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60,781 | acb92f5446b6e37913f669b7470b7f04d7ddd364 | Editor's note: The staff at CNN.com has recently been intrigued by the journalism of VICE, an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn, New York. VBS.TV is the broadband television network of VICE. The reports, which are produced solely by VICE, reflect a transparent approach to journalism, where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process. We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers. Brooklyn, New York (VBS.TV) -- In this installment of the Vice Guide to Film, VBS co-founder Shane Smith travels to Russia to meet the pioneers of one of the most peculiar experimental film movements in history: Parallel Cinema. The genre marries Soviet avant-garde agitprop filmmaking (black and white, silent, odd angles, extreme closeups, rapid fire editing of good Soviets at work) with something called "Necro-realism," a movement spearheaded by filmmaker Yvegny Yufit and consisting of very weird gay male zombie flicks that feature fat bald men having sex and eating each other's brains. It was meant to be a comment on the impending fall of the Soviet system and the decadence of the apparatchiks in charge. It grew to become much more. While Russia is known for its experimental works of the 1920s -- auteurs like Dziga Vertov and Sergei Eisenstein spring to mind -- this freedom of expression ended when Stalin took power. For 60 years, Russian film was dominated by the drab, state-approved imagery of Socialist realism. This genre was defined by stark scenes of the proletariat soldiering and toiling diligently over the land. Making movies outside this milieu meant that the film-lovers, artists, actors and rock musicians who collaborated to create it were risking life and limb at the hands of the KGB. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, the threat of its primary intelligence agency diminished and Russian filmmakers began to unleash six decades of pent-up creative energy. The films that emerged were an insane mish-mash of booze, violence, surrealism and insanity. Parallel Cinema was born. Watch the rest of Russian Parallel Cinema at VBS.TV . For this episode, Shane journeys to Moscow and St. Petersburg to meet several of the surviving founders of Parallel Cinema and Necro-realism, many of whom are today extremely successful commercial producers and directors. In fact, a few of them now run some of the country's key networks and continue to make films. Shane manages to uncover this fascinating underground art community and finds that to this day the Parallel Cinema movement thrives. The devoted still have weekly Parallel screenings and events, and even put out a monthly film publication. Still, as he immerses himself in this unique film tradition, it becomes clear that, given Russian's present volatility, it may not exist much longer. | VBS journalist meets pioneers of "most peculiar" experimental film movement .
Genre born of freedom that came with collapse of Soviet Union .
Unique film tradition may not exist much longer given Russia's present volatility . |
272,081 | ec6bceb41111ab9c02c7dc7ab9cfeb451dc1c0f8 | By . Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 12:16 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:02 EST, 8 July 2013 . An official study published in 2009 revealed that two thirds of all fresh chicken on shelves is contaminated with the potentially lethal food poisoning bug . Food poisoning cases linked to . infected chicken are rising despite demands that supermarkets and . farmers stop putting customers at risk. An estimated 580,000 people each year . are falling ill with stomach upsets caused by campylobacter, the UK’s . most common cause of food poisoning. As many as 18,000 are so ill that they need hospital care while about 140 people die each year from the bug. New figures published by the Food . Standards Agency reveal the number of cases has been rising every year . for the past four years, despite the watchdog making tackling food . poisoning its number one priority. Trials on farms to increase security . and limit any chances of the spread of the bug have failed to bring down . the number of birds carrying the infection. At the same time, a number of . warnings to supermarkets to make sure the birds on their shelves are . clean appear to have failed to protect public health. A 2009 study revealed that two thirds . of all fresh chicken on shelves is contaminated with the potentially . lethal food poisoning bug. The latest evidence about the number of cases in humans suggests this situation has not improved. A draft copy of the annual report by . the FSA's chief scientist, Dr Andrew Wadge, reveals the officially . recorded number of campylobacter cases in humans last year was 72,571, . an increase of 0.4 per cent from 2011. It is thought the actual number of . cases is eight times higher, taking the total to 580,568, because the . vast majority of sufferers do not go to their GPs. The FSA and its advisers hoped that . putting in place improved hygiene controls and biosecurity measures on . chicken farms would reduce the number of infected birds. Its strategy, which was designed to reduce the number of contaminated chicken on farms by 50 per cent by 2010, has been a hopeless failure. In his report, Dr Wadge says: ‘Early indications from these projects suggest that compliance with these biosecurity interventions, as determined at a periodic audit, has not yet resulted in the campylobacter reductions that were predicted.’ Successive chief executives at the FSA have lambasted supermarkets for not doing enough to cut campylobacter contamination in the chicken they sell. Its then chief executive, Tim Smith, wrote to the chief executives of all the supermarkets in 2010 demanding action. This failed to bring about the desired result and Mr Smith is now the group technical director at Tesco. Following a failure to improve the situation, his successor, Catherine Brown, issued a new call for action in January this year, saying tackling campylobacter in chicken was her top priority. Crackdown: The Food Standards Agency has asked supermarkets to tackle the bacteria problem (file photo) Miss Brown called supermarket bosses to a meeting to discuss how to tackle the problem while she has hinted that stores may be required to remove chicken from sale unless they can guarantee the bug has been removed. She said it ‘unacceptable’ that two-thirds of chicken carry the disease, while a fifth are ‘highly contaminated’ at the time of purchase. However, yet again there is no evidence of any major drive by the supermarkets to protect customers, beyond introducing non-drip packaging. The Government watchdog is now considering drastic measures to clean up chicken and protect consumers. These include killing the bugs by either washing the meat with lactic acid or the use of blast freezing. A survey by Which? found 60 per cent of shoppers would be ‘unlikely’ to buy chicken that had been sprayed or washed with a mild acid. The FSA research said consumers would rather that the food industry provides clean and safe food, rather than treating it to disinfect it. Its study found more people would prefer to buy a chicken that had not been treated with lactic acid than one that had – 44 per cent versus 38 per cent. Dr Wadge’s report estimates that there are around one million cases of food poisoning from all sources each year, resulting in 20,000 hospital admissions and contributing to around 500 deaths. The cost to the UK economy in terms of treatment and lost days of work is put at £1.8billion a year. Norovirus, which has been linked to oysters, salmonella, listeria and e.coli are the other major causes of illness. The number of officially recorded cases of listeria, which is particularly linked to soft unpasteurised cheese, rose from 164 in 2011 to 184 in 2012. The disease is relatively rare but poses a particular risk to pregnant women, unborn babies and the elderly. As many as one third of sufferers admitted to hospital die from complications. | An estimated nearly 600,000 people each year fall ill because of bacteria .
The FSA has demanded supermarkets and farms improve standards . |
232,016 | b8699cb7e47b5ad674a25eaba54a8bae1e380b8b | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 00:42 EST, 11 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:44 EST, 11 June 2013 . Animal rights activists claim to have hacked in to an insurance company linked to the National Farmers Union to steal financial date on badge cull supporters. The hackers state that they have broken into the systems of NFU Mutual and have been extracting and modifying customer accounts since last month. NFU Mutual are investigating the claims but say there are no signs of data intrusion. Badgering supporters: The hackers claim to have stolen information on National Farmers' Union Mutual's customers who support the badger cull . In a statement published on the . website of US animal right publication BiteBack, the activists claim to . have ‘exploited vulnerabilities’ in NFU Mutual’s systems since last . month, in a hack which had been planned since September. The activists boast of obtaining . information on NFU Mutual’s customers and allegedly modifying the . accounts of people they say are involved in the badger cull. They claim their hack had allowed them . to ‘download almost all of their customer files including full . financial details, claims and account history.’ The letter, which was sent to BiteBack anonymously, was signed: ‘BrockCyberClan - saving wildlife one bit at a time’. The self-proclaimed hackers made threats to exploit the details of NFU mutual customers, adding:‘We will show the same mercy to their finances that they show to the lives of badgers. We already have plans to use the details we have on some of the more high profile supporters of the cull.’ Hack attack: The activists say they have had access to the NFU Mutual's database since May and have full financial details, claims and account history of their customers . Protest: Brian May joins campaigners opposed to the badger cull gather outside the Department for Food and Rural Affairs earlier this month . The claims by the anonymous hackers . have yet to be verified and an NFU Mutual spokesman said the company has . ‘very strong systems and controls in place’ to safeguard their data . against hacking. He added that there was no sign of . customers’ records being tampered with and that NFU Mutual is ‘entirely . separate’ from the National Farmers’ Union. The badger cull started in bovine TB . hotspot areas in Gloucestershire and Somerset on June 1 and, if . successful in reducing bovine TB, will be rolled out more widely in a . bid to stop the disease, which is spread between badgers and livestock . and between cattle. The cull is designed to run for six . weeks in order to kill at least 70 per cent of badgers in each area. In . total about 5,000 animals will die. The Government said the cull is . necessary as part of efforts to stop increasing outbreaks of TB in dairy . and beef herds, which saw 28,000 cattle slaughtered in England last . year. The push for a badger cull has been . led by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson who said called it an ' an . important step towards taking the action we need to tackle the spread of . this disease [Bovine TB] in wildlife.’ | Activists hacked into insurance company linked to NFU .
Claim to have stolen financial data on supporters of badger culls .
Hackers state they will 'show same mercy as they show badgers'
About 5,000 animals will die in culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire . |
127,768 | 3127ae0be4dc87ee6185b578ad6ca54a390b21f1 | Islamic State militants are turning Christian churches into torture chambers where they force attendees to convert to Islam, it has been reported. The fanatics are also said to be stripping the former places of worship of ancient relics, which they are smuggling to Western collectors to help fund their terrorist activity. Christians were reportedly being held captive in make-shift torture chambers set up in raided churches in Qaraqosh, Iraq. ISIS fighters are reportedly turning Christian churches into torture chambers where they forces attendees to covert to Islam . An expert told the Jerusalem Post that the terror organisation's goal was to 'wipe out Christianity.' 'This is why they are crucifying Christians — which includes children — destroying churches and selling artifacts,' he told the newspaper. 'The reality is, this group will stop at practically nothing to raise funds for its terrorist mission.' Jihadists have pocketed around £23million from the sale of stolen artefacts in Nabaq, Syria, according to the Christian Post. It was not known what relics had been stolen during the raid on churches. The news comes as it has been revealed that militants captured a Jordanian pilot after his warplane crashed while conducting airstrikes over Syria . A Jordanian pilot was captured in Syria today after he crashed his warplane while conducting airstrikes . | Christian churches are reportedly being turned into torture chambers .
Artefacts worth millions have been stolen and sold to western collectors .
Experts say the fanatics goal is to 'wipe out' Christianity . |
33,032 | 5dd1a9500407e8efa497381457b6392a05560343 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:08 EST, 29 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:44 EST, 30 January 2013 . An Indiana woman who lost more than half her scalp during a horrific go-kart accident six months ago is now going through the difficult healing process. Shelbi Crouch, who before the accident had beautiful long, strawberry blonde hair, now spends her time visiting plastic surgeons in order to repair her scalp. She nearly died after her hair caught in the axle of a kart at Whiteland Raceway Park in Indianapolis, her first ever ride in one of the vehicles. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Shelbi Crouch, pictured on January 10 listening to her plastic surgeon, has undergone several painful surgeries to recover after a freak go-kart accident six months ago . According to WTHR, Ms Crouch was . wearing a helmet and some sort of neck brace. She was told that her hair . was fine peeking out from underneath the helmet. But when the kart hit a bump, her hair somehow got lodged in one of the axles. Her hair and scalp was essentially ripped off. Her mother, Sherri Crouch-Wilson, . told the station that her daughter suffered a whole host of injuries, . including a skull fracture, traumatic brain injury, broken temporal . bones, and paralysis on her face. Crouch previously had beautiful long, strawberry blonde hair, pictured . Shelbi Crouch, pictured left and right, nearly died after her hair caught in the axle of a kart at Whiteland Raceway Park in Indianapolis, her first ever ride in one of the vehicles . Ms Crouch wears a hat to hide the dressings on her head; some people ask if she is receiving chemotherapy . Mrs Crouch-Wilson said that the most difficult thing for her daughter remains coming to terms with her loss. ‘She’s really struggling with…the . identity of not having that hair and probably never being about to have . her own hair,’ she told WTHR in September. Ms Crouch, who was voted to have the . best hair of her high school class, now frequents doctors’ and surgeons’ offices to repair the damage from the freak accident. Ms Crouch, pictured with a friend, was famous for her long, curly strawberry-blonde locks, and was voted best hair at her high school . Ms Crouch's mother said the most difficult thing for her daughter, pictured, is coming to terms with her loss . Ms Crouch talks with plastic surgeon Juan Socas, at Methodist Hospital in Greenwood, Indiana over her treatment options on January 10 . Ms Crouch used to adore her long locks, pictured left and right . Already, the 20-year-old has had several painful surgeries and skin grafts, and can expect many more. For now, Ms Crouch often covers her head with hats, caps, and scarves. Many ask her if she’s undergoing chemotherapy. Her story can be further read in the Daily Journal. The accident occurred at Whiteland Raceway's track when her hair got caught in one of the go-kart axles . The horrific go-kart accident happened six months ago at Whiteland Raceway Park in Indianapolis, pictured . | Shelbi Crouch, now 20, was 19 when she lost 80% of her scalp in freak go-kart accident .
Her curly strawberry-blonde hair became stuck in axle of kart .
Now faces long recovery process, which includes painful surgeries and skin grafts . |
51,100 | 909532f5d9fb764ba7e448ceab643ba900c61f15 | By . Simon Tomlinson . Princes William and Harry danced to internet hit the Harlem Shake on an all-day stag do over the weekend. The royal brothers reportedly drank cocktails and joked around with inflatable novelty toys as they celebrated at an exclusive London club. Father-to-be William, 30, was spotted waving sparklers in a VIP area close to girls dressed in just swimwear, it was reported in The Sun. Prince Harry was later photographed leaving the club with what looked like a sun-burned nose. Scroll down for video . Had a few too many, boys? Princes Harry and William show the effects of a heavy night as they leave Tonteria nightclub in London's Sloane Square on Saturday after celebrating on a friend's stag do . The night then hit a high note when the Harlem Shake came on and the Duke of Cambridge and ten friends piled onto the dancefloor to throw shapes to the web craze. A friend told The Sun: 'William was really going for it. He was dancing loads and singing along to the music. 'At one point, he even banged along to the music on the low ceiling. They looked like they were having a great time.' William, whose wife Kate, 31, is expecting the couple's first child next month, was later pictured looking worse for wear as he left from the back door of friend Guy Pelly's club Tonteria in Sloane Square at around 1.30am on Saturday. Harry, 28, dressed in an open-necked shirt, smiled as he followed his older brother out. Throwing some shapes: Prince William reportedly dashed onto the dancefloor when the Harlem Shake started playing during a five-hour party at the exclusive club . Good times: The stag do was reportedly for an old Eton friend of the two princes, Thomas Van Straubenzee . Earlier in the day, the princes had started their friend's stag do on Kew Pier on the Thames. According to the Daily Star, the celebrations were held for Thomas Van Straubenzee, 30, a friend from their Eton days. He is one of Harry's closest friends and also served as an usher for the Duke of Cambridge at his wedding in 2011. Mr Van Straubenzee is due to marry Lady Melissa Percy, 25, at the Percy family seat Alnwick Castle in Northumberland on June 22. Exclusive: William, 30, was reportedly spotted waving sparklers in a VIP area at Tonteria (above) Fun on the river: Earlier in the day, the princes had started their friend's stag do at Kew Pier on the Thames . | Brothers drank cocktails and joked around with inflatable novelty toys .
William waved sparklers then danced to internet hit the Harlem Shake .
Friend: 'William was really going for it. He was dancing loads and singing'
Princes left friend Guy Pelly's club Tonteria in Sloane Square at 1.30am . |
84,782 | f086d89b543e46e139714555e8ce498404352f19 | Killed himself: Shayne Austin was once offered immunity in exchange for his testimony against Jason Autry and Zach Adams in the Holly Bobo murder trial . A key witness in the case against nursing student Holly Bobo's accused killers has been found dead. Lawyers for Shayne Austin said Wednesday that the Tennessee man who'd once been offered immunity in exchange for his testimony against Zach Adams and Jason Autry killed himself somewhere outside the state. According to Austin's lawyer Luke Evans, the offer of immunity had been rescinded at some point since Austin first made the agreement last March. Prosecutors took back the offer allegedly after discovering that Austin had not been untruthful and uncooperative. 'It's unfortunate the government came in and made allegations without basis. People had to live with those allegations,' Evans told WSMV. 'Mr. Austin's position was that he was immune not just from being convicted of a crime, but charged with a crime.' After the offer was taken away, Austin remained a person of interest in the case. An immunity hearing was scheduled for December, but had to be moved. 'They have yet to produce any specific incident to support their allegation to prove that he has been untruthful,' Evans said of his client. Meanwhile, Adams and Autry both face charges of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. Zach Adams' brother Dylan Adams is charged with raping Bobo. All have pleaded not guilty. At the time of Bobo's disappearance, her brother told police he saw a man dressed in camouflage leading her into the woods near her home in Parsons, located about 110 miles east of Memphis. Last September, more than three years later, authorities said two men searching for ginseng found Bobo's skull in a wooded area not far away. Bobo, a 20-year-old Tennessee nursing student, vanished in 2011. Two suspects are set to stand trial for her slaying. However, Austin remained a suspect after prosecutors rescinded their offer of immunity on claims he was misleading them . Vanished: At the time of Bobo's disappearance, her brother told police he saw a man dressed in camouflage leading her into the woods near her home in Parsons, located about 110 miles east of Memphis. Last September, more than three years later, authorities said two men searching for ginseng found Bobo's skull in a wooded area not far away . Bobo's disappearance and the subsequent lengthy search attracted national attention as authorities distributed posters with her photograph throughout the South. Prosecutors have not said whether they plan to seek the death penalty. Hearings scheduled for last month were postponed to an undetermined future date. Jennifer Lynn Thompson, Adams' attorney, says state prosecutors have not even told her who found Bobo's remains or where they were found. 'I do not understand what is happening,' Thompson said. 'I have never before been involved in a case where there is no information about why my client was charged.' In the motion to dismiss, Thompson and Fletcher Long, Autry's lawyer, asked the judge to force prosecutors to produce 'all dental record analysis and forensic studies' performed on the skull. Not a care in the world: Zachary Adams (center) also charged in Bobo's murder but defense attorneys for both him and fellow accused killer Jason Autry say the prosecution has produced zero evidence of their guilt . Adams has been in jail since March and Autry has been in jail since April. At a court hearing Dec. 17, Decatur County Circuit Judge Creed McGinley expressed concern that prosecutors had not yet provided key evidence to defense attorneys. He ordered the state to begin turning it over by Dec. 24. Thompson says the state missed that deadline. Then, TBI Director Mark Gwyn -- who has said the Bobo investigation has been the most exhaustive and expensive in agency history -- announced he was suspending all work on the case after District Attorney Matt Stowe accused TBI agents of misconduct. Stowe took office Sept. 1 after defeating District Attorney Hansel McCadams, who had indicted Adams and Autry. The dispute was only resolved after Stowe stepped down from the case and Jennifer Nichols, a Shelby County attorney who was Stowe's co-counsel on the case and who had worked with death-penalty cases, was appointed as a special prosecutor. She is the third prosecutor in the case, which Stowe said is unusual. All smiled: Jason Autry, charged with 20-year-old Hollly Bobo's kidnapping and murder, smiles during a December hearing . He said the fact that multiple prosecutors have been involved, plus the complex nature of the case, have contributed to the delays. 'We're talking about terabytes and terabytes of information,' he said. Attorney Steve Farese, who represents the Bobo family, said the recent developments in the case are 'different' than in other cases, and he acknowledged that the family is concerned with how the case is going. 'But they understand that this is a tedious process and they want to make sure everyone has their t's crossed and their i's dotted and to get this thing done right,' Farese said. Later, Farese added: 'No one should lose focus that this is about justice.' | Shayne Austin was allegedly ties to the 2011 murder of Tennessee 20-year-old nursing student Bobo .
While he's never been indicted along with Zach Adams and Jason Autry, his original immunity had reportedly been rescinded .
It was announced Monday that he'd been found dead, apparently from suicide, somewhere outside of Tennessee . |
265,673 | e4148927b865b5988ad76fa1cc455854489c84c6 | Scientists are currently competing to create the best invisibility cloak, as imagined in films such as Harry Potter and Star Trek. As yet, no-one has managed to replicate a flexible cloak as worn by the boy wizard, or the cloaking device used by the Kingons to make their ships invisible to another starship's sensors, but two Canadian scientists have created an invisibility cloak that they say is thin and adaptive to different types and sizes of objects. Unlike other recent cloaks that rely on planes of glass simply bending light in a way that renders small objects temporarily invisible, the researchers have taken an electrical engineering approach, which makes objects undetectable to radar. This is the set up of the lab where Professor George Eleftheriades and Michael Selvanayagam have designed and tested a new approach to cloaking - by surrounding an object with small antennas that collectively radiate an electromagnetic field. The radiated field cancels out any waves scattering off the cloaked object . They said as the technology advances, it could also be adapted to make things invisible to the human eye too. Professor George Eleftheriades and PhD student Michael Selvanayagam have designed and tested a new approach to cloaking, by surrounding an object with small antennas that collectively radiate an electromagnetic field. The radiated field cancels out any waves scattering off the cloaked object, rendering the object invisible to radar, explained the two researchers at the University of Toronto. ‘We've taken an electrical engineering approach, but that's what we are excited about," said Professor Eleftheriades. ‘It's very practical.’ When light hits an object, such as a postbox and bounces back into a person’s eyes, they can see it and similarly, when radio waves hit the object, they bounce back to a radar detector and reveal it is a postbox, in a certain location. The scientists’ system wraps the mailbox in a layer of tiny antennas that radiate a field away from the box, cancelling out any waves that would bounce back. In this way, the mailbox becomes undetectable to radar. Usually, when radio waves hit an object, they bounce back to a radar detector (illustrated) and reveal its location. The engineers surrounded an object with small antennas that collectively radiate an electromagnetic field, which cancels out any waves scattering off the cloaked object, rendering the object invisible to radar . While hiding post boxes might not have any immediate military applications, the technology could be used to create a next-generation devices to cloak vehicles. Professor Eleftheriades said he and Mr Selvanayagam have demonstrated a new way of cloaking objects. ‘It's very simple. Instead of surrounding what you're trying to cloak with a thick metamaterial shell, we surround it with one layer of tiny antennas, and this layer radiates back a field that cancels the reflections from the object.’ In their experiment, described in the journal Physical Review X, they effectively cloaked a metal cylinder from radio waves using one layer of loop antennas. The duo said their system can be scaled up to cloak larger objects using more loops, and the loops could become printed and flat, like a blanket or skin. Currently the antenna loops must be manually attuned to the electromagnetic frequency they need to cancel, but in future they could function both as sensors and active antennas, adjusting to different waves in real time, much like the technology behind noise-cancelling headphones. The ultimate camouflage? The engineers said their technology could be used to make military vehicles (pictured) undetectable to radar systems and the innovation could one day be applied to light, as well as radio waves, potentially making a tank invisible to the human eye . The pair began developing a functional invisibility cloak began around 2006, but their early systems were necessarily large and clunky –to cloak a car, an individual had to completely envelop the vehicle in many layers of metamaterials to ‘shield’ it from electromagnetic radiation. The size and inflexibility of the approach makes this technique impractical for real-world uses, while earlier attempts to craft thin cloaks were not adaptive and could only work for specific, small objects. Beyond obvious applications, such as hiding military vehicles or conducting surveillance operations, this cloaking technology could eliminate obstacles, such as structures interrupting signals from cellular base stations that could be cloaked to allow signals to pass by freely, the said. The system can also alter the signature of a cloaked object, making it appear bigger, smaller, or even shifting it in space. Their tests showed the cloaking system works with radio waves but could also work with light waves in the future, using the same principle as the antenna technology matures, which could mean objects could be invisible to the human eye. ‘There are more applications for radio than for light,’ Professor Eleftheriades said. ‘It's just a matter of technology - you can use the same principle for light and the corresponding antenna technology is a very hot area of research.’ | Engineers have surrounded an object with small antennas that collectively .
radiate an electromagnetic field, cancelling out waves scattered off it .
The University of Toronto researchers believe their innovation could be used to hide military vehicles and to conduct surveillance operations .
As the technology advances, it could also be adapted to make objects invisible to the human eye too . |
89,982 | ff82aff003b1a08fc0bc3c8a15ab299090a22ad7 | (EW) -- Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher," starring Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell, was one of the high-profile movies that was announced Thursday for competition in next month's Cannes Film Festival. Also competing for the Palme d'Or is "The Homesman" from director Tommy Lee Jones, and David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars," which features Robert Pattinson. Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, "How to Catch a Monster," starring Christina Hendricks and Eva Mendes, will premiere in the Un Certain Regard side category. "How to Train Your Dragon 2" will also premiere at Cannes, with an out of competition screening. Oscars set dates for 2015 award season . Cannes runs May 14-25 this year, and "Grace of Monaco," starring Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly, will be the festival's opening night film. Jane Campion is presiding over this year's jury. See below for a full listing of Cannes films: . OPENER . "Grace of Monaco," Olivier Dahan . COMPETITION . "Sils Maria," Olivier Assayas . "Saint Laurent," Bertrand Bonello . "Winter Sleep," Nuri Bilge Ceylan . "Maps to the Stars," David Cronenberg . "Two Days, One Night," Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne . "Mommy," Xavier Dolan . "The Captive," Atom Egoyan . "Goodbye to Language," Jean-Luc Godard . "The Search," Michel Hazanavicius . "The Homesman," Tommy Lee Jones . "Still the Water," Naomi Kawase . "Mr. Turner," Mike Leigh . "Jimmy's Hall," Ken Loach . "Foxcatcher," Bennett Miller . "La Meraviglie," Alice Rohrwacher . "Timbuktu," Abderrahmane Sissako . "Wild Tales," Damian Szifron . "Leviathan," Andrei Zvyagintsev . Tribeca Film Festival's must-see movies . UN CERTAIN REGARD . OPENER: "Party Girl," Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis . "Jauja," Lisandro Alonso . "The Blue Room," Mathieu Amalric . "Misunderstood," Asia Argento . "Titli," Kanu Behl . "Eleanor Rigby," Ned Benson . "Lost River" (a.k.a. "How to Catch a Monster"), Ryan Gosling . "Amour fou," Jessica Hausner . "Charlie's Country," Rolf de Heer . "Snow in Paradise," Andrew Hulme . "A Girl at My Door," July Jung . "Xenia", Panos Koutras . "Run," Philippe Lacote . "Turist," Ruben Ostlund . "Beautiful Youth," Jaime Rosales . "Fantasia," Wang Chao . "The Salt of the Earth," Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado . "Away From His Absence," Keren Yedaya . OUT OF COMPETITION . "Coming Home," Zhang Yimou . "How to Train Your Dragon 2," Dean DeBlois . See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Movies from Tommy Lee Jones and Bennett Miller will compete at Cannes .
Ryan Gosling's directorial debut will also premiere at the film festival .
This year's event will run from May 14 to May 25 .
Nicole Kidman's "Grace of Monaco" will be the opening night film . |
216,289 | a401fe979cf473675ff8767e60a3d7107d3e8c80 | Experts advising ministers on obesity are being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds by the junk food industry, an investigation has found. Key scientists behind policies aimed at encouraging the public to eat a healthier diet have been given vast sums for their research by the likes of Coca Cola, Nestle and Mars. The revelations prompted concerns that ‘cosy deals’ are deterring ministers from enforcing tough limits on sugar and fat. Scandal: Key scientists behind policies aimed at encouraging the public to eat a healthier diet have been given vast sums for their research by the likes of Coca Cola, Nestle and Mars, it has emerged . At the same time, Britons are consuming more calories than ever – proof the Government’s obesity strategy is failing, the report concludes. The average household calorie consumption has risen by 12 per cent since 2006. Sugar rose by 11 per cent and fat by 12 per cent. One in four adults is considered dangerously overweight, and for children the figure is one in five. The Government’s flagship strategy hinges on arrangements with food and drinks firms to voluntarily cut levels of sugar and fat. But this Responsibility Deal policy, introduced in 2011, has been likened to ‘putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank’ by charities, while doctors argue obesity can only be properly tackled if firms are forced by law to make products healthier. The investigation by the BMJ found the scientist overseeing the strategy, Professor Susan Jebb, received £194,652 for a clinical trial by Coca-Cola between 2008 and 2010. The investigation by the BMJ found the scientist overseeing the strategy, Professor Susan Jebb (pictured) received £194,652 for a clinical trial by Coca-Cola between 2008 and 2010 . In total, she has been given £1.37million towards her research since 2004 from firms including Nestle cereals, Sainsbury’s and Unilever, whose brands include Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum and Walls ice cream. Professor Jebb was appointed the Government’s adviser on obesity in 2011 by former health secretary Andrew Lansley, who also disbanded the existing group of experts who had been very critical of the Responsibility Deal. The investigation also found scientists working for the Government’s Human Nutrition Research Unit, which aims to reduce obesity, received funding from the food industry averaging £250,000 a year. They include Dr Ravin Jugdaohsingh who was given £58,248 from Coca-Cola. Dr Aseem Malhotra, a consultant cardiologist and director of campaign group Action On Sugar, said: ‘The public would be appalled to learn that scientists advising them how much sugar to consume have financial ties to the sugar industry. The responsibility deal has been a complete failure.’ Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘It is legislation, not cosy deals, which we need to tackle this crisis.’ But other scientists insisted the food industry did not influence their research nor advice, even if it paid for it. Professor Jebb added: ‘Everything I do, whether in my research or as chair of the responsibility deal, is to try to improve public health.’ | Some obesity experts' research received funding from junk food brands .
An investigation found one scientist's trial got £200k from Coca-Cola .
Revelations come as one in four are considered dangerously overweight . |
271,228 | eb54a19c7a9347ddfb848cd8d8917d0d65eebde6 | By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 11:18 EST, 18 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:36 EST, 18 December 2012 . A woman has been charged with felony animal cruelty after she allegedly tied a pit bull puppy behind her ex-husband's car before he unwittingly dragged the dog behind him for a mile along a highway. Benetta Johnson, 41, is accused of instructing her 13-year-old son to tie the puppy behind the truck in a bid to secretly return the dog the man had given to her 5-year-old daughter as a present. Victor Washington, 39, of St Louis, Missouri, has said that he didn't know the puppy - now named Trooper - was attached to his vehicle on the morning of November 21 before he drove off - a claim St Louis police say is supported by surveillance footage outside his home. Scroll down for video . Thoughtless crime: Benetta Johnson, 41, has been charged with felony animal abuse after she allegedly tied the dog to her ex-husband Victor Washington's truck while trying to give it back to him . Real trooper: This 5 1/2-month-old pill bull named Trooper by members of Missouri's Humane Society, is quickly recovering after being dragged for more than a mile on an interstate . Heading into work that morning, Mr Washington was on I-55 when a woman frantically signaled for him to stop. Once he pulled over, he made a discovery so horrifying that he fled about 100 yards to escape its sight. Crumpled and bloody, he said the dog never made a sound while lying limp on the roadway. 'I was just so devastated by what I saw,' Mr Washington told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. 'It still makes me emotional just thinking about it.' He initially told police he had never seen the dog before, not realizing it as the puppy he had given to Johnson's daughter several months earlier. It was a gift Johnson had tried to return to him before. Rising up: Bandaged from his ears down to his toes, the once critically injured pup shows some strength during his recovery . Unwanted gift: Washington, pictured with Johnson here, told police he had given the dog to Johnson's five-year-old daughter but not wanting it, Johnson tried to return it against Washington's will . Washington said it was only after a flurry of media attention to capture the culprit - with rewards doubling to $5,000 - that he texted Johnson, asking: 'Please tell me you still have that dog.' 'She told me she did,' he told the paper. Healing: Trooper is seen here on December 10 with a toy before him, his face noted by the humane society as nearly all healed . But weeks before the incident, he said Johnson called him complaining about the puppy, saying the animal was sick and too timid. She wanted him to take the dog back but he admits having been upset by the request and brushed it off. Footage taken outside Washington's . apartment complex on the night of November 20 shows a car pull up to his . truck around 10pm. He recognized it as his ex-wife's. Her son can then be seen leading the animal to the back of the truck, attaching him to the hitch of the trailer, and walking away. Mr Washington said that he likely did not see the canine because it was either hiding or taking a snooze under the truck. 'He must have been asleep,' Mr . Washington said. 'She said he was a really shy dog, so maybe he didn't want to come out if he saw me.' Johnson was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of felony animal abuse. Mr Washington doesn't think Johnson intended for him to take off with the dog tied to his truck. He told the Post-Dispatch: 'This whole situation is just so sad. Sad for the dog. Sad for my ex-wife. I mean, just because she's my ex-wife I don't want to see her go to jail. She has kids,' he said. Horrific injuries: Trooper underwent intense surgery to save his life after veterinarians worked to clean and close his wounds that exposed bone and tissue . Reward: A reward for the individual who tied the dog on the back of the driver's truck doubled to $5,000 . Healing: Seen warmed up in a small yellow outfit made for a baby, Trooper relaxes on a knit blanket with now just two leg braces . 'It was an ignorant mistake she made. But she is a sweet person, and I don’t think she would just leave him . there thinking this would happen,' he said after her arrest. Today, the golden pit bull once bandaged from his ears down to his toes, is recuperating under close watch at the Humane Society of Missouri after his harrowing rescue. Seen today with two leg casts, a raw right ear and a soft knit jersey made for a baby over his body for warmth, Trooper's status has largely improved. The puppy, which doctors feared may not survive, was admitted with exposed tissue and bone. Treats: The humane society reports numerous gifts, cards and donations sent to them since his injuries last month, with Trooper seen here enjoying a cookie sent in . Open hearts: Along with the gifts, some pictured, the humane society rewards an overwhelming interest in adopting the dog once he has recovered . Bright future: The greatest worry for veterinarians was Trooper's front right leg they weren't initially sure they would be able to save . 'Trooper is eating and drinking normally and he is walking on his own several times a day,' the Missouri Humane Society wrote earlier this month on his dramatic improvement. Initial fears that he may lose one of his front legs have passed and he is expected to keep them all. 'The fact that he has survived thus far . is amazing,' director of Shelter Medicine Dr Mark Wright said. 'He’s . truly living up to his name and is a real Trooper.' The humane society reports that along with numerous treats, cards and donations coming in, they have had 'overwhelming' interest to adopt the dog. They say that due to the extent of his injuries, however, they expect a still long road to recovery before he is able to leave veterinarians' care. That's an opportunity Mr Washington hopes he's equally entitled to. 'I owe that much to that puppy,' he told the Post-Dispatch, promising he'd give it a good home. 'Because I gave it to the wrong people.' Watch the video here: . | Benetta Johnson, 41, is arrested after she allegedly tied the dog to her ex-husband's truck in a bid to secretly return the gifted dog at night .
Driver Victor Washington said he never saw the dog before taking off on the morning of November 21, dragging it for more than a mile behind him .
Washington says he hopes he's first in line in adopting the recovering dog now named Trooper . |
207,036 | 98128cfbfd484bf972fad98f2b5711b949fbf3da | A teenager who was accidentally switched at birth has revealed how the hospital mix-up ripped her family apart. Manon Serrano, 18, was swapped with another baby five days after being born at the Cannes-la-Bocca clinic in France on July 4, 1994. Ms Serrano and her family eventually discovered the maternity ward mistake after undergoing DNA tests eight years ago - but not before it tore her family apart. New mother: Sophie Serrano, pictured shortly after giving birth at the age of 18, discovered her daughter had been accidentally switched at birth ten years after the event . For the first time, Ms Serrano has revealed how the man she believed to be her father was convinced that she wasn't his. This was because Ms Serrano, whose real parents are from Réunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, was dark-skinned while Mr Serrano and his wife were both fair skinned. A paternity test in 2002 proved his suspicions and he left his wife believing she must have conceived the child with another man. Another test two years later revealed that Mrs Serrano was not her mother. Ms Serrano says the mistake has had a huge impact on her life and left her struggling to find her own identity. She added: 'At a period of your life when you're anyway asking questions, me, I had lost my identity.' Family torn apart: Sophie Serrano's husband left her when paternity tests proved he was not the father of their daughter Manon. Two years later, further tests showed she was not the biological mother either . Maternity ward: While the Cannes-la-Bocca Clinic, in Cannes, France, admits the error occurred, it claims the mothers should have realised their babies had been switched . The rest of her family have also struggled to come to terms with the mistake. Her 'mother' Mrs Serrano, from Thorenc, near Grasse, in southern France, told Le Parisien: 'The sky fell on my head. I had the impression that I had lost the daughter I had brought up, but I was also seized by a terrible anguish.' Mrs Serrano, who has two other children, told the newspaper she suffered from nervous depression in the aftermath of the discovery and lost her business. Trial: Mrs Serrano suffered from nervous depression after she discovered the daughter she raised from birth was not biologically hers . 'I lost everything. We had to leave our home, I have got big debts. All my children had to consult psychologists,' she admitted'. The accidental switch happened when Ms Serrano was placed in a cot with another baby for treatment for jaundice. Ms Serrano was then given back to Sophie Serrano, whose own daughter was handed to another woman. Mrs Serrano told nurses that the child did not look like her own baby, but nurses insisted that there had been no mistake. After the DNA tests eight years ago revealed that Ms Serrano was infact not her daughter, police managed to track down the other family involved in the mix-up and the two families met. Mrs Serrano said: 'There was a mixture of trouble, joy and sadness. 'I fell into the arms of my biological daughter. Instinctively I loved her. But in the long term, I was able to find a place for myself.' Despite the discovery, both girls decided to stay with the families who brought them up. Ms Serrano said: 'When my mother told me of the switch, my first thought was am I going to have to leave my family? I would have felt empty without them.' Mrs Serrano is suing the clinic, which has since become a retirement home. Maître Claude Chas, a lawyer for the clinic, admitted that an error had occurred but said the mothers should have noticed that their babies had been switched. Case: Mrs Serran, who says she lost everything because of the mistake, is suing the clinic over the mix-up . | Manon Serrano was accidentally swapped with .
another baby in July 1994 .
Man she believed to be her father left his wife after paternity tests failed .
Two years later, tests revealed Manon wasn't her mother's biological child .
Hospital mistake was discovered and the other family involved tracked down .
Both children have decided to remain with the family that raised them .
Cannes-la-Bocca clinic, .
in France, admits error but says both mothers should have realised the mistake . |
34,631 | 6263c6b382eb345a7b00da683ac1281eab3aa6de | After seven months of investigation and undercover work, federal officials have arrested a Virginia woman and accused her of lying to federal agents about involvement with the terrorist group ISIS. Heather Coffman, 29, of Henrico County, is charged with making a materially false statement or representation regarding an offense involving international and domestic terrorism. Authorities said they built their case against Coffman with information from a series of undercover interviews and inflammatory social media posts. Coffman first caught the attention of the FBI through her Facebook activity, according to a criminal complaint filed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The complaint details many of Coffman's controversial Facebook posts and interactions. Investigators say that on June 23, using the name Ubeida Ametova (one of her many online aliases), Coffman listed her "work and education" on her Facebook account as "jihad for Allah's sake." Per the charges, she posted an image with the captions "We are all ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Sham" and also posted a picture of armed men and the black flag of ISIS, emblazoned with the words "Virtues of the Mujahideen." Authorities say that on July 8, using a second Facebook account, Coffman reposted the same images from her first account in addition to a picture of the ISIS flag surrounded by praying men armed with AK-47s. Opinion: What lures Americans to Syria fight? Coffman's Facebook activity prompted the FBI to obtain a search warrant for the account on August 4, leading investigators to discover a history of correspondence about ISIS. The criminal complaint details some of these exchanges, in which Coffman allegedly defends ISIS and rebukes those who criticize the terrorist group. She writes, "I know...it's all Zionist propaganda though! If we can rid the world of them...then the world will be a better and peaceful place." Additionally, investigators say that Coffman took credit for attempting to recruit her sister when she wrote, "she know ISIS because I told her about them and got her into liking them lol" and "my dad is a little angry because I got her into all this jihad stuff." Investigators said they also discovered a man whom Coffman claimed was her husband. According to Facebook communications detailed in the complaint, this man told Coffman that he hoped their future son would be "Mujaheeden," and Coffman agreed, expressing her support for "whatever you want to do." Days later, as shown in the charges, Coffman told her "husband" that she hates gays and Zionists and "they should all die." On July 29, she warned him not to post pro-ISIS statuses on Facebook, and suggested that "the NSA has already seen it." Was arrested teen on his way to join ISIS? Coffman had multiple other Facebook accounts with a variety of user names, including Heather Coffman, Heather La'ahad, Heather Obeida La'ahad, Heather Ametova, and Ubeida Ametova, and which authorities say displayed varying degrees of radicalization. As of October 2, 2014, Coffman had set her location on one of the accounts to Hafsarjah, Idlib, Syria. Coffman's social media behavior presented a number of red flags to authorities, but officials said the information gathered by an undercover FBI agent from a series of interviews helped lead to the charges. Starting in July, an agent posing as an ISIS sympathizer routinely met with Coffman and began to investigate her recruitment network. After establishing a relationship, the undercover agent told Coffman about an associate who shared their views on Islam and was prepared to join the fight with ISIS in Syria. Per the complaint, Coffman revealed that she had experience connecting potential recruits with ISIS facilitators. She had begun to arrange travel to Syria for her "husband," the online associate investigators had discovered, but their relationship ended and he had decided not to follow through. According to the criminal complaint, Coffman explained her frustration to the agent, saying, "I set him up with the brothers who gave him a contact name and number in Turkey to get him across the border when it was time for training...I spoke to another brother about it who said he was shocked he is sitting around waiting in Macedonia and he is going to call the emir and fix that and get him to Turkey...but my account was disabled so I couldn't follow through with that. But I think he was just joking us about going." How far does ISIS' global reach extend? On October 19, the undercover agent told Coffman about plans to travel overseas, search for routes into Syria, and find an ISIS contact, to which Coffman replied, suggesting she could help find a contact and facilitate travel. The undercover agent met with Coffman three times, on November 5, 6 and 7, according to the charges. During a recorded meeting in a hotel room on November 5, Coffman again offered to help find a contact and facilitate travel into Syria. After locating and vetting what she considered to be a legitimate facilitator, Coffman told the agent she would reach out and initiate the plans. But on November 6, Coffman told the agent her contact had gone dark and that she was still waiting for a response. Then on November 7, Coffman met again with the agent, this time with a third unidentified associate, and asked the agent to propose a list of questions that she would relay to the facilitator, because, as Coffman explained, she wanted all communication with the facilitator to go through her. In this meeting, Coffman, the agent, and the unidentified third associate created a code language to discuss plans without tipping off law enforcement. Feds: NY store owner plotted to send jihadists to Syria, kill U.S. troops himself . On November 13, two FBI agents met with Coffman at her work and conducted an interview, throughout which, according to investigators, Coffman "provided false, material information to the federal agents." Coffman said "we don't talk about things like that" when asked about their conversations regarding ISIS and al Qaeda, and denied that the undercover agent ever expressed support for ISIS or similar terrorist groups. The FBI agents told Coffman that lying to a federal agent is a crime, though Coffman said her account was truthful. Coffman appeared in federal court in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday, and has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Coffman's lawyer did not respond to CNN's requests for comment. | Heather Coffman, of Henrico County, is charged with lying to federal agents .
