,397 | 918313f341aec1096238fdfb720b8b61d8d32167 | By . Gerri Peev . Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams attacked the rule that councils had to hold a referendum if they wanted to raise council tax by more than two per cent . The Liberal Democrat’s local government minister has described his own department’s flagship policy on council tax as ‘absurd’. Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams attacked the rule - handed down by his own Department for Communities and Local Government - that councils had to hold a referendum if they wanted to raise council tax by more than two per cent. He also suggested that town halls should be able to impose a new ‘bedroom tax’ on hotels in tourist areas. And in comments at a fringe event at his party’s conference in York, Mr Williams also suggested that planning Minister Nick Boles was ‘hated’ by his own party. Mr Williams said of the coalition’s council tax policy: ‘A referendum on tax rises is absurd. If we had it for income tax, VAT, then the country would probably grind to a halt.’ He then went on to spell out his vision of giving councils powers to introduce even more taxes, saying ‘Why shouldn’t we generally provide that local government can set new taxes, possibly across a range of areas?’. ‘You could have a genuine ‘bedroom tax’ on hotels, for instance, in major tourist areas - seaside towns, and cities like York. The city council would have done very well out of us this week if there was a £1 tax on every room. That’s where I want us to get to.’ The Minister offered a bleak assessment of the impact his own Department for Communities and Local Government was having because of its cuts. ‘Some district councils, because of the fall in central Government grant, are undoubtedly going to get into severe financial difficulty - and viability questions will probably be asked over the next two to three years,’ he said. Planning policy was ‘constantly changing’ under the coalition. ‘Nick Boles is hyperactive in that area - which is good in a way,’ Mr Williams said. ‘He’s hated by a lot of Tory MPs - but he’s quite a good colleague to work with in that he’s thoughtful, he’s creative, he knows his stuff.’ And in comments at a fringe event at his party's conference in York, Mr Williams also suggested that planning Minister Nick Boles was 'hated' by his own party . Despite his apparent disdain for the referendum trigger for council tax rises, a statement put out on the Liberal Democrats’ own website in December openly trumpets the policy as a coalition achievement. It said: ‘The coalition has given councils the ability to freeze council tax for up to 6 years. This has helped ease the squeeze on family budgets.This has meant average family has paid £600 less in council tax since 2010.’ Mr Williams also attacked a New Homes Bonus which offered grants to councils based on the number of new houses that were built. The Bristol West MP said: ‘The New Homes Bonus - speaking freely as a Lib Dem MP - I’m not a fan of. I don’t think it’s an incentive, necessarily, for local authorities to give planning permission. I don’t think it’s actually driving decision-making on the ground.’ Mr Williams had been speaking at a Lib Dem conference event. A senior Lib Dem spokesman said that Mr Williams had been reprising an old policy for a tax on hotel rooms which had since been rejected by the party. The spokesman added: ‘He was talking about his personal views and taking soundings from our councillors. He was trying to do a bit of fact-finding..He was not making any sort of government speech or a pronouncement on behalf of his department.’ | Lib- Dem Stephen Williams .
attacked rule handed down by own department .
Also suggested town halls impose ‘bedroom tax’ on hotels in tourist areas .
Said of coalition’s council tax policy: ‘A referendum on tax rises is absurd' |
362 | 0110d245c9f9da9fc17de11bd32c433f9314533c | Gus Poyet was left to round on referee Kevin Friend and the media after a dismal performance at Bradford followed hot on the heels of Tuesday night's Premier League capitulation against QPR. Sunderland went down 2-0 against the League One side, who unceremoniously dumped them out of the FA Cup. Poyet clearly took issue with the reporting of his comments about the club's fans, telling the post-match media conference: 'The problem is you, not me. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Sportsmail's Big Match Stats: Bradford City 2-0 Sunderland . Sunderland manager Gus Poyet thinks the media is causing problems for his team after losing to Bradford . Bradford needed only three minutes to score against Sunderland with an own goal from John O'Shea (centre) Bradford's players celebrate opening the scoring after O'Shea turned in an effort from Billy Clarke (centre) 'I'm not going to get involved any more. If we close Sunderland - if we put a China Wall around the city - it would be fantastic. 'Now when we let you in and you get out and say what you want we've got a problem. I invite every Sunderland fan and people around the club not to listen to any one of you - only to me.' Poyet even took issue with a question about the absence of Jermain Defoe, responding: 'You need to know too many things and we try not to give you too much information. 'He was injured, he got a little problem on his calf and we don't know how long it is going to take.' Poyet's mood was not improved by his reaction to the performance of Friend, whom he believed denied Sunderland a clear first-half penalty after Rory McArdle tackled Steven Fletcher in the box. Poyet added: 'We tried our best and I think no regrets because everybody put in their best effort and their best ability to play under the circumstances. 'They found a goal from an action that can happen in any game. Then when we started understanding a way to hurt Bradford, at that moment we needed to score and the referee needed to do his job and he didn't.' John Stead (right) celebrates netting Bradford's second goal in the 2-0 victory over Sunderland . Poyet (left) with O'Shea (right) after the match and the manager said he has 'no regrets' about the game . However, Poyet did refrain from following up his comments earlier this week about the poor state of Bradford's pitch - and was magnanimous in his praise of the League One side's performance. He added: 'I'm not going to complain about the pitch - we didn't lose because of the pitch. 'Bradford won at Stamford Bridge on a great pitch and today they played here and beat us on this pitch so you need to give plenty of credit to what they do.' | Sunderland's season hit another low after a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Bradford .
But manager Gus Poyet said 'the problem is you, not me' to the media .
Sunderland lost at home to Queens Park Rangers in the league in midweek . |
141,583 | 4317792652e2d3e1199517db325f89c532fc677d | Exercise can vastly improve the lives of osteoarthritis sufferers, health chiefs said yesterday. Too many patients believe nothing they do will lessen their discomfort, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The institute insists that physical exertion can help the condition and ease pain. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has today said exercise should be the principal treatment for those diagnosed with osteoarthritis . Around 8.5million people in the UK have osteoarthritis, which causes joint pain and stiffness. Issuing its new guidance, Nice says exercise should be the principal treatment. ‘There’s a common but mistaken belief that osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of ageing and that it will get worse – that’s not the case,’ said Professor Mark Baker, clinical practice chief at Nice. ‘The guidance highlights that the core treatment for osteoarthritis remains exercise – this not only helps relieve pain for some but also improves function.’ Nice also called for GPs to refer patients to surgeons for possible joint replacements before they became incapacitated – rather than it being a last line of treatment. The new advice warns doctors that a patient’s age, sex, smoking history or whether they are obese should not be barriers to referral for joint surgery. Osteoarthritis should not be considered an 'inevitable part of ageing that will only get worse', say Nice . Professor Karen Middleton, of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: ‘These guidelines should help challenge the perception that many people often have about osteoarthritis being a normal part of ageing and that nothing can be done. ‘Physiotherapists provide effective treatment for the symptoms of osteoarthritis and deliver expert advice on physical activity and weight-management strategies to reduce pain and improve mobility. 'Nice has recognised how important this is for the day-to-day management of the condition and the positive impact it has on patients' quality of life.' Judi Rhys of Arthritis Care said the charity's experts were 'firm believers in the value of appropriate exercise for people with osteoarthritis'. Nice said overweight patients should be encouraged to lose weight while drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen gel should be considered for pain relief. Professor Alan Silman, of Arthritis Research UK, said: 'It's important that people with osteoarthritis find a type of exercise they enjoy doing. 'Everyone can benefit from some sort of exercise, regardless of their condition. 'Stretching. strengthening and aerobic exercises are the ideal combination.' | National Institute for Health and Care Excellence say exercise should be the 'principal treatment' for osteoarthritis .
'Physical exertion can ease pain,' Nice say .
8.5million in the UK have osteoarthritis, causing joint pain and stiffness . |
43,165 | 79bb3ddaa1d2353dd29215b1e8857ed5bcf559a5 | Sue Prickett, 78, was out walking her terrier Suki (together above) in Sherborne, Dorset, when the dog ran off and became trapped down a badger sett . A dog which became trapped down a hole for eight hours was eventually saved after 20 volunteers came to its rescue following a desperate appeal on Facebook. Sue Prickett, 78, was out walking her terrier Suki in Sherborne, Dorset, when the dog ran off and became trapped down a badger sett. Ms Prickett desperately tried to free Suki, along with the help of passer-by Shaun Summerbell, who came to her aid when he noticed her in a distressed state. However, their attempts to free the animal with a spade failed, and Mr Summerbell phoned his wife Julie for help. She quickly posted a message on Facebook asking for people to go and help with the rescue operation. Within 30 minutes of her status update, about 20 people had turned up at the scene, armed with torches, spades and pick axes. One person even took a powerful light on a tripod. The volunteers, who included some off-duty firemen, spent about four hours digging a four-foot deep trench to free the frightened pet. After eventually being released, Suki was handed back to her relieved owner who described the rescue as 'an example of the Great British public really being great.' She said: 'I have been past the hole before and my little dog has never attempted to go in. 'I don't know why she went down this time but she did. 'She came out backwards and I tried to get hold of her legs but she yelped and went back in further. 'I was just hanging around for about an hour hoping she would come out. 'Suki kept crying and whimpering, she's normally a very quiet dog. It was quite frightening because I felt so helpless.' Ms Prickett said she had been out walking both Suki, and her friend's labradoodle Rosie, when the incident occurred. After initial attempts to free her dog failed, she returned home to try and call the RSPCA for help, but she said they told her rescuers couldn't help because it was dark. She added: 'I had to get back because my friend was expecting her dog back and I don't have a mobile phone but I was so worried about leaving her there. After initial attempts to free Suki by Ms Prickett failed, an army of 20 volunteers arrived at the scene thanks to a Facebook plea from a passer-by's wife. The helpers dug a trench (left) to free Suki (right) from the deep hole . The volunteers, including some off-duty firemen, spent about four hours digging a four-foot deep trench to free the frightened pet. Suki was eventually rescued from the hole and returned, rather muddy, to her owner . Ms Prickett, 78, described the rescue as 'an example of the Great British public really being great' and said one person even came out dressed in a giraffe-print onesie to help with the rescue in Sherborne, Dorset . 'When I got home I tried calling people who could help - the vet, some firemen who don't live far from me, and the RSPCA but they said they couldn't come out in the dark. 'I went back to the field and just didn't know what to do. Then this very kind gentleman came past with his dog. 'He called someone and very quickly an enormous amount of people came out of the woodwork. One girl even came out in a giraffe-print onesie. 'Somebody brought a tripod with a light on it and suddenly there were torches, spades and pick axes. Two of the men were off-duty firemen and were very helpful. 'They were digging around where they thought she was and they literally sort of hand-dug her out. 'It was about four foot deep and when she came out her fur was covered in beads of rolled up mud. 'It took me ages to wash it all out and she shook mud all over the bathroom, but I'm so relieved to have her back. Ms Prickett said it took her ages to get all of the mud off her beloved dog, who was uninjured in the ordeal . The pensioner said: 'Suki is very special to me and I am extremely grateful to all those people who helped' 'I don't have the internet and Twitter and these things are all alien to me but it just goes to show you the power of social media. 'It's an example of the Great British public really being great. 'Suki is very special to me and I am extremely grateful to all those people.' Mrs Summerbell, a 50-year-old school dinner lady, said she put out a plea for volunteers on Facebook after her husband - a managing director of a company which designs and produces baby products – phoned for help. She said: 'My husband rang me and asked me to bring him a spade to the field which is about a mile away. 'After an hour he called again and said could I try to get some muscle power up there because he couldn't do it on his own. 'I didn't know what to do so I asked people to help on my Facebook status and it worked, within half-an-hour 20 people had turned up there. 'They had to dig a very big hole, it was about four foot down and four foot across.' | Suki the terrier became trapped in badger sett for eight hours on dog walk .
Owner Sue Prickett tried desperately to free her beloved pet but to no avail .
Walker Shaun Summerbell came to her aid and his wife posted online plea .
Within 30 minutes of Facebook status, 20 people went to rescue in Dorset .
Suki was dug out of the badger sett and returned to owner safe and well . |
156,267 | 560033880272953227fc52cf26135059f9290d70 | Tennessee state Senator Jim Summerville has been arrested on assault and stalking charges . Tennessee state Senator Jim Summerville is facing stalking and assault charges, a month after being arrested for public intoxication. The Dickson Police Department on Friday night arrested Summerville on a stalking charge filed by a neighbor and released on bail. Police said Summerville was arrested again on Saturday for assault after threatening the same neighbor. He was released on $10,000 bond. Neighbor Cecilia Donaven says she's filed several reports against the senator. 'We always have to have our guard up,' she told WSMV. 'It's no way for anyone to have to live.' 'As intelligent as he is, he has no respect for the law or his neighbors,' she added. Donaven says Summerville often shines flashlights into her dining room. 'Every minute I'm in this house, he's watching me,' Donaven told WSMV. 'Every minute, he wants to see what I'm doing.' In September, Summerville was charged with public intoxication after police said he sat in several residents' yards drinking while uninvited. Summerville denies the charges says he will sue the city of Dickson once his case is resolved in court . As for the latest charges, police didn't provide details. Summerville said in a statement that he's being harassed and plans to sue the Dickson Police Department. 'The City of Dickson Police Department is engaging a systematic campaign of harassment,' he said. '(Stalking! At my age?) Once these charges are resolved in court, I shall be suing the City of Dickson. Settlement negotiations will start at one million dollars.' Summerville resigned from the Republican Caucus in August after a loss in the Aug. 7 election primary. His term ends following the Nov. 4 general election. His behavior and controversial legislation have made headlines on several occasions during his term. Last year, he proposed a measure to eliminate affirmative action initiatives from higher education institutions in Tennessee. After the legislation failed, Summerville threatened GOP lawmakers who voted against it, saying they would face repercussions in this year's election. Summerville also was heavily criticized for an email he sent insulting the Legislature's black caucus. In the email to then-black caucus chairwoman Barbara Cooper, he wrote: 'I don't give a rat's ass what the black caucus thinks.' The email was sent after the caucus issued a news release critical of a hearing, led by Summerville, that looked into allegations of grade tampering at Tennessee State University. Summerville later apologized for the email. | Tennessee state Sen. Jim Summerville was arrested on a stalking charge filed by a neighbor in Dickson .
A day after being released on $10,000 bail, he was arrested again on an assault charge for allegedly threatening the same neighbor .
Last month, Summerville was charged with public intoxication after police said he sat in several people's yards—uninvited—drinking .
The senator denies the charges and says he will sue the city for $1million . |
44,416 | 7d440ba91a1d8f221ef1526b577f39b5ab45ad7f | (CNN) -- Sony Corp. lost a record $5.7 billion in the fiscal year ending in March, the company announced today -- lower than beleaguered electronics giant's previous estimates of finishing the year $6.4 billion in the red. Still, it was the fourth straight year the company finished the year with a loss. Sony is not the only Japanese electronics giant struggling: On Friday, Panasonic Corp. is expected to announce nearly $10 billion in annual losses, according to estimates released by the company earlier this year. Both companies have struggled with ailing television manufacturing divisions, which have lost to lower cost rivals like Samsung and LG, and are hampered by a rising yen which has cut repatriated profits from overseas sales. Sony's television division has lost money for the past eight years. The search for Sony's soul . Earlier this week, shares of Sony stock slipped to its lowest level in 25 years. Both Sony and Panasonic have announced restructuring plans and have new leaders running the company. New CEO Kazuo Hirai took the helm on April 1 and promised last month to cut 10,000 jobs -- about 6% of its workforce -- in the next year. The company predicts a 30 billion yen ($376.5 million) net profit in the current fiscal year. Kazuhiro Tsuga was appointed new CEO of Panasonic earlier this year. Both Tsuga and Hirai have announced plans to cut the volume of televisions the companies produce. The Japanese economic newspaper Nikkei reported Wednesday Panasonic may swing to a $626 million profit this fiscal year, causing the company's share price to rise nearly 5%. The company wouldn't comment on the report, saying in a statement it would release figures on Friday. | Sony lost a record $5.7 billion in the fiscal year ending in March .
Japanese electronics giant finishes its fourth straight year with a loss .
The company predicts a $376.5 million net profit this current fiscal year . |
248,825 | cdfacd68cee862c94ea7f93c8d7ae7f4c0a304b4 | An Iowa woman delivered her own baby in the front passenger seat of a speeding van on the way to the hospital Friday, authorities say. Jessika Thurman said she just had to 'open up my sweatpants and just scooped her out,' KCCI reports. Thurman woke up from a nap Friday afternoon with contractions, and less than 30 minutes later, she had delivered her daughter in the front seat of a red van as her husband, Danny, frantically called 911 while trying to get Thurman to a hospital, according to KCCI. Delivery: Jessika Thurman (photographed) delivered her own baby in the front seat of a van Friday afternoon as her husband rushed to get her to the hospital . Arielle: Arielle Rose Thurman (photographed) was born just before 4.30pm Friday, weighing seven pounds and one ounce . Medics: After Thurman delivered her own daughter, the family met the medics at a nearby store and was taken to a hospital . Arielle Rose Thurman was born just before 4.30pm Friday, weighing seven pounds and one ounce. ABC reports that the couple hoped to meet an ambulance as they rushed down an interstate toward a Des Moines hospital. In a 911 call, Thurman's husband is heard yelling 'she's out!' to the dispatcher as Thurman is heard yelling in the background. 'I just held her in my hands and just stared at her and I couldn't even say anything,' Thurman said. ' 'I was completely speechless.' Van: Thurman said she woke up from a nap with contractions so she and her husband, Danny, climbed into his work van (photographed) and began rushing toward Des Moines hospital . The couple met the medics off of a nearby interstate exit and the family was taken to a hospital. Thurman described the unusual delivery as the best early Christmas present she could have asked for. Thurman was due Monday, but she said that her baby 'was coming out and there was no stopping her.' Healthy: Just days after the shocking delivery, the couple is happy to hear that both Thurman and the baby are completely healthy (photographed, Thurman is seen holding the newborn who is wearing a pink sweater and a white headband) Sleep: Here, Arielle is seen resting in the hospital wrapped in a blanket, with a pacifier in her mouth . Father: Danny, the child's father, is seen lifting Arielle as his wife sits in the hospital bed . Just days after the shocking delivery, the couple is happy to hear that both Thurman and the baby are completely healthy. 'We got lucky,' Danny told KCCI. '[Arielle is] beautiful, and she made it, she's healthy. And so is my wife, she's good, so it all worked out.' In an interview just days after the incident, Thurman is seen holding her daughter, who is wearing a pink sweater and a white headband with flowers on it. 'She's perfect,' Thurman said. | Jessika Thurman delivered her own baby in the front seat of a van while speeding down an interstate toward a nearby hospital .
Thurman: I just had to open up my sweatpants and just scooped her out .
Arielle Rose Thurman was delivered weighing seven pounds and one ounce, doctors say she is completely healthy . |
136,878 | 3d0ee161b7afbd54cdab816f93f3c5ce53453b1e | (Rolling Stone) -- It didn't take long for everyone involved in the Rebecca Black story to start squabbling. Black -- whose song "Friday" hit Number 38 on Billboard's digital singles chart this week -- and her mother, Georgina Marquez Kelly, are accusing Ark Music Factory, which produced "Friday," of copyright infringement and unlawful exploitation of publicity rights. A March 29 letter from Black and Marquez Kelly's lawyer Brian Schall to Ark Music Factory obtained by Rolling Stone alleges that Ark has failed to provide Black with the master recordings of her song and video; has been exploiting her likeness and her song on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon and Ark's website; created an unauthorized "Friday" ringtone; and has been advertising Black as an exclusive Ark recording artist on its website. Rob Sheffield: Why Rebecca Black is a Demon-Wizard Child Piper . In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ark Music Factory founder Patrice Wilson denied most of the allegations in the letter. "I have met with Rebecca Black's mom and everything is fine," he said. "She will get the masters and the song. They can have it all." Marquez Kelly paid Ark $4,000 (not $2,000, as has been widely reported) to produce the song, and according to Schall's letter, the agreement that she signed with Ark in November stipulates that Black has 100 percent ownership and control of "Friday," including the master recording and the music video. Black shot the video for "Friday" in January, and the Ark team finished it a few weeks later. It was uploaded to YouTube on February 10, but it only had around 4,000 views until it was posted on comedian Daniel Tosh's "Tosh.O" Comedy Central blog on March 11, and comedian Michael J. Nelson tweeted about it. Overnight, it had gotten over 200,000 views, and by March 15, it had over 5 million views on YouTube. And after her "Good Morning America" appearance on March 18, she had evolved from a meme to a celebrity. What You Need to Know About Teen Viral Phenom Rebecca Black . "She's not our exclusive artist," said Wilson. "Once an artist meets with us and once they blow up, they have a choice to retain us or move on if they can. Rebecca is now signed with someone else." Wilson added that he will remove Black from the Ark Music Factory website. But Ark's lawyer, Barry Rothman, cast doubt on the validity of the November agreement. "The agreement was not court-approved," Rothman said. "They say they own the composition. Nothing could be further from the truth. If they go forward and license it or attempt to copyright it in their name, that would be copyright infringement and we'd act accordingly under the circumstances." He added: "We're not prepared to engage them in producing documents just because they want them, without a court order or litigation. We'd like to see Rebecca Black's career go forward and we're trying to accomplish that in the context of working through the legalities." Wilson's Ark Music Factory partner Clarence Jey contended that Ark did act as a record label for Black, and distributed and promoted her with her mother's consent -- until it became clear that Black was going to make actual money. "Now they are turning it around and saying they were exploited, but clearly that is not the case when they were thanking me for forwarding them all the interviews with Rebecca and all the positive comments from YouTube," said Jey. "I was calling Australia on my cell phone pretending to be Rebecca's agent and setting up radio interviews for Rebecca while Georgina was right next to me. If she thought I was exploiting this, she could have said it." Why Rebecca Black's Much-Mocked Viral Hit 'Friday' is Actually Good . "Georgina's trying to get the rights to things she doesn't have the rights to," said Ark Creative Director Barry Wayne. Neither Marquez Kelly nor Schall returned calls for comment. Black is the first real success to come out of the Los Angeles-based Ark, whose website was registered in August 2010 by Wilson. Ark's biggest successes other than Black are the singer Alana Lee Hamilton's "Butterflies," which has close to 6 million YouTube views, and Kaya Rosenthal's "Can't Get You Out of My Mind," which has 1.7 million YouTube views. "Suddenly, everyone is seeing big dollars and everyone is getting greedy and it sucks," said Jey, who claims that his team wrote the music and lyrics to "Friday." "My team just needs to be looked after to some extent. They need to be compensated for something." He argued that Black should own the master recording for her vocals, but that Ark should have copyright for the song and composition. "We gave Rebecca 10 percent of the publishing, but she didn't even write a lyric. "Good Morning America" came over, I paid $400 for the make up artist and no one even thanked me for that." And now it seems as though Ark's success may be its undoing. Wilson recently hired his own lawyer, and Jey alleges that Wilson won't give him access to the website. "Yesterday we were supposed to have a meeting at my attorney's place. I didn't hear from him all day. He sent me a text message late at night saying, 'Sorry, brother, I've had a busy day.' In the meantime he's going around saying I'm not with Ark." Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Marquez Kelly paid Ark $4,000 to produce the song .
Black shot her video in January, and the Ark team finished it a few weeks later .
Ark has failed to provide Black with the master recordings of her song and video . |
104,938 | 1360b846750bd2c7e31cfe015c77c5968a9b541c | (CNN) -- Things have never been more exciting in Africa than they are now. The continent's rising economy and burgeoning tech space is all anyone can talk about. At a recent South by Southwest panel, "Africa or Bust! Content, Monetization, Opportunity," it was made clear that mobile and connectivity is also changing the content game. Reportedly, around 140 million people in Africa have access to the internet, which represents about 13% of the population. That number is set to explode in the next few years. By 2020, internet penetration in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to reach 24.7%. Read also: 'Africa's tallest building' set for $10 billion tech city . For Africans, the internet is not just a way to connect with the rest of the world, or even with friends -- it's a content enabler. It is also a commerce facilitator. The African consumer is on the rise; they are hungry for interaction, hungry for e-commerce purchases and they are hungry for content. As a society, Africa is learning what it means to spend money on content delivered via a mobile device and computer screens, especially content that is designed for the continent. Large numbers of devices are shipped into the continent from the United States and Asia annually helping grow this new taste for spending. "Africans want their own content, content that's by them and for them ... There is a lot of cool stuff happening in this space," said Richard Essex, partner in East Africa Capital Partners, quoted in the Financial Times last month. According to a Nielsen report, mobile video is increasingly popular in emerging market regions such as Africa. That report stated: "Mobile video is particularly prominent in Asia-Pacific and Middle East/African regions, where 74 and 72% of online consumers, respectively, report watching video on mobile phones at least once a month, and almost 40% (38% and 37%, respectively) say they do so at least once a day." Africa's biggest play into online content consumption to date is iROKO Partners, a platform that provides Nigerians in the diaspora with Nollywood films. Dubbed "Africa's Netflix," the company is streaming not just movies but also music through its iRoking music-streaming platform. The success of iROKO has given rise to a new breed of consumer. These are people who've found that now that content comes to them, they are interested in having access to it. Currently iROKO delivers Nigerian content to the world but what about the rest of Africa? Read also: 'Netflix of Africa' brings Nollywood to world . Africans in the diaspora aren't exposed to other content from the continent and somehow it seems that the rest of Africa isn't producing the same addictive content as the rest of the world. Southern Africa is catching up and getting ready to begin providing content to Africans in the diaspora. Wabona is a new startup hoping to replicate the success of iROKO by building its own online pay-per-view video streaming service designed to deliver African and international video content to the African Diaspora and Africa as a whole. Content is everything and technology is its biggest enabler. One of the key factors that have been identified about mobile devices is their role in content creation. Focused on local made-for-mobile content, Bozza is a South Africa-based startup that provides an application that offers artists, filmmakers and entrepreneurs a mobile platform through which to distribute their content. According to Bozza, its mission is to connect content and technology in Africa. Its website states that: "Content drives the uptake of technology; yet despite the global increase and focus on the value of content, there continues to be a lack of locally generated, contextually relevant content for the African market." The African consumer gets it as well. Mobile social networks like Mxit and 2Go understand the importance of content. Partnerships are beginning to emerge between the platforms and the content providers. Mxit has created a movie portal that allows its users to watch feature-length pieces in five to six parts. Read also: Mxit: South Africa's Facebook beater . According to former Mxit CEO Alan Knott-Craig, Africans are so hungry for content that those of them that have not previously had access to free content online are more willing and likely to pay for it that those with more access and means. Pushing African content at this moment is a very critical phase in Africa's rise to join the ongoing tech revolution. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michelle Atagana. | For Africans, the internet is a content enabler, writes Michelle Atagana .
Africans in the diaspora are underexposed to content from the continent, she says .
Bozza, iROKO and Wabona are startups distributing African content online . |
225,550 | b00a3952bb79d05a80400a869a3f9760cbdbebf6 | By . James Daniel . PUBLISHED: . 16:29 EST, 9 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:29 EST, 9 May 2013 . An adorable dog that was rescued after suffering horrific injuries and thrown onto a Brooklyn street is on the road to recovery thanks to New York City school children who helped raise money to pay for medical bills. The young pit bull puppy named Misty was found with serious injuries all over her body and was rescued from a city shelter several weeks ago. Students from an Upper West Side school began following the dogs progress after Second Chance Rescue began to treat Misty's wounds and a Facebook page was created. Scroll down for video... Dog's life: Every dog has it's day and today it was the turn of Misty to meet local schoolkids who helped make her as good as new after suffering horrendous injuries . Misty's Journey: Funds to help Misty recover were raised through her very own Facebook page . All better: You'd be hard pressed to realise the troubled life Misty has led from these cute pictures, but she very nearly didn't make it . It's believed the horrific injuries were sustained when the pitbull was used as a bait dog for dog fighting. When she was no longer needed, the puppy who was around 6 to 9 months old was left to die on a Brooklyn street corner. The school set up bake sales and raised more than $800 to help pay for the dog's care. Dr. Kim Spanjol, a school counselor who works with the students on humane-education programs said the students were inspired to help Misty. 'We do donate to a lot of dogs, but Misty was the victim of dog fighting which is a big problem in our city, around the country and around the world.' Horrific: Misty was used as a bait dog to train fight dogs. She was left for dead on the streets of Brooklyn . Charity: New York organization Second Chance Rescue pulled the badly wounded Misty from an overcrowded city shelter to give her one-to-one treatment . Second chance: Misty wouldn't have stood a chance had it not been for the work of New York City's dog rescue shelters . Misty visited the school so students could meet the dog they'd been helping in person. 'There aren’t any bad dogs, there are bad owners,' Spanjol said. 'And that’s a message that the kids feel really strongly about – that pit bulls are often victimized because of that image and it’s really, really shameful and the kids want to do everything they can to show people that pit bulls are also sweet and loving dogs and Misty is a perfect example of that.' The students have formed a group called the Youth Animal Protectors Club. Jackie O’Sullivan of Second Chance Rescue is hoping Misty’s story inspires kids and adults. 'Her suffering should not be in vain,' O’Sullivan said. 'Her story should raise awareness of dog-fighting in the city. Misty is doing much better and is now ready for adoption. If you’d like to adopt or more information, visit nycsecondchancerescue.org. | Misty the pit bull was used as a bait dog and suffered horrendous injuries .
