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141,199 | 4295d845c61241755ce57ccee5b354cf9feabf7e | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 06:47 EST, 21 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:47 EST, 21 May 2012 . The nephew of a convicted serial killer revealed his terrifying intentions in chilling poems he wrote before murdering a teenager 20 years after his uncle's crimes. Matthew Milat, 19, told 17-year-old David Auchterlonie he was just 'doing what my family does', before brutally beheading him in Belanglo Forest, south of Sydney. Milat's uncle Ivan had killed seven backpackers in the forest in April 1992, including British women Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke, both 22. Beheaded: David Auchterlonie, left, was murdered by Matthew Milat, right, in the same forest in which Milat's uncle had murdered seven backpackers 20 years earlier . Notorious spot: Milat decapitated his teenage victim in Belanglo Forest, south of Sydney, just as his uncle Ivan did to one of the backpackers he killed 20 years earlier . His nephew's troubled state of mind was clear from the poems, which included phrases such as 'I am not fazed by blood and screams', which he wrote before the sickening attack. Another contains the line: 'Clouds roll over in light blue skies/ Like darkness in a killer's eyes.' Milat hovered over David with an axe for ten minutes before the murder, telling him, 'You move, I chop your head off.' Milat and Cohen Klein, also 19, are now facing a sentencing submission hearing in the New South Supreme Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to murdering David. The court was told David's family remained 'terrified' at the knowledge of how he died at the hands of Ivan Milat's relative. Australia's worst serial killer: Ivan Milat, pictured left at his arrest, received seven consecutive life sentences for his horrific crimes . Accomplice: Cohen Klein, left, is facing a sentencing submission hearing in the New South Supreme Court alongisde Matthew Milat after they pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to the murder . Matthew Milat, the 19-year-old nephew of notorious serial killer Ivan, composed several ominous poems before his brutal murder of 17-year-old David Auchterlonie. In one of the twisted verses, read out during today's hearing, he wrote: . 'Lifeless corpse, Motionless and drained, . Another street has been blood stained, . heart and soul I do not own, . and there is no place I can call home, . What sort of life do I lead, . the kind that keeps me on the streets, . Kill for cash, Is what I do, . call me up I'll work for you, . I am not fazed by blood or screams, . Nothing I do will haunt my dreams, . Maybe they might scare you, . Coldblooded (sic) killer, that's me, Not you.' Another poem is written in rap style and entitled, Your Last Day. David's father, also David, told Acting Justice Jane Mathews that his son 'received a life sentence, but it's a curse for those of us left behind', Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported. In a poignant moment, he said that he had wanted to kiss his son goodbye when he saw his body but he was a court exhibit now. The teenager's mother, Debbie Locke, said she often wears her son's jackets and hooded tops to feel close to him. In court documents seen by The Telegraph, Milat said that in committing murder he was just 'doing what my family does'. As he walked towards the forest with his victim and Klein, he said, 'we're going to Belanglo. Someone's going to die.' The court was told that the murder and 15 minutes of dialogue were captured on Klein's mobile phone. David's grandmother, Sandra, told the court after she saw him in the mortuary, 'I can still see the fear impaled on his face.' During today's hearing, parts of a 15-minute audio recording of the murder were played - after the judge invited the family of the victim to leave if it was going to be too distressing for them. Milat is heard telling David he had 'dobbed him in' for stealing, before adding: 'You move, I chop your head off. I warned you that I was a bit of a f***in' nut lately.' David was forced to lie face down in the dirt and can be heard repeatedly denying doing anything to Milat. Then the recording plays what a transcript describes as the 'sound of axe hitting Auchterlonie in the head.' Shocking deaths: Ivan Milat's seven victims, including British 22-year-olds Joanne Walters, bottom left, and Caroline Clarke, second right at bottom . The sentencing hearing continues. Ivan Milat, now 68, is serving seven consecutive life sentences and will never be released from his maximum security jail south-west of Sydney. Australia's worst serial killer, Milat came to be known as the Backpacker Murderer. His victims were kidnapped and shot or stabbed to death, with one young woman, from Germany, being decapitated. Miss Clarke, from Northumberland, had been shot several times in the head while Miss Walters, from south Wales, had been stabbed nine times. The Britons' bodies were found in the forest in September of the same year. No other bodies were found at the time, but a year later a local man discovered a skull. Police returned to the forest and found five more bodies of backpackers who had been murdered in previous years. Milat had also killed a German backpacking couple, a German woman who was hitchhiking alone, and two young travellers from Melbourne. He was arrested after British backpacker Paul Onions managed to escape and give police details of his attacker. | Matthew Milat's uncle Ivan murdered seven in same forest 20 years earlier .
He became known as the 'Backpacker Murderer' and remains in jail .
His nephew told his 17-year-old victim, 'If you move, I chop your head off' |
75,408 | d5ce93766be4bd0397e1dbfbcb10490d8f8c394a | Criticism: Guenther Oettinger was scathing in his summary of EU states . A leading EU mandarin said David Cameron is a 'hobbled' prime minister in a speech in which he blasted the state of the continent and declared: 'Europe is ripe for an overhaul.' Guenther Oettinger singled out Bulgaria, Romania and Italy as 'essentially ungovernable' and derided eurosceptic MPs in the British parliament as 'unspeakable backbenchers, his English Tea Party' - a reference to the right-wing protest party in the USA. Oettinger is a leading member of German chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party, his nation's EU energy commissioner and a former state premier of the wealthy state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. His comments have sent alarm through the corridors of power in both Brussels and Berlin as he is at his core a firm believer in the European project and not a man to ignore. But Oettinger pulled no punches in his Tuesday night speech to a German, Belgian and Luxembourgian Chambers of Commerce meeting in Brussels on Tuesday evening. He said: 'It worries me that too many in Europe still believe that everything will be fine. Europe is ripe for overhaul.' He added that Brussels had spent more time patting itself on the back about how Europe is civilised and a shining example to the rest of the world 'instead of fighting the financial and economic crisis'. He said many EU members had 'ceased to function' politically and said it worried him about 'essentially ungovernable' nations. He also slammed France, currently in turmoil over a gay marriage law, as being 'completely unprepared to do what’s necessary to get its economy back on track'. He slammed the fact that it has twice as many civil servants as other EU nations 'but no middle class and little in the way of innovation'. Under fire: David Cameron has recently been criticised for going on holiday to Ibiza with his wife Samantha instead of staying in Britain to focus his attention on fixing the UK's problems . Oettinger did not spare his own country in his speech, delivered at a time when 17 of the 27 nations of the EU are still in recession and the politics of austerity seem to have failed miserably. Although largely unscathed by the euro crisis because of its strong export economy, he said his nation is jeopardizing its economic success with a false political agenda. 'Germany is at the highpoint of its economic ability. Germany will not get any stronger pursuing an agenda of child-care subsidies, quotas for women, minimum wage and rejecting fracking for natural gas,' he said. He criticised Germans for worrying about the effects of fracking - the process whereby natural gas or oil deposits are retrieved through polluting high-pressure splitting of subterranean rock - but did not have the same concerns for the environment in Russia from where Germany imports much of its gas. 'That's what I call hypocrisy,' he said. 'The Germans are a pretty hypocritical lot.' He said environmentalists had to accept certain risks if the continent's energy supply needs were to be met in the future. | Guenther Oettinger is a leading member of Germany's ruling CDU party .
Criticised Europe for not doing enough to tackle its financial crisis . |
20,466 | 3a176c451a8435d7b19bde0f8352e24eb436bbe1 | The head of mathematics at a Catholic secondary school has quit his job after calling pupils 'b********' and 'Fkrs' on Facebook. The former maths teacher, who taught at Cardinal Wiseman Technology College in Birmingham, posted an angry message on the social networking site after discovering teenage pupils had viewed his profile. The Facebook rant led to calls from furious parents for the teacher to be sacked, with Birmingham City Council now confirming that the teacher had left his post voluntarily. Upon learning that pupils had discovered his Facebook page and had been viewing pictures he had uploaded, the teacher said he had been forced to change his profile image to retain anonymity. In an angry message post, he said: 'B****** students looking at my profile pic so I changed into my figure out how to hide it!!! Fkrs!'. Quit: Teacher was head of mathematics at Cardinal Wiseman Technology College in Birmingham (pictured). He resigned after posting an angry message on Facebook about teenage pupils viewing his profile . Shortly after the message was posted, parents of pupils at the school branded the message 'abusive' and demanded the teacher be sacked. It is not yet known how the teacher's Facebook post came to the attention of the parents. A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council has now confirmed that the maths teacher resigned from his post as head of mathematics at Cardinal Wiseman Technology College yesterday morning. In a statement released later, Cardinal Wiseman's headteacher Christina Stewardson said: 'This matter was brought to my attention . by a number of pupils and their teachers on Monday and has been dealt . with by myself and the governors.' 'I apologise unreservedly for the poor judgment exercised by a member of staff and have assured parents that this behaviour does not reflect the high professional standards by which the rest of the staff here conduct themselves,' she added. The school's website features a message reading: 'Each individual member of our community is worthy of a profound and unique respect so we promote the highest expectations of conduct.' Ofsted inspectors visited the 600-pupil mixed sex school more than a year ago and lowered its rating from 'satisfactory' to 'requires improvement'. While pupil behaviour was rated as 'good', Ofsted said teaching needed 'improving'. The report said: 'Leadership and management require improvement because neither teaching nor achievement are good.' | A teacher posted angry message on the social network .
He was furious that pupils had been viewing his open Facebook profile .
Has now resigned from his job at Cardinal Wiseman College in Birmingham .
The teacher was previously head of maths at the Catholic secondary school . |
94,824 | 05d935e1536ae7749c895d9fc59324bf86a68945 | (CNN) -- Gazprom is the world's biggest producer and exporter of natural gas -- and Russia's most powerful company. Gazprom's current chief executive, Alexey Miller. It controls 20 percent of the world's natural gas reserves and operates the world's largest gas distribution network -- approximately 157,000 kilometers of pipelines covering an area from Europe to the Far East, according to its Web site. Gazprom exports energy to 32 countries and provides around 25 percent of the European Union's gas supplies. Last month it reported an 85 percent increase in net profits to $20.8 billion for the first six months of 2008. In 2007 it reported annual profits totaling nearly $61 billion. In 2008 the Financial Times placed it fourth on its list of the world's top 500 corporations, as ranked by market capitalization. Formed in 1989 to replace the Soviet Ministry of the Gas Industry, Gazprom is closely tied to the Russian government, which owns a controlling 50 percent stake in the company. Current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is a former Gazprom chairman. In recent years, an increasingly confident Moscow has used Gazprom to assert its authority over Russia's former sphere of influence by offering heavily subsidized gas to ex-Soviet countries such as Ukraine and Belarus. But that policy has led to disputes as Gazprom has then sought to raise prices. Gazprom last week switched off gas supplies to Ukraine for the second time in two years in a row over payments and Kiev's rejection of a proposal which would have increased the cost of gas to $250 per 1,000 cubic meter. Instead Gazprom said Ukraine would have to pay the full market rate of $418 dollars per 1,000 cubic meter. Other countries including Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Greece and Turkey have complained that their gas supplies have also been affected at the height of demand as winter temperatures dip well below freezing in many places. | Russia's Gazprom one of world's most powerful energy companies .
Gazprom controls 20 percent of world's natural gas reserves .
Russian government owns controlling stake; Company made $61B last year .
Kremlin has used Gazprom to exert influence over former Soviet states . |
156,945 | 56ee14f65e2d00fab4aea4b2df535888d8516e18 | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 13:15 EST, 1 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:15 EST, 1 May 2013 . An electrician who was so overweight his company had to buy him a specially reinforced van has been crowned the 'Greatest Loser 2013' after shedding more than half his bodyweight. Dean Worrall, 36, lost 16st 13.5 lbs after he was made redundant and had feared he wouldn't get another job due to his 33st bulk. After making dramatic changes to his diet, he now weighs 16st 4lbs and has whittled down his waistline from 68 inches to just 40 inches in less than two years - and has finally got his career back on track. Half the man he was: Dean Worrall has lost 16st 13.5 lbs in less than two years . New wardrobe needed: The electrician has whittled down his waistline from 68 inches to 40 inches . But in 2009, after years of living on fried food and calorie-laden tubs of ice cream, Dean was so overweight he was unable to perform basic tasks at work including climbing ladders and squeezing into small spaces. Dean, who was crowned Slimming World's Greatest Loser after losing more weight than any other member this year, said: 'My weight impacted on every aspect of my work to the point where, if I'm honest, I struggled to do my job properly. 'When I needed a new van there were only a few models I could have because I couldn't fit into the front seats of most of them. 'When I went on a job I had to bring a mate or an apprentice because I couldn't fit in certain spaces, and I couldn't go up into lofts in case I came through the ceiling. But worse was to come. 'When I was made redundant I wondered who would ever want to hire a 33 stone electrician,' he revealed. Career back on track: Dean was worried he wouldn't get another job because of his large size . 'Every time I walked into a room for an interview I had to ask for a bigger chair or one without arms because they didn't fit me. That was almost like a cross in the box against me before I'd even started.' Dean, who is single, said he hit rock bottom in August 2010 after 18 months out of work. It was during an interview during which he had to ask for a wider chair that he finally realised he had to lose weight. 'I knew losing weight would be the best way to increase my chances of finding work again,' he explained. Dean's weight problems began as a child but trouble really started after he left aged 16 and began to enjoy the freedom earning money and being able to drive brought him. He explained: 'The combination of available funds, the freedom that having a car gave me and long hours working and at college meant that I was living on fast food on the move and before I knew it my weight was out of control. 'My biggest vice was takeaway pizza with extra bacon and cheese - I knew I could order it at work and it would be there by the time I got home.' Accolade: Dean has been crowned Slimming World's Greatest Loser 2013 . Before losing weight, he'd tuck into a full English breakfast or sausage and egg McMuffins, followed by a lunch of pie and chips, while dinner consisted of chicken nuggets or pizza with extra bacon and cheese and chips with a tub of Haagen Dazs ice cream for dessert. If he felt peckish between meals, Dean opted for a bar of chocolate or bag of crisps to satisfy his hunger. However, after switching to porridge or yoghurt for breakfast, tuna with couscous and grilled veg for lunch and healthy roasted chicken and veg for dessert Dean noticed the weight melt away. A visit to his GP brought a referral to a slimming group, and Dean, who chose a Slimming World group with a male leader, was surprised and pleased to see several other men in the group, and soon began losing weight. He found work through an agency just a week after joining and has been busy ever since, while the weight-loss has transformed his working day. He said: 'I'm loving life again and would recommend anyone who's thinking about trying to lose weight, whether it's just a stone or two or a lot like me , just to go for it. 'I'd never have believed I'd be here less than three years later and half the man I was with a whole new life to look forward to, but it's true.' | Dean Worrall, 36, used to tip the scales at 33st .
He was made redundant and feared his size would prevent new employment .
Now he weighs 16st 13lbs .
As a result he's got his career back on track . |
236,979 | beb718c457c502cf1fe61562bdeab4995453061f | The owner of a race horse at the center of a cheating storm says he is shaken and upset by allegations his animal was 'buzzed' with an outlawed electrical device. Veteran trainer Danny Pish, 49, says he first learned of the controversy when a photo emerged of jockey Roman Chapa clutching the tiny gadget as he crossed the finish line at Sam Houston Race Park, Houston, Texas, on Quiet Acceleration January 17. Mr Pish insisted he had never seen anyone using a similar device in his three decades in the sport and was appalled to learn it appeared to have been used on his six-year-old gelding, Quiet Acceleration. The married father-of-one who runs a racing stable in rural Cibolo, just outside San Antonio, Texas, told Daily Mail Online: 'This has been really painful to me and my family. Scroll down for video . Photo finish: The photo (magnified to show detail) shot by Jack Coady, shows what officials say is jockey Roman Chapa, 43, using a banned device in a Texas race . Shocking: The device, which officials say is similar to the one pictured, is designed to deliver a shock to the horse in order to cause it to accelerate . Upset: Trainer Danny Pish (right) said that he was shaken by the claims of abusing the horse he has raised since birth but added: 'We are in a country where it's innocent until proven guilty.' 'I'm the breeder, I've raised this horse and have had him his whole life. 'If this was used on him - and we are in a country where it's innocent until proven guilty - then it would be very upsetting to me.' Roman Chapa, 43, of Big Spring has been charged with unlawful influence on racing after being allegedly caught in the act of using the device in a photo taken near the finish line. The jockey was running in fifth place in the $50,000 Richard King Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on January 17 when his mount, Quiet Acceleration, pressed to the front of the pack and won by half a length. Track photographer Jack Coady snapped a photo of Chapa just before the finish of the $50,000 race, which Quiet Acceleration had entered at 10-to-1 odds. According to the Paulick Report, the photo accompanied a write-up on the track's website about the day's races. The day after the race, according to a probable cause complaint, Chapa contacted Coady, telling him to take the photo down from the website because 'it was a bad picture.' After being confronted by Texas Department of Public Safety investigator Jeff Green, Chapa first denied having seen the photo, then claimed it was 'photo-shopped and someone was trying to frame him,' the complaint stated. Two days after the race, Texas Racing Commission stewards suspended Chapa, pending an investigation and hearing. Chapa faces a felony charge and that a warrant was issued for his arrest on Tuesday, but authorities have so far been unable to locate him. There does not appear to be a direct precedent for prosecution of a jockey over use of such a device. The horse has earned career winnings of $200,000 Mr Pish said. Mr Pish is a trainer, but has also bred some horses for racing, including Quiet Acceleration. 'He's done well in the past. Of the limited number of horses I've raised as a breeder, he's the best one,' Mr Pish said. 'He's had nine lifetime victories, ten if you include the race in question. 'I don't know how this device works because I know nothing about it. I know they are commonly used in dog training but they are not legal in horse training. 'It's illegal and I would never condone any illegal activity. 'I had no idea about any of this until the photo came out. I felt total disbelief, I just can't believe it's true. Video from PETA . Chapa was running in fifth place in the Richard King Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on January 17 when his mount, Quiet Acceleration, pressed to the front of the pack and won by half a length . Chapa, left, has a checkered past including in 1994, right, when he was sanctioned by Texas officials for using a nail to spur his horse, Silver Sixes, at a qualifying race at the Gillespie County Fair . In action: Roman Chapa on Quiet Acceleration during the race at Sam Houston Race Park which ended in victory - but which he appeared to have won after using a device to shock the six-year-old . Big win: Quiet Acceleration had entered the $50,000 race at odds of 10-to-1 . Victory salute: Roman Chapa celebrates victory on Quiet Acceleration but is now facing a felony charge over the use of an electric shock device . 'I've checked him out. His health seems to be good and I don't see any after-effects.' Chapa, 43, is one of a number of jockeys who have ridden Quiet Acceleration to victory, helping the mount amass winnings in excess of $200,000. Mr Pish said: 'Jockeys are free agents. They jump from horse to horse. 'They have an agent and I let him know about possible races and that I'm interested in a jockey. 'I have limited control other than giving suggestions as to how the horse may be ridden. 'Mr Chapa has ridden the horse in the past and he's won on him before. I was aware of his one prior conviction but I never dreamed he would do something like this. 'This sort of thing is not seen as acceptable within horse racing. If he's found guilty he should be punished.' Training ground: The horse's trainer is Dan Pish, who is based at these stables just outside San Antonio, Texas . Chapa's bail was set at $10,000 and he remained at large. In addition to the felony charge, Chapa faces the probability that the Texas Racing Commission will take way his license to race. He has a checkered history as a jockey and has been suspended twice before for buzzing horses. Chapa was sanctioned by Texas officials in 1994 for using a nail to spur his horse, Silver Sixes, at a qualifying race at the Gillespie County Fair. He was suspended from racing for nine months and fined $2,500, though at the time he was still an apprentice. New Mexico racing officials suspended him for five years after he was reportedly caught using an electrical device back in 2007. Chapa was also suspected of using a prohibited device after a Peta investigation in 2014 caught assistant trainer Scott Blasi on tape talking about the jockey using an electric buzzer. 'That silly-a-- Roman Chapa put it in his mouth in New Mexico,' Blasi was heard saying to jockey Gary Stevens and trainer D. Wayne Lukas. 'They came in to shake him down, he stuck it in his mouth, then he spit it out in his wash bucket,' Blasi added. Chapa also received a sentence of 10 days in 2002 for a plea deal on cruelty to animals charges, after police said Chapa 'torture[d] an animal, namely a dog, by beating it with a strap'. | Roman Chapa, 43, of Big Spring, Texas, was photographed with what officials say is a prohibited electric device used to shock the horse .
Chapa was suspended in 2007 for using an electric device and has a conviction for cruelty to a dog .
A Peta investigation caught a trainer talking about Chapa's use of an electric device in 2014 .
Chapa also faces a felony charge and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Tuesday, as of Thursday morning he remained at large .
The horse's owner and trainer, Daniel Pish, told Daily Mail Online he was shocked and upset about the incident and knew nothing about it .
Quiet Acceleration, a gelding who turns six later this year, has won $200,000 and its health is fine after being shocked, Pish said . |
269,617 | e9391e3e3430ba10b6619e3bfcfb8715ad797688 | By . Craig Hope for MailOnline . Follow @CraigHope_DM . CLICK HERE to read Martin Samuel's full match report from the Stadium of Light . It was the summer of love for 3-5-2. But as the last few rays of our sunshine season landed on the Stadium of Light, the celebrated system was cast in the shade. Yes, United escaped with a 1-1 draw, but this was another defeat for Louis van Gaal’s preferred formation. Tinker man: Louis van Gaal goes through his team tactics alongside assistant Ryan Giggs ahead of the game . Holy trinity: Manchester United's 3-5-2 formation allows (L-R) Robin van Persie, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney to play in their preferred positions . With Holland at the World Cup in Brazil it had rightly been lauded as, against the odds, the Dutch finished third. Van Gaal rolled out the same system as he debuted in the United dugout during the pre-season tour of America – again, it was as if we were witnessing the formation which would define the campaign ahead, no doubt mimicked up and down the land. But then the real action kicked in and, after 45 unsatisfactory minutes against Swansea last week, Van Gaal reverted to four at the back. At Sunderland, though, it was back to 3-5-2. It did not work. Dutch of class: Robin van Persie almost scored the winner in his first United game under Louis van Gaal . Getting up and down: Antonio Valencia plays the right wing-back role in the new United system . Case for the defence: Phil Jones was Manchester United's best player, according to Gary Neville . For no matter the method of approach, United were repeatedly undone at the back, nerves, inexperience and baffling positional play all contributing factors. Be it air or land, they could not deal with the advances of the hosts. Tyler Blackett’s inclination was to operate as centre-half-cum-left-back, leaving Chris Smalling exposed. Phil Jones, likewise, on the right of that back three. The upshot was that Smalling was replaced just before the break, his hamstring having seemingly given up under the strain of attempting to marshal such a disorganised backline. Special Juan: Spanish playmaker Juan Mata opened the scoring at the Stadium of Light . Perfect 10: Juan Mata celebrates after scoring United's opener from his position in 'the hole' That's torn it! United's plans were thrown into chaos after Chris Smalling was forced off with a hamstring injury . Level headed: United's three man defence was largely absent as Jack Rodwell equalised for Sunderland . Jack in the box: New signing Jack Rodwell kisses the badge after scoring his first goal for Sunderland . Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young were the wing-backs charged with offering protection to the rearguard. But it was their errant passing which seemed to spread panic through their comrades at the back. Young, in particular, had little care for the duty of defending, Sunderland right-back Santiago Vergini strolling beyond him on one occasion before taking up a position unmarked on the penalty spot. Connor Wickham twice broke clear early on but failed to capitalise on the space afforded to him. There were other chances, too, the unattended Lee Cattermole blazing over from the edge of the area chief among them. But forget systems for one moment, Sunderland’s equaliser was simply a case of abdication of responsibility, Jack Rodwell peeling off Valencia to nod home with ease from Seb Larsson’s corner. Out of his depth? Ashley Young struggled with the defensive side of his wing back role . Histrionics: Sunderland manager Gus Poyet urges his team on from the sidelines . Under watchful eye: Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was on Wearside to watch Louis van Gaal's side . Invisible man: Wayne Rooney was a peripheral figure as a forward in Louis van Gaal's 3-5-2 system . Back to the drawing board? Louis van Gaal watches as his tactics fail to win three points . Frustration: Juan Mata kicks a water bottle after missing an opportunity to give United the lead . Even after the break the space in behind United remained open for business and Larsson duly scampered clear only to be denied by the recovering Blackett. On an attacking front they offered precious little also, Juan Mata – his opening goal apart - Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie all peripheral and at times frustrated figures. The summer of love for 3-5-2 it may have been, but you get the feeling the formation will be lucky to see the autumn. It’s not too late to play MailOnline Fantasy Football… There’s £1,000 to be won EVERY WEEK by the highest scoring manager . CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . | Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw with Sunderland .