Coffman caught the attention of the FBI through her Facebook activity .
They say she posted positively about ISIS, later met with agents to recruit for ISIS . |
78,764 | df2a1d0d353eb996e65f91197059dfd561fbe771 | Olive Garden may have run into a problem after its PR stunt on Monday selling a limited number of 'never-ending pasta passes'. Around 50 cunning buyers have placed the passes on eBay where they are being offered at double, and sometimes three times the price. The $100 golden ticket allows carb lovers to fill up on as much of the chain's signature dishes as they can eat. Pasta for everyone! Savvy buyers of Olive Garden's 'never-ending-pasta-pass' tried to resell it on eBay . Fans of the chain were able to buy a ticket to eat as much pasta as possible - along with bread sticks, salad and soup - for seven weeks between September 22 and November 9. Bids are being offered for the passes on eBay but none have yet been sold. As Daily Finance points out, the small print shows the 'pasta passes' are 'non-transferable and may not be re-sold'. And it seems that Olive Garden are playing strictly by the rules. In a statement to MailOnline today, an Olive Garden spokeswoman said: 'The Never Ending Pasta Passes are personalized and state that they’re non-transferable and not for resale, and we’re working with eBay to make sure buyers and sellers are aware of this. 'However, hospitality is core to who we are, which is why we’ll work with anyone who’s purchased a pass on eBay to ensure they enjoy Never Ending Pasta Bowl. I’d encourage those guests to reach out to us directly via phone or social media. ' The passes sold out within 45 minutes of being launched at 3pm on Monday. Only 1,000 of the passes were sold and covered the 150 combinations of pasta and sauce available at Olive Garden. The deal also includes unlimited soft drinks for the pass-holder and those at their table - but no alcohol. The pass can be used as many times as the user wants throughout the seven-week period at Olive Garden locations across the U.S. An Olive Garden location in Peoria, Illinois. The chain is offering a never-ending pasta pass which lets the holder eat as much pasta as possible over seven weeks at any U.S. location . Only 1,000 of the passes are being made available and covers a 150 combinations of pasta and sauce at the Italian food chain . The attention-grabbing promo comes at a tricky time for the chain. In July, the CEO and Chairman Clarence Otis stepped down as the Darden Restaurants company fights to fix its flagship Olive Garden chain following its contested sale of Red Lobster. For fans of the Olive Garden chain, getting value for money from the $100 pass should be simple - and done in under a week. Using only options available on the pass, a dinner of minestrone soup followed by spaghetti meatballs, a house salad and bread, typically costs roughly $36 (before tip). Even if the pass is used just once a day, then Olive Garden fans can chomp their way through $100, in just 72 hours. The company, based in Orlando, Florida, has been pressured to turn around declining sales at Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Customers had begun turning away from those chains as they cut back on spending during the recession. Darden Restaurants Inc. completed the sale of Red Lobster to investment firm Golden Gate Capital in July. There has also been concern from diners over the calorie contents of those bottomless pasta bowls. Olive Garden boasts a significant amount of meals that have more calories, saturated fat and sodium than is recommended - and even more than a McDonald's value meal, according to a Drexel University-University of Pennsylvania study in January. | Around 50 passes were being offered on eBay today - but Olive Garden warned they were 'non-transferable'
Company announced on Monday the limited number of passes had sold out in 45 minutes .
Pass-holders can eat as much pasta as possible - along with soda, bread sticks, salad and soup - for seven weeks between September 22 and November 9 .
The Florida-based company is fighting declining sales . |
171,127 | 697d6729e8d8dadf35884fe68594969fff517da2 | By . Daniel Miller . Dozens of parents and schoolchildren were involved in a mass brawl after a father confronted a mother about his son being bullied. The fight, which was captured on a security camera outside a fire station in Alexander, Arkansas, took place on February 19. The father, who claims his son was the victim of repeated bullying at Bryant High School, said he had arranged to meet with the accused bully's mother to discuss the matter. Scroll down for video . Pandemonium: Dozens of parents and schoolchildren brawl in Arkansas after a father confronted a mother about his son being bullied . But according to a court affadavit, the woman arrived with a group with family and friends. The situation quickly descended into chaos as rival parents and children exchanged punches and threw weapons at one another, it is claimed. The astonishing footage begins with a large group of people milling around the fire station courtyard. As a fight breaks out between two individuals others rush over to join in, and within a matter of seconds around 25 people are fighting furiously. At one point a man arrives in a sports car and is seen rushing out of his vehicle and steaming in to join the fray. Children are seen looking on in astonishment as the parents battle one another. According to one witness the fight only ended after someone fired shots. Bad example: Children, pictured on the left, watch on as the parents battle one another furiously . When local law enforcement arrived on the scene they were met with a wall of silence and no arrests were made. But the prosecutors office later obtained a two party warrant on the case, which means the parents involved must appear in court. Saline County Sheriff's Lt. Scott Courtney told arkansasmatters.com: 'We attempted to speak with a couple of people and no one wanted to talk to us about the incident. 'Our involvement in this is pretty much wrapped up since the two parties involved in this are going to court and this is in the judicial system'. A spokesman for Bryant school said the bullying allegations were thoroughly investigated by an assistant principal in line with and district procedure. | Fight captured on fire station security camera in Alexander, Arkansas .
Children are seen looking on in astonishment as the parents battle .
According to one witness the fight only ended after someone fired shots . |
202,752 | 928596c0c783508924c921213653706298efde5f | By . Charlotte Griffiths . He famously claimed that making art is like robbing a bank. If so, Damien Hirst could now be considered the Robin Hood of the art world after donating one of his most audacious – and expensive – pieces to charity. His latest ambitious creation, a 10,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton, gilded in 24-carat gold leaf and encased in a giant gold-framed tank, has been sold for an eye-watering £8.9 million. Entitled Gone But Not Forgotten, it was auctioned at a star-studded event and bought by Leonard Blavatnik, the Ukrainian-born owner of Warner Music and Britain’s fourth richest person. Scroll down for video . Damien Hirst's latest ambitious creation, a 10,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton, gilded in 24-carat gold leaf and encased in a giant gold-framed tank, has been sold for an eye-watering £8.9m . The businessman conceded that he ‘doesn’t yet’ know what to do with the 10ft-tall work. But it could look good in his £200 million, 13-bedroom home in Kensington, West London. Mr Blavatnik, whose fortune has been put at £10 billion, certainly becomes one of the few people in the world who privately owns such an important piece of natural history. Mr Hirst – the world’s richest artist with a wealth of more than £200 million – bought the skeleton last year, but is sworn to secrecy about which collector he acquired it from. It took the artist and several members of his team weeks to painstakingly take apart every bone from the skeleton. One guest who beamed with pride when the gavel came down was model Katie Keight, a 24-year-old budding actress who has been quietly seeing Mr Hirst for months (both pictured) They were then delicately painted with thousands of pieces of paper-thin gold with feather-light brushes at his studio, Science Ltd, in Stroud, Gloucestershire, before the skeleton was reassembled. The finished work went under the hammer on Friday at a Pirelli-sponsored fundraiser for the amfAR charity in Cannes, attended by Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Minogue, Dita Von Teese, Adrien Brody, Paris Hilton and Catherine Deneuve. Other lots included a trip to space with DiCaprio on board the Virgin Galactic, which fetched £567,000, and an Andy Warhol print of Marilyn Monroe which sold for £283,000. The audience were laughing for most of the night but nothing was funny when it came to money. Sharon Stone, who acted as auctioneer for some of the lots, had to be corrected dozens of times for calling out ‘dollars’ instead of euros. Mr Hirst - the world's richest artist with a wealth of more than £200million - bought the skeleton last year, but is sworn to secrecy about which collector he acquired it from . Organisers had to grab the microphone when Simon de Pury – the world’s best-known art auctioneer – made the same mistake during the bidding war for the mammoth. For the sale of Hirst’s skeleton, the room fell silent. Hirst himself was said to be too nervous to take his place at the top table, and Mr De Pury told the audience: ‘Mr Hirst is very elusive, I can’t see him. But he is believed to be somewhere in this room.’ A guest told The Mail on Sunday: ‘He wasn’t trying to pull a Banksy with his absence, he was just too modest. He was worried the piece would sell for less than it was worth so he hid. Luckily for Damien his fears were unsubstantiated.’ One guest who beamed with pride when the gavel came down was model Katie Keight, a 24-year-old budding actress who has been quietly seeing Mr Hirst for months after meeting him through movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is convinced she will be his next big star. She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I have known Damien for a few months. We are a bit cuddly and a bit snuggly and snoggy but that’s it.’ The golden mammoth was the only animal skeleton in Hirst’s natural history collection, which he began in 1991 and includes various animals immersed in formaldehyde. His famous The Golden Calf sold for £10.3 million in 2008. | Entitled Gone But Not Forgotten, it was .
bought by Leonard Blavatnik, the .
Ukrainian-born owner of Warner Music and Britain’s fourth richest .
person .
Businessman conceded he ‘doesn’t yet’ know what to do with the 10ft-tall gilded skeleton .
Took artist and several members of his team weeks to painstakingly take apart every bone .
They were delicately painted with .
thousands of pieces of paper-thin gold with feather-light brushes before skeleton .
was reassembled . |
194,130 | 874a4d126fc7346f21bb369ce7171a7765e0363a | (CNN) -- For the past five years, Austria-based art historian and photographer Alfred Weidinger has traveled across Africa in search of royalty. His photography project, The Last Kings of Africa, is his attempt to capture the beauty and mystique of the region's most powerful sovereigns. So far he has photographed 220 tribal kings and leaders, with many more to go. "I have a sort of deadline for myself -- which is the end of next year. It's not a question of the amount of kings or tribal leaders, it's just a question of countries," says Weidinger, who plans to visit Africa twice this year and six times in 2015. "There are still countries I definitely want to visit, for example Swaziland and the southern part of Sudan." Weidinger's photographic endeavors in Africa started in 1979 but the cumbersome equipment typical to that era quickly deterred the photographer. Fast forward 30 years, and a chance commission for a photographic exhibition sparked a long-term project where the lavish culture of Africa's dynasties became the focus. Weidinger had no definitive guide to help him locate all of Africa's royals and tribal leaders. Armed with only two cameras and a tripod, his trips were mostly improvised. "There is no list, there is nothing! So you just have to go there," says Weidinger. "The most important thing is to find one king -- when I have one, he will guide me to the others." The power game . There are hundreds of African monarchies scattered across the continent but in most cases governing power is either restricted or nonexistent. Government officials, however, know it's best not to overlook the influence these leaders possess over their respective communities. "Some countries put the monarch system back into the constitution, they give power to the traditional leaders," says Weidinger. "In effect, some politicians use it because every tribal leader (represents) an ethnic group and they still follow the words of the elder or the tribal leader, they are not following what is happening with the politicians in the capital." According to Richard Dowden, the director of The Royal African Society and author of Africa: Authored States, Ordinary Miracles, monarchies tend to flourish in countries with a weak government structure or lacking a formal constitution. In these instances, tribal leaders and monarchs are deemed more trustworthy for getting things done. Niger, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Benin are a few examples of countries with a strong tribal leaders, some of whom occasionally tackle government functions. Fon Ndofoa Zofoa III, for example, makes official decisions over hereditary land in his chiefdom in Babungo in Cameroon. Other leaders, like Sarauniya Aljima, the queen of Lougou in Niger, weigh in on private matters, such as marriage. "When there is a marriage to be made (in the village, monarchs) will return to sort it out. In these sorts of matters, they do retain a lot of power," says Dowden. Weidinger found that one thing that seems to distinguish African monarchs from royals across the globe is a keen religious focus: . "Their power is in spirituality and this makes (African monarchs) so unique." The danger of cell phones . Weidinger says that in his opinion, the biggest threat to Africa's last remaining monarchs isn't local government, but modernity. Though poised in luxurious cloths and perched on gilded thrones, the threat of globalization has disturbed the influence and social standing of many of Wedinger's subjects. "When you come to a region and you see that they are working with mobile phones, it's a kind of sign. If you see mobile phones you definitely know that it's a dying ethnic group. African culture is changing, there are changes in communication. People are going to the capitals and living where there is no need for a king anymore," he says, adding that cell phones have made people living in rural communities less isolated. Now, the problems they would typically raise with their community leaders they can take to experts further afield. Dowden, however, thinks these monarchs will retain their power for a while yet. "I think the chiefs will survive," he says. "Depending on how local governments in Africa develop, they'll either become figures for tourists or they'll continue to play a very important role." | Photographer Alfred Weidinger is traveling across Africa to capture the continent's last remaining monarchs .
He has photographed 220 tribal kings and chiefs since 2009 .
The biggest threat to these monarchs, says Weidinger, is cell phones . |
231,687 | b7f6a9da65568c8d227038e6eb1e8a48759cbb06 | Sol Kerzner is the founder, CEO and chairman of the board of Kerzner International Holdings Limited (formerly Sun International). Mr. Kerzner has gained international acclaim for his imaginatively designed, high-quality resorts and business acumen. His career spans some 40 years in the hotel/resort and casino industries. He founded both of Southern Africa's largest hotel groups, played a pivotal role in the development of the tourism industries in Mauritius and The Bahamas, and continues to develop industry leading projects in unique destinations throughout the world. Sol Kerzner, the youngest of four children, was born on August 23, 1935 in a lower-class suburb of Johannesburg to Russian immigrants. In 1958, Mr. Kerzner graduated as a chartered accountant from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and immediately joined one of Durban's largest firms, where, by age 25, he was named a junior partner. Mr. Kerzner's career in hospitality began in 1960 with the purchase of The Palace Hotel in Durban. Following the success of that and a second hotel, Mr. Kerzner bought and developed an underdeveloped site north of Durban, an area with little apparent tourist appeal. Contacts from his accounting days backed his revolutionary concept of a complete resort with entertainment and sporting facilities and a variety of specialty restaurants and bars. The result was the Beverly Hills Hotel, the first five-star hotel built in South Africa. It opened in December 1964 and within a year was acclaimed as a premier resort for local and international tourists. Following the Beverly Hills, Mr. Kerzner built the 450-room Elangeni, overlooking Durban's beachfront. And, in 1969, in partnership with South African Breweries, he established the chain of Southern Sun Hotels, which by 1983 was operating 30 luxury hotels with more than 5,000 rooms. In 1975, Mr. Kerzner opened his first international hotel, Le Saint Géran, in the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. While in South Africa, Mr. Kerzner developed Sun City, the most ambitious resort development in Africa. This project included the development of four hotels, a man-made lake, two golf courses, an entertainment center with an indoor 6,000-seat arena, over 1 million hand-planted trees, a casino, two golf courses, and a series of water rides and attractions. In 1994, Mr. Kerzner made his first major acquisition outside Africa through the purchase of the Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas. This 1,150-room resort and casino had fallen into bankruptcy. Immediately after acquiring the resort, Mr. Kerzner launched a major re-development and expansion program turning the Atlantis, Paradise Island into a 2,300-room resort and casino that also includes the world's largest man-made marine habitat, the largest casino entertainment center in the Caribbean, a world-class marina and other attractions. In 1996, Mr. Kerzner opened the Mohegan Sun gaming resort in Connecticut, occupying 240 acres on the Thames River. This was as a result of negotiating a unique agreement with the Mohegan Indian Nation. Recently, the property has been expanded through a $1 billion investment and is now one of the two largest gaming and entertainment resorts in the United States. Kerzner is extending its Atlantis brand globally with the development of Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai. An approximately 2,000 room, water-themed resort expected to open in 2008, currently being constructed on The Palm, Jumeirah, a multi-billion dollar leisure and residential development in Dubai. In the United Kingdom, Kerzner is currently developing a casino in Northampton and received a Certificate of Consent from the UK Gaming Board in 2004. Throughout his career, Sol Kerzner has been bestowed with a number of global awards, including Hotels Magazine's 2004 Hotelier of the World, Las Vegas Hotel & Restaurant Show's International Hotelier of the Year for 2005 and a lifetime achievement award from the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa. In 1992 he was the first non-American to be admitted to the U.S. Gaming Hall of Fame. E-mail to a friend . | Kerzner was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1935 .
His first hotel purchase was The Palace Hotel in Durban, in 1960 .
Kerzner was the first non-American in the U.S. Gaming Hall of Fame . |
157,805 | 58098c17ae0310a8f9ec0793fc5b26d4ab2e80a7 | Its website reads that Pickwick & Weller has taken an extended 'staycation', but its co-founder confirms that the brand has no plans to relaunch . By . Misty White Sidell . Pickwick & Weller, a T-shirt line which touted Ashton Kutcher as its celebrity co-founder, has closed its doors after one year in business. The e-commerce label, which is known for its simple tees for men and women, has posted a placard on its website that says ‘Pickwick & Weller is taking an extended staycation so we can come back with the best T-shirt. Ever.’ However, the brand’s co-founder Ryan Donahue has told Fashionista that the brand has no plans to relaunch. Closed for business: Though Pickwick & Weller's site says that the brand is currently seeking an overhaul, its co-founder has confirmed that the brand is closed for good . Celebrity founder: Ashton Kutcher, the celebrity co-founder and investor in Pickwick & Keller, was joined by fellow opportunists on the project - including multiple Warby Parker executives and venture capitalist firms . ‘We were unable to scale our customer acquisition to a rate that brought the necessary growth, at a cost sustainable for our business,’ Mr Donahue said. He has already obtained another job at ZenDesk – a software and IT company. Though Mr Kutcher, 36, was widely promoted as one of the label’s co-founders, it seems as of now that he fulfilled more of an investor role in the company – contributing to its initial $4million round of funding along with Warby Parker executives and various venture capitalist firms. Pickwick & Weller launched in April 2013 with a small run of T-shirt styles including V-necks, crew necks, and henleys. The shirts came with a soft, distressed finish and were fabricated in neutral colors like mustard yellow, rust, white, navy blue, and army green. Similar to Warby Parker's model, shoppers were allowed to try samples of the shirts on at home with a FedEx Fit Kit to find the silhouette and size that best suited their body before settling on one to keep. Shortly after the launch Mr Kutcher told ELLE.com: ‘T-shirts are the uniform of this generation. If you are going to wear something every day, it should be the best. Our aim is to make the best T-shirts on earth.’ The basics: The brand was known for its e-commerce-only run of T-shirts which came in simple shapes and colors . Best fit: The brand would send customers a 'fit kit' to help them find which size and shape was best for their body . Mr Donahue added to PandoDaily yesterday that the label held a conference call with its primary investors (presumably including Mr Kutcher) before reaching the unanimous decision that it was best to close the brand. ‘We had a hard conversation with our board and investors, and we mutually agreed that we gave it a good shot and it's time to move on. We built a good brand and a great product, with loyal customers, but where we really struggled was in unlocking healthy enough customer acquisition to scale it to a point where it made sense. We simply ran out of time and runway,’ he said. Mr Donahue reports that the brand did $1million of sales in its first year and had a higher customer retention rate than many of its competitors. However, its margins and growth were not large enough to succeed. | Its website reads that Pickwick & Weller has taken an extended 'staycation', but its co-founder confirms that the brand has no plans to relaunch . |
250,820 | d09a4877af3051c1e0d787f31c301818aa8ff172 | A set of parents have been banned from naming their son Wikileaks by a registry office, for fear that it could endanger the child's welfare. Hajar Hamalaw, 28, from southern Germany, originally from Iraq, wanted to name his newborn child after the online whistle-blowing platform because of his admiration for the site. However, authorities in Passau, Bavaria vetoed his choice of name, and have banned him from legally naming his son after the site. Newborn Dako, who narrowly avoided being called 'Wikileaks' after a Bavarian registry office vetoed the parents first choice . Mr Hamalaw said he wanted to name his son 'Wikileaks' because he believed it had 'changed the world'. Hajar Hamalaw wanted to name his son after the website because he felt the site had been an inspiration to him and his work as a journalist . Mr Hamalaw, a journalist who has lived in Passau for the last eight months, has made no secret of his adoration for the cables website. He said: 'The Wikileak revelations caused a great stir worldwide. 'Especially the ones about Iraq, where we come from.' But because of the Bavarian registry authority, Wikileaks did not make it onto the birth certificate. Mr Hamalaw said: "The registrar said that this was not a first name. 'He thought it was a series or TV show.' A spokesperson for the town of Passau said the decision by the registry office was based on legal rulings. The rulings state a child’s name should not be granted if it could endanger their welfare. Eventually, Hamalaw named his son Dako on the birth certificate instead, according to the Passauer Neue Presse. Mr Hamalaw was barred from naming his child after the cable-leaking site by a registry office in Passau, Bavaria, Germany (pictured) | Parents in Passau, Bavaria, banned from naming child 'Wikileaks'
A registry office in Passau, Bavaria, thought it might endanger the child .
Hajar Hamalaw, a journalist, wanted to name his child after the whistle-blowing platform .
Originally from Iraq, Hamalaw felt the site had 'changed the world' |
189,965 | 81f40e8c93413c1464822e96cc1c424934493c44 | (CNN) -- A legal defense fund for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, charged with 17 murders in a shooting rampage in an Afghan village, has been established, his wife said Saturday. With the support of Bales' extended family, wife Kari formed The Staff Sergeant Robert Bales Legal Defense Fund, she said in a statement Saturday. Regarding the alleged March 11 massacre in Afghanistan, Kari Bales said she "has no more information about what happened other than what the government and media have released." She said she "cannot even come close to covering the legal costs and fees that will accrue." "Contributions to the defense fund are welcome only from donors who (1.) grieve with Mrs. Bales over the lives that were lost that night, and (2.) believe that in America everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Over time, the truth will come out. That's why we have due process under the laws of our country. Unfortunately, due process is very expensive," Kari Bales' statement said. Contributions to the defense fund, at P.O. Box 2774, Seattle, Washington, 98111, aren't tax deductible, she said. In addition to the 17 charges of murder "with premeditation," 38-year-old Staff Sgt. Bales faces six counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault. Authorities say Bales left a remote outpost in Kandahar province's Panjwai district early March 11 and went house-to-house, gunning down villagers. U.S. and Afghan officials initially said 16 people died in those attacks. Col. Gary Kolb, a spokesman with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, on Friday said only that investigators assigned to the case felt they had evidence to charge Bales with 17 counts of murder. There was no immediate indication as to where the other fatality came from, besides the fact it was an adult, and Afghan government officials in Kabul have said they have no record of another death. The six people wounded in the shootings are four children, one woman and one man, according to the charge sheet against Bales. Two of those have been released from a hospital, said Ahmad Javed Faisal, a Kandahar provincial government spokesman. At the minimum, Bales would be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole if he's convicted on even one of the 17 murder charges, according to a statement from the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan public affairs office. At the maximum, he could face the death penalty. The Taliban, in an e-mail Friday to CNN, vowed "strong revenge" for the attacks and claimed justice won't be served in U.S. courts, which they said "are not reliable." The Islamic fundamentalist group, which been battling coalition and Afghan government forces for years, believes that "tens of American soldiers, and not one person" are responsible for the killings, according to the message. "We don't believe in these (American) courts and reject the decision," the Taliban said. "We will take practical revenge on every single American soldier." Bales, who was returned to the United States last week, is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. | Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales' wife, Kari, says couple can't cover legal costs .
He is charged with 17 murders, six attempted murders, two counts of assaults .
Fund appeals to donors who grieve with Mrs. Bales and believe in fair trials, she says . |
189,098 | 80e1d95cf18f667788d06d94d7fffbdf5907f19c | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 06:14 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:36 EST, 19 August 2013 . A thrifty gardener is still using the same tools his grandfather first used 130 years ago. Neville Hume inherited the utensils in 1979 from his late father Alfred who had been given them by his own father, and has been using them ever since. The former hairdresser from Sutton Coldfield, Warks, claims they are more reliable than tools in shops today. Mr Hume has been using his grandfather's tools since 1979 and claims they are more reliable than those in shops today . Despite being over 130 years old, the Victorian weeding hoe and digging fork are in surprisingly good condition. The handles of both tools are made from elm wood, with their steel ends remaining in almost pristine condition. The four prongs on the fork have been worn down slightly and are now only four inches long, about half their original length. But Mr Hume insists he wouldn't be caught in his garden without them. He said: 'My grandfather was a professional gardener for a wealthy landowner and his boss bought the tools for him. 'I guess they built things to last in those days. 'My father was given them and he worked as a chauffeur and gardener and so used them professionally as well. 'When he retired he even took them to his retirement home and used them right up until he died in 1979 . 'I have had them since then and use them all the time in my garden and allotment. They are perfect for tidying up a flower border. 'I always keep them clean and wipe them off after I use them. 'I've had lots of other forks over the years but the tines of those end up bending out of shape and they don't last.' Mr Hume who lives with his wife, Amanda, does not have any sons of his own to pass the tools on to. 'If and when it gets to the point where I can't manage the garden anymore I will probably donate them to a museum,' he said. | Neville Hume, 73, was given tools which first belonged to his grandfather who was a Victorian Gardener .
Claims the 130 year old utensils are more reliable than ones found in shops today .
Mr Hume plans to donate tools to a museum when he can no longer use them . |
274,007 | eee98d32becf80687291e6883f5fb24002039766 | (CNN) -- The Australian radio station which made a prank call to a UK hospital that apparently resulted in the death of a nurse said Tuesday that it would donate at least 500,000 Australian dollars (US$524,000) to a fund for the nurse's family. Jacintha Saldanha apparently committed suicide after being duped by the prank call from two DJs seeking information on Prince William's pregnant wife, Catherine. Read more: Radio personalities apologize for prank call . The Sydney-based 2DayFM radio station has come under heavy fire over the hoax call. The media group which owns 2DayFM said it would resume advertising on the station -- halted in the wake of the tragedy -- beginning Thursday, with all profits until the end of the year going to "an appropriate fund" that would directly benefit Saldanha's family and a minimum contribution of 500,000 Australian dollars. "We are very sorry for what has happened," said Rhys Holleran, chief executive of Southern Cross Austereo. "We hope that by contributing to a memorial fund we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time." Saldanha put through a call from the DJs to a nurse on the ward at King Edward VII's Hospital, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness early last Tuesday. Opinion: 'The great' vs. the powerless . The 46-year-old nurse was found dead three days later in living quarters in central London provided by her workplace. She left a husband and two children. An autopsy will be carried out Tuesday in Westminster, London's Metropolitan Police said. The hospital has said that it is also collecting donations from the public for the family and asked that checks be made out to King Edward VII's Hospital -- Jacintha Saldanha Memorial Fund and mailed to Finance, King Edward VII's Hospital, 10 Beaumont Street, London. W1G 6AA. "She was an outstanding nurse whose loss has shocked and saddened everyone at the hospital," said chairman Lord Glenarthur. "Following discussions with her family, we have now established the Jacintha Saldanha Memorial Fund in her memory." Many donations have already been made from around the world, he said, and the hospital would "certainly welcome" a contribution from Southern Cross Austereo. There has been a fierce public backlash against the radio station, both within Australia and worldwide, since its decision to broadcast the pre-recorded prank call. The two DJs, who impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in the call, made tearful apologies on Monday for what had happened. Mel Greig and Michael Christian, both crying at times, told two Australian television shows that their thoughts were with Saldanha's family. "I'm very sorry and saddened for the family, and I can't imagine what they've been going through," Greig said on the program "Today Tonight." Christian described himself as "gutted, shattered and heartbroken." Read more: Nurse death sparks outrage, casts glare on 'shock jocks' "For the part we played, we're incredibly sorry," Christian said on "Today Tonight." Both have said that they never expected the call to go through. They also stressed Monday that while they made the call to the hospital, they did not have a say on whether it went to air. The call was recorded and then went through a vetting process at their network before it was broadcast, they said. Share prices for Southern Cross Media Group dropped by as much as 8% Monday following the controversy, according to Australian media reports. A number of big advertisers pulled their spots from 2DayFM before it took the decision temporarily not to run ads. Profits for the media group as a whole were 95 million Australian dollars in the year to June 2012, up from 64.1 million a year earlier, according to the company's 2012 annual report. It was the first full-year earnings report since Southern Cross Media and Austereo Group merged in May 2011. Holleran last week said he was "deeply saddened" by the nurse's death but defended the legality of the station's action, saying he was "very confident that we haven't done anything illegal." The Australian Communications and Media Authority, the country's media regulator, has said it will be "engaging with" the network "around the facts and issues surrounding the prank call." London's Metropolitan Police have contacted Australian authorities in relation to the call, but "are not discussing about what or with who" they're talking, a spokesman told CNN. A spokeswoman for New South Wales Police in Australia told CNN: "As the investigation into the death of London nurse Jacintha Saldhana continues, New South Wales Police will be providing London's Metropolitan Police with whatever assistance they require." Aussie DJ scandal: Does radio share the blame? CNN's Laura Perez-Maestro and Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | Hospital chairman says its memorial fund would welcome a donation from 2DayFM .
2Day FM says its profits up to the end of the year will go to a fund for Saldanha's family .
Jacitnha Saldanha apparently committed suicide after being duped by a prank call by DJs .
The radio station has faced heavy criticism over its decision to broadcast the call . |
131,210 | 35ad0cae9b068589edca27ba9829cc7e75aec398 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 11:19 EST, 6 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:20 EST, 6 August 2013 . A Twitter troll who labelled a teacher a ‘danger to children’ because she supports gay rights has been ordered to pay her £40,000 in damages. David Shuttleton, 54, used the phrase in one of many hate-filled tweets to education expert and government adviser Jaye Richards-Hill, 49, because of her support for equal marriage. The antiques dealer from Barrhead, Glasgow, also sent messages to First Minister Alex Salmond and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon about the woman, who is an adviser to Education Secretary Mike Russell. Court case: David Shuttleton (pictured), 54, used the phrase 'danger to children' in one of many hate-filled tweets to government adviser Jaye Richards-Hill, 49, because of her support for equal marriage . Miss Richards-Hill, a leading gay rights campaigner in Scotland, sued Mr Shuttleton for defamation of character - and won, with the Court of Session telling him to hand over £40,000 plus costs. But the judgement only came ‘by default’ because Mr Shuttleton failed to lodge defences - and he vowed to MailOnline that he would take the case back to court and get it heard again. He added that he never used the phrase 'a danger to children' towards Miss Richards-Hill, but a tweet on his Twitter account clearly shows he did. The divorced father of two told the Daily Record: ‘It’s an absolute scandal that homosexuals have got such power in our community. It’s an absolutely scandalous abuse of our laws.’ Mr Shuttleton also claimed he was in fact . a victim of trolling by Miss Richards-Hill and had complained to police . on various occasions about her, but they had found no basis to . investigate his claims. Campaign: Government adviser Jaye Richards-Hill (left), 49, with her partner Ruth (right), backs gay marriage . Abuse: This is just a snapshot of many of the tweets exchanged between Mr Shuttleton and Miss Richards-Hill . Miss Richards-Hill declined to comment, but a source close to her told the newspaper that Mr Shuttleton ‘deserved to be exposed’ and that his homophobic comments needed to be ‘challenged’. The ruling follows a week of increased debate about trolling after a number of high-profile attacks. Last Thursday Tony Wang, general manager of Twitter UK, apologised to women who have been attacked by trolls on the social networking site and vowed to do more to protect people from abuse. There has been growing concern over abuse . on the site after three female journalists said they had been the . subject of bomb threats, while two received threats of rape. Tweeted: David Shuttleton also sent messages to First Minister Alex Salmond (left) and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon (right) about Miss Richards-Hill, who is an adviser to Education Secretary Mike Russell . The bomb threat tweet was sent to Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman, Independent columnist Grace Dent and Time magazine Europe editor Catherine Mayer, as well as various other women. Separately, Labour MP Stella Creasy and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully fought for a woman's face to appear on £10 banknotes, were threatened on Twitter with rape. And last week Professor Mary Beard named and shamed Oliver Rawlings, 20, after he branded the Cambridge classicist a 'filthy old slut' and added a revolting sexual comment. | David Shuttleton trolled government adviser Jaye Richards-Hill, 49 .
Used phrase 'danger to children' in one of many hate-filled tweets .
Richards-Hill sued Shuttleton for defamation of character and won .
But he claims he was victim of trolling and case will go back to court . |
256,082 | d77dedebb25c2c540a26e8bc5df0f7b984179406 | (CNN) -- The tone of tweets on Twitter and posts on Facebook in reaction to President Obama's State of the Union speech Wednesday night were in contrast to the optimistic comments on his speeches to Congress in September and during his inauguration. Social media users showed more frustration compared with the more hopeful tones in the past, with many saying they hoped the president's rhetoric would lead to more action. Their frustrations with the lingering economic doldrums, high jobless rates and the battle over health care are reflected in Obama's approval ratings. They have dropped from 76 percent to 49 percent since February. Social media comments echoed those sentiments. Some users, including members of Congress, continued to find hope in Obama's words, which they said moved them to believe the country can turn around. Others saw the speech as simply political rhetoric and sometimes contradictory. CNN.com monitored Facebook posts and tweets during Obama's speech. Here is a sampling of how users felt about the speech, divided by topic and issue. Inspirational words or all talk, no action? "i love my obama but i hope he cuts the euphemisms and get to the point tonight... people r broke and mad." -- Twitter user parlorwest . "yes, give us the reality, we've heard the inspiring speeches #SOTU" -- Twitter user Wise_Diva . "No, Mr. President. Our Union is not strong - it's more divided than ever. #SOTU" -- Twitter user josephgruber . "I don't want a tax cut per se I want CASH NOW!! And real health care! #sotu" -- Twitter user ActsofFaithblog . "It's just more words from Obama. He can't keep his campaign promises and he wont keep these either." -- Twitter user scpolitico . "Voted for Obama and support him, but we need to see some results. Remember when health care was supposed to be done over the summer? Yeah..." -- Heather Wade on Facebook . "SOTU not inspiring. People are asking "where's the beef". Talk is cheap. Need more than rhetoriic" -- Twitter user, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) "Obama just promised comprehensive energy reform! And free pony rides for me and all of my friends! #sotu" -- Twitter user PUNTE . "A year ago, I believed in Obama's to-do list. With his 1st #SOTU, I know he's just empty rhetoric and I've gone nothing but skepticism." -- Twitter user MattGoldberg . Overall thoughts on the speech . "Americans have made clear that bigger government is not the answer to our challenges and conservatives are listening," "Despite his resistance, we will not relent until we get this message across to the President" -- Twitter user, Rep. Tom Price (R-Georgia) "Obama moves me to make this country better. Bush moved me off the couch to change the channel" -- Twitter user russpalmer . "Obama -Second place not good enuff. Oh dear lord... it's not a competition.. and we shouldn't be cheerleaders" -- Teresa Boze on Facebook, discussing Obama's comments that the U.S. shouldn't be in second place. "Good, solid speech, important focus on Senate action!" -- Twitter user, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) "My reaction to the SOTU? I'm moving to Canada. They may be socialist but they are more conservative than Obama could ever dream of." -- Twitter user RayLevesque . "Obama thinks he can change the tone of our politics. Yeah. Your resignation would be a good start. #justsayin #sotu" -- Twitter user JennLRyan . "Thank you, Obama, for making me slightly less terrified about the future of this country, if only for one night. Good dude. #stateoftheunion" -- Twitter user otokoyaku . "What keeps us going, Mr. President, is that a term is only 4 years. #SOTU #TCOT" -- Twitter user scrappleface . "Obama is making an awful lot of promises tonight. Who's holding him accountable? #SOTU" -- Twitter user Megs723 . "Obama's idea of defense has been to stick his head in the sand & wave the white flag rather than fight for liberty & wave the US flag." -- Twitter user makeCAspecial . "Barack Obama's facebook status has changed to "its complicated" with America. He is still looking for "whatever I can get."" -- Twitter user Gurubanks . Watch one iReporter's take on president's speech . "Yes, Mr. President, Strength of American people resides in us. Stop trying 2 take that from us. You don't know better #stateoftheunion #SOTU" -- Twitter user Halley5 . Focusing on jobs and the economy . "The only way Obama know how to create Jobs is to nationalize something and have someone else pay for it." -- Twitter user RightWingArtist . "The President effectively changed the subject tonight from HCR to the economy, fiscal responsibility, & the need for more bipartisanship. ... Now it's up to him and us to act in response to his invocation tonight." -- Twitter user, Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) "Jobs bill, it better be like oh building up our infrastructure, jobs that do more than spend money for the sake of spending" -- Josh Tway on Facebook . "How does he know what it's like to be unemployed and hurting - no clue" -- Maureen Murray on Facebook . "YES! That is very good news! $30 billion in credit for small businesses!" -- Megan Whilden on Facebook . "The stimulus has NOT worked. We were promised unemployment would not go above 8%. It is over 10% now" -- Twitter user, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) "I support and share President Obama's commitment to job creation, starting with small businesses" -- Twitter user, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pennsylvania) "#SOTU Pres. Spend-A-Buck wants to convince us he's fiscally responsible. Knew it, not buying it." -- Twitter user Dean_L . Tone of the speech . "Obama just set the tone "never been more hopeful" Really great. #sotu" -- Twitter user zandrazuno . "told you obama was biting back tonight. he's holding folk accountable as he should. wow he's starting to really resemble caricatures of him" -- Twitter user JNez . "Not giving up #climatechange #healthreform nor jobs. If #sotu had soundtrack, it'd be Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down"" -- Twitter user jcohntnr . "Despite all the gloom & doom, Obama's downright chummy tonight. Big smiles, smooth jokes. Too relaxed? #SOTU" -- Twitter user davecatanese . "Obama sounds like Otter in Animal House. Well we're not going to sit here & let you bad mouth the United States of America." -- Twitter user JBFlint . "Oh my God, we hired a comedian. #SOTU" -- Twitter user elizabite, referring to some jokes Obama made during speech . "Obama is single-handedly trying to throw the dems on his back and get them to toughen up. Last week's message received, loud and clear." -- Twitter user filthyfowl . "I realize I'm biased, but I think this #SOTU is a disaster. He's coming off defensive, arrogant & condescending." -- Twitter user Skitzzo . Contradictions from Obama? "#SOTU Blame Wall Street in one clause, & the next decry partisanship and division. Er, yeah." -- Twitter user edmorrissey . "In one breath,9for a national energy tax that will send jobs overseas" -- Rep. Dan Burton, (R-Indiana) "Where is Obama going to get the money for all these promises? More national debt??" -- Twitter user BluegrassPundit . "Listening to Obama talk about cutting spending is like listening to a fat kid talk about dieting while eating cake #sotu" -- Twitter user franklazaro . iReporter wants goals instead of promises . "Pres Obama was talking spending freeze earlier today but STOU is full of billions and billions of new spending. Can you say inconsistent?" -- Twitter user PaulKohls . The blame game . "AND.... Bush's Fault. Again. Grow up. You CAMPAIGNED HARD for the job. Man, I want to put him in a time out for whining. #SOTU" -- Twitter user snarkandboobs . "McCain just said "Blaming it on Bush." #pepaw #scarysmile #sotu" -- Twitter user mjjaaska . "You did take office in ordinary times. Things are usually going up or down. Ordinary. Get over it. #sotu" -- Twitter user JennyErikson . "can't he just say, "I blame Bush for everything" and cut out like 45 min of this thing? #sotu" -- Twitter user AdrienneRoyer . Working across the aisle . "Liking what I'm hearing from Obama tonight...want to see more bipartisan efforts!" -- Joshua Baron on Facebook . "Emphasizing science, techology, engineering and math is critical to our future success and that is an effort I agree with the Pres. #SOTU" -- Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia) "I only hope my Republican colleagues use this moment as an opportunity to re-think their strategy of mindless obstructionism." -- Twitter user, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) "thank you, no need to cower just because you don't have a supermajority" -- Dominique Hazzard on Facebook . "If the President is serious about working together to find solutions, we remain open and eager to share our ideas." -- Twitter user, Rep. Tom Price (R-Georgia) "Obama promoting non partisanship while delivering one of the most partisan SOTU speeches i've heard #SOTU" -- Twitter user ScottDismuke . "Tonight was a reminder that it's time to set aside our differences and focus on working together to restore the American Dream for families." -- Twitter user, Rep. Russ Carnaham (D-Missouri) | CNN monitored Tweets, Facebook posts by Americans, politicians during speech .
Users divided over whether Obama's words will amount to action or remain just rhetoric .
Some questioned talk of curbing spending while announcing new initiatives .