Puppy was 6-9 months old and left on the streets of Brooklyn .
Picked up by a rescue center in NYC she was nursed back to health .
Schoolkids saw her plight and helped to raise money to pay for treatment .
Misty's as good as new and ready to be adopted . |
149,893 | 4dcc2aa5eea131504ccf8f255c95a2666db74abb | By . Associated Press . Authorities say two boaters were about two miles from the brink of Niagara Falls when they were rescued from their disabled vessel by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Coast Guard officials say their Buffalo station received a call around 9:15 pm Monday reporting a 19-foot motor boat with two men aboard was anchored in the Niagara River . The vessel was 2,000 feet inside the 2.5-mile exclusion zone from the falls where boats are banned for safety reasons. Scroll down for video... Pulled from the brink: Authorities say two boaters were about two miles from the brink of Niagara Falls when they were rescued from their disabled vessel by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Night vision footage taken from the helicopter shows the heroic rescue as it happened . The boat managed to drop anchor just two miles from the falls, which put it 2,000 feet into the exclusion zone where vessels are banned for safety reasons . A crew from the Coast Guard air station in Detroit was dispatched to the scene, along with a Coast Guard vessel from Buffalo and boat crews from state and local police. The river's shallow depth prevented the vessels from reaching the anchored boat. instead, a Coast Guard helicopter had to rescue the two boaters, which they did shortly before midnight. The boat remains on the river as its owner is arranges salvage with a commercial service company. | Two unnamed men managed to drop anchor two miles from the brink Monday .
They'd floated 2,000 increasingly dangerous feet inside the 2.5 mile exclusion zone where boats are banned on the Niagara River . |
62,488 | b17d444392990fc3e29bb454f08745bdf907fdc1 | Manchester United have confirmed that former first team fitness coach Tony Strudwick has moved to a role working predominantly with the club’s younger players. Sportsmail revealed on Saturday that Strudwick’s job in charge of first team fitness work and planning had been taken by manager Louis van Gaal’s trusted aide Jos van Dijk. This switch was made at the start of the season. Now United have confirmed the move, revealing that Strudwick’s new title is head of athletic development. Manchester United fitness coach Tony Strudwick is no longer working with Louis van Gaal's first team stars . United said: 'At the start of this season Tony took on the role of head of athletic development. 'Tony is now overseeing the athletic development of all players, working with Louis van Gaal for the first team right through to Paul McGuinness in the Academy. 'Introducing this new role and using Tony’s invaluable experience in sports science, which spans over 20 years, shows the club’s commitment on placing greater emphasis on developing players for long-term success.' Strudwick will become Head of Athletic Development at the club, working with the club's youth players . Jos van Dijk (left) worked with Louis van Gaal for the Netherlands and has taken over first team fitness duties . As reported here on Saturday, Strudwick’s work with the first team is now restricted to some warm up drills before training at Carrington and some strength work. He no longer has responsibilities on match day or takes charge of planning fitness programmes for first team stars, the role he had enjoyed at the club since arriving from Blackburn in 2007. Strudwick said: 'I am thoroughly enjoying this new role. With increased importance on developing players for the future, the athletic component becomes critical in their advancement and to have the chance to work with the younger players, who are in the early stages of their career, as well as the first team, will give a continuity of progression which is critical to their future success.' Like our Manchester United Facebook page. Strudwick, pictured on the far left, travelled to Brazil to work with the England national team . United got back to winning ways at the weekend with a 2-1 win over West Ham at Old Trafford . VIDEO We fought to the end - Van Gaal . | Tony Strudwick moving to work with youth at Manchester United .
Former fitness coach's new title is head of athletic development .
Fitness work taken over by Louis van Gaal's trusted aide Jos van Dijk . |
274,576 | efacd26ee7dd018a3ba142c0c64fb60bac0ffe87 | By . Pa Reporter . Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss next month's one-day international series against Pakistan because of the hamstring injury which ruled him out of much of the recent tour to Zimbabwe. Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris has explained Clarke's injury is more serious than first hoped, and the 33-year-old batsman must therefore sit out the ODI leg of his team's final tour - to be played in the United Arab Emirates - before they host the World Cup next winter. Kountouris said: 'Since returning to Australia, Michael has had a series of investigations that have confirmed a significant hamstring injury. Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss the ODI series against Pakistan due to a hamstring injury . Clarke and England's Eoin Morgan clash during a One Day International in Sydney earlier this year . 'Importantly, the scans have demonstrated tendon damage - which complicates the recovery from this injury. 'As such, he will not recover in time to be available for the ODI series in the UAE. 'We hope he will be available for the Test series, but this will be determined at a date closer to the first Test.' | Clarke missed out on recent tour to Zimbabwe with problem .
Australia captain is to be rested with the hope of playing in World Cup .
Clarke may be available for the Test series . |
90,168 | 000452ad783360e6b7c3cd993efa880328b98622 | By . Associated Press . Former astronaut and U.S. senator John Glenn has had a heart valve replacement as he approaches his 93rd birthday. Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, was recuperating, a spokesman at Ohio State University said Wednesday. Glenn is strong and healthy ahead of his birthday on July 18, John Glenn School of Public Affairs spokesman Hank Wilson said. On the mend: Astronaut and former U.S. Senator John Glenn is recuperating at his home in Columbus after surgery last month . Heart racing: It was in February 1962 astronaut John H. Glenn in his Mercury spacesuit became the first American to orbit the Earth during the Mercury 6 mission . Glenn had a minimally invasive version of the valve replacement procedure at the Cleveland Clinic in May and is recovering well, Wilson said. 'It was fine, and he's fine,' Wilson said. 'I just talked to him today. He's strong and healthy. ... It really wasn't that big of a deal in that regard.' In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth as a member of the Mercury 7 program. "Godspeed, John Glenn,' fellow astronaut Scott Carpenter radioed just before Glenn thundered off a launch pad in an Atlas rocket. Global traveler: John Glenn Standing Beside a Mercury Capsule. A veteran of World War Two and the Korean War who became a test pilot and an astronaut, Glenn served six terms in the U.S. Senate. He turns 93 in July . With the all-business phrase, 'Roger, the clock is operating, we're underway,' Glenn radioed to Earth as he started his nearly 5 hours in space. Later he uttered a phrase he has repeated throughout life: 'Zero G, and I feel fine.' Glenn, a Democrat, later spent more than two decades as a U.S. senator and returned to space at age 77 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Before he orbited the world, he fought in two wars as a fighter pilot and set a transcontinental speed record as a test pilot. | Glenn is resting comfortably at home in Columbus, Ohio, after undergoing heart valve surgery .
Glenn, 92, was the first American to orbit the earth in 1962 .
A veteran of World War Two and the Korean War who became a test pilot and an astronaut .
Glenn served six terms in the U.S. Senate. He turns 93 in July . |
156,466 | 56493c41ea2b63a7cb1182647bd7b65d3093d8c8 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 07:32 EST, 24 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:04 EST, 24 July 2013 . Tanya James, pictured with her three-year-old daughter Kacie Lumsden, is suing a nursery after her child's thumb was ripped off when it became stuck in a door . A furious mother is suing a nursery after her three-year-old daughter's thumb was ripped off when she got it trapped in a door. Kacie Lumsden got her fingers wedged between a door and a wall while playing at a day nursery. The tip of her right thumb was ripped off in the incident before frantic staff packed it in ice and surgeons were able to reattach it. Kacie's distraught family are now suing Glengarry Children's Daycare Nursery in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, after bosses admitted liability for the child's injuries. After the incident, which happened in November last year, Kacie was rushed to New Cross Wolverhampton Hospital before being transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital where surgeons managed to reattach the tip of her thumb. An Ofsted investigation has severely criticised the nursery and re-adjusted it's rating to 'inadequate'. As a result, it lost funding from Wolverhampton City Council and closed on June 28 with the company in administration. Kacie's mother Tanya James, 30, said the traumatic experience had transformed her daughter from a confident girl to a shy, withdrawn child. The mother-of-three, who is herself a qualified nursery nurse, said: 'Kacie is now completely different. 'She clings to me all the time and is very nervous when I am not around. 'My trust in what should have been a very secure and safe place for young children has been completely shattered. 'I have worked in nurseries for eight years and this is by far the worst incident I have experienced or heard about. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . Kacie was rushed to New Cross Wolverhampton Hospital before being transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital where surgeons managed to reattach the tip of her thumb . The tip of Kacie's right thumb was ripped off in the incident before frantic staff packed it in ice and surgeons were able to reattach it . 'It's not something that should ever happen in a nursery.' The ordeal left Kacie, who is due to see a psychologist, suffering from sleep disorders and frequent bed-wetting. Miss James, from Wolverhampton, has now approached law FBC Manby Bowdler LLP who are pursuing a compensation claim against the nursery. Personal injury solicitor Wendy Turner, who is representing the family, said: 'Both Kacie and Tanya have suffered as result of the nursery's incompetence and are entitled to compensation. 'We are still waiting to hear from independent medical experts, with a view to negotiating a settlement. 'However, . our main priority is in ensuring that Kacie makes a recovery to the . point where she is able to live with her injury, particularly when she . becomes more self-conscious in her teenage years.' The nursery lost funding from Wolverhampton City Council following an Ofsted inspection and closed on June 28 with the company in administration . Remarkably, . a damning Ofsted inspection report carried out in January 2013 found . the nursery had failed to ensure that a similar accident couldn't happen . again. The report . said: 'Managers have failed to meet the Safeguarding and Welfare . requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. 'My trust in what should have been a very secure and safe place for young children has been completely shattered' - Kacie Lumsden's mother Tanya James . 'Prompt . action has not been taken to fully minimise the identified risk which . the doors pose to fingers following a recent serious incident when a . child trapped their finger in a door. 'As a result of the incident existing faulty finger guards have been replaced and some additional guards fitted to doors. 'However, the action taken is not fully effective, as some doors remain unguarded and many of the guards fitted are only fitted part way up the door and some are ill-fitted. 'Consequently, reasonable steps have not been taken to minimise or remove this hazard and children are at risk.' Doctors initially feared Kacie's thumb reattachment may have been unsuccessful but are now optimistic it will continue to grow normally. She is now attending a public sector nursery school before starting primary school in September. | Kacie Lumsden's right thumb was ripped off after it became trapped in door .
Mother Tanya James is now suing the nursery after it admitted liability .
Nursery closed down in June after it lost council funding . |
183,654 | 79e4f1a66b35b10c7bcabb5d72294e32f031181d | (CNN)Don't get on stage with Afroman. He doesn't want you there. A video shows the rapper and guitarist playing his guitar Tuesday at a concert in Biloxi, Mississippi, when he whirls around and apparently slugs a woman who was dancing on stage behind him. After she goes down, he continues to play. "On 17 February 15, the Biloxi Police Department responded to a reported assault at the Kress Live Entertainment Venue involving Mr. Joseph Edgar Foreman who performs under the stage name Afroman," the Biloxi Police Department arrest report read. "Mr. Foreman was arrested for Assault as a result of a Citizen's Affidavit, booked in, and released after paying a 330 Dollar Bond." "My understanding is (the woman) got up on stage, and he hit her," Police Chief John Miller told the Biloxi Sun Herald. On the video, the woman gets up and looks back at Afroman in surprise. An audience member climbs on stage and leads her away. Wednesday afternoon, Afroman apologized for the incident, telling "TMZ Live" that he's going to be "enrolling in an anxiety foundation right now." "I'm here to apologize," he said. "I need some help." He said that he had been heckled by a man off-stage and was irritated by the women who got on stage, and he added that security should have taken action. Nevertheless, he shouldn't have lashed out, he said. "It was wrong," he said. "What happened shouldn't have happened." The rapper has had trouble with fans getting on stage before, a rep told Billboard. "This was a completely involuntary reflex reaction to people infringing on his stage space," the rep said in a statement. "It was uncharacteristic behavior that was initiated by outside uncontrolled forces." The rep blamed poor security at the venue, Kress Live. Afroman had a big hit in 2000 with "Because I Got High." | Afroman apologizes for incident .
A video shows Afroman hitting a fan at a Mississippi concert .
The guitarist and rapper was arrested and released on bail . |
156,691 | 5699add4b9d922489b21f778ff563b01529ba108 | Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg spoke at a news conference Saturday about the two-pronged attack on his country the previous day -- a shooting at a youth camp that killed at least 85, and a bomb targeting government buildings in the capital, Oslo, that killed seven. The following is a transcript of his speech: . Last night, it became apparent that what happened at the Labour Youth League summer camp on Utøya yesterday was a national tragedy. Not since the Second World War has the country experienced such an atrocity. At least 80 young people have been killed on Utøya. We have also lost some of our colleagues in the government offices. It is incomprehensible. It is like a nightmare. A nightmare for the young people who have been killed. For their families. Mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who have been brutally confronted with death. But also for the survivors and their families. Every single person on Utøya has been marked for life. Young people have experienced things that no one should have to experience. Fear, blood and death. I am unable to express with words how deeply I feel with all who have been hit. Today -- in a few hours' time -- I should have been at Utøya to meet these young people. Many of them are no longer alive. For me, Utøya is the paradise of my youth that yesterday turned into hell. Now we have to do all we can to support and help those who have been stricken by grief. Many people are still working to save lives. I visited Oslo University Hospital last night and applauded the outstanding work the health personnel are doing there. We also extend our thanks to the teams of police and firemen, and many others who are doing a tremendous job. Volunteers have also offered their help. Everyone is doing an impressive job. I appreciate this. We all feel a need to contribute, talk together and take care of each other. Last night, I talked to the leader of the Labour Youth League Eskil Pedersen. He is doing everything he can to comfort and assist everyone who has been hit. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt were at Sundvollen last night and in the early hours to support the young people arriving from Utøya and their families. Many people are still waiting for answers. Later today, I will go to Sundvollen to meet these young people and their families. Early this morning, there will be a meeting of ministers who are most immediately affected, and the whole Government will meet later today. Flags will be flown at half mast today to reflect the grief of the whole nation over this terrible tragedy. | Friday shooting rampage at youth camp "a national tragedy," says Norwegian prime minister .
Jens Stoltenberg calls the shooting and Oslo explosion "incomprehensible"
He thanks medical workers, police, firefighters, volunteers for their work .
"We all feel a need to contribute, talk together and take care of each other," he says . |
39,134 | 6e965c6c0d6ffb52c9c3a77acbba17e8cf0d997b | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 07:29 EST, 20 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:54 EST, 20 January 2014 . For Susan Beatrice, her works of art are timeless. The artist, from Sea Cliff in New York, has created a series of incredible sculptures that are intricately put together using watch parts. The 52-year-old came up with the idea of creating works from the inner workings of timepieces while she was searching for recyclable materials to make her works from. Susan Beatrice, from Sea Cliff in New York, has created more than 30 incredible watch sculptures . Mrs Beatrice came up with the idea of creating works . from the inner workings of timepieces while she was searching for . recyclable materials to make her works from . Having created her first pieces - a fairy and then a moth made entirely from gears - Mrs Beatrice decided to continue working with the medium. So far, she has created more than 30 watch sculptures, with each piece selling for between $400 and $800. Mrs Beatrice said that her process begins by finding pieces that she likes the shape of, before then trying to find other parts to build the sculpture up. So far, her watch works include the likes of horses, angels and lions. The artist said that there are still many other ideas that she has yet to explore, and that the project is on-going. She also takes requests to create the fantasies of her clients through watch parts. Mrs Beatrice, whose sculptures take between three days and a week complete, said: 'I have always been interested in the beautiful mechanics of antique watches and other intricate machinery - I find the workmanship and precision inspiring. Here be dragons: The artist begins by finding pieces that she likes the shape of, before then trying to find other parts to build the sculpture up . Mrs Beatrice said that there are still many other ideas that she has yet to explore, and that the project is on-going . The New York artist said she takes requests to create the fantasies of her clients through watch parts . Labour of love: Mrs Beatrice put together this romantic timepiece using watch parts . Mrs Beatrice, whose sculptures take . between three days and a week complete, said: 'I have always been . interested in the beautiful mechanics of antique watches and other . intricate machinery - I find the workmanship and precision inspiring' 'At first I was mostly interested in using the cases but the more I noticed the exquisite details of the parts themselves, the more I wanted to find a way to create with those, too. 'Since my first piece, the level of complexity in each sculpture has increased. I use many different adhesives and epoxies but I also try to use screws and solder parts when possible. 'Often I will use an existing intact section of a watch interior as a backdrop for the sculpture. There's no preset formula that I follow. 'There's just something magical about the scale of these pieces that fascinates people - like gazing into a magical realm that takes you to another time. 'In our disposable society, people seem to crave the ability to give gifts that become heirlooms. These pieces already have history built in and then they also become little art treasures to their owners. 'Conceptually, there is no limit to what could be created. The miniature scale is challenging but no more limiting than any other art material.' | Artist Susan Beatrice, from New York, uses recycled parts for her work .
Her first works were of a fairy and then a moth made entirely from gears .
Each piece sells for between $400 and $800, the 52-year-old says . |
24,108 | 4469629e86abf75224bd5b6393a7ad3e1cdbf4a8 | By . Chris Parsons . PUBLISHED: . 03:40 EST, 25 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:54 EST, 25 April 2012 . Talented: Student Nicole Westbrook had only moved to Seattle three weeks ago when she was shot in the neck on Sunday morning . An art student has been left fighting for life after being gunned down in a 'random act of violence' as she left a comedy night with her boyfriend. Nicole Westbrook was just yards from her home in Pioneer Square, Seattle, when she was hit in the neck on Sunday morning while heading to her apartment with her partner. The 21-year-old, who is now on a life support machine, had only moved to the city three weeks ago to study at a local art institute. Her devastated boyfriend, Bryant Griffin, has now described the moment became an 'innocent victim' when she was gunned down at around 2a.m on Sunday. Mr Griffin told Washington's Most Wanted: 'Everyone on the street dove to the ground, and I thought that's what she was doing, but everyone started getting back up and she didn't.' The pair had recently moved to Seattle from Albuquerque and were walking home from a night out at a nearby comedy club. Mr Griffin added: 'It was like the happiest I've seen her in a couple weeks... just because we've been struggling financially, just to get started, and not having much at the beginning.' Police said Nicole was gunned down after shots were fired from a passing vehicle in the early hours of Sunday. Detectives added that a smaller, light-coloured vehicle seen fleeing the scene shortly after could be connected to the shooting. It is thought the 'cowardly' shooter had been aiming at the sidewalk Nicole was walking on when she was struck in the neck. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . A white car is spotted driving through Pioneer Square in Seattle, with Nicole Westbrook, blurred to the left, on the sidewalk seconds before she is gunned down . Aftermath: Second after gunshots are heard, the car disappears and passers-by flee the area as Nicole slumps to the ground . Police in Seattle have vowed to hunt down the person behind the shooting, after lamenting the gun violence which is 'permeating our city and this great nation'. Nicole's family have also pleaded for anyone with information on the shooting to come forward. Her aunt, Joyce Esquer, told a media conference: 'There's no honour in what this individual has done. There's no honour in silence. 'We believe there are sister and brothers, daughters and sons, who know this person or who have information about who shot Nicole. 'We ask you to come forward and share this information with the police.' Distraught: Nicole's boyfriend Bryant Griffin, said the couple were heading from a comedy night in Seattle when tragedy struck . Appeal: Nicole's aunt, Joyce Esquer, addressed the media to plead for anyone with information on the shooting to come forward . Police chiefs hold a press conference urging anyone who has information on the 'cowardly' shooting to come forward . The 'random act of violence' happened in Seattle's Pioneer Square, just yards from the apartment Nicole Westbrook had moved in to three weeks ago (file picture) Tragically, Facebook posts have revealed that the shooting is the latest trauma Nicole has had to endure. In 2005 her father died in Afghanistan after being struck by an IED, while her uncle also died four years later while serving in the military. Seattle Police Chief John Diaz said: 'Some coward with a gun used it with tragic results. 'It's our job — the police department and community — to get together and help put this person in prison, help put a stop to this gun violence that's permeating our city and this great nation.' | Nicole Westbrook gunned down three weeks after moving to Seattle .
She had been to comedy club night with boyfriend when she became 'innocent victim'
Art student on life support after 'random act of violence' |
232,883 | b982ce57e85e18b9990ac33d7258b65a137d3b38 | By . Matt Chorley and James Slack . PUBLISHED: . 18:31 EST, 21 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:14 EST, 22 November 2012 . Votes: Justice secretary Chris Grayling today tabled a Bill offering three different options on prisoners' rights to vote . Justice Secretary Chris Grayling today raised the prospect of Britain defying the European Court of Human Rights over giving prisoners the vote. Speaking in the Commons he repeatedly stressed the UK Parliament is ‘sovereign’ and it was up to MPs to decide whether or not to comply with rulings from Strasbourg. Even if fines were imposed on Britain, MPs could decide not to pay them. Despite Attorney General Dominic Grieve warning Cabinet ministers they could not take a stand against a European court’s controversial diktat, Mr Grayling insisted: ‘Ultimately this Parliament is sovereign, this Parliament can decide whether it will accept a ruling of the European Court - of any sort - or whether it won't.’ It came as former justice minister Nick Herbert suggested Britain should not try to accommodate the ECHR. 'We shouldn't defy the European Court of Human Rights: we should resile from it altogether.’ Today Mr Grayling announced a joint committee of MPs and peers would consider proposals for allowing convicts sentenced to less than four years or less than six months to participate in elections. The option of retaining the outright ban would also be considered. Ministers will then 'reflect' on the report before allowing MPs to vote on one option. Mr Grayling warned the financial costs of introducing the vote for prisoners 'could be significant' but also warned of the 'political cost' if Britain defied the ECHR. 'Ultimately if this Parliament decides not to agree to rulings from the ECHR it has no sanction,' Mr Grayling added. 'It can apply fines in absentia but it will be for Parliament to decide whether it wishes to recognise those decisions, as it is with all decisions.' Scroll down for video . Attorney General Dominic Grieve has warned ministers not to express a view on giving prisoners the vote, despite David Cameron saying the idea makes him feel physically sick . Labour's shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said his party remained opposed to giving prisoners the vote. He said if the government opted to allow anyone jailed for under four years to vote, more than 4,000 burglary inmates would have the chance to choose their MP or local councillor. He added: 'The idea that depriving a prisoner of their vote means it's more likely that they will reoffend or less likely that they will reintegrate into society is absurd.' Today’s draft Bill is published one . day before the deadline to comply with the ruling by the ECHR that the . current blanket ban is unlawful. Last February, the Commons called for the blanket ban to be maintained by an overwhelming margin of 234 to 22. Officials will be waiting anxiously to see how Strasbourg reacts to Mr Grayling's proposals. It could yet rule the Government is deploying a delaying tactic and decide to start issuing compensation to inmates. Former justice minister Nick Herbert said Britain should 'resile' from the European Court of Human Rights altogether . In the Commons today, Mr Grayling was repeatedly urged to stand up to Strasbourg. Labour MP Jack Straw, the former . Justice Secretary, said the ECHR had decided to 'extend its jurisdiction . from fundamental human rights into social and civic rights for which we . had not signed up'. Tory Peter Bone said the British . people would welcome Mr Grayling 'putting their views first, making this . Parliament sovereign and ignoring a Mickey Mouse court in Europe'. Nick Herbert, a former justice minister, called for the UK to leave the jurisdiction of the ECHR altogether. Writing . on the ConservativeHome.com website, he said: 'By bringing forward . proposals for a limited enfranchisement, the Government may try to claim . that it has complied with the Court's ruling," Mr Herbert wrote. 'But . I fear this is unlikely to be the end of the matter. The Court also . required the UK to "enact the relevant legislation within any time frame . decided by the Committee of Ministers". Yet it is virtually certain . that the House of Commons will vote to retain the current ban. 'There's . another absurdity in what is being proposed. Ministers may in fact be . unable to vote for, or even advocate, the existing ban - because to do . so would breach the Ministerial Code, which does not allow them to . advocate breaking the law.' He predicted that the ECHR would start awarding prisoners compensation, and the public would find that even harder to 'stomach'. 'We shouldn't defy the European Court of Human Rights: we should resile from it altogether,' he added. Mixed opinions: A string of Tory MPs - led by the Prime Minister - are resisting demands from the European Court of Human Rights for some inmates to be granted the right to vote. This is a file picture of Belmarsh maximum security jail . Sean Humber, a lawyer with Leigh Day & Co representing more than 500 prisoners seeking compensation from the Government, said: 'The Government is already facing claims for compensation running into the millions for refusing to allow serving prisoners the vote. 'Its stubborn refusal to take the necessary action is simply leaving it exposed to the cost of further claims.' David Cameron and a string of senior . ministers have made plain their disgust at the idea of giving rapists, . burglars or any other criminals the vote. But . Mr Grieve has warned senior ministers that they must abstain when the . crucial vote takes place in the House of Commons in the coming months. The law officer has also ruled that the Government must not ‘take a position’ in the debate by expressing support for a ban. His . position is that any attempt by ministers to influence the outcome . would heighten the likelihood of a full-blown confrontation with the . European Court of Human Rights. Officials . believe the UK’s case will be strengthened if Parliament as a whole – . rather than the government of the day – is seen to make the decision . that prisoner voting is unacceptable. But . it will create the farcical situation of the Prime Minister – who says . prisoner voting makes him feel ‘physically ill’ – not being able to . stand up for what he believes in the division lobby. The . instruction is likely to heighten tensions between Mr Grieve and some . of his Cabinet colleagues, who are infuriated by Strasbourg’s meddling . and want to send a clear message to its unaccountable judges. The Attorney General has repeatedly bent over backwards to accommodate the court or avoid incurring its wrath. Mr Grieve is also under pressure for his refusal to intervene in the case of SAS soldier Sgt Danny Nightingale who was jailed for 18 months for keeping a pistol given to him in Iraq. | Justice Secretary Chris Grayling tells MPs Westminster can ignore the European Court of Human Rights and refuse to pay any fines .
He unveiled a three-option plan with the Commons expected to back an outright ban on prisoners voting .
Attorney General Dominic Grieve had warned the Cabinet they must not express a view .
Tory MPs attack 'Mickey Mouse court' and urged Mr Grayling to stand firm .