Louis van Gaal persevered with his 3-5-2 formation system .
Dutchman used system to guide Holland to World Cup semi-finals .
Using wing backs does not seem to work in the Premier League .
Ashley Young struggled with defensive side and booked for diving .
Robin van Persie played his first United game under Van Gaal .
Wayne Rooney was a peripheral figure up front for Red Devils .
Juan Mata opened the scoring before Jack Rodwell equalised . |
44,210 | 7cade77c8156898236850cb9d3841dbb13cced12 | For three decades, the key to identifying a pedestrian struck and killed near an interstate exit ramp sat at investigators' fingertips. They just didn't realize it. The man was walking on Interstate 65 in central Kentucky in 1984 when he was struck by a semitruck. With no identification, the only clues he left were a couple of tattoos, a pack of cigarettes and his fingerprints. The prints yielded no matches. John Doe's body remained unidentified thirty years later, when the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System asked state police to review cold cases. Forensic analyst Keith Dollinger went through John Doe's file and noticed something odd about the ridges and patterns of the fingerprints. 'It looked to me like right hand prints were on the left hand card because of the way the ridges went through,' he said. He was right: Investigators had transposed the prints. The right hand was on a card labeled "left" and vice versa. 'Once he figured that that out, it kind of snowballed from there,' Kentucky State Police Lt. Brian Sumner said. Mystery solved: Police in Kentucky have finally solved the 30-year-old case of a man who was struck and killed by the side of the road in Elizabethtown. The error: the man's fingerprints were mislabeled (stock photo) Now, the man has a name: Roy Andrew Langley, who sometimes went by the alias 'Red Anderson.' He spent his life in and out of police custody and was 34 when he died by the side of the road in Elizabethtown. A preliminary identification was made in May, and this week, the Hardin County Coroner's Office tracked down Langley's sister in Houston for confirmation. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Debra Langley Hamidian were unsuccessful Friday. Transposing fingerprints isn't an everyday mistake, but it's not uncommon, said Todd Matthews, director of case management and communications for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 'There have been other times where prints were flipped,' Matthews said, although he didn't have statistics on the frequency. In fact, the officer who made the catch in Langley's case said he's caught himself making the same mistake. 'It's something that happens every so often,' said Dollinger, a forensic specialist analyst with state police's Automated Fingerprint Identification System. 'It's just something you have to be careful about.' After discovering the error, Dollinger, who has 20 years of experience, resubmitted the prints through the state and national identification systems and turned up Langley's name. 'It was kind of a quiet satisfaction,' Dollinger said. "It was a good thing because we know who the fellow is. 'The family can get some closure.' | Since 1984, detectives in Kentucky have tried to solve the case of a 34-year-old man who was struck and killed by the side of the road in Elizabethtown .
Now they've finally figured out why the case went cold: the man's fingerprints were transposed in the police filing system .
The man's right hand was on a card labeled 'left' and vice versa .
Once police flipped the cards, the fingerprints matched those of a man named Roy Langley, 34, who spent most of life in and out of police custody . |
210,405 | 9c8207e4f23756fee6593d5ef496bba1f207502f | A council member in Pomfret, New York has worn a colander on his head as he was sworn into office. Christopher Schaeffer opted for the unique head wear, which signals his allegiance to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, at the ceremony on Thursday afternoon. His church, which was founded by an atheist in 2005 to protest against the teaching of creationism in school and to poke fun at religion, uses the spaghetti strainer as its symbol. 'It's just a statement about religious freedom,' Schaeffer told the Observer after he was sworn in. 'It's a religion without any dogma.' Bizarre: Pomfret, New York Town Council member Christopher Schaeffer wore a colander on his head as he was sworn in to office on Thursday, showing his allegiance to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster . The organization's website insists Pastafarianism is a real religion. Adherents believe that pirates were the original Pastafarians and 'were peaceful explorers and it was due to Christian misinformation that they have an image of outcast criminals today', it explains. 'Some claim that the church is purely a thought experiment, satire, illustrating that Intelligent Design is not science, but rather a pseudoscience manufactured by Christians to push Creationism (the doctrine that God created the universe) into public schools,' it writes. 'These people are mistaken.' 'The Church of FSM is real, totally legit, and backed by hard science. Anything that comes across as humour or satire is purely coincidental.' The church opposes the teaching of creationism, and its website explains that followers are fond of beer and treat every Friday as a holiday. Bobby Henderson, the founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, blogged about the ceremony on Monday, calling Schaeffer 'the first openly Pastafarian sworn into office'. In office: Schaeffer said despite his prop last week, he is looking forward to taking the job seriously . Movement: Members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Pastafarians, march through St. Petersburg in Russia. The group pokes fun at religion by worshiping a flying spaghetti monster . 'Some people will see it as obnoxious or a sign that he’s not taking the oath of office seriously,' Henderson said. 'But I am completely confident that Schaeffer will distinguish himself as a Council member of the highest caliber.' Schaeffer said that although his appearance may have looked bizarre to some, he is fully committed to working for Pomfret's residents. 'Mostly, I'm just looking forward to making sure that the town is run smoothly and we meet the needs of all of our citizens,' he said. | Christopher Schaeffer wore a spaghetti strainer while he was sworn in as council member in Promfret, New York last week .
It showed his allegiance to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster .
The church was founded by an atheist in 2005 to protest against the teaching of creationism in schools . |
181,503 | 76fb33e8ff94c23a88681e3cd34faf16fe0eac4c | By . Tamara Abraham . Leather pants are typically the last thing one might want to wear to work out. But a new collection from Lululemon looks set to change that. The yoga wear chain this week launched the &go capsule on its U.S. website, designed to be as comfortable in the gym as it is chic in the office or a cocktail bar. Comprising leggings with flattering leather-look panels ($118) and a peplum-waist top ($58), it delivers on style big time. Fashion meets function: Lululemon's new &go collection comprises leather-look shorts ($54, left, actually made from stretchy, durable Warpstreme) and leggings with flattering leather-look panels ($118, right) An open-back black top ($58) promises to be an instant wardrobe essential, while leather-look running shorts ($54, actually made from stretchy, durable Warpstreme) seem made for Downtown fashionistas. There is even a dress ($128) with a high neckline and full skirt that will likely be a hit on and off the tennis court. Lululemon's Chief Product Officer Tara Poseley told MailOnline that the line was designed with time-short women in mind. Frock tactics: There is even a dress ($128) that will likely be a hit on and off the tennis court . Versatile: Tops include an open-back number (left) and a peplum waist style (right), both $58 . 'We know that every minute counts and . that our guests want a wardrobe that carries them seamlessly from . daybreak to midnight,' she said. 'Our guests want a wardrobe that carries them seamlessly from . daybreak to midnight' 'The versatility of the &go capsule coupled with how the product makes our guests feel when they wear it connects fashion with function and is what athletic style is all about.' Sizes for the capsule run from a U.S. 4 to 10, which may disappoint some shoppers - the largest size Lululemon currently offers is a 12. But regardless, it is already proving popular - a number of pieces, including the dress, have already sold out online. Popular: The &go collection is being tipped to help revive the troubled brand, according to financial analysts . The collection is being tipped to help revive the troubled brand, according to financial analysts, following a tough 2013 during which it was forced to recall millions of dollars worth of 'too-sheer' yoga pants. Camilo Lyon, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity in New York, told the Financial Post: 'Our contention has been that Lululemon must press the fashion quotient to keep competitors at bay and customers engaged. 'We believe the &go line is another great step in that direction that should serve the company and the brand well.' | Sizes for the collection run from a U.S. 4 .
to 10, which may disappoint some shoppers - the largest size Lululemon .
currently offers is a 12 . |
177,567 | 71dedae438cf34043510a974b58d6d9e74a1e99c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:43 EST, 26 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:57 EST, 26 July 2012 . Britain's men's football team got off to a nervous start in their opening match against Senegal, taking an early lead but allowing the Africans to draw level late in the second half. A packed Old Trafford greeted the team . with an enormous roar as they took to the field hoping to follow the . example set by the women's team who yesterday beat New Zealand 1-0 in . their opening match. It all started well as Welshman Craig Bellamy, who had been booed by sections of the crowd in the opening minutes, found the perfect way to silence his critics, by netting off a Ryan Giggs cross. 1-0 Team GB: A delighted Craig Bellamy celebrates after slotting in the opening goal for Great Britain . Bellamy silences his critics netting from a Ryan Giggs cross to put Great Britain ahead . Here we go: Ryan Giggs leads out Team GB for their opening match against Senegal . The first Great Britain Olympic men's football team since 1960 pose for their pre-match team photo . Great Britain: Butland, Richards, Caulker, Taylor, Bertrand, Cleverley, Allen, Giggs, Bellamy, Sturridge, Rose. Subs: Steele, Dawson, Tomkins, Cork, Ramsey, Sinclair, Sordell.Senegal: Ousmane Mane, Souare, Ciss, Ba, Papa Gueye, Toure, Konate, Sadio Mane, Diame, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Ibra. Subs: Camara, Seck, Kouyate, Mbodji, Yero, Magaye Gueye, Badji.Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan) But there was heartbreak after Senegal drew level with less than ten minutes to go. It is Britain's first Olympic men's . football match since 1960, but it's 100 years since they last lifted . gold in this tournament. Both Captain Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy were criticised for failing to sing the National Anthem at the start of the match. GB captain Giggs and his fellow Welshmen Bellamy, Joe Allen and Neil Taylor remained tight-lipped during the rendition of God Save The Queen at Old Trafford. Giggs, turning out for . his first major tournament at the ripe old age of 38, was clearly fired . up as he spoke to reporters before the match. He . said: 'My bread and butter is playing for United in front of United . fans at Old Trafford. This is going to be a bit different.' But it follows another embarrassing day for the Olympic organisers after . Welsh player Joe Allen was described as English in the official . programme. The midfielder, who speaks fluent Welsh and plays for Swansea City, is . set to start for Great Britain this evening in their opening match with . Senegal at Old Trafford. Allen, 22, is one of five Welshmen in the Team . GB squad but while the others - Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Neil Taylor . and Aarson Ramsey - were correctly identified, Allen's entry read: . 'Nationality: English.' A London 2012 spokeswoman said: 'There was an error in our programme and we inadvertently listed Joe Allen as English. 'We apologise for this mistake and new programmes are now being printed with the correction in time for Team GB's next match.' It . follows a humiliating series of events last night at Hampden Park in . Glasgow when the South Korean flag was shown next to the names of the . North Korean women's football team. The squad walked off the field in protest and kick-off in their preliminary stage match with Columbia was delayed by an hour. Two young fans enjoy the atmosphere in Old Trafford as they show their appreciation for Britain's first Olympic men's football team since 1960 . A young Team GB fan gets into the Olympic spirit with her face painted up in patriotic red, white and blue . Olympic fever: Fans enjoy the atmosphere inside Old Trafford . Britain's Joe Allen tussles with Senegal's Idrissa Gueye. There was more embarrassment for the organisers after the Welshman was described as English in the match programme . Young at heart: Team GB captain Ryan Giggs, 38, battles with Ibrahima Balde of Senegal early in the second half . There was another gaffe yesterday . when an official British Olympics Association (BOA) sent out an e-mail . newsletter entitled 'England Women on their way' after Great Britain's . 1-0 win over New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. A . free-kick on 65 minutes from Stephanie Houghton, an England . international, ensured the perfect start to the Olympics for Team GB. Although predominantly English, the women's squad also contains two Scots - Kim Little and Ifeoma Dieke. Come on lads: Four young fans show their true colours as they cheer on Team GB . The names of the North Korean women's football team appeared on the big screens at Hampden Park next to the South Korean flag . North Korean supporters in the stadium react with horror as the wrong flag is flashed up on the big screens . Stephanie Houghton celebrates with her teammates after scoring the winning goal in Team GB's 1-0 win over New Zealand in Cardiff last night. An official BOC e-mail newsletter wrongly said England had won the match . And a further mistake came to light yesterday when Ukraine's Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishchenko wrote on Twitter that Ukraine had been listed as a region of Russia in some official London 2012 athlete biographies. He tweeted: 'I have just ordered our embassy in the UK to contact the Organising Committee to correct the mistakes. 'The word region is a clumsy mistake even from the point of view of English grammar.' A sell-out crowd is expected at Old Trafford in Manchester as Great Britain kick-off their Olympic football campaign against Senegal at 7.45pm. And there was an early upset this afternoon to whet the public's appetite for Olympic football when Japan beat favourites Spain 1-0 at Hampden Park. Yuki Otsu scored the winning goal in the first half, while Inigo Dominguez was sent off for Spain. The Spanish defenders can only look on as Japan's Yuki Otsu scores the decisive goal at Hampden Park . Otsu (number seven) celebrates scoring the winning goal with his teammates . But there were reports of long queues outside St James' Park in Newcastle as spectators for the Mexico vs South Korea match were left waiting for up to two hours to collect their tickets. Many who had bought tickets missed the kick-off as a box office staffed by just four or five officials was overwhelmed. It will be the first time a British team has competed in an Olympic finals since 1960 but the side will only contain players from the English and Welsh national teams. The Scottish and Irish national associations declined to make players available because they feared for their integrity as individual football nations. Coach Stuart Pearce expressed his enthusiasm for the competition yesterday. The former England international said: 'We've got a fantastic opportunity to sow a seed and say 'can this happen more often?' and say to the public this is a valid tournament. 'It always boils down to me as a coach that the players go back to their clubs having had a fantastic experience and [having] been very proud to represent Great Britain.' Team GB manager Stuart Pearce during a training session in Manchester ahead of their opening fixture with Senegal at Old Trafford . His captain, the Manchester United stalwart Ryan Giggs, added: 'To be involved in a tournament at such a late stage of my career is one I'm looking forward to. 'All the lads have embraced it, we were fortunate to go to the village last week, you want to enjoy the Olympic experience but the bottom line is you want to win football matches.' Great Britain also face the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay in Group A with the top two sides qualifying for the quarter-finals. Giggs fires in a cross during a Team GB training session. The Manchester United veteran will captain the team tonight against Senegal at Old Trafford . Giggs is pictured here in Friday's warm-up friendly with Brazil at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough. He said he was looking forward to playing tournament football, having never qualified for one with Wales . Team GB may be relieved to get on with . the action proper after a number of selection controversies in the . run-up to the Olympics. David Beckham, widely expected to be included in the 18-man squad as one of three permitted 'overage' players, was controversially omitted. But the former England international, who had an active role in securing the Olympics for London in 2005, is still keeping busy. Just hours after playing in a Major League Soccer All-Star team against Chelsea in Pennsylvania, he was raising awareness of child malnutrition with Prime Minister David Cameron and UNICEF representatives at Downing Street in London. Much sought after: Beckham flies back to London to urge Prime Minister David Cameron to help tackle malnutrition against young children all over the world . Last night, Gareth Bale was accused of . turning his back on the Olympics by putting club before country in . another selection controversy. The Wales winger had declared himself unfit for the Games but played and scored in a pre-season friendly for his club Tottenham in the United States last night. | Final Score: Great Britain 1 - Senegal 1 .
Old Trafford packed for opening match .
Welshman Craig Bellamy scores off a Ryan Giggs cross to put Britain ahead .
But agony late in the second half as Senegal draw level .
Welsh and Scottish players criticised for not singing the National Anthem .
Embarrassment for organisers after Welsh player Joe Allen was described as English in the official programme . |
77,276 | db1a49c5a305420f8b7db0e99b0829fc6d64a2b9 | (CNN) -- A record-breaking winner of 18 grand slam singles titles, Martina Navratilova is to join the ranks of tennis' super coaches. The 58-year-old will work with world No. 6 Agnieszka Radwanska next season in her first major coaching role. "I didn't sleep very well last night thinking about getting back into match mode and the competitions," said Navratilova, who won a record nine Wimbledon singles titles. "I am really excited about this opportunity to join Agnieszka's team -- I can't wait to get started." Radwanska, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2012, hopes appointing Navratilova will help end her quest for her first grand slam. "I am absolutely delighted that Martina has agreed to help me and my team next season," said the 25-year-old Pole. "She is my idol in tennis and I am honored we will be working together. My goal is to win a grand slam, so to have someone with Martina's accomplishments in my corner is going to be hugely advantageous and give me a big boost. "We are originally from a similar part of the world so we share an understanding about tennis and life, which I'm sure will translate into a successful relationship," added Radwanksa, referring to the Czech-born Navratilova, who is a naturalized American. The sight of a super coach courtside has become de rigeur in the men's game since Andy Murray sought the advice of eight-time grand slam winner Ivan Lendl in 2012. That partnership paid off as the Briton went on to win his first majors at the U.S Open and Wimbledon before adding the 2012 Olympic gold medal on home soil in London. Since then, Roger Federer -- not shy of a grand slam or 17 himself -- has worked with Swedish ace Stefan Edberg. Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic opted for flamboyant German Boris Becker while Murray is now supported by French female major winner Amelie Mauresmo after his split with Lendl. Navratilova is about to break new ground by becoming the first super-coach on the women's tennis tour. The Czech-born American citizen will no doubt relish the chance to set new standards as that's just what she's being doing since winning her first grand slam at the French Open in 1975. Blending serve-and-volley style with a power game, the left-handed star blazed into the record books. Navratilova holds an open era record 167 singles titles and 177 doubles titles as well as 59 grand slam crowns - in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. She won a final grand slam title -- the 2006 U.S. Open mixed doubles with partner Bob Bryan -- just one month shy of her 50th birthday before retiring from the game. Navratilova is also known as a TV personality, an activist for gay rights and she has even turned her hand to writing detective novels set in the world of competitive tennis. Now she must solve the case of the missing grand slam for Radwanska in 2015. | Tennis ace Martina Navratilova to return to the game as a super coach .
The 58-time grand slam winner will coach Agnieszka Radwanska in 2015 .
The world No. 6 hopes Navratilova will help her win a first grand slam title .
"I'm really excited," says Navratilova about her new role . |
8,507 | 180405d7a3ab9bb9a99db319334856879cca374f | He has admittedly publicly that the White House underestimate the terror threat from ISIS. But Saturday Night Live took Obama's confession a step further - by having him admit that jihadists outperform the U.S. government on Twitter. The comedy show had performer Jay Pharaoh play the President in a sketch going into detail on how jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq have him on the ropes when it comes to hashtags, emojis - and even dating apps. In his best Obama voice, Pharoah took part in a 60 Minutes-style interview which also made light of recent failures in the Secret Service - and the Ebola crisis. 'They can maximize faves': Jay Pharaoh played Obama - and admitted that ISIS had outfoxed the administration on social media . Mocked: 'Obama' confessed that terrorist Twitter accounts had baffled him - and lamented their skilled use of emojis . At the opening of the NBC show, Beck Bennett, posing as CBS host Steve Kroft, asked how the Obama administration had been outfoxed by ISIS. In reply, the 'President' said: 'We underestimated how effective ISIS would be at social media - they really blew us out of the water. 'These terrorists have nothing to do - they can be tweeting all day. They can maximize faves as well as RTs. Faux serious: Beck Bennett pretended to by 60 Mintues host Steve Kroft for the skit . 'Why was the CIA on Tinder?' The sketch also coined the acronym D.T.J. - Down to Jihad . He then threw out some examples, exposing their 'tactics' of using emojis and trending hashtags to put across their messages by stealth. He offered example tweets like: 'Hearing cool stuff about Sharia law. I'ma check it out. Then there's an emoji of a ghost with an eye patch.' He also suggested: 'Loving this new show "Selfie" on ABC. P.S. can you believe Israel is still a state?' and 'We will destroy the infidels #thankyoujeter' Scary: Saturday Night Live later moved on to parodying the Ebola crisis - with a mock-up movie trailer for a sequel to The Fault In Our Stars . Health scares: The fake trailer made light of the disease ravaging West Africa . The mock-Obama also made jokes about the CIA finding profiles on Tinder marked DTJ - Down to Jihad - a play on a popular dating acronym on the network. When asked why the agents were on the app in the first place he simply said: 'That's not important' The interview was cut short when a Secret Service agent blundered onstage telling Obama he had an urgent meeting with 'a man with a sharpened screwdriver'. Saturday Night Live later moves on to a mock movie trailer - a sequel to The Fault in Our Stars in which the love interest, played by host Sarah Silverman - has the deadly virus. She is shown falling for a leading man - who reciprocates but always stays at least 5ft away from her - or wears hazmat gear. Her suggestion that they 'take a plane somewhere' is not rapturously received. 'Maybe we should take a plane'? The trailer, starring host Sarah Silverman, deployed trademark risqué humor . | Jay Pharaoh - posing as the President - praises jihadists' hashtag skills .
Is also in awe of their abilities with emojis - and notes new trend on Tinder .