Others wondered if Obama spent too much time insinuating blame on past administration . |
43,242 | 79f1a2c10eb6ff6a90010f06f351a6e3be274c30 | Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- French President Francois Hollande mourned the deaths of four French soldiers and an Afghan interpreter killed in a suicide bombing and said his plan to withdraw combat forces by year's end will start next month. The bombing occurred in Kapisa province, where most of the 3,300 French troops have been operating in Afghanistan. Hollande said five people were also injured in the attack. It brings the number of French fatalities in the Afghan war to 87. "I wish to express my gratitude and that of the whole nation to our soldiers. I salute their dedication and courage. I know the strength of character of our troops in Afghanistan," Hollande said. "I offer families the message of solidarity and comfort of the French people. A national tribute will be paid to the victims and the wounded will be repatriated as soon as possible. A plane has already left and will ensure them back as soon as possible." French troops deployed under the NATO-led command have been operating in Kapisa province for years. Hollande, who recently won the presidential election, campaigned for an accelerated withdrawal of combat forces and called for their removal from the field by the end of the year. Trainers will remain in the country longer. NATO's International Security Assistance Force reported the deaths of four service members in an attack, but deferred identification of the nationalities to the troops' home countries. After he took office last month, Hollande visited French troops in the same region where the soldiers died. He visited the Nijrab forward operating base in the northeastern province of Kapisa and paid tribute to those soldiers killed in the line of duty. The Afghan Interior Ministry said the bombing took place in the Nijrab district's Pul-i-Khwaja bazaar area. Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the bomber was a man who had been dressed in a burqa, the head-to-toe garment Muslim women in Afghanistan wear to cover their bodies in public. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the man had explosives strapped to his body. The incident is under investigation, and Hollande said he asked Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and the army chief of staff to go to Afghanistan on Sunday and "mark the nation's support to our forces." "The decision that I made to accelerate the withdrawal of French combat forces from Afghanistan will begin in July. It will be implemented and completed by the end of 2012. Until then, everything must be done for our troops meet our obligations with the highest level of security and the utmost vigilance. I take this commitment and I will be the guarantor of the transaction." In a separate incident, ISAF reported the death of a service member after a roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan. It did not list the province and the nationality of the soldier. CNN's Ingrid Formanek in Kabul and Joe Sterling in Atlanta contributed to this report . | NEW: French president says four soldiers, interpreter killed .
Five soldiers and three civilians were wounded in Kapisa province .
France is planning to withdraw its combat troops by year's end .
Another ISAF service member died in a separate incident . |
78,092 | dd62195e8d0f5151e6d830f75328f7d5c08becb2 | Washington (CNN) -- The good news is that the chances an asteroid big enough to destroy a continent or all of civilization will hit Earth this year are only one in 20,000, a congressional panel learned Tuesday. The bad news is the government needs to spend billions of dollars in coming years for new technology to prevent such a possible catastrophe, regardless of the low probability, experts told the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. "The odds are very small, but the potential consequences of such an event are so large, it makes sense to take the risk seriously," contended John Holdren, who directs President Barack Obama's Office of Science and Technology Policy. Current efforts to detect and analyze possible space threats like the meteor that exploded over Russia last month, injuring more than 1,000 people and causing millions of dollars in damages, have made progress in identifying the threats, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told the committee. Welcome to the year of the comet . He said scientists have identified 95% of asteroids more than a half-mile in diameter -- the kind that threaten human existence if they strike Earth, like the six-mile-wide one believed to have wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago -- and found none on a collision course with the planet. However, the detection efforts have been less successful for smaller meteors still capable of causing major loss of life and damage, such as the one over Russia. Only 10% of meteors more than 150 yards wide -- dubbed "potential city killers" by Holdren -- have been detected, meaning more than 10,000 are out there without our knowledge, he said. If scientists detected a major asteroid headed for Earth now, it would take at least five years to develop an effective defense system to either alter its course or possibly destroy it, no matter how much money was spent, according to Holdren and Bolden. While you were working: An asteroid flew by . Government plans to bolster detection and mitigation capabilities include an infrared sensor that would orbit Venus, as well as a laser system or other method to deflect any threatening meteor away from Earth, they said. "We really need to have space-borne assets," said Bolden of the infrared sensor that would cost more than $500 million. Another NASA goal endorsed by Obama is to send an astronaut to an asteroid for the first time in history by 2025, a project that would cost $2 billion, he said. Asked by panel members about the effects of forced spending cuts this year due to the inability of Congress to agree on fiscal issues, all the witnesses described heavy impacts. "Just about my every working moment these days is consumed with this topic," Gen. William Shelton, commander of the U.S. Air Force Space Command, said about the spending cuts that took effect March 1. He added that "we are clearly less capable." Bolden noted that NASA's budget for detecting Near Earth Objects has multiplied in recent years to reach more than $20 million in 2012. Now, he said, Congress needs to at least maintain such funding to prevent stagnation or, even worse, atrophy. "This is really important and it has to be continuous," he said. More space and science news from CNN Light Years . | House panel hears that chances of a big asteroid strike are one in 20,000 .
Despite low risk, the government needs to develop better defenses, experts say .
Forced spending cuts are harming preparedness, government officials say .
It will take years to build an effective system to deflect a large asteroid away from Earth . |
115,351 | 20daf205651872a38f84458a62f2a36c96066910 | (CNN) -- No one ever handed her anything. She never had it made. Born in Iowa in 1905, an only child, she soon moved with her parents to Montana. As she grew up, she developed a love of reading and an interest in writing, and submitted stories to her small-town newspaper. She studied English at college in Montana; she briefly and unhappily married and then divorced. She worked whatever jobs she could find. Her husband had built up numerous debts, including gambling losses; she vowed that she would make good on all of them, and she did. She sold some stories to the Saturday Evening Post, using her full name as a byline: Dorothy Marie Johnson. She moved to New York, found work at the Gregg Shorthand Co., and eventually became the editor of a women's-interest magazine. But she was homesick -- and she yearned to write a different kind of story. In New York, she would go to the public library to read up on the saga of the West and would go to the movies to watch thrilling films on that same theme. She missed Montana, and what she most wanted to do was write Westerns. The authorship of Westerns -- tales of cowboys and rustlers and settlers and the rough-hewn world around them -- had traditionally been a men's club. Zane Grey, Max Brand, Owen Wister, Luke Short, Jack Schaefer, Louis L'Amour -- right up to today, those are the kinds of names most frequently associated with famous Western novels. There didn't seem to be much room for a Dorothy. She didn't care. She knew she was good enough to succeed. Here are six words for you: . "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." She wrote it. She changed her byline to Dorothy M. Johnson, feeling that Dorothy Marie sounded too frilly; she wrote the short story that was turned into one of the greatest Western movies ever made. A men's club? John Ford, the director of the 1962 film, and John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin, the stars, welcomed her into their own club. So did Gary Cooper, who starred in another movie based on one of her stories: 1959's "The Hanging Tree." And Richard Harris, who starred in 1970's "A Man Called Horse." Last Sunday's column, about the immortality that the highest level of artistry confers upon the artist, centered on the life of Vincent van Gogh, but it also mentioned some authors whose work will long endure. In between the names of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Roth, I placed the name of Dorothy M. Johnson. A number of you asked who she was. I'm glad you did. I was kind of hoping you would. Because, in addition to the wonderful talent she possessed, she is a prime example of how, if you set your heart to it, you have a chance to accomplish just about anything. She died in 1984, at the age of 78. According to the obituary published in The New York Times, she wrote 17 books, more than 50 short stories and many poems and magazine articles. After she moved back West, she taught college writing courses. The Western Writers of America bestowed upon her their highest honors. Her writing was so clean, so spare -- she knew just how to draw her readers into a tale and keep them hanging on right up to the last word in the last sentence of the last paragraph. Westerns may not be as popular as they once were, but beautiful writing is eternal. Your public library, if you're lucky, has some Dorothy M. Johnson books; I think you'll find them a treat. KUSM, the public-broadcasting station in Bozeman, Montana, put together an affectionate 27-minute documentary on her life called "Gravel in Her Gut and Spit in Her Eye." If you'd like to see it, here it is. Because she seemed to enjoy putting unexpected twists into her plots, and because we're talking about "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," I'll end this with a story about the movie I think she might have liked. During my years of musical travels, I became friends with Gene Pitney, the singer whose hits included "It Hurts to Be in Love," "Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa," "Town Without Pity" and, of course, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." Once you hear that song, you never forget it. Pitney told me that he constantly heard two things from fans. Either they would say: . "I thought your song was one of the best parts of the movie." Or: . "I was watching 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' on TV last night, and they cut your song out of it. They must have had to edit it for time." Both sets of fans, Pitney said, were wrong. "I thought I was recording it for the movie," Pitney said. He was justifiably excited about the prospects. With that cast and that director, the film was destined to be a big hit. During the recording session, a friend of Pitney's left the studio, went outside for a few minutes and saw a marquee on a movie theater. The person came back, Pitney said, and broke the news to him: . "In the middle of the recording session, I found out that the movie had already come out." To say that made him a little depressed is an understatement. "Here's a movie with Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin and John Wayne -- and the song doesn't get into the movie," he said. But people continue to think they heard it there. For a long time, Pitney would gently set the questioners straight. By the time he died in 2006, though, he often just smiled and let them believe what they wanted to believe. He was living up to a line with which every Dorothy M. Johnson fan -- and every fan of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" -- is quite familiar: . When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Dorothy Marie Johnson yearned to break into the boy's club of Western story writers .
Her story "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" was turned into a film with top Hollywood stars .
Greene: She knew how to draw readers into a tale and keep them hanging until the end . |
44,646 | 7dd504600fe80aaf68441796077c3ab5ddb20d35 | By . Neil Ashton for the Daily Mail . Roy Hodgson refers to the void between England’s 2-1 defeat against Uruguay on June 19 and Thursday's squad announcement as ‘post-World Cup depression’. The rest of the country, those poor souls who watched as England were knocked out before 12 teams had even played their second group game, were diagnosed at the same time. Thursday was billed as ‘The Rooney Press Conference’ at which the head coach explained why the Manchester United striker has succeeded Steven Gerrard as captain. Upbeat: England manager Roy Hodgson ready for Euro 2016 qualification bid . Good for Wayne Rooney, who has never made any secret of his desire to lead from the front, but there are more pressing matters to address. First things first. Hodgson declared: ‘Don’t try to make me out to be some complete fool who, after getting knocked out in the first round of the World Cup, says we are as good as the team who won it.’ If only he had been this spiky when the writing was on the wall at the World Cup after Mario Balotelli’s 50th-minute header sealed a 2-1 victory for Italy in Manaus. Boost: Striker Wayne Rooney has been handed the captain's armband . Hodgson must raise his game. He claims to have an identity in mind, a plan to play just like Germany — or better — as he starts out on the lengthy qualification campaign towards Euro 2016. He has reconstructed the squad, rightly bringing in Calum Chambers after the defender’s outstanding start to his career with Arsenal. ‘I spoke to Arsene Wenger to ask him if it was too early and he said “no, take him”,’ said Hodgson. Danny Rose, Jack Colback and Fabian Delph are the other newbies in the group ahead of next Wednesday’s friendly with Norway at Wembley and the Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland on September 8. ‘Germany have very good players and they started with these young players,’ said Hodgson. ‘Bastian Schweinsteiger at 18 wasn’t the player he is today and Philipp Lahm wasn’t. If we work hard and develop our players there is nothing to stop us producing these type of players and playing the same sort of football.’ Lift: Newcastle's Jack Colback has been called up to England squad by Hodgson . So, now that Germany are champions of the world, we are going to play like them. It was inevitable, but we had to hear it from Hodgson to be certain. When England lost 1-0 to Germany in their own back yard last November, Toni Kroos had no fewer than 125 touches of the ball in midfield. Over to you, Colback. With Euro 2016 qualifiers against Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, San Marino and Lithuania over the next 18 months, Hodgson has time to convince a sceptical audience. ‘The qualifying group looks relatively easy so we can only hope that the chance to play in those qualifiers, plus getting games in club football, will in two years make them better players,’ said Hodgson. ‘I am not blaming any of the clubs for sometimes not using these players. The 19 or 20-year-old with great potential is having to fight competition from a 27-year-old Brazilian or Argentinian international with 75 caps. That’s the situation. ‘They may even develop some leadership qualities. You don’t develop them without playing. Blueprint for success: England want to copy world champions Germany . ‘If working with a younger team with potential costs us leaders, I can’t wave the magic wand and bring back a leader in defence, with one or two in midfield and up front. ‘I believe in the squad and I think they are going to be good enough. In 2016 we will see a good England team and I am entitled to believe that.’ Let’s hold Hodgson to this because no-one can sit through another lame England performance at a major tournament. He retains the full support of the FA and maintains that he never came close to resigning after England finished bottom of Group D at the World Cup with a single point. He said: ‘When you have the backing of your employers and you have a contract and you have the backing of the people you are working with I don’t see any reason not to carry on.’ To Hodgson’s credit, he takes full responsibility for the failings of the national team in Brazil. ‘I accept all of those things,’ he added. Next week, in front of around 50,000 England fans, Hodgson must lift the mood of the nation with a bracing performance against Norway. ‘I can’t expect people to shrug it off, but I’m hoping it won’t be too evident that the apathy exists,’ he added. ‘I am hoping the public gets behind the team because the team needs them. ‘We have to get on the field, put this shirt on and play well. I want them to think “this team is worth following”.’ As Hodgson knows, it has been a long time since anybody has been able to say that. | Roy Hodgson has plan to play like the world champions .
England boss has time to convince a sceptical audience .
Wayne Rooney succeeded Steven Gerrard as England captain . |
15,260 | 2b68422a969f6a1b27c499bf5c4160f6610dde9a | A pregnant mother-of-11 who split with her husband after he struck up an online relationship with another woman has taken him back – and wants even more children with him. Cheryl Prudham, who gets £39,000 a year in handouts from the taxpayer, said: ‘We’re good at making babies. ‘I’ve asked Robert to have his vasectomy reversed because being apart made me realise I want more children. ‘And I get more in benefits with every child I have, so I can afford a big family.’ Scroll down for video . Broody: Cheryl Prudham, who is five months pregnant with her 12th child, has rekindled the love with husband Robert - and they're planning on expanding their brood even more by reversing his vasectomy . Last month Mrs Prudham, 32, said that Robert – the father of her five youngest children – had left her on several occasions for other women during their six years together. His most recent indiscretion was sending indecent messages to a woman on Facebook. His wife vowed just three weeks ago to never forgive him. But after she spoke out on her plight as a single mother, the couple are back together and planning children 13 and 14 – because 13 is an ‘unlucky’ number. Mrs Prudham says her 29-year-old husband has sworn to her that he is a changed man, and that they want to renew their wedding vows. They plan to hold the ceremony after Mrs Prudham gives birth in July. The couple have been told the baby is a girl. In her latest interview, Mrs Prudham told Closer magazine: ‘Robert said he’s sorry and we ended up in bed together because we love each other. ‘He has admitted to sleeping around in the past but he said this time he had only been messaging a woman on Facebook. ‘I believe him – he broke down and cried... he’s never done that before. I’m not making excuses but he tends to cheat when I’m pregnant. I don’t really want sex as much then as I just feel fat.’ Cheryl claimed last month that husband Robert, the father of her five youngest children, had left her on several occasions for other women during their six years together . The Prudhams, from Gravesend, Kent, have previously caused public outrage because of the huge sums they get from the Government for their ever-expanding brood. The family claim £39,192 a year on top of Mr Prudham’s monthly salary of £1,600 as a delivery driver – taking their annual income to nearly £60,000. They have managed to avoid the Government’s £26,000-a-year benefits cap because Mr Prudham works enough hours to claim working tax credit. Cheryl announced the news of her twelfth baby on Facebook . They live in a five-bedroom semi-detached council house but are on the waiting list for a seven-bedroom home because their current accommodation is ‘too cramped’. The Prudhams have been looking into vasectomy reversals on the NHS but have determined they will have to cough up £2,000 to have the procedure carried out privately. Mrs Prudham said: ‘It will be worth every penny.’ She had her first son, George, when she was 17 and living in a homeless hostel. She moved into a flat with her then boyfriend and had another son and a daughter. Three unplanned pregnancies followed, before she met Mr Prudham in March 2009. Within months of their first date, they were engaged and she was pregnant. But two weeks before their wedding, he cheated for the first time. The wedding went ahead when Mrs Prudham was eight months pregnant. She said last month: ‘I was desperate to have a more stable family life and give the kids a home with a mum and a dad – something I’d never had but always craved.’ But six months after saying their vows, she claims Mr Prudham walked out, telling her he needed space. He returned three weeks later. Mrs Prudham said: ‘My friends think I’m mad but Katie Price [the former glamour model] took back her husband after he cheated.’ | Cheryl Prudham, 32, has taken husband back and wants more children .
The pregnant mum-of-11 gets £39,000 a year in handouts from the taxpayer .
She dumped Robert when he had online relationship with another woman .
Couple are back together and planning children 13 and 14 – 13 is ‘unlucky’ |
194,159 | 8753f01266824d004dcc1b77355ec579b8a2907b | By . Associated Press Reporter . A patient being kept in isolation at a New York hospital over concerns that he may have contracted Ebola while traveling in West Africa has tested negative for the virus. Health officials said that the man, who has not been identified, had been admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital on Monday, with a high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms. The patient, who had recently returned from a country where the virus has been reported, was said to be improving, but a hospital spokesman has not said what illness he contracted. Scroll down for video . All clear: A patient being treated in an isolation ward at Mount Sinai in New York City does not have Ebola, hospital officials have said . 'The patient is in stable condition, is improving, and remains in the care of our physicians,' the spokesman said. On Wednesday, the hospital confirmed that tests carried out on the patient showed that the illness was not Ebola. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said six people in the U.S., including the New York patient, have been tested for Ebola since the West African outbreak erupted this year, and all results were negative. Officials at U.S. airports are watching travelers from Africa for flu-like symptoms that could be tied to the recent Ebola outbreak there. The Ebola virus causes a hemorrhagic fever that has killed more than 900 people, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Border patrol agents at airports in New York and Washington have been told to ask travelers about possible exposure to the virus, and to be on the lookout for anyone with a fever, diarrhea, red eyes or other symptoms. Health officials have said that the threat to Americans at home remains relatively small. | Patient was kept in an isolation ward while doctors carried out tests .
Man had recently traveled to West African country hit by outbreak . |
128,543 | 321a8f1587a0a5ad7a53bccea0dc27895dabaa59 | Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- An international sports icon is behind bars. His girlfriend is dead. And South Africa is grappling with one of its most notorious killings in recent memory. Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius, known as Blade Runner for his lightning-fast prosthetic legs, shook and sobbed Friday when a judge officially charged him with killing his girlfriend on Valentine's Day. Wearing a dark suit, he buried his head in his hands at a packed courtroom in Pretoria. Prosecutors said they plan to charge the 26-year-old with premeditated murder. Pistorius rejects the murder allegation "in the strongest terms," his agent, Peet Vanzuyl, told CNN. His girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was found in a pool of blood at Pistorius' home Thursday in an upscale neighborhood in the capital. Neighbors alerted authorities to the early morning shooting, saying they had "heard things earlier," according to police spokeswoman Denise Beukes. She did not clarify what the neighbors reported they heard. The track star was arrested the same day. Steenkamp's killing rattled South Africa, not only for the fame factor, but also because the country is grappling with a disturbing problem -- 71% of women report that they've been the victim of sexual abuse. Just in the past few weeks, 17-year-old Anene Booyson died after being gang-raped and mutilated in the tiny tourist town of Bredasdorp, two hours southeast of Cape Town. Booyson's death inspired this week's nationwide rape awareness day dubbed Black Friday. The day before she was killed, Steenkamp retweeted a message on Twitter in support of Black Friday. While police have not discussed a possible motive for the model's killing, local media reported that Pistorius had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder. South Africa has a high crime rate, and many homeowners keep weapons to protect themselves from intruders. But Beukes, the police spokeswoman, stressed that this scenario did not come from authorities. There was no evidence of forced entry at the home, she said. Police said there had been previous "allegations of a domestic nature" at his house, but they did not elaborate. Investigators found a pistol at the scene. South Africa's gun debate . On a larger stage, Steenkamp's killing has given gun control advocates a spotlight to push for stricter laws. Gunpolicy.org says there are just under 6 million licensed firearms in South Africa, a country of 50 million people. "There are 1.5 million gun owners -- about 3.5 million guns in civilians hands," said Alan Storey, chairman of Gun Free South Africa. Most of the victims of gun homicides are between the ages 20 and 30, he said. South Africa has passed tough legislation that includes a requirement for a thorough background check for prospective gun owners. The check includes spouses and partners, and is repeated every few years, he said. WATCH: Police probe shooting at Pistorius home . "People acquire guns believing they are more safe ... but they place themselves at great risk," Storey said. "We've made airplanes a gun-free zone. We need to bring that logic down to earth." But the South African Gunowners' Association, a popular gun lobby group, has said citizens have the right to protect themselves from increasingly violent crimes. "There are already more than enough laws and regulations to control the possession of firearms by private citizens," it says on its website. "Fewer and less complex laws reasonably, yet properly, applied could achieve the required objective." One issue in South Africa is stolen guns. Guns are often stolen from home, reports show, but also from the police. Statistics suggest that 18,196 police firearms have been lost or stolen during the five-year period beginning April 1 2005 to March 31 2011. From hero to murder suspect . Beyond the violence, South Africans struggled with the idea that they've lost a hero, an athlete who embodied what it meant to overcome incredible physical odds. When Pistorius was a toddler, his legs were amputated below the knees because of a bone defect. Earning the nickname "Blade Runner," Pistorius runs on special carbon fiber blades. He became the first Paralympic sprinter competing against able-bodied athletes at the London Olympics last year. His face became a fixture on billboards across the nation, and he and Steenkamp were photographed at high-profile celebrity events and around town. Hours after the news of his arrest, some of the billboards started coming down. His sponsors also pulled away. Nike removed an ad featuring him from its website showing him taking off for a run with the words "I am the bullet in the chamber." Other Pistorius sponsors -- including prosthetics manufacturer Ossur, British Telecom, and Oakley, which makes sunglasses and other products -- expressed condolences and said they had no further comment. The sports icon appeared in headlines across the nation, overshadowing the State of the Union address by President Jacob Zuma. "Golden Boy Loses Shine," read a headline on the front page of the Sowetan. The Pretoria court postponed Pistorius' bail hearing to Tuesday and ordered him to remain in custody until then. Prosecutors said they will argue that he committed premeditated murder. Authorities said they will oppose bail, but did not provide their reasons for the decision. He shattered barriers . The double amputee's London Olympics appearance brought controversy, as some said the prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage. Pistorius was initially refused permission to enter the Olympics, but he hired a legal team to prove that his artificial limbs did not give him an unfair advantage, and he was allowed to compete. While he did not win a medal, his presence on the track was lauded as an example of victory over adversity and dedication to a goal. In the 2012 Paralympics, held a few weeks after the Olympics, he smashed a record to win the men's 400-meter in the final athletics event of the Games. In October, he discussed the "massive blessing" of inspiring people around the world. "Being an international sportsman, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that," he told CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight." PHOTOS: The career of Oscar Pistorius . CNN's Robyn Curnow reported from Pretoria, and Ashley Fantz and Faith Karim from Atlanta. CNN's Josh Levs, Marilia Brocchetto and Emily Smith contributed to this report. | Famous runner Oscar Pistorius rejects murder allegation .
Pistorius shakes uncontrollably as he faces murder charges .
Nike pulls an ad featuring Pistorius and the word "bullet" |
255,749 | d7054bfe46bd8b4fd495821a9067bc25449b8bd0 | (CNN) -- Thousands of inmates rioted at the Reeves County Detention Center in Texas on Saturday, the second disturbance at the prison facility in the last two months. As many as 2,080 inmates from two of the center's three buildings began fighting in the prison yard about 4:30 p.m. CT, said county Sheriff's Office Dispatcher Anna Granado. Authorities from several law enforcement agencies responded to quell the violence. However, officials had not brought the unrest under control as of 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the sheriff's office. Officials said they do not know what prompted the riots. Three inmates were hospitalized, including one with a severed finger, the sheriff's office said. On December 12, inmates took two workers hostage and set fire to the recreation area at the center in Pecos, located about 430 miles west of Dallas. The inmates, who had made several demands, surrendered later that night. The prison is a 2,400-bed, low-security facility, operated by Geo Group Inc. It houses federal prisoners as well as inmates from other states. CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. | NEW: Inmate unrest at Texas prison enters second day .
NEW: Authorities: Three inmates have been hospitalized; one has severed finger .
Prison was site of another inmate riot in December .
Officials say they do not know what sparked latest riot . |
58,917 | a71fc917530c17409e6e5bf348fcd5a28cf4f083 | By . Wills Robinson . Francois Hollande is facing further criticism after tax income from 2013 was little more than half what politicians had forecast . Francois Hollande is facing more criticism tonight after it emerged that France could have a 14billion-euro black hole in its public finances after hugely overestimating tax returns. Following a week that has seen his position weakened further by the National Front's European election victories, statistics revealed last year's receipts from income tax, VAT and corporation tax were wildly inaccurate. The President raised the tax when he was elected two years ago, but the surplus from 2013 was only half the 30billion-euros that was forecasted. The Court of Auditors, which oversees the government's accounts, said the revenue projections in 2013 were wildly inaccurate, overly optimistic and based on inaccurate projections. Last week French Prime Minister Manuel Valls appeared to criticise Hollande's tax policy by suggesting: 'Too much tax kills tax'. According to the BBC, opinion polls put Mr Hollande's approval rating below 20 per cent and critics say he is hurting France's economic recovery. Public spending in France is among the highest in the world and is due to hit 57 per cent of national output this year. Earlier this month, the IMF warned politicians that high taxes were holding back the recovery after the French economy ground to a halt. Since Hollande's austerity measures were brought in, unemployment rate has hit a record high of 11 per cent and economic growth has been inconsistent. In April the number of people without a job grew by a further 14,800, a new record, undermining Hollande's campaign to bring unemployment down. The Socialist leader has said he would not run for re-election in 2017 if unemployment does not fall by the end of his term. Official statistics by agency Eurostat also stated that . output in France stagnated between January and March following just one . quarter of growth at the end of last year. Opposition: The French President's position was undermined this week after France's National Front Party, headed by Marie Le Pen (pictured) surged to victory in the European elections . Stagnation in the first three months of the year contrasts with growth of 0.8 per cent in both Britain and Germany. The . Spanish economy grew by 0.4 per cent but output sank 1.4 per cent in . the Netherlands, 0.7 per cent in Portugal and 0.1 per cent in Italy. The income tax threshold for France's wealthiest citizens was raised to 75 per cent last year, prompting some French citizens, including the actor Gerard Depardieu, to leave the country and seek citizenship elsewhere in Europe. Mr Hollande has already said he will not slow the pace of deficit reduction, adding France 'cannot live with such heavy debt'. He hiked taxes when he came to power in 2012 having vigorously campaigned against austerity across Europe. | Francois Hollande has increased tax since he was elected two years ago .
But profit from taxes were little more than half the 30bn-euro forecast .
Court of Auditors said forecasts were wildly inaccurate and optimistic .
Follows criticism that the socialist leader's policies are halting the recovery .
Unemployment also rose by 14,800 in April, a record under Hollande . |
110,811 | 1adc03015d435b14430020277f6ed24e7e276e19 | (CNN) -- A bus explosion that killed one and injured dozens in Kenya was caused by a man believed to have ties to a militant group, authorities said Wednesday. The grenade attack Monday injured at least 40 people in a Uganda-bound bus, Kenyan police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said. It left blood stains and luggage scattered at the site of the attack in Nairobi's central business district. Most of the injured were Ugandans headed home for the holidays, the spokesman said. He said the suspect, a 35-year-old Tanzanian, was the only fatality in the attack. It was unclear whether he had accomplices. "Police suspected him because he was quite nervous and resisted attempts to have his luggage examined," Kiraithe said. After an altercation with the police, the suspect dropped his bag, which exploded. "We have strong reasons to believe there's a link between him and Al-Shabaab," Kiraithe said. He declined to comment on any evidence linking the suspect to the militant group that has been battling Somalia's transitional government for years. The group, considered the al Qaeda proxy in Somalia, has previously threatened attacks on Uganda and Burundi. The two countries contribute troops to the peacekeeping effort in Somalia. Kiraithe said it is "logical to believe he targeted the bus because it would have Ugandans." The bus was bound for Uganda's capital, Kampala. The nation's authorities had warned of holiday terror attacks by the Islamist group hours before the blast. Kenya and Uganda have boosted security along their borders. "We are investigating the crime together with Ugandan authorities," the spokesman said. "This is a busy travel period so we're also adding more security and taking all measures to make sure it's safe." Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for July twin bombings in the Ugandan capital that killed more than 70 people watching the World Cup. | One person killed, 40 more are injured in the bus blast .
The suspect is a 35-year-old Tanzanian man, authorities say .
Police spokesman says there are "strong reasons" to believe he's tied to Somali insurgent group . |
278,621 | f4ef4fbdd4d2c1db13ff9db76b90bc19b02b77a8 | A homeless man has been charged with relieving himself on $1,000 worth of library books. Benjamin Wilson is alleged to have been watched by a patron as he urinated on a stack of titles in a Florida library. The 24-year-old entered Tavares Public Library at the weekend with the intention of using its free WiFi to download apps on to his tablet. Benjamin Wilson, 24, is accused of urinating on books in Tavares Public Library, Florida . Staff quickly adjudged him to be behaving in an off manner, later telling police that they believed him to be either drunk or on drugs. They claimed his eyes weren't reacting to changes in light and his speech was severely slurred. Wilson was also said to have been 'having trouble standing and making a complete thought'. He fell asleep on a chair inside the library, but a short time later collapsed over. Once back on his feet, witnesses claim he stumbled around before coming to a halt. Staff were then left dumbfounded when one patron told them he'd witnessed Wilson soil a collection of books. Deputies from Lake County attended and found the accused slurring and unable to stand up without support. He was searched and found to be in possession of half a white pill, allegedly discovered tucked inside a green cigarette pack . Officers sent it to a specialist lab for testing, while Wilson himself was taken to jail. A number of rental books were found to be wet. Tavares Public Library, where the incident is said to have taken place over the weekend . Local news station My News 13 reported that he was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly intoxication. It has yet to be established if the he is accused of deliberately relieving himself on the books or if it was an accident. The incident comes less than a month after another Florida man was accused of urinating on a woman from a nightclub balcony. Food runner Orion Jones, 20, was said to have directed his stream towards a female coworker as he stood above her at Rick and Durty Harry's bar in Key West. When he tried to run from police officers, he was tasered. | Benjamin Wilson accused of relieving himself on pile of books .
Staff say he seemed 'drunk or on drugs' when he entered Tavares library .
Cops found soaking wet books, believed to cost a combined $1,000 .
24-year-old 'was having trouble standing and making a complete thought' |
107,926 | 1722baac876be1542f904c00cdd77fcebc344568 | By . Mark Prigg . Amazon has unveiled a $99 TV box to take on Apple, Google and Roku - and it doubles as a games console. At an event in New York the firm launched the Fire TV box, which runs a special version of Google's Android software. The small box fits under a TV, and comes with a remote with a built in microphone for voice recognition. Scroll Down for Video . Amazon's Fire Tv box, which is available today for $99 and can download films, TV shows, Music and Apps . Quad-Core Processor and Graphics Engine . 2GB of memory, 4x the memory of Apple TV . Streams in High Definition 1080p with Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound . Box is 0.7” thinFire TV’s remote uses bluetooth . Voice search using microphone on remote . Average price of paid games is $1.85 . Available from today, it allows users to download films and TV shows, along with apps. To play games, users can use a remote, or buy a separate game controller for $40. Mike Frazzini from Amazon Games said each game will be priced like a phone app, costing on average $2. Games available at launch will include Minecraft, driving game Asphalt 8 and first person shooter Sev Zero, created by the games studio double Helix Microsoft bought recently. Peter Larsen from Amazon said the firm wanted to 'invent and simplify' with the box. 'It's incredibly powerful, and it's unbelievably simple,' he said. 'Tiny box, huge specs, tons of content, incredible price—people are going to love Fire TV,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. 'Voice search that actually works means no more typing on an alphabet grid. 'Our exclusive new ASAP feature predicts the shows you’ll want to watch and gets them ready to stream instantly. Peter Larsen, vice president of Amazon.com with the Amazon FireTV during a news conference in New York . The Fire TV box and its remote, which has a microphone built in for voice control . 'And our open approach gives you not just Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video, but also Netflix, Hulu Plus, and more. On Fire TV you can watch Alpha House and House of Cards.' The Fire TV service has been discussed with at least three major media companies, according to reports. The service uses Amazon's existing Prime TV and film on demand service, along with Hulu Plus. The gadget, costing $99, is aimed squarely at Amazon and Roku's products along with google's Chromecast. The firm said it plans to add more services in the future. Amazon already offers on-demand TV shows and movies free to customers who are members of Amazon's premium shipping service Prime, in both the UK and US. The $99 Amazon Fire TV also has an optional $40 game controller (seen at rear) Earlier reports claim the set-top box is being developed by Amazon’s Lab126 division in Cupertino, close to Apple's campus, and is being run by Malachy Moynihan, a former vice president of emerging video products at Cisco who also worked for Apple. It comes as Amazon has been ramping up its video content. Amazon invested about $1 billion in content in 2013, according to Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Youssef Squali. Last year it introduced 14 televisions pilots, which it financed, and is now monitoring customer feedback to decide which ones to produce as full series. The Amazon shows included Alpha House, starring John Goodman, the Hollywood actor known for his roles in The Big Lebowski and Argo. Bill Murray, of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, also appears. The $99 box is available from today . Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, the unit that is creating the shows, said: ‘I think the distinction between a regular TV show and an online TV show will soon fade away. ‘It just makes sense that if you’re trying to decide what TV show to make, it might be a good idea to ask customers which one they like.’ Each pilot is available on Amazon Instant Video or Lovefilm for free, with viewer feedback deciding which show will get a full series order from the company. Alpha house, starring John Goodman (second left) is one of Amazon's latest TV shows. The firm is expected to reveal a set top box next week. The company has also paid to secure exclusive streaming rights to hit shows such as Downton Abbey. The firm also recently acquired video studio Double Helix Games, fuelling rumours the box could double as a games console.. Amazon already has its own studio, developing games for iOS and Android gadgets, and this acquisition suggests the firm is looking to expand this part of the business further. TechCrunch discovered leaked details about the acquisition earlier this week and Amazon has since confirmed it bought the company as part of its 'ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers.' Following reports last week Amazon is working on games console, the retail giant, pictured, has fuelled these rumours by acquiring Double Helix Games. Amazon already has it own games studio and the acquisition suggests the firm is looking to expand this part of the business further . Double Helix Games was set up in 2007 following a merger between studios, The Collective and Shiny Entertainment. Previous to that the firms had been respectively building games since the mid-1990s. Recent titles produced by Double Helix Games include G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Silent Hill: Homecoming. The firm is based in Irvine, California and employs 75 people. Rumours about an impending games console were reported last week by gaming blog VG24/7. The 'gaming and entertainment device' is set to cost $300 (£180) and will run on Android. It is expected to go on sale later this year. Any games console Amazon makes will directly compete with the likes of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. The company is also starting from an established base of more than 200 million customers, and already has a strong software base, with its Amazon store, alongside hardware such as the Kindle e-reader, and the Kindle range of tablets. After selling games on its App Store, Amazon decided to set up its own studio called Amazon Games Studios in 2012. It . launched a Facebook game called Living Classics, which was pulled from . the site in October last year. Current games include flying game Air . Patriots, available for Apple and Android devices. If . Amazon doesn't launch a console, it could be looking to use Double . Helix's expertise to enhance the successes of this studio. Double Helix was set up in 2007 as a merger between gaming studios The Collective and Shiny Entertainment, and previous to that the firms had been building games since the mid-1990s. Recent titles include G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Silent Hill: Homecoming, screengrab pictured . Double . Helix was set up in 2007 as a merger between gaming studios The . Collective and Shiny Entertainment, and previous to that the firms had . been building games since the mid-1990s. Recent titles include G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Silent Hill: Homecoming. Further details about the acquisition have not been announced, but Amazon said Double Helix games will be supported. | Box called Fire TV runs Google's Android software .
Games available include Minecraft and several from Amazon's own Game Studio .
Plugs into TV and allows users to watch TV and download apps .
Users can search by voice using microphone on remote .
Supports Amazon's video service and Hulu Plus . |
170,721 | 68f9d4f8f07f6dd653d625c4717ccaa9522920af | (CNN) -- Inspectors have found "nothing unusual" in the rest of Southwest Airlines' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing, an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday. The breach in the aircraft's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure. No passengers were injured. The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston, West Virginia. A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy, but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew. Marilee McInnis, a Southwest spokeswoman, said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight, and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning. The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter, she said. Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet, en route from Nashville, Tennessee, to Baltimore, Maryland, when the incident happened, McInnis said. See map of flight path » . "About 45 minutes into the flight, there was a loud pop. No one really knew what it was," passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio. Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form » . The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure, which caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy. "We were seated about two rows back from the wing, and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped, and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out," passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane. "And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped," she continued. She put her mask on her face, then helped her 4- and 6-year-old children with theirs, she said. Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children, she said. Watch Bryant's account of acting brave » . "My kids and I, we prayed, and then we said, you know, life will be fine," she said. Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions. "We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew," another passenger, Pastor Alvin Kibble, told WBAL-TV. "I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do. It's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted." The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston's Yeager Airport on Tuesday, when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane, airport spokesman Brian Belcher said. A complete inspection could take one to two days, and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well, he said. The airline is "doing things" for the affected passengers on Monday's flight, but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said. "There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point," Southwest said in a statement Monday night. "We have safety procedures in place, and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground," the airline said. "Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely." CNN's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report. | NEW: Southwest inspects all its 737-300 aircraft after one develops hole midflight .
Passengers describe ordeal, praise professionalism of flight crew .
Baltimore-bound Southwest jet makes emergency landing in West Virginia .
Football-sized hole in fuselage causes cabin to depressurize, oxygen masks to drop . |
225,470 | aff54c993c44de2756ef6b6ce11c6a05bd7b2f30 | By . Annabel Fenwick Elliott . They have both been high-ranking Victoria's Secret Angels who have graced the covers of Vogue over 40 times collectively. But 31-year-old Miranda Kerr and 21-year-old Karlie Kloss have both recently claimed they don't identify themselves as models. 'I never saw myself as a model,' Ms Kerr, who has an estimated net worth of $20million, said recently to Net-a-porter's Edit magazine, while Miss Kloss, worth a more modest $4million, told Into the Gloss: 'I have never considered modelling an actual job title.' Not models? Miranda Kerr (left) may be worth an estimated $40million, and Karlie Kloss (right) around $4million, but both successful supermodels are reluctant to identify themselves as such . And while most people would define their jobs as the thing they get paid to do - extremely lucratively in the case of these two professional beautiful people - it is true that these days, both can count themselves as established entrepreneurs too. 'If someone asks me what I do, I say, "I have my own skincare line." I don’t define myself as a model,' Ms Kerr says, in reference to her highly successful skincare care, Kora Organics, which she launched in 2009. 'I like being able to find different aspects of myself ... It's fun. I might as well do it while I can. It's not going to last forever.' Walking advert: Ms Kerr mists herself with a product from her successful Kora Organics skincare range (pictured), just one of her many entrepreneurial pursuits outside of modeling . Branching out: The Australian model ended her contract as a Victoria's Secret Angel (left) last year to focus on other projects, such as the single she recently released; a cover of Elvis Presley's You're The Boss (right) And Kora Organics is far from the only pie she has her perfectly manicured finger in. Last year, the newly single mother-of-one hung up her Angel wings to pursue a wide range of different business ventures, and to focus more on being a mother. 'The thing is, I've been modeling since I was 13. I'm now entering a new phase in my life. I have felt this coming since my son was born and, after I became a mother, I realized I needed to prioritize my time,' the Australian-born supermodel told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'If someone asks me what I do, I say, "I have my own skincare line." I don’t define myself as a model' As well as being ranked second in Forbes' 2013 list of the world's highest-paid models - Gisele taking the top spot - Ms Kerr recently released her second second-help book aimed at young women, entitled Empower Yourself, last month launched her first music single; a cover of Elvis Presley's You're The Boss, and has graced the covers of Edit, Vogue Australia, and Lucky magazine all in the last few weeks. Not just a pretty face: Miss Kloss recently took part in a week-long program at the Harvard Business School (pictured), with the aim of getting more involved in the successful running of a company . Multi-talented: One of Victoria's Secret's newest Angels (left), Miss Kloss has been pounding the catwalk since she was 13 years old, and has a gluten-free baking company called Karlie's Kookies (right) As for Miss Kloss, a Chicagoan-born former trained ballet dancer, she has this definition on how she earns her bread: 'I treat myself more as an athlete than just a model. I love to challenge myself physically and mentally. 'But I'm not a professional athlete, I'm not a professional dancer, I'm not a professional anything; I have never considered modelling an actual job title. I have yet to determine what my job actually is but, yeah, modelling is a fun and funny gig.' Miss Kloss, who, much like Ms Kerr, kicked off her modeling career when she was only 13, seems to have set her eyes on a different prize of late. Tough cookie: Miss Kloss (pictured) was a trained ballet dancer before she got into the fashion business, and says she treats herself more like an 'athlete' than a model . Dedicated: Ms Kerr is a long-time yoga fan, and regularly loops her practice into her affiliations with brands, including Reebok (pictured), Kora Organics, and Net-a-porter, to name a few . Last month, Miss Kloss attended the Harvard School of Business for a short course in The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports. Speaking to The Daily, she said: 'I feel fortunate to have an incredible career but there is so much more that I want to do with my life. 'Now that I am getting more and more involved in these entrepreneurial projects I think business is something that would also be fascinating. 'I have never considered modelling an . actual job title. I have yet to determine what my job actually is but, . yeah, modelling is a fun and funny gig' 'To have a better understanding of economics and business, and the way to run a successful company.' Proving her business acumen, she launched a gluten-free cookie product called Karlie's Kookies at New York Fashion Week two years ago, in collaboration with popular Manhattan bakery Momofuku Milk Bar. Miss Kloss, who is a relationship with investment mogul Joshua Kushner, has recently teamed up with Warby Parker to collaborate on a collection of sunglasses. And the energetic model recently showed up at the Global Accelerator program run by the UN Foundation, where she attended a panel on the topic of formulating social solutions to global issues. Still, while both Miss Kloss and Ms Kerr may be stretching their wings way past the realms of catwalk, it seems unlikely that either will be permanently leaving their undeniable posts as 'models' any time soon. | Miranda Kerr would rather be recognized for her skincare line, Kora Organics .