David Cameron said the idea of inmates taking part in elections makes him 'physically sick' |
32,072 | 5b4ce079040e0926d0fac32d45dd1d275e1a0073 | Samantha Beaven's family say they will sell all their possessions to raise the £70,000 needed to fund pioneering treatment in Mexico . The six-year-old daughter of a woman fighting cancer has vowed to sell all her toys to help raise the £70,000 to fly her mother to Mexico for pioneering treatment. Samantha Beaven was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she went into labour 14 weeks early. Doctors had failed to spot the disease, mistaking her symptoms for those of pregnancy. The cancer has since spread to her brain and specialists have told the 28-year-old the disease is terminal. But refusing to give in, her family today said they are prepared to sell everything they own, their car, jewellery and toys, to try and raise enough money to fund treatment in Central America. Six-year-old Bracken said she will sell all her and her little sister Daisy's toys to help. The family said they have no choice other than to make themselves homeless by moving out of their rented property, saying it won't be a home without Mrs Beaven. The classroom assistant has so far responded well to treatment. But she suffered a fit this morning at home, and scans revealed her cancer has spread. Revolutionary hyperthermia treatment is not yet available in the UK but appealing for funding on the NHS would take weeks - time Mrs Beaven does not have. It involves using heat to target cancer cells specifically, liquefying tumours and studies have found it has prolonged life in some cases. Family friend Wendy Campling is helping to organize the sale. She said: ‘ They will sell everything they have to keep their mummy for longer. ‘They can live without their car and other stuff but not without their mummy. ‘Sam knows her cancer cannot be cured but with the right treatment she could live to be around for her babies for many years. ‘Both her children need her but Daisy being so very premature and poorly means she needs her mummy more than ever and we will do everything we can to make sure Sam is around to take care of her for as long as possible. ‘She could have years with the right treatment, but it is not available in the UK.’ Mrs Beaven from Brighton had visited hospital 10 times with bleeding and cramping only to be told they were signs of her pregnancy. It was only when she went into labour at 26 weeks in October 2013 that doctors discovered she had cervical cancer. She barely had time to come to terms with the news before Daisy was born 14 weeks early weighing just 2lb and 2oz. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she went into labour with her second daughter, Daisy 14 weeks early. She had been to doctors 10 times previously complaining of symptoms but they had been mistaken as common symptoms of pregnancy . Mrs Beaven, has so far responded well to life-prolonging treatment but recently suffered a fit and scans revealed the cancer has spread to her brain. She is desperate for revolutionary hypothermia treatment, not currently available on the NHS . Mrs Beaven hopes the treatment might give her years left with her two daughters, Bracken, six, and Daisy, pictured shortly after she was born a year ago . Both mother and daughter were treated at the same hospital but while Daisy thrived after surgery to remove part of her bowel when she contacted life-threatening necrotizing enterocolitis, her mother’s cancer spread. She married her daughters’ father Alex Beaven in May last year and was delighted when she responded well to treatment to help prolong her life. Hyperthermia treatment uses heat to kill off cancer cells. Used locally, on the tumour itself, the treatment can liquify the disease. Meanwhile, if used as a whole body treatment, hyperthermia can improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Localised hyperthermia treatment, or ablatherm or ablation, has been used to treat prostate cancer. It applies high intensity focussed ultrasound to targeted tumours, liquifying the cells but leaving the surrounding tissues unscathed. The principle of hyperthermia rests on the fact cancer cells are much more sensitive to and intolerant of the effects of excessive heat than normal cells. Where it is used as a whole body treatment, patients' bodies are heated to extremely high temperatures, between 42°C and 45°C. It can be unpleasant so patients are often sedated to allow them to tolerate the heat. Chemotherapy meant she lost her hair and Mrs Beaven began wearing a bright purple wig to make her children smile. Scans in October last year showed the tumours in her lungs were shrinking and she felt confident she would live long enough to see Daisy, now one, start school. Earlier this year the brave mother shared her story with the MailOnline to help raise awareness of cervical cancer and save other lives. She said at the time: ‘Daisy fought so hard to live that I owe it to her and her sister Bracken to do the same. ‘All little ones need their mothers but Daisy being so very premature makes her particularly vulnerable and I just want to be here to help her father protect her as long as I can.’ She had felt in good health until she was found fitting in bed by husband Alex and was rushed by ambulance to Brighton’s Royal Sussex County Hospital. A scan revealed the cervical cancer had spread to her brain. Friend Ms Campling said: ‘We need to get Sam to Mexico for treatment immediately; we don’t have time to wait for the NHS to consider funding her. Time is running out. ‘We need to keep this mummy with her children. They can get another home and another car in the future but they need to save Sam now.' To donate please visit her website here. Friends have set up a donation page to help the family raise the money they need for Mrs Beaven's treatment . | Samantha Beaven was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she went into labour with her second daughter Daisy, 14 weeks early .
Scans have revealed 28-year-old's disease has spread to her brain .
Her family aim to raise £70,000 for revolutionary hypothermia treatment, not yet available on the NHS - appealing for funding could take weeks .
Donation page has been started to help the family raise enough money .
Her family have made themselves homeless, moving out of their rented home to save money for the treatment, and say they'll sell everything . |
117,607 | 23db33983e8e89bd65455649c2a2ddb87827ed96 | By . Tara Brady . Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter believes he is being spied on and prefers to send a good old fashioned letter to world leaders instead of emails. The 89-year-old said it was likely that his emails are monitored by the National Security Agency. The Democrat said: 'As a matter of fact, you know, I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored. Scroll down for video . Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter believes he is being spied on and prefers to send a good old . fashioned letter to world leaders instead of emails . 'And when I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write a letter myself, put it in the post office, and mail it,' he told NBC's Meet the Press. He added: 'Because I believe if I send an email it will be monitored.' Asked about disclosures of sweeping U.S. surveillance activities, Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, said the practice 'has been extremely liberalised and, I think, abused by our own intelligence agencies.' Since former employee Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the National Security Agency's surveillence programme last year, President Obama has proposed changes into how the agency collects its data. Snowden claims he tried 10 times to make formal complaints about government spy programmes but no-one listened to him. Snowden (left) claims he tried 10 times to make formal complaints about government spy programs while President Obama (right) has proposed changes into how the government collects its data . Snowden previously worked for the CIA before joining the NSA in Hawaii as a contractor from Booz Allen Hamilton. It was from there that he leaked information about the extent of NSA spying programs to the press before fleeing to Hong Kong and then seeking asylum in Russia. Snowden said that no one wanted to be associated with any complaints at the NSA. During the interview Carter also said that President Obama had noy asked for his advice on how to deal with Russia's annexing of Crimea. When asked if he had been contacted by the president, Carter said: 'Unfortunately the answer is no. President Obama doesn't, but previous presidents have called on me.' | The 89-year-old said it was likely his emails are monitored by NSA .
The Democrat said the practice had been 'liberalized' and 'abused'
Carter served as the U.S. president between 1977 and 1981 .
President Obama has proposed changes into how agency collects its data . |
258,220 | da30da9139896769e804641392ccdca5de3f428b | (CNN) -- FIFA has employed a pair of high-profile crimefighters to help tackle corruption in the game, after a wake of scandals that have engulfed soccer's world governing body. President Sepp Blatter announced that former United States attorney Michael J Garcia and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert had joined the organization to probe allegations of wrongdoing. Their first task will be to investigate a Swiss court document after an investigation into alleged illegal payments made by FIFA marketing partner International Sports and Leisure (ISL) to former FIFA president Joao Havelange and former executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira. The report found that Havelange had received at least 1.5 million Swiss francs ($1.53 million) and Teixeira was paid at least CHF 12.4 million ($12.64 million) from marketing partner ISL. Blatter: I knew about 'illegal' payments . Last week Blatter admitted that he did know about the alleged bribes handed to former FIFA executives, but insisted he didn't think they were illegal at the time. As well as the new appointments, Blatter also announced a new FIFA Code of Ethics which includes provision to remove time limitations for the prosecution of bribery and corruption cases. He said the new two-chamber court would help to prosecute cases more quickly and could look retrospectively at old cases, including the process surrounding the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively. "I don't see any limitation if anything has happened," he told a press conference at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, when asked about the ISL case. "We have a new set of rules and regulations, we have new regulations for the Ethics Committee, we have no statute of limitations there. "What you are mentioning right now, this is a case that has been taken to the Supreme Court in Switzerland, where a decision was taken, so FIFA will now look into only moral and ethical issues." Garcia was appointed head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in the Department of Homeland Security by former president George W. Bush. He has prosecuted a number of high-profile cases including the 1993 terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. Eckert is a specialist when it comes to big bribery charges, and presided over an investigation into German telecommunications giant Siemens that uncovered billion-dollar payments. Blatter spoke of his delight at the dual appointment on his official Twitter page, writing: "Major milestone for our governance process: Ethics Code approved, independent chairmen for investigatory & adjudicatory chambers. "I remain 100% committed to reforms and FIFA fully backs Michael Garcia and Hans-Joachim Eckert, the two new independent chairmen. "On my request, ISL file will be given to the new Ethics Committee. ISL is settled legally -- now it will be settled also morally." Meanwhile, Mohamed bin Hammam, a former challenger to Blatter for the FIFA presidency, has been suspended for 30 days over new corruption allegations. The Qatari was banned from soccer for life after a FIFA probe found him guilty of offering bribes in return for votes during his challenge to Blatter, which he withdrew hours before his ban. He was temporarily replaced as head of the Asian Football Confederation, after serving for nine years as president. Bin Hammam has repeatedly protested his innocence and has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with a verdict due this week. But the AFC announced on their website that he had been suspended after an inspection of the organization's accounts. The audit concerned "the negotiation and execution of certain contracts and with the financial transactions made in and out of AFC bank accounts and his personal account during the tenure of Mr Bin Hammam's presidency," it said. | FIFA unveil two new appointments to their Ethics Committee at press call in Zurich .
US attorney Michael J Garcia and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert join organization .
Pair will help investigate allegations of wrongdoing in world football .
First task is to probe documents relating to case involving marketing firm ISL . |
275,943 | f180438e281e1f57805a96a4f8b66ee0b2b24251 | Home Secretary Theresa May wants security services to be able to snoop on email and internet records, but Nick Clegg is seeking to delay the Communications Data Bill . Water and power firms are being targeted by foreign countries launching cyber attacks against Britain. The services ‘upon which daily life depends’ risk being disrupted by hackers working for the UK's enemies, officials claimed. Internet terrorism from ‘hostile foreign states’ is now one of the top four threats Britain faces. The scale of the problem comes as Home Secretary Theresa May stepped up her call for more powers to track email and internet use. She claimed people will ‘die’ without more powers to track terrorists, paedophiles and criminals online. A major Coalition split was laid bare as Mrs May took a swipe at Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg for blocking new internet powers to break up criminal plots on sites like Facebook and Skype. The £2billion law – dubbed a snoopers charter - would store billions of pieces of private information from emails, Facebook, texts and internet use. In a thinly-veiled swipe at her Cabinet colleague, Mrs May said opponents of her legislation are 'putting politics before people’s lives’. Mr Clegg wants to delay the Communications Data Bill until 2014 to strike a balance between security and liberty’. But Mrs May said: ‘The people who say they’re against this bill need to look victims of serious crime, terrorism and child sex offences in the eye and tell them why they’re not prepared to give the police the powers they need to protect the public. ‘We would certainly see criminals going free as a result of this. There will be paedophiles who will not be identified and it will reduce our ability to deal with this serious organised crime,’ she told The Sun. Mrs May suggested . the new laws were needed to prevent a repeat of the 7/7 London bombings . or the shootings of two female police officers in Manchester in . September. ‘The . shootings of Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone brought everybody up sharp to . show the extent of the problem that can be caused by criminals. ‘It . would be harder for us to crack into organised crime gangs, and yes we . could see people dying as a result of not being able to have access to . this information.’ Mrs May said opponents of her Communications Data Bill had to 'look victims of terrorism in the eye', like those caught up in the 7/7 London bombings . She went on: 'Criminals, terrorists and paedophiles will want MPs to vote against this bill. 'Victims of crime, police and the public will want them to vote for it. It's a question of whose side you're on.' However, a committee of MPs and peers is . expected to issue damning criticism of the measures this week, arguing . ministers have not made the case that is really needed. The Home Office insists the proposed storage of website visits for 12 months, along with use of Skype and even online games consoles, will protect national security. Without it, police and the security services will lose their ability to track the activities of crime gangs and paedophiles over time, they argue. Officials warn that new technology will allow terrorists to hatch plots or swap sickening images. Gaps in coverage already mean the authorities have no access to a quarter of all communications data. The plans would cover when and to whom a phone call was made, not what was said. The content of emails would also not be stored, just details of who sent and received them. In a separate move the Government is warning critical infrastructure is being targeted by online terrorists. Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude is . publishing an update of the Government's cyber security strategy, . including fresh measures to improve the UK's ability to detect and . defeat high-end threats’. Cyber attacks have been launched against the supplies 'upon which daily life depends,' including power firms . Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude is warning companies they must become more 'cyber savvy' Systems controlling vital utilities like power and water supplies are being targeted, officials say. Firms providing ‘the essential services upon which daily life depends’ have been attacked from abroad, an official told The Guardian. The government is advising multi-national firms on how to prevent hackers disrupting supplies. Mr Maude said the entire country needed to become more ‘cyber savvy’. He added: ‘The internet transforms the risk we face. It is why we have rated attacks from cyberspace one of the top four threats to our national security. ‘We are in a race to build sufficient cyber defences to match the growing volume and dependence of our online economic, security and social interests. ‘It's a race we can only win by working together: Government, industry, academia and the public. This is as much a shared responsibility as a shared effort.’ Earlier this year Foreign Secretary William Hague and Business Secretary Vince Cable called in the chairmen and chief executives of Ftse 100 companies for a briefing in the Foreign Office to spell out the dangers including the online theft of valuable intellectual property and commercially sensitive information. At the same time ministers want to highlight the commercial potential of Britain's growing expertise in cyber security to boost exports around the world. | Home Secretary says opponents of her Communications Data Bill must look victims of terrorism 'in the eye'
Deputy PM Nick Clegg wants 'snooper's charter' delayed until 2014 .
Row comes amid warning that cyber terrorists are targeting utility firms to disrupt supplies of gas, electricity and water . |
240,953 | c3f299a799dd3bb4257ed53783d9fe0e1d164ab4 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A veteran of over 20 years of mountain climbing, Dave Bunting has been in some pretty tight scrapes. Soldier mountaineer Dave Bunting on Mount Everest. His team tried to summit via the mountain's notorious West Ridge in 2006. He and his climbing partner once watched in terror as a huge avalanche careered down a Himalayan mountainside straight for them. They were miraculously spared when the wall of snow parted on either side of the promontory where they were standing at a distance of just 50 meters. On another occasion he spent an agonizing night hanging precariously over a 3,000-foot (900 meter) drop during an electrical storm in the Alps. He estimates he was electrocuted "half a dozen times" during the course of the night. Faced with the fearsome power of nature mountaineers like Bunting rely on one indispensable ally -- other mountaineers. Teamwork is essential in climbing. The first successful ascent of Everest was as much about the bond of trust that existed between modest New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and his diminutive Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, as their individual talents. To illustrate this point, when Bunting -- a warrant officer in the British Army -- was compiling a team of soldiers to attempt an ascent of Everest's notorious West Ridge the first quality he and the rest of the selection panel looked for was not climbing expertise, but compatibility. "A lot of people think that when you go and do something like that, you immediately look for all the best climbers in the army," he says. "But what we based our selection process on, compatibility was first." Of course, all team sports rely upon a strong dynamic between the individual members. But there can be few disciplines in which the stakes are as high as in mountain climbing, where your life often literally rests in someone else's hands. Bunting, 40, led the expedition of 21 army mountaineers to Everest's West Ridge two years ago. It was a daunting undertaking. Of over 2,200 climbers who have made it to the top of the world's tallest peak since it was first conquered, only 19 have done so via this route. The ridge is rarely attempted because of its steepness and because its position leaves it exposed to high winds and the risk of avalanche. The army's summit attempt took three and half years in the planning and preparation and was the subject of a documentary, 'Everest: Man v Mountain.' Much of this build-up involved establishing strong bonds between team members. Practice climbs, social events and corporate-style teambuilding days were all employed to try to instil an atmosphere of mutual trust within the group. An essential factor on a mountain as significant as Everest, Bunting says. "You are massively wrapped up in emotions there because you've spent three and a half years preparing for it," says Bunting, who now runs his own outdoor events company in the Bavarian Alps. The prestige of getting to the top of Everest can sometimes blur a climber's moral judgement, leading to acts of single-mindedness that border on the downright callous. During the same season as Bunting's army expedition, David Sharp, a 34-year-old British climber died of cold, exhaustion and lack of oxygen on his descent from the summit. As details of Sharp's death became public it emerged that 40 climbers had passed him, making no attempt to save the stricken climber as he lay stranded in the scant shelter of a rock alcove on the mountain's northeast ridge. The incident drew much soul-searching in the mountaineering world, with Sir Edmund Hillary complaining to New Zealand's Otago Daily Times of the "horrifying" attitudes it revealed. "(On Everest) a lot of people are out for themselves completely," says Bunting. He says this selfish streak is exacerbated by the fast turnover of commercial climbing expeditions, which often meet for the first time just a couple of weeks before a summit attempt, meaning there is little opportunity to build team morale. By contrast, among Bunting's army mountaineers the needs of the group were always put before personal ambition. He gives an example: . "As we went for the summit there were a number of support teams, one of whose job it was to break trail from base camp right the way up to 7,500 metres, clambering through two foot of snow. "Each step you take at those altitudes is absolutely horrendous. There's a clip in the documentary of one of the lads breaking trail, every step up to his knees in snow, and you hear him say: 'Well, this is our job so we've got to get on with it.' "A brilliant demonstration of teamwork." The biggest test of this togetherness came when Bunting was left the unenviable task of telling his team of ambitious young soldiers he was abandoning the summit attempt because of a high risk of avalanches. "Two or three of the guys were pretty pissed off, to be honest. "Instead of getting wrapped up in emotions -- because Everest is a very emotional place -- I looked at it in very black and white terms. I couldn't risk sending my team up the mountain with that kind of real and present danger involved." This clear-headed thinking meant his team braved one of the most dangerous climbs in the world and made it back down again, together. | Army officer Dave Bunting recruited a team of 21 soldiers to summit Everest .
The 2006 attempt was via the mountain's notoriously dangerous West Ridge .
They spent over three years preparing by building cameraderie and team spirit .
Bunting says personal ambition can sometimes get the better of climbers on Everest . |
238,399 | c08f0e667a8320d580134c0f536155483f86f635 | (CNN) -- Damn those extreme Republicans. President Obama and White House press secretary Jay Carney have found Republicans guilty of extortion and blackmail. Joe Biden, per a report in Politico, once christened Republicans as terrorists. Liberals have led a media assault, calling the GOP anarchists, jihadists, "gun to head" hostage takers, and the political equivalent of the Taliban. White House advisor Dan Pfeiffer has likened Republicans to suicide bombers "with a bomb strapped to their chest." What could be more extreme? The Democratic Party. True, the Ted Cruz wing in the House of Representatives is relentless, uncompromising and unmoved by practicality. As we all know, there are perhaps 40 or so "bullet-proof Republicans" in the House, in safe GOP districts, invulnerable except to Kryptonite. They fear a fellow Republican getting to their right in a primary more than a long-shot Democratic opponent who would paint their district blue in a general election. No doubt, the GOP is a party divided, but there are a lot of Democrats in safe districts, too. Why don't they fear a fellow Democrat getting to their left in a primary? Why aren't the Democrats a party divided between a centrist mainstream and a more extreme, radicalized left? Let us count the reasons: Barack Obama has taken the Democratic Party left of Clinton. He left blue-dog, centrist Democrats to be punished for his sins and they were wiped out in the GOP's 2010 Congressional landslide. All the while, the Internet has empowered and organized the party's remaining and most extreme elements. The Democratic Party can't go left. It is left, in entirety. They already occupy America's left fringe. Bill Clinton's New Democrats are dead. This is not Hillary Clinton's Democratic Party. Today's Democratic Party belongs to Elizabeth Warren. It is the party that just nominated a Sandinista trainee who returned from Nicaragua with "a vision of unfettered leftist government" for mayor of New York City, according to the New York Times. And today's Democrats think this is a good thing. They dream audaciously, as Ruy Teixeira wrote in the Atlantic, of a new "Emerging Democratic Majority." As Peter Beinart noted in a Daily Beast piece, "The Rise of the New New Left," "Bill de Blasio's win in New York's Democratic primary isn't a local story. It's part of a vast shift that could upend three decades of American political thinking." The Democratic Party is now animated by the "mobilized left," Beinart writes, emboldened by Internet activism. Their cause was galvanized by President Obama's seemingly impossible re-election. Once, Obama may have campaigned as a centrist, but that was long ago. He has since governed as an old school economic liberal from the '60s. As Fred Thompson has noted, Barack Obama has been "George McGovern without the experience." Obama's answer to every economic challenge has been top-down. Our governing class knows best, he believes, especially since Washington's elite now includes him. If the world has changed in eight decades, our President hasn't noticed. His view of government is cast from the bronze of Franklin Roosevelt and the '30s. He puts our big, dumb, inflexible public sector at the top of American life, to mandate redistribution and prosperity. At every opportunity, he has grown the public sector's archaic program-and-policy factory. This empty presidency tries only to cure too much old government with even more of it. Though little of what he has tried has worked, it has not seemed to deter his party. It hasn't deterred him. His government doesn't govern education: The U.S. educational system barely edges out nations such as Slovakia, in international rankings. His government doesn't govern retirement: Our public-sector retirement system is akin to an unsustainable Ponzi scheme. His government doesn't govern health care: The Affordable Care Act is making health care more unaffordable for many seniors. His old government doesn't govern our economy: A record high 89 million Americans don't participate in the workforce and 300,000 more dropped out this August. Barack Obama is building the largest public sector since World War II and, yet, our government governs nothing. Still, an intellectually exhausted Democratic Party proposes nothing new. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying until you are $20 trillion in debt and failure litters your streets. The rollout of the Obamacare website is but another symptom of an old, hierarchical bureaucracy incapable of keeping pace with the complexities of a modern, adaptive America. Healthcare.gov is the best old Washington can do, not the worst. While our world transforms itself through revolutions in energy, technology and communication, the ideologists of the left stagnate. Barack Obama's Democratic Party is intellectually exhausted. Their old Democratic Party has nothing up its sleeves but more of the same. How our young President could only offer such dated ideas will be studied for decades. For now, we can mark candidate Obama's transformation from agent of hope and change to defender of liberal calcification as one of the great sleight-of-hand tricks in political history. With any luck, he will be the last President who tried to teach our dinosauric public sector to dance to the music of a new and adaptive era. Others, beyond Obama, will not expand but instead transform what we now pretend "governs" us. As for his legacy, today's tweeters and texters will remember Barack Obama as the last President of the Industrial Age and once he is gone, there will be no cover for his party's intellectual barrenness. Obama will leave a Democratic Party epitomized by ancient ideas, radically positioned left of our political center. The political trouble Barack Obama inherited from George W. Bush is nothing compared to what Obama has teed up for a future contender such as Hillary Clinton. Our former secretary of state has had no choice but to campaign for president earlier than she would have chosen. Clinton can see that this radicalized Democratic Party could easily leave her behind and find another champion. It did so before, to her distress, in 2008. No other member of the old Democratic elite can possibly hold its left-sliding legions together, yet Hillary Clinton has only one credential that appeals to her party: She could be our first female president. Elizabeth Warren's growing followers, more in tune with today's radicalized, populist Democrats, are likely to find that distinction unimpressive. If Clinton's rationale begins to fray, all hands on deck: The Democratic Party's 2016 nomination process is going to look like the casting call for "One-Flew-Over-The Cuckoo's Nest." Howard Dean may have screamed his way past the Democratic nomination in 2004, but the revolution he started has borne fruit. The 2016 nomination battle may be a fight between Elizabeth Warren, Governors Martin O'Malley and Deval Patrick, an unpolished pack of ideological duds and even a reinvigorated Dean, all vying to out-crazy each other and take the Democratic Party over a precipice. They'll make the troupe that sought the 2012 GOP nomination look like the committee awarding the Nobel Prize for Physics. Which party is more extreme? A Republican Party divided between 180 mainstream House members and 40 Ted Cruz mini-me's? Or a Democratic Party united to preserve our fossilized, ineffective public sector? A Republican Party advocating a path to fresh, natural, economic growth? Or a Democratic Party offering young voters the outdated economics of conformity, artificially imposed by Washington's elites? A Republican Party being driven to offer change? Or a Democratic Party united against it? Entrepreneurs, start printing tie-died shirts now. They will be hot sellers at the next Democratic Convention. Both sides are in for an interesting ride, but for Democrats, it's going to be an extreme 2016. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alex Castellanos. | Alex Castellanos: While everyone focuses on GOP's right, the Democrats are being ignored .
He argues that Democrats as a party have moved much further, in this case, to the left .
Democrats are celebrating the shift to a more liberal view of role of government, he says .
Castellanos: Elizabeth Warren wing of party could make life difficult for Hillary Clinton in 2016 . |
179,142 | 73f1ab1b47f763ee541c9f3ddc143108de3166b0 | By . Matt Lawton . Follow @@Matt_Lawton_DM . Nothing went right for David Moyes yesterday. Not even when it came to escaping a press conference his chastened media officer decided to bring to a sudden and premature end. He attempted to leave through the wrong door, and so had to suffer the ignominy of re-entering the room to try again. Whether Moyes gets the chance to try again this summer remains to be seen, however. Particularly after this; quite possibly the nadir of his managerial career. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch both managers give their views on the game . Wrong one? David Moyes was outclassed by Roberto Martinez (L) at Goodison Park . It was that bad yesterday, however much Manchester United’s troubled manager tried to argue otherwise, and what would have made it all the more uncomfortable for him was the fact that the guy who succeeded him at Goodison Park appears increasingly capable of replacing him again. However bad things have been at United this season, a lack of alternatives has been given as a reason for sticking with Moyes. Jurgen Klopp, Louis van Gaal and Diego Simeone get mentioned regularly but they come with certain risks. Stay of execution: The Grim Reaper looms over Moyes like an uncertain future as part of a promotional stunt . Perhaps they should look instead at what Roberto Martinez is now achieving here. A first league double over United in 44 years and a Premier League points tally that is likely to see Everton break the 70-point barrier that always proved beyond Moyes. Never mind the fact that he secured the FA Cup for Wigan and strikes anyone who encounters him as one of the brightest young managers in the game. He also possesses obvious passion for the English game and seems to have the same star quality as the guy on the other side of Stanley Park. We should not forget that this was how we used to feel about Moyes too, and it might yet be enough to convince the Old Trafford hierarchy that he deserves the opportunity to spend the money that is required to rebuild this stuttering United side. One that got away: Former United target Leighton Baines opened the scoring from the penalty spot . But this felt like the tipping point, the point of no return, and the point where Ed Woodward and the Glazers start to think seriously about an alternative to a man who is discovering to his cost that it really would have been better to follow the man who followed Sir Alex Ferguson. It is certainly hard to imagine Moyes ever experiencing a more depressing journey home from Goodison than the one he endured last night. His players must have known how much this game meant to him and yet they responded with a lifeless, spineless display. Not for the first time this season, United looked like a team of impostors. Like a side subjected to an invasion of the body snatchers. They looked the same. They just didn’t play the same. Lacklustre: Wayne Rooney came closest to scoring but it was another insipid display from United . It was every bit as abject as that performance against Olympiakos. Every bit as inept as their recent efforts against Liverpool. If Moyes can take anything from this game, it is the fact that it justified his eagerness to sign Leighton Baines. Everton’s full-backs, two players who were among the more astute purchases Moyes made in his 11 years at this club, performed key roles in securing this victory. Bad to worse: David de Gea reacts to Everton's second goal, which condemned Manchester United to an 11th loss this season . Baines and Seamus Coleman were terrific. And, more significantly, they were in a different league from the two individuals endeavouring to perform the sale roles for United. Alexander Buttner and Chris Smalling? In fairness to Smalling he remains a decent centre half. But they were both sorry excuses for United players on this occasion. But will Moyes be given the chance to address these and other issues? Will he be forgiven for allowing United to slip so far down from the summit of English football? He was supposed to be trading up when he left Everton last May, not taking over a team now 12 points adrift of the one he left behind. Even if he does have a game in hand. | David Moyes lost 2-0 to Everton on his return to Goodison Park .
Scot was outclassed by his successor Roberto Martinez .
Alternatives such as Klopp, Simeone and Van Gaal come with risks .
United could consider having Martinez replace Moyes for a second time . |
180,821 | 7612064f6989c5308c74d560cb4587c30d6763f3 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 13:00 EST, 12 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:57 EST, 13 March 2013 . A businessman tried to carry out a £42,000 insurance fraud by claiming his 'tatty and dull' Bentley was a different car which he had photographed during a test drive. Peter Webb, 56, paid just £3,700 for what was described as a 'tatty and dull' Bentley Mark VI which he planned to use for his wedding chauffeur business. Ipswich Crown Court heard how he insured the car in February 2011 for £42,000, only to report it stolen two months later from a garage near his home. Caught: A businessman tried to carry out a £42,000 insurance fraud by putting fake number plates on a classic Bentley car while on a test drive. This image shows the vintage Bentley which Peter Webb used . Webb told his insurance company Grouparama Insurances that his valuation of the car was accurate as he had splashed out £38,000 in cash on restoring it from scrap. When the insurers became suspicious and demanded to see the invoices, paperwork and pictures of the restoration work, he insisted it was all in the boot of the stolen car. Webb then tried to prove his story by taking a fully restored 1950s Bentley Mark VI for a test drive from heritage motor dealers P & A Wood in Great Easton near Dunmow, Essex. Unbeknown to staff at the showroom, he drove to a country lane where he fitted the immaculate Bentley with a different number plate showing the registration number of his car. Webb, of Ipswich, then took a photograph of the car at the roadside before removing the fake number plate and returning the Bentley to the unsuspecting dealer. He then submitted the photograph to his insurers along with another picture of the interior of a Bentley which he found on an internet advert. Scam: Peter Webb took these photographs which he gave to investigators looking into his claim . Prosecutor Michael Crimp said his scam was uncovered when insurance investigators went on to Google and found the car in Webb's pictures was really the other vehicle in pristine condition. A witness who carried out an MoT test on Webb's car in December 2010 described it as 'tatty and dull' and totally unlike the car in the photographs shown to the insurance company. Webb, 56, admitted making a fraudulent insurance claim with the intention of gaining £42,000 and was fined £10,000. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 prosecution costs, a £15 victim surcharge and £1,323 to the insurance company to cover the costs of their investigation. Judge Rupert Overbury told him: 'You wanted to make sure you got as much from the insurance company as you possibly could. 'You inflated the car's value and obtained pictures by pretending to take the exact car for a test drive. 'Plainly you must have taken your number plates with you for that test drive and swapped them over and taken photographs.' Engine Size: 4 1⁄2-litre . Production: 1946–1952 . Number produced: 5208 . Body style: 4-door saloon . Top speed: 100 mph . Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 15 seconds . Fuel consumption: 16.5 miles per gallon . The judge added that Webb had gained nothing from the scam as he had been caught out by the insurance company. Michael Latham, defending, said Webb had initially bought the car to use for weddings and chauffeuring. He said Webb's business interests had suffered as a result of the recession and he regretted his involvement in the fraud. Webb was arrested at work after Groupama Insurances referred the case to the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department. He initially pleading not guilty, but later admitted the attempted fraud . Det Con Declan Malone, who led the City of London Police investigation, said: 'Webb thought he had a clever plan to claim a substantial five figure sum from his insurer with his story that his restored Bentley had been stolen. 'However, the insurers saw through his fraud and referred the case to us and we were quickly able to establish he had committed a crime. IFED will continue to bring insurance fraudsters to justice.' Andrew Pagett, the counter fraud manager at Groupama Insurances said: 'This is an excellent result for both us and IFED. 'Groupama Insurances' dedicated Fraud Team became suspicious of this claim at an early stage because of inconsistencies in the customer's story, compounded by the lack of supporting documentation confirming the existence of his vehicle. 'We are grateful to IFED for pursuing this case and are extremely satisfied with the outcome which demonstrates the insurance industry's commitment to fight fraud and protect innocent policyholders.' The Bentley Mark VI which was made between 1946 and 1952 was Britain's first post-war luxury car. Around 5,200 of the cars were made . A spokesman for P & A Wood refused to comment. | Peter Webb, 56, paid just £3,700 for Bentley Mark VI .