Show later moves on to make light of Ebola scares with fake romance trailer . |
116,404 | 223d830c8e244fb53f0fb0fe97a9f819fb4e6c4b | By . Richard Kay . PUBLISHED: . 20:40 EST, 22 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:59 EST, 22 January 2013 . While Prince Charles enjoys record sales of his Highgrove-themed . produce, things are not so perky for another of his pet projects, . Dumfries House, the stately home in Ayrshire he saved for the nation. The Prince stepped in to rescue the Palladian pile and its contents of . rare Chippendale furniture when he formed a consortium to buy it for . £45 million in 2007 without having set foot in it. At the time, some advisers described the purchase as a ‘reckless gamble’ as it had to be funded by a £20 million loan taken out by his charity . foundation. Royal owner: Prince Charles helped to purchase Dumfries House in Scotland for £45m, with a loan for £20m taken out by his charitable foundation . No window-shopper: Prince Charles formed a consortium to purchase Dumfries House in Ayrshire without ever having set foot inside the stately home . An aerial view of the Scottish estate which the Prince of Wales helped purchase in 2007 . Earlier this month, St James’s Palace proudly announced the loan for the . house — which used to be owned by the Marquess of Bute, former racing . driver Johnny Dumfries — had been paid off. But figures lodged at Companies House show that the 18th-century . mansion still has a long way to go before it is self-supporting, even . though it is being run by the Prince’s former valet, Michael Fawcett. Latest accounts for Dumfries House Trust Trading Ltd, which runs the . shop and cafe at the house and hires out the building for private . functions, show that it made gross profits of only £54,846 in the year . up to the end of last March — down from £209,584 a year earlier. With £97,542 of so-called ‘administrative expenses’, the company actually made a loss of £42,696 during the 12-month period. Priceless: The Pink Drawing Room showing a suite of Chippendale furniture, which survived unaltered and complete since the mid- eighteenth century was one of the reasons behind the Prince's purchase . Sweet dreams: One of the night lodgings at Dumfries house, known as 'the blue bedroom' No returns: Prince Charles and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond (far right) during the Prince of Wales' first-ever visit to the stately home in 2007 - after he bought it . In the red: The company which runs Dumfries House recorded a £42,700 loss during 12 month period between March 2011 and 2012 . Going green: The tapestry room at Dumfries House, which hopes to turn a profit in this year's report with the help of its new B&B . The figures show overall turnover was £203,188, down from £270,724. But . documents disclose things could be more rosy in the next accounting . period, when the company will benefit from the income of a new . bed-and-breakfast business and two self-catering cottages at Dumfries . House . All the income from the trading company is meant to go to a parent . company, The Great Steward Of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust, which is . supported by grants and donations as well as an endowment fund worth . more than £40 million. Last week, I revealed how the Prince’s firm A. G. Carrick, which sells . his goods at his three shops and on the Highgrove website to raise money . for his charity, had a turnover of £4 million last year, up on the . £3 million in 2011. | Formed consortium to save Dumfries House and bought if for £45 million .
Purchase of Ayrshire stately home demanded a £20m loan by his charity .
Company Dumfries House Trust Trading made £42,700 loss last year . |
75,729 | d6c46e7d4f9ad7ad74b6223084890e6eb8f6aa3b | Offer: Hafiz Saeed pledged to help the U.S. A terrorist leader with a $10million U.S. bounty on his head has offered aid to Americans hit by Superstorm Sandy. Hafiz Saeed said his organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa was prepared to send volunteers, medicine and food to those on the East Coast who were struggling to cope in the aftermath of Monday night's ferocious storm. Saeed said in a written statement on Tuesday that it is a religious duty under Islam to help Americans affected by the storm, even if the U.S. has put a bounty on his head. Following the militant's offer, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad posted on their Twitter feed: 'We respect the Islamic tradition of help to the needy, we can't take Hafiz Saeed's offer seriously. 'Saaed is wanted for suspected involvement in the Mumbai attacks, which killed 166. JuD is a UN&US-designated terrorist org.' The U.S. offered $10million earlier this year for information leading to the terrorist's arrest or conviction. He is in the top five most wanted on the U.S. terror list. Devastation: America's east coast has suffered damage which is expected to cost $50billion to repair . He had initially been advised to go . underground by associates following the U.S. bounty but later decided . against it and maintains a high public profile. He founded Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group blamed for the Mumbai attacks in 2008 where more than 160 people were killed. Jamaat-ud-Dawa is believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was banned by the Pakistani government. Wanted: Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawwa and founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, . | Hafiz Saeed suspected of orchestrating 2008 Mumbai terror attacks where 160 people died .
Terror leader said it was his 'religious duty' to help Americans affected by superstorm .
U.S. Embassy in Islamabad says: 'We respect the Islamic tradition of help to the needy, we can't take Saeed's offer seriously' |
257,006 | d8a3b6bed3b43fab3503b9bde046122941924d92 | Manchester United defender Alexander Buttner has agreed a contract with Dinamo Moscow, the Russian side have announced. Dinamo posted a statement on their official website on Tuesday which said Buttner's contract was 'agreed upon' and that only 'technical details' were left to negotiate. They also posted pictures of the left-back in their training kit. The 25-year-old Dutchman said: 'I want to play in the Champions League, win trophies. Arrival: Alexander Buttner (right) pictured with Stanislav Moanolev in Dinamo Moscow's training kit . On the move: Alex Buttner is all set to join Russian club Dinamo Moscow from Manchester United . Saying goodbye: Buttner took to Instagram to post this picture with a message of thanks to United supporters . 'Dinamo are a very strong team and I am confident that we will fight for first place this season.' Buttner then took to Instagram to thank United fans for support during his time at the club. He said: 'Thanks for everything! Had a amazing 2 years at this beautyful club Manchester united! Thanks to all my fans for supporting me!!' Buttner has made a total of only 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals, since joining United from Vitesse Arnhem in the summer of 2012. In may, fellow left-back Patrice Evra signed a new contract with the Red Devils, who have been linked with another player in that position, Southampton's England international Luke Shaw. | Buttner takes passing swipe at United after sealing move to Russia .
Dinamo say only 'technical details' of contract are left to sort .
Buttner only made 28 appearances for United since joining in 2012 .
Buttner posted message of thanks to United and their fans on Instagram .
United have been linked with Southampton left back Luke Shaw . |
147,738 | 4b0acc0c24c4d935d8a98e4f0926eb46a935e488 | By . Graham Smith and Chris Parsons . PUBLISHED: . 03:17 EST, 12 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:17 EST, 12 July 2012 . Tied to the floor as their keepers gouge them with sharp metal rods, these are the shocking pictures which show how badly young elephants are abused before performances for a leading Los Angeles travelling circus. Animal rights protestors have expressed outrage at the horrific treatment of elephants at Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus, after pictures emerged of animals being poked, stretched out, electrically shocked and made to perform 'inhumane' and often painful tricks. Animal rights charity PETA claim the circus, which is about to start a seven-day stint at LA's Staples Center, abuse the animals from a young age and when they're about to go on stage to 'remind them who's boss'. Scroll down for video . Training: PETA has taken photos of Ringling Bros staff teaching elephants how to perform tricks . Cruel? PETA alleges the circus trainers cruelly force baby elephants to learn tricks, and not through a reward system as Ringling Bros claims . PETA claims the elephants' sprit is broken when they are vulnerable babies who should be with their mothers . A group of circus trainers teach an elephant to perform... by tying its legs together and prodding it . The campaign against the apparent . abuse has even gained celebrity attention from the likes of Alec . Baldwin, following footage of baby elephants being humiliatingly . stretched and gouged by their keepers. Families arriving at the circus in . Los Angeles last night were greeted by throngs of animal rights . protesters waving graphic placards of alleged elephant abuse. About 500 protesters are believed to . have turned out last night and activists have promised a series of . demonstrations throughout the coming week. PETA spokesman Tracy Reiman said: . 'Ringling trainers and handlers routinely beat and gouge elephants with . bullhooks - weapons that resemble a fireplace poker with a sharp steel . tip. 'Kids would run . screaming from the big top if they knew how baby elephants are violently . forced to perform difficult, confusing, and sometimes painful tricks.' PETA . claims that the elephants are abused from when they are young babies . and when they are just about to go onstage 'to remind them who's boss'. 'Inhumane': Animal rights protesters wave graphic placards of alleged elephant abuse outside the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus performance at Staples Center in Los Angeles . Ongoing protest: The Ringling Bros circus last night started a seven-day stint at the Staples Center - and activists have promised to demonstrate throughout the week . Making their point: About 500 protesters are believed to have demonstrated against the circus last night . Earlier this year, actor Alec Baldwin filmed a four-minute video on behalf of PETA, urging Americans to boycott Ringling Bros and other circuses because of their inhumane treatment of elephants. He claims that elephants live very different lives than their wild cousins and from a young age are ‘stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with bull hooks, and shocked with electric prods'. In the video, Baldwin describes the apparent horrors suffered by elephants in the circus. ‘Having . worked with actors for many years, it’s hard to believe that anyone . would have to be dragged kicking and screaming into show business,’ Baldwin begins. ‘But for the elephants for Ringling Bros and other circuses, that’s exactly what happens.’ He cites a 2009 PETA investigation in which animal handlers are shown beating elephants moments before they appear in the ring. Baldwin says the conditions in which these elephants live is deplorable, adding that the pachyderms are ‘kept chained and confined to cramped boxcars. The lack of mental and physical stimulation results in severe frustration, and is the reason why you frequently see elephants in circuses swaying back and forth.' Outspoken: In a video on behalf of PETA, Alec Baldwin details the abuse circus elephants must endure . Broken: The actor said elephants' spirits are broken for the brief amusement of circus-goers . Star attraction: Elephants have been one of the main events at Ringling Bros, called 'The Greatest Show on Earth' A spokesman for Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey condemned the video for rehashing old footage and distorting its meaning. ‘The health and vitality of our animals is something we can showcase at every Ringling Bros performance,’ Stephen Payne said. ‘We invite families everywhere to come and see for themselves how all the animals are thriving at "The Greatest Show on Earth".' However, . Feld Entertainment – which owns the circus company – agreed to pay a . $270,000 fine last November for allegedly violating the Animal Welfare . Act. Though the company never admitted to any wrongdoing or violating regulations, it is still the largest AWA fine on record. Since the settlement, employees who work with animals must undergo AWAK compliance training. Watch Alec Baldwin's PETA video here: . | The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus last night started a seven-day stint at the Staples Center in Los Angeles .
About 500 protesters waved graphic placards of alleged elephant abuse .
Activists promise to continue demonstrating throughout coming week . |
220,751 | a9c45d4ff7c4ad65b5dc7cf0ba9d39f55d126c15 | ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin introduced herself to the world Wednesday by calling herself a "hockey mom" and then asking what the difference was between a hockey mom and a pit bull. Sarah Palin ripped Barack Obama and said she's ready for the "challenge of a tough fight." "Lipstick," the Republican vice presidential nominee said. She promptly went on to prove the point, tearing into Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as two-faced, inexperienced and intoxicated by the sound of his own voice. "This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word 'victory' except when he's talking about his own campaign," she said. She slammed Obama for "saying one thing in Scranton and another in San Francisco," argued that he had written two memoirs but never authored a major piece of legislation and asked what he would do "when those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot," a reference to the stage where Obama gave his acceptance speech last week. Watch Palin attack Obama » . Thousands of delegates at the party conference roared their approval at Palin's speech, bursting into chants of "Sarah! Sarah!" and "Zero! Zero," the amount of executive experience Republicans say Obama has accumulated. iReport.com: Palin was phenomenal . "I think Sarah Palin can do a one-two punch better than Muhammad Ali," Kansas state Sen. Karin Brownlee said after the speech. "And I think she delivered it just square on the opponents' face. I think she has energized the Republican Party like we haven't seen in a long time." Report card: Rate Palin's speech » . Jose Rodriquez-Suarez, a delegate from Puerto Rico, said simply, "It's about the best speech I have heard at any convention." See photos of Palin take the stage » . Conventioneers waved banners reading "Palin Power" and "Hockey moms for Palin." Delegates from her home state of Alaska were spotted wearing buttons calling her "the hottest VP from the coolest state." "I love those hockey moms," she said. Palin began with a lengthy, minutes-long standing ovation as she accepted the Republican Party's nomination for vice president. It marked the first time in history that a woman has taken the stage as the GOP vice presidential pick. "I accept the challenge of a tough fight," said the woman nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda." The Obama campaign dismissed Palin's speech as "well-delivered" but said it was "written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years." iReport.com: Share your reaction to the convention speeches . Bush aide Matthew Scully was largely responsible for the speech. Palin's opposite number, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, praised her speech as "incredibly well crafted and delivered," but said Palin's rhetoric lacked substance. "I didn't hear the phrase 'middle class.' I didn't hear a single word about health care. I didn't hear a single word about helping people get to college," Biden, a U.S. senator from Delaware, told CNN's "American Morning" on Thursday. "They don't have a single answer [for] how to dig us out of the hole we've been dug into the last eight years," Biden added. Palin, whose son is to deploy to Iraq soon, praised her running mate John McCain as a man who has met grave challenges and "knows how tough fights are won." She criticized Obama's stance on Iraq, saying he "wants to forfeit" while victory is "finally in sight." Watch Palin say McCain has fought for change his entire life » . She praised McCain, a decorated war hero, as a "true profile in courage." "In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change," she said. Throughout the speech, it was clear the first-term governor of Alaska had won over the hearts of the crowd. "What exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make the government bigger and take more of your money." Palin, the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, contrasted her résumé as a former mayor of a small town with that of Obama. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities." Palin presented herself as both a mother and as an outside-the-Beltway reformer in the McCain mold, saying she "took on the old politics as usual in Juneau" and "stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good ol' boys network." She tied oil, a major industry in her home state of Alaska, to foreign policy and national security on a night when convention delegates repeatedly burst into chants of "Drill now, baby, drill now!" She insisted that the United States seek "energy independence," including through more drilling, in the face of threats as diverse as hurricanes in the Gulf and Russian military power in the Caucasus. iReport.com: A 'free for all' on Obama . And Palin dismissed criticism about her that have appeared in the media. "Here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country." CNN's political team analyzes Palin's speech » . Palin, whose youngest child has Down syndrome, also promised that families of special needs children will have "a friend and advocate in the White House." At the end of the speech, McCain came on stage amid raucous cheers and said, "Don't you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States?" Watch McCain take stage, get crowd fired up » . Just before Palin took center stage, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani warmed up the crowd by continuing the barrage on Obama, calling him a "celebrity senator" with no leadership experience. "He's never had to lead people in crisis," Giuliani said. "This is not a personal attack; it's a statement of fact. Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada." "The choice in this election comes down to substance over style. John McCain has been tested. Barack Obama has not. Tough times require strong leadership, and this is no time for on-the-job training." His speech was the third of the evening by former GOP presidential candidates who pumped up the Republican faithful ahead of Palin. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee got the crowd cheering when he ripped Obama for looking to Europe for ways to change America. "Barack Obama's excellent adventure to Europe took his campaign for change to hundreds of thousands of people who don't even vote or pay taxes here," he said. "The fact is, most Americans don't want more government; they want a lot less." Huckabee said McCain represents small government and has ideas for change that will make the nation's economy better. He added that McCain is "a man with the character and stubborn kind of integrity that I want in a president." Huckabee took a jab at the "elite media" for "unifying the Republican Party and all of America" in support of McCain and Palin. "The reporting of the past few days has proven tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert," Huckabee said. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney blasted "liberal Washington," saying McCain is a "prescription for every American who wants change in Washington." He added that it's time to take a "Weedwhacker" to excessive regulation and to impose lower taxes and to stop big-government spending. "Throw out the big-government liberals and elect John McCain," Romney said. "We need change, all right: change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington." He also threw his support behind Palin, saying the McCain-Palin ticket "will keep America as it has always been: the hope of the world." "We will never allow America to retreat in the face of evil extremism," Romney said. The Republican Party officially nominated McCain for president at the convention Wednesday. McCain will give a speech accepting the nomination Thursday night. Police said two protesters were removed during Palin's speech. They said they were members of the anti-war group Code Pink. A representative for the Joint Information Center said the two women were escorted by law enforcement officers from the Xcel Center for heckling. They stood and yelled off to the side of the podium during Palin's speech. They were not charged and have been "sent on their way," this representative said. CNN's Kristi Keck, Dana Bash, Ed Hornick, Paul Steinhauser and Scott J. Anderson contributed to this report. | Delegate says Palin delivers one-two punch to Barack Obama's face .
Palin rips Obama as a man who didn't author a major piece of legislation .
"I accept the challenge of a tough fight," Palin says .
Rudy Giuliani calls Obama a "celebrity senator" |
124,064 | 2c60b9fc1e8806134b55d58cd27a69166a8b4904 | By . Stewart Maclean . PUBLISHED: . 09:06 EST, 17 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:58 EST, 17 January 2013 . A vigilante motorist locked a policeman in the back of his own police van after he allegedly caught the officer drink-driving in South Africa. Russell George made a citizen's arrest after spotting the traffic officer driving erratically in the town of Pietermaritzburg. Mr George phoned the police after the initial encounter with the unnamed officer's marked vehicle on Sunday evening before he was forced to taken action into his own hands. Citizen's arrest: Russell George reported locked a policeman in the back of his own police van after he caught him drink-driving in the South African town of Pietermaritzburg . The civilian motorist told the South Africa's Witness newspaper that he could smell alcohol on the policeman's breath. Mr George said: 'He was driving towards oncoming traffic - at this point I was concerned about the safety of other road users. 'He suddenly jammed on his brakes and came to a complete stop. I got out of my car and went towards him and I asked him if he knew what he was doing. 'He started his car and carried on driving.' Mr George said the police officer drove off but later stopped at an intersection. The self-employed family man called 10111, the South African equivalent of 999, and was told officers would attend the scene. He added: 'After five minutes, no one had arrived. So I jumped out of my car and I approached the driver's side and asked him to come out. 'He looked at me and I could smell that he had been drinking. I asked him again, and he refused. Vigilante: Russell George made a citizen's arrest after spotting the traffic officer driving erratically in the town of Pietermaritzburg . Erratic: The police officer was driving erratically near Pietermaritzburg, South Africa when Mr George was forced to intervene . 'I then grabbed his keys, pulled him out and locked him in the back of his own van.' Another witness told how the policeman had to be pulled out of his vehicle, which was reportedly badly damaged. Khanyi Mnikathi, who watched the unusual scene unfold, said: 'He was quite sloshed. He was weak enough for him to be pulled out and into the back of the van. 'When he was put into the back he started crying.' Miss Mnikathi said when a team of police officers arrived at the scene they were 'quite embarrassed' by their colleague's behaviour. She added: 'It was ironic because it was a citizen who put him in the back of his own van.' The Witness reported a claim that the officer had been drinking to celebrate his birthday before using his police vehicle to get home. He was arrested at the scene and taken for questioning at a police station in the town, which lies in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. It was also reported the same officer had previously been involved in a separate incident at a local nightclub, where he allegedly held up his girlfriend at gunpoint. Police spokesperson Joey Jeevan today confirmed the officer had been charged over the incident. She said: 'The officer was taken for questioning and has since been charged with driving a state vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and with reckless and negligent driving. 'He appeared in court on Tuesday and the case will proceed.' | Russell George noticed officer driving erratically in South African town .
After smelling alcohol on the officer's breath he took action into own hands .
Locked unnamed officer in his own van while waiting for police to arrive .
Witness described the officer as 'sloshed' and said he was crying . |
3,798 | 0afa71f0144414baefce106bb4b64bc229f592c1 | PUBLISHED: . 17:52 EST, 6 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:58 EST, 6 August 2012 . An 87-year-old Denver man has been charged with cultivating more than 400 marijuana plants in his backyard, igniting a Facebook protest in his defence. Edward Bogunovich initially denied the charges, telling ABC News, 'I didn't even have a pipe. I've got zero plants, and I have papers to prove it,' but later changed his tune to say he had sold the plants the day before police raided his home. In that second, Monday afternoon interview, Bogunovich told ABC he had a notarized document proving the timely sale of the some 414 marijuana plants. Scroll down for video . Busted: Edward Bogunovich, 87, has been charged with exceeding the state limit on the number of cannabis plants he could cultivate for medical use . Meanwhile, Denver Police Det. Christopher . Shotts said Bogunovich presented police with a 'questionable' state medical marijuana license after the Friday raid. Those documents, Shotts wrote in an affidavit obtained by ABC News, provided for the legal growth of 231 marijuana plants between Bogunovich and two others cultivators, who . also happened to be growing plants in his backyard. Bogunovich was growing 183 more plants . than he was allowed, Shotts said in the affidavit. Police seized the . plants, which weighed a combined 461 pounds. ABC News reported the Denver District Attorney’s Office said Bogunovich is charged with cultivating marijuana in excess of 30 plants, and possessing more than 12 ounces of marijuana with intent to distribute more than 100 pounds of marijuana. 'I didn't even have a pipe. I've got zero plants, and I have papers to prove it.' The arrest sparked a protest on ABC News's Facebook page after the organization prominently displayed its story on Bogunovich, there. By Monday evening, nearly 700 people had 'liked' the story, with another 430 more posting comments, the vast majority defending Bogunvich and his actions. 'Leave grandpa alone,' wrote Lopez Borrero Minerva. 'He can't feed himself on a fixed income. 'Leave grandpa alone. He can't feed himself on a fixed income. Things keep going up in price but . that SS check or VA check isn't going up.' 'Things keep going up in price but that SS check or VA check isn't going up. How is he suppose to eat and paid for his medications? Go get the murders, thieves, rapist, and child molesters that are out there.' 'Let that man keep his weed!' declared Tiffany Beatty, while another poster commented, 'Leave him alone! He's 87 years old, He probley needs it! Medical Marijuana right.' Bogunovich was released from the Denver Detention Center in lieu of a $10,000 bond and is due back in court Thursday, ABC’s Denver affiliate KMGH reported. Protest ignited: Close to a 1,000 people had 'liked' or commented on the ABC News' story on Bogunovich on Facebook by Monday evening . Watch video here: . | Facebook protest on news organization's page ignited by arrest .