Karlie Kloss has her own range of gluten-free cookies and recently attended a Harvard Business School course . |
110,933 | 1b0c3ed790aa0abcc7e6c1988c9ed2f851902490 | Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) -- The Army psychiatrist defending himself against charges that he killed 13 people in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, concluded his case on Wednesday without calling a single witness. Maj. Nidal Hasan ended days of speculation over whether he would take the stand with three words: "The defense rests." Closing arguments were scheduled to begin Thursday morning before the case is handed to a military jury, which will determine whether Hasan is guilty of 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder in connection with the November 5, 2009, attack. It was unclear if Hasan, who faces the death penalty if convicted, planned to deliver a closing statement. Fort Hood victims feel betrayed . Hasan's decision not to offer a defense was an anticlimactic end to the testimony portion of a court-martial where prosecution witnesses, primarily survivors, painted a horrific picture of what unfolded inside the processing center during the attack. Inside the courtroom, the liaison for the family members of those killed handed out packages of Kleenex ahead of the day's proceeding. As they have nearly every day of the trial, some of the wives and mothers of the 12 soldiers and one civilian killed had their eyes fixed -- some in a cold stare -- on Hasan. There is no question about whether Hasan carried out the shooting rampage as he took credit for it at the outset of the trial, telling the jury of 13 senior officers during opening statements that the evidence will show "I was the shooter." The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, has refused to allow Hasan to argue "defense of others," a claim that he carried out the shootings to protect the Afghan Taliban and its leaders from U.S. soldiers. Is Hasan's strategy martyrdom? Much has been made of Hasan's defense or, as his stand-by attorneys have said, the lack of it. The judge declined a request by Hasan's attorneys to drop out of the case. The attorneys argued that Hasan was helping the prosecution put him to death. There may be something to that claim. The judge barred Hasan from pleading guilty at the start of the court-martial. Under military law, defendants cannot enter guilty pleas in capital punishment cases. In recent weeks, he has leaked documents through his civilian attorney to The New York Times and Fox News that appear to offer a glimpse of Hasan's justification for carrying out the attack. The documents included a mental health evaluation conducted by a military panel to determine whether Hasan was fit to stand trial. "I don't think what I did was wrong because it was for the greater cause of helping my Muslim brothers," he told the panel, according to pages of the report published by the Times. He also said, according to the documents: "I'm paraplegic and could be in jail for the rest of my life. However, if I died by lethal injection I would still be a martyr." Military prosecutors called 89 witnesses and submitted more than 700 pieces of evidence before resting their case, hoping to show that the American-born Muslim had undergone what they described as a progressive radicalization. Hasan challenges witness account of shooting . They have argued to the jury that Hasan, who was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan, did not want to fight against other Muslims and believed he had a jihad duty to kill as many soldiers as possible. Over the course of 11 days, prosecution witnesses painted a horrific picture of the shooting rampage that began inside the deployment center, with a number recounting how the gunman rose from a chair, shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- Arabic for "God is the greatest" -- and fired more than 146 rounds in the room. The prosecution witnesses called Tuesday described the final minutes of the attack, a police shootout that ended with the gunman shooting a police officer before he was shot. Hasan was paralyzed from the chest down. The final witness called by the prosecution, Dr. Tonya Kozminski, testified about what Hasan told her would happen to the Army if he were deployed. "The last thing he said ... 'They will pay," Kozminski said. Fast Facts: Soldier-on-soldier attacks . Military death row: More than 50 years and no executions . | Closing statements set to begin on Thursday at Texas military base .
Army psychiatrist defending himself opts not to testify .
Hasan, 42, is being tried on 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder .
The charges stem from the November 5, 2009, attack at a deployment processing center . |
71,412 | ca675d0e527ea40feb69d38faa2ec0740df15bb7 | Doctors are calling on the Health Secretary to authorise a life-saving vaccine on the NHS that protects children against meningitis B. Bexsero, the first jab to protect against the main cause of life-threatening bacterial meningitis, has been rejected so far on cost grounds. Dozens of children a year are killed by meningitis B - some within hours - but more than 100 doctors, nurses and scientists have warned that the vaccine might never be widely used. Doctors are calling on the Health Secretary to authorise a life-saving vaccine on the NHS that protects children against meningitis B . A medical funding formula employed by the Government’s official medical advisers to determine whether it can be routinely given to children says it is unlikely to be cost effective ‘at any price’. Jabs are available privately at £75 a dose and children will need four doses, although makers Novartis have offered the NHS an undisclosed discount. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which rejected the vaccine in October, is due to re-evaluate its decision shortly. A letter signed by 118 leading doctors calls on Jeremy Hunt to veto the advisory body and accept the lives of children are more important than economic arguments. A letter signed by 118 leading doctors calls on Jeremy Hunt to veto the advisory body and accept the lives of children are more important than economic arguments . Simon Nadel, a consultant in paediatric intensive care at St Mary’s Hospital, in London, who coordinated the letter, said: ‘The UK has among the worst child health outcomes in Western Europe. Jeremy Hunt can help improve this by authorising the introduction of a new vaccine for Men B, which is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK. ‘It has been made available for use privately to those who can afford it, but it is a cause for concern that after years of research, a life-saving vaccine which could significantly increase protection offered to all our children, could be shelved.’ The UK has one of the highest rates of meningitis B in the world, affecting around 1,870 people each year. Anyone can get infected, with one in 10 people dying and one in three survivors suffering life-changing disability such as limb loss, brain damage and epilepsy. It kills more children under five than any other infectious disease in the UK, while teenagers are also more at risk than other age groups. Some experts say the vaccine, which protects against 88 per cent of strains, could already have saved 60 to 80 lives if it had been introduced last year. Others have attacked the JCVI’s decision because it measures health care in economic rather than humanistic terms. ‘We have no qualms about administering expensive treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy to some very sick cancer patients who will see only a minor extension of their life span at best’ said Professor John Mekalanos, of Harvard Medical School, Boston in the US. He said, in an article in Science Translational Medicine, the jab was being blocked by ‘hypothetical financial concerns of cost-effectiveness’. Critics say the calculation used by Government health economists results in a value placed on a child’s life of just 27 years, meaning the benefits of saving a child who may live for another 60 years, and the long-term care costs if a victim is left badly disabled are not properly accounted for. Neither is the severe effect of the disease on parents’ lives and NHS litigation costs. It can cost up to £3 million in support and treatment for each survivor. Figures show £28 million compensation went to families of children left permanently disabled by meningitis missed by GPs between 2008 and 2012. The JCVI used an internationally recognised formula known as quality-adjusted life years (QALY) to assess Bexsero. A QALY assesses how many extra months or years of life of a reasonable quality a person might gain as a result of a treatment. To be cost-effective, any new vaccine, cancer medicine or heart treatment should cost no more than £20-30,000 for every QALY it saves. The JCVI concluded the MenB vaccine did not meet the economic criteria at any level. However, a European Commission-funded study last year concluded the QALY system of assessing new treatments was flawed. Professor Richard Moxon, Professor of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, who was involved in producing the new jab, said if the JCVI’s stance had applied to a new vaccine against meningitis C in 1999, the disease would not have been virtually wiped out by now. He said: ‘The JCVI’s reasons - the lack of cost-effectiveness, uncertainties on its effectiveness to prevent disease and decrease person to person spread - are so similar to the unknowns surrounding the successful implementation of the MenC vaccine that many will argue that there is blatant inconsistency.’ Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said: ‘A new vaccine against meningitis B has been licensed, but the JCVI, our independent group of vaccine experts, is currently looking at evidence and working with the scientific community, interested groups and the manufacturer of the vaccine to find ways to resolve any uncertainties about the drug. ‘We will then be able to come to a clear answer on introducing the vaccine to the NHS.’ Sue Davie, chief executive of the Meningitis Now charity, said the JCVI should use ‘special circumstances’ to justify approval, which include the severity of the disease. She said ‘With the devastating impact of this disease, a decision based purely on cost-effectiveness is not appropriate. ‘Time lost is lives lost and we are grateful to all the medical professionals and scientists for adding their voice by signing the letter calling on the Health Secretary to make the right decision for children in the UK. ‘While the vaccine is now available privately, parents should not have to make the stark choice of whether they feed their children, keep them warm or protect them from meningitis with the vaccine costing hundreds of pounds.’ | Bexsero is the first jab to protect against the main cause of life-threatening bacterial meningitis .
Dozens of children a year are killed by meningitis B .
More than 100 doctors, nurses and scientists have warned that the vaccine might never be widely used . |
173,568 | 6c9b881e1c05315c76aa5a472c409ed88c9d3916 | (CNN) -- On her second full day of a week-long goodwill tour in China, Michelle Obama lauded study abroad as a key part of U.S. foreign policy and encouraged students from all walks of life to consider joining the growing corps of citizen diplomats such study fosters. "I'm here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among young people like you across the globe," the first lady told an audience composed of Chinese and international students at Peking University. "We believe that relationships between nations aren't just about relationships between governments or leaders -- they're about relationships between people, particularly young people." Immersion in another country's culture does more than help a student's job prospects, she said. "It's also about shaping the future of your countries and of the world we all share. Because, when it comes to the defining challenges of our time --- whether it's climate change or economic opportunity or the spread of nuclear weapons -- these are shared challenges. And no one country can confront them alone. The only way forward is together." She noted that China is the fifth most popular destination for Americans studying abroad, and that the Chinese represent the highest number of exchange students in the United States. Obama, who grew up in a working-class family, said that as a student she never considered studying abroad and noted that many young people struggling to pay for school today may also feel that way. "That's not acceptable, because study abroad shouldn't just be for students from certain backgrounds," she said. She quoted Philmon Haile, a University of Washington student who moved with his family from Eritrea to the United States as refugees when he was a child and then studied in China. "He said, 'Study abroad is a powerful vehicle for people-to-people exchange as we move into a new era of citizen diplomacy.'" The technology revolution has changed the game, she noted. "You don't need to get on a plane to be a citizen diplomat," she said. "If you have an Internet connection in your home, school or library, within seconds you can be transported anywhere in the world and meet people on every continent." She added that the battle of ideas that can result from such interaction "can be a messy and frustrating process," but said it was a critical one. "Because time and again, we have seen that countries are stronger and more prosperous when the voices of and opinions of all their citizens can be heard." Obama's remarks came a day after she -- accompanied by her daughters and her mother -- visited a Beijing high school accompanied by China's first lady, Peng Liyuan. She met with students at the public school as well as with 33 American students from a U.S.-based School Year Abroad program, which costs $50,000 per year and occupies the sixth floor of one of the school's buildings. More than half of the 250 students at its schools in China, France, Spain and Italy receive "some sort of need-based aid," said SYA President Jack Creeden, in a telephone interview. "The average award is $26,000." Obama's schedule does not include a news conference, and she is not expected to answer questions from professional reporters during the trip. But on Saturday, she answered several of the more than 300 questions filed by CNN iReporters about studying abroad and international travel. They will be posted Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, she will answer questions submitted by U.S. classrooms as part of a webinar series by Discovery Education and the White House. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at next week's Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague, Netherlands. | "Our future depends on connections like these," Obama tells students .
China is the fifth most popular destination for U.S. students studying abroad .
"You don't need to get on a plane to be a citizen diplomat;" the Internet is a game changer . |
33,917 | 606cc1d1b46bcc9b8d1d4a923265679712eb05dd | Dan Condon believes in recycling. Just not when it comes to his hotel towels. Condon composts when he's at home in Boulder, Colorado. He eats local, organic and fair-trade food and drives a Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car. You might call him green. Except he's not so green when he travels for his work at an education nonprofit and stays in a hotel, which happens about 10 weeks per year. There, he uses a new towel every day. And don't try to bribe him with a drink or dessert coupon to get him to reuse the same one. "I could care less about rewards for environmentally conscious behavior unless it's miles," Condon wrote in an e-mail. If hotels can't convince a hybrid-driving recycling enthusiast like Condon to go green while traveling, how can they possibly convince everyone else? 9 glamorous movie-star hotels . That's the problem of hotels trying to "green" your hotel stay. After guests have paid a pretty penny for a night at the inn, even the most environmental guests may want to treat themselves to fresh towels every day and those little bottles of sweet-smelling shampoo. Despite the fact that most people describe themselves in surveys as environmentally conscious and as preferring green products, there's a big gap between consumer attitudes and consumer behaviors when it comes to going green, said Michael Giebelhausen, a marketing professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. "It can be nice to have fresh towels, and not doing so is a sacrifice," said Giebelhausen, whose current research focuses on the impact of hotel sustainability programs on guest satisfaction. "Participating requires some effort, and there's some cost to be incurred on the part of the consumer." Guests who go green are happy . Nearly 90% of hotel guests are offered the chance to do something sustainable during their stays, and about two-thirds will participate, according to Giebelhausen's analysis of 2011 data from the J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study. Those guests who participate in a hotel's green programs report that they are more satisfied with their stays than guests who do not participate. Participating in a hotel's sustainability program provides "a feeling that it was good to be green, it made them feel good about themselves, and that translated to the service provider," Giebelhausen said. 8 getaways we wish we could afford . "These guests, who are ostensibly receiving a lower level of service, report being more satisfied overall with their stay." There's just one catch: Guests who don't participate in voluntary sustainability programs reported the lowest levels of satisfaction with their hotel stays. "One explanation for these findings is that when people don't live up to their ideals, and vice versa, this affects how satisfied they are with the entity that presented them this 'moral dilemma,'" Giebelhausen said. Sustainability is becoming the norm . It makes business sense for hotels to go green: Increasing sewage rates, stricter water use requirements and more recycling options are all convincing hotels to reduce their water and energy costs, said hotel industry veteran Pat Maher, an environmental consultant and "green guru" for the American Hotel & Lodging Association. More than 75% of U.S. hotels have linen and towel reuse programs, 59% have guest or internal recycling programs, and 46% have a water-saving program, according to a 2012 American Hotel & Lodging Association survey of its members. They also have "back of the house" programs that include low-flow shower heads, faucets and toilets; energy-efficient light bulbs, high-efficiency appliances and other efforts. Some are required by local governments; others just make business sense. That translates into real dollars: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that hotels and other lodging facilities use more than 510 trillion BTU of energy annually at a cost of more than $7.4 billion. That energy use generates 54 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equal to the emissions from more than 11 million passenger vehicles, according to the agency. Beyond Mickey Mouse: Best cruises for 2013 . The EPA reports that the lodging industry could save $745 million annually by reducing energy use by 10%. That translates to 60 cents more revenue per room night at limited-service hotels and $2 at full-service hotels. Annoyed that the hotel's bottom line benefits from your sacrifice? Some hotels are trying to make water-saving behavior pay for their guests. Participating Sheraton Hotels & Resorts gives guests a $5 food and drink voucher or 500 Starwood points for every day they decline housekeeping's services (except departure day). Part of the Kimpton culture . Some hotels are making green cool. It seems to be an easier sell for hip, higher-end chains like Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group's properties, which cultivate an edgier base of customers. About 85% of hotel guests participate in the chain's towel and sheet reuse program, said Mike DeFrino, Kimpton's executive vice president of hotel operations. Bill Kimpton started the boutique hotel chain by rehabbing older buildings and turning them into hotels. Although Kimpton died in 2001, the company that bears his name still has the reputation he cultivated. Most locations welcome guests to mingle at a lobby cocktail hour, lounge in their animal-print robes and bring their pets on their stay. And many locations will lend guests a goldfish as part of the Guppy Love program. "I think our guests expect us to push the envelope and try things that are different than what the mass-appeal hotels are doing," DeFrino said. DeFrino's convinced that some guests don't actually mean to ask for new towels but are much like his teenage daughter, who tosses her towels on the floor at home for no good reason. "Once it's on the floor, you're going to get a clean towel," he said. (Hotel guests, not his daughter.) The pressure on a mid-priced chain . It's trickier for other hotel chains, where sustainability isn't necessarily part of the appeal to the customer. The mid-priced chains are competing for a more price-sensitive business and leisure traveler. Hampton Inn, which offers a hot breakfast at its nearly 1,900 company-owned and franchise locations across the country, has two environmentally friendly options for disposable plates, bowls and cutlery: 100% biodegradable Enviroware or Taterware, a resin material made from potato starch. The chain's takeout coffee cup sleeves are made from 100% recycled fiber, and the towel reuse program simply asks customers using a door hanger to "reuse or replace" towels. No big deal either way, the sign suggests. "We're delivering these messages in a light-hearted way. ... It's not preachy or paternalistic," said Jennifer Silberman, vice president of corporate responsibility for Hilton Worldwide, which owns Hampton. More happens behind the scenes at Hampton, which benefits from LightStay, Hilton's company-wide sustainability system that tracks the sustainability of 200 operational practices at nearly 3,900 properties around the world. Hilton has saved more than $147 million since 2008 through efficiency projects, including reporting through LightStay, Silberman said. Satisfying the luxury guest . You'd think environmental sustainability programs would hit a roadblock with luxury guests, who want the best of everything. Not so, said Sue Stephenson, vice president of Ritz-Carlton's Community Footprints, the chain's social and environmental responsibility program. "It in no way diminishes the luxury experience," Stephenson said. "We still have the best towels, linens and amenities." Many Ritz-Carlton guests now use the same sheets two nights in a row (introduced in 2011) and hang up their towels to use another day (introduced in 2009). "We've not had a single negative guest comment but have certainly had positive guest comments," Stephenson said. "Guests want to see we're doing the right thing." It helps that the onus is really on the business to be responsible in its construction, hotel operations, food service and landscaping, she said. "The majority of what can be done for the environment is what we can do as a business," Stephenson said. No matter the price point, no hotelier can afford to lose a guest because he or she doesn't like the way a hotel communicates its message. Even Kimpton's DeFrino said the boutique chain won't roll out an environmental initiative if tests show that customers don't like it. But in Kimpton's case, DeFrino found that guests approve of their efforts. "Our guest satisfaction has improved since our green initiatives were introduced, and it's given us confidence that efforts have not deteriorated the guest experience," he said. The tide may be turning . It's possible that younger people used to recycling and saving water will bring those attitudes into their hotel stays as they age. Ritz-Carlton's Stephenson sees children leading their parents into caring about the environment on their hotel stays. Betting that more and more consumers want to choose environmentally friendly hotels right now, travel website TripAdvisor is launching its GreenLeaders program this year to let travelers know which hotels have sustainable practices. About 71% of travelers reported that they planned to choose hotels based on sustainability over the next year, compared with 65% in the previous survey, according to an April 2012 Trip Advisor survey. Yet while 81% of hotels have some green programs, almost a quarter don't communicate that fact to their guests, said TripAdvisor spokeswoman Alison Croyle. The website is accepting applications from hotels to qualify for a "GreenLeader" or "GreenPartner" label on the TripAdvisor site based on their sustainable practices. The program will rely on traveler feedback, and any discrepancies could trigger an independent audit of the hotel. That's information that Genevieve Hein, 33, who always hangs up her towels at hotels to reuse them the next day, would enjoy having. "Trying to limit my impact on the environment makes me feel good," said Hein, assistant director of residence life at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. "When I go against my green principles for the sake of convenience or to go with the flow, I feel bad about myself and guilty. I can't imagine how those feelings would enhance my vacation, which is supposed to be all about feeling good." Do you like to participate in a hotel's sustainable programs, or do they irritate you? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. | Hotel guests who "go green" are happier with their stay .
Increasing water and energy costs are pushing hotels to cut costs wherever they can .
Many hotels find that guests don't mind using the same towels and sheets every night .
TripAdvisor will be adding a green label for hotels listed on its site . |
22,162 | 3ee7079e4f3b16814b917d75eee798048eff3ded | Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- Cape Town's archbishop led Nelson Mandela's family in prayer on Tuesday, calling for "a quiet night and a peaceful, perfect, end" for the former South African president. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba prayed with Mandela's family at the Pretoria hospital where the anti-apartheid icon remains in critical condition, the South African Press Association reported. "Fill them with your holy courage and the gift of trusting faith, and take away their fears so that they may dare to face their grief," he said, according to a copy of the prayer posted on the bishop's website. "Guide the medical staff so that they may know how to use their skills wisely and well, in caring for Madiba and keeping him comfortable," Makgoba said, using Mandela's traditional clan name. "And uphold all of us with your steadfast love so that we may be filled with gratitude for all the good that he has done for us and for our nation, and may honor his legacy through our lives." As night fell, well-wishers outside the Pretoria hospital where Mandela lay chanted his name, hung signs of support on bulletin boards and left flowers. "We wish him well. We are calling on the world to unite and pray for Madiba," said 24-year-old Innocentia Moselane. "He is our icon, and we love him." During his 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid, Mandela became a rallying symbol for those fighting South Africa's white-minority rule at home and abroad. His release in 1990 was the beginning of the end of apartheid, the system of legalized racial segregation the South African government enforced for more than 45 years. "He is our hero. He is my mentor, my father. He is everything to me," 36-year-old Kuda Nyahumzvi told CNN outside the hospital. "But when it is his time, we wish his soul could just rest. He spent so long in jail and struggling." While crowds of supporters appeared to have gone home by early Wednesday morning, the South African Press Association reported, scores of journalists remained outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria. Mandela's wife, Graca Machel, spends every night at the hospital, where the former president has been since June 8 for a recurring lung infection. Previously, authorities had described his condition as serious but stable. But over the weekend, his health took a turn for the worse, with the South African president's office saying he was in critical condition. "The doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort," President Jacob Zuma told the nation Monday. When the country held its first multiracial elections in 1994, Mandela became the South Africa's first black president. He stepped down in 1999 after serving a single term. Though he continued to be a voice on the world stage for developing nations, human rights and the fight against AIDS after leaving office, Mandela, 94, has been sidelined by advancing age and bouts of illness in recent years. He last appeared in public in 2010. Journalist Hamilton Wende and CNN's Matt Smith and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | NEW: Cape Town's archbishop leads Mandela's family in prayer .
Crowds of supporters and news crews stand outside the hospital .
Nelson Mandela's family visits his bedside .
Officials say Mandela's condition worsened over the weekend . |
204,977 | 955d190c96aa70a53527d832acba1645dadb1c1b | Music industry legend Clive Davis, the man who discovered or signed countless multi-platinum recording artists including Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys has revealed he is bisexual. In his new memoir The Soundtrack of My Life, the 80-year-old record executive, who has been married and divorced twice, says he has been involved in two monogamous relationships with men over the past 20 years. Davis, who has never before publicly addressed his sexuality, writes that his first sexual encounter with a man was during ‘the era of Studio 54’ in the late '70s. Scroll down for video . Music industry legend Clive Davis, who discovered Whitney Houston, has revealed he is bisexual . Twice married Davis, pictured with Alicia Keys, says he has been in two monogamous relationships with men over the past 20 years . Davis, pictured at the 2012 U.S. Open with an unknown male acquaintance, has been in his current relationship since 2004 . ‘On this night, after imbibing enough alcohol, I was open to responding to his sexual overtures,’ he writes. Prior to that he had only been with women and he writes that being with a man provided ‘welcome relief.’ Davis separated from his second wife in 1985 after a period of ‘soul searching and self-analysis’ and says that he went on to have simultaneous relationships with two women and a man. Then in 1990 he entered into a ‘monogamous relationship’ with an unnamed male doctor. That relationship ended in 2004, but Davis says he has been in a relationship with another man ever since. Davis said his current partner attends . industry events and travels with him, but he . declined to reveal his identity in order to protect his privacy. Davis won a grammy for producing Jennifer Hudson's first album in 2009 . Speaking to Katie Couric, Davis said that despite his experience with a man in the late '70s he didn't consider himself bisexual until after the end of his second marriage in 1985 . Star signing: Clive Davis and Whitney Houston signing her first contract with Arista Records in 1983 . Father of four Davis also writes that his coming out deeply affected his ties with one of his three sons, Mitchell. However after ‘one very trying year’ they managed to work out their differences, he writes. Speaking on The Katie Couric Show on Tuesday, Davis said that despite his experience with a man in the late '70s, he didn't consider himself bisexual until after the end of his second marriage in 1985. ‘It didn’t affect either of my marriages,' he told Couric. 'But when my second . marriage ended I opened myself up to the possibility that I could have a relationship with a man as well as the two that I had with a woman.’ ‘I'm still attracted to women. … You don't have to be only one thing or another. For me, it's the person.’ Davis also hopes that his coming out might lead to a 'greater understanding' of bisexuality. 'I’m not lying,' he told ABC News. '[Bisexuality] does exist. For over 50 years I never had sex with a . male. It wasn’t repressed. I had very good sexual relationships with . women.' Davis with Carlos Santana at the Grammy Awards in 2000. Santana's awards included album of the year for 'Supernatural' which Davis co-produced . Davis, right, pictured in 1967 with Angela Lansbury, is a music industry legend who has been in the business for more than 50 years . Davis pictured with TLC at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2000 . 1932: Born in Brooklyn to a Jewish family.1956: Married first wife Helen Cohen. 1960: First child Fred is born.1962: Daughter Lauren is born.1965: Marries Janet Adelberg after Cohen leaves him and the children to travel overseas. 1970: Third child Mitchell Davis is born.1974: Fourth child Douglas Davis is born.1985: He and Adelberg divorce.1990: Starts relationship with unnamed male doctor.2004: Relationship with doctor ends and Davis enters a relationship with a second unnamed man which continues to the present day. Asked if he felt ashamed after first sleeping with a . man, he relied: 'I never felt shame.' 'I felt puzzled. The subject . of bisexuality really needs much more discussion. It's a status that . does exist.' Davis, known as 'the man with the golden ears,' has played a massive role in shaping popular music for well over five decades. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. His most successful signing, was Whitney Houston, who he discovered and helped mold into one of the biggest selling artists in music history. Davis devotes an entire chapter in his book, out Tuesday, to working with Whitney. He recalls his trepidations about her acting in The Bodyguard and writes in-depth about the subsequent problems that led to her death. He reprints a letter he wrote to her after seeing an emaciated Houston perform at the 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert. He wrote: 'Dearest Whitney: When I saw you last night at the Michael Jackson concert, I gasped. When I got home I cried. My dear, dear Whitney. The time has come.' He also reveals that he attempted a one-on-one intervention with her at his upstate New York home, but she wouldn’t listen. 'She was in complete denial,' writes . Davis. 'I knew that if an addict does not want to get help, there . ultimately is very little that anyone else can do.' Davis pictured in 2000 with Whitney Houston, her then husband Bobby Brown, right, and Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs, left . Rod Stewart, pictured with girlfriend Penny Lancaster, has recorded for Clive Davis' label J Records during this century . Family feud: Clive Davis, second left, has confirmed rumors that Michael Jackson had sought to kill-off brother Jermaine's, third left, promising solo career in the 1980s . Davis also recounts the shock of receiving the momentous phone call that Houston was dead. Houston was found dead in the Beverly Hilton hotel in February last year just hours before his annual pre-Grammy party. He writes: 'There are moments when time stands still, and you feel as if . you can’t even begin to comprehend the words that are being spoken to . you. That’s how I felt right then.' Davis also confirms a story first told by Michael Jackson’s longtime PR man Bob Jones that the deceased singer purposely tried to kill off brother Jermaine’s career. Jermaine Jackson had a run of hits in the mid-80s while signed to Davis’ Arista label. Clive hired Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds and LA Reid to produce Jermaine’s fourth album, but then Michael signed them up for his own project thus preventing his brother from working with the producers. ‘Jermaine couldn’t believe that Michael, his close brother, would hijack his producers’ material this way,’ writes Clive. He recalls Jermaine was ‘crying, indeed sobbing at times, so deeply hurt that his brother would do this to him.’ Davis, pictured with Aretha Franklin in 1981, and on the cover of his new book out Tuesday . The older brother was also so angry . that he wrote a song called ‘Word to the Badd,’ which denounced Michael . as shallow and selfish. Michael called Davis up demanding that he take . the song off of Jermaine’s album. Davis writes ‘I felt it would be . wrong for me to tell an artist to take a song off an album. This was a . family and personal matter that they would need to resolve themselves.’ The book also includes juicy . behind-the-scenes stories of some of the best known recording artists of . all time. Davis tells of how Janice Joplin suggested she perform a . sexual act with him to seal their deal, how John Lennon offered him . insight into the creative process and the false accusations that ended . his career at CBS. The . autobiography also chronicles his childhood in Brooklyn, the loss of his . parents when he was still a teen and his scholarship-supported journey . through New York University and then Harvard Law School. Clive Davis has had a massive impact on pop music and pop culture for more than 50 years. After graduating from Harvard Law School he joined Columbia Records Group (CBS) as legal council and soon became president. One of his earliest pop signings was the British folk-rock musician Donovan, who enjoyed a string of successful hit singles and albums released in the USA on the Epic label. In June 1967 he attended the Monterey Pop Festival and immediately signed Janis Joplin. He also signed Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, Aerosmith and Pink Floyd. After Davis was fired from CBS Records for allegedly using company funds to bankroll his son's bar mitzvah he founded Arista Records. At Arista, Davis signed Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow and Patti Smith. His most famous signing is Whitney Houston, who he discovered and helped mold into one of the biggest selling artists in music history. He once said of Whitney: 'You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime.You way for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that, for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all, well, it takes your breath away.' He founded LaFace Records, home of TLC, Usher and P!nk, with L.A. Reid and Babyface. He also founded Bad Boy Records, home to Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy, with Sean Combs. Davis left Arista in 2000 and started J Records and had continued success with artists including Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross and Rod Stewart. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.He also has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2001 Davis was named 'world's No.1 A&R of 2001' based on worldwide chart data for that year. He has won four Grammy Awards as a Producer:• 2009: Best R&B Album – Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson• 2006: Best Pop Vocal Album – Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson• 2000: Album of the Year – Supernatural, Santana• 2000: Best Rock Album – Supernatural, Santana . Davis, now 80, is currently the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment. | Davis has revealed he had his first sexual encounter with a man in 'the era of Studio 54'
The twice married man has had two monogamous relationships with men during the past 20 years .
Known as 'the man with the golden ears' Davis has discovered a host of talent over the past 50 years including Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys .
In his new book he also reveals he attempted an intervention on Houston, who was in 'complete denial' about her addictions .
Davis confirms that Michael Jackson plotted to end brother Jermaine’s promising solo career in the '80s .
When he signed Janice Joplin in 1967 she suggested performing a .
sexual act with him to seal the deal . |
75,227 | d54aa73bd42c95e24f304d0b740729663e8f07a8 | The Saudi royal family are building a 600-mile barrier to fortify the northern frontier of their kingdom. The fence and ditch, punctuated with radar surveillance towers, command centres and guard posts, aims to protect the Saudis' oil-rich territory from invasion by the Islamic State insurgency. Last week a suicide bombing and gun attack which killed two Saudi border guards and their commanding officer was styled by one analyst as the Islamic State's first attack on the kingdom. Scroll down for video . Defences: This multilayered fence and ditch, punctuated with radar surveillance towers, command centres and guard posts, aims to protect the Saudis' oil-rich territory from invasion by the Islamic State insurgency . No group claimed responsibility for the assault in a remote desert area, but it happened just next to Iraq's Anbar province where Islamic State militants are fighting Iraqi army forces. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud inaugurated the first phase of the border security project in September, soon after Islamic State's Sunni insurgency swept across Iraq. The multi-layered barrier, which will eventually stretch across the Saudi-Iraq border from Jordan to Kuwait, includes 78 monitoring towers, eight command centres, 10 mobile surveillance vehicles, 32 rapid-response centres, and three rapid intervention squads, reports Janes.com. Citing a promotional video, the defence industry magazine reported the six-mile-deep barrier consists of a ditch, two fences and a patrol road connecting the watchtowers and guard rooms. The video included footage of thermal imagers and battlefield radar systems that can detect individuals at up to 12 miles away and vehicles at up to 24 miles away. Islamic State sees Saudi Arabia's links to the West as a betrayal of Islam and has called for 'lone-wolf' attacks against Saudi security forces, the Shi'ite Muslim minority and foreigners. Saudi forces have joined U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State positions in Syria and mobilised conservative Sunni clergy to describe the ideology of the al Qaeda offshoot as deviant. Expansion of the Islamic State could turn into an existential struggle for the Saudi regime, which many hardline Islamists see as decadent and corrupt. A key goal of jihadists is the ultimate capture of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home to the Two Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina. Tragic: A picture released by the Saudi Press Agency shows a cleric and mourners praying in the holy mosque in Mecca during the funeral of three Saudi guards killed in an attack on the kingdom's border . Relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia have already been deeply strained. Riyadh has accused former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of creating the conditions for the jihadist insurgency in his country by marginalising its Sunni Arab minority. Maliki in turn has accused the oil-rich kingdom of supporting 'terrorism' in Shi'ite-majority Iraq. Three of the four killed in last week's raid were Saudi nationals who local media described as members of the 'deviant group', a phrase authorities use to describe Al Qaeda. Three more Saudi nationals and four Syrians have since been arrested in Saudi Arabia in connection with the attack. | The capture of the Holy Mosques at Medina and Mecca is a key IS objective .
Security fence includes thermal imaging systems and battlefield radar .
Attack on border post last week said to be first IS attack on kingdom . |
202,040 | 918eb5cee85c91f673be903422b2c65ad416baab | Blackpool are in talks to sign Chelsea's Islam Feruz after his proposed deal at Cardiff City fell through. Feruz had returned to Stamford Bridge after failing to convince Cardiff to take him on loan. Feruz, 19, was poised to join the Bluebirds despite initially seeming reluctant to make the move after his representatives indicated the player was not keen on the south Wales club. Teenager Islam Feruz is trying to seal a loan move to Championship side Blackpool . The Scotland Under-21 international had a change of heart and opted to train with the club for a week but Cardiff boss Russell Slade has since confirmed the player will not be joining his side. 'We have made a decision on Islam and he's gone back to Chelsea,' Slade said. Somalian-born Feruz spent the first half of the season on loan at Greek side OFI Crete . The 19-year-old Chelsea midfielder's move to Cardiff City was called off . | Islam Feruz's proposed loan move to Cardiff City was called off .
The Chelsea teenager has entered talks with Championship side Blackpool .
Scotland U-21 star spent the first half of the season on loan at OFI Crete . |
100,464 | 0d6d5be3f41aa1bc02133117d252c85f6e99f0ec | By . Adam Crafton . Follow @@AdamCrafton_ . Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia is closing in a move to Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg. Sportsmail understands that an offer has been made this week for the Spanish international and the club are looking to recoup close to the £15.8million that they spent on Garcia in the summer of 2012. A fee is yet to be agreed between the two sides but it is believed that the initial offer is around the £13m mark, with City holding for a little more from the Russian club. On the move? Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia close to moving to Zenit St. Petersburg . On the ball: It is believed Zenit's initial offer for Garcia will be £13million . There is, nonetheless, an expectation that a deal will go through in the coming week and Garcia’s two year spell at the club is set to come to an end. Garcia was signed by Roberto Mancini from Benfica in 2012 but has struggled to cement a place in the City side and has often looked sluggish and short quality in central midfield. The signing of Brazilian Fernandinho last year limited opportunities while the addition of Porto midfielder Fernando has added further competition for places in the City midfield. The player recognises that his future at City is bleak and he is now ready to move on to pastures new. Tough competition: Garcia faces limited opportunities at City following the summer arrival of Fernando (right) CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK. | Javi Garcia close to moving to Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg .
An initial £13million bid is believed to have been made to Manchester City .
Garcia looks to have limited opportunities at City next season following the signing of Fernando from FC Porto . |
199,364 | 8e146e81757e4f5214c7c77506096fe2fd597097 | It's not hard to dash out a Facebook status update saying how much you're digging "House of Cards" or the new Lorde song. But Facebook wants to make it even easier. The social network on Wednesday said it's rolling out an audio-recognition feature that lets you automatically tag music, TV shows or movies in status updates. The feature employs your phone's microphone to identify the song or TV show while it's playing and tag it in your post, saving you the trouble of typing it yourself. In this way, the new tool acts sort of like Shazam, the mobile app that can tell you what song is playing on the radio. Facebook said the unnamed feature will be available to U.S. users on Android and iOS devices "in the coming weeks." Of course, the more information Facebook users share about themselves and their tastes, the more Facebook can target ads at its 1.2 billion users. Here's how it works: If you've turned the feature on, you'll see an audio icon jiggling on your phone's screen as you write a status update. That means the feature is listening and trying to find a match; if it does, you can then add the song, TV show or movie to your post. As with any Facebook post, you can choose which of your friends can see it. You can also turn the feature off at any time by clicking an audio icon at the top right of the screen. Facebook said that if you choose to share a song, your friends can listen to a 30-second snippet. For TV shows, Facebook said your News Feed post will highlight the specific season and episode you're watching, "so you can avoid any spoilers and join in conversations with your friends after you've caught up." That's probably for the best -- nobody wants overeager commenters revealing unforseen deaths in "Game of Thrones." For movies, the feature will presumably work best for people watching at home, since most movie houses (and moviegoers) frown on glowing screens in the theater. | New Facebook feature helps you tag music, TV shows or movies in updates .
Feature employs phone's microphone to identify song or TV show as it's playing .
Feature will be available on Android and iOS devices "in the coming weeks" |
175,846 | 6fa044f86fbcc3f660fe05ba3b6fab623c0b909d | By . Mark Prigg . They are the seven dwarf galaxies - and they could shed new light on dark matter. Researchers this week began experimenting with a new type of 'Frankenstein' telescope made by stitching together telephoto lenses. They almost instantly spotted the seven celestial surprises while probing a nearby spiral galaxy. spot the seen dwarves: This image shows the field of view from the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, centered on M101. Inset images highlight the seven newly discovered galaxies. The Dragonfly Telephoto Array uses eight telephoto lenses with special coatings that suppress internally scattered light. This makes the telescope uniquely adept at detecting the very diffuse, low surface brightness of the newly discovered galaxies. It uses the same kind of lenses that are used in sporting events like the World Cup. The compact, oven-sized telescope was built in in 2012 at New Mexico Skies, an observatory in Mayhill, N.M. The previously unseen galaxies may yield important insights into dark matter and galaxy evolution, while possibly signaling the discovery of a new class of objects in space, researchers said. For now, scientists know they have found a septuplet of new galaxies that were previously overlooked because of their diffuse nature: The ghostly galaxies emerged from the night sky as the team obtained the first observations from the 'homemade' telescope. The discovery came quickly, in a relatively small section of sky. 'We got an exciting result in our first images,' said Allison Merritt, a Yale graduate student and lead author of a paper about the discovery in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 'It was very exciting. It speaks to the quality of the telescope.' Pieter van Dokkum, chair of Yale’s astronomy department, designed the robotic telescope with University of Toronto astronomer Roberto Abraham. Their Dragonfly Telephoto Array uses eight telephoto lenses with special coatings that suppress internally scattered light. This makes the telescope uniquely adept at detecting the very diffuse, low surface brightness of the newly discovered galaxies. 'These are the same kind of lenses that are used in sporting events like the World Cup. 'We decided to point them upward instead,' van Dokkum said. Yale astronomers used a new telescope, the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, to detect the diffuse light of the new galaxies. He and Abraham built the compact, oven-sized telescope in 2012 at New Mexico Skies, an observatory in Mayhill, N.M. The telescope was named Dragonfly because the lenses resemble the compound eye of an insect. 'We knew there was a whole set of science questions that could be answered if we could see diffuse objects in the sky,' van Dokkum said. In addition to discovering new galaxies, the team is looking for debris from long-ago galaxy collisions. 'It’s a new domain. We’re exploring a region of parameter space that had not been explored before,' van Dokkum said. The Yale scientists will tackle a key question next: Are these seven newly found objects dwarf galaxies orbiting around the M101 spiral galaxy, or are they located much closer or farther away, and just by chance are visible in the same direction as M101? If it’s the latter, Merritt said, these objects represent something entirely different. 'There are predictions from galaxy formation theory about the need for a population of very diffuse, isolated galaxies in the universe,' Merritt said. 'It may be that these seven galaxies are the tip of the iceberg, and there are thousands of them in the sky that we haven’t detected yet.' Merritt stressed that until they collect more data and determine the distances to the objects, researchers won’t know their true nature. But the possibilities are intriguing enough that the team has been granted the opportunity to use the Hubble Space Telescope for further study. 'I’m confident that some of them will turn out to be a new class of objects,' van Dokkum said. 'I’d be surprised if all seven of them are satellites of M101.' | Previously unseen galaxies may yield important insights into dark matter and galaxy evolution .
Possibly signaling the discovery of a new class of objects in space .
discovery made with new type of 'Frankenstein' telescope built by stitching together telephoto lenses. |
47,569 | 86272f823108d41dc9d76c509ad517125b7a185e | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 11:41 EST, 9 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 9 January 2014 . A couple has been reunited with their baby nine months after she was taken into care by a council who accused her father of being a terrorist and tried to put her up for adoption. Misty Barnes was removed from her parents Cheryl Rich and Jack Barnes when she was one-month-old after social workers decided she was in danger. In adoption papers Mr Barnes, 39, said Thurrock Council in Essex called him a terrorist and a threat to national security, who had knowledge of making bombs and had threatened to blow up buildings. Reunited: Jack Barnes and Cheryl Rich with their daughter Misty Barnes, nine months after she was taken from them because a local council called him a terrorist . They also alleged he was a violent armed robber, who had served eight years inside Belmarsh Prison and had pumped his dogs with steroids so they could cage fight. Mr Barnes was jailed for arson and handling stolen goods when he was younger, and has also been convicted of growing cannabis. But he adamantly denies the claims made by the council and the couple have won a legal battle to get their child back. Misty's mother Cheryl, 26, said: 'I was upset, confused and scared when they took Misty away. 'We went back to the flat and broke down. But it's amazing to have her back in our lives now - it's been so hard.' Mr Barnes added: 'We have had to stay strong through this. The council tried to break us. 'I've had run-ins with the law before, and they were all a long time ago. 'I haven't got any convictions for violence. I would never hurt Cheryl or Misty.' He said being accused of being a terrorist was just 'ridiculous'. Accusations: Mr Barnes says the family are thrilled to have their daughter back. The 39-year-old has admitted he has been in jail before, but denies that he was a terrorist or domestic abuser . He added: 'I'm not perfect, but that was unbelievable. I think the council were looking for a reaction from me. 'I know how the legal system works and so I told Cheryl that we need to write everything down and keep all our evidence.' He added: 'The council hasn't apologised to us. Now we want a full inquiry to place.' Jackie . Doyle-Price, Tory MP for Thurrock, said the council was guilty of a . major injustice and owed the couple, of Grays, Essex, a huge apology. 'While . the family are reunited now, nothing can replace the time they have . lost. A major injustice has taken place her,' she said, adding: 'Thurrock council owe this family a huge apology.' In . addition to the false accusations, the council managed to mix Misty's . case up, putting the authority in breach of strict data protection . rules. Row: Thurrock Council has refused to discuss the case and says the couple should complain if they are aggrieved by their treatment . The couple's . solicitors were sent paperwork regarding the wrong child and a document was submitted to court by the council with the wrong child, . wrong sex and even the wrong local authority council listed on it. She . said: 'Whilst there were reasons to be concerned for Misty's welfare, . social workers treated Cheryl as a victim of domestic violence, which . she was not. 'The council argue the court would not have approved the first care order unless the action was fair. 'However, the papers filed with the court by the council contained untruths which Jack and Cheryl could not challenge.' The council refused to comment in detail on the case, but a spokesman said: 'The family has been asked to provide a detailed written complaint, setting out all their issues so it can be investigated properly by a non-council, independent person.' | Misty Barnes was taken from parents when she was one-month-old .