He insured the car for £42,000 - only to report it stolen two months later . |
239,312 | c1d456a4baf811ee73cc8d128773895b80ef5615 | (CNN) -- Cathay Pacific was named the world's best airline at an awards ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow Tuesday. The Hong Kong-based firm claimed the World Airline Awards title from last year's winner Emirates. It was Cathay Pacific's first victory in the most prestigious category since 2009. The award is decided by the votes of millions of travelers. A Cathay Pacific delegation received the prize from CNN's Jim Boulden. "Of all the sellers, Cathay were the best performers across all types of travel. Some airliners were very good in economy, others in luxury, but they were top or near the top in all categories", Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, told CNN. Speaking ahead of the show, Cathay Pacific chairman John Slosar expressed his confidence, stating: "I believe that the Cathay Pacific team is the best and it is fantastic to see that our passengers see it the same way. "I would certainly like to congratulate our cabin crew and everyone else in the Cathay Pacific team who make our award-winning service happen each and every day." Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines placed second and third respectively in the global category. Emirates slipped to fourth. Elsewhere, there was victory for Thomson Airways in the Best Leisure Airline category, while Air Canada won the regional category for North America. World Airline Awards - Airline of the Year 2014 . 1. Cathay Pacific . 2. Qatar Airways . 3. Singapore Airlines . 4. Emirates . 5. Turkish Airlines . 6. ANA All Nippon Airways . 7. Garuda Indonesia . 8. Asiana Airlines . 9. Etihad Airways . 10. Lufthansa . | Cathay Pacific wins world's airliner of the year title .
Hong-Kong based airline impress with high standards in economy and luxury .
Qatar Airways rank second, Singapore Airlines come third whilst Emirates take fourth place . |
161,709 | 5d1a0cd61628a46981c2f4f93255a3413c7b3947 | Six games unbeaten but thoughts of invincibility couldn’t be further from Arsene Wenger’s mind. Not when he feels so exposed. Arsenal’s manager had a lot to consider after this north London derby, not least how he finds his squad threadbare in defence and midfield after £76million of summer spending. The latter of those departments was decimated here — Jack Wilshere hurting his right ankle and Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta falling to respective hamstring and calf injuries. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wheels away after equalising for Arsenal against Spurs . The England midfielder gave Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris no chance from close range . Michael Oliver’s booking of Tottenham’s Nacer Chadli (left) after he celebrated his opening goal by cupping his hand behind his ear might have seemed harsh to some. However, Oliver obviously believed Chadli was trying to wind up Arsenal fans in such a heated local derby. I once cautioned Frank Lampard for the same thing at Anfield — much to his dismay. Curiously, Steven Gerrard did the same thing against Everton on Saturday and no action was taken against him. Wenger sought an investigation into how Ramsey and Arteta’s injuries could occur after being rested against Southampton in midweek, though his more pressing concern is that his midfield screen team will now miss this week’s crucial games against Galatasaray and Chelsea. The loss of Ramsey, brilliant for 45 minutes before injury against Spurs, will doubtless sting a side struggling to convert chances. But Arteta’s absence is more immediately significant considering the lack of rearguard options available, with Mathieu Flamini filling the gap on Saturday and making the mistake that allowed Nacer Chadli to score Spurs’ opener. Wilshere will be assessed further on Monday, but is likely to miss Wednesday’s Galatasaray tie. ‘I can play in midfield,’ was Wenger’s take on the dilemma. ‘I would consider playing Calum Chambers there. But I only have four defenders at the moment. Flamini is the only option I see.’ Chambers himself is throwing up something of an issue. The England defender, deputising at right back for the injured Mathieu Debuchy, is looking with each game to be a superb signing at £12m and 19 years old. But he’s also acquired four yellow cards and is one from a defence-wrecking suspension. Arsenal had no specialist defenders on the bench, though Wenger will not curb Chambers’ style. Jack Wilshere is a doubt for Wednesday's match with Galatasaray after picking up an injury . And Aaron Ramsey (left) and Mikel Arteta will definitely sit out the visit of the Turkish side . Arsenal have scored 11 goals this season, but their chance conversion rate is still only the 11th best in the Premier League . ‘He has to play his game,’ Wenger said. ‘The fact he is keen and committed maybe sometimes leads him to commit spectacular fouls. ‘It’s remarkable what he’s doing at the age of 19. It’s not often you see that quality at his age.’ Quality around the opposition box, particularly from corners, would have made the difference on Saturday. Arsenal had 16 shots to Tottenham’s six, but could only draw for the fourth time this term. After three games without a win, Galatasaray - who travel to the Emirates on Wednesday - beat Sivasspor 2-1 in the Turkish Super League to ease the pressure on new manager Cesare Prandelli. Wesley Sneijder was on form as Prandelli's men triumphed over Sivasspor, managed by Roberto Carlos, thanks to first half strikes from Aurelien Chedjou and Burak Yilmaz. They move up to fifth . Mesut Ozil was only fleetingly impressive, while Danny Welbeck was poor and £35m forward Alexis Sanchez started on the bench. Wenger indicated Welbeck and Sanchez lack confidence. ‘We need to give some time to Welbeck and Sanchez to gain some confidence,’ Wenger said. ‘But we have Ramsey, (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil and Santi Cazorla so we have enough players who can score.’ Asked if Sanchez was struggling with confidence, Wenger said: ‘He has scored goals, until now. I’m sure he’ll score 15 to 20 goals.’ Spurs nearly emerged from a jerky performance with a win, only for Oxlade-Chamberlain to equalise late on. Mauricio Pochettino said: ‘The players need time to adapt to our philosophy because we play in a different system.’ Like our Arsenal Facebook page. | A late goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rescued a point for Arsenal in the North London derby .
But injuries to Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta have decimated the club's midfield ranks .
Likely to miss Wednesday's Champions League clash with Galatasaray .
Nacer Chadli had opened the scoring to give Spurs the lead .
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino says his team need time to adapt to the new philosophy . |
208,477 | 99eb3673f32d0809178a5fe2328de2e9a81d89bf | Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's old flight suit turned up in a Toronto thrift shop, but how it ended up on sale for $40, not even the former commander of the International Space Station knows. 'That's a mystery to me as to how it got there,' Hadfield wrote to the woman who discovered the suit, Dr Julielynn Wong, CBC reports. Wong says she was browsing a vintage clothing store on Queen Street West in the Parkdale neighborhood of Toronto when she came upon a true gem. Finders keepers: Dr Julielynn Wong, pictured in her own flight suit from her work at Ontario Science Centre Challenger Learning Centre, purchased Hadfield's suit on markdown . Found: Astronaut Chris Hadfield's old flight suit turned up in a Toronto thrift shop, but how it ended up on sale for $40, not even the former commander of the International Space Station knows . 'I thought, wow, what is a flight suit like that doing up there?' she told the CBC, but when she read the name , she got a shock. 'My jaw just dropped. I said, "I can't believe it."' In the universe of modern space exploration celebrity - if such a thing exists - Chris Hadfield's star shines the brightest. The first Canadian to command the International Space Station, Hadfield racked up over 1million Twitter followers with breathtaking photos shot from space of the planet below. He also shot to viral fame through short videos filmed on the space station, including a cover of David Bowie's Space Oddity. Wong bought the flight suit for $40, a markdown from $80, and wrote Hadfield on Facebook, having trained in space medicine at the same Texas facility where Hadfield worked in 2012. Mission complete: Hadfield (left), pictured with Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko (center) and Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn, works to spur interest in space exploration through his social media accounts . 'He started asking questions,' Wong said, such as 'Well, does it have a puncture marks in the badge?' After Wong said the suit matched several detailed descriptions that Hadfield offered of the suit, he declared it the real deal, though he couldn't explain how it had wound up in a Toronto thrift shop. 'Maybe it inadvertently got put in a donations bag or something. I’ll ask my family and staff,' he wrote to her, according to the Toronto Star. 'Glad you ended up with it — especially on sale.' Wong, who has her own flight suit from the Ontario Science Centre Challenger Learning Centre, where she once worked running Mars mission simulations, is thrilled to have a piece of history. 'I can bring it out and share it with people. They can touch it and take "selfies" with it,' she told the Star. 'It’s nice to be able to inspire the next generation of space pioneers.' | Dr Julielynn Wong bought the flight suit for a 50 percent markdown .
She was shocked when she read the name and saw it belonged to Hadfield .
Wong trained in space medicine and designs exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre Challenger Learning Centre .
The former commander of the International Space Station has over 1million Twitter followers and photos and videos from the station went viral .
He told Wong over Facebook he had no idea how suit ended up for sale . |
161,815 | 5d3e6ea7adc5fd80cbda50026cb3b06c5f0c2062 | (CNN) -- "She said YES!!!" That was the tweet that NBA star Dwyane Wade used Saturday to announce his engagement to actress Gabrielle Union. Wade made the announcement via Twitter and Instagram, posting a photo of the stunning solitaire diamond. Wade, 31, a guard with the Miami Heat, and the 41-year-old Union have been dating several years. Among Wade's many accomplishments, according to his website, are winning a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, being named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People and earning back-to-back NBA championship rings -- in 2012 and 2013. Union may be best known for some of her film roles, including "Bring It On", "Meet Dave" and "10 Things I Hate About You." There's no word yet whether the couple has set a date. CNN's Jillian Martin contributed to this report. | NBA star Dwyane Wade gets engaged to actress Gabrielle Union .
Wade announces the engagement on Twitter and Instagram . |
118,976 | 25a0555c6cfcbb6989a26f8f33937952aaf2820b | Caroline Wozniacki came through a tough test in her first-round match at the Australian Open - but turned her attention to her beloved Liverpool afterwards as she revealed her sadness at Steven Gerrard's departure. Wozniacki was pushed hard in the first set by 18-year-old Taylor Townsend but eventually went on to secure a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 victory to progress to the last 64 on Tuesday. But the post-match discussion was not all about tennis as Gerrard's impending summer switch to LA Galaxy was brought up in Wozniacki's press conference. VIDEO Scroll down for: Caroline Wozniacki wins 7-6, 6-2 against Taylor Townsend . Caroline Wozniacki in action against the American Taylor Townsend at the Australian Open . Wozniacki sports a Steven Gerrard replica shirt as she warms up at the Qatar Open in 2011 . Gerrard will join MLS side LA Galaxy when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season . The Dane is a huge Liverpool fan and once warmed up in a Reds shirt signed by Gerrard before a match at the 2011 Qatar Open. But now that Gerrard is due to leave the Anfield club, Wozniacki is considering a trip to Los Angeles to watch him in action in MLS. Wozniacki said: 'I'm obviously sad. I think Stevie has done so much for the team over the years. 'He's a legend. I think if that's what he thinks is the right time, I have to support that. 'But at the same time he had a talk with the manager and said that maybe he wasn't going to be playing as much. 'Yeah, I'm a little sad. I'm going to have my Stevie G jerseys hanging somewhere. 'Unfortunately he won't be playing there anymore. I'll have to make a trip probably to LA to have a look again.' Wozniacki beat Taylor 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 to progress to the second round of the Australian Open . Wozniacki, 24, rallies back and forth with Townsend, 18, during their match at Melbourne Park . After losing the final of the US Open to good friend Serena Wiliams last September, former world No 1 Wozniacki is still bidding to win her maiden Grand Slam. The 24-year-old's first match in Melbourne was hard work against American rising star Townsend, who three years ago was controversially asked by the USTA to sit out of the US Open junior event due to her weight. But Townsend has put that behind her to climb into the top 100 and she further showed her future promise by providing a stiff challenge for Wozniacki on the Margaret Court Arena. The pair exchanged breaks in the first set before Townsend got tight in the tie-break and Wozniacki took advantage to move a set ahead. Wozniacki then made just four unforced errors in the second set as she went on to wrap up the win in one hour and 32 minutes. Wozniacki is currently ranked as the World No 8 and is bidding to win her first Grand Slam title . Wozniacki shakes hands with Townsend after their match which lasts one hour and 32 minutes . She said: 'It was a tough match. You just want to get through that first round really. You saw yesterday how many seeds went out. You always know that first one, maybe it's not going to be that comfortable. 'I just needed to grind it out and just stay with her. I'm happy to be through and on to the next one.' Wozniacki's victory sets up a blockbuster second-round match on Thursday against Victoria Azarenka, who has won the title here twice in the last three years but is unseeded due to her long lay-off last year with a foot injury. Wozniacki said: 'It's going to be tough. She's won here before. It's not the easiest on paper. 'But at the same time I'm just going to focus on myself, my own game. Honestly, whether you have to beat her in the second round or fourth round, whatever, doesn't matter if you want to win the tournament.' Wozniacki poses with a Liverpool scarf ahead of The Reds' game with West Bromwich Albion in 2013 . Gerrard has made 697 appearances and scored 182 goals in all competitions for Liverpool since 1998 . Wozniacki has a tough second round match against two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka . | Caroline Wozniacki is saddened by Steven Gerrard's impending Anfield exit .
She was speaking after her Australian Open win over Taylor Townsend .
The Dane, a Liverpool fan, has multiple Gerrard replica jerseys .
Wozniacki beat Taylor 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 . |
285,763 | fe49196118614f6db77378c1030aa50a4336fc2d | Jose Mourinho learned a lot in Paris. Not on Tuesday night, necessarily, but a year ago. It was in this fixture in the previous campaign that this Chelsea team began to take shape. David Luiz made a mistake that got Paris Saint-Germain back into the game; Petr Cech was unconvincing in goal. Mourinho corrected both of those perceived flaws in the summer and on Tuesday night those changes paid off. Thibaut Courtois, who has taken Cech’s place as first choice goalkeeper, was quite outstanding and kept Chelsea in the match. Luiz, sold to PSG for £50million, appeared to lose Branislav Ivanovic for Chelsea’s goal. His extraordinary fee made the signings of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas possible and one imagines they will have greater influence on the outcome when these teams reconvene on March 11. Branislav Ivanovic slides on his knees after scoring the opening goal of the last 16 Champions League clash . Serbia international Ivanovic wheels away in celebration after scoring his fifth goal of the season . Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani (right) celebrates after cancelling out Ivanovic's first-half opener . Cavani looks to the sky after scoring past Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 54th minute . PSG (4-3-3): Sirigu 6.5; Van der Wiel 6, Marquinhos 5.5, Thiago Silva 6, Maxwell 6; Verratti 6.5; David Luiz 6.5; Matuidi 6.5; Lavezzi 6.5 (Pastore 81), Ibrahimovic 6.5; Cavani 7 . Subs not used: Douchez, Camara, Bahebeck, Digne, Rabiot, Kimpembe . Goal: Cavani 54 . Booked: Van der Wiel, Verratti . CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7.5; Ivanovic 6, Cahill 5.5, Terry 7, Azpilicueta 6.5; Ramires 6.5, Matic 7; Willian 6 (Cuadrado 79), Fabregas 7 (Oscar 83), Hazard 6; Diego Costa 6 (Remy 81) Subs not used: Cech, Filipe Luis, Zouma, Drogba . Goal: Ivanovic 36 . Booked: Ivanovic, Fabregas . Referee: Cuneyt Cakir 6 . Costa and Fabregas were both recovering from spells out of the team and were below par. In three weeks’ time it may be a different story. It will need to be because while this was a job well done, nobody should think a draw and an away goal amount to a guarantee for Chelsea against the champions of France. It needed Courtois to be at his very best, and Chelsea to weather a second-half onslaught in which PSG found a fresh level of menace, before the sides could shake hands, honours even. By then, Chelsea were more than acquainted with the danger posed in that second leg. Edinson Cavani’s 54th-minute equaliser was not the half of it. PSG ran out 3-1 winners here last year and could have done so again had Courtois, and others, not been at the top of their game. This PSG side cannot be underestimated, no matter what the history books say about the record of French teams in England. Having lost heavily a year ago, a 1-1 draw is to be respected. Yet an away goal at Stamford Bridge will make for a very tense night, and Laurent Blanc’s team are more than capable of it. Cavani was a constant threat and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic has never scored against a Mourinho defence, he caused enough problems to suggest the continuation of that run cannot be presumed. He should have won the tie deep in added time when a cross by Blaise Matuidi found him at the far post. His header was directed into the dirt and reared up to force the final intervention from Courtois, tipping it around for a corner. There were other saves, equally spectacular. He had earlier kept PSG at bay with an outstanding low stop after Ibrahimovic had broken free of his guards. The ball came out to Ezequiel Lavezzi but this time Cesar Azpilicueta came to the rescue, making excellent ground to clear his line. PSG were certainly a different proposition after half-time. It had not been the most thrilling opening 45 minutes, in all truthfulness. In the 11th minute, a cross from Cavani was headed powerfully goalwards by Matuidi, but parried with both hands by Courtois. From the next attacking phase, Matuidi crossed to Ibrahimovic, whose header was again kept out by the Belgian. Chelsea then regrouped and it was not until the 33rd minute that Paris came close again. On this occasion it was a desperately poor touch by Ramires that conceded possession and set up a PSG counter-attack. Azpilicueta took no chances offering up the corner and, from it, Lavezzi’s delivery was met by Cavani at the near post, Courtois’ stunning reflexes equal to the challenge again. The Parc des Princes bristled with anticipation yet it is in Chelsea’s nature to prick balloons and four minutes later PSG were behind. Ivanovic receives a hug from Chelsea team-mate Nemanja Matic after putting his side in the lead . Ivanovic rises above PSG's defence to give his side the lead in the 36th minute . It was a goal remarkable for doing entirely without forwards, wide men or even hard-running midfielders. A set-piece had broken down but not left the danger zone and John Terry sprinted out to the left to recover the loose ball. He whipped in an early cross, flicked on by his central defensive partner Cahill and falling to right back Branislav Ivanovic, who lost Luiz. As is his style in important games, Ivanovic seized the moment and directed a deft header past goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. It was very clinical, very Chelsea. They had to defend much the same way, as Paris upped the tempo after half-time. Mourinho will be upset at the goal, though, which came after a Matuidi cross was poorly read by Cahill, pulled out of position, allowing Cavani a free header from his favourite place on the edge of the six-yard box. It was the one occasion on the night when Courtois was rendered powerless. For Luiz, playing his first game against his former club, the match was a mixed bag. Deployed in midfield in place of the injured Thiago Motta, he had a dust-up with Costa, took one from Fabregas, gave plenty back, will be disappointed with the goal, but pleased with his growing influence on PSG’s build-up play after half-time. For a defender, he has an excellent range of passing, but not always the best sense of danger. One imagines Mourinho will still feel he got the best of that £50m transaction. David Luiz watches on as former Chelsea team-mate Ivanovic heads towards goal . PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu was unable to stop Ivanovic's header from hitting the back of the net . This may go down as the earliest parking of a bus in the history of European football, close to two hours prior to kick-off when Chelsea’s vehicle managed to get stuck in the Parc des Prince tunnel and was abandoned. Mourinho stomped off, face like thunder, and sent out a team in that image. This was a growl of a performance at times, brooding, occasionally irritable, but resolute. Not that PSG were wholly different. They recognised Eden Hazard as the danger and swarmed around him, committing fouls. Costa copped it, too. The striker, as is his instinct, met fire with fire, leaving a foot in here and there and bristling with physical defiance as PSG sought to close him down. Fabregas was hit hard and took his frustration out on Luiz. He had got away with a verbal warning and then Costa intervened, pulling Luiz’s hair on the sly and needlessly upping the ante just at the moment Chelsea should have been beating a respectful retreat. The professionals all love that spiky attitude but in this of all competitions, Costa’s grumbles and rumbles could return to haunt his club. If referee Cuneyt Cakir from Turkey had seen it, there could have been damaging repercussions. Still, all’s well that ends well. Ivanovic scored the opening goal of the match after Gary Cahill flicked on a John Terry cross . Courtois looks on as Cavani's strike hits the back of the net at Parc des Princes . PSG midfielder Marco Verratti was booked by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir for a reckless challenge on Eden Hazard . Zlatan Ibrahimovic tries to hold off Chelsea defender Cahill during the first leg of the Champions League clash . PSG captain Thiago Silva is challenged by Chelsea ace Diego Costa during the first half . Ibrahimovic's free-kick goes flying over the crossbar, while Chelsea's wall attempt to block the PSG striker's effort at goal . Cesc Fabregas speaks to Luiz while PSG defender Marquinhos approaches Costa . Costa appears to pull Luiz's hair during a brief confrontation during the European tie . Chelsea striker Costa pushes Luiz away as the pair clash during the Champions League match . Chelsea new boy Juan Cuadrado replaces Blues team-mate Willian in the 79th minute . Jose Mourinho comes on to the pitch to congratulate his players after the final whistle . The Portuguese tactician shakes hands with Chelsea goalscorer Ivanovic at full time . Mourinho shakes hands with Luiz, the player he sold to PSG for £50million during the summer, after the final whistle . Ibrahimovic speaks to Mourinho on the touchline after the 1-1 draw, the pair worked together during their time at Inter Milan . Chelsea captain Terry greets former Blues team-mate Luiz before kick off . PSG stars such as Ibrahimovic (far left on back row) and Cavani (far left on front row) pose before the last 16 fixture . The Chelsea team bus got stuck as it tried to turn into the Parc des Princes car park before the match . Ibrahimovic penned '805 million names' on to his boot to show his support for United Nations World Food Programme . Chelsea boss Mourinho shares a joke with his opposite number Laurent Blanc ahead of the last 16 encounter in the French capital . Blanc whispers into Mourinho's ear before taking his seat in the home dugout at Parc des Princes . David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson were among those in attendance at Parc des Princes to watch Chelsea take on PSG . Beckham and Ferguson were all smiles as they spoke prior to Chelsea's European showdown with PSG . Former Manchester United manager Ferguson speaks to UEFA president Michel Platini before taking his seat . Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (far left), Beckham and singer Carla Bruni take their seats before the match in Paris . | Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic opened the scoring in the 36th minute to give his side the lead at the interval .
Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani cancelled out Ivanovic's opener in the 54th minute .
Jose Mourinho's side take small advantage back to west London due to the away goal rule .
Chelsea host PSG in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 clash on March 11 .
David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson and Michel Platini were in attendance at Parc des Princes . |
169,723 | 67a617965bafba31e8fdf0171e3227e909220b9c | King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have unveiled the design for their first Christmas card since taking the Spanish throne in June this year. The cover of the magenta card features a snap of the royal couple standing on the balcony of the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid with a crowd of well-wishers below. Inside, there is a family photo, with the couple joined by their two daughters, eight-year-old Infanta Leonor and seven-year-old Infanta Sofia. Scroll down for video . Merry Christmas, Spanish style: The interior of the card features a charming family photograph . There is also a message written in both Spanish and English, which reads: 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015. 'We hope that the excitement, the hope, and the goodwill of Christmas remain beyond these days of celebration.' Princess Leonor, who will one day be Queen of Spain, signed the card with her official title, Princesa de Asturias - the designation once held by her father. Since taking the throne last June, King Felipe has been taking his new role extremely seriously, attending official events several times a week. Earlier this week, Letizia, 42, and Felipe, 46, attended a function held to honour members of the Academia de las Artes y Las Ciencias Cinematograficas - the Spanish cinema association. This is not the first time the Spanish royals, who are currently in mourning for the late Queen Fabiola of Belgium, have shown their support for the arts in recent months. Greetings: The front features a snap of the royal couple on the balcony of the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid . Letizia in particular is known to be a fan and travelled to Vienna at the beginning of October to open an exhibition dedicated to Spanish court painter, Diego Velázquez. Later the same week, she and King Felipe were both on hand for the launch of a new Spanish dictionary and have consistently championed the arts since ascending to the throne in June. The two have also overseen a sea-change in the way the Spanish royal family does business, with Felipe banning private employment and accepting lavish gifts last week. The new rules, which also apply to former King Juan-Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia, come into effect on New Year's Day and are intended to avoid 'compromising the dignity of the institution'. Felipe's move comes after his father's reign was blighted by accusations of extravagance - not helped by his habit of accepting gifts that included an €18m (£14m) yacht. Royal duties: Letizia, 42, and Felipe, 46, attend an event held to honour the Spanish cinema association . Fortuna, which Juan-Carlos was forced to stop using last year in a nod to austerity, became a regular plaything of the Spanish royals, who used it during summer holidays in Mallorca. Felipe's new-look Spanish monarchy is closer in style to the Scandinavian system, which sees members of the royal family live relatively low key lifestyles. As part of his drive to modernise the institution, the 46-year-old royal also banned members of his family from working in the private sector and insisted that all must behave in an 'exemplary manner' likely to 'earn citizens' appreciation, respect and trust.' Despite boasting fewer staff and less money than their British and Spanish counterparts, the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish monarchs and their families do accept gifts, although like the British royals, most have to be declared. Signed, sealed, delivered: Princess Leonor, left, signed the card with her official title, Princesa de Asturias . Busy year: The family on the balcony during Felipe's coronation ceremony on June 19 in Madrid, Spain . In the case of the UK royal family, gifts either become part of the Royal Collection and are displayed during the summer exhibition season or are donated to the relevant museum or institution. Although the Queen is yet to benefit from a free flight or a yacht like Juan-Carlos, she has received a number of unusual gifts on state visits, including a collection of shells, a set of lacrosse sticks, sunglasses, a pair of sandals, pineapples, eggs, a box of snail shells, a grove of maple trees, a dozen tins of of tuna and 7kg of prawns. The Queen has also been given a number of horses, among them her Trooping the Colour mount, Burmese, and a series of exotic animals, including a canary, jaguars, sloths and an elephant called Jumbo - all of which were given to London Zoo. | Royal couple's first Christmas card since taking the Spanish throne .
Features two daughters, eight-year-old Leonor and seven-year-old Sofia .