Police say he was growing 414 plants, or about 200 more than the state said he could for medical reasons . |
85,730 | f328d346de8cdccace963b30e8739661a51ab389 | By . Rob Waugh . Updated: . 10:04 EST, 16 December 2011 . Sales of handsets such as BlackBerry touch slow to 11 million per quarter: Analysts say that the company RIM 'needs to get new handsets out' - but CEO Mike Lazaridis admitted that the new 'BB10' handsets now face delays until late 2012 . New, touchscreen BlackBerries designed to update the smartphone brand for consumers used to iPhones and other touch handsets such as Android have been delayed until the end of next year. It's a delay that some analysts predict could be disastrous for the company. The touchscreen BB10 phones were crucial to updating the brand. The co-CEOs insisted that BlackBerry can hold out - but admitted that BlackBerry sales were falling month by month, and that net income had fallen 71 per cent. Earlier this year, BlackBerry also ran into trademark difficulties for the new operating system - BBX - and renamed the phones BB10 to avoid a dispute. No official name or spec for any of the handsets has yet been revealed. Shots of an angular handset supposedly known as BlackBerry London leaked earlier this month. The phones will run an operating system that's mid-way between the simple, old-style operating system of current BlackBerries, and the more iPad-esque OS of the recent BlackBerry PlayBook. PlayBook was another disaster for the company, with the seven-inch tablet sold at a damaging loss after customers failed to take an interest. PlayBook required a BlackBerry phone 'tethered' to it for email to work - unlike any other tablet on the market. Peter Misek, an analyst at Jefferies . & Co in New York, said the . company needs to get its new phones out fast. Mike Lazaridis, one of the company's co-CEOs, said the BlackBerry 10 phones will need a new chipset that will not be available until mid-2012, so the company expects the new phones to ship late in the year.'We've experienced a delay,' he said. Analysts say RIM's future depends on the new software. Research Motion in motion co-CEO Mike Lazaridis - pictured, with co-CEO , Jim Balsillie - said that the advanced chips required by BlackBerry's BB10 handsets meant there would be 'a delay' RIM said BlackBerry sales will fall sharply in the holiday quarter, providing further evidence that it is struggling to compete with the iPhone and smartphones running Android. It has also been having a hard time finding a niche in the tablet computer market, which is dominated by Apple's iPad. RIM said its net income sank 71% as revenue fell and the company took a large accounting charge because it had to sell its PlayBook tablet computer at a deep discount. The Canadian company said revenue fell 6% to 5.2 billion dollars.The company shipped 14.1 million BlackBerry smartphones during the third quarter and 150,000 PlayBook tablet. RIM said it would only ship between 11 million and 12 million BlackBerrys in the fourth quarter and said earnings would be in the range of 80 to 95 cents per share. Otherwise, RIM could lose money in future quarters as it continues to struggle to sell the current, stopgap models. Jim Balsillie, the other co-CEO, acknowledged the challenges facing the once-iconic company and said executives are working to turn it around. 'It may take some time to realise the benefits of these efforts and the platform transition that we are undertaking, but we continue to believe that RIM has the right set of strengths and capabilities to maintain a leading role in the mobile communications industry,' he said. RIM's stock fell 1.20 dollars to 13.93 dollars in extended trading after the results were released. | Net income falls 71 per cent .
Handset sales slow from 14 million last quarter to 'between 11 and 12 million'
New 'BB10' smartphones to be delayed until 'late 2012'
BlackBerry 'needs' new handsets - analyst . |
235,290 | bc986e5a94dc103537f92ced56fda52ab3777ced | (Health.com) -- Americans love celebrities, and if the past year's headlines are any indication, we especially love them when they're sick, injured, troubled, or -- best of all -- on the road to recovery. Shocking celebrity weight changes . When stars have health problems, it's a welcome reminder that they're real people, just like us. And celebrity health stories often help raise awareness about unknown or misunderstood conditions such as psoriasis or Sjögren's syndrome. 20 celebrities who battled depression . From Kate's weight to Charlie's meltdown, Health.com's editors looked back over the year in celebrity health news and selected the 20 biggest stories of 2011. The most controversial health stories of 2011 . Copyright Health Magazine 2011 . | Some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities have suffered from health problems this year .
Charlie Sheen's public outrage and Kate Middleton's weight loss both made headlines .
Health dilemmas have also had us say goodbye to stars like Amy Winehouse and Liz Taylor . |
159,681 | 5a6638c56e586814d99ce8cede2dae7e08c09600 | (CNN) -- After a prolonged courtship with Seattle, the Sacramento Kings are officially staying put. About two weeks after rejecting a sales bid that would have had the team moving 750 miles north to Washington state, the NBA board of governors on Tuesday approved the Kings' sale to a local ownership group helmed by Vivek Ranadive. The vote was unanimous, the NBA said in a news release, and "the transaction is expected to close shortly." Terms of the deal were not released. "Thanks to entire NBA for approving sale of Kings to our organization," tweeted Ranadive, the founder and CEO of TIBCO Software in Palo Alto, California. "It is an honor & a privilege to be part of such an amazing community." The Maloof family -- known for ownership of properties in Las Vegas, such as the Palms, among other business ventures -- has been trying for months to unload its majority owner stakes in the pro basketball franchise. The family members have on multiple occasions reached apparent deals to sell the team to a Seattle-based group, including investor Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, only to be rebuffed by other NBA executives. In January, these two parties reached a deal for that group to buy the Maloofs' 53% share of the team as well as minority owner Bob Hernreich's 12% stake. But the board of governors never signed off. The Maloof family and Hansen's group, though, kept on talking, leading to another deal for a higher price and a vote earlier this month by the NBA board. Public officials in Sacramento, meanwhile, never gave up on their efforts to keep the team. Led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is a former all-star NBA guard, they worked on a stadium plan and collaborated with a group led by Ranadive that was intent on keeping the team in northern California. On May 15, the 22 members of the league's board of governors rejected the Kings' relocation bid, while eight voted in favor. After that vote, Commissioner David Stern cited the existence of a "strong ownership group," a construction team and a plan for a new arena, plus strong support from officials and residents in the Sacramento area. Johnson celebrated that day, and again on Tuesday. Congrats to @Vivek & the new ownership group!" the mayor wrote on Twitter. "NBA's unanimous vote sends a strong statement of support for the Kings' bright future in Sac!" | The NBA's board of governors approves the sale of the Sacramento Kings .
Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ranadive heads the Kings' new ownership group .
Maloof family had deals to sell to a group that would've moved the team to Seattle .
NBA executives rejected those relocation bids . |
229,345 | b4f614d7cf82a434486f7e21a07d46c79f698635 | By . Lynne Wallis . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 14 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:00 EST, 14 December 2013 . Tragedy: An inquest has been launched into the passing of Shayla Walmsley, 44, examining whether her death could have been caused by a malfunctioning insulin pump . The catchphrase ‘In better control . . .’ appears again and again on the Medtronic website. It is the pharmaceutical company’s clever marketing strategy to promote their insulin pumps – medical devices often thought of as a foolproof alternative to the daily injections of lifesaving drugs needed by diabetics. Yet last week, an inquest was launched into the death in her sleep of financial journalist Shayla Walmsley, 44, with the family’s legal team examining whether it could have been caused by a malfunctioning insulin pump. A year before, a 26-year-old woman, known only as Ffion as she wishes to remain anonymous, claims to have suffered a massive overdose after her pump released a large amount of the drug insulin into her bloodstream. She spent two days on a life support machine and lay in an induced coma for a further two days, but has since recovered fully. In . May, a week after Shayla’s body was found, the Medicine and Healthcare . Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) watchdog sent out a warning regarding . the device after the manufacturer discovered some to be faulty. Problems . identified included mechanical faults that could result in too much . insulin being released – a potentially life-threatening overdose – by . accident. Medtronic, . who make the MiniMed Paradigm pumps, one of the most popular brands – . models of which were used by both women – say their products were not at . fault in Ffion’s case. They tested her pump and found it to be fully . functional. Human error is a known cause of overdose with all methods of . taking insulin. The cause . of Shayla’s death is yet to be determined by the coroner. But lawyer . Mark Harvey, who is representing both the Walmsley family and Ffion, . says known problems may predate these incidents. On . April 2 this year, Medtronic sent an ‘urgent recall’ letter to all . Australian users of MiniMed Paradigm pumps, warning them that . malfunctions with the device might lead to overdose. In July, US regulators the Food and . Drug Administration (FDA) followed suit after Medtronic admitted similar . faults with the devices there. ‘Severe illness’ resulting from . overdose was highlighted as a potential risk. Under investigation: Shayla was using a programmable insulin pump administering it continuously through a catheter into her body . Warnings . are usually triggered when doctors or, more rarely, patients report . back to manufacturers, or directly to the relevant regulators, that they . are having problems with a device. Harvey . is concerned by the delay in issuing a UK warning and the fact that it . was not an urgent recall as had happened in Australia a month before. ‘We are worried that British patients may still not be aware of serious . issues with these devices.’ People . with type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin of their own, . which is a problem because insulin controls the body’s absorption of . sugars, or glucose. This leads to dangerously high levels in the blood. Synthetic insulin is taken to control this problem. Insulin pumps are portable devices, about the size of a pack of cards, which stay connected to the body and deliver insulin from a reservoir via a cannula (tube) placed under the skin. They are programmable, allowing the user to modify the amount of drug they receive at any given time, which could be while sleeping. There are currently about three million diabetics in Britain, with ten per cent of those diagnosed with the type 1 form. In type 2 diabetes, the most common form, the condition is often controllable – and even reversible – with diet and tablets. For those with type 1, injections of insulin are the only treatment option. Typically, one daily injection provides a slow-acting background level of insulin, with additional fast-acting doses given with a separate injection ‘pen’ before or after eating or drinking. Before: A traditional insulin pen . The major problem with the treatment is the risk of hypoglycaemia (very low blood-sugar levels) if too much of the drug is taken. Often called ‘a hypo’, typically patients experience shakes, sweating, hunger, palpitations and mood swings due to not enough glucose being available for use by cells throughout the body. This is unpleasant but can usually be corrected by consuming a high-sugar food, such as a glucose tablet, fruit juice or sweets. But if blood-sugar drops for a longer period or sharply, patients can lose consciousness. This is considered a medical emergency, as the condition can be fatal. Just a few too many units of insulin given at any one time can be enough to trigger an episode. Insulin pumps eliminate the need for multiple jabs and, according to studies put forward by manufacturers, also reduce the likelihood of hypos. Children – who may forget or misjudge amounts to inject – as well as those who are very active or lead erratic lives, meaning they miss meals, and those with extremely difficult-to-control diabetes are usually considered candidates for a pump. According to diabetes.co.uk, six per cent of adults and 19 per cent of children with type 1 diabetes use one. However, they are not foolproof. The FDA has reported 17,000 cases of health problems linked to insulin pumps made by manufacturers including Medtronic, MiniMed, Roche and Johnson & Johnson, all of which distribute in the UK. In some cases human error is to blame, but just how many incidents are related to mechanical faults is unclear. Ffion suffered an overdose of insulin in May 2012 after her pump released insulin into her bloodstream while she slept. She suffered convulsions which woke her boyfriend, who called an ambulance. Ffion initially sent her pump back to Medtronic for analysis. They wrote to her in April this year claiming there were ‘no anomalies’ with the device. She says: ‘Essentially, this implied it was my fault, not theirs. It made me very, very angry. If I had been sleeping alone, I wouldn’t be here now.’ Harvey, a partner at Hugh James solicitors, adds: ‘Their letter to Ffion fails to flag up the known problems in other countries. It was only after our own investigations that these malfunctions came to light. It seems strange that they did not mention the Australian urgent recall that happened in the same month.’ A spokesman for Medtronic said: ‘Patient safety is our top priority. We are committed to ensuring high-quality standards of manufactured products to support them in their daily diabetes management. ‘Every day hundreds of thousands of customers use the Paradigm system in order to seek better control in their diabetes management. ‘We have not been contacted by any investigating authority or had the opportunity to examine the insulin pump Ms Walmsley used. Due to this and to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on the circumstances that led to Ms Walmsley’s death.’ A spokesman for the MHRA said: ‘Our priority is to ensure that patients have acceptably safe medical devices and we take prompt action to address any safety or performance concerns.’ Shayla’s older brother Stephen Walmsley is not reassured. He says: ‘If Shayla’s death was caused by a failing pump, the manufacturers need to take them off the market to ensure no other family ever has to go through the pain and misery that we are suffering.’ | Shayla Walmsley, 44, is suspected to have died from an insulin overdose .
She was using an insulin pump which her family believe was malfunctioning . |
206,583 | 9778e614b9d64c36c82ab4a344508f26b5652add | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 03:22 EST, 10 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:22 EST, 10 April 2013 . Most women can relate to the irritation of wearing a heavy, uncomfortable bra for a long day. We look forward to removing our brassieres when we get home with the same enthusiasm as ditching a pair of high heels. Now M&S have released a super lightweight bra designed to remove the discomfort associated with good support. The new Light as Air bra may look no different to other fashion bras but it weighs much less and is designed to be super comfy and breathable . The Light as Air™ bra is a new concept which provides shape and fit but is also incredibly light and designed to feel like wearing nothing at all. Weighing 39 grams, this bra is 11 grams lighter than the average bra and is the lightest bra sold by M&S. But unlike many super comfortable items of lingerie the sleek looking bra won’t let you down with support or in the fashion stakes. The chic minimalist design means you won’t be embarrassed to strip down into your underwear should the mood strike you. The bra is also designed to mold to the wearer, providing ample support for that morning run to catch a bus but without the bulk of heavy padding. The cups are padding free, yet maintain a smooth shape and a mesh lining along the wire channel provides extra breathability and comfort. Paschal Little, Head of Lingerie Innovation at M&S says 'The ultra light weight and breathable materials used in our brand new Light as Air TM bra are developed to keep you cool and comfortable in the warmer months. The Light as Air bra also comes in nude and black, available in sizes 32A to 40DD and costs £19.50 . ‘We have incorporated an airy, open work channel below the cup to increase the feeling of coolness, comfort and airflow through the garment. This modern concept bra is neither padded nor non padded, but is moulded to give you a feminine shape with definition' Not only is this bra the perfect cool summer solution but it’s also the perfect bra to wear under some of this season’s hottest trends. Soozie Jenkinson, Head of Lingerie Design at M&S says 'In line with the emerging Summer trends towards more elegant dressing and sheerer layers we launch our new Light as Air TM bra. 'Designed to complement your new look summer wardrobe, this new bra sets the pace for a fresh approach to new summer underpinnings.' | M&S have launched their new Light as Air bra to eliminate discomfort .
It weighs 39 grams, which is 11 grams lighter than the average bra .
Sizes range from 32A to 40DD, and it retails at £19.50 .
The bra comes in and comes in black, white and nude .
Mesh lining along the wire channel provides extra breathability and comfort . |
15,422 | 2bd96b53b9425ea82aa89765995a2a1d39d62037 | By . Hannah Roberts . PUBLISHED: . 13:10 EST, 15 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:19 EST, 16 April 2013 . Damages: Captain Francesco Schettino is being sued for 80million euros following the Costa Concordia disaster . With its pristine waters and sandy beaches, it was once considered among the Mediterranean’s most beautiful unsung holiday destinations. Now Giglio, the island blighted by the Costa Concordia shipwreck, is suing the ship’s disgraced captain saying its image has been ‘irreparably damaged’ by the cruise ship tragedy. Lawyers for the tiny islet are seeking damages of 80million euro. Captain Francesco Schettino was at the command of the Concordia cruise liner when it slammed into reef off the island in January last year, killing 32 people. The accident was the worst maritime disaster in Italy since the Second World War. Commanders had allegedly attempted a ‘sail past salute’ when the ship hit reef tearing a massive hole in its belly. Criminal proceedings against Schettino, dubbed Captain Coward and Captain Calamity, began today in Grosseto, Tuscany. Schettino is accused of multiple manslaughter and abandonment of post before the evacuation of all 4,200 passengers and crew. Giglio's municipality is seeking to be made a civil plaintiff in the trial, because of the ‘irreparable damage’ to their own identity, its tourism industry and its image, which it says is now destined to be associated with the tragedy. The legal petition demanded damages of at least 80 million euros. Alessandro Maria Lecce, the lawyer hired by the island Giglio, told the Daily Mail: ‘The damages we request are for the citizens who have not been able to lead a normal life since the wreck, the local council which has been unable to do anything but handle the crisis. Scroll down for video . Tragic: The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy . Thirty-two people died when the Costa Concordia sank making it the worst maritime disaster in Italy since the Second World War . ‘It also reflects the damage done to the island's image. ‘The island has become famous all over the world. But when people talk of Giglio they talk of nothing but the Concordia tragedy, the shipwreck and the dead. ‘It’s destroyed tourism-the livelihood of the island.’ The semi-submerged ship has not yet been removed. Schettino said nothing as he arrived for the preliminary hearing looking tanned and relaxed, although his lawyer said he was ‘focused as always.’ Today the owner of the Costa Concordia also asked the court to consider it a victim of the disaster. Costa . Crociere Spa made the request during the opening of a preliminary . hearing into the sinking and whether to issue indictments against the . captain and crew. The cruise company Costa is also seeking to be named as a civil plaintiff, saying it has suffered 'huge damages.' In Italy, civil plaintiffs can join criminal proceedings as damaged parties. Costa is also obliged to pay a one million euros fine as the result of plea-bargaining earlier in the same case. The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the tiny island of Giglio .
Lawyers for the islet are seeking damages of 80million euro .
Captain Francesco Schettino was in command of the ship when it sank and 32 people died .
Schettino is accused of multiple manslaughter and abandonment of post before the evacuation of all 4,200 passengers and crew . |
175,833 | 6f9be09c5c3bc03bb82362a632d8b894cff4b3a8 | So where, exactly, is Edward Snowden? President Vladimir Putin knows. But Russia's chief snooper isn't telling. Not exactly, anyway. The ex-KGB officer and master of doublespeak described Snowden as a "free man" ( biding his time in a "transit area" in Moscow's Sheremetyo airport. So free, of course, that the young American ex-surveillance officer -- watched around the clock by hawkish Russian security agents - has become as ubiquitously and transparently invisible as the brightly lit subject of a dystopian Kafka story. Read more: How to hide your data from Internet . Snowden isn't alone in his fate. The truth is that anyone who uses the Internet is also all in that brightly lit "transit area." I'm afraid we are all in danger of becoming Edward Snowden now. "Mr. Snowden really did fly into Moscow," Putin said, with just the glimmer of a secret policeman's smile. "For us it was completely unexpected." Oh, yes, it must have been totally unexpected. So unexpected, indeed, that the area between passport control and the arrival gates in Sheremetyo airport has been transformed into a high security hotel designed to both shield Snowden from public view and to watch him. Yes, Sheremetyo is beginning to mirror the Internet, a vast all-seeing digital panopticon, a network in which somebody might be watching everything we do, a place where individual privacy no longer exists. And Snowden's fate -- of being watched around the clock, of having zero privacy -- could easily become all of our fates. Opinion: In digital age, everyone is becoming a spook . Ironically, it's Snowden himself who has most clearly revealed to us our fate. In secret National Security Agency (NSA) documents which Snowden gave to the Guardian newspaper, we now know that for more than two years, the Obama administration allowed the NSA, to continue -- as the newspaper put it -- "collecting vast amounts of records detailing the email and internet usage of Americans." Doublespeak isn't, of course, unique to the Russian security apparatchik. The Americans are pretty skilled at it too. "I'm not going to say we're not collecting any internet metadata," thus one Obama Adminstration official told the Washington Post. But, as the Guardian notes, the distinction between metadata and data is mostly semantic. The truth is that the NSA has been data-mining us all of us to death -- Americans and foreigners alike -- in their paranoid search for enemies of the American state. Last year I wrote a book warning about this and called it "Digital Vertigo" -- in homage to Alfred Hitchcock's nightmarish movie about a San Francisco private eye whose life is destroyed by both surveillance and voyeurism. Some people said I was exaggerating. Now they know I wasn't. By being able to read our emails and Internet usage, by harvesting over a trillion metadata records, the NSA knows absolutely everything about us. They know our tastes, what we think, where we go, what we eat, how we sleep, when we are angry, when we are sad. They have become our eyes and our brains. Hitchcock's 20th century movie about surveillance and voyeurism really has become the truth about 21st century digital life. More from Andrew Keen: Should we fear mind-reading future tech? It's almost as if the agents at the NSA have become as omniscient as Google or Facebook. The really terrifying thing about Snowden's revelations is the doublethink articulated by the Silicon Valley technology companies whose pipes and platforms have been hijacked by the snooping NSA bureaucrats. Google, Facebook and the rest all, of course, claim, in the sophisticatedly obtuse doublespeak of their lawyers, both ignorance and innocence about the NSA allegations. But, as Techcrunch founder Mike Arrington notes, the truth about Silicon Valley's complicity is this horror story is much murkier, much more like the dark transit area in Sheremetyo airport where Vladimir Putin's spooks are monitoring Snowden's every movement. Silicon Valley's fetish with radical transparency, with encouraging us to broadcasting everything we do and think, is destroying our privacy. And without privacy, I warn, our individuality, the very thing that defines us as unique human-beings, is fatally compromised. Snowden's fate, whether he ends up in Ecuador or Guantanamo or stays in Sheremetyo airport, is to be watched by spooks for the rest of his life. Snowden, the "free man" in Putin's doublespeak, will never truly be alone again. To avoid becoming Edward Snowden, we need to be much more critical of the invasiveness of Silicon Valley's big data companies. We must recognize the creepiness of all-seeing location devices like Google Glass. Most of all, we need to remember that the Internet is never really private so our most intimate thoughts are best kept to ourselves. Visibility is a trap. Remaining free in our digital age requires us to be alone. We have to teach the internet how to forget. We must build an off-switch to the internet, to reinvent it as a dark space, a place where nobody can know what anyone else is doing. | Snowden is stuck in the transit zone in Moscow, watched by Russian security services .
Keen: Presumably it is his fate to be watched for the rest of his life wherever he ends up .
Keen says we are with him, as we embrace devices that monitor all our activities . |
49,552 | 8c09f918088fe034ac6a836b67717368e8f0437c | By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 18:20 EST, 21 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:16 EST, 22 January 2013 . It is the brutal murder of two innocents which has outraged Guatemala - a country where thousands of women have been killed in the past decade, but where 90 per cent of cases are not investigated. Two little girls - one six years old, one 11 - their tiny dead bodies still wearing pyjamas and clutching rosary beads - dumped in a Guatemalan city street, apparently strangled. Elsewhere in Zona 11, a southern district of Guatemala City, two women also lay murdered, both shot, one reportedly in the face. Today, as their bodies are laid to rest six days after they were found - they are revealed as family. Scroll down for video . In a brutal murder which has shocked Guatemala - the bodies of a woman, her two children, aged 6 and 11 years old, and her niece, were found on January 16, 2013 in streets south of Guatemala City . Local media named the victims as Carmen Virginia Tuez Franco, 35, her daughters Marbella del Rosario Raymundo Tuez, 6, and Andy Briseida Guadalupe Raymundo Tuez, 11, along with Carmen's niece Silvia Matilde Gaitan Franco, 22 . The little girls Marbella del Rosario Raymundo Tuez, 6, and Andy Briseida Guadalupe Raymundo Tuez, 11, were the children of Carmen Virginia Tuez Franco, 35, who was found murdered nearby alongside her niece Silvia Matilde Gaitan Franco, 22 on January 16. Emotional scenes filled a cemetery in Barberena, 50 km (31 miles) from Guatemala City, as the coffins were carried aloft by crying women before being brought before a mass as family and locals paid their last respects. And although it is not yet known why the girls met their violent end, the pictures of today's emotional funeral serve as a poignant reminder of Guatemala's so called 'war on women'. The deaths of the girls come as Guatemala experiences a surge in the number of murdered women. Some 707 women were killed in Guatemala in 2012, a significant increase from 431 in 2011, according to the human rights group Mutual Support, which tracks violence in that nation, CNN reports. At the time of their killing, the murders of 32 women had already been reported so far this year in just 15 days, while 216 men have been killed in the same period, the human rights group said. People carry the coffins with the bodies of the two women and two girls killed. Although it is not yet known how the girls met their violent end or why, the pictures of today's emotional funeral serve as a poignant reminder of Guatemala's so called 'war on women' A child stands over a grave during the funeral of two women and two girls killed on Wednesday, at a cemetery in Barberena, 50 km (31 miles) from Guatemala City . Women place candles outside the Public Ministry building as they demand justice for the deaths of the two girls . According to Amnesty International most cases are not effectively investigated and less than four per cent of all homicides in Guatemala result in perpetrators being convicted. Sebastian Elgueta, Guatemala researcher at Amnesty International, said: 'There is no let-up in the cases of killings of women and girls recorded every month, despite the national scandal this has become for Guatemala. The little girls - one six years old, one 11 - were still wearing pyjamas and clutching rosary beads when dumped in a Guatemalan city street, apparently strangled . 'Thousands of cases of killings of women and girls dating from the last decade are still unresolved or end up being archived due to inefficiencies.' Jorge Cabrera, director of Guatemala's National Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed the children had died from asphyxiation. He said he suspects that organised crime is behind the killing of the two girls, specifically drug trafficking groups who do not care about age or gender, he said. In recent years, Guatemala has had one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world, according to the United Nations: 40 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010. The country is believed to have struggled to cope with an increase of violence generated by drug gangs operating throughout Central America, such as the Zetas from neighbouring Mexico. From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala was engulfed in civil war between left-wing guerrillas and the government. Rape was widely used as a weapon of war to intimidate opponents. More than 200,000 people were killed, most of them by the army. In 2008, Guatemala passed a law aimed at violent crimes against women, but Amnesty has said the authorities are not making full use of powers. Since 2008 a UN-backed International Commission Against Impunity (CICIG) has been supporting Guatemala's justice system and trying to end a deeply-entrenched culture of impunity. But Amnesty says more needs to be done. Elgueta said: 'By failing to prevent violence, mount effective investigations and ensure those responsible face justice, authorities in Guatemala are sending the message that abusing and murdering women is allowed. 'Amnesty International calls on the authorities to fully investigate the latest killings of the two girls and two women, and to bring those responsible to justice. | The bodies of two girls were found dumped on a street in Guatemala, dressed in pyjamas .