Thurrock Council accused father Jack of being terrorist and criminal .
Local MP Jackie Doyle-Price helped them win legal fight to win baby back .
Mother Cheryl said: 'It's amazing to have her back in our lives now'
Her partner admits he has been to prison but council's claims are wrong . |
100,551 | 0d8a547436173692bc84048db8326bcf9e5d63bd | Islamic State have released new shocking photos of a 'gay 'man being thrown off a roof and stoned to death. Following a trial in an Islamic State court, the man was taken to the roof of the building and thrown to his death in front a large crowd below. The horrific act was carried out in Tel Abiad in the Islamic State capital of Raqqa in Syria. Plummeting to his death: The unnamed man was accused of being homosexual and sentenced to death by an Islamic court in Raqqa. The final act: The large crowd of men are shown hurling rocks at the victim's broken body. Local residents are also shown participating in the sickening scene. The man is described as a ‘child of Lot’ and accused of committing acts of sodomy. Lot is referred to in the Bible and the Qur'an, where it is claimed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah carried out sinful acts and were severely punished by God. It is not the first occasion that Islamic State have published photos of such persecution. Another man accused of committing homosexual acts was thrown off the same building last month. Bearing witness: A large crowd of fighters and local residents of Raqqa is shown gathering to watch the horrific punishment outside the Islamic court building in Tal Abiad. A large crowd of fighters and local residents of Raqqa are shown gathering to watch the horrific punishment outside the Islamic court building in Tal Abiad. Amongst some of the bearded fighters, a number of children can be seen in the crowd, watching the horrific act. Dozens of men line a high wall, hoping to get a better view of the atrocity from their vantage point. Hidden from view: Three niqab clad women can he seen waiting for the punishment to be carried out. Women are rarely seen watching public executions in Islamic State territory. The final act: The victim is shown being thrown off the top of the building by three Islamic State fighters. Unusually, three niqab clad women can he seen waiting for the punishment to be carried out. They stand under the bombed out remains of the court building, away from the main crowd of men and boys. One bearded fighter with his head covered by a red and white scarf, is holding a megaphone. Standing at the front of the crowd, the man announces the court findings, sentencing ‘the child of Lot’ to death. The victim’s legs and hands appear to have been bound together whilst his eyes have been covered by a black blindfold. The man is described as a ‘child of Lot’ and accused of committing acts of sodomy. According to the Quran, Lot's people of Sodom and Gomorrah carried out sinful acts and were severely punished by God. Following the announcement, the guilty man is shown being thrown off the building’s roof by two fighters. Another fighter stands on the roof, watching the man fall to his death. The victim’s legs and hands appear to have been bound together whilst his eyes have been covered by a black blindfold. His broken body is shown lying on the ground, broken concrete and twisted metal litters the ground around his corpse. The final photo shows the crowd enthusiastically hurling large rocks at the dead man's body. | A large crowd of men is shown gathering outside to watch the punishment .
The man was accused of being a 'child of Lot' and thrown off the court roof .
According to the Quran, Lot's people of Sodom and Gomorrah carried out sinful acts and were severely punished by God .
The horrific punishment was carried in the ISIS capital city of Raqqa . |
215,560 | a30684c5114a9b37f432450870692c57f6b74fb3 | CNNU campus correspondent Brandon Gates is a junior at University of South Carolina. CNNU is a feature that provides student perspectives on news and trends from colleges across the United States. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of CNN, its affiliates or the schools where the campus correspondents are based. Some of the students killed were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority, whose house is pictured above. COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- At the University of South Carolina, the campus is quiet, but students were still heading to their classes after six students were killed in a beach house fire during the weekend. The school is planning a short ceremony Monday evening to honor the six students who were killed Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. A seventh person killed is believed to be a student at Clemson University. Their identities had not yet been released Monday afternoon. The USC students were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. "The fraternities are praying for them and their families for the loss. It's something we're all affected by," Jay Laura, student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In a later news conference, Laura said the outpouring of condolences was a testament to the character of the fraternity brothers who died. He also said he was proud of the way the university was coming together to support each other. Lauren Hodge, the chapter president of Delta Delta Delta, said the sorority would have ministers and counselors at the sorority house to help USC students. "We're trying to everything we can right now to help people cope," she said. "We've spent a lot of time (counseling) with the students from the sorority and fraternity," said Dennis A. Pruitt, the vice president for student affairs. "We encourage any student who is just learning of the situation and is a member of Tri-Delta or SAE to contact their parents and let them know they're OK." The school decided against canceling classed on Monday. "Going back to normal, everyday activities may be the best way for some to mourn and grieve," Pruitt said. A weekly concert that is typically a well-attended event failed to bring out students on Monday. Most students appeared to be spending time in their dorm rooms where counseling was offered. "I feel shocked that something like that could happen here. You always see stuff like that happening at other schools, but you never it can happen to your school," said Artifa Ricks, a sophomore majoring in broadcasting. Six other University of South Carolina students were treated for injuries at a local hospital and released, the school said. The university is providing counseling and assistance to students who have requested it. "When any one member of our family is lost, every one of us is diminished. I'm profoundly saddened, as are all members of Gamecock Nation, by these tragic deaths," said Dr. Andrew Sorensen, the university president. The students were on a weekend getaway at Ocean Isle Beach, a popular resort destination along the southern coast of North Carolina. E-mail to a friend . | University to hold ceremony honoring the six USC students .
Sorority to have ministers and other counselors available .
Group urges members to make sure families know they're OK . |
2,302 | 06babddb627395fbb6eb4e641be7a8a42d8c4794 | The Lockerbie bomber was buried in a Tripoli cemetery yesterday as the row over the case – and his release from jail – raged on. Up to 200 family and friends attended the burial of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi, whose return to Libya three years ago was greeted triumphantly by Colonel Gaddafi’s regime. The men who were closest to him in his life placed a white shroud across his body, while the traditional Arabic prayer Salat al Janaza was read out by an Iman. The 60-year-old, who died on Sunday from prostate cancer, is the only person convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 with the loss of 270 lives. Pallbearers carry the coffin of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi during his burial at a cemetery in Janzour, west of Tripoli, earlier today . The body is carried from an ambulance for a funeral prayer before Al-Megrahi's burial. The Libyan was the only person ever convicted of the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland . The coffin is covered with a white sheet with the Koran on it, lies in front of an imam during the funeral prayer . As his body was placed in the ground, the handful of family members present shouted out 'God is Great' and said private prayers. They included the former secret serviceman's four sons. His wife Aisha and one daughter remained at the family home, in accordance with Islamic tradition. By Muslim custom, Al-Mergahi's body had to be interned within 24 hours of his death on Sunday. His body was washed and groomed before the short burial service early on Monday afternoon. A period of mourning was then formally announced, and it will last for 40 days, as Al-Megrahi's surviving family receive mourners to their home. All had been extremely close to the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, but have been extremely well treated since the Colonel was murdered by revolutionaries last year. Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi speaks during an interview his home in Tripoli in October last year(R) and (L) a younger Al-Megrahi in an undated photograph . Mohammed Bukharis, a neighbour, said: 'Brother Al-Megrahi is honoured and respected by all Libyans because of the suffering and pain he went through following his unjust conviction. 'Many view him as a national hero because he took the blame and the punishment for a crime that could have seen the whole country punished. 'There was never any resentment against the Al-Megrahi family when Gaddafi disappeared. On the contrary, all have been honoured.' Also among those attending today's funeral were relatives from Sebha, Al-Mergahi's hometown in the south of Libya. The town is the home of both Al-Mergahi's tribe and the Gaddafi tribe. This led to Colonel Gaddafi filling his intelligence services to members of the so-called Megarha, the tribe to which Al-Megrahi belonged. Al-Megrahi, who always maintained his innocence, is being carried by male relatives and friends of the family. Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi was 60 years old when he died . Final rest: Friends and relatives lower the coffin of Al-Megrahi . Mohammed Harizi, spokesman for Libya's ruling National Transitional Council, said: 'No official attended the funeral - it was a private family affair'. Al-Megrahi turned 60 on April 1st, but had been living on borrowed time since Britain released him on compassionate grounds in 2009 because of prostate cancer. Earlier this month he was rushed to a private medical clinic in Tripoli where he underwent a blood transfusion. When he was released from prison in Scotland in August 2009, Al-Megrahi was given just three months to live, but a combination of excellent medical facilities in Libya and the support of his family has allowed him to survive for almost three years. Al-Megrahi's house in Tripoli where the Lockerbie bomber spent his final years after being released on compassionate grounds . Friends and relatives pictured standing outside Al-Megrahi's house yesterday after the news of his death broke . A revolutionary new cancer treatment developed in London but not yet available in the UK had also enabled Al-Megrahi to survive. He took Abiraterone, the £3000-a-week hormone-based therapy drug discovered by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Al Megrahi was convicted in 2001 of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 as it flew to New York from London, but has always insisted he is innocent. His release infuriated many relatives of those who died as the plane exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. There were even calls by American politicians for his extradition to face further charges in the USA, but Libya's new National Transitional Council always resisted them. He marked his 60th birthday surrounded by family and friends and vowed to 'prove my innocence' before he died. Al-Megrahi's freedom was largely due to work carried out by the Gaddafi regime, and especially by the dictator's son, Saif-Al Islam Gaddafi, who is currently being held in custody in Libya, pending a trial. Lockerbie tragedy: Emergency service workers are seen next to the wreckage of Pan Am flight 103 two days after the bombing on December 21, 1988 . | Convicted Lockerbie bomber was buried today .
Friends and family attended the funeral of 60 year old Al-Megrahi .
When released in 2009 he was given three months to live and died of prostate cancer yesterday .
1988 Lockerbie bombing killed 270 people . |
8,854 | 18f48f8ebeb2e01cbe9aee0d98baf21ca058ff16 | By . Martin Beckford . PUBLISHED: . 15:56 EST, 24 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:59 EST, 25 August 2013 . Accused: Winston Roddick, allegedly listed his brother's address as his home instead of his house in Cardiff . Two of Britain’s controversial crime tsars face being stripped of their titles after being investigated for electoral fraud, which could trigger by-elections costing taxpayers as much as £3.6 million. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the police watchdog mounted covert operations after being tipped off that the Police and Crime Commissioners for North Wales and Hampshire allegedly lied about where they lived. The two PCCs could face prosecution for election fraud offences if the Independent Police Complaints Commission decides they were not based inside their force area on polling day, as the law required. Winston Roddick is accused of listing his brother’s house in Caernarfon as his address when he really lives on the other side of Wales in Cardiff, and Simon Hayes is said to spend time in a Northamptonshire village with his vicar wife while having claimed he lived just outside Southampton. If both men were charged with breaching electoral legislation and then found guilty, they would be kicked out of their posts. Both are independents with no political party backing, and neither has appointed a deputy so far, so local councillors would be forced to choose unelected members of the PCCs’ staff as temporary replacements, in what critics say would make a mockery of Ministers’ promise that the new crime tsars would improve police accountability. But then fresh elections would have to be held, at further cost to voters who for the most part ignored last year’s nationwide poll. Bernard Rix, a consultant who monitors PCCs’ activity, said last night: ‘This is a further unwelcome cost to the taxpayer.’ And Tal Michael, who stood for Labour in North Wales, added: ‘The implications if a commissioner is found guilty of electoral fraud are that we will need to have another costly election the public don’t want.’ The unprecedented allegations against the . two politicians represent the deepest crisis yet for PCCs, introduced . just nine months ago in a £75 million nationwide poll that saw a record . low turnout of just 15 per cent of voters. Doubled-up: Mr Roddick has listed his brother's house, left, in Caernarfon as his home, but has allegedly been living in a housein Cardiff, right, for 20 years . Many commissioners have been accused of cronyism by giving well-paid roles to friends and political allies, while some have faced questions over their expenses. The IPCC police watchdog has the power to look into allegations of potentially criminal misconduct against crime tsars, and the PCCs in North Wales and Hampshire are the first to face the possibility of criminal charges over their conduct at the time of the ballot. The law that introduced PCCs – who have the power to set force budgets and strategies, as well to hire and fire chief constables – makes it clear that candidates must live in the police force area in which they stand. They had to be on the relevant electoral roll both on the day they were nominated and on polling day, November 15. The Electoral Commission said candidates were warned it is an offence to lie on their nomination forms, but no independent checks were made into the information given. Mr Roddick, a 72-year-old barrister, listed his address in his election literature as being in the historic coastal town of Caernarfon, within the North Wales police area. But electoral roll and Land Registry records show his main home for more than 20 years has been 175 miles away in Cardiff, South Wales. The Caernarfon house is owned by his brother and sister-in-law. Wrong address? Simon Hayes claims he lives at a Hampshire home but has been staying 115 miles away . Second homes probe: Hampshire PCC Haynes has allegedly been living with his vicar wife in Earls Barton, Northamptonshire . Earlier this summer the IPCC was told that Mr Roddick, who earns £70,000 a year as PCC, had given a false address, and began a secret operation to investigate the homes without his knowledge. Mr Roddick declined to comment yesterday, despite repeated calls to his home, office, staff and his brother. Meanwhile a similar accusation has been levelled at Mr Hayes, a former Conservative councillor who won the PCC ballot in Hampshire as an independent and who is paid £85,000 a year. He has worked in the county for many years, previously owned a house there and gave his address as a house in the small town of Bishop’s Waltham. But he does not own it, although he has been staying there. Mr Hayes’s wife, Miranda, is a vicar in the Northants village of Earls Barton, 115 miles away, and it has been alleged that he actually lives with her. A complaint was made to the Hampshire Police and Crime Panel, which scrutinises the performance of PCCs, and passed on to the IPCC. Exposed: Previous spotlight on crime tsars . The Mail on Sunday has led the way in exposing the waste of public money and questionable decisions made by PCCs. We revealed that many PCCs were creating a ‘gravy train’ by giving posts to friends and political allies, and were also holding down second jobs in councils and businesses. Teenage Paris Brown was forced to quit her £15,000 role as the first youth PCC after the MoS uncovered a series of offensive online comments. And Thames Valley PCC Anthony Stansfeld had to repay ‘incorrectly claimed’ travel expenses after our exposé. In another twist, the man Mr Hayes defeated to win the poll – former Conservative MP Michael Mates – is also under investigation for allegedly lying about his address.Police have been looking into claims that Mr Mates, who famously gave a watch to disgraced tycoon Asil Nadir inscribed ‘Don’t let the buggers get you down’, was living in West Sussex when he stood as PCC. Last night, Mr Hayes told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I am content that I completed the nomination form correctly. There is an accusation which is being investigated by the IPCC. I am quite content that it is being investigated.’ Once the IPCC has completed its investigations, a senior commissioner will decide whether to pass the file to the Crown Prosecution Service. In the event that either Mr Roddick or Mr Hayes was charged with election fraud and convicted, they would be declared ineligible to be PCCs. The law states that if a PCC is ‘incapacitated’, the local panel can choose a member of their staff as an ‘acting commissioner’. But the local election would then have to be held again. The 41 polls across England and Wales last year cost £75 million, so holding two again could cost as much as £3.6 million. An IPCC spokesman confirmed it was investigating both PCCs, adding: ‘We have received a referral and are at the early stages of an investigation. We are unable to comment further at this stage.’ Jacqui Rayment, who stood as a for Labour in Hampshire, said: ‘The cost of another election on the grounds of misconduct from the standing PCC would be hard to stomach.’ She added that it would nevertheless be wrong to appoint a member of the PCC’s staff without any discussion. | Winston Roddick listed his brother’s house in Caernarfon as his address .
The Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales really lives in Cardiff .
Hampshire PCC Simon Hayes clams he lives outside Southampton .
His wife is registered on an address in a Northamptonshire village . |
215,037 | a26133cd41afdec683d70aecf84772c1a0ae855d | 14 skydivers have been ripped out of the sky by wild winds, with two victims rushed to hospital and 12 others treated by paramedics after the terrifying crash landings. After a 38-degree sunny day, a fierce storm quickly took hold with the skydivers suddenly facing an intense hail storm and violent winds. Horrified members of the public looked to the sky as skydivers fell at a rapid pace, battered onto St Kilda beach in Melbourne. Scroll down for videos . Many onlookers ran into the sea to rescue one on the victims who slammed into the water, pictured here bringing the man and his equipment to land . Gail force winds forced the skydivers to tumble through the air, crashing into the ground or water . The skydivers fell through the sky with force, with two crashing into the ocean and another 12 landing across the beach and pier, spread over a wide area. Senior Paramedic Team Manager, Jo Wilton, said that it was a chaotic scene when they arrived. During the free fall many were blown across the sky like rag dolls, lucky to escape with only minor injuries. The first two survivors were found on St Kilda Pier just after 3pm and were treated by Metropolitan Fire Brigade marine firefighters . Hail and violent winds battered the victims as they fell from the sky, with onlookers running towards St Kilda beach as the skydivers fell . Two of the survivors were taken to hospital with injuries sustained from their fall, as well as from the hail that battered them during their descent . ‘They were all incredibly lucky. Witnesses say they hit the water or the ground really hard so it could have been a lot worse than what it was,’ Senior Paramedic Team Manager Jo Wilton said. It’s understood that two people were sent to Albert Hospital, whilst others were treated at the scene, administered with pain relief and treated for welts and soreness, primarily caused by the hail storm. ‘It would have been very frightening for those involved, but they were well cared for at the scene and kept calm.’ ‘They were all incredibly lucky. Witnesses say they hit the water or the ground really hard so it could have been a lot worse than what it was,’ Senior Paramedic Team Manager Jo Wilton said . When paramedics arrived at the scene it was 'chaotic'as people tried to locate all the victims and identify the extent of their injuries . | 14 skydivers were caught in an intense hail and wind storm in St Kilda .
Seen falling from the sky at great speed, tossed around 'like ragdolls'
Two were transported to Albert Hospital whilst paramedics treated others at the scene .
The weather had turned quickly after a hot, 38 degree day with sunshine . |
161,289 | 5c811db90543493db20f2fb5ba25c49e7a61dfd2 | By . Sam Greenhill . PUBLISHED: . 07:52 EST, 7 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:16 EST, 7 January 2013 . Dr Richard Curtis pictured before his sex change . Britain's first transsexual doctor is under investigation after one of his female patients said she regretted the treatment she underwent to become a man. The woman had her breasts removed and underwent gender-changing hormone treatment before changing her mind. She is now one of three patients to complain about Dr Richard Curtis, a former woman, who is accused of allowing them to rush into sex-change procedures. The doctor, who charges patients up to £240 an hour, is being investigated by the General Medical Council. Dr Curtis, 46, became the first transsexual to be re-registered by the GMC and now runs the London Gender Clinic, a private sex-change practice. Based in Marylebone, Central London, it is billed as a ‘one-stop shop’, and patients seeking to change gender are charged £240 for an initial consultation, lasting an hour, and £130 for half-hour follow-ups. But Dr Curtis faces claims of breaching rules by prescribing sex-change treatments ‘inappropriately’. The allegations include commencing hormone treatment in complex cases without referring the patient for a second opinion, or before they had undergone counselling. He also allegedly administered hormone treatment at a patient’s first appointment, and referred patients for surgery before they had lived in their desired gender role for a year, as international guidelines recommend. One patient allegedly underwent surgery within 12 months of their first appointment. He is also accused of administering hormones to patients aged under 18 without an adequate assessment. One of the most serious complaints concerns a woman who now regrets embarking on the switc to become male. She had the double mastectomy, but never completed her ‘gender reassignment’. Concerns about Dr Curtis led to the GMC imposing a number of conditions on his practice in November 2011. Before: As Vanda Zadorozny before her sex-change (left) and aged seven (right) Investigation: The General Medical Council, headquarters pictured, stepped in after a series of complaints about Dr Curtis . These included a ban on prescribing hormonal treatments for potential sex-change patients, and on referring any patients for sex-change surgery, unless those patients have undergone a recent psychological assessment. Dr Curtis is accused of breaching some of the conditions. If the GMC decides he has a case to answer, he will be referred to a fitness-to-practise committee, which can strike a doctor from the medical register. He was born Vanda Lorraine Zadorozny, to an English mother and a Polish miner father who came to Britain after the Second World War. As Vanda, she grew up in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, with younger twin brothers. She studied medicine at St Bart’s Medical College, London, and became a GP in 1995, working at surgeries in London. But feeling she was ‘a gay man trapped in a woman’s body’, she underwent two years of ‘gender-specific’ counselling before having sex-change surgery in 2005 and becoming Dr Richard Curtis. She started with a £7,000 hysterectomy and had a double mastectomy six months later. As a man, he also took testosterone to lower his voice. Although Dr Curtis, who lives in Richmond, South-West London, has never married, he had three serious heterosexual relationships in his past life as Vanda, which he described as ‘emotionally and physically poor’. He is a keen sailor who won several races as a woman. His mother Margaret died before he underwent the sex-change, but his father Mario, then 80, was supportive. Dr Curtis said: ‘He said that after having been in a forced labour camp under the Nazis when he was 16, nothing could really get to him. ‘He said, “Oh yes. I thought you sounded different the last time we spoke. It’s one of those things luvvie”.’ Yesterday neither Dr Curtis nor the Medical Defence Union, which is representing him, wished to comment, citing ‘the ongoing investigation and his duty to patient confidentiality’. There is a Facebook page supporting him entitled ‘Dr Curtis is Cool’, which says he has ‘helped many people with gender issues’. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Dr Richard Curtis facing investigation for his treatment of sex swap patients .
Watchdog alleges he prescribed wrong drugs and ignored their restrictions .
He underwent a sex change operation in 2005 . |
286,186 | fed7dbd593df37d1f0e9c095639865a061173935 | As the 2014 World Cup gets underway, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture in Brazil from team news and key battles to betting odds and Opta stats... beginning with the opening game between Brazil and Croatia. Click here to follow the Brazil vs Croatia World Cup action live . Venue: Arena Corinthians, Sao PauloKick-off: 9pm (5pm, Brazil time)TV coverage: ITV1, from 7pmOdds: Brazil 1/3, Draw 4/1, Croatia 8/1Referee: Yuichi Nishimura, Japan . Let the games begin! Hosts Brazil kick off the 2014 World Cup against Croatia in Sao Paulo . Managers: . Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil) Niko Kovac (Croatia)Team news: Neymar has recovered from a training ground knock that left an entire nation holding its breath and is likely to start on the left in Scolari's typical 4-2-3-1 formation with Hulk on the opposite side and Fred playing as a lone striker. Scolari is set to keep faith with Chelsea playmaker Oscar in the No 10 playmaker position, although if his inconsistent form continues he could turn to his club teammate Willian. Croatia will be without their most potent forward, Mario Mandzukic, who is suspended following his red card in the play-off game against Iceland in November. That means that Eduardo is likely to lead their attack against the country of his birth - with the striker recently admitting he might sing both national anthems. Key clash: Neymar v Vedran Corluka . In his prime Vedran Corluka was a decent centre-back but his mobility has taken a drastic turn for the worse in recent years, which makes the prospect of facing Neymar, one of the most skilful players all the planet, all the more daunting. Good luck with that! Vedran Corluka (R) will be tasked with stopping World Cup poster boy Neymar (L) One to watch: Mateo Kovacic (Croatia) Dubbed ‘Little Mozart’ by the Italian press for the manner in which he has controlled games at times for Inter Milan this season, the 19-year-old was instrumental in Croatia’s impressive qualifying win over Serbia and could start as a No 10 against Brazil. Head-to-head record: Played 2 Brazil Wins 1 Draws 1 . Little Mozart: Mateo Kovacic (R) is likely to provide creative inspiration for Croatia in the No 10 playmaking role . Predicted line-up: Brazil v Croatia . • The host nation has never lost their opening World Cup game, with the 20 previous hosts winning 14 and drawing six of their openers.• Brazil’s one previous tournament as hosts saw them defeat fellow 2014 Group A members Mexico 4-0 in their opening game (1950).• Eight of the last 12 opening matches at World Cups have produced one goal or less.• Brazil are taking part in their 20th World Cup. They are the only team to have taken part in every single tournament - winning it a record five times.• A Selecao have won the most games (67) and scored the most goals (210) at the World Cup. * Brazil have won eight of their last nine World Cup games in the group stages (1 draw). Their last defeat dates back to 23 June 1998 against Norway (1-2).• Croatia have only conceded 11 goals in 13 World Cup games (0.85/game). It’s the best ratio among the 32 teams taking part in 2014.• Croatia’s last nine World Cup games have produced six red cards.• Brazil won their one previous competitive meeting with Croatia 1-0 in the 2006 World Cup; Kaka scored the winner in Berlin that day. Come in No 6? Brazil have won a record five World Cups - the last inspired by Ronaldo (C) in 2002 . | Brazil play Croatia in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup .
Group A also features Mexico and Cameroon .
Croatia defender will be tasked with stopping Brazil poster boy Neymar .
Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, the last in 2002 . |
143,305 | 4555fb6012d1a2820952c42ecb1e3f4b50059a21 | Washington (CNN) -- Health care reform moved a major step closer to reality Monday when the Senate voted before dawn to overcome a Republican filibuster against a sweeping $871 billion health care bill. The procedural vote virtually ensures the bill's final approval by the chamber later this week. It would then be merged with the $1 trillion House version in what would be tough negotiations on President Obama's top domestic priority for 2009. A final bill requiring approval from both chambers would not be completed until after Congress returns in January from its holiday break. Obama hailed the Senate's overnight vote as an important victory for the American people. "By standing up to the special interests who prevented reform for decades and who are furiously lobbying against it now, the Senate has moved us closer to reform that makes a tremendous difference for families, for seniors, for businesses, and for the country as a whole," Obama told reporters at the White House. iReport.com: Give your thoughts on the Senate health care bill . The influential American Medical Association, a traditional opponent of health care reform, announced Monday it supports the Senate bill. AMA President-elect Dr. Cecil Wilson joined Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats to call for changes that Reid said would help provide health care for "all people, not just those who can afford it." The 60-40 party line vote -- cast shortly after 1 a.m. -- kept Senate Democrats on track to pass the bill on Christmas Eve. They needed every vote in their 60-member caucus for the supermajority in the 100-member chamber needed to overcome the filibuster, and some senators extracted beneficial provisions for their states before agreeing to support the bill. Republicans have mounted a fierce campaign against the bill, using procedural tricks to slow debate and casting the measure as an unnecessary government intrusion into health care that will raise costs. Obama rejected Republican claims that the bill would add to the federal deficit, noting the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported the Senate plan would reduce the deficit by $132 billion over the first 10 years. If a combined House-Senate health care bill eventually wins final approval from Congress and is signed by Obama, it would be the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid over four decades ago. Republicans ripped the Democratic majority for passing the measure in the middle of the night and accused Democrats of ramming the bill through despite growing public opposition. "Make no mistake: If the people who wrote this bill were proud of it, they wouldn't be forcing this vote in the dead of night," argued Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. "Mark my words: this legislation will reshape our nation," he said. "And Americans have already issued their verdict. They don't want it. They don't like this bill, and they don't like lawmakers playing games with their health care to secure the votes they need to pass it." Read Dr. Sanjay Gupta's take on the health care bill . The unusual timing of the vote was a consequence of Senate rules, the determination of Democrats to pass the bill before adjourning for the holidays, and the GOP's willingness to use every possible legislative tactic to slow the bill's progress. Two more procedural votes this week also will require Democrats to win the backing of 60 members to break a GOP filibuster. Final passage of the measure, by contrast, will require a simple majority of 51 votes. To Democrats, Monday's vote signaled eventual victory on the Senate bill. "The die is cast. It's done," New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer proclaimed. But compromises made to win the backing of moderate Democrats, such as Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, enraged many liberal Democrats and threatened to undermine support for the bill. Liberal Democrats are particularly upset with Reid's decision to abandon a government-run public health insurance option and an expansion of Medicare to Americans as young as age 55 -- ideas strongly opposed by Lieberman and other centrists. Top Democrats, however, argue that the Senate bill as currently written would still constitute a positive change of historic proportions. The legislation, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would extend health insurance to more than 30 million Americans currently lacking coverage while reducing the federal deficit. CNN's Ted Barrett, Dana Bash and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report . | Obama praises health care step, dismisses opponents' argument .
Key vote on health bill early Monday splits along party lines .
Many political observers believe Monday's outcome bodes well for final passage .
The U.S. House has already passed its version of the health care bill . |
260,257 | dd03cdff8f4ffa35f917c9cb1cc90c6fabf26b4c | By . Snejana Farberov . A New Jersey judge on Wednesday put an end to the drawn-out legal battle between Samantha Perelman, the daughter a cosmetics mogul, and her uncle, ruling that the 24-year-old was not cheated out of a share of her grandfather's fortune. Ms Perelman, the daughter of billionaire investor Ronald Perelman and the late gossip columnist Claudia Cohen, has accused her uncle of pressuring and manipulating her palsy-stricken grandfather, Robert Cohen, into denying her a portion of his inheritance. Mr Cohen, the former head of the Hudson News empire, passed away in 2012 leaving a $700million estate, much of which went to his son, James. 'Poor' rich girl: Samantha Perelman, seen here at the 2013 Costume Institute Gala with her billionaire father Ron Perelman, has failed to convince a judge that her uncle had pressured her grandfather to disinherit her . In a 93-page opinion, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Estela M. De La Cruz wrote that James Cohen, Robert's heir who took over the family business after his death, did not exert 'undue influence' over his ailing father to get him to cut his granddaughter out of his will. The decision came after a contentious six-month trial during which Samantha Perelman’s legal team called 20 witnesses to the stand in an attempt to prove that her uncle had plotted to disinherit her. On his part, James Cohen told the court how towards the end of his life, his father suffering from a degenerative nerve and brain disorder that had rendered him speechless was only able to communicate through blinking. According to Mr Cohen, Robert was angry that his son-in-law, the Revlon tycoon Ronald Perelman, was grasping for his fortune even as he lay dying. Wednesday's court ruling cost Samantha Perelman about $30million, a corporate jet, a stake in a Palm Beach mansion and her late grandfather's home in New Jersey, the New York Post reported. ‘We are disappointed with the decision, and believe it is not consistent with the intention and wishes of Robert Cohen with respect to his daughter Claudia and his granddaughter Samantha,’ Perelman family spokeswoman Christine Taylor said in a statement to the New York Times. However, it was not a complete loss for Ms Perelman since Judge De La Cruz ruled that her lawsuit was not frivolous and ordered her uncle to pay her legal fees. The 24-year-old still has the $67million she inherited from her Page Six columnist mother after her death in 2007. Samantha also stands to receive a portion of her father's $14million estate in the future. Mr Perelman, 71, has been married five times, most recently in 2010, and has seven children. Heiresses: Miss Perelman with her late mother, gossip columnist Claudia Cohen, in 2005. She claimed that her mother's brother schemed to exclude her from her grandfather's will as he suffered from Parkinson's . And as far as the Perelman camp is . concerned, it may only be a temporary setback: Samantha’s . spokesperson stated after the verdict that they are now 'evaluating' their . legal options. On his . part, James Cohen expressed hope that the ruling would end the war . within his extended family, which he said made his father's final years . 'a misery.' Throughout the trial, Mr Cohen's team insisted that the son was always respectful of his father and never tried to sway him. The . elder . Cohen, who died aged 86 after a 13-year battle with a Parkinson's-like . condition built Hudson News into a retail empire starting with a . Newark, New Jersey news stand. After his death two years ago, he left the company to his son James, who then sold it and collected $600million from the deal. Miss . Perelman is the daughter of former New York Post's Page Six columnist . Claudia Cohen, James Cohen's sister, who died in 2007 leaving her child . a $67million fortune. Meanwhile, . her father, Ron Perelman, is worth an estimated $14billion, made . through leveraged buyouts of companies and his stake in Revlon . cosmetics. Robert . Cohen's decline began in 1999, when the tycoon was . diagnosed with Parkinson's. In 2004 he was battling liver cancer and . that year also lost control of his limbs and bodily functions. By . 2009, the year he wrote his last will naming his son James as sole . beneficiary, the businessman was so incapacitated that he was unable . even to blink, Samantha Perelman's lawyer had argued. A spokesman . for Miss Perelman previously claimed that she was prevented from seeing her . ailing grandfather in the final years of his life. To the victor go the spoils: James Cohen, seen here with his . wife, spent years battling niece Miss Perelman over millions she accused him of cheated her out of by coercing his late father to change his will . Her lawyer had asked the court to throw out that will and reinstate one . written in 2004, which had left Claudia Perelman, Miss Perelman's late . mother, valuables including a 30-carat diamond ring worth $10million and . his private jet, as well as $25million in cash. Since Miss Perelman was the main beneficiary of her mother's estate, she had stood to inherit most of that fortune. | A New Jersey judge sided with Samantha Perelman's uncle, James Cohen, ruling that he did nothing to coerce his father into changing his will .
Mr Cohen, brother of Miss Perelman's late mother, contended that his ailing father Robert knew what he was doing prior to his death in 2012 .
Miss Perelman, 24, lost out on $30million, a corporate jet, a house in New Jersey and a stake in a Palm Beach mansion .
She is already a multimillionaire in her own right with $67million to her name and is the daughter of Ron Perelman, who is worth $14billion .
The judge ordered James Cohen to pay his niece's legal fees after deeming her lawsuit to be not without merit .
The Perelman camp said they are currently evaluating their legal options . |
57,389 | a29c4f82aabdf70c4fc096ad340fc1b7dab7822c | Philip Hobbs and stable jockey Richard Johnson walked away from Cheltenham after turning the Open Meeting into a virtual closed shop. Combined success with Garde La Victoire in the Greatwood Hurdle and the Arkle Trophy Chase Trial with Dunraven Storm took Hobbs’ tally to six in the 19 races run over the three days. Johnson took his haul to seven when winning the concluding Listed Bumper on Steve Gollings-trained Definitly Red. Stable jockey Richard Johnson (far right) and Philip Hobbs (far left) celebrate Garde Le Victorie's success at the The Open at Cheltenham Racecourse . Johnson’s feat – he was only eligible to ride in 17 of the races - matched that of AP McCoy, who won seven races at the meeting in 2001. Hobbs, who had sent out Balthazar King, Champagne West and Bold Henry to win on Friday plus Golden Doyen on Saturday, couldn’t quite match the achievement of Martin Pipe – he produced seven Open meeting winners in 2001, 2002 and 2004 – but his reward is to be sitting at the top of a trainers’ championship table most expected to be a three-cornered fight between Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Jonjo O’Neill. Hobbs said: ‘Before the meeting started I said I would settle for two winners and Richard said three. To have six is phenomenal. ‘I could not have imagined it in my wildest dreams. It was borderline whether we ran today’s two winners because we thought it might be too soft for them. We will enjoy it while we can.’ The Arkle Chase could prove the ultimate aim for 7-2 winner Dunraven Storm, who held off favourite Vibrato Valtat on whom jockey San Twiston-Davies seemed to overdo the waiting tactics. Johnson holds the trophy after winning the TheStanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle on Day three of The Open . After his heroics for new boss Paul Nicholls on Saturday when winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Caid Du Berlais, it will not be the last blip on a learning curve and Nicholls must equally acknowledge he has invested for the future in a young talent. Hobbs, whose understated demeanour often means his successes do not achieve the attention they deserve, brushed off any notion Garde La Victoire may be a Champion Hurdle outsider by saying the 10-1 winner was ‘about 20lbs’ below the standard required. Action more pertinent to that race took place at Punchestown where Hurricane Fly proved there is still life in his 10-year-old legs with third consecutive win in the Morgiana Hurdle when beating reigning champion Jezki two and a half lengths. Alan King’s Uxizandre, under an exquisite front-running Barry Geraghty ride, landed the Shloer Chase. Hills make him 16-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. But attention in that division is of stars trying to overcome problems. We should find out after a bone scan on Tuesday if reigning champion Sire De Grugy has suffered a hairline pelvic fracture or less serious muscle pull while Nicky Henderson said 2013 title holder Sprinter Sacre, sidelined last term by a fibrillating heart, will have a racecourse gallop before being given the go ahead to run in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on December 6. Henderson said: ‘He has had his MOT and heart-wise everything is fine.' | Garde La Victorie reigned victorious on the third day at Cheltenham .
Richard Johnson has won seven races out of 19 during the last few days .
That matches the same feat achieved by AP McCoy in 2001 . |
258,619 | dab5acce5daa58e773e4eca3fc7bac00b56b6998 | By . Deni Kirkova . Going a week without a shower, blowing your nose on a tea towel, and going commando before laundry day are just some of Britain's dirty little secrets, according to new research. Four out of five respondents admit to living in a messy home with some using their hairdryer, tea towels and even socks to do the dusting. What's more, even though we admit that our houses are a state, 70 per cent are happy eating food off the floor. Would you..? Even though British houses are a state, 70 per cent would eat food off the floor . Nearly half (45 per cent) admit to having bad washing up habits with one in 10 re-using their lunch plate at dinner time without cleaning it. Others revealed the great lengths they go to to avoid dishwashing, including using papers plates and even wiping lipstick marks off of glasses instead of giving their guests a clean one. What's more, 46 per cent of 2,000 . Britons aged 25 and over surveyed only clean their windows when we can . no longer see out of them or when a bird messes them up. When it comes to the bed sheets, 60 per . cent don't change their bed linen every week - with one . person even owning up to buying brand new sheets to avoid washing their . dirty ones. And it seems women fair better than men when it comes to sleeping in . fresh, crisp sheets with 40 per cent changing them weekly, as opposed to . an incredible 20 per cent of men only doing it once a month. Nearly half admit to bad washing up habits - one in 10 reuse their lunch plate at dinner time without cleaning it . According to a staggering 90 per cent of the people surveyed online anonymously, the most common reasons for slovenliness are a lack of motivation, time and enjoyment. A spokesperson from eco-cleaning brand method, who commissioned the research, commented. 1. Chelmsford, Essex 2. Aberdeen3. Bristol4. York5. Cambridge6. Southampton7. Wolverhampton8. Sheffield9. Glasgow10. London . 'The road to discovering the country's dirty little secrets has been both fascinating as well as a tad shocking at times, but we are happy to say that it's not all bad news. 'Our research shows that nearly a third of the nation admit to having a spotless home and are self-confessed clean freaks. So for the rest of us there is still hope. 'As a nation, our cleaning habits have changed quite dramatically in recent years. Instead of doing a big clean once a week, we do little bits throughout the week and fit it in when we have time. 'In our busy lives we don't have hours to spend cleaning and instead we clean as we go. Life's too short - we want to spend our time doing more enjoyable things. The mess can wait! method gives you another option. We like to challenge everyone to make cleaning fun!' 1. Leaving it a week without a shower2. Running out of underwear - and going commando3. Cleaning the toilet with partner's toothbrush4. Cleaning in the nude5. Replacing the toilet seat instead of cleaning it6. Letting the dog sleep on the bed7. Having the same toothbrush for four years8. Using the hair dryer to dust the bedroom9. Letting the dog clean the plates…10. Using the kitchen sponge to clean the floor . Women may be way better than men at changing the sheets but many still let their dog sleep on the bed . | Four out of five of Britons admit to living in a messy home .
Almost half (45 per cent) admit to having bad washing up habits .
Three fifths of all Britons don't change their bed linen every week .
One said they buy brand new sheets to avoid washing their dirty ones .
Two fifths of women change sheets weekly, but one in five men MONTHLY . |
215,825 | a35aeeb7809eb3b800f7a101f0372f9984ff98e9 | Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie views England's performance since the RBS 6 Nations as unsatisfactory. An encouraging runners-up finish in the Championship was followed by a run of five consecutive defeats, three on the summer tour to New Zealand and autumn losses to the All Blacks and South Africa. Victories over Samoa and Australia rescued a measure of respectability from the QBE series with only eight matches left for head coach Stuart Lancaster to build a team capable of winning next year's World Cup. England captain Chris Robshaw looks dejected after the QBE international defeat by South Africa . England lost 31-28 to South Africa in November in a close match at Twickenham . Ritchie rejects the notion that England have stagnated this autumn and - while disappointed by the recent losses - he is convinced they will be ready for the global showpiece on home soil. 'It's been a very hard schedule - we've played New Zealand four times on the bounce,' Ritchie said. 'I don't make any apologies for that because we want to be playing the best in the world and judge ourselves against that. 'We've played four times against New Zealand and lost four. Verdict: that's not satisfactory and we want to do better than that. 'Absolutely this isn't a development phase. We need to be and have to be competitive and beat those teams. Ian Ritchie (right) said England must do better after 'unsatisfactory' results since Six Nations . England were also beaten by New Zealand during the Autumn internationals . 'We need to be in a position of beating every team. That's what we have to do. 'But there is no doubt in my mind that the margin is pretty small. There's no chasm of difference. 'It's very marginal and now it's about making sure that margin is made up. That's the view of the coaching team as well. 'Next year I undoubtedly think we'll be stronger not weaker, whether that's because of the time the squad have to train together or the availability of players.' It was England's fourth defeat by the All Blacks since June after losing all three games of a summer tour . Ritchie still holds hope that the team will be stronger by the time the 2015 World Cup comes around . England have finished Six Nations runners-up for the last three years and Ritchie refused to be drawn on whether the 2015 Championship is a must-win tournament given the proximity of the World Cup. 'Every match is a must win. It's a perfect start to the Six Nations, against Wales in Cardiff on a Friday night,' Ritchie said. 'That's a good game to kick off with in terms of must win. And then the third game is in Ireland. 'We will lose games from time to time, that's inevitable. But our confidence in the coaching team is such that we believe we will get it right.' | England have won twice since finishing runners-up in the Six Nations .