Leonor signs herself Princess of the Asturias - her father's old title . |
33,862 | 6046c4983f7cf1f1826a5f5c5101fcf4817bb2e0 | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- At least 20 homes in Atlanta's historic Cabbagetown neighborhood were flattened by a tornado that ripped through downtown Atlanta on Friday night, a spokeswoman for the mayor said. Debris from Friday night's tornado litters the street outside CNN Center. Firefighters fear there could be people dead inside the ruins of a collapsed loft complex in the same neighborhood, the spokeswoman said. There have been no deaths confirmed from the tornado, but at least 15 people were treated at two hospitals. Most of the injuries were minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, officials said. The Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, just east of downtown Atlanta, collapsed in a "pancake fashion," Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran said early Saturday. The tornado that ripped through the heart of the city damaged the roof of the Georgia Dome during a college basketball game, shattered windows and ripped roofs from buildings before continuing into several residential neighborhoods. The building that houses CNN was at the epicenter of the storm -- sitting next to the dome and hotels where thousands of basketball fans attending the Southeastern Conference tournament were at least temporarily displaced. Watch coverage of damage to CNN Center » . "It was actually in overtime, and the game was getting exciting, and I thought people from the Alabama side were hitting the bleachers trying to get some noise going," said Lucas Shields, who was attending the game between Mississippi State and the University of Alabama. "All of a sudden the TV went out, the overhead clock stopped working, and you hear that distinctive noise of a train." Timothy Wood, 30, of Cumming, Georgia, took refuge from rain at Philips Arena. "First thing I saw were cups then I saw larger objects -- like parts of Philips Arena were coming off and being blown into the street," Wood said. Police closed several streets in the vicinity of CNN Center because of glass and other debris from the storm. Audio Slideshow: View the damage » . The storm tracked from the northwest side of the city to the southeast, demolishing buildings and downing trees that crushed cars and ripped through the roofs of homes. At the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, damage was extensive. Mahsud Olufani, an Atlanta painter and sculptor with a studio in one of the other buildings, said he rushed to his studio when he saw news of the damage. "It looks like a bomb went off, it looks like World War III," he said. "It's a disaster area." The converted lofts also were the site of a massive 1999 fire, during which a dramatic helicopter rescue was televised worldwide. In the neighborhood of East Atlanta, resident Cameron Beasley said he could see four or five homes with storm damage, including trees knocked through their roofs, and several cars crushed by downed trees. "Something really fierce came down," said Beasley, who said he and his wife ran with their two children into their basement about 15 seconds before the storm hit. "It was just crushing cars, crushing houses." The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for the area, in effect until 10 p.m. The storm came through at about 9:45 p.m. Inside CNN Center, water poured through damage in the ceiling into the building's atrium. Glass shattered, and parts of the building filled with dust. Virtually all of the windows facing Centennial Olympic Park on the Omni Hotel, which is attached to CNN Center, were shattered, leaving curtains flapping in the darkened windows. Visitors to the hotel were evacuated to the facility's exhibition hall at street level. Watch survey of damage to Omni Hotel » . Windows also were shattered in the CNN.com newsroom, with staffers saying that there was a computer missing -- apparently sucked through one of the windows. CNN's library was also damaged. See photos of the damage inside » . Outside the building, debris littered the streets and billboards collapsed onto parked cars. Centennial Olympic Park was also severely damaged. Next door at the Georgia Dome, the Alabama-Mississippi State game was halted. The storm visibly rippled the ceiling of the dome and caused some damage, video of the arena showed. Scaffolding holding the facility's scoreboard swayed 15 minutes after the storm hit. The game resumed about an hour later, but a later game between Kentucky and Georgia was postponed. Joe Bryson, 28, of Cumming, Georgia, was outside when the winds hit. "When it started to drizzle a little bit, everyone got under some shelter, watching things develop. It started to pick up a bit. When the metal barriers fell over and started skidding along the ground that's when everyone started -- not panicking -- but going inside. "I saw two fellas who were running to come to shelter and they were getting pushed from the back [by the wind]. They got knocked down but got right back up and followed everyone inside," Bryson said. Catherine Niehaus, an iReporter, was inside the Georgia Dome when she said the roof split, scaffolding slipped and the scoreboard started to sway. Slabs of metal and insulation material smothered the streets outside. Cars and emergency vehicles were scattered among the debris as hundreds of people, many of them attending the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament, wandered around talking on cell phones. Heaps of bricks and sheetrock were pushed up against cars. Streets signs were bent in half. At the neighboring Georgia World Congress Center, the storm blew down a wall, allowing water to pool ankle deep inside the building. Further east, heavy damage was reported near Grady Memorial Hospital. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the most recent downtown tornado in the United States hit Jacksonville, Florida, August 12, 2004. There were no deaths. According to the NOAA, the deadliest tornado to hit a downtown area in the 20th century was May 11, 1953, when 114 people were killed in Waco, Texas. Although downtown tornadoes are rare, it's a misconception they can't happen, according to The Tornado Project, a company that gathers and compiles tornado information. "That more 'cities' aren't struck by tornadoes is probably more coincidence than anything else," according to the project's Web site. "There are very few 'big cities' with skyscrapers in Tornado Alley. In fact, there are only a dozen, and one of them, St. Louis, Missouri, has a long history of tornadoes in its central area." E-mail to a friend . | NEW: At least 20 homes flattened by tornado in Atlanta .
Apartment building collapses as tornado hits Atlanta .
Search for survivors amid apartment debris could take days .
At least 15 people injured, hotel evacuated during storm . |
246,493 | cb033df63aab41a0853dea2f9ce9e279413a2b2e | Clemson University has stopped all fraternity activities one day after a student died falling 20ft off a bridge into a lake following a run with his frat brothers. Tucker Hipps, 19, was found dead on Monday night under a highway bridge hours after the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity reported him missing. However, the South Carolina university and police have so far not tied the death to fraternity hazing despite mounting social media speculation that he died during an initiation ritual. Hipps, 19, was running with fellow Sigma Phi Epsilon members before dawn on Monday when he started falling behind, authorities said. Fraternity members noticed Hipps wasn't at breakfast and reported him missing to university police at 1:45 p.m. Authorities are currently investigating claims that 19-year-old student Tucker Hipps' recent death was hazing-related . His body was found under the bridge just west of campus a few hours later, according to deputies and university officials. They say he fell more than 20 feet from a state highway bridge over the Seneca River to the shallow water below. Oconee . County deputies said Wednesday that there is no evidence Tucker Hipps' death was a result of hazing, but they are still trying to piece . together what happened. However, The Tiger News . reports that a representative from the national office of Hipps' fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, came to campus to investigate the hazing . claims. Officials haven't found anyone who saw him fall Monday, sheriff's office spokesman Jimmy Watt said. On Tuesday, the university enacted a ban on social activities for all 24 fraternities on campus. In a statement, Vice President for Student Affairs Gail DiSabatino cited reports of possible criminal activities and violations of the university's code of conduct - ranging from alcohol-related medical emergencies to sexual misconduct - for the move. DiSabatino called Hipps' death tragic but did not say it was responsible for or related to the ban. The suspension is intended to give fraternities time to work with other student and campus organizations to make sure members stay safe, university spokesman John Gouch said. "They didn't want to put a deadline on it because they wanted to give everyone plenty of time to think," Gouch said. Clemson placed similar restrictions on Greek organizations four years ago, also after allegations of criminal activities . Students organized an impromptu vigil for Hipps on Tuesday, raising cellphones above their heads instead of candles. University President Jim Clements joined the remembrance and said everyone who knew Hipps called him a leader and a good man. Detectives have interviewed about 50 people so far, including the fraternity members running with Hipps who have been cooperative, Watt said. "We haven't talked to anyone who saw him fall," Watt said. "We don't know why he ended up in the water." The national Sigma Phi Epsilon organization said in a statement that if foul play was involved in Hipps' death, it would make sure those responsible are brought to justice. Clemson University has suspended all fraternity activities after reports of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct . Hipps died after reportedly going on a run with fellow fraternity members and being unable to keep up . A statement from the college added that the sheriff's office is investigating Hipps' death. 'We are cooperating and also conducting our own investigation,' DiSabatino said. 'We're terribly saddened by Tucker's death. It's always tragic when someone so young and promising is lost. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.' Students have been provided with grief counseling services. After Hipps did not appear at breakfast friends went searching for him, and his body was finally discovered that afternoon in a lake . A roundup of recent Clemson student legal troubles at Jezebel notes that six undergrads were arrested on felony drug charges in April in a sting operation authorities called 'Spring Tiger.' According to The Tiger News those students were charged with a variety of crimes related to the sale or possession of marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms. The reports did not specify whether those charged had fraternity connections. The university placed similar restrictions on Greek organizations four years ago. | Tucker Hipps' body was found in Hartwell Lake Monday and investigation into the cause of death continues .
Six students were arrested earlier this year on drug charges in a police sting operation .
All 24 of the campus fraternities are affected by the ban . |
71,085 | c98ad81ebbb8da0e810c11a2501ac16e2245e318 | Waves could soon break in the heart of Melbourne's CBD if a proposal for a man-made floating beach gets the tick of approval. The proposed Docklands Surf Park would produce one to 1.5 metre barrels in Victoria Harbour, complete with a sandy beach and a 160 metre floatable wave pool with filtered salt water. The project's designers, who expect the facility to cost more than $8 million, say the waves would be surf-able and are currently looking at technologies to adjust the size of the artificial swell to cater for beginners and seasoned pros. The proposed Docklands Surf Park would produce one to 1.5 metre barrels in Victoria Harbour, complete with a sandy beach and a 160 metre floatable wave pool with filtered salt water . Docklands Surf Park is a joint venture between engineering firm Arup and Melbourne-based architect Damian Rogers. 'The whole idea began with the idea of being able to surf in an inner city location. Melbourne has a lot of water surrounding it - we've got the bay and now the Docklands,' Mr Rogers said. 'For us, it's the opportunity to finish work, come down here with your surfboard and have a surf.' The proposal is in its early stages and would still need to get approval from Melbourne City Council, with the engineer company currently looking for funding opportunities other than the government. Docklands Surf Park is a joint venture between engineering firm Arup and Melbourne-based architect Damian Rogers . 'To surf in Melbourne normally requires you to drive down to Bells Beach an hour and a half away,' Urban and Transport Planner at Arup, Phil Carter, said. 'While that's an iconic and amazing space... the convenience of surfing in the docklands is something that we thought was really interesting. 'Going to work, carrying your surfboard down to the Docklands and having a surf - that's a real opportunity.' Surfing Victoria has already backed the plan as a potential hotspot for professional surfing competitions. Surfing Victoria has already backed the plan as a potential hotspot for professional surfing competitions . Max Wells, chief executive of Surfing Victoria, says he's been told of various plans for wave pools for the past decade, but Docklands Surf Park is the first he thinks that it could work. 'They've got the right location and the indication that it will be available to them,' he told The Age. 'The fact it's 100 metres from a tram line and from Spencer Street [train] station is pretty amazing. 'I can imagine having surfers in suits heading for an after-work session and kids coming to Docklands carrying surfboards on Melbourne's trains and trams.' | Proposed Docklands Surf Park would produce 1.5m barrels in Victoria Harbour, complete with a beach and 160m floatable wave pool .
It's a joint project between engineering firm Arup and Melbourne-based architect Damian Rogers .
The wave pool project is estimated to cost more than $8 million .
Plans are still in the early stages and will need approval from Melbourne City Council . |
28,703 | 517c45a56d10fb3d5396239c8e2766b53fb2a649 | By . Chris Waugh . Follow @@ChrisDHWaugh . England's Jazmin Sawyers claimed an unexpected silver medal in the long jump final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 20-year-old leaped a personal best 6.54m to land a podium place at Hampden Park. She was overjoyed by her final jump - which secured her medal - and she rushed across in joy to celebrate with her coach. Silver: England's Jazmin Sawyers came second in the long jump final at Hampden Park in Glasgow . Overjoyed: Sawyers puts her hand on her head in disbelief as she realises she has claimed a silver medal . Leap: Sawyers set a new personal best of 6.54m as she jumped to Commonwealth Games silver . Meanwhile, a thigh injury put paid to Shara Proctor's hopes of long jump glory at the Commonwealth Games. The British record holder was amongst the favourites for gold at Hampden Park, but was unable to top the podium like England team-mate Greg Rutherford managed in the men's event. Proctor pulled up during her first sprint down the run way, grabbing her left thigh in clear pain - an injury which forced the 25-year-old to withdraw and puts her place at the upcoming European Championships in doubt. Tears: British long jump record-holder Shara Proctor pulled out of the Commonwealth final in tears . | Jazmin Sawyers leapt a personal best 6.54m to claim long jump silver .
The 20-year-old claimed an unexpected medal at Hampden Park .
Earlier Shara Proctor had been forced to pull out of final with thigh injury .
She had been the favourite to claim the gold medal in Glasgow . |
44,091 | 7c5bcef7697b08aa527e510e84e4a3ee8ae9bffe | Alastair Cook’s job as England’s captain for next year’s World Cup will be rubber stamped on Tuesday morning. The opening batsman - whose place in the one-day team has come under massive scrutiny - has been told he will lead the country for the tour to Sri Lanka in November and December. And that means he’s certain to stay in charge for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the New Year. Alastair Cook’s job as England’s captain for next year’s World Cup will be rubber stamped on Tuesday morning . National selector James Whitaker and his panel of head coach Peter Moores, Angus Fraser and Mick Newell met yesterday to agree the strategy for the winter and decided to stick by the 29-year-old – even though England have lost five One Day series while he has been in charge. Pundits like Geoff Boycott, Michael Vaughan and Graeme Swann have all demanded change and pointed out Cook’s poor form in ODIs – he hasn’t made 80 in a 50-over match in more than two years. But they decided that with Eoin Morgan and Joe Root the only possible alternatives there was nothing to be gained by dumping the skipper. Opening batsman Cook's place in the one-day side had come under intense scrutiny in recent months . VIDEO Big win for Cook . | Alastair Cook's place in the one-day side has come under scrutiny .
But the opening batsman is set to stay on as skipper .
England go to Australia and New Zealand for next year's World Cup . |
106,240 | 150991d8ceb744e0b8c8c480056a3e08558f8c45 | (CNN) -- Accused of being too soft on racism in the past, European football's governing body UEFA has vowed to crack down hard on offenders -- with 10-match bans for players and officials found guilty. This year both UEFA and world governing body FIFA have come under pressure following AC Milan forward Kevin-Prince Boateng's decision to walk off the field in a match against Italian fourth tier side Pro Patria in January after suffering racist abuse from the crowd. "It's still a scourge on the game," UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino told the Soccerex event, where leading football officials are meeting, in Manchester, England. "We have to have sanctions. "What we are proposing is that if a player or official is found guilty then they will be suspended for 10 matches." With several racist incidents making headlines in the past calendar year, UEFA is also prepared to punish supporters' racist behavior by closing sections of football grounds -- or, if need be, all of the stadium -- in cases of persistent fan abuse. "If supporters are found guilty then there will be a partial closure of the stadium," added Infantino. "This means the section where the offense took place will be closed. If there is a second offense by the club's supporters there will be full closure with a minimum $65,400 fine." However, Infantino said UEFA would not be taking any action against Malaga despite the furious reaction of club owner and the Spanish club's coach in the wake of their team's European Champions League defeat in Germany on Tuesday. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, angered by two late goals his team conceded in the 3-2 defeat by Borussia Dortmund -- one of which appeared to be offside -- said on Twitter that the club's quarterfinal exit was "injustice and racism." Coach Manuel Pellegrini added: "The third goal was an offside goal and there were all kinds of elbows and punches." But Infantino said: "UEFA is not taking any action against any club from that point of view. I can understand that when you lose a match in the 93rd minute, emotions come up and you say things you don't really think." UEFA will vote on its new racism proposals in London in May and if they are passed, the ruling could apply to all UEFA competitions from as early as July. Europe's governing body has also asked its member associations to apply this new anti-racist strategy to their own domestic competitions, with the plans going to a vote of the UEFA congress in May. Football's soul . Turning to the "cancer" of match-fixing, as Infantino put it, UEFA's general secretary characterized the problem as one that affected mainly "lower division" football despite concerns it is taking place in top matches. In February Rob Wainwright, director of European law enforcement agency Europol, revealed the crime fighting organization believed the highest levels of the game were no longer safe from match-fixing. A total of 380 games in Europe -- including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers -- were deemed suspicious by Europol, with 425 match and club officials and criminals involved from 15 different countries. "We knew about these (Europol) cases before," said Infantino. "We had already taken sanctions against these cases before, our associations had already taken sanctions and banned players and officials. "We are monitoring 32,000 matches across 365 days a year every year." "Looking at the figures, we can see that some 0.7 % of matches, mainly in lower divisions, present some irregularities, not necessarily match-fixing. "The result of matches is the soul of football, and we cannot allow anyone to attack the soul of football." But Infantino acknowledged that UEFA could not tackle the problem match-fixing on its own and that a more co-ordinated approach was needed. "We need the help of governments and law-enforcement agencies, because there is no way we can start looking into bank accounts or tapping phones. We need the authorities to help us. "What is behind match-fixing is not to fix the match, why would you fix a match in the third division in Switzerland? "It's because there is organized crime behind this, and organized crime is financing drugs and prostitution. "That is why the authorities have to intervene and have to help us." | UEFA wants 10-match bans for players and officials found guilty of racist behavior .
"It's still a scourge on the game," said UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.
UEFA also proposes the closure or partial closure of stadiums .
Match-fixing a problem for "lower division" football, says Infantino . |
7,068 | 140827f1ecef96f90ab68ff79593bd0fc1c1cd1f | By . Daniel Bates . Selfies are fuelling a rise in plastic surgery because people are putting their faces under a ‘microscope’ every time they take a picture on their smart phones. The trend of taking your own portrait means that we are becoming increasingly narcissistic and want to go under the knife to improve our looks, said US surgeons. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery revealed that one third of its 2,700 members reported an increase in procedures last year due to pictures taken on social media. The selfie taken at the Oscars earlier this month by actor Bradley Cooper featuring celebrities including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey became the most re-tweeted photo of all time . As a result the organisation’s members saw a 10 per cent rise in nose jobs and a seven per cent increase in hair transplants. There was also a six per cent increase in eyelid surgery. Dr Edward Farrior, President of the AAFPRS, said that if you wanted to avoid feeling bad about yourself, it might be time to put your phone down. He said: ‘Social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and the iPhone app Selfie.im, which are solely image based, force patients to hold a microscope up to their own image and often look at it with a more self-critical eye than ever before. Many surgeons report an increase in procedures as social media causes us to over analyse our flaws . ‘These images are often the first impressions young people put out there to prospective friends, romantic interests and employers and our patients want to put their best face forward.’ Dr Farrior said that the most popular selfie-inspired operations for women were face lifts, nose jobs and Botox. Men went for Botox and hair transplants, he added. The trend was particularly strong among you people and in a worrying twist, last year 58 per cent of plastic surgeons saw a rise in cosmetic surgery among the under-30s. Selfies hugely popular in the UK and are so ingrained in our culture that the word has been incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary. Britons now take 35m selfies a month and more than half of adults have taken one, including 29 per cent of the over 65s. A selfie taken at the Oscars earlier this month by actor Bradley Cooper featuring celebrities including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey became the most forwarded message of all time on Twitter. It was forwarded on more than two million times, causing the social media site to briefly crash. At the Prince’s Trust Awards Joan Collins tried to imitate the picture with 14 stars including Jeremy Irons and Sir Ben Kingsley but got it out of focus and cropped out some celebrities. Joan Collins, Vernon Kay, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pixie Lott and Jeremy Irons try to imitate that Oscars selfie . Demi Lovato . Model Miranda Kerr . Lauren Goodger . | A third of members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery report increase in procedures due to social media .
Saw a 10% rise in nose jobs and a 7% rise in hair transplants .
Trend particularly strong in young people with 58% rise last year .
Britons now take 35 million selfies every month . |
15,593 | 2c49bef6729213b064ff0f7077c4695138710f60 | The girlfriend of murdered vampire gigolo Shane Chartres-Abbott, has finally broken her silence and spoken out about her lack of trust in the Justice System. In an interview with the Herald Sun, Kathleen Price also relived the horrific moments that her partner, a male prostitute from Victoria who was on trial for the rape and mutilation of a client, was gunned down in front of her and their unborn child outside of their home more than a decade ago. 'I don't have any faith in the legal system full stop,' she told the Herald Sun. 'It seems that although you try and do the right thing and you got to trial for something that you're accused of, apparently somebody can say "I'm going to play god now, and I don't believe you have the right to a fair trial, but fair play when it comes to me having right to trial, I want the legal system to do everything it can for me". It's ridiculous. Scroll down for video . Kathleen Price, the girlfriend of murdered vampire gigolo Shane Chartres-Abbott (whose body is pictured being photographed at the crime scene), has finally broken her silence and spoken out about her lack of trust in the Justice System . 'I want to stamp my feet and throw a tantrum and say this is not the way it's supposed to be.' Her outburst comes after Mark Adrian Perry, Warren Shea and Evangelos Goussis were this week acquitted in the Victorian Supreme Court of orchestrating the murder. The decision means that despite a decade-long police investigation, featuring a $1 million reward and an international manhunt, the circumstances surrounding the public execution remain unclear. Ms Price went on to describe the moment Chartres-Abbott was shot outside of their home while the couple and Ms Price's father were on the way to the fifth day of a trial in which Chartres-Abbott was accused of brutally raping and mutilating a client. During the trial in 2003, the court heard that he had boasted he was a vampire older than the city of Melbourne before also biting off part of her tongue. The woman was found unconscious in a Melbourne hotel room, bloodied and beaten, with cuts, burns and bite marks covering her body and a chunk of her tongue missing. A police officer described it as one of the most brutal rapes he had seen. Her outburst comes after three men, including Warren Shea, 42, (pictured) were found not guilty of murdering self-proclaimed vampire gigolo Shane Chartres-Abbott in 2003 . Ms Price described how the day Chartres-Abbott was killed, she ran inside their Reservoir home to make emergency phone calls and grabbed a tea towel while her partner, 28-years-old at the time, lay outside, bleeding from the gunshot wound to his neck. Ten years later, Ms Price said it was difficult for their son to grow up amongst the sensationalist news of his father but that she tries not to sugar coat things. And in his final address to the jury, prosecutor Andrew Tinney SC was at pains to ensure they also saw Mr Chartres-Abbott as a man, not a monster. 'He was no more or less than a man, a normal person in our society,' Mr Tinney said. 'No doubt with his own strengths and weaknesses, his own failings, his own virtues, no doubt with friends and family who loved him. 'He wasn't a vampire gigolo. He was a man. He was a human being. 'He was gunned down in broad daylight at the front of his house, in front of his pregnant girlfriend and her father in a suburban street in our city, not in some seedy or dangerous part of the world, but in Melbourne. 'The people who carried out this crime, whoever they are, were not heroes, they were not doing society a favour," he said. 'They were striking a shameful blow, members of the jury, at the very heart of our system.' Shane Chartres-Abbott, a male prostitute from Victoria, was on trial for the rape and mutilation of a client when he was killed. The woman's former boyfriend Mark Adrian Perry, 46, (centre) was also cleared of both murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter . The trial’s star witness, a career criminal who cannot be named, admitted to being the trigger man in the murder, and implicated Mr Perry, Mr Shea and Goussis. Mr Tinney urged the jury to see past his lack of morals to the logical sequence of events the prosecutor presented. It was ultimately the jury's unwillingness to accept the killer as a truthful witness that resulted in the painstaking investigation falling at the last hurdle. The killer said he was clad in a balaclava when he raced at Mr Chartres-Abbott and killed him before fleeing to a waiting car on June 4, 2003. But he claimed he was just the final link in the chain, which began the night Mr Chartres-Abbott allegedly raped his client. Mr Perry, 46, the woman's former boyfriend, was accused of ordering the hit as revenge. The prosecutors claimed he sought out his childhood friend, Mr Shea, 42, as a conduit to the killer. Goussis, 46, was accused of accompanying the killer on the mission and acting as his getaway driver. It was claimed that Mr Perry ordered the hit as revenge after seeking out his childhood friend, Mr Shea as a conduit while Evangelos Goussis, 46, (pictured) was accused of accompanying him and acting as his getaway driver. Evangelos Goussis was also cleared of his charges . The killer claims Shea put the sorry tale of the vampire rape to him over a beer at an inner-Melbourne pub and, appalled, he agreed to carry out the attack on Mr Chartres-Abbott. 'I was told that he made a shocking mess of her, bit hunks out of her ... and left her for dead,' the killer said. Before delivering his lengthy testimony, the killer wavered, threatening to refuse to give evidence. When he finally did, he abused defence barristers and made changes to his story. He also implicated former policemen Peter Lalor and David Waters in the killing, two men not charged. The killer was ultimately attacked by barristers for Mr Perry, Mr Shea and Goussis as a manipulative conman who could not be trusted. They always maintained their clients had nothing to do with Mr Chartres-Abbott's demise. Mr Chartres-Abbott, 28 at the time, was gunned down outside his Reservoir home in front of his pregnant girlfriend and her father . Mr Perry, Mr Shea and Goussis were cleared to cheers from their supporters in court, who also applauded the jurors as they left the room. The men were found not guilty of murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter. The verdicts left Mr Perry and Mr Shea free to walk from court. For Mr Perry, it was his first taste of freedom since July 2013, when police tracked him to a Perth factory where he was working under a false name. He had vanished in 2007 when he learnt he was being investigated for the killing. Mr Shea had enjoyed bail since late 2013 and was pictured smiling broadly on his way out of the court building. For Goussis, it meant avoiding a third conviction for murder. Already serving a 30-year prison sentence for the murders of gangland figures Lewis Moran and Lewis Caine, he wept and mouthed his thanks to the jury while holding his hand over his heart. As for the prosecution, it was left to rue the tarnished reputations of the victim and the star witness. | Kathleen Price has finally spoken out about the murder of her partner Shane Chartres-Abbott in 2003 .
The male prostitute was on trial at the time for raping a female client .
He reportedly told the victim he was a vampire older than Melbourne .
Her outburst comes after three of the men accused of his murder were found not guilty . |
61,973 | b008e1c72ebcbf1f206ed860168316503d7f778f | By . Lauren Paxman . Last updated at 5:03 PM on 14th December 2011 . Slimming is always easier if you have a dieting partner. So how lucky for bride Kate Bonwick that her husband, John Butler, also wanted to lose weight before their wedding. And they are clearly both great motivators. The pair lost nearly 20 stone between them ahead of their big day - with Kate leading the way. The bride-to-be, 25, lost half her body weight - going from 24 stone to 12 - after falling for John, 27, two years ago. Before and after: Kate and John before they started dieting (left) and on their wedding day . After shedding the pounds, the telesales manager from Bognor Regis, Sussex was finally able to fit into the wedding dress she had always dreamed of. And with supportive Kate's encouragement, 23-stone builder John lost more than seven stone, reaching 15.5 stone for the ceremony in November. Kate said: 'Our wedding was the best day of my life. I felt beautiful and looked like a completely different person. 'It was very emotional for my family, seeing me like that. They love me for who I am on the inside and so does John, but they knew how much I wanted to be slim, so it was special for them too. 'The day was magical. We married at a beautiful church in an intimate ceremony, and then flew off on honeymoon to Florida. For the first time in years I wasn't ashamed to go to the beach.' Kate said before she met John she had no confidence and was always the butt of jokes about her weight. She said: 'When I went into pubs with my friends I was used to hearing people say "look at the size of her!" I pretended I didn't hear it but I was so unhappy. I was 23 and hated the way I looked. 'I hated my clothes and thought I looked awful - I didn't have a social life. I was always first to leave the party because I felt uncomfortable. Kate said: 'Our wedding was the best day of my life. I felt beautiful and looked like a completely different person' 'I ate the wrong things. I could eat four packets of crisps and a whole packet of biscuits in one day. I never ate fruit and vegetables - I preferred to eat takeaways and kebabs four or five times a week. 'But when I walked down the aisle on my wedding day, people were saying how beautiful I looked. It was amazing.' Kate used to consume thousands of calories per day eating burgers and pizzas every night. She skipped breakfast in the morning preferring to snack on crisps and chocolate from the vending machines at work during the day. For lunch Kate would buy an unhealthy sandwich or burger from a shop, then for dinner gorge on chicken nuggets and pizza. Each meal would be washed down with litres of fizzy drinks. But fearing she would be alone forever, Kate vowed to turn her life around. 'I hated the way I looked': Kate on holiday in Alicante when she weighed more than 20 stone . After joining the Lighter Life slimming programme she lost four stone before starting internet dating. Kate said: 'John was the first person I contacted on the site. 'We spoke on the phone and emailed but when the time came to meet I was so nervous. I weighed 20 stone and even though he was large as well I was worried he would take one look at me and run a mile. 'We went to a restaurant and I ordered the healthiest thing on the menu - even though I hated it.' After finding love the pair encouraged eat other to lose weight and start regular exercise. Now Kate says she feels like a different person and enjoys cooking healthy food for her and her husband. Weighed down: Kate weighed 24 stone when she was 18, and John has lost more than seven stone since this picture was taken in 2008 (right) She said: 'Now I love going out - I actually feel like I've never done it before because it's so different as a slim person.' For breakfast Kate now eats two scrambled eggs and a banana, lunch is grilled chicken or fish with salad and for dinner she enjoys roast vegetables with grilled meat. She said: 'I was determined to get into the kind of dress I always wanted to wear to my wedding. 'When I met John I was a dress size 26, but by the time we came to get married I was wearing a size 14 dress. 'John has always been a yo-yo dieter, but now he eats healthily like me, although he will eat more of what we make. We encourage eat other to live a healthier lifestyle and we go swimming and to the gym together. 'John is hilarious, he's the soppiest man I've ever met and he's also my best friend. When he proposed in June 2010 he told me he loved me and wanted to spend of his life with me.' John added: 'I feel so lucky to have met Kate. We're perfect for each other and she keeps me looking my best.' | Kate Butler lost 12 stone ahead of her wedding and John lost more than seven stone . |
282,469 | f9dc2e758c5894f9c170be068aae861f89493570 | Rising star: Liz Truss is the youngest-ever woman to join a Conservative Cabinet and is already being talked up as the 'next Margaret Thatcher' For the youngest-ever woman to join a Conservative Cabinet — especially one who is already being talked up as the ‘next Margaret Thatcher’ — Liz Truss has some unusual qualifications. The new Environment Secretary, 38, whose constituency is just 15 miles from the Queen’s Norfolk home at Sandringham, once called for the Monarchy’s abolition. She’s also described the British as ‘among the worst idlers in the world’. Then there was the little matter of an 18-month adulterous affair with a married Tory MP which, he said, cost him his marriage. It caused an almighty storm when she stood as a Tory parliamentary candidate in South West Norfolk and it emerged that she had failed to tell the selection committee about the relationship. All this is history, though. Who could deny the ambitious Truss’s astonishing agility, despite all that baggage, to find herself in the Cabinet less than four years since becoming an MP? ‘Working with her is like being next to a hornets’ nest,’ says one figure who has worked under her at Westminster. ‘It’s ceaseless, frenetic activity under the sword of Damocles if things aren’t done exactly as she wants them.’ Elizabeth Mary Truss has all the correct credentials to offset a party hierarchy full of Old Etonians. Her first school was a primary in Paisley, Scotland, before moving to a comprehensive in Leeds. She was brought up in a Left-wing household — her father a mathematics professor, her mother a nurse who took her on CND marches. At Oxford University, Truss was president of the Lib Dems and questioned the need for the Monarchy. She declared: ‘We Liberal Democrats believe in opportunity for all. We believe in fairness and common sense . . . we do not believe people are born to rule.’ Two years later, however, she joined the Conservative Party. After being elected as an MP, she co-authored Britannia Unchained, which set out proposals to restore Britain’s economic position. One passage said: ‘The British are . among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we . retire early and our productivity is poor. Whereas Indian children . aspire to be doctors or businessmen, the British are more interested in . football and pop music.’ And . now to the affair. At 28, she was burning for front-line politics, . having worked for both Shell and Cable & Wireless in executive and . accountancy roles. She had made it on to the party list of ‘preferred . candidates’ when, in the run-up to the 2005 election, she worked in the . office of Tory frontbencher Mark Field, the culture spokesman, who was . 41. She was married, too, to a financial controller. Field’s wife Michelle was chief executive of a hospital charitable foundation. Scroll down for video . New role: New Environment Secretary Liz Truss is pictured leaving Downing Street yesterday, following her new Cabinet appointment . The affair lasted 18 months, towards . the end of which she became pregnant. Truss told friends that the baby . was her husband’s and when it was born, he was named as the father on . the birth certificate. Indeed, Truss’s marriage survived the . scandal.Though the affair was well-known around Westminster, no one told . the selection committee at South West Norfolk. Their . indignation at having chosen someone with such a large skeleton . jangling in her cupboard led to vain efforts to deselect her, prompting . some bright spark among the Westminster Tory chatterati to dub those . recalcitrant locals as the ‘Turnip Taliban’. But . the relevant moniker should have been ‘Teflon Truss’. A war of words . raged, and when it died down, there she was, unhindered in her march to . political stardom. Affair: Truss's affair with former culture spokesman Mark Field (right) lasted 18 months. Her marriage survived the scandal, but Field was not so lucky . Field was not so lucky. His wife . divorced him and he lost his frontbench position. These days, as his . former intern-lover takes her seat at the Cabinet table, he remains on . the backbenches as he approaches his 50th birthday. He is, however, . happily remarried. Around . Westminster, when they bump into each other, they nod politely. Truss . has now also effectively leapfrogged her former boss at the Department . for Education, Michael Gove. While working as his junior there, some . detected what one colleague describes as ‘the whiff of disloyalty’ in . the frank way she would talk publicly about her ‘disappointment’ over . Gove not acting on her suggestions. As . for the Environment brief, she is ‘ferociously intelligent and will . pick it up very quickly,’ says one close figure, ‘even though I observe . scant interest in agriculture and rural affairs beyond what she . absolutely needed as an MP with an agricultural constituency’. Those . who work for her will also learn, as one with such experience says, . ‘that she is a sucker for flattery. Compliments — especially about her . genius, political skill, or emphatic, rosy predictions about her future . career — are certain to be met with peals of girlish laughter. Survivor: Truss survived efforts to deselect her after news broke of her affair with Field. She is pictured arriving for the possible deselection vote at Swaffham Assembly Rooms in 2009 . | Liz Truss, 38, is the youngest-ever woman to join a Conservative Cabinet .