The children, one of whom was still clutching Rosary beads, had been strangled .
The incident shocks the nation, but violence has long been a problem and thousands of women have been murdered in the past decade .
However human rights groups say the killers are unlikely to face punishment . |
72,464 | cd6a86e15b76e6fd73fba5e04ba110762f5f5cff | (CNN) -- Senegalese-born Marieme Jamme is at the forefront of the technology revolution that is slowly transforming Africa. As chief executive of Spot One Global Solutions, a UK-based company that helps information technology organizations gain a foothold in emerging markets, she encourages global investment in African IT infrastructure. Armed with a strong desire to help Africa realize its potential, Jamme is outspoken about what the continent needs and how she can help. "I bring the skills to make sure they understand the only way we can develop our continent is to just be normal and to be who we are and work very hard rather than just putting all this power behind it and hiding behind powers, because it doesn't make any sense," she says. See also: 10 African tech voices to follow on Twitter . Jamme is also a regular international speaker, a blogger and the co-founder of Africa Gathering, a global platform that brings together entrepreneurs and experts to exchange ideas about Africa's development -- all part of her efforts to keep the African narrative relevant and positive. "I kind of like protect Africa when people talk bad about the continent," Jamme says. "I try to bring good narratives about Africa now because I see something different in the continent." Born in Senegal into privilege, Jamme describes herself as a "lost girl" while growing up. A rebellious spirit, she wanted to succeed in life relying solely on her efforts and not on her family's connections. "I am a rebel, because I had to completely dismiss my identity. I had to refuse my status as an aristocrat to be just a normal person, because I didn't believe in that," she says. In 1992, she moved to France after her father's death. There, she worked in restaurants and took on cleaning jobs to fund her studies. "I fought all the way to be where I am today," she says. "I was very eager to go and find my own identity -- I was very interested in technology and that's what I wanted to do, so that's where I am." See also: Web savvy Africans fuel growth in online shopping . Passionate about Africa and technology, Jamme has found it necessary to set up base outside her continent, making England her new home today. She says she can achieve more by not living in Africa where gender barriers still hamper many women from realizing their potential. "I'm free in London, I can make decisions," she says. "I go to Africa twice a month, so I'm very aware of what's happening in the continent...but I think as an African woman, as a Senegalese-born, if I wanted to make an impact in my continent I have to have a freedom to do that. I have to have a freedom to write. I have to have a freedom to talk, to speak, to mention what's happening in my continent." See also: Africa's 'father of technology' on sparking a tech revolution . In recent years, a rise in the usage of mobile phones coupled with the emergence of a thriving tech scene, has helped to improve lives and bring people together across Africa. While Jamme praises the power of technology, she is also quick to sound a note of caution. "I think now we really need to be cautious on how mobile phone is affecting the continent right now and really make sure we scrutinize all these big organizations going into Africa," she says. "And we need to be careful in Africa, because Africa now is a destination for investment. People are interested in the continent -- 10 years when I used to talk about Africa nobody cares about it, but now everybody want to get into the continent because it's booming." Underwater cables bring faster internet to West Africa . For Jamme, the critical issue is to make sure that the continent's young population gets good education so that they can find jobs and create opportunities that will make the most out of this technology boom. "We need to make sure there's a way of building, having infrastructures in Africa, making sure the youth are getting educated," she says. Read more: In numbers: The life of an African child . For the last five years, Jamme has also started mentoring young Africans, helping them to set up their businesses and teaching them how to strategize and sell their ideas. She says she finds great satisfaction in being able to help her continent by shaping the lives of young people and giving them the confidence to compete on the global stage. "I'm very proud I've got an identity as an African woman and I think my voice is being listened around the world," she says. "The very simple thing we do is changing the continent. I think now we're influencing governments in Africa, we're working with many organizations to reshape the narratives about Africa. I bring technology companies in the continent, so there's an identity there right now, so we're trying to keep that up -- we're very proud in what we do in Africa." | Senegalese-born Marieme Jamme is highly renowned in the Africa tech scene and beyond .
She runs a UK-based company that helps IT companies gain a foothold in emerging markets .
Jamme has also set up a platform that brings together leading voices to share ideas about Africa's development .
She is a mentor to young Africans, helping them to start businesses . |
132,780 | 37b473dd3d804294bf37ff0f9ee3f3e034d4c4ec | Australia legend Brett Lee was denied a fairytale end to his professional cricket career as the Perth Scorchers beat his Sydney Sixers with a scrambled last-ball single to retain their Big Bash League title. With Perth needing just one run from three balls to complete a chase of 148 in Canberra, 38-year-old paceman Lee took two wickets in two balls. But on Lee's final ball, Sydney captain Moises Henriques fumbled a throw at the non-striker's end to allow Yasir Arafat, who was well short of the crease, to complete the single required for victory. Yasir Arafat of the Perth Scorchers celebrates a slender victory as Brett Lee of the Sydney Sixers can only hold his head in his hands after the last-ball drama in Canberra . Henriques misses the last ball run-out as Lee watches on, allowing Arafat (left) to complete the winning run . Lee and his team-mates look dejected after the dramatic conclusion to the final . Lee had taken two wickets at the death but was denied a fairytale finish to his illustrious career . Lee had set up a thrilling finale in Canberra by taking the wicket of Sam Whiteman in the final over . Lee, a veteran of 76 Tests and 221 one-day internationals for Australia in a glittering career, had clean bowled Nathan Coulter-Nile (seven runs) and Sam Whiteman (zero) with the fourth and fifth balls of the final over to set-up the dramatic finale. But Henriques, who had earlier made 77 in the Sixers' 147-5 and hadn't put a foot wrong in the field, was unable to take in Michael Lumb's throw to stump Arafat and take the final to a Super Over. Lee was still able to smile afterwards, saying: 'That's cricket. We could have had it there. On this night, they were better than us. 'I tried to block out any other factors and blast those peaks on last time. Someone has to lose. Unfortunately that was us.' The Scorchers pose amid a flurry of tickertape as they parade the Big Bash trophy at the Manuka Oval . The Scorchers beat the Sixers by four wickets in the final in Canberra as they retained their trophy . Scorchers players run from the dug-out onto the field after the dramatic winning moment . Batsman Michael Carberry is swamped by his jubilant Scorchers team-mates at the end . It's joy unconfined for the Scorchers after they retained their Twenty20 crown . Shaun Marsh hits out for the Scorchers as they chase down a target of 148 to win the Big Bash . Matthew Klinger's wicket, off the bowling of Lee, proved to be a pivotal moment in the match . The Scorchers, who won the Twenty20 tournament last year, looked in complete control of their run chase, with openers Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger sharing a partnership of 70. But the momentum shifted when Klinger was caught in the deep by Shaun Abbott off Lee's bowling in the 12th over and the Sixers fought back. Perth needed just 17 runs from the last two overs but Marsh holed out to Nathan Lyon, bringing England batsman Michael Carberry into the middle to face Lee's final over. He produced a scoop shot for four but lost the strike with three balls remaining, allowing Lee to strike twice and set-up the final ball drama. Henriques had earlier rescued the Sixers from a poor start at 49-4 with a stand of 98 with Ryan Carters, a Big Bash record for the fifth wicket. Nathan Lyon celebrates after taking the wicket of Shaun Marsh to check the Scorchers' progress . Nic Maddinson of the Sixers is bowled by Yasir Arafat as Sydney posted a total of 147 . Brad Hogg of the Scorchers celebrates after taking the wicket of Jordan Silk for three runs . Ryan Carters hits out during the Sixers' innings at the Manuka Oval. He finished on 35 not out . | Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Sixers by four wickets in Big Bash final .
Brett Lee took two wickets in consecutive balls to take final down to wire .
Moises Henriques fumble allowed Yasir Arafat to score winning run .
It was Australia legend Lee's last match before retirement .
The 38-year-old had bowled Nathan Coulter-Nile and Sam Whiteman .
Henriques had earlier hit 77 to rescue the Sixers innings . |
108,231 | 178faeaa58c5dc3010ec39d90706f4886e7c71c7 | Comedian Al Murray has revealed he plans to stand for Parliament at the general election - against Ukip leader Nigel Farage. The 'Pub Landlord' said he will stand in Thanet South, Kent, for his newly-formed Free United Kingdom Party. Explaining his decision to stand, The Pub Landlord said: 'It seem to me that the UK is ready for a bloke waving a pint around, offering common sense solutions.' Scroll down for video . The 'Pub Landlord' said he will stand in Thanet South, Kent, for his newly-formed Free United Kingdom Party . His comment will not be lost on many of those familiar with Mr Farage who is often pictured during impromptu lunchtime photocalls with a drink in his hand in a pub. Oxford-educated Murray has created an action plan in the guise of his patriotic character, in which he promises: 'I pledge that the UK will leave Europe by 2025 and the edge of the Solar System by 2050. Common Market sense. 'In the meantime Greece to be bought and operated by Kent County Council. Couldn't be worse. Someone to do the bins at least.' In a video posted online he explained: 'Let it be known that like many of the Parliamentary hopefuls in the forthcoming election, I have no idea where South Thanet is - but did that stop Margaret Thatcher from saving the Falkland Islands? No.' Murray, 46, is standing in a constituency which the Conservative Party won from Labour at the previous election in 2010. It is already the focus of huge attention due to Mr Farage's decision to stand there as UKIP experiences a surge of support and now has two Parliamentary seats. His party took 5.5 per cent of the votes in the seat five years ago. Al Murray has revealed he plans to stand for Parliament at the general election - against Ukip leader Nigel Farage - for the Free United Kingdom Party (logo, above right) The Pub Landlord took a dig at Mr Farage, explaining his decision to stand. He said: 'It seem to me that the UK is ready for a bloke waving a pint around, offering common sense solutions' Mr Farage's team appeared unconcerned about the threat posed by The Pub Landlord. A spokesman for the Ukip leader said: 'At last, serious competition in the constituency' CURRENCY . The pound will be revalued at £1.10, so it will now be worth 10p more. NHS . If you come to A&E and it's neither an accident nor an emergency, then you will be sent to a random hospital department to be practised on. FOREIGN POLICY . Germany has been too quiet for too long. Just saying. IMMIGRATION . The reason they are coming here is because this is the greatest country in the world. The only way to stop them is for a government to change that and make things a whole lot worse. EUROPE . Greece to be bought and operated by Kent County Council. Couldn't be worse. Someone to do the bins at least. LAW AND ORDER . Unemployment causes crime: I propose to lock up the unemployed. A website he has set up for his campaign, carries the slogan: 'Other parties offer the moon on a stick. We'll do better than that: a British moon on a British stick.' His decision to stand comes two years after fellow comic Simon Brodkin - known for his character Lee Nelson - handed in nomination papers to stand in a by-election at South Shields, for David Miliband's former seat. He went on to withdraw later the same day. Other proposals include his pledge on law and order: 'Unemployment causes crime: I propose to lock up the unemployed. Common sense.' And on the hot topic of immigration, he says: 'Of course the reason they are coming here is because this is the greatest country in the world. The only way to stop them is for a government to change that and make things a whole lot worse. Look no further. 'However, in the meantime, we brick up the Channel Tunnel. With British bricks. Probably have to get some Poles in to do it. Common sense.' In his online address, Murray explains: 'The reason I'm standing is because the system is broken, we all know it is. You hear people saying 'you shouldn't vote'. Well you should vote boys and girls, you should vote for me.' He also promises '1p a pint', although 'crisps will remain at the current price'. The party's logo features an upturned pound sign, in a clear parody of the UKIP symbol. Mr Farage's team appeared unconcerned about the threat posed by The Pub Landlord. A spokesman for the Ukip leader said: 'At last, serious competition in the constituency.' Age: 46 . Born: Stewkley, Buckinghamshire . Family: Father: Colonel Ingram Murray; Great-great grandfather William Thackeray . Education: Bedford School (boarding), Oxford . Private life: Twice married, father of two . Quote: ‘Where would we be without rules, eh? That's right, France. And where would we be with too many rules? Germany’ Age: 50 . Born: Downe, Kent . Family: Father: Stockbroker Guy Justus Oscar Farage . Education: Dulwich College (private) Private life: Twice married, father of four . Quote: ‘We wouldn't want to be like the Swiss, would we? That would be awful! We'd be rich!’ | Comic will stand in Thanet South for the 'Free United Kingdom Party'
He said: 'It seem that the UK is ready for a bloke waving a pint around'
Oxford-educated Murray has created a manifesto - including 1p pints .
He will stand as the popular comic character 'The Pub Landlord'
The Tories won Thanet South from Labour at the previous election in 2010 .
But it has been targeted by Ukip leader Nigel Farage who lives in Kent .
Al Murray admitted he is 'actually nothing like' the Pub Landlord in real life . |
270,325 | ea1b6a72d3ddd6a85ce06d6eb62832b26f18e014 | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- College senior Kyla Berry was looking forward to voting in her first presidential election, even carrying her voter registration card in her wallet. "Vote suppression is real. It does sometimes happen," said Daniel P. Tokaji, a law professor at Ohio State University. But about two weeks ago, Berry got disturbing news from local election officials. "This office has received notification from the state of Georgia indicating that you are not a citizen of the United States and therefore, not eligible to vote," a letter from the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections said. But Berry is a U.S. citizen, born in Boston, Massachusetts. She has a passport and a birth certificate to prove it. Watch some of the concerns of voting experts » . The letter, which was dated October 2, gave her a week from the time it was dated to prove her citizenship. There was a problem, though -- the letter was postmarked October 9. "It was the most bizarre thing. I immediately called my mother and asked her to send me my birth certificate, and then I was like, 'It's too late, apparently,' " Berry said. Berry is one of more than 50,000 registered Georgia voters who have been "flagged" because of a computer mismatch in their personal identification information. At least 4,500 of those people are having their citizenship questioned and the burden is on them to prove eligibility to vote. Experts say lists of people with mismatches are often systematically cut, or "purged," from voter rolls. It's a scenario that's being repeated all across the country, with cases like Berry's raising fears of potential vote suppression in crucial swing states. "What most people don't know is that every year, elections officials strike millions of names from the voter rolls using processes that are secret, prone to error and vulnerable to manipulation," said Wendy Weiser, an elections expert with New York University's Brennan Center for Justice. "That means that lots and lots of eligible voters could get knocked off the voter rolls without any notice and, in many cases, without any opportunity to correct it before Election Day." Weiser acknowledged that "purging done well and with proper accountability" is necessary to remove people who have died or moved out of state. "But the problem is it's not necessary to do inaccurate purges that catch up thousands of eligible voters without any notice or any opportunity to fix it before Election Day and really without any public scrutiny at all," she said. Such allegations have flared up across the United States during this election cycle, most notably in Ohio, where a recent lawsuit has already gone to the U.S. Supreme Court. There, the state Republican Party sued Ohio's Democratic secretary of state in an effort to make her generate a list of people who had mismatched information. But Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said generating such a list would create numerous problems too close to the election and possibly disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters. The Supreme Court last week ruled against the GOP on appeal of a lower court order directing Brunner to prepare the list. In Florida, election officials found that 75 percent of about 20,000 voter registration applications from a three-week period in September were mismatched due to typographical and administrative errors. Florida's Republican secretary of state ordered the computer match system implemented in early September. In Wisconsin, Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen sued the state's election board after it voted against a proposal to implement a "no-match" policy. The board conducted an audit of its voter rolls and found a 22 percent match failure rate -- including for four of the six members of the board. The Brennan Center has also documented cases across the country of possible illegal purging, impediments to college student voting and difficulties accessing voter registration. A lawsuit has been filed over Georgia's mismatch system, and the state is also under fire for requesting Social Security records for verification checks on about 2 million voters -- more requests than any other state. One of the lawyers involved in the lawsuit says Georgia is violating a federal law that prohibits widespread voter purges within 90 days of the election, arguing that the letters were sent out too close to the election date. "They are systematically using these lists and matching them and using those matches to send these letters out to voters," said McDonald, director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project in Georgia. "It's not, you know, an individualized notion of people maybe not being citizens or not being residents. They're using a systematic purging procedure that's expressly prohibited by federal laws." Asked if he believed that eligible voters were purged in Georgia, McDonald said, "If people who are properly eligible, are getting improperly challenged and purged, the answer would be 'Yes,' " he said. Elise Shore, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said letters like those sent to Berry appear to violate two federal laws against voter purging within 90 days of the election. "People are being targeted, and people are being told they are non-citizens, including both naturalized citizens and U.S.-born citizens," said Shore, another plaintiff in the Georgia lawsuit. "They're being told they're not eligible to vote, based on information in a database that hasn't been checked and approved by the Department of Justice, and that we know has flaws in it." Georgia's Secretary of State Karen Handel, a Republican who began working on purging voter rolls since she was elected in 2006, said that won't happen. If there are errors, she said, there is still plenty of time to resolve the problems. iReport.com: Are you voting early? Handel says she is not worried the verification process will prevent eligible voters from casting a ballot. "In this state and all states, there's a process to ensure that a voter who comes in -- even if there's a question about their status -- that they will vote either provisional or challenge ballot, which is a paper ballot," she said. "So then the voter has ample opportunity to clarify any issues or address them," Handel added. "And I think that's a really important process." Handel denied the efforts to verify the vote are suppression. "This is about ensuring the integrity of our elections," she said. "It is imperative to have checks and balances on the front end, during the processes and on the back end. That's what the verification process is about." So someone like Kyla Berry will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot when she votes, but it's up to county election officials whether those ballots would actually count. Berry says she will try to vote, but she's not confident it will count. "I know this happens, but I cannot believe it's happening to me," she said. "If I weren't allowed to vote, I would just feel like that would be ... like the worst thing ever -- a travesty." | Kyla Berry got a letter saying to vote, she must prove she's a U.S. citizen .
She and others like her have been flagged for mismatched information .
Experts say lists of people with mismatches are being purged from voter rolls .
Cases like Berry's raise fears of potential vote suppression in crucial swing states . |
98,683 | 0b145bbaa7a3eab8384e7c02cd49641c4452efee | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 08:40 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:12 EST, 24 January 2014 . Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds has broken his silence about the terrifying moment his son attacked him before shooting himself dead last year. He recounted how he had been feeding his horses when his son Gus, 24, awoke on November 19 - the morning after he had been turned away from state-run psychiatric care - and went outside to see his father. 'I turned my back... and he was just on me,' Deeds, 56, told CBS in an interview that partially aired on Thursday night and will air in full on Sunday. But Deeds, who has visible scars on his from the brutal knife attack, refused to blame his 'perfect son' for the incident, and instead said the system had failed him. Scroll down for video . Speaking out: Creigh Deeds has broken his silence about the moment his 24-year-old son Gus stabbed him last November before shooting himself dead. Scars are visible on the Virginia senator's face . 'I really don't want Gus to be defined by . his illness,' he said. 'I don't want Gus to be defined by what . happened on the 19th. Gus was a great kid. He was a perfect son. It's . clear the system failed. It's clear that it failed Gus. It killed Gus.' Gus, a talented musician and top student at William and Mary, was diagnosed as bipolar when he was 21, and last November his father became worried he would kill himself. He gained a court order to take his son to the emergency room to check him into a psychiatric ward, but the court order expired after six hours. In that time, staff had not been able to find him a bed. So instead, he was simply sent home with his father. 'I was concerned that if he came home, there was going to be a crisis,' Deeds said. Together: Gus Deeds, pictured left in 2009 with his father, had been diagnosed as bipolar when he was 21 . Close: Deeds' son Gus was a prominent fixture on his failed gubernatorial campaign in 2009, pictured . Deeds woke up the next . day expecting his son to be upset, but he never could have imagined the . violent scene that followed. 'I got ready for work, and I went out to . the barn to feed the horses, and Gus was coming across the yard and... I said, "Hey, bud, how'd you sleep?"' he recounted. 'He said, "Fine." 'I turned my . back and... had this feed thing in my hands . and he was just on me... He got me twice.' In fact, Deeds suffered 10 stab wound, including those to his face. Following the frenzied attack, Deeds stumbled into the road where he was found by a neighbor and rushed to hospital. But his son returned to the house and shot himself dead. The full interview detailing the attack will air on CBS on Sunday. Rural: The attack took place in Deeds' Millboro, . Virginia home, pictured. The senator was able to stumble to the road where he was found by a neighbor - but his son went back to the house and shot himself dead . Determined: Deeds, pictured outside the Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Mental Health earlier this month, has now made it his mission to shake up mental health care standards . Gus and his father were said to have had a close relationship, and he was a fixture on his dad's failed gubernatorial campaign in 2009. Deeds returned to work at the state's General Assembly two months after the attack. He was given a standing ovation and Governor Bob McDonnell welcomed him back, saying: 'We love you'. Deeds said he now plans to dedicate his . public life to reforming a state mental health care system he has called . 'irresponsible' and which he blames for allowing his sick son to be . able to come home. He has proposed three bills . including one that would increase the maximum time of an emergency . custody order from the current six hours to 24 hours and an increase of . $38 million in spending. See below for video . | Deeds has spoken out in an interview that will air in full on Sunday about the moment his son stabbed him last November .
But he said he did not want his 'perfect' son to be remembered for the attack, and instead blamed the health system on allowing it to happen .