Stuart Lancaster's side have lost to New Zealand four times and were beaten by South Africa in that time .
RFU chief Ian Ritchie said that return is not 'satisfactory' and England 'must do better' |
260,736 | dda70ae68b4324803abbe3147b90b3ddb9e7de38 | Nearly a century before the first high-rise made its mark on Hong Kong's skyline, a Scottish photographer took these amazing photos of the Far East city. John Thomson, from Edinburgh, was one of the first Western photographers to travel to the region, documenting the people, landscapes and artefacts of eastern cultures in the 1860s. An album of his incredible pictures, which he took around 150 years ago, sold at auction today for nearly £50,000. An album of photographs of Hong Kong taken in the 1860s, which show the country's famous waterfront before dozens of high-rises were built, has sold for nearly £50,000 . Modern Hong Kong: The now-booming financial hub looks like another world compared to how it appeared in the 1860s . A picture of the Happy Valley race course was part of the 38-image set, taken by Scottish photographer John Thomson, which sold at Christie's in London today . Mr Thomson gave the album to William Thomas Mercer, who had retired as Hong Kong's Colonial Secretary, and the photographs have been passed down through his family since . The pioneering photographer presented the album to fellow Scot William Thomas Mercer, of Gorthie, Perth, who had retired from his position as Hong Kong's Colonial Secretary, in 1868. Among the 38 prints are images of the Happy Valley race course, Victoria Peak, street and garden views, Chinese shop fronts, villagers and the famous dragon procession as well as portraits of Mr Mercer's pony, named Tommy. The album, which has been passed through Mr Mercer's family, went under the hammer at Christie's in London, where it was snapped up by an anonymous bidder for £47,500. Nick Lambourn, head of topographical pictures at Christie's, said: 'John Thomson was the most important pioneer photographer in Asia, and is celebrated in Hong Kong. 'This rare presentation album was a gift to commemorate the end of Mercer's service in Hong Kong. 'Thomson has captured some of the first pictures of these landscapes and people, and a glimpse of a Hong Kong mostly unseen by modern visitors - a long gone world.' The incredible photo album sold for £47,500 today after spending nearly 150 years in the Mercer family . The pictures give a rare insight into what life in Hong Kong was like before it became a global financial hub . The album was sold alongside a scrapbook (pictured), which shows Mr Mercer (right, standing next to his wife), who was Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1868 . Mr Mercer travelled to Hong Kong in the 1840s before working his way up to the position of Administrator of the colony . He added: 'Thomson is important internationally in the history of photography. He was among the first to travel to the Far East when he went to Singapore, then Penang (in Malaysia) and Hong Kong. 'Around the same time, his fellow Scot Mercer retired as colonial secretary. An album was the perfect souvenir.' The Thomson album, accompanied by Mr Mercer's family scrapbook, was one of two sold at Christie's by descendants of the family. Another, including early photographs of India, where both Mr Mercer's father George Dempster Mercer and younger brother Charles McWhirter Mercer served, fetched £6,875. Hong Kong was occupied by the British Empire in 1841, during the First Opium War between the Brits and the Chinese. After the Chinese lost the war, Hong Kong was handed over as part of the Treaty of Nanking - officially making it a British colony. The end of the Opium War allowed Hong Kong to blossom as a port for the rest of the world to trade with China. Opium dealers and merchants would travel from Europe and the Americas to do business with liberalised Chinese traders. There were only around 8,000 people on Hong Kong island at this point, but within 25 years this had surged to 125,000 as thousands fled a bloody civil war in China. Further treaties throughout the 19th century saw hundreds of nearby islands and inland territory ceded to the British Empire, including the 1898 convention which gave Britain rule over Hong Kong until 1997. It also included early views of Penang and Singapore also by John Thomson, who had established his first studios in the east in Penang in 1862, and Singapore in 1863. Hong Kong had been captured from the Chinese by the British earlier in the 1800s and had established itself as a crucial trading station for British colonial and commercial interests in east Asia. The period in the 19th century saw Hong Kong and its population grow considerably, and Scots were quick to realise the commercial and social opportunities to be had. While Thomson, the son of an Edinburgh tobacco spinner, went on to become a portrait photographer in London. The Mercers were distinguished by their service in British colonial history in the 18th and 19th centuries. Members of the family were prominent in military campaigns, civil administration and commerce in the Americas, Australia, India and the Far East. Mr Mercer arrived in Hong Kong in 1844 as private secretary to his uncle, Sir John Davis, the second governor of Hong Kong (1844-48), and was Colonial Treasurer from 1845-48, Colonial Secretary 1854-68 and Administrator 1865-66. Mr Lambourn added: 'The Mercer family were emblematic of the Scots who built the Empire. Several members were very distinguished characters in the history of the colonies and Empire. 'They were in Asia, south-east Asia and India. Other members of the family were in Australia in the very early days, and negotiating land purchases in Tasmania. 'While another, Colonel James Mercer, was commander of the British forces at Oswego in the French and Indian Wars in America during the 1750s, and was killed by the French defending that fort. 'These albums give a glimpse in to their activities.' | An album of photographs of Hong Kong in the 1860s has sold at auction .
The incredible images were taken by Scottish photographer John Thomson .
He gave them to William Mercer, Hong Kong's Colonial Secretary at the time .
Thomson's album was passed down through the Mercer family for 150 years .
The 38-picture collection was bought by an anonymous bidder for £50,000 . |
195,687 | 894a387723a0002ee8690c4aac1e23a7cbdcf48b | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 23:26 EST, 9 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:11 EST, 10 May 2013 . A dazzling solar eclipse ring was seen above the Australian Outback yesterday as the moon glided between Earth and the sun, blocking everything but a dazzling ring of light. The celestial spectacle, known as a 'ring of fire' eclipse, is the second solar eclipse visible from northern Australia in six months. In November, a total solar eclipse plunged the country's northeast into darkness, delighting astronomers and tourists who flocked to the region from across the globe to witness it. Symphony of the spheres: The moon crosses in front of the sun as seen from the Sydney Observatory . This combination of six photos shows the moon crossing in front of the sun (clockwise from top left) The moon moved across the sun for just a few minutes, giveing Joseph Cali these astonishing pictures . Friday's eclipse, also called an annular solar eclipse, is not considered as scientifically important or dramatic as November's, because the moon is too far from Earth - and therefore appears too small - to completely black out the sun. Unlike a total solar eclipse, which essentially turns day into night, an annular eclipse just dims the sunlight. 'A total eclipse is overall far more spectacular, far more emotional,' said Andrew Jacob, an astronomer at Sydney Observatory. Still, he said, the eclipse 'will give you a nice ring of sunlight in the sky - it will be quite different'. Australian eclipse hunter Joseph Cali, 49, took these dazzling images near Newman in Western Australia . Fireball: The annular solar eclipse as seen through the viewfinder of a telescope . The partial eclipse is the second of its type to hit Australia in six months . I am the light: The eclipse seen through an iron cross on a church in Sydney (left). The spectacle seen at a beach in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia (right) A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun . Stars hide your fires: The clouds cannot hide the majesty of the eclipse in Indonesia . The shadow drifted across Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the tiny island nation of Kiribati . At remote outposts across Australia, scientists and spectators gathered to watch as the eclipse began casting its approximately 120-mile-wide shadow at dawn over Western Australia, before moving east through the Northern Territory and the top of Queensland state. The shadow was drifting across Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the tiny island nation of Kiribati, and will eventually end in a largely uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean. The eclipse lasted between three and six minutes, depending on its location, and blacked out around 95 per cent of the sun at its peak. A partial eclipse was visible to people in other parts of Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Star child: A young girl watches the partial solar eclipse at the Sydney Observatory . Blinding light: Men wearing protective glasses gaze at the phenomenon in Sydney . U.S. astronomer Jay Pasachoff, who traveled to Australia to view his 57th solar eclipse, drove to a remote hill in the Outback about 30 miles north of the Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek, where he and around 100 others enjoyed one of the best and longest views of the eclipse in Australia. Amateur astronomers clicked away on cameras and local high school students measured the drop in temperature as the moon moved in front of the sun and blocked out much of the light. The moment, Pasachoff said, was magical. 'The color of the light changes in an eerie fashion, and you sense that something very strange and weird and wonderful is going on,' said Pasachoff, an astronomy professor at Williams College in Massachusetts. Skygazers: An astronomer said: 'The color of the light changes in an eerie fashion, and you sense that something very strange and weird and wonderful is going on' In November, another solar eclipse plunged the country's northeast into darkness . Twilight: The sunlight was dimmed by the partial eclipse, but did not plunge the area into darkness like a total eclipse does . | The partial eclipse created a shimmering circle of light in the sky .
It is the second of its type to hit Australia in six months .
It drifted across Australia before moving out over Pacific Ocean . |
200,322 | 8f50158a5bbf74ddad1470e8e30178a8b0e2ef32 | The deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, was "likely preventable" based on known security shortfalls and prior warnings that the security situation there was deteriorating, the majority of the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded in a report released on Wednesday. Separately, the findings also noted what the FBI had told the panel -- that 15 people cooperating with its investigation had been killed in Benghazi, undercutting the investigation. It was not clear if the killings were related to the probe. Moreover, it said that people linked with various al Qaeda-related groups in North Africa and elsewhere participated in the September 11, 2012, attack, but investigators haven't been able to determine whether any one group was in command. The report placed some blame for the outcome on the State Department, saying it should have "increased its security posture more significantly" in Libya's second-largest city because of general warnings that U.S. personnel were at risk. The intelligence community "provided ample strategic warning" that Americans and U.S. facilities were in danger, though it didn't offer a single warning that would have predicted the Benghazi attack that killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, the report said. But the findings didn't spare the intelligence community, saying it might have flagged potential threats to the compound had it done more analysis of "extremist-affiliated social media." It also blasted U.S. intelligence for inaccurately reporting -- without "sufficient intelligence to corroborate it" -- that a protest might have led to the attack. The report said the intelligence community took too long to correct the erroneous reports, "which caused confusion and influenced the public statements of policymakers." The Obama administration initially believed the armed assault was triggered by outrage over a U.S.-produced anti-Muslim film. It has since classified it as an organized terror attack. Investigators haven't found evidence of pre-planning and suggest at least part of the attack was "opportunistic." That suggests a vulnerability for diplomatic facilities, because attacks can happen with little warning, the report said. Questions around security and intelligence as well as the slow-to-evolve and changing explanation fueled a ferocious response from Republicans in Congress, who have sharply criticized the administration and continue to investigate. New York Times report casts doubt on al Qaeda involvement in Benghazi . A State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, said the report largely affirms the findings of an independent review of the Benghazi matter that recommended steps -- since undertaken by the agency -- to improve security at diplomatic facilities worldwide. On the issue of whether the attacks were preventable, Harf noted that "we have repeatedly said there was no specific threat" pointing to an attack. "Obviously, we've talked at length about the fact that we knew there were extremists and terrorists operating in Libya and in Benghazi. But, again, we had no specific information indicating a threat an attack was coming," she said. The Intelligence Committee report follows the release on Monday of previously classified information by the House Armed Services Committee. According to the documents, senior military officials told the panel there were no discussions related to any specific threat in Libya despite general warnings about the possibility of terror attacks around the anniversary of 9/11. As a result, additional military assets were not deployed to the area. On the investigation, the FBI was quoted in the report as saying the 15 deaths have severely hampered its probe. "The FBI's investigation into the individuals responsible for the Benghazi attacks has been hampered by inadequate cooperation and a lack of capacity by foreign governments to hold these perpetrators accountable, making the pursuit of justice for the attacks slow and insufficient," the report said. "As a result, key information gaps remain about the potential foreknowledge and complicity of Libyan militia groups and security forces, the level of pre-planning for the attacks, the perpetrators and their involvement in other terrorist activities and the motivation for the attacks." Several Intelligence Committee Republicans issued a separate set of conclusions. Committee Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Dan Coats of Indiana said failures that led to the attack could be partly related to Obama's failure, in their words, to establish a clear detention policy for terror suspects that gets the most out of intelligence collection. Instead of sending terror suspects directly to the military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the administration has temporarily interrogated suspects on Navy ships, sometimes for weeks at a time, before sending them to the United States for trial. "President Obama and his administration must end their efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and must develop a clear, cogent policy for the detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists," the Senators wrote. GOP Rep: Benghazi not a 'complete cover-up' | The 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility killed four Americans .
It has become a political flashpoint over security preparations, intelligence, response .
Senate committee report notes 15 people cooperating with FBI probe were killed .
Also, people with al Qaeda-related groups participated in the armed assault . |
184,519 | 7afaf3ba2cd5aa2dd6ba9d9f6620cce228843690 | NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- FEMA gave away about $85 million in household goods meant for Hurricane Katrina victims, a CNN investigation has found. These items, stored by FEMA, were meant for Katrina victims but were given to state and federal agencies. The material, from basic kitchen goods to sleeping necessities, sat in warehouses for two years before the Federal Emergency Management Agency's giveaway to federal and state agencies this year. James McIntyre, FEMA's acting press secretary, said that FEMA was spending more than $1 million a year to store the material and that another agency wanted the warehouses torn down, so "we needed to vacate them." "Upon review of our assets and our need to continue to store them, we determined that they were excess to FEMA's needs; therefore, they are being excessed from FEMA's inventory," McIntyre wrote in an e-mail. He declined a request for an on-camera interview, telling CNN the giveaway was "not news." Photos from one of the facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, show pallet after pallet of cots, cleansers, first-aid kits, coffee makers, camp stoves and other items stacked to the ceiling. Watch dismay over "out of touch" FEMA » . FEMA said some of the items were donations from companies after Katrina, but most were purchased in the field as "starter kits" for people living in trailers provided by the agency. And even though the stocks were offered to state agencies after FEMA decided to get rid of them, one of the states that passed was Louisiana. Martha Kegel, the head of a New Orleans nonprofit agency that helps find homes for those still displaced by the storm, said she was shocked to learn about the existence of the goods and the government giveaway. "These are exactly the items that we are desperately seeking donations of right now: basic kitchen household supplies," said Kegel, executive director of Unity of Greater New Orleans. "These are the very things that we are seeking right now. FEMA, in fact, refers homeless clients to us to house them. How can we house them if we don't have basic supplies?" Watch the great FEMA giveaway » . Kegel's group works with FEMA and other local organizations to rehouse victims of Katrina, the 2005 hurricane that flooded New Orleans and killed more than 1,800 people along the Gulf Coast. Community groups say thousands of people are still living in abandoned buildings in the city, though fewer than 100 people remain housed in tents. Kegel said FEMA was told in regular meetings that Unity was desperate for household supplies and that the group has been forced to beg for donations. But she said FEMA never told Unity and other community groups that it had tens of millions of dollars worth of brand-new items meant for storm victims. She said she learned of it from CNN, which found that those items never made it to people such as Debra Reed. "An honest person like me didn't get nothing," said Reed, 54, who recently moved from a tent beneath a New Orleans bridge to a home with the help of Kegel's group. "I'm gonna turn, 'cause I'm gonna cry. I didn't get nothing. I fought to get my money, but they wouldn't give it to me. So I ended up going under the bridge." FEMA confirmed that it had kept the merchandise in storage for the past two years and then gave it away to cities, schools, fire departments and nonprofit agencies such as food banks. In all, General Services Administration records show, FEMA gave away 121 truckloads of material. McIntyre said that most of the items given away were not "standard-issue type supplies" that FEMA would have distributed after other disasters. He said that using the GSA, which manages federal property, to get rid of those stockpiles was "standard process." Asked whether FEMA believed that Katrina victims no longer needed the items, McIntyre wrote: "If the state did not request the supplies, then FEMA would not know." Watch Kegel describe "the needs are just overwhelming" » . Pallets at the Fort Worth warehouse were piled high with boxes of buckets, boots, cleansers, mops and brooms. There were stacks of tents, lanterns and camp stoves for people still displaced, as well as clothing, bedding, plates and utensils. Meanwhile, Kegel said, Unity's clients can take only "one fork, one spoon, one knife; they can only take one plate. We don't have enough to go around." But FEMA said the items were no longer needed in the stricken region. So it declared them "federal surplus" and gave them away. Federal agencies such as the Bureau of Prisons, Postal Service and Border Patrol got first dibs on the material when FEMA started giving it away. Other agencies that received items include the National Guard, U.S. Marshals Service, the Air Force and Navy and the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, according to a list the GSA provided to CNN. These items also were offered to all states -- yet Louisiana, where most of the people displaced by the storm live, passed on taking any of them. John Medica, director of the Louisiana Federal Property Assistance Agency in Baton Rouge, said he was unaware that Katrina victims still had a need for the household supplies. "We didn't have anybody out there who told us they wanted it," Medica said. Instead, 16 other states took the free items. "Louisiana Recovery Authority Director Paul Rainwater is taking the lead on determing where this serious breakdown in communication occured and ... is working to pursue options for the state to still make use of these important supplies," said Michael DiResto of the Division of Administration. DiResto said Rainwater has already taken up the issue with a FEMA official. Kegel said she could not understand how Medica could not be aware of the need in the New Orleans area. She said she had not heard of the agency and was not registered with them, but after CNN's interview, the agency contacted her about registering Unity of Greater New Orleans so it could qualify for available supplies in the future. | Bureau of Prisons, Postal Service and other agencies get free Katrina goods .
FEMA spokesman: Giveaway is "not news"; agency unaware people still need goods .
Head of New Orleans nonprofit says, "These are the very things that we are seeking" |
123,025 | 2b07ef0dbe8d182d9bbcca68ba19ac34d41dea27 | By . Tom McTague, Deputy Political Editor for MailOnline . Unemployment has fallen by almost half a million over the past year in the biggest drop for more than 25 years, official figures revealed this morning. The number of people out of work now stands at just over 2 million, after 146,000 found jobs in the last three months and some 468,000 over the past year. In a further boost to the Government, employment jumped by 774,000 to 30.61 million while the number of people on the dole dropped below one million after 22 months of consecutive falls. Scroll down for video . Unemployment has been falling rapidly since 2011 and is now just above 6 per cent - the lowest for six years . The proportion of the workforce without a job is highest in the North East and West Midland, while the South East, East, South West, East Midlands and Scotland enjoy below-average rates of unemployment . Today’s figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, also reveal that unemployment in Scotland – now at 6 per cent – is below the national average after 87,000 people found work over the past year. The unemployment rate across the UK is now 6.2 per cent – a six year low and down from 7.7 per cent just a year earlier. Ministers also trumpeted figures showing public sector employment falling to its lowest level on record - at 5.4million. Today's figures also show a continued growth in private sector employment - up by almost 800,000 in the last year alone. Compared to 2010 there are now over 2.16 million more people in private sector jobs. Young people saw the largest annual fall in unemployment since records began in 1984 – falling by 213,000 on the year – and has been dropping for the last year. There are now fewer young people claiming the main unemployment benefit – job seekers’ allowance - than just before the recession – having dropped by 133,200 in the past year and for 33 months in a row. But Labour said pay - including bonuses - for workers was just 0.6 per cent higher than a year ago. Stephen Timms, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, said: ‘Today's fall in overall unemployment is welcome, but the new figures have shown working people are seeing their pay falling far behind the cost of living. ‘Pay excluding bonuses today is the lowest on record. Under this Government wages after inflation have already fallen by over £1,600 a year since 2010 and by next year working people will have seen the biggest fall in wages of any Parliament since 1874. ‘A Labour government will freeze gas and electricity bills, raise the minimum wage and get more homes built to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.’ Britain's jobs boom has seen it keep pace with US unemployment falls, while Europe lags behind with 10 per cent of its workforce on the dole . But Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: ‘Creating jobs is central to building a stronger, more resilient and stable economy. ‘With millions more people in private sector employment under this Government, it is clear that our long-term economic plan is helping Britain to recover following one of the deepest recessions in living memory. ‘All of our reforms are focussed on helping people off benefits and into work – giving people the peace of mind and security that comes with a steady income. ‘With the number of people claiming the main unemployment benefit down below 1 million for the first time in 6 years, we are helping people to break free from welfare dependency, look after themselves and their families, and play their part in getting our country back to work.’ | The number of people out of work now stands at just over 2m .
146,000 people found jobs in the last 3 months and 468,000 since last year .
Employment up 774,000 to 30m while the number on the dole now below 1m .
Scottish unemployment below UK average of 6.2% after 87,000 find work . |
16,937 | 2ff49e060ddbcf89bbbbb811e708d51a0f920b2f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 3:24 PM on 20th June 2011 . The case of a young woman who died from deep vein thrombosis after nurses used a computer guide to diagnose her with muscular pain, has been referred to the Health Secretary. Rebecca Cain, 26, died after suffering a huge blood clot . in her leg in 2009 - days after she had begged nurses at a Nottingham . NHS walk-in centre for help. Rebecca Cain on her wedding day: She diagnosed herself with DVT but was 'fobbed off' by nurses before her death . Rebecca, from Radford, Nottinghamshire, diagnosed her own condition after spending just 10 minutes on the internet but nurses insisted the pain and swelling in her leg was 'definitely muscular' - and sent her home. Her husband Gareth told an inquest into her death that his wife had been in tears, saying the nurse had 'fobbed her off.' After the inquest last November, Coroner Geoff Fell ordered an investigation into the 'serious failure' to be carried out. Rebecca's widower, Gareth Cain, 29, has now welcomed the findings of the investigation, which have not been made public, being passed to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, to check the necessary action has been taken. Gareth said: 'From my point of view, any further investigation is a good thing. I'm hoping it will have a positive impact.' Coroner Geoff Fell made a narrative verdict at the inquest in Harrogate, ruling that Rebecca died because a nurse missed symptoms of deep vein thrombosis last June, and asked for a serious case review. Gareth Cain, pictured at the November inquest, has welcomed the further investigation into his late wife's death . The inquest had heard that Rebecca had diagnosed herself with Deep Vein Thromboses after noticing pain and swelling in her right calf. She had asked the walk-in clinic for help, but a nurse at the centre relied on a computerised guide to diagnose Rebecca, rather than rely on her experience as a nurse. Rebecca, a marketing executive, was told by the nurse her problems were 'definitely muscular'. Gareth told the inquest his wife was in tears, saying the nurse had 'fobbed her off'. A few days later, while visiting friends in Harrogate, Mrs Cain collapsed and died hours later in hospital, where doctors diagnosed DVT. Mr Fell ordered a full review into the 'serious failure'. The walk-in centre used to be managed by an organisation called CitiHealth NHS Nottingham. It is now run by the Nottingham City Care Partnership, which provides services for NHS Nottingham City. A previous investigation was carried out by independent consultants Verita, which found two previous incidents of deep vein thrombosis being overlooked at the centre, in 2002 and 2008. A spokesperson for NHS Nottingham City said: 'Following the death of Mrs Cain an independent investigation was undertaken into the care and treatment she received. 'The report from this investigation made recommendations which have now been fully implemented, including additional training for staff. 'In addition, we have also ensured that the computer system used to diagnose patients has been modified to minimise the risk of any future misdiagnoses. 'We have met with the family of Mrs Cain to ensure that they are satisfied with the actions taken and to address any remaining questions they had. Mrs Cain visited the Nottingham NHS Walk-In Centre in 2009 after developing leg pain . 'We will now be reviewing all correspondence from the coroner and proactively seeking to work with both him and the Department of Health to resolve any outstanding concerns. 'We again extend our sympathies to the family of Mrs Cain and wish to reassure patients that we are committed to ensuring that they are safe and protected whilst in our care.' As the case has been referred to the Secretary of State this means the Department of Health will now review the paperwork to check all the recommendations have been adhered to. The Secretary of State will then either write to the coroner and say he is satisfied, or say he is not satisfied and ask NHS Nottingham City to do more to implement the recommendations. | Rebecca told husband nurse had 'fobbed her off' days before she died . |
270,165 | e9e4299ab87c2a92cbe39bca56969d8e9223dd38 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 05:43 EST, 31 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:07 EST, 31 May 2012 . Controversial: Green Party member Mark Haworth-Booth, has boasted about his prowess with a gun alongside images of squirrels, rabbits and birds on his blog . A Green Party member who supports the RSPB has been branded a hypocrite after he went on a killing spree which included a bird, rabbits and squirrels. Mark Haworth-Booth, who stood to be a councillor in North Devon, has been displaying the bodies of animals he shot in his garden on his personal blog. Proudly, on the same page, he also says he supports the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Birds, despite admitting shooting dead a Jackdaw. His blog entries shows on the same day in May 2011 he also shot a squirrel, and a month later killed two more. He also killed, skinned and ate several rabbits. And wildlife lovers say it’s not something they expect from a green campaigner. Former North Devon Councillor Joanne Bell condemned Mr Haworth-Booth. She said: 'Not only does Mark clearly enjoy taking his gun into his garden to shoot squirrels and birds but he actually takes pictures and posts them on his blog. 'He goes on to describe the dead animals in very poetic and flowery terms. He’s clearly proud of his prowess with the gun.' Mr Haworth-Booth a former curator at . the Victoria and Albert Museum from 1970 to 2004 and now an Honorary . Research Fellow there, has defended his position. He said: 'In deference to the sensitivities of some lovers of wildlife, I have removed my blog from the Internet,' he said. Dead: Mr Haworth-Boooth put up this picture showing a rabbit he had skinned . 'I think I’m right in saying Jackdaws considered a pest and grey squirrels are widely considered a menace to forestry. 'The Exmoor Society, of which I’m a member, sees the grey squirrel as public enemy number one.' Mr Haworth-Booth didn’t think his actions were at odds with his image as an environmentalist. 'I think anyone who’s seriously interested in the countryside would share my view of the grey squirrel,' he said. Questionable: A rabbit is left hanging by the legs in his garage after it was shot and killed . However, Mr Haworth-Booth did confess to feeling ashamed after shooting a jackdaw. He said: 'I looked at it and it was a beautiful creature, but I had checked with the RSPB to see if it’s classified as a pest.' Mr Haworth-Booth also dismissed Mrs Bell’s claims that he was proud of his marksmanship. 'That’s complete nonsense,' he said. 'If you’re going to kill a rabbit you want to be as good a shot as you can be. 'You don’t want the rabbit to crawl away wounded and in pain.' He went on: 'As regards rabbits, I shot a small number for the table and one because it was dying a horrible death from myxomatosis. Although our household is mostly vegetarian, we do eat meat occasionally. 'A number of people feel that if you are prepared to eat meat you should be prepared to face up to the consequences. 'Thus I skinned and butchered the rabbits myself. After shooting and eating six or eight rabbits over a two year period, myxomatosis returned and decimated the rabbit population. Now their numbers are building up again I’m glad to say, because I like seeing them in the garden. I have not shot any since the disease returned.' Victims: A squirrel and a jackdaw lay dead on the grass in another photo from the blog . The Green Party has today distanced itself from the case saying it 'does not support or condone the actions taken by Mark. 'There are non-lethal ways of removing so called pests and Mark fully intends to use these measures in future. We understand that the rabbits were for the table bar one which was put out of its misery from myxomatosis,' a spokesman said. Diana Lewis, founder of the North Devon Animal Ambulance, said as far as her organisation was concerned all creatures should be entitled to freedom and treated with compassion. She said: 'Unfortunately if he’s doing it with the correct calibre rifle and no suffering is caused then he’s not doing anything illegal but personally I find it very sad.' An RSPCA spokesman added: 'Wherever possible the RSPCA would always prefer alternative solutions and only if there is a serious problem and alternative means are ineffective or impractical should killing be contemplated. 'In this case control should be carried out legally, precisely targeted and carried out by the most humane method available in the circumstances.' | Mark Haworth-Booth, who stood to be a councillor in North Devon, put graphic kill-pictures on his blog .
One shows a rabbit that appears to have been skinned with some scissors .
Another shows a squirrel and a jackdaw lying dead on the grass .
'In deference to the sensitivities of some lovers of wildlife, I have removed my blog from the Internet,' he said . |
126,837 | 2ff6248fa2372d9b06014a6e5026246d718d2d2e | (CNN) -- I once asked a president of the Central African Republic, Ange-Félix Patassé, to give up a personal monopoly he held on the distribution of refined oil products in his country. He was unapologetic. "Do you expect me to lose money in the service of my people?" he replied. That, in a nutshell, has been the problem of Africa. Very few African governments have been on the same wavelength as Western providers of aid. Aid, by itself, has never developed anything, but where it has been allied to good public policy, sound economic management, and a strong determination to battle poverty, it has made an enormous difference in countries like India, Indonesia, and even China. Those examples illustrate another lesson of aid. Where it works, it represents only a very small share of the total resources devoted to improving roads, schools, heath services, and other things essential for raising incomes. Aid must not overwhelm or displace local efforts; instead, it must settle with being the junior partner. Opinion: Why foreign aid is important for Africa . Because of Africa's needs, and the stubborn nature of its poverty, the continent has attracted far too much aid and far too much interfering by outsiders. From the start, Western governments tried hard to work with public agencies, but fairly soon ran up against the obvious limitations of capacity and seriousness of African states. Early solutions were to pour in "technical assistance," i.e. foreign advisers who stayed on for years, or to try "enclave" or turn-key projects that would be independent of government action. More recently, Western agencies have worked with non-government organizations or the private sector. Or, making a virtue of necessity, they have poured large amounts of their assistance directly into government budgets, citing the need for "simplicity" and respect for local "sovereignty." Through all of this, the development challenge was always on somebody else's shoulders and governments have been eager receivers, rather than clear-headed managers of Western generosity. In the last 20 years, some states -- like Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Mali -- have broken the mould, recognized the importance of taking charge, and tried to use aid more strategically and efficiently. Some commentators would add Benin, Zambia, and Rwanda to that list. But most African governments remain stuck in a culture of dependence or indifference. There are still too many dictators in Africa (six have been in office for more than 25 years) and many elected leaders behave no differently. In Zambia last year, journalist Chansa Kabwela sent photographs of a woman giving birth on the street outside a major hospital (where she had been refused admission) to the president's office, hoping he would look into why this had happened. Instead, the president, Rupiah Banda, ordered the journalist prosecuted for promoting pornography. She was later acquitted. Government callousness is one thing. Discouraging investors is even worse. No aid professional ever suggested that outside help was more important than private effort; on the contrary, foreign aid was intended to help lay the foundations for greater public confidence and private savings and investment. Few economists thought that aid would create wealth, although most hoped that it would help distribute the benefits of growth more evenly. It was plain that institutions, policy, and individual effort were more important than money. So, where -- despite decades of aid -- the conditions for private savings and investment are still forbidding, it is high time we ask ourselves why we are still trying to improve them. The Blair Commission Report on Africa in 2005 reported that 70,000 trained professionals leave Africa every year, and until they -- and the 40 percent of the continent's savings that are held abroad -- start coming home, we need to use aid more restrictively. An obvious solution is to focus aid on the small number of countries that are trying seriously to fight poverty and corruption. Other countries will need to wait -- or settle with only small amounts of aid -- until their politics or policies or attitudes to the private sector are more promising. We should also consider introducing incentives for countries to match outside assistance with greater progress in raising local funds. President Obama is being criticized for increasing U.S. contributions to the international fight against HIV/AIDS by only two percent, with the result that people in Uganda are already being turned away from clinics and condemned to die. When challenged, U.S. officials have had a fairly solid answer. Uganda has recently discovered oil and gas deposits but has gone on a spending spree, reportedly ordering fighter planes worth $300 million from Russia, according to a recent report in the New York Times. Does a government that shows such wanton disregard for common sense or even good taste really have the moral basis for insisting on more help with AIDS? We must not be distracted by recent news of Africa's "spectacular" growth and its sudden attractiveness to private investment. Some basic things are changing on the continent, with real effects for the future; above all, Africans are speaking out and refusing to accept tired excuses from their governments. But the truth is that most of Africa's growth -- based on oil and mineral exports -- has not made a whit of difference to the lives of most Africans. Political freedoms shrank on the continent last year, according to the U.S.-based Freedom House index. A quarter of school-age children are still not enrolled, according to World Bank statistics; many of those that are, are receiving a very mediocre education. And agricultural productivity -- the key to reducing poverty -- is essentially stagnant. The really good news is likely to stay local and seep out in small doses, until it eventually overwhelms the inertia and indifference of governments. Five years ago, Kenya managed to double its tax revenues because a former businessman, appointed to head the national revenue agency, took a hatchet to the dishonest practices of many tax collectors. He had every reason to do so. Only five percent of Kenya's budget comes from foreign aid, compared with 40 percent in neighboring countries. This is a good example of the sometimes-perverse effects of aid, but also of the importance of imagination and individual initiative in promoting a better life for Africans. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Robert Calderisi. | Africa has attracted too much aid and interfering by outsiders, says Robert Calderisi .
Most African governments remain stuck in a culture of dependence or indifference .
After decades of aid, conditions for private savings and investment are still forbidding .
Imagination and individual initiative important in promoting a better life for Africans. |
192,204 | 84da7e7acedeb0623d538a887a87c1b1e82ed0d7 | England insist they have followed the latest concussion protocol after selecting Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley to face South Africa a week after both suffered blows to the head against the All Blacks. Northampton lock Lawes was forced to leave the field in the first half of the 24-21 defeat in the QBE series opener against the world champions with an angry, egg-shaped swelling around his left temple. Despite failing a pitch-side test to determine whether he was concussed, the 25-year-old has been passed fit after subsequent examinations and procedures. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch England training at Pennyhill Park ahead of Saturday's Test . Head coach Stuart Lancaster insists England have followed the latest concussion protocol . Under previous guidelines, Lawes and Hartley would have faced a mandatory three-week rest period after being diagnosed with concussion. Now they are preparing for a high-intensity contest just seven days later but England head coach Stuart Lancaster is adamant that players’ welfare is being protected. He said: ‘The whole process has been ratified at the highest level and we’ve got to trust the process. Certainly from my dealings with Courtney this week, he’s been symptom-free from Sunday. ‘He’s gone through the graduated return — cycling, running, non-contact skills — and he’s ticked every box. So it’s pretty comprehensive. He and I and the medical team and everyone feel very happy that he’s ready to play.’ Courtney Lawes (right) will start against South Africa despite suffering a nasty head injury last Saturday . Asked to confirm that Lawes was not involved in any training early in the week, Lancaster added: ‘He wasn’t involved in contact training. I can’t remember that. I’ll need to check the tape. I don’t remember him being involved in any training. He basically stood in the line-out. He wasn’t involved in Tuesday training.’ Lawes is satisfied that his long-term health had been given due consideration before he was selected to face the Boks. ‘As a player, you’ve always got to think of your well-being, especially when you’ve got a family,’ he said. Dylan Hartley (left) also suffered a blow to the head against New Zealand but will start against South Africa . ‘But at the same time, you know you are in good hands. I knew that the England doctor was not going to let me play if I wasn’t right. ‘I didn’t get knocked out and concussed as badly as I have done in the past. In the past, I’ve had a bit of memory loss. At the weekend, I didn’t have any memory loss. I had a big egg on my head, which was quite painful, and I failed the numbers test. They give you four numbers that you have to repeat in reverse order, then five and six. ‘I didn’t really have any symptoms, other than a splitting headache after I got hit in the head. The next day I woke up and felt fine. There weren’t any symptoms, other than a distorted face! To be honest I’ve never had symptoms the day after a game. Bath winger Anthony Watson (left) will make his first run-on start for England against the Springboks . 'When you’ve been knocked out you’re unable to remember much that has happened in the game. It’s a bit like you’re dreaming.’ As expected, England have promoted Bath wing Anthony Watson to the starting XV in place of the injured Semesa Rokoduguni, with Marland Yarde added to the bench. Tom Wood had been a slight injury doubt but he was cleared to play in the back row. Watson has long been a favourite of World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward and Lancaster said: ‘Anthony has been pushing hard for a while and has been in impressive form for Bath and in training with us. It was great that he got on against New Zealand and we feel he is ready to start.’ | England lock Courtney Lawes and hooker Dylan Hartley both left the action at Twickenham last Saturday with head injuries .
The Saints duo have both been passed fit to take on the Springboks .
Under previous guidelines, Lawes and Hartley would have faced a mandatory three-week rest period after being diagnosed with concussion .
Head coach Stuart Lancaster is adamant that players’ welfare is being protected . |
248,798 | cdef286d2e025aeaf5a6f71b8d8db14a686e21b6 | (CNN) -- More than two years after a chimpanzee mauled her, Charla Nash will once again be able to eat solid foods and regain her sense of smell thanks to a full face transplant, doctors at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital said Friday. "I am happy to report that the team has achieved tremendous success," said Dr. Elof Eriksson, chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery. Surgeons also transplanted two hands to Nash, but they didn't thrive and were removed. In February 2009, Sandra Herold had called her friend Nash for help in getting her pet chimpanzee, Travis, back inside her house after he used a key to escape. When Nash arrived, the chimp, who had been featured in TV commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy, jumped on her and began biting and mauling her, causing serious injuries to her face, neck and hands. Police shot Travis to halt the attack and he later died of gunshot wounds. Doctors say they see Nash as more than an animal attack victim. "To us, Charla is a courageous, strong person. (She) inspired the team to do everything possible, using our collective expertise, to restore her quality of life," Plastic Surgeon Director Dr. Bohdan Pomahac said. Nash's face transplant was different than others done before because of the extent of damage to it, the doctors said. She is the third person at Brigham and Women's Hospital to receive a full face transplant; Dallas Wiens was the first in the United States to have such a surgery in March, also at the hospital. Nash is the second to receive a double-hand transplant at the same time as a face transplant; the first was performed in France in 2009. That patient died of a heart attack in a later operation. Nash had lost her nose, upper jaw, most of the soft tissue on her face, and both upper and lower lips. She was also left blind. The surgery, which was performed last month, involved removing some tissue and attaching skin and underlying muscle, based on vessels and nerves that provide motor and sensory functions, Pomahac said. The entire hard palate and teeth were also transplanted. The result was "miraculous," said Nash's brother, Steve. The thing Nash is most looking forward to, her brother said, was visiting their favorite hot dog stand. As for the double hand transplant, doctors successfully attached the new hands, but a few days later Nash became sick and her blood pressure fell, causing circulation problems to the new limbs. After a few days, doctors saw that the hands were not thriving and removed them. In the next three months, Nash will regain sensation to her face, and in six to nine months will be able to smile, control her lips and otherwise make facial expressions, Pomahac said. "All these things will gradually improve," he said. Nash skipped her child's high school graduation because she was afraid of taking away from the occasion, but thanks to the transplant, can look forward to being present for college graduation, Pomahac said. The surgery will give her a chance to have a more normal social life, he said. | Charla Nash was attacked by a chimpanzee in 2009 .
She underwent a face transplant last month .
Her brother calls the results "miraculous" |
111,107 | 1b4583a1e279fa142e728b8e7b8b026da0662d53 | (CNN) -- Venezuela's top prosecutor says divers have recovered the remains of five people from the wreckage of an airplane that Italian fashion mogul Vitorrio Missoni was flying in earlier this year. Investigators are still collecting DNA samples and other information necessary to identify the bodies, Attorney General Luisa Ortega told reporters. The plane disappeared on January 4 as it left the Caribbean archipelago of Los Roques for the international airport outside Caracas, about 90 miles away. Missoni, his wife, and four others -- including a pilot and copilot -- were on board. All are presumed dead. Weeks after the small aircraft disappeared, a family spokeswoman said a bag from the plane had been discovered on the Caribbean island of Curacao. Search teams spotted the wreckage in June, 13 nautical miles from Gran Roque island and nearly 250 feet underwater. Crews combed the wreckage site last week in three dives to recover remains and other material from the wreckage, Ortega said. The attorney general met with family members of the Venezuelan victims of the crash on Monday to report on the progress of the investigation. They extracted the remains of five bodies, she said, but could not obtain any samples from the sixth body because it was in a location that was difficult to reach. Crews also recovered flight information, which will be used to determine what caused the plane crash, Ortega said. Missoni, 58, ran the famed Missoni fashion house with his siblings, Luca and Angela. Neither sibling was on the plane. The fashion house, which boasts such celebrity clients as Katie Holmes, Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie, is a high-end label known for its patterned knitwear and signature zigzag stripe. The private company, based in Milan, Italy, has estimated annual sales of between $75 million and $100 million. The brand, created in 1953 as a knitwear workshop in Gallarte, Italy, has expanded from apparel to housewares, a fragrance line and a chain of hotels. Missoni and his siblings took over the brand in 1996 with an eye toward marketing to a younger consumer. The fashion house partnered with Target in 2011 to produce a more budget-friendly collection for the discount retailer, which caused Target's website to crash because of the high demand. CNN's Joe Sterling, Alex Hunter and Jessica King contributed to this report. | Investigators are still collecting information necessary to identify the bodies .
Venezuela's attorney general says remains of five people have been recovered .