Rising star only became MP for South West Norfolk four years ago .
She once called for the Monarchy's abolition and was a Lib Dem at university .
Truss grew up in Left-wing household and went on CND marches as a child .
Had 18 month affair with then culture spokesman Mark Field .
Truss has described the British as ‘among the worst idlers in the world’ |
186,363 | 7d6cb5a1dbe85f10b59a3923f877f3a9aee5258b | Education Minister Christopher Pyne has denied that he ever offered a job or legal representation to James Ashby, a former staff member of speaker Peter Slipper. 'Sometimes people misinterpret conversations that are made and that are held,' Mr Pyne said. 'I had three meetings with Mr Ashby, the first was when I met him in Peter Slipper's office very briefly. 'The second was when I shared a drink with him, and another staffer, while I was waiting for Peter Slipper to come back from the adjournment debate when he was the speaker ..and the third was when he came to collect a couple of bottles of wine,' Mr Pyne added. Scroll down for video . To the question of whether a lawyer was offered to James Ashby (left), Christopher Pyrne (right) replied: 'That was not my intention, no.' My Pyne added that 'I stand by all the statements I have made previously over the last 2 and a half years'. James Ashby was a former staff member in the office of ex-Speaker of the House, Peter Slipper. He took legal action against Mr Slipper, including allegations of sexual harrassment. Former political staffer James Ashby gave details of his alleged sexual harassment from Peter Slipper (above) on the 60 Minutes program . Mr Ashby alleged he was subjected to sexually explicit texts by the former Speaker . Mr Ashby took Mr Slipper to court alleging sexual harassment and breach of contract. That case against the former Speaker was ultimately dropped . In a 60 Minutes interview, James Ashby revealed all, telling of his sexual harrassment claims against his former boss and he also claimed to have told Mr Pyne of the problems he was facing. 'I had no specific knowledge about the allegations that Mr Ashby made against Mr Slipper before I read about them,' insisted the Education Minister. Mr Pyne said he knew that Mr Ashby was uncomfortable with his situation but did not know about the specific allegations. When asked again if he or the Prime Minister were aware of the rumours surrounding Mr Slipper he said: 'Were we aware of rumours? Well everybody in Canberra in Parliament House were aware of rumours about Mr Slipper going back many years.' My Pyne also insisted he never discussed a possible job for James Ashby with the Prime Minister. However, during the 60 Minutes interview, Mr Ashby said in his conversation with Christopher Pyne, that he had been offered the services of a lawyer and promised a job could always be found for him. Mr Pyne denied those claims. James Ashby was a former staff member in the office of ex-Speaker of the House, Peter Slipper. He took legal action against Mr Slipper, including allegations of sexual harrassment . James Ashby filed a sexual harassment claim against the then-speaker Peter Slipper in 2012 . James Ashby claimed that he was warned by Mr Pyne that if he ever revealed their conversation he would be publicly labelled a 'pathological liar'. 'I had a brief meeting, we discussed the fact the Queensland state election was coming very soon, he indicated he was uncomfortable in Mr Slipper's office and I indicated to him that if we won the Queensland state election that would be a chance potentially for him to get out of Mr Slipper's office but the fact is there was no job ever provided for Mr Ashby,' Mr Pyne said. 'My intention was never to lead him to believe that a job would be provided to him but obviously if we won the Queensland state election and then subsequently the federal election, when you are in government there are a lot more jobs available than when you are in opposition and that if he felt uncomfortable in Mr Slipper's office, that would be an opportunity for him to get out of the office.' 'My intention was never to lead him to believe that a job would be provided to him' Christopher Pyne speaking about his meetings with former political staffer James Ashby . Mr Ashby claimed that he was warned by Mr Pyne that if he ever revealed their conversation he would be publicly labelled a 'pathological liar'. 'I would not have used that language,' Mr Pyne countered. Shadow Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said the Prime Minister needs to provide more information about how much he knew, along with his Education Minister. 'I think Mr Abbott needs to come clean about his own involvement in what he knew, and in particular Christopher Pyne has serious questions to answer,' Mr Dreyfus said. Mr Pyne also added that 'I thought he was very courageous last night in telling his story - he came across as a very decent person who wants to put that unhappy period behind him.' To the question of whether a lawyer was offered to Mr Ashby, Mr Pyrne replied: 'That was not my intention, no.' | Christopher Pyne confirmed he did meet with James Ashby but denies offering him a job or a lawyer .
Mr Pyne said the ex-political staffer was 'uncomfortable' about his job with Speaker Peter Slipper's office .
'Sometimes people misinterpret conversations that are made' claimed the Education Minister .
Peter Slipper, 64, hired James Ashby, 35, as one of his advisers in 2010 .
In 2012, Mr Ashby filed a sexual harassment claim against the then-speaker .
"Everybody in Canberra in Parliament House were aware of rumours about Mr Slipper going back many years' according to Christopher Pyne .
Mr Slipper quit the job and went on to lose his Queensland seat as an MP .
Mr Ashby said he had contemplated suicide after the scandal came to light . |
205,503 | 96090ce8783caab6ca1ae59d54a8d4f743f16a3a | By . Simon Tomlinson . Last updated at 10:19 AM on 12th December 2011 . As many as 2,000 rural post offices are to close in favour of downgraded services which will open up in other commercial premises, it has emerged. Around one fifth of the network's 11,500 branches will be changed into new 'PO Locals' offering limited counter services in garages and shops. Under the plans, which start next June, it will no longer be possible to apply for driving licences, send bulky post overseas, pay car tax or make cash withdrawals using pass books. Concerns: Around 2,000 rural post offices will close next summer under plans to replace them with 'PO Locals' offering a limited service in garages and shops . Post Office Limited has been gradually rolling out a trial of the new service, which has resulted in the number of PO Locals doubling from 60 earlier this year to 115, according to the Daily Telegraph. Consumer Focus, the postal services watchdog, has expressed serious concerns over the move. Andy Burrowes, a postal expert at Consumer Focus, said the trials found that often postal services were treated as a 'secondary offer' by the shop or garage owner in PO Locals. He added: 'These are subtle but quite fundamental changes for customers concerned.' It is claimed that longstanding post office customers would have to queue up behind people buying milk and crisps in order to receive their weekly pensions. 'Fundamental changes': Customers will not be able to apply for driving licences, pay car tax or withdraw cash using passbooks under the new scheme . Some PO Locals even ran out of money and were not able to pay benefits because they cannot hold as much cash as Post Office branches, it was reported in the Telegraph. Sub-postmasters are apparently being offered the equivalent of 18 months’ salary if they agree to close down or convert into a PO Local. Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK, said: 'It is imperative that there is as little disruption as possible to the service for older customers during this programme of conversion.' Last night, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which is expected to take over the running of the post office network from Royal Mail in April next year, defended the plans. A spokesman said: 'The Post Office network will be maintained at its current size and coverage of 11,500 outlets nationwide and strict access criteria must be met to ensure reasonable access to services for all.' | One fifth of 11,500 branches to become limited 'PO Locals'
Will no longer offer driving licence or car tax applications .
Watchdog: Postal services treated as a 'secondary offer' |
98,244 | 0a7bcdaca57b803c49abf26ea9ea35910793e484 | A judge has ruled that the BBC was correct to reject a request by a journalist asking about whether each of the Royal Palaces has a television licence . A judge has ruled that the BBC should not release information about whether the Queen buys a TV licence because giving out this type of personal data is 'entirely unwarranted.' The decision was made after an almost two-year battle between Gordon McIntosh, a journalist, and the BBC because the corporation refused to release information to him about whether any of the Royal Palaces - including Balmoral, Clarence House and Windsor Castle - had a television licence. The lengthy wrangle has seen the request referred to appeal, the Information Commissioner and a tribunal, which all found the BBC was correct to withhold the information. This means it will impossible to confirm if the Queen and other members of the Royal Family buy a television licence to watch their favourite programmes. However many would assume they do, as a number of their preferred shows have emerged in recent years. Downton Abbey is understood to be a favourite for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Allen Leech, who plays Tom Branson in the drama, revealed Prince William told him he had become a fan of the show after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to Prince George. The Queen is also widely rumoured to be a fan of gentle comedy Last of the Summer Wine. Television aerials were also a definite fixture at the Tower of London as in 1986 one of the tower's historic ravens was dismissed from service for eating one. Mr McIntosh initially wrote to the BBC in December 2012. He wanted to know whether the £145.50 annual licence fee was paid for televisions at each of the Royal Palaces including Highgrove House and Buckingham Palace, as well as for Westminster. In the request he wrote: 'I would like to know if the Royal Palaces, including Westminster, have licences for all of their televisions, and if you scrutinise and check in the same way as for residential or commercial premises. But the BBC rejected his request - made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act - insisting the details were 'personal data' and therefore exempt. Judge Dhanji ruled determining whether TV licences are bought for the Royal Palaces including Buckingham Palace (above), Balmoral (bottom left) and Highrove (right) was an 'unwarranted' release of personal data . The argument over whether the TV licence information should be released has continued for two years . Mr McIntosh complained and asked the BBC to review its decision, stating that they should have given a list of all properties - for example all the apartments in Kensington Palace - detailing which have licences. This was rejected and referred to the Information Commissioner, who backed the BBC. The Information Commissioner upheld the BBC's decision saying there was 'a risk individuals could be identified from a full post code', given that there were so few residents in the specified addresses. 'TV Licence holders would have an expectation that the details about their licence held by the BBC would not be disclosed,' the Commissioner found, saying it was hard to see 'how disclosure would meet any specific public interest'. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reportedly fans of Downton Abbey since Prince George was born . Last of the Summer Wine (left) is said to be a favourite of the Queen while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watch Michelle Dockery play Lady Mary Crawley in ITV drama Downton Abbey (right) since becoming parents . Mr McIntosh argued the decision and said 'a glaringly obvious public interest matter has been, in my opinion, negligently overlooked by the Information Commissioner's Office'. He said 'reliable sources' had told him many staff and non-royal residents in palace accommodation do not pay for TV licences and that, if they were not being prosecuted due to their 'links to the Monarch', the public should know. However, Judge Anisa Dhanji, sitting at the tribunal with fellow panel members Michael Jones and Nigel Watson today , said there was 'no evidence' to substantiate the claims, which were denied by the BBC. She concluded: 'Even if there was a legitimate interest and disclosure was necessary, we consider that disclosure would be unwarranted by reason of prejudice to the rights and freedoms or legitimate interests of the data subjects.' The decision means we will not be able to get an answer to whether the Queen buys a TV licence . The judge concluded by dismissing suggestions by Mr McIntosh that the Information Commissioner had a 'vested interest in protecting the royal household'. 'There is also no evidence that the Commissioner has acted with anything other than impartially in this case,' she said. When the BBC earlier asked Mr McIntosh to clarify the addresses he was referring to, he also asked to know how many 'exemption requests' the corporation had received for these premises in the past two years. He wanted to know: 'Are you pro-actively making, and then following up on licensing requests to these premises and how many requests were made in the last two years to how many 'properties' within the palaces/government residences?' The BBC replied, clarifying that it was its 'duty to ensure that everyone in the UK who needs a licence has one' and stating that there had been no requests for exemptions from the specified addresses. Almost 200,000 people are prosecuted a year – one in nine of all lower court cases - and more than 50 people were sent to prison in 2012-2013 for failing to buy a TV licence. TV Licensing last year released some of the worst excuses for failing to pay. These included one person who said: 'Apparently my dog, which is a corgi, is related to the Queen's dog so I didn't think I needed a TV Licence. Another person said they thought they could avoid the charge because they spent a lot of time watching television at a neighbour's house. | BBC rejected request by journalist about TV licences at the Royal Palaces .
This was upheld after a review and by the Information Commissioner .
Now a tribunal judge says BBC was right to refuse to release information .
Judge Anisa Dhanji said release of this personal data was 'unwarranted' |
71,830 | cb9d1f654e1c4a8cce30689b10bbc229ff620639 | A Florida High School is charging seniors to participate in the ceremony and is asking 10 times the amount from their parents who wish to reserve seats. Manatee High School in Brandenton asked seniors to fork out $20 in order to participate in the graduation ceremony and if family wants to reserve a row of 15 seats the cost is $200 or around $13 a seat. Ten rows near the end zone of Hawkins Stadium were made available for purchase on Tuesday morning and sold out in about four hours, reports the Brandenton Herald. All other seating is on a first come first serve basis. Ever since the school district reduced funding, Manatee has offered choice graduation seating to parents who are willing to pay $200 . High School Principal Don Sauer told reporters that the fees are an effort to cover the $12,000 graduation costs for the school after the school district pulled $3,400 from its annual contribution to cut costs. 'It's due to the district's financial situation that it stopped providing funding to Manatee HS for their graduation costs,' Valley told the Herald. This is the first time the school is charging seniors $20 to participate in the ceremony and it was announced in November in a letter to students and parents. The principal explained that if students and parents could not afford to pay the requested amount that the fee was waived. 'I am not here to make money off my kids,' Sauer said. This is the first time the school is charging seniors $20 to participate in the ceremony and it was announced in November in a letter to students and parents . The school district spokesman Steve Valley said that each Manatee County school charges a graduation fee but that the cost varies from school to school. Manatee's Graduation will be held on May 31 at the school's Hawkins Stadium and teh school expects to host between 5,000 and 6,000 guests for about 500 graduates. 'The ceremony isn't really for students, the ceremony is for the parents,' Principal sauer said. Sauer decided to offer parents an option of choice seating for more money so that they could fill in some of the financial losses. 'With the budget crunch, money has become tighter and tighter,' he said. Despite charging parents and students the school will still be $1,500 short. Bauer may introduce two more rows fro $200 but he has not yet made a final decision. | Manatee High School asked seniors to fork out $20 in order to participate in the graduation ceremony and asked parents for $200 if they wished to reserve seats .
The principal explained that if students and parents could not afford to pay the requested amount that the fee was waived .
The fees are an effort to cover the $12,000 graduation costs for the school after the school district pulled $3,400 from its annual contribution . |
27,111 | 4ce354e61b8d6fcbfd58fb314bfcb6ec6d8e7a20 | A woman has taken her former lover to court and is demanding the return of $65,000 which she claims she lent him so he could divorce his then wife and also pay for a third woman - pregnant with his unborn child - to have an abortion. According to her Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit, Amy Marie Cooper dated Martin Priest, 36, for four years. She claims she didn't know that he was still living with his wife Tianna, 32, at the time. The relationship between Cooper and Wall Street trader Priest ended in 2012, when she found out his wife was pregnant, although she admits that she still had 'feelings for him.' Financial adviser Martin Priest, pictured with his new wife Carrie Wharton, is being sued by ex-girlfriend Amy Marie Cooper who claims that she lent him $65,000 which she wants returned . According to court papers, Cooper claims that Priest got back in touch the next year and told her that his marriage had 'irretrievably broken down and that he was a victim of abuse from his wife.' Cooper also claims in her lawsuit that 'another woman, Carrie Wharton, was pregnant with his child... and likewise abused him.' Priest, a financial advisor at Daiwa Capital Markets, allegedly told Cooper he 'was in dire need of money in order to protect himself and his children from his wife and pay Carrie to abort her unborn child.' When Priest told Cooper that he wanted to rekindle their romance, she agreed to help him out of his fix and lent him $65,000, according to court papers. Priest, right, 'had no intentions' of ever getting back with Cooper and instead he wanted to get a quickie divorce so that he could run off with pregnant girlfriend Wharton, left . But Priest 'had no intentions' of ever getting back with Cooper, and instead wanted to get a quickie divorce so that he could run off with pregnant girlfriend Wharton. Priest has denied the allegations, which he called 'completely salacious . . . absolutely false,' reports the New York Post. Priest and Wharton, who now live in Montville, New Jersey, they have an infant son and married in October, according to Wharton's Facebook page. | Financial adviser Martin Priest is being sued by ex-girlfriend Amy Marie Cooper who claims that she lent him $65,000 which she wants returned . |
164,906 | 613adf8f137d9eb62728a7a394b0c1b7e00b695d | Williams have confirmed Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas as their driver line-up for the 2015 Formula One season. Massa was already under contract for next term, whilst Williams have taken up the option on Bottas' contract following a stunning campaign. For Massa, next year will be the Brazilian's 14th season in F1, whilst Finn Bottas is fast emerging as a proven talent following the emergence of Williams as a force to again be reckoned with in F1. Driving force: Felipe Massa (pictured) and Valtteri Bottas will both be retained by Williams for the 2015 season . In his first year with Williams, following his release from Ferrari at the end of last season, Massa has been involved in a number of unfortunate incidents that have hindered his results. But given the 33-year-old's experience, he has endeared himself to the team, scoring Williams' first pole for two years in the Austrian Grand Prix in June. Bottas, who started out as test driver in 2010 before progressing to the race seat in 2012, has gone from strength to strength, scoring four podiums in the last five races to lie fifth in the drivers' standings. Team principal Sir Frank Williams said: 'I'm delighted to confirm Felipe and Valtteri will be racing for Williams again in 2015. Arrival: Finnish driver Bottas, who started as a test driver in 2010, has impressed for Williams this season . 'Felipe is a pleasure to work with, and combines raw pace with a wealth of experience. 'As for Valtteri, we have known for many years he is a very special talent, and in the FW36 we have given him a car that is allowing him to demonstrate his skills. 'The team is having a much improved 2014 season, and the skill of our drivers and their feedback to our engineers has proved crucial in this. 'This announcement gives us excellent stability for 2015 but of course we are very much focusing our attention on maximising the full potential of the car in the remaining seven races of this season.' The confirmation, ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, ends gossip surrounding Bottas as he had started to be linked with rival teams. Top three: Bottas will start behind Lewis Hamilton (centre) and Nico Rosberg for today's Italian Grand Prix . In confirming his immediate future with Williams, Bottas said: 'I've been a member of the Williams team for five years now and we have developed together throughout that time which is a great feeling. 'The team has also made some very impressive gains this season and I'm confident I'm at a team that is moving in the right direction and can continue to be competitive. 'Sir Frank and Claire (deputy team principal) have put a lot of faith in me and I'm very grateful they continue to do so. 'Felipe and I have a good working relationship and this early announcement will help us both input into the ongoing development of this year's car and next year's car.' Massa believes the team, currently pressuring Ferrari for third in the constructors' championship, have built a solid platform this season on which they can build for 2015. Massa said: 'I'm really enjoying my time at Williams and I feel settled here. 'Williams is such an iconic name in motor racing and I have a lot of pride when racing for this team. 'This season we have started to show our true potential, and I'm driving a car that is looking strong and has improved a lot as the season has progressed which is very encouraging for the future. 'It's important we continue to push in the second half of the season and that we start 2015 with some really good momentum we can build on.' | Williams announce unchanged line-up ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix .
Massa was already under contract for 2015... it will be his 14th season in F1 .
Williams have taken up option on Bottas who has impressed this year . |
152,140 | 50a36282bf3f999c788a0b4912b13d124702d6ad | (CNN) -- In the midst of the contentious debate over the Common Core State Standards, many critics have lost perspective on its purpose. Why did so many governors, educators and policymakers across both parties join together to create the standards in the first place? A brief look at Common Core's history would help explain its significance and counter some of the criticisms. In 1983, then Secretary of Education Terrel Bell commissioned the seminal report, "A Nation at Risk," which highlighted American students' falling SAT scores and awakened the nation to its educational malaise. Among many of the report's recommendations, which eventually became a platform for modern education reforms, were calls for "more rigorous and measurable standards." American students were victims of low expectations and inconsistent learning goals. But despite the report's warnings and billions of dollars more spent on education, not much has changed. Thanks to benchmarked national and international exams, like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), we know that American students continue to fall short. (There's one sliver of good news: For a number of reasons there have been dramatic improvements in some individual states like Massachusetts.) These exams highlighted how the performance of American students differed widely between states and districts. Some states had high internationally competitive standards; others were far too low. In fact, some states were dumbing down standards and exams in order to hide the poor performance of their students. For example, New York State rated 87% of its fourth graders proficient in math, according to its own state testing in 2009. That would be astounding -- if true. But NAEP results calculated that only 40% of the state's fourth graders were proficient or better in math. Educational performance in many districts and states resembled Lake Wobegon -- the fictional place in Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" where "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." But reality is different. Local control has always been an essential right of education in America, but there was a growing problem: When different states with different standards and different tests proliferated, we ended up with unreliable measures of how our children are really doing. A wide and disparate variety of education standards promotes chaos and deception. Realizing this, in 2009, a collaborative involving the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers began to discuss the need for common standards and accountability. The end goal is that an "A" in math in New Jersey should be equivalent to an "A" in math in Louisiana, or in California, and so on. So began the coordinated effort from governors, educators and legislators to compose benchmarked standards that would be the same across state lines. The product became the Common Core State Standards. Its genesis was local and its purpose was to lift education performance through state, not federal, collaboration. This was the original intent of the Common Core. It is a worthy and necessary idea. Unfortunately, outside forces have interfered with or distorted the idea, obscuring its real merits. Federal intrusions such as the Race to the Top grants have not been helpful. Common Core isn't without its problems, but some of have been exaggerated and some have been made up out of thin air. We can't lose sight of the original intent. Should Common Core fail, the movement -- decades in the making -- toward rigorous, common standards would be dealt a serious blow. While various questions about Common Core and its implementation persist, such as how to handle data privacy or concerns that some of the standards may not be rigorous enough, individual states have the right and ability to craft their own supplemental solutions. For example, this year Ohio passed HB 487 to protect the confidentiality of student data and Florida altered its Common Core standards to include more advanced calculus standards. Some of the criticisms leveled against Common Core stem from mistakes made in local implementations -- not from a uniform federal mandate. It is ironic that the very thing which many of Common Core's critics value the most -- local control -- has often resulted in curricula, subject matter, readings, and exercises in local classrooms that are objectionable, substandard, or politically tendentious. If Common Core fails, education reform will regress and American students' flat or falling test results in learning will continue. It must be noted that many of Common Core's critics still lack a persuasive alternative or any alternative at all. | William Bennett: Critics of Common Core have lost perspective of its purpose .
Bennett: The problem is how to address American students' flat or falling test scores .
He says lack of common standards means inconsistent and unreliable learning results .
Bennett: Some of its problems stem from local implementations, not federal mandate . |
100,910 | 0e038e01ce2e75a1f0b9166b7b9b0660f2751191 | By . Luke Augustus . Follow @@Luke_Augustus29 . Arsenal are the latest club to have joined the race to sign Marco Reus, according to reports in Germany. German newspaper Welt says the Gunners are leading the chase for the Borussia Dortmund star's signature. The 25-year-old forward looks set to leave Jurgen Klopp's side in the near future after rejecting a contract extension in July. On the move? German newspaper Welt reports that Arsenal lead the race to sign Marco Reus . Top talent: Reus (left) scored 21 goals in 39 matches for Borussia Dortmund last season . Reus has a release clause of £19.8million that comes into effect next summer and Welt reports that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is a huge admirer of his talents and is keen to bring him to the Emirates Stadium. The paper adds that despite interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich, the FA Cup winners are in pole position to sign Reus, with the cost of transfer fee and wages not a problem for the North London club. Welt's news will come as a blow to Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Manchester United who have been linked with the German international after details of his release clause were leaked. The highly-rated Germany forward has Europe's top clubs circling after two successful years at Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Reus rejoined Dortmund in 2012 from Borussia Monchengladbach after his hometown club released him as a 17-year-old. He scored 21 goals in 39 matches for Dortmund last season and offers creativity but missed Germany's triumphant World Cup campaign through injury. Out of action: Reus missed Germany's 2014 World Cup winning campaign through injury . CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK . | Arsenal lead the hunt to sign Marco Reus, according to reports in Germany .
Welt says Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is keen to land the 25-year-old .
Reus has release clause of £19.8million that comes into effect next summer .
Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked with the forward .