The day before the attack, the family had tried to check him in to a psychiatric ward - but he was turned away as there were no beds .
Deeds has now vowed to make mental health reform his top priority . |
118,896 | 25890a7d2b5e6e44d29059d10a80180ca74ba689 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 6:37 PM on 19th June 2011 . Home-owners on the brink of having their homes repossessed may be offered an unexpected reprieve, after it emerged it may take up to 62 years for banks and the courts to process the backlog of claims. At the current rate of repossession, analysts calculated it would take lenders in New York state 62 years to process the 213,000 threatened houses - the longest in the country. In New Jersey it would take a staggering 49 years to clear the backlog, while it would take a decade to repossess all the outstanding homes In Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois - all of which use the courts to process claims. Foreclosure: It would take up to 62 years to clear the repossession back log in New York State . Foreclosure: It would take up to 62 years to clear the repossession back log in New York State . Speaking to the New York Times, Herb Blecher from Real estate data firm LPS Applied Analytics said: 'If you were in foreclosure four years ago, you were biting your nails, asking yourself, ‘When is the sheriff going to show up and put me on the street.' 'Now you’re probably not losing any sleep.' For those in the 27 states who do not use a court based repossession process, the outlook however is not so rosy. LPS calculated that in California it would take just three years to clear the backlog, while in Nevada and Colorado it would take only three. Despite the grim outlook for some, repossessions are down nationally by a third since last fall. Top Ten: Five states created more than half of U.S. foreclosure filings, led by California at 51,906 - but this was far ahead of second-placed Florida, on 19,192 . Top Ten: Five states created more than half of U.S. foreclosure filings, led by California at 51,906 - but this was far ahead of second-placed Florida, on 19,192 . The news came as it emerged almost one in every 100 households are receiving foreclosure notices in a Western state. The number of home-owners being put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments dropped in May to its lowest level since 2006. But despite the slowing housing market and lingering delays in bank foreclosure processes, one in 103 households in Nevada went on notice. The second-highest rate is one in 210 in Arizona, followed by one in 259 in California, but Nevada has now topped the list for more than two years.Five states created more than half of foreclosure filings, led by California at 51,906 - but this was far ahead of second-placed Florida, on 19,192. The second-highest rate is one in 210 in Arizona, followed by one in 259 in California, but Nevada has now topped the list for more than two years. Five states created more than half of foreclosure filings, led by California at 51,906 - but this was far ahead of second-placed Florida, on 19,192. State-by-state: The number of homeowners being put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments dropped in May to the lowest level since 2006 . State-by-state: The number of homeowners being put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments dropped in May to the lowest level since 2006 . Mortgage lenders also took back fewer properties in May for the second month in a row, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac said on Thursday. Many mortgage lenders are still working through foreclosure document problems that surfaced last autumn. The delays continue to push the two million U.S. homes already on banks' books or in some stage of foreclosure further into limbo. They also suggest banks will repossess 200,000 fewer homes in 2011. ‘The problem with that, even though it sounds better, is that all of those foreclosure auctions we should have seen this year roll into next year,’ said Rick Sharga, a senior vice president at RealtyTrac. ‘That means it's going to take that much longer for the housing market to recover.’ The pace of homes entering the foreclosure process and those ending up as bank-owned properties began slowing sharply last autumn. | Analysts examine current rates of repossession .
In New York it would take 62 years to clear backlog .
In New Jersey it drops to 49 years .
But in California it would take just three . |
44,450 | 7d5b0dcf99fd89da3aa872aeb7fd93dfa34b2764 | (CNN) -- Criminal investigators from the Department of Justice and the Food and Drug Administration were at a Massachusetts pharmaceutical company on Tuesday with a search warrant, a company spokesman said. Federal officials say that more issues have been reported with drugs from the New England Compounding Center, or NECC, which has been linked to a deadly multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis. FDA spokeswoman Erica Jefferson confirmed that criminal investigators were on site, but declined to answer questions regarding a warrant. U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz similarly said that personnel from her office and law enforcement partners were investigating allegations concerning the company. She added that it was "entirely premature" to suggest what the results of that probe may be. Fifteen people have died from the noncontagious meningitis associated with injections of a contaminated steroid produced by the NECC. As part of the ongoing investigation into the center, a patient with possible meningitis has been identified who received an injection of another NECC product, triamcinolone acetonide, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday. Also, a fungal infection from Aspergillus was reported in a transplant patient who received cardioplegic solution from NECC, the FDA said. Cardioplegic solution is used to induce paralysis of the heart during open-heart surgery. "An investigation of this patient is ongoing; and there may be other explanations for their Aspergillus infection," the FDA said. The health care facility initially reported two transplant patients having infections from Aspergillus, the FDA said. The heart transplant patient received the cardioplegic solution in August, and the patient who received the triamcinolone injection was treated on September 19 -- both before NECC recalled its products, according to an official at the federal Centers for Disease Control, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject. The NECC announced a recall of all its products October 6. The FDA said "the sterility of any injectable drugs ... produced by NECC (is) of significant concern, and out of an abundance of caution, patients who received these products should be alerted to the potential risk of infection." The CDC reported Monday the number of meningitis cases increased from 205 to 214, spread across 15 states. Two of the cases are a "peripheral joint infection" that specifically affects a joint such as a knee, hip, shoulder or elbow, officials said. The cases have been linked to injections of a contaminated steroid, methylprednisolone acetate, produced by the NECC. Some 14,000 people may have received the injections, the CDC estimated last week. Meningitis outbreak: What are compounding pharmacies? A Minnesota woman, Barbe Puro, filed a lawsuit Thursday -- which may be the first from the outbreak -- against tthe NECC. In it, she alleges she was injected in September with a tainted batch of steroids from the NECC. Meanwhile, members of Congress expanded an investigation into the outbreak. In a letter to the director of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce noted the FDA sent the NECC a warning letter in 2006 "detailing significant violations witnessed" by investigators the previous year. Woman sues over outbreak . Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick also accused the NECC last week of misleading regulators and operating outside its license by shipping large batches of drugs nationwide. Plus, the state's pharmacy board mandated that all Massachusetts compounding pharmacies sign affidavits stating they are complying with state regulations requiring compounders to mix medications for specific patients. Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It is usually caused by an infection, frequently with bacteria or a virus, but it can also be caused by less common pathogens, such as fungi in this case, according to the CDC. Steroid injections common for back pain sufferers . Fungal meningitis is very rare and, unlike viral and bacterial meningitis, is not contagious. Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said fungal infections are not usually mild. He said when a fungus invades small blood vessels, it can cause them to clot or bleed, which can lead to symptoms of small strokes. In addition to typical meningitis symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea and stiffness of the neck, people with fungal meningitis may also experience confusion, dizziness and discomfort from bright lights. Patients might just have one or two of these symptoms, the CDC says. CDC: Tests may not detect meningitis fungus . CNN's Elizabeth Cohen and Danielle Dellorto contributed to this report. | NEW: Justice, FDA investigators at facility tied to meningitis outbreak .
The outbreak has been linked to the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy .
The number of cases is now up to 214 with 15 deaths, according to the CDC . |
222,867 | ac81486c3f8b2edc2706e9be5d9b7a19475a5d19 | By . Nathan Klein . PUBLISHED: . 22:22 EST, 23 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:17 EST, 24 February 2014 . Gone without a trace: Former abattoir worker Andy Albury has confessed to 14 unsolved deaths along the Flinders Highway, including hitchhiker Tony Jones (pictured) A former abattoir worker dubbed Australia’s Hannibal Lecter has been named as the prime suspect for as many as 14 unsolved murders, with at least 11 of them young people who disappeared along an 800km outback highway. Andy Albury, already serving a life sentence for the 1983 murder of an Aboriginal woman in Darwin, has allegedly confessed in prison to a killing spree along Queensland’s desolate Flinders Highway during 1970 and 1982. At least 11 people disappeared from that stretch of road during that time period – including hitchhiker Tony Jones, whose family last week said they believed an outback ‘thrill killer’ was responsible for his death. Jones vanished without a trace on the night of November 3, 1982 while walking along the Flinders Highway – last seen in Anthill Creek, known as Townsville’s killing fields, about 26km out of town. He was the last to go missing on that stretch of road. Queensland Police reopened the 32-year investigation last week after Albury’s confession, which led detectives to the abattoir where he used to work in outback Hughenden, 1400km north-west of Brisbane. Stewart Christensen, who now owns the abattoir, said someone could have easily been killed, chopped up and fed to the pigs without anyone noticing. “You’d never find a body or DNA,” he told the Times. “There are old pits full of bones all over that ridge line.” The now-retired Northern Territory police officer, Sergeant Les Chapman, who arrested Albury for killing Gloria Pindan in 1983 – the one murder for which he has been convicted – said he had confessed to killing 14 others. Albury was convicted of using a broken bottle to mutilate and murder Ms Pindan – cutting off her breasts and gouging out her eyes after killing her. He was sentenced to life in jail in 1984. In 2004, he said told the Supreme Court via video link from Darwin’s Berrimah jail he had ‘no interest’ in parole. More... How many has she killed? Real-life 'Dexter' confesses to murdering close to 100 'bad people' across the US while possessed by her Satanic alter-ego 'Super Miranda' 'I'm going to kill all these people. I'm going to be famous': Chilling jail boast of bloodthirsty Joanna Dennehy TWO YEARS before her killing spree . A psychiatric assessment found he suffered a mental disorder causing him to have ‘a casual disregard for the act of killing’. The report also stated: ‘Albury is an extremely dangerous man. He has a fantasy about terrorising a town by committing casual, motiveless murder for the purpose of making people frightened that they may be the next to be killed.’ The alleged confession could finally bring about some closure to the families of at least 11 other who disappeared from the Flinders Highway, also known as the ‘highway of death’. Highway of death: At least 12 people vanished without a trace from the Flinders Highway, an 800km stretch of road that links Queensland to the Northern Territory . The body of Catherine Graham, 18, was found raped and slain on the highway in 2007. In October 1978, Karen Edwards, Gordon Twaddle and Timothy Thompson were found shot in the head near Mt Isa, about 250km west of Julia Creek. Hitchhikers Robin Hoinville-Bartram, 18, and Anita Cunningham, 19, also disappeared along the Flinders Highway several decades ago. Robin was shot twice in the head and her skeletal remains were found west of Charters Towers in July 1972. Anita was listed as missing but police believe she was killed with her friend. Police also found the bodies of Mackay sisters Judith, 7, and five-year-old Susan along the highway. Both were found to have been sexually abused. Outback murders in Australia were arguably made infamous by road worker, Ivan Milat, who killed seven young backpackers he picked up on highways south of Sydney in the 1990s, including two young British women. In 2001, another British traveller, Peter Falconio, 28 was murdered by a lone marauder, Bradley Murdoch, who also kidnapped and terrorised Mr Falconio’s girlfriend, Joanne Lees, before she managed to escape. Cold blooded serial killer: Ivan Milat is serving life in prison after he was found guilty of killing seven young backpackers in the Belanglo State Forest in New South Wales, Australia . Murderer: Bradley Murdoch (right) is serving life in prison for the murder of English backpacker Peter Falconio . Lucky to be alive: The girlfriend of English backpacker Peter Falconio, Joanne Lees, escaped while being tortured by Bradley Murdoch in July 2001 . | Former abattoir worker Andy Albury confesses to 14 unsolved murders .
Albury, dubbed Australia's Hannibal Lecter, serving life in prison .
He was convicted in 1984 for killing Aboriginal woman Gloria Pindan .
Albury allegedly confessed to police officer who arrested him, Les Chapman .
Confession comes after family of missing hitchhiker claimed a 'thrill killer' was responsible . |
250,184 | cfcab55b73dcefe5d44bbf9d3b24393f49884ddc | (CNN) -- Almost 70 years after the U.S. military dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, effectively ending World War II, the site of the devastation remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. And it appears to be getting more popular. According to a recent report in The Japan Times, visits to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum by foreign tourists hit a record high of 200,086 in 2013. Local officials confirm that the memorial site is attracting an increasing number of tourists to study the burnt wreckage, painful witness testimonies and human shadows left permanently visible after the atomic bomb explosion's incandescent destruction. A number of factors lay behind the site's continuing hold on travelers. Some people describe Hiroshima as a gripping, educational and emotional example of "dark tourism," "grief tourism" or "battlefield tourism," which includes Nazi concentration camps in Europe, Cambodia's torture prison and killing fields, West African slave ports and Manhattan's 9/11 crater. Most tourists gaze in mute awe at Hiroshima's Atomic Bomb Genbaku Dome, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The now-iconic structure, designed in 1915 by a Czech architect, was the city's Industrial Promotion Hall. When the United States dropped the bomb on August 6, 1945, it exploded just above the building, but didn't totally destroy it because the immediate blast and heat buffered the air at ground zero. TripAdvisor calls Peace Memorial a top Japan attraction . About 363,000 tourists visited Hiroshima City during 2012, according the most recent statistics. Americans comprise the largest number, followed by Australians and Chinese, according to statistics for the city and surrounding prefecture. Countless Japanese also visit. "The name 'Hiroshima' has been well-known among foreign countries from its history, and recently word-of-mouth effect from visitors adds more reality to it," Hiroshima Convention and Visitors Bureau representative Taeko Abe told CNN in an e-mail. "In recent years, word-of-mouth information from Internet and so on also has a strong influence. "For example, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum ranked number one ... for the ranking of 'the most popular tourist spots in Japan for foreign tourists' at the travel website TripAdvisor two years in a row." The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and A-Bomb Dome appeared at the top of a 2012 TripAdvisor list of Top 20 Travel Destinations for Foreign Visitors in Japan. The Peace Memorial Museum ranks number-two (behind the "shrine island" of Miyajima, also in Hiroshima Prefecture) on the site's current list of Top 20 Must-see Attractions in Japan Awarded by Inbound Travelers. Nightmarish displays . The atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima from an American B-29 bomber. The explosion obliterated nearly everything within 10-square kilometers (six square miles) in the downtown area, killing 60,000 to 80,000 people. Radiation poisoning eventually sickened others, resulting in an estimated final total death toll of 135,000 people. Across the Motoyasu River, which flows in front of the A-Bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum displays evocative exhibits, including a blistered and fused tricycle that a four-year-old boy was riding during the blast that burned him to death. Photos and documentary films, nightmarish drawings by survivors, scientific explanations of the explosion, plus other artifacts including melted glass and charred clothing, hint at the unimaginable. "This museum was established by the city of Hiroshima to convey the reality of the atomic bombing to the world, and contribute to the total abolition of nuclear weapons, and realization of lasting world peace," Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum director Kenji Shiga told CNN in an e-mail. The museum's growing popularity among tourists is due in part to "the weaker yen and various tourism-promoting activities conducted by the national and local government," Shiga said. "We also consider the high reputation of TripAdvisor, which attracts a lot of foreign visitors, as one of the biggest reasons" that more travelers arrive each year, he said. From devastation to hope . The concept of "peace" is one of Hiroshima's biggest attractions. "Hiroshima City has achieved a remarkable recovery from that devastation, although the first atomic bomb in history was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, and has pursued everlasting world peace for mankind," said Abe of the Hiroshima Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Visitors say they feel its most powerful message, that of hope, and appreciate anew the importance of peace," he said. "The impression of Hiroshima that visitors take away seems to be affected by whether they have had the opportunity to meet and communicate with local people," Abe said. Bruce Bottomley, 45, an English instructor from Canada, has visited the Memorial Museum, A-Bomb Dome and related sites during repeat trips to Hiroshima. "My strongest memory is of the watches that stopped at the moment the bomb detonated," he said. "The burnt metal lunch boxes of the young students with the petrified rice still inside is a quiet, jaw-dropping sight. "I don't know what it is, but I can feel and sense it when I am there. The tales of survivors with photographs are striking and even shocking to a degree. "I couldn't help think of my grandfather and what he would have been doing in Canada at the same time there was such tragic destruction," said Bottomley, who has also visited the second atomic bomb blast memorial in Nagasaki. Making the bombing 'real' for new generations . "I visited Hiroshima in July 1998, during my first visit to Japan," said Evan Hayden, 34, an American graphic designer who teaches English in Nagasaki. "My student group went to the Memorial Museum, the Peace Memorial and the Peace Memorial Park. We saw the [origami] paper cranes while there. "It made the bombing more of a reality for me and my fellow high school students. Only reading about it in textbooks, and seeing footage on TV, made the event seem abstract and remote. "It was profound to see artifacts such as a mangled, charred tricycle, as well as people's shadows burned into concrete from the blast," Hayden said. Difficult history . Debate about whether or not the United States should have dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki continues to swirl. "I'm against the fact that Japan was bombed, of course, but at the same time, the war kept going in a nasty direction and neither Japan nor the U.S.A. was backing down," said Hayden. "A tragic story." Hiroshima's memorial is "not a fun thing to do on one's vacation, obviously, but it is an important experience that people can learn a lot from," he added. Some remain reluctant to visit the site. "If I do have the chance, I don't know if I will make a visit or not," said Maki Hakui, 43, a Tokyo-based Japanese publisher and translator. "I should go as a Japanese citizen, taking my daughter with me. Honestly speaking, I feel very reluctant to go, as I know that it will be a tough experience for me," she said. Today, Japan's National Tourism Organization describes Hiroshima's atomic bomb site simply as, "Negative cultural heritage that tells of the mistakes humanity has made." Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, 1-2 Nakajimacho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima; +81 82 241 4004 . Richard S. Ehrlich is a freelance writer from San Francisco. He's reported for international media from Asia since 1978, based in Hong Kong, New Delhi and now Bangkok. CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy. | The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is one of TripAdvisor's top Japan travel sites .
The museum attracted a record number of foreign tourists in 2013 .
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum features photos, films, scientific explanations of the explosion . |
282,897 | fa734c7d38cb8c9455e562738517af4cf043ae7b | Free wi-fi access will be available to rail passengers across England and Wales within two years, David Cameron announced yesterday. He said it was 'vital' that commuters could work online while travelling after warnings that too many operators are 'stuck in the analogue age'. A major extension of on-board wireless internet connections is set to be rolled out to most lines by 2017. Whitehall will release £50million towards the cost of the project – with the money coming from the huge fine paid by rail bosses for delays to services. Prime Minister David Cameron, working on a train last week, said it was 'vital' for people to be able to get online while travelling . The cash will benefit travellers with operators that offer either no or limited wi-fi including Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern, Southeastern, Chiltern and Arriva Trains Wales. Firms that do offer wi-fi but charge for it will have to set out how they would provide the service for free when they renew franchises – a move that could save commuters up to £360 a year. Rail minister Claire Perry said yesterday: 'Free wi-fi is a priority for many as being able to keep up with work, connect with friends or even check the latest journey information online helps make rail travel more productive.' Mr Cameron announced the proposals after being asked by MP Maria Miller at Prime Minister's Questions what he would do for commuters 'increasingly frustrated that our trains are stuck in the analogue age' with internet access 'difficult and very limited'. The Prime Minister said: 'It is vital for businesses and for individuals to be able to access wi-fi, do their work and make other contacts while they are on trains. 'I am pleased to announce plans that will see the rollout of free Wi-Fi on trains across the UK from 2017.' He said: 'The Government will invest nearly £50 million to ensure that rail passengers are better connected. 'Passengers that make over 500 million journeys every year with the four rail operators, TSGN, Southeastern, Chiltern, Arriva Trains Wales, will all benefit from this investment.' Chiltern trains are among those set to benefit from the investment announced today . Mr Cameron made the announcement in response to a question from former culture secretary Maria Miller, who said passengers were 'increasingly frustrated our trains are stuck in the analogue age'. Of the operators that provide the service, East Coast trains offers 15 minutes for free, and then charges £4.95 an hour or £9.95 for 24 hours. East Midlands Trains charges £4 a journey or £300 a year for regular commuters. Virgin Trains charges £4 an hour, or up to £30 a month – equal to £360 for a year. Under the new plans, the 20 per cent of services with wi-fi will rise to about 70 per cent by 2017. The cost will come from the £53.1million fine that the Office for Rail Regulation ordered Network Rail to pay last year for missing punctuality targets. Cash will go towards the track-side cables and transmitters needed to provide wi-fi. David Sidebottom, of the watchdog Passenger Focus, said: 'Passengers expect to be able to use free and reliable wi-fi... and they have told us that this is a top priority for improving their journey.' The Department for Transport said: 'Where there is no new franchise agreement due in the next two years, almost £50million of funding will be released from the Department for Transport to ensure Wi-Fi is available on selected services from 2017'. It added: 'Some operators have already installed equipment to provide improved mobile coverage on-board their trains, or are in the process of doing so. 'By targeting the investment at franchises that would otherwise have no immediate plans to introduce Wi-Fi, the government is ensuring that as many passengers as possible benefit.' Travellers on Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern, Southeastern, Chiltern and Arriva Trains Wales services should be able to access free wi-fi from 2017 . The £47.8million funding is money that Network Rail has been required to return to the government for missing punctuality targets set by the watchdog Office of Rail Regulation. It is the first time such money has been reinvested into improvements targeted at passengers, said the Department for Transport. But Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA rail union questioned why taxpayers' cash was being used to fund the wi-fi: 'You don't get the taxpayer funding free wi-fi in Starbucks or Costa Coffee. The rail companies should be paying for it out of their profits.' He added; At least passengers will be able to surf the net to find out why the train they are on is running late or overcrowded' Of the £53.1 million total penalty against Network Rail, some £5.3 million has been allocated to the Scottish Government, in line with the proportion of the penalty paid by Network Rail for late trains running in Scotland. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: 'As someone who regularly travels from the North of Scotland around the country, I appreciate the value of fast, cheap internet connections on trains for both leisure and business travellers. ' A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Network Rail and train operators, said: 'It is good news that even more rail passengers will be able to benefit from Wi-Fi on their train. 'Rail plays a crucial role in keeping people connected to friends, family and jobs and the wider rollout of Wi-Fi on the rail network will mean people can make even better use of their time on the train.' | Prime Minister announces £50million plan to invest in web access on trains .
Funding will come from fines against rail companies for poor punctuality .
Free wi-fi access will cover most lines including Thameslink and Chiltern .
David Cameron said it was 'vital' train commuters were able to work online . |
155,529 | 5507fafac7e0ecead8e28a678daeda64fb075da8 | The former head of BP has landed his first high profile corporate job four years after the Gulf oil spill which forced him to resign. Tony Hayward will become non-executive chairman of multinational mining and trading company Glencore Xstrata, the firm announced. It marks a remarkable comeback for the man who was at one point the most hated man in America. Former BP CEO Tony Hayward has been appointed executive chairman of mining company Greencore . In the wake of the biggest oil spill in history - which claimed 11 lives - Mr Hayward gave a speech in which he said: ‘There’s no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back’. Weeks later he was photographed on a boat during Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight whilst Americans on the Gulf coast saw their livelihoods ruined by the disaster. Mr Hayward stepped down as BP chief executive soon after, in October 2010. He was called to testify before Congress and during a bumbling performance he said that he could not remember even basic details 65 times. Hayward was BP CEO when the Deepwater Horizon blew up off the Louisiana coast in April 2010 . Among his other gaffes were the prediction that the environmental impact would be ‘very modest’. He also told fellow BP executives at one point: ‘What the hell did we do to deserve this?’ The news of his new appointment was met with scepticism by some Glencore Xstrata observers including US-based Pension & Investment Research Consultants. It said in a statement: ‘There are concerns over his time as chief executive of BP arising from (the spill) and possible time commitments due to ongoing legal proceedings in the US’. Mr Hayward had previously worked on investment company Vallares and in 2011 joined Glencore PLC, one of the world’s largest commodities traders, which later merged with mining giant Xstrata to become the firm he is with now. | Former BP boss Tony Hayward was once 'the most hated man in America'
He ran BP at the time of the biggest oil spill in history which claimed 11 lives .