Crews combed the wreckage site last week in three dives . |
90,445 | 0059dd4d3cb092bb3ff6b5fe03e07e05adf79a3d | Indonesia's vice president says they will reimburse Australia's $1 billion in tsunami relief aid if it's 'deemed not humanitarian' after Tony Abbott's tough talk on clemency for the Bali Nine was taken as a threat. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Australia was one of 56 countries to send aid to Indonesia when the Boxing Day tsunami hit in 2004, but the government was ready to pay back the money if that's what the country wanted, the Jakarta Post reports. 'If the aid is deemed not humanitarian in nature, we will pay it back,' he said. Scroll down for video . Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the government was ready to pay back the $1 billion in aid for the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 if that's what the Australia wanted . Mr Abbott has been widely criticised for reminding Indonesia about the $1 billion that Australia provided as he urged mercy for death row drug smugglers Andrew Chan (back) and Myuran Sukumaran (front) Mr Abbott has been widely criticised for reminding Indonesia about the $1 billion that Australia provided as he urged mercy for death row drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The comments sparked a sharp rebuke from the Indonesian government, with the country's foreign affairs ministry spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, hitting back by saying 'no one responds well to threats'. Indonesians also started a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #CoinForAustralia to gather coins to return to Mr Abbott after he suggested the country should 'reciprocate in this way at this time'. Mr Kalla said the coin collection campaign was an expression of people's emotional response to Mr Abbott's statements. The Prime Minister later clarified his remarks saying he was simply reminding Indonesia about the 'strength and depth' of the friendship between both countries. Indonesians started a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #CoinForAustralia to gather coins to return to Mr Abbott in response to his comments last week . Mr Kalla said the coin collection campaign was an expression of people's emotional response to Mr Abbott's statements . Furious Twitter users took to the social media site to display their donation to the refund campaign for Mr Abbott, claiming Indonesia does not need Australia's help and should not be indebted to the country . Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has been leading a carefully crafted campaign to spare the Bali Nine ringleader's lives, admitted on Tuesday Mr Abbott's comments were seen as unhelpful in Indonesia. 'I spoke to the vice president to make it quite clear that the PM did not intend to link it in an unhelpful way,' she told the ABC on Tuesday. 'We are there when Indonesia needed us. Vice President Kalla accepted that that's the way the words should be taken.' In the latest development, lawyers for the two men are launching a last ditch review of the presidential rejection of their clemency pleas. Mr Abbott, pictured with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, later clarified saying he was simply reminding Indonesia about the 'strength and depth' of the friendship between both countries . Sukumaran (left) and Chan (right) were due to be transferred this week from Bali to a high-security prison on Kambangan island ahead of their execution . Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has been leading a carefully crafted campaign to spare the Bali Nine ringleader's lives, admitted on Tuesday Mr Abbott's comments were seen as unhelpful in Indonesia . Ms Bishop said she didn't want to say anything publicly which could affect the outcome of that appeal. In the meantime the government continues to make appeals at every level of Indonesia's government, she said. Sukumaran and Chan were due to be transferred this week from Bali to a high-security prison on Kambangan island ahead of execution. | Vice President Jusuf Kalla says Indonesian government is ready to pay back $1 billion in aid to Australia .
Australia was one of 56 countries to give relief after 2004 tsunami .
Tony Abbott reminded Indonesia about aid as he urged mercy for Bali Nine drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran .
Comments were widely criticised and seen as 'threat' by Indonesia .
Indonesian's started Twitter campaign to gather coins to give back aid .
Mr Abbott later clarified Australia has always been a friend of Indonesia . |
147,354 | 4a82b9d4c840cde6421c2602cf18ce59bec741c5 | (CNN) -- A $10 million payout is not bad for four days' work. That's the potential prize on offer for one lucky golfer at the East Lake Golf Club course in Atlanta, Georgia in the final leg of the FedEx Cup. After three grueling back-to-back playoff events -- the Barclays, the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship -- 125 starters have been whittled down to a select few. Just 29 now remain -- 30th-ranked Dustin Johnson is on a leave of absence -- going into Thursday's Tour Championship, but only one can hit the jackpot. "Retirement would happen a lot quicker if I win the FedEx Cup," Masters champion Bubba Watson told the PGA Tour's official website. Watson is one of just five men -- Chris Kirk, Billy Horschel, Rory McIlroy and Hunter Mahan are the others -- who are in control of their own destiny. That elite quintet have earned their stripes after earning enough points in the earlier stages of the FedEx Cup, as well as over the whole of the 2014 PGA Tour season. Due to the way the competition is structured, victory Sunday for one of the five would secure them the $1.44 million Tour Championship as well as the FedEx Cup, which brings with it that elusive $10 million jackpot, as Henrik Stenson managed to do last year. That victory was made all the more sweeter for the Swede given that he'd reportedly lost several million dollars in Allen Stanford's $7 billion Ponzi scheme, which was uncovered in 2009. A slip-up in Atalanta, meanwhile, will not discount them from golf's biggest prize completely, but they will be relying on their overall points tally for the season to ultimately prove superior to any of their rivals . Earning $3 million for a second-placed finish or $2 million for third would not be the end of the world, either. "We're trying to challenge ourselves, and this is what we have to play, this is what we have to do if we want to improve on the FedEx Cup or win a golf tournament," Watson adds. "We have to play well." The rest of the field, however, will be left sweating on the performances of others even if they become the latest name to be inscribed on the Tour Championship trophy. While sixth-ranked Jimmy Walker -- 1,100 points off leader Kirk -- could well come out on top with a win or even a second-place finish, 29th-ranked Gary Woodland -- 2,280 points behind Kirk -- would need something of a minor miracle. Americans Mahan, Kirk and Horschel go into Thursday's opening round with confidence off the back of their respective Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship wins. Likewise Rory McIlroy is still basking in his summer of success which brought with it the British Open and U.S. PGA Championship, as well as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, in the space of four weeks. The world No. 1's best finish in the playoffs was a tie for fifth two weeks ago in Boston. It has been a relentless summer, not just for the Northern Irishman, but for all involved in the world of golf -- 13 weeks have passed since the U.S. Open began on June 12, and in that time three majors, a World Golf Championships event and three of the four FedEx Cup playoffs have all come and gone. Of the field in Atlanta, Patrick Reed has teed up the most often in that period, starting 11 times. This year's Ryder Cup, starting on September 26, has meant the FedEx Cup playoffs have had to take place back-to-back straight after the PGA Championship -- a schedule the U.S. tour's commissioner Tim Finchem admits has been something of a mistake. "Four in a row doesn't really work," Finchem told the PGA Tour's official website. "So we understand that. We didn't like it this year. We're not going to do it going forward. So that's that." But Watson, who topped the U.S. Ryder Cup qualification standings, professes to being unconcerned about the lack of a bye week in the playoffs schedule this year. "It's just something that we have to deal with. Think about it; the money they are putting up, the money we are playing for, the retirement dollars, you make it work," he told reporters. "You'll figure out a way to show up on the tee." | Twenty-nine competitors will battle it out for the FedEx Cup this week .
The Tour Championship leg of the playoffs takes place at the East Lake Golf Club .
A prize fund of $10 million is on offer for the winner of the playoffs .
The fourth and final tournament also offers its own $1.44 million prize . |
112,101 | 1c989c49ee0fed91ba3f3d063bbc50cbc9d8b84e | By . Luke Salkeld . PUBLISHED: . 13:54 EST, 4 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:11 EST, 4 January 2013 . A World War II veteran has spoken of his dismay after his home was targeted by burglars who stole a watch given to him as a memento of his days in the RAF. Graham Furley, 91, has just been awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours for his charity fundraising. He was asleep when his home was burgled by thieves who stole his wallet and iPhone as well as a watch with a gold Spitfire on the face - a reminder of his days as an RAF pilot. Hero: Graham Furley (pictured) was burgled only days after he was awarded a British Empire Medal . Two other watches were also taken from his home in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Mr Furley, who dropped paratroopers over North Africa in 1944 and flew mercy missions over Burma said yesterday of his stolen belongings: ‘The iPhone had everything I needed to know on it and I could always keep in touch.’ He added: ‘The police have been excellent - I hope they catch the perishers.’ The raid on Mr Furley’s house took place on New Year’s Day. Charitable: Mr Furley was awarded a British Empire Medal (pictured) for his charity work. He is well known in Stroud for towing a Santa's sleigh behind his white VW Beetle to raise funds at Christmas . After forcing their way in through a side window, burglars took the Spitfire watch, which has a white metal strap, two watches with multi-dials and brown straps, a brown leather wallet, debit and credit cards, and the black Apple iPhone. Police Sergeant Jo Fletcher said: ‘This gentleman is one of the country’s heroes, having courageously served in the Second World War. ‘This remarkable man put his life on the line to protect the nation and ensure freedom for future generations and then continued in his civilian life by devoting himself to charity work.’ He added: ‘For someone to break into his house is a despicable act and whoever has done this should be ashamed of themselves. ‘We are calling on anyone who knows anything about this burglary to come forward and help us catch those responsible.” Former garage proprietor Mr Furley is a popular figure in Stroud where he is well known for towing a Santa’s sleigh behind his white VW Beetle to raise funds at Christmas time. Last week he said he was ‘mystified’ at being awarded the BEM for his services raising thousands of pounds over several decades for Stroud Hospital. His main job as a pilot in his early 20s was to deliver new planes over the Atlantic. Then after the Second World War, his time in Burma as a pilot was a ‘turning point’ in his life. Making aid drops to civilians, he spotted a village which had been razed to the ground. He urged his senior ranks to allow an extra drop. Veteran: Mr Furley's main job as a pilot in his early 20s was to deliver new planes over the Atlantic . ‘We did so and tipped our wings on the way out, then a week later a man arrived with a wooden box he had made,’ said Mr Furley. ‘I was told he had walked for a week through the jungle to say thank you. I’ve always valued people saying thank you since then.’ Mr Furley’s daughter, Jane Oldmeadow, said it was worrying to think that her father could be honoured in recognition of his services to the community on one day and two days later have his home broken into. Mrs Oldmeadow, 60, said: ‘He’s quite a strong character, so he’s quite cross about it - the fact that they’ve been in and taken his bits and pieces that matter to him.’ The Spitfire watch was a present from his daughter intended to honour his years as a wartime RAF pilot. Anyone with information that could help the investigation should call police on 101 quoting incident 309 of January 1, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. | Thieves broke into Graham Furley's Gloucestershire home as he slept .
They took his iPhone, wallet and a collection of watches .
The veteran was awarded the British Empire Medal in New Year's Honours . |
20,564 | 3a59f69abb460a625ff50ac6d8676ddcafbad48f | Washington (CNN) -- As the nation celebrated the start of another term for President Barack Obama, Republican congressional leaders had a muted, bipartisan response to his second inaugural address. Obama's speech ties current issues to founding principles . "Today is a day for all of us in this country to come together," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, told CNN, when asked about the president's speech. "It really doesn't matter who you voted for, which side you're on," Cantor added. "Today is a day we can all come together." Cantor said the president's speech addressed the issue of upward mobility, a topic of shared concern across party lines. Transcript: Read Obama's second inaugural address . When asked about online reaction to the speech from Republicans who felt it was too aggressive and too liberal, Cantor again refused to engage in partisan terms. Opinion Roundup: Obama's ringing defense of liberalism . "I think the president did a fine job certainly laying out what he would like to see happen as far as the future of the country," the second-highest ranking Republican leader in the House said. "There are plenty of areas of disagreement but there are also some things that, fundamentally, we agree on -- and that is this country is one of opportunity," he continued. Cantor added that there were partisan differences over "the way we get there to help everybody. ... Hopefully, we can bridge those differences." Cantor's remarks echoed a sentiment shared by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in a written statement issued as Monday's ceremony at the Capitol was beginning to wrap up. "Every four years on Inauguration Day, America shows the world that our major political parties can disagree with civility and mutual respect," McConnell wrote. The Senate's top Republican said Obama's second term represented a "fresh start" for addressing big challenges facing the country, including the issues of federal spending and debt. "Republicans are eager to work with the president on achieving this common goal and we firmly believe that divided government provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Together, there is much we can achieve." Obama, near the end of his inaugural address on Monday, made what appeared to be an oblique reference to the partisan battles between himself, the GOP-controlled House and the Senate -- where Democrats have control but do not have a filibuster-proof majority. Boehner faces own challenges as Obama's second term begins . House GOP to vote on three-month extension of debt ceiling . "Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness," the president said to the nearly one million people gathered along the National Mall. "Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time -- but it does require us to act in our time. "For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today's victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall." Obama added that "the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction -- and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service." Asked about what occurred during Monday's lunch attended by the president and some members of Congress, Cantor said, "It's a very nice lunch. It is really a continuum of the spirit of the day where both sides come together. There's bipartisan representation at the tables. There's legislative branch, judicial branch, executive branch all sharing tables. And just nothing but good. Hopefully that kind of cooperative spirit can continue." Cantor said part of the reason the luncheon ran long was because Obama "went to every table and shook every hand." CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Cantor how long the bipartisan spirit and goodwill of Inauguration Day will linger. "We hope that this lasts," Cantor said, "and then that we can focus on solutions, bridging differences, setting aside differences and trying to focus on what we have in common as Americans." | House Majority Leader Eric Cantor: "Today is a day for all of us in this country to come together"
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: "The president's second term represents a fresh start"
Obama: "We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics"
Cantor: "Hopefully that kind of cooperative spirit can continue" |
189,659 | 819a1ab857eb6b95ff32f182182a3ca7a426fa10 | By . Candace Sutton . and Nathan Klein . and Rebecca English . The newly deposed Premier of New South Wales has gone missing after being blacklisted from the official welcoming ceremony for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In an embarrassing turn of events for Sydney's image, Mr O'Farrell was scheduled to greet the royal couple at Sydney airport and the Opera house just four hours after he was deposed from his position as state political leader over a scandal heard in a corruption inquiry over the gift of a (£1,600) $3,000 bottle of red wine. But the state's former leader has gone hiatus since stepping down, with his staff stating they 'have no idea where he is'. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Toughing it out: The newly deposed Premier of New South Wales says he will still greet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Sydney this afternoon, just four hours after stepping down as political leader . Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Kate and William are greeted by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife Margie, among others, upon arriving in Sydney with Prince George this afternoon . Storm in a bottle: Barry O'Farrell and his wife Rosemary (above, right) are due to welcome the Duke and duchess of Cambridge to Australia this afternoon, despite the fact he stepped down as premier of NSW over a scandal involving a $3,000 bottle of Grange Hermitage (above, left) just four hours before the royal arrival . Mr O’Farrell and his wife, Rosemary, were due to take part in the official line-up meeting the Duke and Duchess and their son, as well co-hosting a subsequent reception at Sydney Opera House. When the MailOnline contacted Mr O'Farrell's office this morning to ask whether he would still be attending the ceremony this afternoon, a spokesman said everything was 'businesss as usual'. But it was later revealed the former premier was struck off the guest list following his humiliating public statement after a corruption hearing, which could result in perjury charges. A spokesman for Mr O'Farrell later told the MailOnline they 'weren't quite sure where he is'. 'We have no idea where he is...honestly I wouldn't be able to find out,' the spokesman said. He also said Mr O'Farrell's public relations team, which normally handle media requests, 'didn't want to take any calls until everything has been sorted out'. The debacle didn't seem to faze Kate and Wills - nor their gorgeous eight-month-old Prince George - who stepped off the RAAF B737 at 2.35pm looking thrilled to be in Australia. The couple, who will be in Australia for 10 days, will visit Uluru (Ayers Rock), watch life savers on Manly Bay and visit the world famous Taronga Zoo with George, where a Bilby Enclosure is being named after the little prince. First today, however, was a formal welcome at the airport by Australian Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lady Cosgrove. The couple will host William, Kate and George at Admiralty House, their official residence in Kirribilli, during their stay in Sydney. Also present was the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Marie Bashir, Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife, Margie. First stop: Crowds are already gathered at the Sydney Opera House to catch a glimpse pf the royal couple who are due to be greeted by the Barry O'Farrell inside the concert hall just hours after he has stepped down as state political leader . Standing firm: despite resigning as Premier of New South Wales, Barry O'Farrell will still meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge this afternoon, although it is unclear how he will be introduced to the royal couple . A political storm had been brewing since Tuesday when Mr O'Farrell appeared as a witness before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and denied he had received a bottle of Australia's most famous red wine, Penfolds Grange Hermitage as a gift. The 1959 vintage bottle of Grange had reportedly been given to the Premier by the head of Australian Water Holdings, Nick Di Giromalo, who has links with the family of Eddie Obeid, a corrupt former politician currently under investigation. In evidence before the corruption hearing, Mr O'Farrell denied and his wife Rosemary received the wine in April 2011, saying they had been on holidays that Easter. However, the ICAC traced a telephone call from Mr O'Farrell to Mr Di Giromalo around that time. Both Mr O'Farrell and Rosemary O'Farrell are due to welcome William and Kate to Australia when they touch down at Sydney Airport, and again at a reception at Sydney Opera House before 400 invited guests. Mr O'Farrell's office at the NSW State Parliament told the MailOnline that 'at this stage' the now ex-Premier and his wife planned to go ahead with meeting and greeting the royal couple. It is unclear how Mr O'Farrell and his wife will be introduced to the Duke and Duchess. | Premier Barry O'Farrell banned from welcoming ceremony four hours after resigning .
Political scandal over a bottle of red wine forces him to step down .
His office says he will still meet William and Kate at Sydney Opera House .
Confusion over how the now ex-leader will be introduced to royal couple .
O'Farrell fell on political sword over $3,000 'gift' from boss of water firm .
Gift was a 55-year-old bottle of famous Australian red, Grange Hermitage .
Benefactor had links with one of Australia's most corrupt ex-politicians . |
237,690 | bfa3fdd73c35d28265e21f4feaa79542f4e60cc6 | Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- Five hundred kids screamed when singer Ne-Yo walked in on their holiday party on a recent Saturday bearing gifts and a message of hope. "This is the first famous person I actually met," exclaimed Tha Banks, 16, with a huge smile. Banks, a sports fan, got a new football autographed by the R&B superstar. Banks isn't Ne-Yo's typical fan -- he and the other teens at the party are part of Florida's foster care system, all seeking a life free from neglect and abuse. For the past five years, Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith has visited underprivileged children across the country, bringing toys, games, shoes and clothing as part of his charity's annual "giving tour." Ne-Yo and his mother, who is president of his foundation, recently visited six cities in six days, bringing Christmas gifts to more than 3,000 kids at Boys and Girls clubs, group homes and in foster care. He also talks to the children about his personal experiences. "I grew up pretty much like you all," Ne-Yo told the teens at the central Florida foster home. "We didn't have a lot of anything ... there was no silver spoon in my mouth." A father of two himself, Ne-Yo said he sees his children in the faces of the kids he meets at these events. "It's hard for me to fathom any parent that would abandon their kids for whatever reason," said Ne-Yo, the father of a 1-year-old and a 3-month-old. "That doesn't compute with me." The holiday party was organized by the Kids House of Seminole County, which cares for 2,300 kids each year between the ages of 3 and 18, including victims of neglect, and others who witness domestic violence, or experience physical or sexual abuse, according to Marcie Dearth of Kids House. "This is an annual party that kids host every year, but we never have had the celebrity presence that we did this year," Dearth said, calling Ne-Yo's visit "a lifetime experience." The kids frost cookies and decorate stockings for the holiday season -- a tough time for these children, who are separated from their families. "These events help fill that void, that excitement of the holiday spirit that all kids should have," said John Cooper, assistant secretary of operations for the Florida Department of Children and Families. More than 400,000 children are in the foster care system in the United States, according to a 2010 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report. With about 19,000 kids in foster care, Florida has the fourth-largest number of kids in state care, behind California, New York and Texas, according to the 2010 report. At the party, volunteers handed out wrapped presents donated by Ne-Yo's charity, the Compound Foundation; Toys for Tots; Coca-Cola; Mattel; Ubisoft and other corporate partners. Destiny Molina, 15, unwraps her gift: a box filled with bottles of nail polish. "You know what's funny," she says. "The girls at the other (foster) house stole my other nail polish, and I have been trying to buy it back." She turns to her friend to ask what she got. "Makeup," replies Karla Hurtado, 16. "Oh that's cute," Molina says. Molina said this was going to be a good Christmas, something that doesn't happen every year for children in foster care. "We don't have Christmases like this all the time," she said, a little choked up. Ne-Yo told the room full of kids that he was living, breathing proof that you need to find something that you love to do and "stick with it." He said something that motivates yet frustrates him is hearing foster kids referred to as "forgotten children." "All you need for success is drive, passion and one person to give a damn -- to give you a shot," Ne-Yo said. "And you have a room full of people like that." Mercedes Noble, 17, says she was grateful to meet Ne-Yo, who she said seemed to be a real person, just like her. The tall teen said foster care is not the best place to be at Christmas; everyone would rather be with their families. Noble said, though, "It's way better to be here with people who love and care for us than be at home and probably getting beat." With a big smile, the teen said, "I appreciate that he took time out of his life and come and show respect to us, kindness -- let us know that we are still human, we are still people and we still need love." | R&B star Ne-Yo brought holiday gifts to foster kids in six cities .
He and his mother run a foundation that helps underprivileged kids .
Ne-Yo, a father of two, tells the kids he also grew up without a lot of opportunities . |
141,509 | 42fa498a2984905fd0218aa58e151381893c8c95 | Anthony Trollope is one of the most celebrated novelists in the English language, a towering icon of the Victorian era who is feted by critics and adored by readers to this day. But now one of his famously lengthy works is being recast in the unlikely form of a comic book, pared down to fewer than a hundred pages of cartoon strips. The first Trollope ‘graphic novel’ is based on his relatively obscure work John Caldigate. The first Anthony Trollope 'graphic novel' is based on his relatively obscure work John Caldigate, and has been re-named Dispossession . Published in 1879, it is a story of bigamy, blackmail and betrayal set during the Australian gold rush, a very different milieu from the political and ecclesiastical intrigue of the Palliser novels and The Barchester Chronicles for which Trollope is best known. Under the new title of Dispossession, the comic book will be published next year in time for the bicentenary celebrations of Trollope’s birth. Dispossession has the same characters and plot as the original novel but it tells the story in a way that will surprise the writer’s legion of fans. Trollope is often to referred to as the Establishment’s favourite author, and his admirers include former Prime Minister Sir John Major, the Bishop of London Richard Chartres and Lord Fellowes, the Oscar-winning creator of Downton Abbey. Anthony Trollope is one of the most celebrated novelists in the English language, a towering icon of the Victorian era who is feted by critics to this day . Whereas Trollope’s novel ran to more than 600 pages and included no illustrations, the graphic version has just 96 pages and 576 separate images. Much of the narrative is delivered in the form of speech bubbles. It also includes 700 words of Wiradjuri, an Aboriginal language that does not feature in the original book. John Caldigate is a Victorian ne’er-do-well who graduates from Cambridge with gambling debts and begins a new life in the Australian goldfields. On the voyage he meets feisty widow Euphemia Smith, and the pair set up home in Australia. Caldigate returns to England alone after making his fortune and marries his childhood sweetheart, Hester Bolton. But his past comes back to haunt him when Euphemia turns up and accuses him of bigamy. Dr Simon Grennan, the artist and academic who has created the comic book, said he had chosen John Caldigate precisely because it wasn’t as well known as Trollope’s other novels. He said: ‘That opens up the opportunities for adaptation.’ His version includes Aboriginal and convict characters only hinted at by Trollope. Whereas Trollope's novel ran to more than 600 pages and included no illustrations, the graphic version (above) has just 96 pages, 576 separate images and much of the narrative is delivered in the form of speech bubbles . Grennan, a research fellow at the University of Chester, said: ‘Trollope set this story in New South Wales but did not make more of the miners, convicts and Aboriginals who lived there. 'I didn’t want that implausibility in Dispossession.’ Lord Fellowes welcomed the new version, which he hoped would introduce new readers to the author, saying: ‘Any road that leads to Trollope is worth taking.' | Works by novelist Anthony Trollope being recast as 'graphic' comic book .
First 'novel' is based on John Caldigate and will be renamed Dispossession .
Comic book will be published next year in time for bicentenary celebrations . |
46,142 | 81f493b60c66aa78de3ec8f1171af1f44adfce85 | By . Lizzie Parry . At first glance, these pictures appear to show a normal hand. But a closer inspection reveals a clever prosthetic in the place of the thumb. The silicone digit is the work of a German company, who specialise in individually-tailored prosthetics to meet the unique needs of people who lose fingers, hands, toes, feet or legs. The work is the brainchild of designers Alex Stamos and Christoph Braun, of Stamos and Braun Prosthesenwerk. At first glance, this picture appears to show a normal hand. But a closer inspection reveals there is a prosthetic digit in the place of the thumb, so life-like it is almost impossible to spot . The silicone prosthesis is the work of German company Stamos Braun Prothesenwerk, who aim to create individual designs tailored to each patient . Mr Braun said the ethos behind their designs is creating silicone prosthetic works of art. He said his partner started working with silicone 14 years ago, while he joined five years ago. Mr Braun, who has 18 years experience creating traditional prosthetics, told MailOnline: 'Individuality comes first. For every person and his or her needs are unique, and so are the restorations. 'Here each restoration is a small work of art. 'Alex does more of the individual silicone work while I build the prosthetic under the glove. 'We started our own business six months ago in Dresden, Germany with our special image and special prosthetics. 'We thought we need to make something special. We like to show people that a prosthetic doesn't need to look old and ugly. 'We like to give a good feeling to the patients. It is bad enough that they have lost something. 'So if we are able to make them happy with something cool, it feels good to everybody.' The prostheses vary in the time they take to craft, depending on the type of limb required and the level of customisation needed . The company, which also creates artistic prosthetics, left, was started by Alex Stamos and Christoph Braun, right, six months ago in Dresden, Germany . Christoph Braun, who has 18 years experience creating traditional prosthetics, said: 'Individuality comes first. For every person and his or her needs are unique, and so are the restorations' He said each prosthetic is individually designed and tailored to ensure the right skin colour is match and the prosthetic is as comfortable as possible. As a result the time it takes to create each prosthetic varies, case by case. 'If we only have a little thumb we can make it in one to two days,' he told MailOnline. 'But if we make an individual silicone cover for the whole arm or leg it will take us up to one week. 'And it also depends on the stump situation, sensitivity, the healing process and the wishes of the patient.' He said it is the finer details that make the difference, with finger and toenails crafted from acrylic, the same material used in beauty salons create fake nail extensions. Mr Braun admitted while the prosthetics they create are more realistic, they do not function as well as those with built-in bionics. But he said they allow people to live their day-to-day lives normally, and even allow musicians to continue playing their instruments. The prosthetics range in cost from £1,460 to £5,000 depending on the type of prosthetic and the time it takes to craft the false limb. | Silicone prostheses are work of Alex Stamos and Christoph Braun .
They created Stamos Braun Prosthesenwerk six months ago in Dresden .
The pair work with each individual patient to create incredibly life-like prosthetics tailored to their needs .
Nails are crafted from acrylic, the same material used in beauty salons to create nail extensions, allowing women to paint them .
Mr Braun said: 'For every person his or her needs are unique, and so are the restorations. We like to show that a prosthesis doesn't need to look ugly' |
122,313 | 2a1b17a6439387228ec8d2a11df6317527bc03aa | (CNN) -- Add Iran's news agency to the long list of those hoodwinked by the satire of The Onion. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency published a story Friday claiming that a Gallup poll found that rural white Americans prefer Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over President Barack Obama. Such a poll would indeed be big news in Iran (and the United States) -- if it were true. But the source was The Onion, the publication that presents the outlandish as real news. Its serious tone fools many who are new to the lampoons. Onion yarns have tricked news outlets in the U.S. and overseas. Ahmadinejad: I'm quite popular . What sets Fars apart from others, however, is that the agency published the Onion story as if it were its own. Fars News Agency used the story verbatim, giving the same headline: "Gallup Poll: Rural Whites Prefer Ahmadinejad To Obama" Fars also took all the credit at the get-go: . "TEHRAN (FNA) -- According to the results of a Gallup poll released Monday, the overwhelming majority of rural white Americans said they would rather vote for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than US President Barack Obama." (The Onion story used a Charleston, West Virginia, dateline.) The article went on to quote a West Virginia resident as saying he would rather grab a ballgame or a drink with the Iranian leader than with Obama. The phony resident then lauded Ahmadinejad: "He takes national defense seriously, and he'd never let some gay protesters tell him how to run his country like Obama does." If that weren't enough, Fars continued, "According to the same Gallup poll, 60 percent of rural whites said they at least respected that Ahmadinejad doesn't try to hide the fact that he's Muslim." A Fars news editor said Friday that the outlet took the item off its English-language website once editors realized that The Onion wasn't a legitimate news organization. Without breaking from its farce, Onion Editor Will Tracy wrote in an e-mail that Fars is a subsidiary and has been "our Middle Eastern bureau since the mid 1980s, when the Onion's publisher, T. Herman Zweibel, founded Fars with the government approval of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. "The Onion freely shares content with Fars and commends the journalists at Iran's Finest News Source on their superb reportage," Tracy wrote in his statement. There's no word on whether either president is laughing. CNN's Tricia Escobedo and Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report. | Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency falls for an Onion story .
Fars even steals the story, portraying it as its own .
Satirical paper jokes that poll finds rural white Americans prefer Ahmadinejad .
Once Fars discovered the farce, it removed the story from its English-language website . |
4,982 | 0e312fe573c19b98621179c00430af942eedc8e7 | The spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone this summer stemmed from one traditional healer’s funeral where 14 women were infected, experts have claimed. Scientists have studied the blood of recent victims and believe the funeral, in mid-May might have acted as a ‘super-spreader’ event. They say this is comparable to a case in 2003 in a hotel in Hong Kong where one doctor from China who had SARS infected nine other guests. These in turn spread the virus within the city and to other countries such as Canada and Vietnam. Scroll down for video . Scientists sequenced the virus found in 78 patients treated in the Kenema Government Hospital, pictured, in northern Sierra Leone close to the borders with Guinea and Liberia . The New York Times reports that the funeral took place in the diamond-mining community of Koindu. This lies near Guéckédou in neighbouring Guinea where the outbreak is believed to have started in December. The newspaper reports that the healer was known for treating a ‘mysterious illness’ which then turned out to be Ebola. Although this had already been the suspected cause, the New York Times reports that it was confirmed by geneticists at the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. They are understood to have sequenced the virus found in 78 patients treated in the Kenema Government Hospital in northern Sierra Leone close to the borders with Guinea and Liberia. The research was published in the journal Science. The spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone this summer stemmed from one traditional healer’s funeral where 14 women were infected, experts have claimed . The New York Times reports Dr W. Ian Lipkin from Columbia University as saying: ‘It’s frightening that a single event could catalyse a whole outbreak, but that’s what it looks like happened. He added that the research was a ‘really nice piece of work’. Experts also discovered that the West African strain of Ebola was different from the one that has been circulating in Central Africa, thousands of miles away, since the mid 1970s. But the newspaper reports that the two ‘probably diverged as far back as 2004’. The study’s co-author Dr Pardi C. Sabeti, a geneticist at Harvard, said in that time it may have been circulating in forest animals including bats and apes. But she added that ‘it could have been circulating in humans for 10 years with little or no notice.’ As of August 26, 422 people have died of Ebola in Sierra Leone while the outbreak has claimed the lives of 1,552 people across West Africa . Scientists say the research is helpful as tests to diagnose Ebola and vaccines being considered are based on the Central African strain. It means a current diagnostic test may not provide a clear positive if a patient had a ‘low viral load’ in the early stages of an infection, the newspaper reports. The news comes a day after it was revealed that Ebola had spread to a fifth nation in West Africa. A case of the deadly virus has been reported in Senegal, making it the first time a new country has been hit by the outbreak since July. As of August 26, 1,552 people had been confirmed dead from Ebola in four countries - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Liberia was the worst affected with 694 deaths; 422 people have died in Sierra Leone; and 430 in Guinea, where the virus emerged at the start of the year. Nigeria has now recorded six deaths. | Experts believe spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone came from one funeral .
14 women infected at funeral for one traditional healer near Guinea border .
Event may have acted as a 'super-spreader' according to US scientists .
Funeral took place in Sierra Leone diamond mining community of Koindu .
Geneticists traced outbreak by sequencing virus in 78 hospital patients . |
68,814 | c31f846cb1b5044139e740a182aa2ab3e277e05e | (OPRAH.com) -- When the first book of the "Twilight" series was released in October 2005, no one could have guessed the phenomenon it would become. Four years later, 70 million copies have been sold worldwide. The books have spent 143 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, and the first movie in "The Twilight Saga" grossed $380 million at the box office. The story, a love triangle between a vampire, a human and a werewolf, has ignited an international frenzy, and the woman behind it all is 35-year-old author Stephenie Meyer. Once a stay-at-home mom, Stephenie says the idea for "Twilight" came to her in a dream. "It was two people in kind of a little circular meadow with really bright sunlight, and one of them was a beautiful, sparkly boy and one was just a girl who was human and normal, and they were having this conversation. The boy was a vampire, which is so bizarre that I'd be dreaming about vampires, and he was trying to explain to her how much he cared about her and yet at the same time how much he wanted to kill her," Stephenie says. "It really captured my imagination." That dream became Chapter 13 of "Twilight." Oprah.com: Get your Twilight" primer . Before the night of the dream, Stephenie says she had lost herself a little in the work of motherhood. "I was really burned out. I really had gotten into that zombie mom way of doing things where I wasn't Stephenie anymore," she says. "[Writing "Twilight] was a release. That was the dam bursting. I'd been bottling up who I was for so long, I needed an expression." Though she'd been married for 15 years, Stephenie says she didn't tell her husband at first about her new passion. "My husband thought I'd gone crazy. I'd barely spoken to him because I had all these things going on in my head, and I wasn't telling him about this weird vampire obsession because I knew he'd freak out and think I'd lost my mind," she says. At first, Stephenie was documenting her dream only to make sure she would remember it, she says. "The dream was just something I was so interested in, and it was so different from what my everyday was at the time," she says. "I just wanted to remember it so badly. That's why I started writing it down -- not because I thought this would be a great story for a novel." Oprah.com: Read an excerpt from "Twilight" Though Stephenie had been an avid reader all her life, she says she was never a writer before "Twilight." "It seems kind of presumptuous to me [to think] anyone else would want to read the things that are in my head," she says. "I didn't think of it [as a book]. I did the dream. And then I wanted to see what would happen with them. It was just me spending time with this fantasy world, and then when it was finished it was like, 'This is long enough to be a book!'" Before "Twilight," Stephenie says she read every type of book except for horror. "That was the genre I just knew I was too chicken for," she says. "I read a little bit of everything. ... When I was 8, I was reading "Gone with the Wind" and "Pride and Prejudice" and all that, not knowing it wasn't my reading level." Oprah.com: Gift ideas for every reader on your list . Now that "Twilight" is a huge success, it's hard to imagine any literary agent rejecting it. But Stephenie says she'd submitted it to plenty of people before she was signed. "I got nine rejections, five no answers and then one 'I'd like to read more,'" she says. Stephenie says it was her sister who really pushed her to keep submitting it to more agents. "She was the only one in the world who knew what I was doing," she says. These days, the "Twilight"series is more than just a literary hit. The first two movies have also created a stir and catapulted three young stars into the limelight. British actor Robert Pattinson, who plays the lead vampire Edward Cullen, is now an international heartthrob. "I knew that the problem was going to be Edward, because he's the perfect vampire," Stephenie says. "How do you cast that from your pool of human actors?" When producers found Robert, Stephenie says it was a perfect fit. "He's got something about him. He doesn't look like everybody else. There's something unusual," she says. "There are moments where he looks exactly like he did in my head." Stephenie says casting Bella, the book's protagonist, was a bit easier. "There's plenty of people who look like the girl next door," she says. "We were really lucky [to cast] Kirsten Stewart, who is a phenomenal actress. I didn't know if we were going to get that caliber." Though Twi-hards, as fans are called, know most everything about the series, Stephenie says there is one secret she's never revealed before. "There was a different ending to "New Moon" originally," she says. "It was a much quieter book. It was very much all in Bella's head." Oprah.com: Are you a Twi-hard? Take the quiz! Stephenie says fans have her mother to thank for "New Moon's" current dramatic ending. "My mom's like: 'You know, Stephenie, maybe a little more action at the end would be a good idea. Maybe you need that,'" Stephenie says. "And she was right, as usual." Find out more about "New Moon" Her mother's suggestion prompted Stephenie to introduce the Volturi, an all-powerful coven of vampires living in Italy, sooner than she'd planned. "That's kind of my favorite part now, and it's there because my mom told me it would be better that way." From The Oprah Winfrey Show © 2009 . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer reveals her inspiration for the book .
"I really had gotten into that zombie mom way of doing things ..." before a dream .
Nine people rejected her book, five ignored it, one said "I'd like to read more"
Coven of vampires added to "New Moon" after her mom suggested more action at end . |
13,068 | 2515607745a11833aaadb4361a82a258cecca298 | The Dalai Lama bows in deference to the great man. He's joined by 20 other Dalai Lamas, assorted superheroes and a young woman dressed as a fish tank. They lend their voices along with thousands more in a resonating chorus of "Jonah, Jonah!" As the giant former New Zealand rugby star ambles around the perimeter of the stadium, the final of the Wellington Sevens tournament is being fought out between the host team and South Africa. But the game is almost won and the action on the field is momentarily forgotten as 30,000 spectators, bedecked in an array of outlandish and inventive fancy dress costumes, welcome back one of their own. In their eyes there's no such thing as a former All Black. Once an All Black always an All Black. But there are All Blacks and then there's Jonah Lomu. He became a global sporting phenomenon after his heroics at the 1995 World Cup, scoring four tries in a bulldozing semifinal performance against England that caught the attention of NFL talent scouts and made him a hero in his homeland. As well as presenting February's edition of CNN's Rugby Sevens Worldwide, Lomu was also presenting the Wellington Cup to the winners of the tournament. It's one of the goals which eluded him as a player in a sevens career which encompassed victory at the Commonwealth Games, World Cup and Sevens World Series. Born in Auckland, where he made his name as a rugby player, Lomu moved south to the capital for the final years of his domestic career before a kidney transplant halted his playing days -- though he would later recover health and continue with overseas clubs. During the final moments of the game at the Westpac Stadium, he stands at the touchline bellowing advice: "Numbers boys. Numbers!" His mind is on the pitch. The call of "numbers" means wherever you are on the pitch, you look up and count the opposition players from the outside in -- 1, 2, 3 -- to help you determine which player to line up to tackle. In a fast-flowing game such as sevens, it's a simple way of ensuring the New Zealand defense is solid. The swirling wind and rain which accompanied much of this tournament are far from unfamiliar to Wellingtonians. But the South Africans, who beat New Zealand in the previous final in Las Vegas, fail to cope with the conditions and a Kiwi side which has bounced back from a first-round defeat by Fiji. The increasingly frenzied home support gives the New Zealanders another edge. When the All Blacks walk onto the pitch for their warmup, the crowd roars. When they return to the dressing room it's as a human phalanx, each man's arms upon the shoulders of the man in front, the sublime leading the sublime in a display of togetherness behind their inspirational captain D.J. Forbes, whose shaved head gleams beneath the floodlights. The crowd roars louder. When the players run out onto the pitch for the game itself, the noise levels step up several more decibels. And when the foghorn sounds for the end of the final game, it's the signal for cheering, dancing and fist-pumping as diverse groups of peacocks, cavemen and women, bunches of human bananas and assorted other fruit share the joy of victory. The winners' podium is hastily assembled. Brooms are required to sweep water off the platform. Lomu waits to hand out condolences to the South Africans, and then a great grin spreads across his face as he embraces Captain Forbes and hands him the cup. The pyrotechnics which have become ubiquitous at sporting events of this nature backlight the celebrations, but as the New Zealand team descends the steps there's an extra treat for the crowd. The entire team whips off their shirts to unveil an abs-fest of the highest quality and unleash the traditional Maori war dance, the Haka. Watching it unfold is a grinning Jonah Lomu. "Nice one boys!" he shouts before joining them in more hugs and handshakes. Wellington could not have written a better script for the homecoming of its favorite adopted son. | Jonah Lomu is one of New Zealand's prodigal rugby sons .
Now retired, he was an ambassador at Wellington Sevens tournament .
Fans pay tribute to former All Blacks legend, who had a kidney transplant .
Lomu presents winners' trophy to New Zealand sevens captain D.J. Forbes . |
29,154 | 52cd712f0511262dd267a5379ae4a5d2b8084e45 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ap . Lawyers for an Irish nanny accused of killing a Massachusetts baby said Thursday that medical experts hired by prosecutors have concluded the child suffered bone fractures weeks before her death when she was not in the nanny's care. Aisling Brady McCarthy's lawyers said in a written motion that prosecutors recently gave them reports from two medical experts — one at Children's Hospital in Boston and the other at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami — who found that compression fractures to Rehma Sabir's spine were inflicted three to four weeks before her death in January 2013. The motion asks Judge S. Jane Haggerty to order prosecutors to give McCarthy's lawyers any other records and information related to the medical reports on the earlier injuries. Nanny: Brady McCarthy is accused of killing a 1-year-old girl who was in her care when she died in January of 2013 . During a pretrial hearing, also Thursday, McCarthy lawyer David Meier said the baby was 'literally on the other side of the globe,' traveling overseas with her mother during that time and not under McCarthy's care. Several weeks later, Rehma was taken to the hospital with severe head injuries on her first birthday. She died two days later. Prosecutors allege McCarthy was the baby's only caretaker when the fatal injuries were inflicted. Prosecutors did not immediately respond to the claims made by McCarthy's lawyers. The judge scheduled a hearing on the defense motion for Jan. 14, when she said she will also hear the defense request to release McCarthy on bail while she awaits her trial, scheduled to begin April 7. Mother: Brady's lawyers say the baby was traveling with her mother, Nada Siddiqui, when she sustained the injuries that killed her . MaryBeth Long, a spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, declined to comment specifically on the defense claims regarding the baby's earlier injuries, but said prosecutors will respond in writing and during the hearing next week. 'This is an important case and it will be tried in court,' Long said. Elliot Weinstein, a lawyer who represents the baby's parents, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. McCarthy's lawyers have previously complained that prosecutors presented information about the earlier bone fractures to the grand jury that indicted her, but offered no evidence linking McCarthy to those injuries. Attorney Melinda Thompson said during a hearing in September that prosecutors put evidence of the bone fractures before the grand jury 'to make it seem like my client was abusing this child.' Prosecutors have said that none of the witnesses who testified before the grand jury expressed an opinion on the cause of the bone fractures. McCarthy maintains that she had nothing to do with the baby's death and doesn't know what caused the child to not wake up . In the motion filed Thursday, the defense said the state's own experts have now concluded — a year after McCarthy was charged — that compression fractures to 10 of Rehma's thoracic vertebral bones were inflicted during a time when the baby was not with McCarthy. The girl's parents told police that McCarthy had been their nanny for about six months, caring for the baby in their apartment in Cambridge, just outside Boston. McCarthy lived in nearby Quincy. Prosecutors have said that Dr. Alice Newton, medical director of the Child Protection Team at Boston Children's Hospital, diagnosed the girl as a victim of abusive head trauma, which she said includes injuries caused by violent shaking and by striking the head or causing the head to strike another object or surface. After McCarthy's arrest, immigration officials said she was in the U.S. illegally after arriving from Ireland in 2002 under a program that authorized her to stay 90 days. | Lawyers say experts found injuries sustained weeks before the baby's death .