Reus missed Germany's successful World Cup campaign through injury . |
193,355 | 864f01907c45fb399fea3ac3869af6ad89dd880e | Guatemala City (CNN) -- Software pioneer John McAfee ended the day Thursday as he started it: imprisoned in a Guatemalan immigration detention center. Earlier, a neon green ambulance had whisked the 67-year-old to a police hospital just hours after officials rejected his bid for asylum. McAfee's legal team said doctors were treating him for cardiovascular problems. Later, attorney Telesforo Guerra offered a different diagnosis: McAfee had suffered a nervous breakdown, but tests showed he did not have heart problems. The series of events were the latest dramatic twists in a saga that reads like a best-selling mystery, with poisoned dogs, a dead neighbor and international intrigue fueled by weeks on the run. The next chapter could unfold in Belize, where Guatemalan officials said they were preparing to deport McAfee after rejecting his asylum bid. Police in Belize are ready to meet McAfee at the airport if he's deported, spokesman Raphael Martinez said. Authorities there have said they want to talk to McAfee about the November 11 shooting of his neighbor, American businessman Gregory Faull. Under Belize law, McAfee can be held for 48 hours without charges, Martinez said. But McAfee's fight to stay in Guatemala isn't over. His attorneys said they filed a request for an injunction with Guatemala's Supreme Court. Standing outside the police hospital as ambulance lights flashed nearby, attorney Karla Paz said officials had unjustly rejected McAfee's petition without weighing the evidence. "Due process has been violated. The right to defense has not been respected," she said. Read more: McAfee's exit from Belize ends in detention . Guatemalan authorities took McAfee into custody Wednesday on accusations of entering the country illegally. After weeks in hiding, anti-virus software company founder emerged publicly Tuesday in Guatemala's capital, hundreds of miles from the Caribbean island in Belize where his next-door neighbor was found dead. McAfee requested asylum in Guatemala, arguing that he left Belize to escape police persecution. But Guatemalan authorities found there was no basis for his asylum request, presidential spokesman Francisco Cuevas said Thursday. McAfee founded his namesake computer security software in 1987, initially running it out of his home in California. He sold his stake in McAfee Associates in 1994 and moved to Belize in 2008. On November 9, he told police someone poisoned his four dogs there. To put them out of their misery, he shot each in the head and buried them on his property, according to a former girlfriend. The dogs' barking and aggressive behavior was a frequent source of friction between the two neighbors. Two days after the dogs were poisoned, Faull was found fatally shot in the head. McAfee has said he had nothing to do with Faull's death, and Belize authorities are out to get him because he refused to pay a bribe to a politician months earlier. Belize police say they only want to talk with McAfee. "He's really gone out of his way to make the country look bad," Martinez, the police spokesman, said earlier this week, "and we just believe he should, if he's innocent as he's saying he is, he should bring in his lawyer, and let's get to the bottom of this and say what he needs to say and let's move on." Read more: A bizarre visit to John McAfee's pleasure palace in Belize . CNN's Martin Savidge, Faith Karimi and Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | An attorney says John McAfee had a nervous breakdown, but no heart problems .
The 67-year-old software company founder is back in immigration detention .
Guatemalan officials say they've rejected McAfee's request for asylum .
McAfee's attorneys request an injunction, saying "due process has been violated" |
188,899 | 80a879ccc7a09c3653b551a534489ae1557413c6 | Marouane Fellaini has never intentionally injured an opponent, claims the Manchester United midfielder's father. Belgium international Fellaini came in for criticism last Sunday after he caught Liverpool's Welsh international Joe Allen with an elbow to the face, leaving the midfielder with a bloodied nose. Fellaini was not punished by the referee or UEFA for the incident and his father has since defended his son, citing the height difference of the two players, with Fellaini standing at 6ft 4in compared to Liverpool's 5ft 4in Allen. Marouane Fellaini (left) clashed with Wales midfielder Joe Allen during the second half of the match . Fellaini looks away as Allen lies on the turf after the incident in Belgium on Sunday night . The Wales medical team tend to Allen's injury, after he was elbowed by Manchester United midfielder Fellaini . Abdellatif Fellaini told Derniere Heure: 'Marouane didn't do it on purpose. Have you seen how those Welshmen put their feet? Have you seen what they did to [Dries] Mertens? They had to be played strongly and Marouane did, but he never wanted to injure someone. 'Marouane has, in fact, never injured anyone intentionally in his career. 'However, he has already been hurt on the field. Besides, you must also realise Marouane is very large. When he goes into battle with a small player, his elbows are level with the face of his opponent. Against his will. 'He knows himself that he is not a dirty player and can look straight into the mirror.' Fellaini was given a yellow card for elbowing Pablo Zabaleta during last season's Manchester derby . | Marouane Fellaini's dad Abdellatif has jumped to the defence of the Manchester United midfielder .
The Belgium ace elbowed Joe Allen during an international match .
Zvonimir Boban said Fellaini can't play football after challenge . |
254,806 | d5d355473738715162a5d38995828c86512537aa | This was the satellite photo which shamed North Korea by showing how the people of the hermit kingdom endure inky blackness at night. But now the hermit kingdom's propaganda machine has hit back, proclaiming that the stoic workers of the People's Republic have no need for 'flashy lights'. A recent editorial in the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's tightly leashed newspaper of record, also says the photo represents the future of the U.S. - 'an old superpower that is meeting its sunset'. Conspicuous by its absence: North Korea is clearly visible by its lack of lighting at night-time, in this image of the Korean peninsula taken from the International Space Station and circulated by Nasa last year . The famous photo, in circulation for more than a year, captures the bright lights of South Korea and China, including South Korean capital Seoul as the brilliant splash of white and sodium orange close to the border. By contrast, North Korea's city lights are conspicuous by their absence, with the whole country appearing to vanish at night save for a small blob shining from Pyongyang, the seat of power. The Wall Street Journal's Korea Realtime blog unearthed Rodong Sinmun's reference to the picture, in a 4,000-word editorial that reporter Alistair Gale describes as 'a standard hyperbolic North Korean screed'. Under the heading 'Right in front of our eyes' - a reference to a quote from Kim Jong Un, of course - the Rodong Sinmum exhorts North Korea's workers to follow the orders of their leaders to build a great and prosperous nation. 'They [North Korea’s detractors] clap their hands and get loud over a satellite picture of our city with not much light, but the essence of society is not on flashy lights,' it declares, according to WSJ's translation. It points out that the U.S. is beset by problems including massive debts, the Occupy Wall Street protests and the uprising of Black Americans following the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year. Those failings, according to the paper, show that 'an old superpower that is meeting its sunset may put up a face of arrogance but it can’t avoid its dark fate.' Bright lights, big city... Youths march in Pyongyang to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of Korea's 'revolutionary armed forces'. Pyongyang is the only North Korean city visible from space at night . First published in January last year, the satellite photo snapped from the International Space Station provoked comment on North Korea's failure to light its territory, compared to its highly developed neighbours. A Nasa Earth Observatory spokesman said at the time: 'North Korea is almost completely dark compared to neighboring South Korea and China. 'The darkened land appears as if it were a patch of water joining the Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan. Its capital city, Pyongyang, appears like a small island, despite a population of 3.26 million (as of 2008). The light emission from Pyongyang is equivalent to the smaller towns in South Korea. 'Coastlines are often very apparent in night imagery, as shown by South Korea’s eastern shoreline. But the coast of North Korea is difficult to detect.' The Nasa statement went on to point out the difference in per capita power consumption between the two countries, with South Koreans consuming nearly 14 times as much as their cousins north of the DMZ. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talksto officers during his visit to a dockyard: Satellite pictures have also been used to keep track of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, which experts fear has restarted . Satellite pictures have not only been used to point out the lack of development in North Korea. Last month experts cited newly relesed images to suggest the country may be attempting to restart its main nuclear bomb fuel reactor. When fully operational, the five-megawatt facility is reported to be capable of producing about six kilos of plutonium a year - enough for a nuclear bomb. North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests, and recently threatened a fourth amid tensions over fresh U.S. sanctions and UN moves to censure Pyongyang for its human rights record. | Hermit kingdom hits back at satellite image a year after its first publication .
'The essence of society is not on flashy lights,' declares NK newspaper .
Indeed, the image shows the future of the U.S. as it meets 'its sunset' |
224,141 | ae3a6a9362e622b1581d4373fe287e25a592cf86 | PARIS, France (CNN) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pledging $730 million (€ 580 million) in economic aid to France's Caribbean territories in an effort to head off escalating protests, his office said Friday. French gendarmes face-off against Guadeloupe protesters. Sarkozy made the announcement after a meeting in Paris with leaders from French Caribbean territories. He also proposed adding €200 ($253) a month to the salaries of low-paid workers. The French territory of Guadeloupe has witnessed a month of sometimes violent demonstrations over low wages and living conditions. At least one civilian, a trade unionist, has been killed in riots. French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie on Thursday announced the deployment of four state police units to Guadeloupe . "We have the duty to listen to our countrymen and at the same time, we must bring law and order back as quickly as possible," Sarkozy said in remarks Thursday. "Our countrymen expect the state to protect them. It's unacceptable that a trade unionist has been killed. This is murder. It's a hateful act that has nothing to do with the social crisis." Hospitals and emergency services continue to function and the main international airport is open, but petrol stations, schools, and most businesses -- including supermarkets and car rental offices -- are closed, the British Foreign Office said in a travel advisory. Hotels are open, but the strike is causing daily cuts to electricity and water supplies, the Foreign Office said. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Thursday the crisis is linked to "the lifelessness of the economy in the Antilles , aggravated by the global economic crisis." CNN's Alanne Orjoux in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report . | French Guadeloupe hit by month of sometimes violent protests .
Strikes over low wages, living conditions hit businesses, utilities .
French PM: Crisis linked to lifelessness of the economy in the Antilles .
Sarkozy: Death of trade union activist during unrest unrelated to crisis . |
217,078 | a50db335bbcb7ef478eeda2db7980f4f5788ed75 | (CNN) -- If you love movies there is a different, and perhaps pleasingly preferable, way to spend Sunday evening other than watching the Academy Awards presentation. This will involve answering a three-part movie question. More on that in a moment. It has always been a little puzzling: why people reflexively flock to their television sets for awards programs, the Academy Awards being the oldest and most prominent. Why spend long hours watching people giving other people prizes? If you liked some of the movies that came out last year, that's fine and good -- but if you bought a pair of shoes that you liked last year, would you spend a Sunday evening in the only life you'll ever lead observing shoe manufacturers presenting awards to each other? A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week reported that 67% of Americans haven't seen any -- not even one -- of the movies nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars. That would seem to indicate a certain indifference, yet millions of people will be sitting in front of their TV sets Sunday. There is an alternate, and arguably more fulfilling, way for film lovers to affirm their appreciation for the magic of movies on Academy Awards night. From the time the multitude of pre-Oscars specials and red carpet coverage begins on various television channels late Sunday afternoon to the time the last of the post-Oscars analysis goes off the air, enough hours will pass for you to watch three feature films. We are in the golden age of being able to see, at home, the most outstanding movies ever made from every era of film history. It used to be, if you wanted to watch any movie other than what was currently in theaters, you were pretty much at the mercy of the over-the-air broadcast networks or of local stations that sometimes ran old movies very late at night. But today, with Netflix, with Amazon Prime, with various streaming services, with YouTube, with iTunes, with classic-movie channels such as TCM, with DVRs, with tablets, you have an unprecedented opportunity to all-but-effortlessly program your own home theater with wonderful movies from every era of cinema. The variety is breathtaking and endless. Sometimes we take that for granted. Roger Ebert, before he became a television presence and was still a young newspaper movie critic, used to urge his colleagues at the paper to accompany him to a seen-better-days theater in Chicago called the Clark. It was operated by a fellow named Bruce Trinz, who revered movies and who, every day of the year, would book a different double feature of classic, long-out-of-general-release films. At the beginning of every month he would mail out a leaflet with a calendar of each day's movies (he would describe them in rhyming couplets). He selected and showed 730 movies a year; the Clark was open 22 hours a day. It was a rare chance to immerse yourself in the best of movies from down through the generations. The Clark Theater is long gone, but today each person has far more movie-programming choices than the Clark ever offered. You are able to routinely stumble across movies that haven't seen the inside of a theater in years, but that can jolt you with their moments of brilliance and insight into the human condition and the mysteries of the yearning heart. Or you can just sit back and enjoy the talent and artistry in front of you; each motion picture, by its nature, offers its own enchantments, and the fact that people today can so easily make individual choices about what to see democratizes the viewing experience in a way that simply was not possible until recent decades. Years ago, when the idea of such choices sounded like a fantasy, I asked people to hypothetically consider what would happen if they were stranded on a desert island for the rest of their lives with only a movie projector and five films. What movies could they stand to watch over and over, with nothing else to keep them company? But now the options for people deciding on their own what to view are real, and, just as significant, they're infinite. So, as the Academy Awards ceremonies approach, here is a cordial invitation: . Name the three movies that, for you, would make the perfect triple feature to watch tonight. Movies that you've seen during your lifetime that have meant the most to you. Your choices don't necessarily have to be your nomination for the three greatest or most important or influential movies ever made (although they certainly could be). Just three movies that, tonight, you think would do for you the thing that movies have always done best: bring pleasure and entertainment, provoke thoughts, provide inspiration or laughter or comfort or tears. In other words: three movies to watch back-to-back-to-back tonight that will serve, better than the Academy Awards, to remind you of why you started to love movies in the first place. If you'd like, feel free to include the reasons why: What is it about your three movies that make them feel absolutely right to you? My own triple feature for tonight? I think I'll go with "High Noon," the 1952 Western starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, about the power of quiet courage when it seems there's no one in the world willing to help; "Hoosiers," the 1986 movie starring Gene Hackman, about a basketball team in small-town Indiana that triumphs over every obstacle; and "That Thing You Do!", the deliriously joyful 1996 movie written and directed by Tom Hanks, about a one-hit-wonder rock band from Erie, Pennsylvania, that briefly, in 1964, makes it to the top of the charts. Your three movies will be different. But if you decide to spend Academy Awards night watching them, by the end of the evening you will be the one who feels rewarded. And you won't even have to stand up and thank your agent. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Bob Greene: Why spend long hours watching people giving other people prizes?
Greene: Yet millions of people will watch the Academy Awards show on Sunday night .
He says instead, pick three movies that have meant the most to you for a triple feature .
Greene: They will remind you of why you started to love movies in the first place . |
172,237 | 6ae99185a40dd6077d77877757c41167ac9cb3c8 | He has already splashed out £125,000 on having everything from his calves to his nose surgically transformed but that, it seems, isn't enough for air steward Rodrigo Alves. Mr Alves, 31, has flown to Colombia, where on Monday, he went under the knife for a £50,000 six-in-one super operation. Procedures included a £13,000 nose job, his fourth so far, a £5,000 operation to fix his droopy eyes and another that saw his toes pinned back. Scroll down for video . Preparation: Mr Alves with his Colombian medical team as he prepared to go under the knife on Monday . Gruesome: Mr Alves following the bumper 'six-in-one' surgery which included his fourth nose job . Big spender: Mr Alves has now spent a grand total of £175,000 on cosmetic surgery . He also had a gruesome procedure to cut the skin around his mouth and gums to make his smile bigger for £4,000. Mr Alves, 31, who lives in London, has now racked up 30 body-changing operations - including liposuction, six-pack implants and botox fillers - in a quest to achieve the perfect body. But with UK doctors unwilling to perform any more surgery, Mr Alves was forced to approach a specialist Columbian clinic and fly to Bogota for bumper operation. The lengthy surgery saw three doctors work together to give him the look he wanted, while also completing an £8,000 of liposuction operation. The fat, which Mr Alves gained on purpose, was then used in a revolutionary £15,000 stem cell procedure which saw the fluid combined with his own blood before being injected back into his hair and skin in a bid to halt the ageing process. But despite now having spent a whopping £175,000 on his 'dream body', the self-confessed perfectionist says that he’ll never stop going under the knife. 'It’s a long process,' he said. 'It is long-term maintenance. Once you start, it is difficult to stop. Naturally I’m a perfectionist. It’s like a snowball effect and I’m not going to stop. 'It doesn’t define the man that I am - I’m much more than silicone and cosmetic surgery - but once you get started it’s difficult to stop. 'I’m quite hard on myself and I’m scared of getting old - that’s the truth.' Mr Alves first went under the knife in 2004, after feeling too unattractive to fit in with the fashionable friends he had made while studying in London. His long list of surgery includes £8,000 on botox and fillers, £30,000 on three nose jobs, £3,000 on liposuction to his jaw and £10,000 on pec implants. Team: Dr Alfredo Alvear (left), Sandra Martinez and Miguel Barreto (right) performed the op for Mr Alves . Ready to go: Mr Alves with his medical team ahead of the operation - his 30th to date . Unhappy: Prior to his first surgery in 2004, Mr Alves says he was deeply unhappy with his looks . He has also spent £22,000 on a fake six pack, £7,000 on fillers to his arms, £7,000 on hospital bills, £7,000 on laser lipo, £6,000 on leg lipo and £3,000 on calf shaping. He also indulges in twice-yearly Botox and filler top-ups and takes a cocktail of daily pills consisting of collagen tablets, anti-water retention and hair growth tablets. His latest six-and-a-half hour surgery included an operation to repair his nose after permanent fillers in the bridge migrated to the tip of his nose, making it round. Mr Alves also had the cartilage removed from his ear to rebuild his nostrils, which doctors pinned back after they 'got bigger at the age of 27'. Quest: Mr Alves has spent the last decade on his quest to look more like a Ken doll . Expensive: Mr Alves also spent £22,000 on the perfect six pack and £10,000 on pec implants . The surgery addict also had the skin between his inside lip and gum cut to give him a wider smile, and liposuction in his legs and back, which was re-injected elsewhere in a bid to make him look younger. The party-lover insists he works hard to afford the operations with stints as a flight attendant, an image consultant and an event host. Speaking after the surgery, Rodrigo, who will now spend 10 days recovering before the bandages are removed, said: 'The theory of beauty is to look symmetrical. 'I’m hopefully going to look more symmetrical after this, and therefore more beautiful. It is hard to open my eyes and hard to breathe too but I have a lovely nurse here looking after me.' | Rodrigo Alves, 31, from London, has spent a total of £175,000 on surgery .
Latest op was a six-in-one procedure done in Colombia for £50,000 .
Included a gruesome procedure designed to give him a bigger smile .
Mr Alves also had his fourth nose job and his ears pinned back .
Had bizarre treatment where his own fat and blood was injected into skin . |
234,797 | bbf3ac41407f40c5076ce63d4cefcbb6b1efaaa0 | A university students union has hit out at a Cardiff promotions company for distributing charts encouraging new students to record their sexual conquests alongside when they drink so much alcohol that they vomit. Climax Promotions has been giving out freshers packs which contain charts which are divided into two sides - on one side is a 'shagchart' - for recording sexual conquests - and on the other a 'chunderchart' - for tallying how many times students have vomited as a result of binge drinking. The company, which bills itself as Cardiff's top events company and boasts on its website of bringing 'you the best value for money and the most exciting events', last year was linked to a promotion that featured a t-shirt with the words, 'I was raping a woman last night and she cried'. The Climax Promotions chart which was handed out to Cardiff freshers so they can record their sexual conquests and how many times they vomit after excessive drinking . MailOnline has attempted to reach Climax Promotions for comment, but is yet to receive a response. Cardiff University Students' Union vice president Faraz Alauddin not only distanced the union from the promotion he called for Climax Promotions to be banned from the campus. He said: 'Promoters will try and jump onto everything. 'Climax have absolutely nothing to do with us. Climax has nothing to do with us, we try and and kick them off. They shouldn't be here, they shouldn't be on campus. 'Cardiff University Students' Union does not support, endorse or encourage this sort of promotional material or lad culture, more generally.' He added: 'The students' union has a strict advertising policy that does not allow such material on campus. 'We believe that the item in the image was distributed by an external company promoting themselves outside of our building and are not in any way associated with the students' union.' Roz Hardie, the chief executive of Object, which challenges the objectification of women, said young men needed to understand the difference between 'flirting and harassment' and that anyone who had the chart on their wall was signalling they were 'someone to avoid'. The Cardiff University Students' Union has called for the company behind the 'shagchart' to be banned from their campus . Ms Hardie said the company behind the chart was doing 'far more than encouraging young people to enjoy themselves', and she hoped the student community as a whole would consider whether they were the type of company they should support. The promotion follows research published earlier this month showing that a culture of heavy drinking has led to sexual molestation becoming the norm on a night out for young women. In a disturbing insight into how 18 to 24-year-olds behave on a night out, a survey has found one in three girls received inappropriate or unwanted physical attention or groping, but few were surprised. Academics said that excessive consumption of alcohol has turned Britain’s pubs and clubs into a ‘permissive social arena’. The report comes nine years after Labour controversially relaxed Britain’s licensing laws to allow 24-hour drinking despite police, judges, health workers and a Daily Mail campaign all warning the policy would prove to be a disaster. The findings were revealed in a report for the charity Drinkaware, which is urging women to stop tolerating behaviour which would be considered unacceptable when sober. ICM researchers found that 31 per cent of young women said they were touched inappropriately on a drunken night out. But only 19 per cent said they were surprised by it. In addition, more than a quarter (27 per cent) have put up with inappropriate sexual comments or abuse on a drunken night out. | Cardiff company hands out charts for students to tally sexual conquests .
Student union calls for the events company to be banned from their campus .
Anyone using the chart 'should be avoided' says women's group . |
35,639 | 65443786a439e28203ece1053eec85cf74dfa517 | Howard Webb has been our No 1 referee for the last eight years, representing England abroad. Four major championships is an incredible feat, as is being the first referee in modern times to return to a World Cup having officiated a final. Howard is the most successful English referee in living memory and he has followed his idol Pierluigi Collina by becoming a real ambassador for refereeing across the world. No 1: Howard Webb has been the best referee in England for the last eight years . Retired: Webb has ended his distinguished career and will become a technical director with Professional Game Match Officials Limited . Distinguished: Webb has taken charge of more than 500 matches in the PRemier League and Football League . Howard had his troubles, like all of us, with fans saying he favoured Manchester United. Liverpool’s Ryan Babel once put a picture of him in a United shirt on Twitter. But he was the top referee and they were the top team, so they earned more decisions. He’s a big fan of Rotherham United, of course. He often made light of the criticism at functions he would speak at. ‘When pictures show me in a Man United shirt, my wife Kay and I get very upset,’ he would say. ‘And our kids, Rio and Wayne.’ Now he has nothing left to prove and can spend more time with his family. Yet he is held in high regard by the FA and FIFA, and no doubt both bodies will want him to perform a role for them in future. Standard bearers: Webb and Pierluigi Collina (pictured) have become ambassadors for referring around the world . In control: Webb has been regarded as one of the best Premier League officials for some time . International standard: Webb has been selected for two World Cups and two European Championships . | Webb has retired after 25 years as an official in England .
He will become technical director of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd .
Webb has been No 1 English referee for eight years both home and abroad .
He has referred at four major championships and a World Cup final .
Took charge of both Champions League and World Cup finals in 2010 .
Selected for two World Cups and two European championships .
Webb has followed Collina into becoming a real ambassador for refereeing . |
131,774 | 366088fea691055827a46179a5459f599408b5a4 | (CNN) -- Armored cars patrolled the streets of Zimbabwe's capital and residents flocked to banks Thursday after limits on cash withdrawals were lifted in the inflation-ravaged African nation. With prices rising even more than once a day, shopping is a mathematical proficiency test for Zimbabweans. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had capped maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars -- about 25 U.S. cents, and about a quarter of the price of a loaf of bread. But faced with mounting chaos in a country already in economic free fall, the bank decided last week to raise that limit to 100 million dollars ($50 U.S.) per week. Soldiers were deployed to all banks in anticipation of throngs of people lining up to withdraw money Thursday, when the increase took effect. Wednesday, police chased depositors away and arrested union leaders who planned to protest the limits. Zimbabwe's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world's highest. In addition, the country is faced with a growing outbreak of cholera that its government declared a national emergency Thursday. The outbreak has killed at least 565 people and sickened more than 11,000, the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office said. Medical professionals blame the resurgence of the water-borne disease on the lack of safe water in many parts of the country. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said 69 people were arrested across the country during Wednesday's demonstrations. Amnesty International has demanded to know the whereabouts of human rights activist Jestina Mukoko, whom it said was abducted at dawn Wednesday by armed men in plainclothes posing as police. And angry, unpaid soldiers clashed with foreign currency exchangers and some civilians Monday, three days after troops who had failed to get cash from their banks looted shops they suspected to be illegally dealing in foreign currency. | Residents flock to banks after limits on cash withdrawals lifted; troops patrol streets .
Central bank caps maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars .
Bank last week raise that limit to 100 million dollars ($50 U.S.) per week .
Zimbabwe's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world's highest . |
257,546 | d954bc8a4cc028259b6c002c9eafcd0518b262ba | By . Corey Charlton for MailOnline . A British airman who was the inspiration for Steve McQueen’s character in the Great Escape has died at the age of 93. Flight Lieutenant Ken Rees was a prisoner of war and like McQueen in the classic movie he spent most of his time in solitary confinement. Proud Welshman Mr Rees was part of the legendary escape from Stalag Luft III camp and was named as the inspiration for the McQueen character in the 1963 film. Scroll down for video . Wing Commander Ken Rees, pictured in Anglesey, Wales, in 2003. He was the inspiration for Steve McQueen's character in the 1963 film The Great Escape, in which allied prisoners tunnel their way out of a Nazi POW camp . Mr Rees as a young man at the start of WWII (right) and as an older man during his career with the RAF (left) But modest Mr Rees said he had little in common with McQueen’s character - except for the amount of time they spent in 'the cooler'. After the film came out he said: 'He is taller than I am, I’m heavier than he is, he’s American and I’m a Welshman. 'The only things we’ve got in common is that we both annoyed the Germans and ended up doing stretches in the cooler. 'I didn’t get out and if I did, I wouldn’t have been able to ride a motorbike anyway.' Steve McQueen played Captain Virgil Hilts, the 'Cooler King' in the movie in which he is captured after leaping a barbed wire fence on a motorbike. Steve McQueen poses on the motorbike he rode in the film at the Swiss-German border. In reality, none of the prisoners escaped on a bike . The wreckage of Mr Rees' plane, pictured in 1969, after he was shot down over a lake in Norway as a young man in 1942 . If was from the crash in Norway that he was captured and taken to the infamous Nazi prisoner of war camp. The wreckage was found and pictured in 1969 . In reality, none of the prisoners used a motorbike to escape. Mr Rees was one of the men caught in the tunnel when the break-out was discovered by a German guard. Of the 76 escapees from Stalag Luft III camp, only three managed to reach Britain - the other 73 were recaptured, and 50 were killed. Only two of these escapees remain alive today - Dick Churchill, from Devon, and Paul Royle, who lives in Perth, Australia. A tunnel dug underneath the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp, from which 76 people escaped . Mr Rees, of . Ruabon, North Wales, joined the RAF at the age of 18 at the outbreak of . Second World War and flew Wellington bombers in raids over Germany. He became a prisoner of war after his aircraft was shot down in flames over Norway in 1942. The young airman was captured and taken to Stalag Luft III where it was considered the sworn duty of officers to escape. His . memory as a prisoner of war was being 'bored to tears', constantly . hungry and finding himself banged up in solitary confinement or the . ‘cooler’ as it was known by American prisoners. On . the night of the breakout, Mr Rees was lucky to escape with his life as . the last man to be pulled from the tunnel as German shots rang out in . the darkness. Mr Rees’s funeral will take place next Saturday at Bangor Crematorium in North Wales. The character Danny 'Tunnel King' Velinski, played by Charles Bronson, crawling through the tunnel in The Great Escape . The Great Escape's legendary motorbike chase scene starring Steven McQueen shows his character - based on Ken Rees - attempting to outrun Nazi prison guards on a motorbike. In reality, this element to the story was completely fabricated. None of the prisoners tried to flee on a motorbike. While 76 prisoners actually escaped, all except three were recaptured. Of this 73, 50 were soon recaptured and executed. Although the film was accurate in this respect, the ones who successfully made it home in the film were not the same as those who did so in real life. Although Mr Rees was Welsh, the movie producers made McQueen's character an American, presumably to give the film more appeal to U.S. audiences. Many other characters were composites, based on a number of real-life prisoners. In fact none of the prisoners involved in the real prison escape were American - they were entirely British and other Allied troops, including Australian and Canadian. American troops had been moved from the prison in the months before the escape tunnels were ready, although they had helped significantly with the digging. | Ken Rees inspired Steve McQueen's character in 1963 film The Great Escape .
Flight Lieutenant Rees was a POW at the infamous Nazi prison Stalag Luft III .
The Welshman was caught in the prisoner-dug tunnels by a German guard .