Now, he has been appointed non-executive chairman of mining company Greencore . |
219,265 | a7cf426f12f1120c4e5470f5d36a8c3ac47c7d46 | (CNN) -- It's a stirring sight, and it happens just once a year -- a full field of thoroughbred gray horses thundering down one of Britain's most famous racecourses in a fiercely-contested handicap event. "You don't have to be a racing purist to appreciate the spectacle of 19 gray horses charging down the July Course," Newmarket's PR manager Tony Rushmer told CNN. "There are not many of them, it's their scarcity that gives them cult appeal." Once described as "diseased" and genetically inferior, gray horses have achieved a special place in hearts of racing fans in recent decades -- winning some of the industry's biggest events. The Newmarket handicap was first run in 2003 and has grown in popularity with both the professional racing fraternity and the general public. The 2012 version was won in fine style this month by Medici Time, ridden by Eddie Ahern, and once again attracted interest over and above the moderate standard of the runners. Tough winners . But the enduring appeal and popularity of grays is well known in racing circles. "It's a wonderful spectacle with wonderful-looking horses. And it's very good for racing," says Tony Carroll, a former jockey who trained last year's winner Time Medicean -- which this time finished outside the placings. So why are gray horses so popular? Carroll believes it's because they are perceived as good bets for punters. "They're tough horses and many are winners," he told CNN. Some of the greatest flat performers in the United States have been grays -- going back to early 1950s with the great Native Dancer, who has sired a line of champions. Brian Zipse, the managing editor of the influential website Horse Racing Nation, said that the legendary colt, who was nicknamed the "Gray Ghost," made his reputation as the sport was being shown widely on television for the first time. "The fact that here was a gray horse that won so often made him even more famous because he stood out," he told CNN. Native Dancer was named Horse of the Year twice, and other grays to win the award include Spectacular Bid (1980), Lady's Secret (1986) and Skip Away (1998). Rated greatest . Zipse has a soft spot for Lady's Secret, a filly sired by the legendary Secretariat, who is rated by many the greatest racehorse of all time. He was taken by his father to watch the Belmont Stakes in New York in 1973 when Secretariat completed the Triple Crown by adding a devastating 31-length victory to his Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes successes. "The stand literally shook that day," Zipse recalled. Lady's Secret was one of Secretariat's best offspring -- and as a gray filly she had a double affinity with race followers. "When a top filly races against colts, it's similar to how people feel about a gray racing against more common colors," Zipse said. This year's gray attraction in the United States has been the striking colt Hansen -- almost white by pigmentation. He failed to live up to the promise shown as the top juvenile in 2011 and was out of the placings at the Kentucky Derby, but has a "big fan base" according to Zipse. A desert bloom . On the other side of the Atlantic, the gray Desert Orchid -- "Dessie" to his fans -- was one of the most popular horses in the history of the sport. Racing over the national hunt jumps, Desert Orchid won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1988 and the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park four times. There is an eye-catching statue in his honor at that track in west London. This year, the gray Neptune Collonges won the Grand National at Aintree, a feat which eluded Dessie, who never ran in the prestigious UK race. Both these great grays stood out even more because, as older horses, their coats had grown even lighter with age. The official definition of a gray is outlined in "Identification of Horses -- Instructions for Veterinary Surgeons," a book produced by Weatherbys in conjunction with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and British Equine Veterinary Association. All thoroughbreds listed by Weatherbys in the UK have to have their coloring and markings registered by a veterinary surgeon. "The body coat is a mixture of black and white hairs, with the skin black. With increasing age the coat grows lighter in color," reads the definition. Nature's anomaly . Official figures confirm that grays are a rarity. Weatherbys' "General Stud Book for 2011" records that 2.8% of the foal crop in the UK were registered as gray, with bay the most prevalent color at 73.3%. Chestnut was next at 20.4%, then brown at 3%. In genetic terms, to breed a thoroughbred gray one of the parents has to be so colored -- but it was not always a popular combination. Italian Federico Tesio (1869-1954) is renowned as one of the most successful breeders in the history of horse racing. At his Dormello Stud in Novara near Lake Maggiore, Tesio and his wife bred and trained a string of great champions over a half-century period. His books on the subject are still "must reads" for aspiring thoroughbred breeders, but he insisted gray horses were "diseased" not just differently colored and his views proved influential. Grays indeed are more likely to develop tumors, known as melanomas, but many are benign. While gray hairs are a sign of aging (as in humans) this is exacerbated for horses as pigment is prevented from reaching the hair. Perhaps because of Tesio's views, grays were out of vogue and even segregated into gray-only races, not for the positive reasons that prompt the race at Newmarket and others in the United States. The stunning success of Native Dancer and his offspring would have done much to change attitudes and in and era dominated by television, their ability to stand out in a packed field is priceless. "Fans gravitate to gray horses because they are rare and it's easy to spot them," concluded Zipse. | All-gray events proving popular with fans of horse racing .
Annual handicap race held on the famous July Course at Newmarket .
Unique appeal of grays put down to their rarity .
Legendary Native Dancer popularized grays in the United States . |
183,489 | 79adf96d4e1b526d5d450c0631dff025a15786b3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:50 EST, 15 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:50 EST, 15 July 2013 . Get to work Grandma: New research carried out in France suggests that delaying retirement can make people less likely to develop dementia . It is the dream of many to be successful enough in their professional life to retire early and enjoy their golden years in a splendid state of carefree relaxation. But new research suggests that delaying retirement can make people less likely to develop dementia. A French study believed to be the largest ever of its kind found someone retiring at 65 was about 15 per cent less likely to develop the condition that someone retiring at 60. The findings back up previous studies suggesting that continued intellectual stimulation and mental engagement may ward off the tragic cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer's and similar illnesses. They suggest professional activity may be an important determinant of intellectual stimulation and mental engagement, which are thought to be potentially protective against dementia. Study author Carole Dufoil and her team at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherché Médicale (INSERM) analysed the health and insurance records of more than 429,000 self-employed workers. Analyses showed that the risk of being diagnosed with dementia was lower for each year of working longer. Even after excluding workers who had dementia diagnosed within the 5 years following retirement, the results remained unchanged and highly significant, the researchers said in a release. 'Our data show strong evidence of a significant decrease in the risk of developing dementia associated with older age at retirement, in line with the "use it or lose it" hypothesis,' said Dr Dufouil. 'The patterns were even stronger when we focused on more recent birth cohorts.' Around 35million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with Alzheimer's the most common type, CBS News reported. The illness is expected to become a particularly acute problem in Western nations in coming decades as members of the baby boom generation reach their dotage. But with retirement ages being delayed in many countries worried about the impact of so many new pensioners on social security safety nets, it appears it could have the unintended consequence of actually keeping them healthy for longer. Tragic cognitive decline: An elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease in a residential care home. Around 35million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with Alzheimer's the most common type . Dr Dufouil, director of research in neuroepidemiology at INSERM, said: 'Professional activity may be an important determinant of intellectual stimulation and mental engagement, which are thought to be potentially protective against dementia. 'As countries around the world respond to the aging of their populations, our results highlight the importance of maintaining high levels of cognitive and social stimulation throughout work and retired life, and they emphasize the need for policies to help older individuals achieve cognitive and social engagement.' The researchers presented their findings today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. | Those retiring at 65 are 15 per cent less likely to suffer from the condition than those retiring at 60, finds authoritative French study . |
246,140 | ca961568659032dc3a69f7ed4d83e74ab5aa7591 | (CNN) -- Who was Robin Williams? In the wake of his death from an apparent suicide, that question looms large as fans and friends try to grasp how someone who brought so much happiness to the world could leave it under a cloud of such despair. It's the dichotomy of fame in that while a celebrity can be so well-known there are parts of their lives and selves they never share with the public. And while only his loved ones truly knew the private aspects of the Oscar-winning actor whose performances could elicit tears as easily as they could giggles, Williams did allow us to see how multifaceted he could be. These are just some of them: . The devoted dad . The last image Williams left for the world on his Instagram was a poignant one: a black and white image of the actor holding his then toddler daughter with the caption "#tbt and Happy Birthday to Ms. Zelda Rae Williams! Quarter of a century old today but always my baby girl. Happy Birthday @zeldawilliams Love you!" He posted a similar image earlier in honor of his son Zachary's birthday. He often spoke lovingly of being father to the pair and another son, Cody. "My children give me a great sense of wonder," Williams said. "Just to see them develop into these extraordinary human beings." The prankster . Sure he was funny on-screen, but Williams also liked to pull a leg or two in real life. He told fans during a 2013 Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session that he once walked into a San Francisco sex shop in full Mrs. Doubtfire make-up and tried to buy a sex toy. "And the guy was about to sell it to me until he realized it was me -- Robin Williams -- not an older Scottish woman coming in to look for a very large [sex toy] and a jar of lube," Williams said. "He just laughed and said "what are you doing here" and I left." The husband . The actor was married three times. His union with Valerie Velardi from 1978 to 1988 produced his son Zachary. Williams was married to Marsha Garces from 1989 to 2010, with whom he had Zelda and Cody. In 2011, he married graphic designer Susan Schneider. The breakups were costly for Williams, he told Parade magazine. "Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it 'all the money,' but they changed it to 'alimony.' It's ripping your heart out through your wallet. Are things good with my exes? Yes. But do I need that lifestyle? No." The friend . There was a good reason Williams has been so deeply mourned by his show business colleagues. He showed himself to be incredibly loyal to friends such as Jay Leno and the late Christopher Reeve, who came to love Williams before he was famous. After Williams' death, Leno said, "I saw him on stage that very first time he auditioned at the Improv in Los Angeles, and we have been friends ever since. It's a very sad day." Gilbert Gottfried: Robin Williams' generous heart . It was while students at Juilliard in New York City that Williams and Reeve -- who would find fame in the role as Superman in the '70s and '80s -- cemented a bond. In fact, after Reeve was paralyzed in a riding accident, he credited Williams with making him laugh again. Reeve was about to undergo a serious operation when Williams showed up dressed in surgical scrubs and speaking in a Russian accent, saying he needed to do a rectal exam. "For the first time since the accident, I laughed," Reeve said. "My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be OK." The mentee . While so many younger actors looked to Williams for inspiration, he was a a huge fan of the late comedian Jonathan Winters, whom Williams discovered as a child while watching Jack Paar on "The Tonight Show" with his father. Years later, an adult Williams would share the "Tonight Show" stage with Winters and cast Winters to play his son on his hit show "Mork & Mindy." When Winters died in 2013, Williams wrote a moving appreciation of his mentor for The New York Times. "No audience was too small for Jonathan," Williams wrote. "I once saw him do a hissing cat for a lone beagle." The edgy actor . His skills as a zany funny man were legendary, but Williams could also deliver riveting dramatic performances. 2002 was especially a break-out year for him as he played a killer in the film "Insomnia" and a stalker photo technician in "One Hour Photo." Williams not only changed his look for the latter to play Seymour "Sy" Parrish but he said in an interview that to prepare, he "watched some interviews with serial killers -- 'Psychotics Through the Ages.' It's a collectible tape from Time-Life Books. But basically, it was using the material and extrapolating from there." It's a role that still astonishes. "Williams' finely calibrated performance was utterly free of the tics and affectations that are so tempting to someone who has come to count on and crave the audience's love," Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday writes. "Rather than seek his fans' approval with the actorly equivalent of ingratiating winks, Williams was willing to completely inhabit a character who was somehow terrifying, pathetic, creepy and vulnerable all at once." The philanthropist . As one of the co-hosts for Comic Relief's debut in 1986, he helped raise both funding for and awareness about the homeless. But that was just one of the many charities to which Williams gave his time and resources. Robin Williams' legacy: A big heart for charity . "Robin came from a family with money -- he was brought up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and I think he felt so blessed that he wanted to do something for people who weren't brought up like that," Comic Relief founder Bob Zmuda told The Los Angeles Times. The sports enthusiast . Williams involvement with sports went beyond that time he dressed up a as Denver Broncos' cheerleader for an episode of "Mork & Mindy." Robin Williams: His passion for cycling . Die-hard fans remember his hilarious stand-up routine about the origins of golf, and he would often end up on the cam at various sporting events. The actor was a close personal friend of then-professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, who he would join in training. The sci-fi geek . Perhaps it was playing an alien that did it. It turns out that Williams was a bit of a sci-fi geek who when asked his favorite book said, "Oh my God, Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. It's one of the greatest books of all time, and the greatest character is The Mule." The man who struggled . As shocking as his death has been, Williams was open about his issues with substance abuse and stints in rehab. He blamed his relapse into drinking for helping to end his second marriage. "You know, I was shameful, and you do stuff that causes disgust, and that's hard to recover from," Williams told The Guardian in 2010. "You can say, 'I forgive you' and all that stuff, but it's not the same as recovering from it. It's not coming back." Robin Williams and the dark side of comedy . Even then it seemed that Williams was trying to find his way. Asked whether he was happier in his life, he responded "I think so. And not afraid to be unhappy. That's OK too. And then you can be like, all is good. And that is the thing, that is the gift." Complete coverage of Robin Williams . Videos: The world according to Robin Williams . 7 Robin Williams movies that made your childhood . CNN's Todd Leopold contributed to this story. | Robin Williams was more than just an actor and comic .
He revealed himself to fans in many ways .
Williams was open about some of his problems . |
221,417 | aa9ff12d8610835ac89c3afbb8c6f8576ae2e48b | The National Security . Agency has figured out how to hide spying software deep within . hard drives, allowing them to monitor and eavesdrop on . the majority of the world's computers - even when they are not connected to the internet. The Moscow-based security software maker Kaspersky Lab said it has found personal computers in 30 countries . infected with one or more of the spying programs, with the most . infections seen in Iran, followed by Russia, Pakistan, . Afghanistan, China, Mali, Syria, Yemen and Algeria. The targets . included government and military institutions, telecommunication . companies, banks, energy companies, nuclear researchers, media, . and Islamic activists. Scroll down for video . Kaspersky said it found personal computers in 30 countries infected with one or more of the spying programs . The NSA has figured out how to hide spying software deep within hard drives , giving the agency the means to eavesdrop on the majority of the world's computers, according to Kaspersky (file photo) The NSA began infecting computers in 2001 claims Kaspersky, ramping up their efforts in 2008 when President Barack Obama was elected. This 'surpasses anything known in terms of complexity and sophistication of techniques, and that has been active for almost two decades,' said Kaspersky. What's more, even the makers of these hard drives are unaware that these spying programs have been installed, with the NSA obtaining their source codes by going so far as to pose as software developers according to former intelligence operatives, or telling the companies the government must do a security audit to make sure their source code is safe. According to Kaspersky, the spies made a technological . breakthrough by figuring out how to lodge malicious software in . the obscure code called firmware that launches every time a . computer is turned on. Disk drive firmware is viewed by spies and cybersecurity . experts as the second-most valuable real estate on a PC for a . hacker, second only to the BIOS code invoked automatically as a . computer boots up. 'The hardware will be able to infect the computer over and . over,' lead Kaspersky researcher Costin Raiu said in an . interview. Though the leaders of the still-active espionage campaign . could have taken control of thousands of PCs, giving them the . ability to steal files or eavesdrop on anything they wanted, the . spies were selective and only established full remote control . over machines belonging to the most desirable foreign targets, . according to Raiu. He said Kaspersky found only a few especially . high-value computers with the hard-drive infections. The firm declined to publicly name the country behind the . spying campaign, but said it was closely linked to Stuxnet, the . NSA-led cyberweapon that was used to attack Iran's uranium . enrichment facility. The NSA is the U.S. agency responsible for . gathering electronic intelligence. A former NSA employee told Reuters that Kaspersky's analysis . was correct, and that people still in the spy agency valued . these espionage programs as highly as Stuxnet. Another former . intelligence operative confirmed that the NSA had developed the . prized technique of concealing spyware in hard drives, but said . he did not know which spy efforts relied on it. NSA spokeswoman Vanee Vines said the agency was aware of the . Kaspersky report but would not comment on it publicly. Kaspersky published the technical details of its research on Monday, a move that could help infected institutions . detect the spying programs, some of which trace back as far as . 2001. Eugene Kaspersky (file photo) published the details of his research on Friday . The disclosure could hurt the NSA's surveillance abilities, . already damaged by massive leaks by former contractor Edward . Snowden. Snowden's revelations have upset some U.S. allies and . slowed the sales of U.S. technology products abroad. The exposure of these new spying tools could lead to greater . backlash against Western technology, particularly in countries . such as China, which is already drafting regulations that would . require most bank technology suppliers to proffer copies of . their software code for inspection. Peter Swire, one of five members of U.S. President Barack . Obama's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications . Technology, said the Kaspersky report showed that it is . essential for the country to consider the possible impact on . trade and diplomatic relations before deciding to use its . knowledge of software flaws for intelligence gathering. 'There can be serious negative effects on other U.S. interests,' Swire said. Technological breakthrough . Kaspersky's reconstructions of the spying programs show that . they could work in disk drives sold by more than a dozen . companies, comprising essentially the entire market. They . include Western Digital Corp, Seagate Technology Plc, Toshiba Corp, IBM, Micron Technology . Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. Western Digital, Seagate and Micron said they had no . knowledge of these spying programs. Toshiba and Samsung declined . to comment. IBM did not respond to requests for comment. Getting the source code . Raiu said the authors of the spying programs must have had . access to the proprietary source code that directs the actions . of the hard drives. That code can serve as a roadmap to . vulnerabilities, allowing those who study it to launch attacks . much more easily. 'There is zero chance that someone could rewrite the [hard . drive] operating system using public information,' Raiu said. Concerns about access to source code flared after a series . of high-profile cyberattacks on Google Inc and other . U.S. companies in 2009 that were blamed on China. Investigators . have said they found evidence that the hackers gained access to . source code from several big U.S. tech and defense companies. It is not clear how the NSA may have obtained the hard . drives' source code. Western Digital spokesman Steve Shattuck . said the company 'has not provided its source code to government . agencies.' The other hard drive makers would not say if they had . shared their source code with the NSA. Seagate spokesman Clive Over said it has 'secure measures to . prevent tampering or reverse engineering of its firmware and . other technologies.' Micron spokesman Daniel Francisco said the . company took the security of its products seriously and 'we are . not aware of any instances of foreign code.' According to former intelligence operatives, the NSA has multiple ways of obtaining source code from tech companies,including asking directly and posing as a software developer . According to former intelligence operatives, the NSA has . multiple ways of obtaining source code from tech companies, . including asking directly and posing as a software developer. If . a company wants to sell products to the Pentagon or another . sensitive U.S. agency, the government can request a security . audit to make sure the source code is safe. 'They don't admit it, but they do say, "We're going to do an . evaluation, we need the source code,"' said Vincent Liu, a . partner at security consulting firm Bishop Fox and former NSA . analyst. 'It's usually the NSA doing the evaluation, and it's a . pretty small leap to say they're going to keep that source . code.' The NSA declined to comment on any allegations in the . Kaspersky report. Vines said the agency complies with the law . and White House directives to protect the United States and its . allies 'from a wide array of serious threats.' Kaspersky called the authors of the spying program 'the . Equation group,' named after their embrace of complex encryption . formulas. The group used a variety of means to spread other spying . programs, such as by compromising jihadist websites, infecting . USB sticks and CDs, and developing a self-spreading computer . worm called Fanny, Kaspersky said. Fanny was like Stuxnet in that it exploited two of the same . undisclosed software flaws, known as 'zero days,' which strongly . suggested collaboration by the authors, Raiu said. He added that . it was 'quite possible' that the Equation group used Fanny to . scout out targets for Stuxnet in Iran and spread the virus. | The NSA has figured out how to hide spying and sabotage software deep within hard drives, according to cyber researchers and former operatives .
The group said it found personal computers in 30 countries infected with one or more of the spying programs .
The most infections were seen in Iran, followed by Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Mali, Syria, Yemen and Algeria .
The infections started in 2001, but increased drastically in 2008, the year President Barack Obama was elected .
The tools are designed to run on computers even when they are not connected to the Internet, and even the makers of some of the hard drives are unaware that these programs have been embedded .
The spies made a technological breakthrough by figuring out how to lodge malicious software in the obscure code called firmware that launches every time a computer is turned on . |
77,397 | db71cc24baeb5f34b1b0a8f32e990d5895fd901e | Police are hoping to cut out shoplifting in a crime-plagued town - by deploying cardboard officers. The flatpack PCs will be propped up in shop windows in St. Austell, Cornwall in the hope that passing crooks will mistake them for real people. Each cut-out will be holding a white board with a tally of how many shoplifters have been caught in the town. Police are installing a cardboard officer in a Co-op store in St. Austell, Cornwall, to deter shoplifters. The cutout will be holding a white sign with the number of thieves caught in the area displayed on it . But locals are unconvinced the two-dimensional recruits will deter seasoned thieves who repeatedly target the town's shops. Cardboard police officers, costing about £25 each, have been used by a number of forces but opponents have branded them a gimmick. Some forces claim they have slashed crimes like shoplifting by 50 per cent but in other areas thieves have simply nicked the cut-outs. The deployment, beginning in a Co-op, is part of a drive against anti-social behaviour in the run-up to Christmas. Inspector Tony Joslin said: 'Shoplifting has an impact on all of us. Big retailers factor in the amount they are likely to lose through shoplifting in prices, so every theft adds to your food bill. Officers said the cutouts are designed to cut down on anti-social behaviour in the lead up to Christmas . 'When you are talking about major supermarket chains you are talking about an enormous amount of money. 'There is also the fact that shoplifting covers up a lot of other issues such as social deprivation and alcohol and drug use.' Locals weren't convinced the cardboard coppers would make much difference. Steve Williamson, manager of a nearby food bank, said: 'People who get desperate enough to steal in the first place won't be deterred by a cardboard man if they are not deterred by the security guard.' But Jake Moore, 27, who runs a Spar store which was robbed by a masked robber earlier this year, said: 'I guess I would consider installing one. Any kind of deterrent is better than nothing.' | Officers have installed model in Co-Op and plan to put more in other stores .
Initiative is designed to cut down on shoplifting in run-up to Christmas .