1-year-old Rehma Sabir was found dead in January 2013 while in the care of McCarthy .
Lawyers say the girl died from injuries sustained weeks earlier when she was 'on the other side of the globe' traveling with her mother . |
183,417 | 79941146e9f92298b32b5ad7ccea231a07ff9c73 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 17:43 EST, 30 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:35 EST, 1 August 2012 . A staff writer for The New Yorker has resigned and sales of his latest book suspended after he admitted to inventing quotes by Bob Dylan. Jonah Lehrer released a statement today through his publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt saying that some Dylan quotes which appeared in his book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, did 'not exist'. Others were 'unintentional misquotations, or represented improper combinations of previously existing quotes'. It Ain't Me Babe: Author Jonah Lehrer (right) resigned from his staff job at The New Yorker after he made up Bob Dylan quotes for his latest book . Lehrer said he acknowledged his actions after being contacted by Michael Moynihan of the online publication Tablet Magazine. Earlier today Tablet released an in-depth story on the Dylan passages in Imagine. In his statement, Lehrer wrote: 'I told Mr. Moynihan that they [the quotes in question] were from archival interview footage provided to me by Dylan's representatives. 'This was a lie spoken in a moment of panic. When Mr. Moynihan followed up, I continued to lie, and say things I should not have said. 'The lies are over now. I understand the gravity of my position. I want to apologize to everyone I have let down, especially my editors and readers.' On his Twitter account, Moynihan responded: 'Jonah Lehrer has resigned from the New Yorker and apologized to me. Not that this matters, but I accept his apology and wish him luck.' Among Lehrer's inventions was a quote . that first appeared in the famous documentary from the mid-1960s, Don't . Look Back, in which Dylan told a reporter about his songs: 'I just . write them. There's no great message.' In Imagine, Lehrer adds a third sentence - 'Stop asking me to explain' - that does not appear in the film. Inaccuracy: Lehrer admitted that he had used quotes by Dylan that did not exist in his new book . According to Tablet, Lehrer also . invented quotes on how Dylan wrote Like a Rolling Stone and, when . confronted about them, alleged that he had been granted access to an . uncut version of No Direction Home, a Dylan documentary made by Martin . Scorsese. Lehrer has now admitted he never saw such footage. Publisher Houghton Mifflin said in a statement that Lehrer had committed a 'serious misuse'. Listings for the e-book edition of Imagine will be removed and shipments of the physical book have been stopped. The book was published in March and had been selling well, ranking No.105 on Amazon.com today. Amazon had cited the book among the best March releases. A spokesman for Dylan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Canceled books inevitably lead to calls for publishers to fact-check releases. However publishers said the time and expense of reviewing thousands of texts, on a vast range of subjects, makes the process impractical. Jonah Lehrer, 31, graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a major in neuroscience. He went on to study literature and philosophy at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Along with the ill-fated Imagine: How Creativity Works, published earlier this year, he is also the author of two other books - Proust Was a Neuroscientist in 2007 and How We Decide two years later. Along with The New Yorker, he has written for Grantland, Nature, Seed, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe. 'Publishing books is fundamentally different from publishing a newspaper or magazine,' Houghton Mifflin said in a statement. 'We rely on the authors' contractual warranties that the work is original and, for non-fiction, accurate. 'Nonetheless we consider accuracy and originality to be essential standards, and whenever any of our authors transgresses these standards we take it very seriously.' Lehrer, 31, was once a rising star at The New Yorker, which is famous for its thorough fact checking. The writer was already in trouble with the magazine after he acknowledged last month that he had recycled passages he had written for previous publications. Some recycled passages also appeared in Imagine, the latest of three books by Lehrer who is known for his explorations of science and literature and how the mind works. New Yorker Editor David Remnick said: 'This is a terrifically sad situation, but, in the end, what is most important is the integrity of what we publish and what we stand for.' Dylan himself has been challenged about his use of material. His album Modern Times included lines lifted from blues songs and from the Civil War poet Henry Timrod. An exhibition of paintings by the rock star turned out to contain images from other sources. Like A Rolling Stone: Dylan was misquoted from an interview he gave in the 1960s about how he wrote his songs . | Jonah Lehrer, 31, gave up his staff job at magazine after literary scandal .
Lehrer claimed to have taken quotes from uncut version of Martin Scorsese's Dylan documentary No Direction Home . |
105,108 | 1395057acba56cbeb3f60fcfa13b9b78b9002179 | A series of billboards in Florida erected to warn motorists entering the city of Waldo, for decades known as one of the most notorious speed traps in America, are set to end after the 'corrupt' police force was dissolved. Until recently, Waldo - described as the 'most corrupt town in America' - had covered half of its $1 million budget by handing out an unusually high number of speeding ticket fines. The situation was so bad that in 2003, the American Automobile Association had taken the unprecedented step of erecting billboards along Route 310 to warn motorists of the speed traps. A series of billboards erected by the AAA in Florida to warn motorists entering the city of Waldo, for decades known as one of the most notorious speed traps in America, are set to end after the 'corrupt' police force was dissolved earlier this month . The nation's leading advocate for traffic safety has said it is now reconsidering that need for the billboards after the city council voted earlier this month to dissolve the police force. In August, five officers came forward with allegations that Police Chief Mike Szabo enforced a 'strict ticket quota' of 12 tickets for every 12-hour shift. 'Looks like you have some work to do when you come in,' Szabo wrote in an email after an officer recorded only four tickets one day, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Szabo was suspended shortly after by City Manager Kim Worley after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement launched an investigation into another alleged violation of police procedure. Until recently, Waldo - described as the 'most corrupt town in America' - had covered half of its $1 million budget by handing out an unusually high number of speeding ticket fines . Investigated: Police Chief Mike Szabo sent emails telling officers to follow an illegal quota for speeding tickets . His replacement, Cpl Kenneth Smith, stepped in, only to be hit with a FDLE investigation and suspension of his own. Both Smith and Szabo resigned following their suspensions. Patrols in the area are currently being handled by the Alachua County sheriff's office and the AAA has said that it is watching the traffic situation in Waldo closely. If traffic tickets are written to enhance safety rather than to meet a quota, the AAA has said it will consider ending its lease on the billboards. 'Assuming the disbanding results in the end of traffic enforcement taking place for the purpose of revenue generation, then we would strongly consider not renewing our billboards there,' Karen Morgan, a public policy manager for the AAA, told AOL Autos. As a percentage of its city budget, no other municipality in Florida has relied on traffic citations as heavily as Waldo. The tiny town of about 1,000 residents that lies along Route 310 between Gainesville and Jacksonville has derived as much as 73 percent of its overall budget from traffic fines. Florida Department of Law Enforcement documents say the ideal ratio of police to citizens is 2.5 officers for every 1,000 citizens. Prior to the resignation, Waldo had eight. One of the other key factors for AAA is whether the town has mandatory ticket quotas for its officers. 'AAA condemns traffic enforcement practices that are designed to raise revenue rather than prevent crashes,' said Morgan. 'AAA condemns all practices whereby a law enforcement agency rates the efficiency of its officers based upon the number of arrests made or citations issued.' Waldo had been one of two towns designated by the AAA as a 'traffic trap,' meaning that it considered law enforcement practices to be more focused on generating revenue than enforcing safe driving behavior. The only other town in the country where the organization has taken the step of buying billboards that warn drivers of a trap ahead is in Lawtey, Florida, about 19 miles north of Waldo along Route 310. | The American Automobile Association has paid for billboards outside Waldo, Florida, since 2003 to warn motorists about the city's notorious speed traps .
Waldo City Council voted 4-1 to dissolve the town's 'corrupt' police force last week .
Now the AAA has said it will reconsider the need for the billboards provided traffic tickets are now written to enhance safety rather than to meet a quota .
The only other town in the country where the AAA has taken the step of buying billboards to warn drivers was Lawtey, Florida . |
280,955 | f7f46ddce992008644786f57682fb60a1c95840d | (CNN) -- Tiger Woods admits his personal problems are affecting his game, but the world's top golfer refused to blame media intrusion on his life for his disastrous return to the PGA Tour this week. Woods defied expectation when he tied for fourth on his comeback last month at the Masters, one of golf's four major events, but struggled at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina as he missed the halfway cut for only the sixth time in 14 years as a professional. On Friday, he slumped to a seven-over-par 79 that saw him miss the weekend rounds by eight shots -- and a massive 17 behind leader Billy Mayfair. It was his second-worst single-round score behind the 81 he carded at the 2002 British Open, and his highest 36-hole total meant he missed the cut in a non-major for the first time since 2005. The 34-year-old, who took a five-month break from playing following the scandal over his admitted marital infidelities, admitted he was feeling pressure due to continued questioning about his private life. "Well, I get asked every day. Every day I do media, I get asked it, so it doesn't go away. Even when I'm at home, paparazzi still follow us, helicopters still hover around," Woods told reporters in quotes carried by his personal Web site. "Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number, and I didn't do that." Woods will hope to address problems with his game ahead of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida starting next Thursday. "It'll be interesting because I'll probably get home and hit balls on the range, and I'm going to have to get up there to Ponte Vedra a little early to putt because Isleworth is all torn up," he said. "My short game was terrible. I three-putted there twice back-to-back, and you can't do that. I didn't get up-and-down at six and chipped the ball off the green at seven. Those shots, you're just throwing away shots when you do stuff like that. "You have to let it go. It's like baseball, you go 0 for 4 two days in a row like I did, you've got a whole new tournament next week, which is great." While Woods struggled at Quail Hollow, the 43-year-old Mayfair shot his second successive 68 to claim a one-shot lead from Argentina's Angel Cabrera. Last year's Masters champion, who played his first two rounds with Woods, fired a 67 featuring an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys. Current Masters champion Phil Mickelson also carded 68 to be in a tie for third another shot back on 138 along with fellow Americans J.P. Hayes (64), Dustin Johnson (65) and Paul Goydos (70). Meanwhile, England's Mark Foster will take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open in Seville. The world No. 363, seeking his second victory on the European Tour, carded a three-under-par 69 in his third round on Saturday. Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros (67) and Carlos Del Moral (70) were tied for second along with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin (71). | Tiger Woods admits personal problems are affecting his golf, but refuses to blame media .
World's top golfer misses cut at a U.S. PGA Tour event for first time since 2005 .
He shot seven-over-par 79 at Quail Hollow, the second-worst score of his career .
Woods will line up again at the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra next week . |
6,999 | 13d40ef86400aa54fb142f44f52e430b6d423ffc | By . Graham Smith . PUBLISHED: . 07:37 EST, 9 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:49 EST, 10 October 2012 . Victim: Michael Saxby, 83, said he was screaming for help as a man and woman trapped him against his car in a supermarket car park and then made away with his life savings . An elderly war veteran today accused shoppers of ignoring his cries for help as he was pinned to his car and robbed in a busy supermarket car park in broad daylight. Michael Saxby, 83, said he was screaming for assistance as a man and woman trapped him against his car outside his local Tesco and then made away with his modest life savings. Nobody ran to aid the frail pensioner - who can only walk with crutches - even though the attack happened just 20 yards from the supermarket entrance at 11.30am on a busy Friday morning. Mr Saxby, of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, believes the thieves filmed him on a mobile phone as he entered his PIN at the supermarket checkout. They later mugged him for his wallet and emptied his account of the £700 he relies on to tide him over with his pension payments. The grandfather, whose legs were injured in the 1950s by a landmine in the Malayan Emergency conflict while he served as an RAF medical orderly, today said he is devastated by those who failed to assist him. He said: 'I went to my car about six spaces from the main entrance when this man took my wallet out of my pocket and then pinned me to my car. 'He kneed me in the chest and when I fought back, the woman grabbed my wrist and snatched my wallet and took my bank cards. 'What made me really angry and upset was I was screaming for help at the top of my voice and there were around ten people nearby who just walked by and didn’t help. 'One woman did start to approach us but . then the woman robber put her finger to her head as if to tell her I was . mad and the lady walked away.' Crime scene: Mr Saxby said he was screaming for assistance during the daytime robbery outside his local Tesco in Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire . The widower, who who worked at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for 43 years and was honoured by the Royal Humane Society in 1942 for saving a drowning boy from a river, believes the thieves had monitored him while inside the store. Mr Saxby said: 'I had seen the woman who grabbed my wrist in the supermarket restaurant. 'She had her phone up every time an older person was at the till. I am sure she was filming us putting in our PIN.' Police hunting the assailants today described them as both wearing dark clothing. The man was of Mediterranean appearance and aged 23-24, while the woman was white and believed to be in her late teens. Fighting for his country: Michael Saxby just after joining the RAF at the age of 18, far left and right . Left with nothing: Mr Saxby (back row, second from the right) believes the thieves filmed him on a mobile phone as he entered his PIN at the checkout . A police spokeswoman said: 'This was a callous attack on a vulnerable man and it is vital we trace those responsible. 'Filming people at tills is one tactic used by criminals to get people’s PINs and we urge shoppers to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police. 'We know a number of people witnessed this incident - I urge them to come forward to report what they saw.' A spokesman for Tesco said today: 'We were deeply saddened to hear about this and wish Mr Saxby a very speedy recovery. We will of course be assisting police with their investigation in any way we can.' | Man and woman trapped Michael Saxby, who uses crutches, against his car .
Robbery took place at 11.30am outside Tesco in Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire .
It is thought Mr Saxby's attackers had earlier filmed him entering his PIN . |
245,944 | ca564406fdc0e680788e8b3d29d514a4d24ce6b9 | I am a Russian-speaking Ukrainian. I am ethnically half-Russian, as my father was born in Siberia. I spent much of my life in Donetsk, a Russian-speaking area of Ukraine. Now I live in Kiev. My kids speak Ukrainian in school and with many of their friends, and we speak Russian at home. When my son's fourth-grade teacher talks to me, she speaks Ukrainian. I respond in Russian. We don't even notice that our conversation is in two languages. I understand Ukrainian but don't speak it as easily as I speak English. I just never had any pressure to learn it. In Lviv, in the western part of Ukraine, most speak primarily Ukrainian, but even there, I never had anybody look down on me for my Russian. In the eastern and southern regions, many people speak Russian, and there is absolutely no forced "Ukraineization." You might be asking what all this fuss is about in Crimea, the autonomous region of eastern Ukraine with strong ties to Russia. Why are thousands coming to the streets with Russian flags? It's easy to explain. Tracking the crisis in Ukraine as it unfolds . Many people in Crimea and eastern Ukraine don't want the protection of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But there are some who are afraid of forced Ukraineization because they have been fed propaganda by Russian TV channels for years. The purpose is to convince Ukrainians that we are divided, not one country, and that the safest course of action for Russian-speaking areas is to break away and join Russia. These ideas have been cultivated since I was a child. I remember when I lived in Donetsk in the '90s, how scared we were that a candidate from western Ukraine would win an election and force us to speak Ukrainian. But when I moved out of the area of aggressive Russian information, I quickly realized I can speak Russian in Kiev or Lviv and no one will ever be upset with me! Over our 22 years of Ukrainian independence, fears of language or ethnic persecution have never come true. But they were kept alive by Russian propaganda. We understand that Putin is trying to escalate tension and provoke civil war in Ukraine right now. He can't afford for a free Ukraine to succeed: His own people might get an idea that it's possible to overthrow a tyrant and build a prosperous country. U.N. Security Council meets to discuss Ukraine crisis . Putin won't succeed. Ukrainians are wiser than that and won't kill each other over the nonexistent problem of language. To demonstrate that, last week, people in Lviv (traditionally Ukrainian-speaking) spoke only Russian all day, and in response, those in Donetsk (traditionally Russian-speaking) spoke Ukrainian! No civil war in Ukraine, Mr. Putin! It must be getting harder to justify the presence of military force to "protect" people when nobody is in danger. I just talked to my friends in Crimea. Yuri in Simferopol told me that it's a handful of pro-Russian extremists in the streets trying to make a scene for Russian video cameras -- they are showing that these are the Russians who request protection! Meanwhile, the rest of the city is terrified by the presence of Russian military forces and are evacuating their families to central or western Ukraine. I got a similar report from Luda in Kharkov. She said that a large group of Russians were brought across the border by buses, and they were the ones inspiring and instigating unrest that resulted in putting a Russian flag on a municipal building. The amount of propaganda Russia has poured onto Ukraine is hard to comprehend. Putting troops on Ukrainian land is going to bring the very opposite result from what Putin expected: I believe it's uniting Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia and Putin are getting into deeper isolation from the world as more and more countries are recalling their ambassadors from Russia and condemning the government's actions. Good job, Mr. Putin! Thank you from all of us Ukrainians (Russian and Ukrainian-speaking) for uniting Ukraine against your military aggression. Are you in Ukraine? Have you witnessed the unrest there? Share your stories with CNN iReport, but please stay safe. | Ukrainian Maia Mikhaluk has been documenting the unrest in her country .
She says the situation in Kiev is tense as Russia moves its troops to the Crimean Peninsula .
She wrote a passionate essay in response to Russia's military intervention in Ukraine . |
100,659 | 0dad3d9072517c92c6168423ba5e25da2720f9bc | Adam Lallana is beginning to settle on the pitch at Liverpool but the midfielder has encountered difficulties off it in one of the most bizarre circumstances. The 26-year-old recently had his car vandalised by baboons during a family trip with his two-year-old son Arthur to Knowsley Safari Park on Merseyside. The £25million summer signing was driving his car through the monkey enclosure when the animals pounced upon his vehicle. Adam Lallana was involved in a spot of monkey business when he visited a Merseyside safari park . The Liverpool midfielder's car was vandalised by some of Knowsley Park's baboons . Despite the act of destruction to his car, Lallana could see the funny side. 'I went to Knowsley Safari Park with my little boy recently and ended up coming back with bits of the car missing from going into the monkey bit, so I won't be going back there in a rush.' he told the Daily Star. After an initial slow start to the season with Liverpool due to injury, the former Southampton captain has become a regular fixture in Brendan Rodgers' first-team picture, having made 11 appearances for the Reds so far. And Lallana, who is in line to feature in Saturday's early Premier League kick-off away to Newcastle, attributes his relatively smooth transition at Anfield to being happy with his new northern surroundings. 'I'm settling in well. I've got my family up here, which always helps,' he added. 'I can't complain and after my injury, I'm just delighted to be back playing.' Lallana (right) has featured 11 times for Liverpool since his £25million summer switch from Southampton . | Adam Lallana visited Knowsley Safari Park on Merseyside with his son .
Lallana's car was attacked by baboons during enclosure visit .
26-year-old joined Liverpool for £25million from Southampton this summer . |
53,818 | 989f2bba932a7d55f98c3864465490fef5371378 | Washington (CNN) -- A preliminary U.S. Navy plan to allow its chaplains to perform same-sex marriages in military chapels after the end of "don't ask, don't tell" has fired up congressional opposition. All services are moving forward with the transition from the present ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in uniform. Top Pentagon officials are expected to sign off on the new rules and the progress of training in coming weeks. An April 13 memo from the Navy officer in charge of chaplains says they "may" officiate at same-sex marriages or civil unions, depending on both local laws and their religious organization. It is not clear if the other services would have a similar provision. "Regarding the use of base facilities for same-sex marriages, legal counsel has concluded that, generally speaking, base facility use is sexual orientation-neutral," Rear Adm. Mark Tidd, the Navy's chief of chaplains, said in the memo. "This is a change to previous training that stated same-sex marriages are not authorized on federal property." After the pending rule change was reported in the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes newspapers, it drew criticism from dozens of members of Congress. A letter from Rep. Todd Akin, R-Missouri, to the secretary of the Navy asking him to block the change has been signed by 63 members of Congress, according to Akin's website. Akin says the Navy's permission for gay weddings in military chapels, once the current policy formally is ended, would violate the federal Defense of Marriage Act. "While a state may legalize same-sex marriage, federal property and federal employees, like Navy chaplains, should not be used to perform marriages that are not recognized by federal law," Akin said on his website. "My colleagues and I are calling on the secretary of the Navy to make sure that the Navy actually follows the law. As we state in the letter, 'It is not the place of any citizen of this country to pick and choose which laws they are going to obey. We expect citizens sworn to defend those laws to set the example in their application.'" The Pentagon said in a statement Monday that the Defense of Marriage Act "does not limit the type of religious ceremonies a chaplain may perform in a chapel on a military installation." However, while the Defense of Marriage Act still stands, the Defense Department would not recognize those unions as valid marriages even if they're performed in a state that recognizes same-sex marriages. Cmdr. Danny Hernandez, the Navy's assistant chief of information, told CNN that under the same-sex marriage proposal, each chaplain would be bound by his own religious beliefs. "A chaplain can conduct a same-sex ceremony if it is in the tenets of his faith," Hernandez said. And he said the policy would have no impact on military benefits. When Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others announced that the Pentagon would end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, they made it clear that benefits for spouses and survivors are a complicated issue that would require more study and planning. | A Navy proposal brings a new round of congressional opposition .
"Legal counsel" concludes that "base facility use is sexual orientation-neutral," a memo says .
A letter signed by 63 members of Congress says the change would violate federal law . |
101,030 | 0e305a31fb0b996b72b031405e5b00fdcb2609f9 | By . Associated Press . and Francesca Chambers . Arkansas Sen. John Boozman is 'awake and responsive' after undergoing emergency heart surgery on Tuesday at a hospital in the Senator's home state. The Senator is still in recovery at the hospital, but 'doctors are pleased with the progress he has made,' his office said on Wednesday. Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, pictured here at an event in February, had unscheduled heart surgery on Tuesday. His office said in a statement that, 'He is awake and responsive, and doctors are pleased with the progress he has made' Early yesterday morning Boozman's wife, Cathy, took the Senator to Mercy Hospital in Rogers, Arkansas after her . husband said he was experiencing pain in his chest and shoulder. At the hospital, doctors performed . tests and found Boozman had an acute aortic dissection. The discovery prompted immediate surgery. 'He was, at the time of transport, alert, responsive and in good spirits despite the discomfort and pain,' his office said in a statement on Wednesday. Congress is out of session until next week. Members of Congress are using the break to meet with constituents in their respective states. The state's junior senator, Boozman, a Republican, had been scheduled for an 8 am appearance in Gravette, Arkansas to discuss a highway bypass project and President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. In the afternoon, he was to have spoken at a rural health center in Green Forest, Arkansas and at a housing agency in Harrison, Arkansas. Senator John Boozman (left) pictured in July 2012 with actress Debra Messing (right), after she gave him an award during the 19th International AIDS conference in Washington, D.C. The Senator is currently at a hospital in his home state recovering from heart surgery . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement he was 'glad to hear that John is doing well and we all look forward to having him back at work.' 'He is a fantastic Senator and a tireless advocate for Arkansas and the people he so proudly represents,' McConnell said. Senior Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat, said he is 'fortunate to call Senator Boozman a good friend and trusted colleague' and said he was keeping Boozman and his family in his prayers. Arkansas Rep. Tom Cotton, a Republican who running for Pryor's Senate seat, said his 'thoughts and prayers' are with his 'friend and colleague' and his family, as well. Boozman's family thanked well-wishers for their support on Wednesday, saying 'Our number one priority is . making sure John makes a full recovery.' 'We know that if John had it his way he . would be right back on the road in Arkansas, so the difficult part will . be making sure he gets the rest he needs to get better,' the family's statement read. Boozman's family also asked for privacy as the Senator recovers. It has asked the hospital not to give out the Senator's room number. Senator Boozman is not taking visitors at this time, his office said. | Arkansas Senator John Boozman underwent heart surgery on Tuesday at a hospital in Arkansas after experiencing pain in his chest and shoulder .
He is still in recovery at the hospital, but his office says 'doctors are pleased with the progress he has made'
Boozman's family thank well-wishers on Wednesday for their support and asked for privacy .
The Senator is not taking visitors at this time, his family said in a statement . |
78,482 | de67d7297f4aea7eabee171e8a009d9ea803a570 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 06:04 EST, 1 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:43 EST, 1 June 2013 . Since the dawn of man, the stars above us have inspired endless wonder and intrigue. From the earliest imaginings of what 'the heavens' were made up of to NASA's latest Curiosity Rover mission on Mars, an unquenchable thirst to conquer, or at least understand, space has pervaded mankind's time on Earth. Now, a new exhibition has brought together more than a hundred awe-inspiring images of space which straddle the line between science and art. The first glimpse of the far side of the Moon, photographed from the Soviet Lunar 3 spacecraft in 1959 . This photograph was taken during one of five expeditions sent by the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to observe the transit of Venus of December 9, 1874 . Drawing of the minute structure of the solar surface by Samuel Pierpont Langley, 1873 . Starting with Galileo, the first person to look at the stars through a telescope, Visions of the Universe charts the development of astronomical imaging. The exhibition, held at the National Maritime Museum, in Greenwich, London, reveals the role astronomers have played in pushing forward the technology of cameras and telescopes, which means we are now able to see the weather on distant planets and look beyond the Milky Way into galaxies beyond. Among the images on show is a photograph taken during one of five expeditions sent by the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to observe the transit of Venus of December 9, 1874. Astronomers were sent to Egypt, Hawaii, New Zealand and islands in the Indian Ocean. Many used photographic plates to record their observations accurately. Meanwhile, a drawing of the minute structure of the solar surface by Samuel Pierpont Langley, in 1873, at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, also features. The images also chart the technological advances through the 20th and 21st centuries, showcasing the first glimpse of the far side of the moon and pictures taken by Neil Armstrong in 1969 all the way up to the latest images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronauts repairing the Hubble Space Telescope: This picture, taken from the Endeavour space shuttle in 1993, shows astronauts F. Story Musgrave (on the robotic arm) and Jeffrey Hoffman (inside the shuttle) Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin on the Moon: On 20 July 1969 Buzz Aldrin became the second man to set foot on the Moon. This picture was taken by mission commander Neil Armstrong close to the landing site . Earthrise: One of the most iconic views of planet Earth, taken from the Apollo 11 spacecraft as it orbited the Moon in 1969 . Bright-layered rock deposits with evidence of ancient water: From orbit, just a few hundred kilometres above the surface, spacecraft like NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal evidence of water in the distant Martian past . A picture of Venus using imaging radar from the Magellan spacecraft in 1991 . Hyperion, taken from the Cassini orbiter spacecraft in 2005. This sponge-like object is one of the most bizarre of Saturn's family of over sixty moons . Visitors to the exhibition, which opens on Friday, June 7, will be able to take a visual trip through the solar system featuring images of the moon, the Sun, the planets and deep space, before coming back to Earth to a selection of images that reflect our fascination with the night sky. With views of the dazzling aurora on the surface of Saturn, the spectacular clouds of colourful dust in which new stars are forming thousands of light years away, and the dizzying sight of Earth as seen from the International Space Station, the exhibition celebrates the aesthetic beauty of space photography as well as the scientific discoveries that advances in technology have allowed. The photographs on display include the latest cutting edge images captured by NASA, the Russian space programme and some of the greatest telescopes in the world, as well as highlights from the last four years of the Royal Observatory’s highly successful Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The Crab Nebula, taken from the Hubble Space Telescope in 2005, is the debris from a 'supernova' explosion . The Butterfly Nebula, taken from the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. The death of a star very much like the Sun allows us to glimpse our own distant future . Orion Deep Wide Field: The three bright stars on the left in this image are the stars of Orion's Belt. Although part of a familiar constellation, a view such as this can never be seen with the naked eye . Andromeda Galaxy: Continuing improvements in telescope and photographic technology allow 21st-century amateur astronomers to image galaxies in detail that would have astounded Edwin Hubble . This image of Saturn's rings, taken from the Cassini orbiter spacecraft in 2005, shows how image-processing techniques can be used to convey scientific information which could not otherwise be seen . Organisers have said the centrepiece of the exhibition is the 'Mars Window' - a 13 metre by four metre curved wall onto which the latest images beamed back by NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover are projected. The effect aims to create the impression of looking through a giant window out onto the rocky Martian landscape. It is the first time a museum exhibition has used images from a current space mission in this way. Other photographic highlights on display include the first astronomical image ever taken; Edwin Hubble’s 1923 photograph which confirmed the existence of galaxies beyond our own; the 1969 image of the first human to walk on the moon; and the astronomical photograph which helped to prove the General Theory of Relativity. Sky away from the Lights, taken with a Hutech modified Canon 5D camera. Like an alien landscape, pools of hazy light stretch into the distance of this photograph taken near Bursa in Turkey . Star Trails, Blue Mountains, taken in Australia by Ted Dobosz, winner of the 'Earth and Space' category, Astronomy Photographer of the Year, 2009, using a Canon 40D DSLR camera with Tamron 17-mm lens . Lost in Yosemite: Two lost hikers stand in a bubble of torchlight beneath the immense dome of the night sky. Taken at nightfall in Yosemite National Park, California, . Stargazers: Taken by Jessica Caterson, who was Shortlisted for Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year, 2012 . | New exhibition brings together awe-inspiring images of space through time .
Pictures chart the development of astronomical imaging through ages .
Images on display include first picture of the far side of the moon .
Latest images of NASA's Curiosity Rover mission also featured . |
223,414 | ad3be441f2d13a34c8bbbc3230f403a563130444 | A woman has told how breast surgery gave her the boost she needed to launch a business. Lucie Morgan, 28, says implants to increase her bust from a B cup to an E cup finally gave her the confidence to start her own company. She says that before her operation she was too self conscious speak at seminars or perform well in business meetings. Scroll down for video . Confidence boost: Lucie Morgan, 28, says implants to increase her bust from a B cup to an E cup finally gave her the confidence to start her own company despite people assuming she wanted to become a glamour model . She said: ‘I admit it sounds bizarre that a boob job can have a positive impact on business but it’s true. ‘Before my operation my confidence held me back. I couldn't visualise myself talking confidently in seminars or at events and parties but now all that has changed. ‘When I tell people I had a boob job to boost my career they wrongly assume I wanted to be a glamour model but nothing could be further from the truth. ‘I think my story shows it’s not only glamour girls who have surgery to boost their careers, business women do too. ‘It’s all about having the confidence and the surgery has given me that.’ Miss Morgan from Long Sutton in Lincolnshire says she had always struggled with her self esteem after battling weight issues in her teens. She recalls being a chubby school girl who weighed 18st by the age 18. Miss Morgan said: ‘I told myself I was happy being fat and compensated by being bubbly but I don’t think anyone can say that are truly happy and confident when they are overweight.’ As she was: Lucie says she had always struggled with her self esteem after battling weight issues in her teens and weighed 18st by the age 18 . Confidence boost: She had the £4,000 operation in February 2013 and says her confidence increased dramatically . But matters came to a head when she was out celebrating her 18th birthday and became the target of abuse because of her weight. She said: 'A group of girls falsely accused me of being disrespectful to one of them and before I knew it they had rounded on me, calling me a fat cow and ridiculing me because of my size. ‘It turned into the worst birthday ever.’ So the determined teenager vowed to lose the weight and cut out all junk food and take-away meals from her diet. She also reduced her carbohydrate intake and instead ate a healthy diet of lean met and vegetables or salad. Ms Morgan also started exercising. In the following 12 months she lost nine stone, dropping from 18st to nine stone. At 5ft 5in tall she went from a size 20 to a size 8. She was thrilled with her success on the scales but the dramatic change to her bust left her feeling low. Ms Morgan explains: ‘When I was 18st, my generous bust was probably the only thing I liked about myself.’ She was a 38D before starting her diet but by the time she turned 19 one year later she was a deflated small B cup. She said: 'Of course I was thrilled with my weight loss but still felt very self -conscious because of my bust.’ She resorted to padded bras and chicken fillet type bust enhancers. Miss Morgan said: ‘I just felt I couldn’t relax and embrace my weight loss. It was frustrating to have worked so hard and still not feel confident and relaxed about my body. ‘In fact I think I was more self aware because I had lost nine stone.’ Before and after: She was a 38D before starting her diet but by the time she turned 19 one year later she was a deflated small B cup, left, and now she's a 34DD, right, and finally feels happy . She recalls a holiday with friends in 2001, which revealed how low her confidence had dropped. She explains: ‘I was able to wear a bikini like my friends but now instead of covering my fat I was covering my flat chest. ‘Because I had lost the weight so quickly they were like two empty sacks. ‘I wondered if all the hard work had been worth it because I still wasn’t confident enough to follow my dreams including starting my own business.’ When a friend had cosmetic surgery with Transform Miss Morgan visited their webpage and researched breast enlargement. Speaking out: Miss Morgan says she had long considered starting a small business but lacked the confidence to stand up and speak publicly in meetings and at events - something she knew she would have to do. Now that she's had her breast augmentation, she has set up a business . Decision: Speaking about wanting to undergo the procedure, she explained: 'I was able to wear a bikini like my friends but now instead of covering my fat I was covering my flat chest', and that's why she decided to have the operation . When an ex-partner offered to help her finance a bust enlargement she leapt at the chance and arranged a consultation. Miss Morgan said: ‘I told the consultant that I just wanted to look normal and finally feel confident like other woman my age and he understood.’ She had the £4,000 operation in February 2013 and is now a 34DD, saying her confidence increased dramatically as a result. She recalls: ‘The nurses were really supportive and when I came round in the hospital, it was like I was finally the person I should have been all along. I felt good and I looked good and that had such a positive impact on every aspect of my life.' Miss Morgan says she had long considered starting a small business but lacked the confidence to stand up and speak publicly in meetings and at events - something she knew she would have to do. But within months of the procedure she had started planning her business It Works With Lucie, selling body wraps and other products to help tone problem areas. ‘I started using them after my weight loss and thought they were amazing so decided to start the business. She said: 'I couldn’t wait to get going. I didn’t think twice about speaking in public or holding events whereas that held me back before.’ She runs the business in the evenings and at weekends alongside her day job as a professional sign writer. She says: ‘I would never have fulfilled my dream of running a small business if I hadn’t had my boob job. ‘I don’t care what people say but to be a success in business you don’t just need a brain, you need confidence too, something I never had before my operation.’ New lease on life: Within months of the procedure she had started planning her business It Works With Lucie, selling body wraps and other products to help tone problem areas . Wrong impression: Lucie says that when she tells people she had a boob job to boost her career they wrongly assume she wanted to be a glamour model but, she says, nothing could be further from the truth . | Lucie Morgan, 28, lost nine stone in one year .
Slimming so quickly left her with two empty sacks and feeling self conscious .
Low confidence meant she couldn't persue her business dream .
Lucie credits breast surgery for her successful small business . |
158,071 | 585e91b372b86902186f77613a8a53c5e1895239 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 10:12 EST, 4 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:40 EST, 4 August 2012 . The wife of a disgraced Chinese diplomat accused of murdering a British businessman has 'already been found guilty' before her trial begins, analysts believe. Gu Kailai, 53, wife of the formerly popular politician Bo Xilai, is accused with an aide, Zhang Xiaojun, of killing 41-year-old Neil Heywood with poison in November last year. It is understood that they fell out over a money issue and the former lawyer believed the businessman, a long-time associate of the family, threatened her son’s safety. 'Guilty': Gu Kailai, wife of China's former Chongqing Municipality Communist Party Secretary Bo, has already had her fate decided after being accused of killing British businessman Neil Heywood . But analysts have predicted that Mrs Gu's fate has already been decided before it reaches the Hefei court, The Daily Telegraph reported. The trial, which the Chinese government have not commented on, is now meant to work in 'reverse' - with the trial reflecting the already decided decision. Professor Willy Lam, a China expert from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told The Telegraph that he believed it would be practically 'impossible' for Mrs Gu's defence team to overturn the decision. The Telegraph reported that Chinese government sources implied Communist Party leaders were anxious about shows of public support for Mrs Gu’s husband, Mr Bo. The source said that Beijing will . send hundreds of security personnel and plainclothes police officers . around the Hefei Intermediate People’s Court in the Anhui province. However, because of her husband's position, experts predict she will not receive the death sentence, should she be found guilty. Disappearance: China's former Chongqing Municipality Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai (right) and his wife Gu Kailai (left) have not been since they were detained following the death of their long-term associate . British businessman Neil Heywood was initially thought to have died form alcohol abuse, but then officials began investigating and suspected poison could be involved . Bo Xilai, 63, the former Communist Party chief in the city of Chongqing who was once considered a strong contender for membership of the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee and possible future leader of the country. He was sacked from his position in March after allegations surfaced linking Mrs Gu to Mr Heywood's death, and he remains under investigation by the party over corruption claims. Mrs Gu was detained in mid-April and neither she or her husband have been seen since. Their son, Bo Guagua, 24, is believed to be in the United States after graduating from his master’s degree in public policy at Harvard earlier this year. Mr Heywood's death in a Chongqing hotel last November was initially ruled accidental, and put down to alcohol abuse, though friends said that Mr Heywood was not a big drinker. But murder suspicions came to the fore after a former Chongqing police chief visited a US consulate in China and divulged information allegedly linking Mrs Gu to Mr Heywood's death. It was later suspected that he might have died from cyanide poisoning. The case has convulsed China's political world ahead of the expected handover of power to a younger generation of leaders at the Communist Party's five-yearly National Congress in Beijing this autumn. UK diplomats have been given permission to attend the trial, it was disclosed today. The Foreign Office said British officials will attend the trial which begins on August 9 in the eastern city of Hefei. Pedestrians stand outside the Hefei City Intermediate People's Court in Hefei, Anhui province, where the government are reportedly anxious that people will protest at the trial . It is considered unusual for foreign observers to be granted access to such politically sensitive court cases in China. 'We can confirm that British diplomats will attend the trial,' said the Foreign Office. A spokesman said: 'The details of the ongoing investigation are a matter for the Chinese authorities. 'However we are glad to see that the Chinese authorities are continuing with the investigation into the death of Neil Heywood. We are dedicated to seeking justice for him and his family and we will be following developments closely.' | Wife accused of poisoning British businessman after he 'threatened her son's safety'
Analysts believe her fate has already been decided and it will be 'impossible' to overturn . |
282,020 | f9509ffd86a39a7b5d2b88a0088454cd01cc72ac | Parents have poured scorn on a Labour MP after she claimed children are no longer interested in Lego. Stella Creasy, 37, said that at Christmas her young nieces and a nephew refused to build a Lego toy of the Death Star from the Star Wars films. Speaking at a conference last week, she said: ‘They weren’t interested. I realised that for them, a toy which involves following instructions just doesn’t cut it any more.’ Labour MP Stella Creasy (pictured) claimed that children were no longer interested in Lego toys after her young nieces and nephews refused to build a Lego Death Star from the Star Wars films . TV star Kirstie Allsopp, 43, a mother of four, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This is hands down the daftest comment I’ve ever heard. My two sons are eight and six and they love Lego – our house is full of it. ‘I’ve got 12 or 13 godchildren, as well as nieces and nephews, and not a single one of them doesn’t like Lego.’ Cathy Ranson, editor-in-chief of website Netmums, said that the £275 Death Star set was aimed at Lego fans aged 14 or older. ‘It wouldn’t have been that easy for younger children to work out,’ she said. Last year Lego overtook Mattel to become the world’s largest toy manufacturer as the Danish company’s UK sales hit a record £226 million. And last week Lego was named as one of the 50 greatest toys of all time in a survey of industry executives. Last week Lego was named as one of the 50 greatest toys of all time in a survey of industry executives . | Stella Creasy said her young nieces and nephew refused to build Lego toy .
She told conference last week 'toys with instructions don't cut it any more'
But Kirstie Allsopp hit back at 'daftest comment' she says she's ever heard .
Last week Lego was named as one of 50 greatest toys of all time in survey . |
96,821 | 0899c6fbeab57008bc9a0e08edf79ed5600171ed | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 09:54 EST, 20 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:23 EST, 20 September 2013 . A manhunt has been launched for a wheelchair thief in New York who swipes women's handbags from right under the noses of their unsuspecting owners. The crocked crook has left women across Manhattan too afraid to leave their purses unattended after he struck in some of the city's fanciest nightspots. Dressed in violet from head to toe, the man has been captured on CCTV wheeling into hotels and nightclubs before pouncing while his victims look the other way. He is then seen free-wheeling off into the night, his ill-gotten gains tucked into his lap. America's most violet criminal: Dressed in purple from head to toe, the man has been captured on CCTV wheeling into hotels and nightclubs before pouncing while his victims look the other way . And detectives have now said they are beginning to suspect that the opportunistic thief is not just using his wheelchair as a handy accessory... but is actually disabled. 'Every time we’ve seen him, he’s in the wheelchair,' a police source told the New York Daily News. He first struck at 9.45pm on August 30 when he grabbed an expensive Coach purse a 34-year-old diner had placed under the bar. Crocked crook: Detectives have now said they are . beginning to suspect that the opportunistic thief is not just using his . wheelchair as a handy accessory... but is actually disabled . The hungry thief: He used one of hi victims' credit cards to buy pizza at a nearby takeaway restaurant after swiping her bag in a hotel . Have you seen this man? Police are asking anyone with information regarding this man’s . whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS . Then, four days later, he was again caught on CCTV rolling off with a bag that a 40-year-old woman put on her chair when she decided to hit the dance floor of Havana Central bar in Times Square. He later used her credit cards to buy pizza at a nearby takeaway restaurant, police said. However, detectives also suspect the bandit may be behind the unsolved pilfer of a satchel bag, containing an iPhone, credit cards and jewellery, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Broadway on August 19. That was after a 42-year-old woman reported her bag stolen while she chatted to the hotel concierge in the hotel lobby. Police are asking anyone with information regarding this man’s . whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be . kept confidential. | The crocked crook has terrorised some of NYC's fanciest nightspots .
He is Hispanic and was caught on CCTV dressed from head to toe in violet .
Struck in Havana Central bar, Nobu on W. 57th and Marriot Marquis Hotel .
In one case he swiped bag from chair when clubber hit the dance floor . |
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