Mr Rees: 'If I did get out, I wouldn't have been able to ride a motorbike'
He has now died at the age of 93, with his funeral to be held in north Wales . |
50,062 | 8d8dd4059837bea26add293e598a23a68baca612 | MACAU, China -- Pete Sampras rolled back the years to upset current world number one Roger Federer in an exhibition match in Macau on Saturday. Sampras enjoyed the spoils of victory in Macau after two previous defeats to Federer. Federer had one the two previous clashes in an Asian series in straight sets but was handed a 7-6 6-4 defeat in the finale. American ace Sampras downplayed his victory, noting Federer was coming off a long season and that he was helped by his big serve and the fast indoor carpet surface. He had only aimed to win one set during the three-match series. "Let's not get carried away," he said at a news conference. Sampras ruled out a comeback from retirement, telling the audience after the match, "I had my time in the 90s." Federer tried to put on a positive spin on the loss, saying he wasn't embarrassed to lose to his idol, but still showed some disappointment. "It's been tough beating my idol the last two times. I'm happy that he got me at least once," he said, but adding, "I hope we can do it again in the future. I'd like to get him back." The two players have won a combined 26 Grand Slam titles, but Sampras, 36, retired five years ago after winning the U.S. Open in 2002. Federer is coming off another outstanding season in which he won three grand slams and last week's Masters Cup in Shanghai. "I'm sort of surprised. This guy can play tennis, you know," the Swiss player said after his loss Saturday. Federer beat Sampras 6-4 6-3 in Seoul on Tuesday and edged the American 7-6 7-6 in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. In Macau, Federer was never able able to force a break point on the powerful Sampras serve, but had set points at 6-5 and 8-7 in the tiebreak. But Sampras saved both and a run of three points, capped by a forehand winner, gave him the opener. The ninth game of the second second proved vital as a forehand error by Federer gave Sampras a break point which he gratefully took with another fine forehand. Sampras closed out the match as a Federer backhand return sailed long. Federer said he thought Sampras could still beat the world's top five players on a fast surface. Sampras then predicted that Federer could beat his record of most grand slam wins (14) "if not next year, pretty soon." "He's a great, great player. He's got things in his game that I couldn't do," he said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | Pete Sampras beats world nunber one Roger Federer in exhibition in Macau .
Sampras wins 7-6 6-4 but rules out comeback to main ATP tour .
Federer had won their two previous exhibition matches on Asian tour . |
257,499 | d9419999f276bc5042eaea54d5c9e57e4841a183 | (CNN) -- Inter Milan moved into third place in Italy's Serie A after inflicting yet more misery on bottom-placed Bari with a 3-0 win. Late goals from Houssine Kharja, Giampaolo Pazzini and Wesley Sneijder sealed three points for the Nerazzurri, who are now seven points behind city rivals and league leaders AC Milan with a game in hand. It was their fifth win in the last six games since former AC Milan coach Leonardo took over from Rafael Benitez. The only stain on a good night for Inter was a punch thrown by Romanian defender Christian Chivu at opponent Marco Rossi. The officials missed the incident but Chivu may be retrospectively punished. A poor playing surface gave rise to a scrappy first half of few chances. Bari did threaten through Sergio Almiron and Simone Bentivoglio before Inter's Brazilian defender Maicon flashed a shot wide of the post for the defending champions. The home side again went close in the early stages of the second half when Alessandro Parisi forced Julio Cesar into a save. But with 20 minutes to go Inter made the breakthrough as Kharja, from Morocco, swapped passes with Samuel Eto'o before firing low into the net. With Bari desperately seeking an equalizer Inter added two more goals late on. First Pazzini scored his third goal in two games since his $16m move from Sampdoria -- his shot squirmed under Bari goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet in injury time. Then Dutch international Sneijder rounded off the scoring, finishing from close range after Kharja's lay-off. | Inter Milan win 3-0 away at Bari to move second in Serie A .
Houssine Kharja, Giampaolo Pazzini and Wesley Sneijder all scored .
Inter are now third, seven points behind leaders AC Milan . |
272,969 | ed8eed9e6ea9097dce21280d39c28b41f094b930 | (CNN)After security breaches involving firearms, the FAA has suspended a program that allows safety inspectors to bypass the Transportation Security Administration's screening checkpoints, the agency announced Friday. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector was arrested January 13 after TSA employees at LaGuardia Airport in New York discovered a firearm in his carry-on bag, the TSA said. The inspector had used his Security Identification Display Area badge to skip TSA security checkpoints at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the TSA said. He didn't have SIDA clearance for LaGuardia, the TSA said. Two men were arrested last month after smuggling more than 100 firearms from the Atlanta airport to New York, authorities said. One of the men was an airport employee who skipped security checkpoints as part of the smuggling operation, authorities said. | FAA says safety inspectors will not be allowed to bypass TSA security checkpoints .
An FAA inspector was arrested January 13 with a firearm in his carry-on bag, TSA says . |
74,394 | d2ed11a5cb8b0814264227e035e523b992e8a259 | (CNN) -- Indonesian police are searching for potentially hundreds of escaped inmates following a deadly prison riot in Medan, the capital of the province of North Sumatra. At least five people died, including two guards and three prisoners. More than 200 inmates, some of whom were jailed on terrorism charges, broke free from the maximum-security facility Thursday when the "water supply was cut off because of a power outage," said Ronny Sompie, the National Police Spokesman Brigadier General. Angry prisoners, unable to bathe or use the bathroom, burned the door to the prison offices, stole guns and took guards hostage. "The situation is under control and the fire at the prison has been extinguished," said Sompie. At least 55 prisoners have been recaptured. Some 800 police and military officials are now searching the surrounding area for escapees. "It's unclear how many more escaped prisoners are out there. We're still waiting for the data from prison officials," Sompie said. The prison, Tanjung Gusta Correctional Institute, houses 2,600 inmates, according to a press statement from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. The facility's maximum capacity is 1,054. Overcrowded prisons are typical in the country. Indonesia has made major progress in fighting once-rampant terrorism in the country. Since the first Bali bombings in 2002, authorities have arrested, convicted and jailed hundreds of terrorists. One of the terror networks behind past major attacks in Indonesia, Jemaah Islamiyah, has largely been weakened because of the arrests or deaths of its leaders. More recently, Indonesian police killed one of the country's most-wanted terrorists, Dulmatin, in March 2010. The suspected mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings, in which 202 people died, had a $10 million bounty on his head, according to the U.S. State Department. In April 2011, authorities in the capital of Jakarta foiled an Easter bomb plot targeting a Catholic church. Police found seven bombs made from about 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of explosives. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. In October 2012, police arrested 11 people plotting a series of attacks that included the U.S. consulate in East Java as a target. Last month, Indonesian police foiled a plot to bomb the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta, according to local media reports. The planned attack was reportedly in retribution for violence against Muslim Rohingya by majority Buddhists in Myanmar. Kathy Quiano contributed from Jakarta. Ramy Inocencio wrote this article in Hong Kong. | More than 200 inmates escaped from Indonesian prison following deadly riot .
At least five people dead, including two guards and three prisoners .
Angry prisoners burned part of prison, held guards hostage after water cut off .
Police searching for potentially hundreds of inmates still on loose . |
83,459 | ecbb55c5a3c31bec854f3a124d3d054f2841a4bf | NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today apologized for his handling of the Ray Rice scandal - but refused to step down from his position. As Goodell broke his nine-day silence in front of the media in New York, he admitted poor decision-making and took the blame for mistakes in his handling of the recent domestic abuse cases involving players, but stopped short of offering his resignation. 'Unfortunately over the past several weeks we have seen all too much of the NFL doing wrong and that starts with me,' he said. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized at today's tense press conference, but refused to resign . As Goodell broke his nine-day silence in front of the media in New York, he admitted poor decision-making and took the blame for mistakes in his handling of the recent domestic abuse cases involving player . However he stopped short of resigning, and admitted he had never thought about stepping down . 'I got it wrong with the handling of the Ray Rice matter and I am sorry for that. I got it wrong on a number of levels from the process that I led to the decision that I reached. I don't expect anyone just to take my word,' Goodell admitted. 'I believe in accountability I understand the challenges before me and I will be held accountable for meeting them.' Critics have been calling for Goodell's resignation and when questioned if he had considered leaving his role in which he earned $44.2 million last year, he replied: 'I have not. I have focused on doing my job to the best of my ability. 'We have a lot of work to do. I acknowledged my mistake on August 28. We are making changes.' When asked if he had considered resigning from his role, he answered: 'I have not. I have focused on doing my job to the best of my ability' When asked about his knowledge concerning Ray Rice attacking his then-fiancee Janay in an Atlantic City, New Jersey, elevator he said: 'We got new information from the first time we meet to the initial discipline . He said one of the changes is the formation of a personal conduct committee which he hoped to have new policies in place before February's Super Bowl - he did not say if he would be part of the decision-making process. When Goodell was asked about the league's investigation of Rice's elevator attack he replied he would rely on the findings of an independent investigation by Robert Mueller, the former head of the FBI. He added that he has formed a partnership with two anti-domestic violence organizations. The news conference came a day after Goodell sent out a memo to teams, saying the NFL has initiated a 'long-term commitment to help people affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.' Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer (left, and in his mugshot, right) is accused of beating up his wife, Kayla (left) for refusing to have sex with him and throwing a shoe at their young son (pictured) He said that his office is taking 'significant steps' to educate teams on the issue through a series of programs. Goodell and some NFL teams have been heavily criticized for lenient or delayed punishment of Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and other players involved in recent domestic violence cases. Less than three weeks into the season, five such cases have made headlines. He wrote in the memo: 'We are also proceeding to implement broad educational programs within our league. 'Starting within the next 30 days, all league and team personnel -- including executives, coaches, players and staff -- will participate in education sessions on domestic violence and sexual assault. 'These initial sessions will begin to provide the men and women of the NFL with information and tools to understand and recognize domestic violence and sexual assault. 'We will work with the NFL Players Association to develop and present this training in the most effective way. ' The NFL is also partnering with a domestic violence hotline and a sexual violence resource center. The league will provide financial, operational and promotional support to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Goodell said this will 'enable both the hotline and NSVRC to help more people affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.' Chris Rainey was cut from the Cardinals after being accused of slapping his girlfriend . Yesterday the White House slammed the NFL over its recent spate of child and domestic abuse scandals, calling the revelations 'deeply troubling'. An official said in D.C. on Thursday that the football league must 'get a handle' on its widespread issues of violence and have a message of 'zero tolerance'. During a briefing on an awareness campaign about sexual assaults on college campuses, an official said the NFL had an 'obligation' to the U.S. and its millions of young fans to properly discipline those involved in abuse. The White House official criticized the NFL during a briefing about the 'It's On Us' campaign, an initiative to fundamentally shift thinking about sexual assault and how to prevent it. President Obama was shocked by the video showing Rice knocking out his then-fiancée, his chief of staff said earlier this month. 'The president was shocked by what he saw, let's put it that way,' Denis McDonough said. An official later added: '...like any American, (Obama) believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society'. The White House's strong words came after another NFL player, Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer, was arrested on Wednesday. Police said he head-butted his wife and broke her nose after she refused to have sex with him, and punched her in the face the next day. The details surfaced in a police report a day after Dwyer was arrested on aggravated assault charges and deactivated from all team activities. He spent a night in jail and made a brief court appearance before being released early on Thursday. Dwyer, 25, was arrested over two incidents that occurred on July 21 and 22 at his Phoenix residence, just days before the Cardinals reported to training camp. The player denied assault but acknowledged that he punched walls in his home, threw a phone and that his wife bit his lip during the disputes, according to the police report. As he was released from jail on Thursday, he said he never hurt his son. He was ordered to wear an electronic tag and banned from contact with his wife. The Cardinals released a statement on Wednesday which said the team was 'aware of these allegations this afternoon when notified by Phoenix police and are cooperating fully. 'Given the serious nature of the allegations we have taken the immediate step to deactivate Jonathan from all team activities.' The NFL said the case will be reviewed under the league's personal-conduct policy. The Cardinals then released a second player accused of domestic violence. The team announced on Thursday that running back Chris Rainey had been released from its practice squad. Rainey was a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in 2012, but he was cut by the team after his rookie season when he was accused of slapping his girlfriend. He later pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct. Cardinals inside linebacker Daryl Washington also pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend and is serving a year of supervised probation. Washington has not yet been penalized by the NFL for the offense but is suspended for this season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on felony child-abuse charges. On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers decided that star defensive end Greg Hardy will not play any more games for the team until his domestic violence case is resolved. Hardy was convicted of assault on a female and communicating threats after the victim said the 6-foot-4, 275-pound player threw her in the bathtub and onto a sofa covered with guns before threatening to kill her. Hardy is appealing the ruling. Critics have called for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's resignation for his handling of Rice's case. Rice was originally suspended for two games, then banned indefinitely after the video surfaced of his brutal attack on then-fiancée Janay in an Atlantic City casino elevator. The NFL has been rocked by domestic violence issues since a videotape surfaced that showed former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancee Janay (both pictured at a May 23 press conference) in an Atlantic City, New Jersey, elevator . Hundreds of Baltimore fans have formed a queue stretching back half-a-mile to swap their Ray Rice jerseys for other stars' in reaction to footage that showed the NFL star punching his then-fiancée unconscious . | Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke at a press conference in New York .
NFL Commissioner promised to make changes in the NFL conduct policy .
Admitted that he 'got it wrong' in the handling of the Ray Rice matter .
Goodell said he had not considered resigning and is now focusing on 'doing my job to the best of my ability' |
197,572 | 8bb8ef1ab267944fe7e6de0f7e1ab3fb6c674cc8 | Ministers faced fresh accusations of a cover-up last night after refusing to reveal crucial details of British meetings with US politicians investigating CIA torture. Home Secretary Theresa May was one of several British politicians and envoys who paid 24 visits to senior members of the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigated barbaric techniques used on terror suspects. The disclosure has fuelled claims that the Government desperately lobbied to keep allegations of Britain’s complicity in torture out of the committee’s damning report. Ministers faced fresh accusations of a cover-up last night after refusing to reveal crucial details of British meetings with US politicians investigating CIA torture . In the end, there was not a single mention of Britain’s security and intelligence services when the dossier was published this month, highlighting horrific mistreatment of detainees by the CIA including beatings, waterboarding and rectal feeding. No 10 has admitted that MI5 and MI6 held negotiations with the committee about blacking out any passages that might compromise ‘national security’. But Mrs May insisted she hadn’t discussed redacting details about Britain when she visited committee chairman Dianne Feinstein for talks in September this year, claiming they discussed other issues. The Foreign Office has refused to reveal the topics on the agenda at meetings attended by Sir Peter Westmacott, Britain’s ambassador to the US, between June 2012 and July 2014 – when the explosive document was being compiled. Documents seen by the Mail, obtained under freedom of information laws, show the department has refused requests for ‘agendas, minutes and other notes relating to or recording the issues discussed’. Home Secretary Theresa May was one of several British politicians and envoys who visited senior members of the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigated torture . Officials claimed they could not release the information because it would harm ‘international relations, conduct of public affairs, legal professional privilege and commercial interests’. Curiously, it does not cite national security. The decision provoked fury last night among campaigners for the truth about Britain’s alleged complicity in torture by US agents. Donald Campbell, from the human rights charity Reprieve, said: ‘It is bad enough that the Government has U-turned on its promise to hold an independent, judge-led inquiry into British involvement in torture. ‘But worse still, there is mounting evidence that they lobbied the Americans to keep information about UK complicity in torture secret. The sheer number of meetings between the British ambassador and the Senate committee which was examining CIA torture smacks of a cover-up. ‘We need to know what happened in those meetings: Was the committee pressured to remove or redact information about British involvement from the report? The Government must stop dragging its feet and release this evidence now.’ The Mail told this week of the existence of a list detailing how ministers and diplomats met committee members 24 times in six years – equivalent to once every three months. The access prompted questions about the influence successive British governments tried to exert to ensure the country was not tainted by torture revelations. The report did not mention Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean leased to the US military, which ministers have admitted was used as a stop-over for extraordinary rendition flights in which suspects were moved to secret prisons to be tortured. The freedom of information request was made in August but the Foreign Office has failed to give a final answer, instead responding with a series of ‘holding’ replies saying it is still making up its mind. A spokesman said a decision on whether to release the information was in the public interest would be made in the New Year. The CIA report did not mention Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean leased to the US military . | Ministers refuse to reveal details of meetings with US torture investigators .
British politicians paid 24 visits to the Senate Intelligence Committee .
Claims the Government lobbied to keep British links to torture out of report .
CIA torture dossier did not mention Britain's security services once .
No 10 admits MI5 and MI6 held negotiations with committee about report . |
77,526 | dbd0f4e3acbd58b298b83c93ef6b5bcf4100c0a1 | SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Former South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun committed suicide Saturday by leaping to his death from a hill behind his house, the government announced. Former South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun served from 2003-2008. He was 62. Roh, who was president from 2003 to 2008, had gone hiking near his home with an aide about 6:30 a.m. Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET on Friday), the state-run Yonhap news agency said. He was found later with head injuries, and died at 9:30 a.m. after being taken to a hospital in Busan, police said. A hospital spokesman declined to comment. Roh left a suicide note for his family that family lawyer Moon Jae-in handed out to South Korean media. News reports said Roh wrote it on his computer about half an hour before he left the house. "I am in debt to too many people," the note reads. "Too many people have suffered because of me. And I cannot imagine the suffering they will go through in the future." Roh's death came amid an investigation into a bribery scandal that had tarnished his reputation. Prosecutors were investigating the former president for allegedly receiving $6 million in bribes from a South Korean businessman while in office. Roh's wife was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors Saturday, and Roh was planning to answer a second round of questions next week. With Roh's death, prosecutors said, the case against him has been suspended. Roh had said he was ashamed about the scandal. In the first round of questioning, he said he was losing face and that he was disappointing his supporters. Watch more about his death » . The former president said he learned about the payments only after he left office and that some of them were legitimate investments, Yonhap reported. Roh wrote about his thoughts on a blog that he maintained, which also attracted supporters and tourists to his hometown, Yonhap said. Watch Roh's political rise and fall remembered » . Roh's suicide note said his health was poor and that "nothing is left in my life but to be a burden to others." "Don't be too sad. Aren't life and death both a piece of nature? Don't be sorry. Don't blame anyone. It is fate," he wrote. The note asks that his body be cremated and for a small headstone to be left near his house. "It's what I have thought about for a long time," he writes at the end. Although Roh had not made a formal guilty plea, many were disappointed that a man who came to power vowing an end to corruption would face such allegations. U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement he was "saddened" by news of Roh's death. "During his tenure, President Roh contributed to the strong and vital relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea," Obama said in the statement issued by the White House. "On behalf of the government of the United States, I offer my condolences to his family and to the Korean people." Roh hoped to leave a legacy of improved relations with North Korea. Just before he left the presidency, Roh became the first South Korean leader to cross the demilitarized zone and meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Roh believed in the "sunshine policy" of his predecessor, Kim Dae-Jung, that sought to engage the north, and Roh also promised aid. Roh spoke to CNN correspondent Sohn Jie-ae just after that trip and said he thought his legacy would be to ensure that many others crossed the demilitarized zone after him. The current South Korean president, Lee Myung-Bak, however, takes a harder line on the north and has so far not continued Roh's efforts. CNN's Sohn Jie-ae contributed to this report from Seoul. | Attorney: Roh committed suicide by leaping to his death from a hill .
Roh's death came amid bribery investigation that has tarnished his reputation .
Was first South Korean leader to cross the DMZ and meet with Kim Jong Il .
President Obama offered condolences from U.S. to his family and Korean people . |
175,419 | 6f0986125a49800f0e3141a84d43051b2404fa96 | Samir Nasri may secretly be wishing he was back in France's World Cup squad when he blows out his candles after Didier Deschamp's men cruised into the final 16. But the Manchester City midfielder certainly didn't look too bothered having to make do with his model girlfriend Anara Atanes at his birthday bash. Atanes took to social media to post a picture of the pair as Nasri turned 27, and his Sky Blue employers didn't forget to wish him all the best either. VIDEO Scroll down to get up close and personal with Samir Nasri's girlfriend Anara Atanes . Post: Anara Atanes put a picture of herself and Samir Nasri on Instagram for his birthday . Selfie: Atanes started off the celebrations with her own photo before posting her and Nasri . Message: Nasri's club wished him a happy birthday as the midfielder turned 27 . Anger: Atanes also let rip after her boyfriend Nasri was left out of the France squad . Keeps in shape: Anara posts a picture of her toned body on Twitter, which has since been set to private . Delighted: Atanes and Nasri pose with the Premier League title after City's win against West Ham . Nasri was controversially snubbed from France's World Cup squad, after manager Deschamps claimed the midfielder didn't take well to sitting on the bench. What happened next, though, was even more controversial as Atanes took to Twitter to launch a foul-mouthed rant against Deschamps and the France team. She posted: 'F*** france and f*** Deschamps! What a s*** manager!' To reiterate her point further, the . British model then tweeted: 'Incase u didnt read my tweet properly.... Ill repeat myself..... f*** FRANCE!!!!! And f*** Deschamps!' Atanes has since set her account to private after it caused a stir with Deschamps, who immediately threatened legal action. X-rated: Anara Atanes' tweet on Tuesday evening . Roar: Nasri celebrates scoring for Manchester City but will not be doing so with France in Brazil . VIDEO France fans optimistic about knockout stage . | Samir Nasri pictured with girlfriend Anara Atanes on his 27th birthday while France progress into last 16 of World Cup in Brazil .
Nasri snubbed from France squad by manager Didier Deschamps .
Atanes tweeted 'F*** France and f*** Deschamps!' after Nasri was left out .
Deschamps filed civil law suit against Atanes for foul-mouthed rant . |
13,477 | 264720535e1d9b58d075d6b5bd64527d36249352 | By . Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 05:46 EST, 1 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:40 EST, 5 May 2012 . A young mother was killed by a party drug while marking the death hours earlier of a friend who had taken the same substance. Lynette Nock, 28, collapsed in front of friends she had invited to her house after the death of Carl Fearon, 24. Both are believed to have taken GBL, which comes in liquid form and is mixed with soft drinks. Tragic pair: Carl Fearon, left, died after apparently taking GBL - just hours before his friend Lynette Nock, right, died after allegedly using the same party drug . Fresh agony: Miss Nock's home in Northfield, where she died during a memorial party for Mr Fearon at 9pm on the day of his death . Saturday’s deaths are the latest linked to the Class C drug that can be purchased legally as an alloy-wheel cleaner. Known to clubbers as ‘coma in a bottle’, . GBL achieved notoriety three years ago when it claimed the life of . medical student Hester Stewart, whose mother now campaigns to raise . awareness of its dangers. GBL is usually diluted with water or juice and is virtually tasteless, but produces a high not dissimilar to ecstasy. It can damage the kidneys, liver and the stomach lining and can lead to psychosis. Once . in the body, chemical reactions turn GBL into now notorious drug GHB, . which was banned in 2003 because it was being used as a date rape drug. Although . legal for use in the chemical industry - in cleaning products, solvents . and paints - it has been banned for recreational use since 2009 and is a . Class C drug. Deaths that have been linked with GBL include that of Sarah O'Dowd, 24, who drowned in her bath in October 2007. Brighton medical student Hester Stewart died in April after taking GBL and drinking alcohol. A 25-year-old man died hours after taking GBL on its own while out clubbing in 2008. But . because traces of GBL remain in the body for only up to 12 hours after . consumption, the true number of fatalities is unknown. Family and friends yesterday spoke of their shock at losing Miss Nock, an accountant with a ten-year-old son. Mr Fearon, an Aston Martin engineer and . former Ibiza holiday rep, is thought to have collapsed on Friday night . at a party in Birmingham. His body was discovered on Saturday afternoon. A few hours later Miss Nock invited . grieving friends to her flat in the Northfield area of the city, where . she was found dead that evening. Two male guests were taken to hospital . with overdoses but have since been discharged. Police are treating both . deaths as unexplained while toxicology tests are carried out. Miss Nock’s father, Dave, 69, said: ‘Was . it that their drink was spiked? From what I’ve read, this GBL has no . taste and no smell. It could easily have been slipped into a drink. They . could have been oblivious to it.’ Mr Nock, who has custody of his grandson . Christopher, heard from his daughter on Saturday when she called to . tell him of Mr Fearon’s death. ‘She was sobbing her heart out and was . in bits over his death,’ he added. ‘There was no mention of drugs. The . last thing she said was that she would phone us later on. The whole . family is in shock. Lynette was so kind. ‘I want to know how many other people will have to die before something is done about GBL. It’s a lethal drug. A killer.’ Miss Nock’s cousin, Melanie Adams, said: . ‘Lynette was always sensible, a nice girl who worked hard. She liked to . party and drink with her friends. ‘She went to festivals and had fun but I . really didn’t think she would dabble in something like this, especially . after her friend died. ‘I just feel for her son and her . parents. My dad went round to see them and Lynette’s mum collapsed in . his arms. Dave had a heart attack when he was told. It’s just such a . shock.’ Rave drug: Both Miss Nock, left, and Mr Fearon, right, had apparently used the legal high often used for making alloy wheels . Kind-hearted: Miss Nock was described by her heartbroken parents Dave and Tracie as a 'golden girl who would help anybody' Dark day: Three people were taken to hospital after the wake held for Aston Martin worker Mr Fearon . Maryon Stewart, whose Angelus Foundation . campaigns for drugs education in schools, said: ‘It is unforgiveable . that two people have died taking the same stuff in the same day. ‘Young people think it is just a party drug but withdrawals when you take GBL are worse than heroin. ‘It is a horrendous drug. If they knew what it did, no one in their right mind would take it. ‘The problem is people don’t care . enough. My daughter was an athlete and a medical student – the least . likely person to have taken it. But she died three years ago and there . is still no national campaign. The government has been given enough . information.’ Neighbours yesterday described the . drug-fuelled wake that cost Miss Nock her life. One said: ‘They were . having a wake to honour their friend who died and, quite stupidly, they . did this by taking the same drug which killed him.’ Another, 24-year-old Emma Heath, said: . ‘I heard they put it in a Fanta bottle and several of them ended up . being taken to hospital.’ Shocking episode: Mr Fearon died at his city centre flat and Miss Nock at her home later the same night . Pete Jones, a 43-year-old former . paramedic, paid tribute to Mr Fearon, saying: ‘Carl was loved by so . many, he really was one of a million. He was the most genuine and lovely . guy.’ Andy Hawkins, a detective inspector for . West Midlands Police, said: ‘We believe that the controlled substance . Gamma-Butyrolactone or GBL, the base solvent to a number of alloy wheel . cleaners, super glue removers and paint strippers, may have been used as . a drug at the gathering at the address in Northfield.’ Post-mortem examinations into the deaths of the deaths have proved inconclusive. GBL, which has a similar effect to ecstasy, was banned in December 2009 following a spate of deaths. Users take it in tiny quantities, measuring it in a syringe before mixing it with juice. | Carl Fearon died at his flat after allegedly taking the drug the night before .
Mother-of-one Lynette Nock died during memorial party for him at her flat later the same day .
GBL is a Class C drug used in cleaning products, solvents .
and paints .
It can damage the kidneys, liver and stomach lining and lead to psychosis .
Drug is tasteless, so Lynette's father claims her drink may have been spiked . |
148,105 | 4b7fcd11dd1c42600910aa0b647ee2a880b5e596 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 07:55 EST, 18 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:12 EST, 18 March 2013 . He has spent his life collecting every number one record released over the past 61 years. But, following huge changes in technology, record fanatic Simon Wratten has had to give up his obsession. The company director had wanted to own every number one in the singles chart. However, that became impossible after Macklemore's recent hit Thrift Shop was only made available as a download. Super fan: Simon Wratten from the Isle of Wight and his dog Woody surrounded by his collection of every UK number one single since the charts came into existence in 1952 . Disappointed Mr Wratten, 47, who had collected more than 1,200 records, said: 'I have been beaten by technology, I am afraid. That is the way records are sold these days and my obsession is over.' While many download singles have previously reached number one, starting with Crazy by Gnarls Barkley in 2006, they have either been released in physical form subsequently or been available as promotional or import CDs. Mr Wratten, from Ryde, Isle of Wight, added: 'It has been getting harder and harder to get hold of physical copies of number one hits. 'Luckily . I had friends who were DJs or who worked in radio stations and gave me . promo copies but I could see this day approaching some way off. Dedicated: Here in my Heart, by Al Martino, the earliest single held by Mr Wratten and right The Wonderful Land by The Shadows - Mr Wratten's favorite single in his collection . Diverse: Mr Wratten's collection includes the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies . 'I . started in 1998, the year my son was born and I thought it would be . interesting to collect every number one of that year as a memento. Thwarted: Macklemore's recent hit Thrift Shop was only made available as a download . 'When that was over I thought I would try to get every chart-topper ever made and it was great fun filling the gaps. 'Hunting them all down was an obsession of sorts. 'I have to decide now if I should carry on with that missing record as a gap. I am finding it hard to let my addiction go.' Mr Wratten's collection includes the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies. His favourite is The Shadows' 1962 hit 'Wonderful Land' and the one he hates most is Westlife's 'The Rose' produced in 2006. 'I feel sorry for kids today because they will have no physical records, no chance to create a collection like mine. 'I think people like hard copies to remind them of key moments in their life, something to look back on in the years ahead. 'All those vinyl albums and their wonderful sleeves will be a thing of the past. This is all very sad for us record collectors.' David Bowie's comeback single, Where Are We Now?, was released as a download earlier this year and quickly topped the iTunes chart. However, it was not an official number one because it was given away for free, meaning that it does not count for the purposes of Mr Wratten's collection. | Mr Wratten's collection includes the Beatles, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies .
Macklemore's recent hit Thrift Shop only made available as a download . |
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