But residents are not impressed and say thieves have stolen the cutouts . |
4,072 | 0bbd0299b67aa76f5d977aa1b5fa6a439aa88413 | By . Alexandra Klausner . A family of four from Argyle, Texas died in New Mexico on Friday night when a pickup truck hit their van on a highway in New Mexico. Only one of them was wearing a seat belt. Brian Lee, 24, was driving his Ford pickup truck when he started falling asleep and crossed the center line of the road and smashed into the family's van, reports Dallas News. Only the father Michael Miller, 47, was wearing a seat belt and he and his wife LeAnn Miller, 48, and their children Zoey, 12, and Miles, 7, were killed upon impact, said police. Dead: Miles, his mother LeAnn, his father Michael and his sister Zoey all died in a crash on Friday night . The scene: The crash occurred Friday around 9 p.m. on US 550, about 20 miles south of Bloomfield and only Michael was wearing his seatbelt . Brian Lee survived and was hospitalized with minor injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. The family who died in the crash are survived by their son Cory Dixon, 24, who didn’t go on a road trip out west with his family. Before they died, the family had already visited Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Colorado and Utah.Cory Dixon spoke to his mother just minutes before the horrific crash at 8:30 P.M. 'I think God just had a plan, and he allowed me to talk to her one last time, and that’s all I can ask for in a situation like this — just the fact I got to talk to her,' Dixon said Saturday evening outside the family home. Police received a call about the crash just minutes after Cory hung up on the phone with his mother LeAnn. The family will be missed and were very involved in their community. Last phone call: LeAnn is survived by her son Cory Dixon, 24, who spoke to his mother just minutes before she died . Zoey and Miles Miller were meant to start school on August 25, Zoey in the sixth grade and Miles in the second. Their mother LeAnn was involved in her children's academic and social life and helped the Argyle school district with fundraising. ‘She fulfilled her purpose on earth and what she was supposed to do,’ said Dixon. ‘She was a great mom and a great role model for me, my brother and sister.’ Dixon spoke of his mother and father's passion for caring for others up until her untimely death. ‘It’s what their passion was — to take care of other things and other people,’ Dixon said.Michael Miller was also lead an active role in his children's lives and helped with the cub scouts while his wife LeAnn helped out with the girl scouts. Both Michael and LeAnn worked for Michael's company MM Search Group which helps architecture and real estate firms hire talented employees. A vigil will be held Sunday, August 10 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at Argyle United Methodist Church . Happy family: The family, pictured here on Christmas, were involved in each others lives before they died . | Only Michael Miller, 47, was .
wearing a seat belt and his wife LeAnn Miller, 48, and their children .
Zoey, 12, and Miles, 7, were killed .
Brian Lee, 24, was driving his Ford .
pickup truck when he started falling asleep and crossed the center line .
of the road and crashed into a van .
Lee was taken to the hospital with minor injuries .
The family is survived by their son Cory Dixon, 24, who spoke to his mother on the phone just minutes before she died .
The family were on a Road trip and had already visited Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Colorado and Utah . |
260,666 | dd8a91316d0ec6e161dbe687a9ba688aea4c8a18 | (CNN) -- In 2013, our TV options were practically endless. Anyway you wanted it -- live, DVR'd, online, through a streaming service -- you could probably get it. It was like something out of a Journey song. And so we turned to you, our CNN readers, for the second year in a row to find out which shows you absolutely could not do without -- the ones that you would proudly identify as one of your "favorites." Earlier this month, thousands of you flocked to our TV polls to tell us your top five picks in the drama, comedy and reality categories. Interestingly enough, even with all of the new shows that arrived in 2013, your favorite comedies are more or less the same: "The Big Bang Theory" is still No. 1, with "Modern Family" a close second. The only difference, in fact, is that Fox's "New Girl" fell out of the top 5 favorites altogether, replaced by the even "New"-er "Orange is the New Black." In the drama category, several voters were clearly feeling nostalgic for "Breaking Bad." The AMC show, which ended its run this year, didn't even make the top 5 favorite dramas list in 2012. This year, however, the Bryan Cranston and company were No. 1. "Homeland" likely suffered under the weight of its own ludicrousness and dropped out of the top five this year. In its place is NBC's new drama "The Blacklist." In the reality category, "Duck Dynasty's" reign couldn't be ignored. CNN reader votes pushed the contested A&E show into second place, knocking perennial favorite "Survivor" out of the top five altogether. If you missed our voting period, feel free to play along in the comments. Tell us your top five favorite shows across the drama, comedy and reality categories. | CNN readers voted for their favorite TV shows of 2013 .
They selected their top five picks in drama, reality and comedy categories .
The choices in comedy were more or less the same .
The drama and reality categories saw some shake-ups . |
54,874 | 9b6edea683d238d274e0b4d741bcb5c2a554c390 | (CNN) -- The tiger is one of wildlife's most endangered species, but there's one big cat which refuses to be tamed. Meet Radamel Falcao -- or "El Tigre" as his friends nicknamed him after watching him terrorize defenders on the streets of Colombia as a child. From making his professional debut at just 13 to running top-class defenders ragged, this is one Tiger who hasn't changed his stripes since bursting onto the scene in Europe with Porto and Atletico Madrid. "I think that every person specializes in what they know best and as a young kid, I liked scoring goals," he told CNN. "Later, I realized that's what I was best at and I went perfecting that aspect to give the best of myself to my team in the position I played, which was striker." Constantly on the prowl for goals, the 26-year-old is one of football's most wanted transfer targets, with several top European clubs waiting to poach him from Atletico. He moved to Spain in a €40 million ($53 million) deal from Porto in 2011, and scored 36 goals in his debut season in La Liga including two in the Europa League final against Athletic Bilbao. His stunning hat-trick in the demolition of European champions Chelsea at the 2012 Super Cup Final underlined to those not au fait with Spanish football just how deadly he can be. Atletico thrash Chelsea in Super Cup . Falcao then went on a streak which saw him score in 11 consecutive games for club and country between August and late October. With 18 goals in La Liga this season, the vultures are circling the Vicente Calderon once again, with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City all hovering. But Falcao insists he is happy with life at Atletico and says he has no thoughts of moving on -- at least not yet. "I have three years left on my contract with the club and my reality is that this contract ties me down for a few more seasons," Falcao said. "Afterwards though, I don't know what's going to happen in the future as it's in the hands of the people responsible for deciding the future of the players on Atletico. "I simply give the best of myself for the team, for this really good season that we're having. We have a lot of objectives/goals in our sight and I hope that we can achieve them." Falcao has emerged as one of the world's top goalscorers since making the move to Porto from Argentina's River Plate in July 2009. It was in Portugal that he came to prominence, scoring 34 goals including the winner in the final of the 2011 Europa League to help the club pull off a quadruple haul of trophies. His goalscoring feats in the continent's second-tier competition, in which he scored a record 17 goals, earned him a move to Spain where he has led the line for Atletico with his predatory instincts causing havoc for defenses across Europe. Can Falcao help Atletico Madrid reign in Spain? It is a skill which he honed as a youngster, spending many hours on the practice fields in a bid to perfect the art of one of football's hardest arts -- scoring goals. Ever since he ran around the streets barefoot, covered with scratches and blood, Falcao's desire has been to reach the very top. His father played club football in Colombia, and there was never a doubt in Falcao's mind what he wanted to achieve in life. Incredibly, he made his professional debut for Deportivo Pereira at the age of just 13, making him the youngest player to ever appear professionally in Colombian football. At the age of 14 he moved to Argentina to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer. It was there that he flourished, establishing himself as one of the most exciting players at River Plate. After overcoming a serious knee injury in 2006, he returned to lead River Plate to the Clausura title and earn a move to Europe with Porto. It was the realization of a dream for a player which had begun life with one simple dream -- to become one of the best striker's on the planet. Fantasy football: Pedro Pinto's team of 2012 . "Thanks to lots of training and hard work, I was able to succeed and be able to shine above other players of my age," Falcao said. "This is work that took a long time, many years in terms of knowing the position, the development of my abilities and also the talent and potential that I was born with. "Through lots of training, I went along perfecting it, along with knowing the team that I play with, both Atletico Madrid and my national team, which allowed my good development as a striker." While league and cup success with Atletico remains his priority, the opportunity to lead Colombia into battle at the 2014 World Cup is high up on the agenda. Falcao on fire as Atletico Madrid win Europa League . Colombia has not appeared at the World Cup finals since 1998, but is third in the South American qualifying section. The top four of the nine competing nations will automatically qualify for Brazil, while the fifth-placed team goes into a playoff against an Asia confederation side. Falcao who has scored five goals in six qualifying games, wants the latest generation of Colombian talent to write their own records and emerge from the shadow of former great players such as Carlos Valderrama and Faustino Asprilla. "We're forming quite a strong team and hopefully we can manage to qualify for the World Cup and for the next few World Cups and bring lots of other triumphs and victories home," he said. "I don't like comparisons too much -- we simply want to write our own history and hope that it's important for our country." | Radamel Falcao, known as "El Tigre," is one of the world's most lethal strikers .
Colombian fired Spanish club Atletico Madrid to Europa League glory last season .
The 26-year-old, a pro since age 13, is the son of a former professional footballer .
Falcao scored 36 goals last year and has 18 in La Liga so far this season . |
154,444 | 5395d9bc000916b5053c0b815bfc0c535bde509d | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 07:03 EST, 14 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:35 EST, 14 May 2012 . Media demands: Lord O'Donnell told the Leveson inquiry today that David Cameron's links with the media were 'too close' while in opposition . David Cameron became too close to the media while he was in opposition, former cabinet secretary Gus O'Donnell said today. Lord O'Donnell - who retired as head of the civil service at the end of last year - said he tried to ensure ministers maintained a distance from the press. But, giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards, he admitted that he had not always been successful. 'I think the Prime Minister himself, the current Prime Minister, has said that he felt his relationships had got too close, and I agree with that.' Mr Cameron admitted last July that he and other politicians had allowed themselves to get 'too close' to media proprietors and editors, and he has since said that relations were 'too cosy'. However, he has stressed that his contacts were not only with Rupert Murdoch's News International, but with a wide range of media organisations. Lord O'Donnell also said today that Andy Coulson should have declared a £40,000 shareholding in News Corp when being vetted so he could have unsupervised access to top secret material. In his evidence, Lord O'Donnell said that while in opposition parties should have a different relationship with journalists than Government ministers. He said: 'You have much fewer resources, so you do not have big press offices and the like, so you do tend to make closer personal relationships with journalists. 'There tends to have been swapping of mobile phone numbers, all of those sorts of things.' Scroll down for video . 'Too close to the media': David Cameron with Lord O'Donnell, then Sir Gus as Cabinet Secretary, inside No 10 shortly after the general election . Lord O'Donnell said MPs should be 'much more careful' once their party forms a government.'Every . single Secretary of State is subject to collective responsibilities . much more important in government than we see in opposition. We have to . be much more careful,' he said. He added that a lot of special advisers come from a media or PR background. The peer said that the inquiry had . an opportunity to issue guidelines specifically for opposition parties . on their relationships with the press. 'I . think you would want to put it to the leaders of all the parties, "Here . is a set of rules that we think opposition parties should abide by", he . said. Lord O'Donnell . said he had suggested to David Cameron that all meetings between Ministers and newspaper . editors and owners should be recorded in a transparency drive. However, . he said it would not be right to record all discussions between MPs and . journalists because they are part of the 'basic lifeblood' of . parliamentary life. He said editors 'are different because of the ability to very strongly support different political parties.' News Corp shares: Andy Coulson told the Leveson inquiry he held £40,000 worth of shares while he was Mr Cameron's press secretary in No 10 - and didn't realise the potential conflict of interest until afterwards . The former head of the civil service also said that Andy Coulson should have revealed his News Corp shareholding. Mr Coulson admitted to the inquiry on Friday that he held £40,000 worth of shares while he was Mr Cameron's press secretary in No 10. He said he only realised the potential conflict of interest after he left Downing Street. He said in his witness statement: 'I was never asked about any share or stock holdings and because I knew that I wasn't involved in any commercial issues, including the BSkyB bid, it never occurred to me that there could be a conflict of interest. 'In retrospect I wish I had paid more attention to it.' However, Lord O'Donnell said Mr Coulson was asked to sign a form . declaring any outside interests when he entered Downing Street but the shareholding was not disclosed - . although it should have been. A decision was taken to vet him so he could have unrestricted access to secret materials after the airline bomb plot when printer cartridges packed with explosives were found on planes. Lord O'Donnell said Mr Coulson needed more access to top secret documents. The press secretary already had undergone a full security check giving him substantial access to secret materials and supervised access to top secret materials. Questions have been raised about why Mr Coulson was cleared only to SC level 'security checked' in No 10, rather than the tougher DV or 'developed vetting' level. Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell was given the higher level of security clearance when he was in Downing Street. Lord O'Donnell said he had been keen to keep the numbers of people given the highest vetting to a minimum, to help avoid leaks. He added that he didn't know whether other former press secretaries had been cleared to DV level. The ex-News of the World editor resigned before the process was complete. He also pointed out that DV was designed to establish 'whether you are blackmailable... in terms of your position or your personal life'. 'It would not have gone into enormous detail about phone hacking, for example,' Lord O'Donnell said. Exit: Jeremy Hunt's special adviser Adam Smith who resigned last month after admitting that the contacts over the BSkyB bid had become too close . Lord O'Donnell said that Jeremy Hunt's aide Adam Smith should have dealt with the BSkyB fairly. Mr Smith resigned last month after . admitting that the contacts over the BSkyB bid had become too close. Labour has been demanding that Mr Hunt quit for allowing the situation . to get out of control. Lord O'Donnell said it was for . ministers to authorise their special advisers' activities, but there was . not likely to be a written record of instructions. 'I would have expected the minister to be clear about what his special adviser should be doing,' he said. He insisted that 'keeping all parties informed about process is perfectly reasonable, but not getting into substance'. He added that reviewing the bid was a 'quasi-judicial procedure' and there was an obligation to deal with it fairly. Lord O'Donnell said he was right to tell Gordon Brown not to launch an inquiry into media standards in the weeks before the general election. He said that if a probe was launched it should have been done with all-party agreement - which would have been difficult in March 2010. 'There were stories that there was more information out there and I think there was still a question mark as to whether more would emerge ... 'On the basis of what we knew then I would stick with that recommendation.' Asked whether he had been unwilling to pick up a 'hot potato', the peer replied: 'I would say it was clearly a big potato. The timing was not ideal. 'If you are going to do this it would be good to have all-party agreement. Trying to broker such a thing in the weeks leading up to a general election would be quite difficult.' 'Forgetful': Rupert Murdoch was accused of 'selective amnesia' over a key 1981 meeting as he bought The Times . News International hit out today at 'fantasy' allegations made about Rupert Murdoch's 'sinister' back-room dealings with politicians. Robert Jay QC, counsel for the Leveson Inquiry, was accused of 'headline grabbing' by suggesting the media mogul was suffering 'selective amnesia' about his discussions with Margaret Thatcher. The idea that the pair had made an implicit pact over lunch in 1981 to allow his purchase of The Times was a 'science fiction theory', according to the company's barrister Rhodri Davies QC. 'This is the stuff of fantasy,' he told Lord Justice Leveson. 'Deals cannot be done through telepathy. What are the terms? What is the duration, what is the quid pro quo?' Mr Davies said the documentary record had no evidence of an explicit or implicit deal to exchange favourable media coverage for favourable treatment. Mr Murdoch also had no reason to lie about having no recollection of the key lunch at Chequers, as Mr Jay suggested last week in 'headline-grabbing style', he added. 'It is against the rules, and for good reason, to raise such an issue after the witness has gone, rather than when he is here to answer for it, but never mind that,' Mr Davies said. 'Mr Murdoch has nothing to lie about. The documents tell the story.' Mr Davies accused Mr Jay of suggesting it was 'sinister' for newspapers such as The Sun to back politicans they agree with. 'That is exactly what they are meant to do, and are expected to do, as agents of a free press in a democracy,' he said. 'In Mr Jay's hands, the characteristics of a large readership, floating voters, an absence of immutable party loyalties, begin to sound sinister.' | Former cabinet secretary says all meetings between Ministers and newspaper editors and owners should be disclosed .
Andy Coulson should have declared £40,000 shareholding in News Corp when he entered Downing Street, Lord O'Donnell says .
Mr Coulson needed more regular access to documents on terrorism after airline bomb plot .
Jeremy Hunt should have been clear about what his special adviser was doing, said Lord O'Donnell .
Mr Cameron has previously admitted politicians allowed themselves to get 'too close' to editors and proprietors . |
193,438 | 866df3d712b86b35f2faf830ed8fd16bae586b6c | (CNN) -- Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who detailed her thoughts and her family's life while hiding in an attic from the Nazis in Amsterdam, can now be seen in rare video that has been posted on the Internet. Anne Frank got a diary as a gift shortly before her family went into hiding from the Nazis. The only known footage of Frank, who died in a concentration camp weeks before World War II ended, can be seen on a special YouTube channel run by the Anne Frank Museum. The channel manager, Ita Amahorseija, said the virtual museum was created "to not only give back to the people who know the story of Anne Frank, but to trigger people to want to know more about her story." In the silent black-and-white footage, the 12-year-old diarist can be seen as she leans out the window of her home to watch her newly married neighbor leave the apartment building on July 22, 1941. Watch the video » . That newlywed couple gave the film to Anne's father after the war. Other videos show the chestnut tree that Anne saw every day from her window and the church bells that rang while she was in hiding. She mentions both of these in her diary. Otto Frank can be heard on the site, talking about his daughter's diaries in a video excerpt made in the late 1960s before his death. He said she talked about and criticized many things, but he learned her real feelings only by reading her diary. "I was very much surprised about deep thoughts Anne had, a seriousness, especially her self-criticism. It was quite a different Anne I had known as my daughter. She never really showed this kind of inner feeling," Otto Frank said. The video of the happy young Anne has had more than 2 million page views since its posting a week ago. That expansive reach has led other museums to use YouTube to reach a broader audience and to offer a taste of what's available on their Web sites. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, has one of the largest art and design collections in the world. On the V&A YouTube channel, you can see a master hat maker craft a haute-couture hat by hand, from start to finish, for designer Stephen Jones. Another of the museum's videos shows a more whimsical performance piece called "Moving Monsters," in which people in giant paper masks dance and move to music and sound effects. For science enthusiasts, there's the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History channel. Here, a scientist explains how flesh-eating beetles clean animal skeletons before they are put on display in the museum. A few clicks over, at the feather identification lab, we learn how feathers were examined and tested to find out that Canada geese were to blame for forcing US Airways Flight 1549 to land in the Hudson River on January 15. If you've ever wondered why Dorothy's ruby slippers are red, you might want to visit the Smithsonian's American History channel. The famous red shoes worn in "The Wizard of Oz" are in a display case in Washington, but you can also see them online. A videotaped curator shows how the shoes are placed on display and explains their significance in American history. So along with all the funny and musical videos on YouTube, you can also find glimpses of history. | Rare film of Anne Frank is posted on YouTube by the Anne Frank Museum .
The museum hopes to draw more interest to Frank's story .
Other museums have also set up special YouTube channels . |
141,752 | 4351633ca8b8be74e0e15ac8157608151c141db6 | By . David Mccormack . A woman made off with $400 worth of stolen clothing after pepper-spraying a Macy's security guard in the face in a Santa Ana mall. The suspect was confronted by the Macy's security guard in the Santa Ana Main Place Mall as she tried to leave with her loot at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday, police said. She turned around and sprayed the officer in the face with pepper spray, and when the officer lowered his hand, she used pepper spray again. Police wish to speak to a woman who allegedly made off with $400 worth of stolen clothing after pepper-spraying a Macy's security guard in the face at a Santa Ana mall on Tuesday . The thief then got into a silver Nissan four-door sedan with two men inside and they drove off. Police released surveillance images of a woman on Thursday. She is described as white, in her mid-30s, with dark red hair and tattoos on both her arms. The Santa Ana Police are asking anyone with information about the suspects to call 1-855-TIP-OCCS. Tips can be left anonymously. Police released surveillance images of the woman on Thursday, she is described as white, in her mid-30s, with dark red hair and tattoos on both her arms . | A woman made off with $400 worth of .
stolen clothing after pepper-spraying a Macy's security guard in the .
face in a Santa Ana mall last Tuesday .
The suspect was confronted by the security guard as she tried to leave .
She turned around and sprayed the .
officer in the face with pepper spray twice .
The woman is described as white, in her mid-30s, with dark red hair and tattoos on both her arms . |
38,525 | 6cf3e9bbc639d89902f1f65d4cd28951207b07c6 | Sochi, Russia (CNN) -- "He didn't want carpets, he preferred to hear footsteps of people as they approached on the wooden parquet flooring," says Anna Hovantseva, the tour guide, as she explains another interior-design quirk of one of the most morbidly fascinating personalities of the 20th century. It's fair to say Joseph Stalin, the notorious dictatorial leader of the Soviet Union, still holds a curiosity for many. The Georgia native helped create much that is modern Sochi, the host of the 2014 Winter Games, when he built his summer retreat in this town in 1937. The retreat is open to visitors and will soon offer rooms to guests this summer for 7,000 roubles ($200) per night. Welcome to the home of Stalin. Benefiting from the cool, restorative mix of sea and mountain air streams, the villa -- or "dacha," as it's known locally -- was situated for the health-giving nature of its surroundings. Nestled in the coniferous, cypress-tree forest of the Matsesta mineral springs area and perched in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, it was seen as the ideal refuge to replenish the man whose day job was ruling over 200 million people. Follow CNN's live Sochi Winter Olympics coverage . It also has a rather snazzy green exterior. "The color is the same as the trees, it camouflages the building," adds Hovantseva -- another handy feature for a property if you have many enemies. For guests staying over, the facilities don't compare well to the luxurious standards of comfort demanded by modern national leaders. The interiors of every room consist of uniform beechwood paneling devoid of decoration. Portraits of Stalin that adorn the walls and the fireplace were hung there long after his demise, such was his dislike of them. There's a swimming pool, so small it more closely resembles an oversized sunken bath, where the Communist chief enjoyed walking (he couldn't swim) in seawater up to his shoulders. There are also fantastic views of the Black Sea, which laps against the shore a few miles away. Entertainment is basic, especially given the cinema room where Stalin used to view his favorite Charlie Chaplin movies is no longer functioning, but there is a billiards room with the original table and cue used by the man dubbed "Uncle Joe." And in a break with tradition of museums around the world, visitors can use both to try to pot balls in the small Russian-standard pockets. However, there is one word of warning: If you're considering a stay it's probably wiser to visit in the summer. The property walls are a secure 70 centimeters thick and, on Stalin's orders, the house has no heating. That accounts for the cool temperatures in the majority of rooms CNN visits. But it remains a mystery why the temperature drops five degrees in Stalin's cinema, where his waxwork sits ominously behind a desk in front of copies of Pravda and opposite a bullet-proof sofa. Our guide denies the presence of the rumored ghost of Stalin: "No, absolutely no. It is cold because of the architecture. (The thick walls) are very difficult to warm up. Of course now it is cold in the dacha, but it's very pleasant to stay there in summer." It was designed by architect Miron Merzhanov, to whom Stalin made only one request for the building: No fountains. A direction that required a swift alteration to the original water feature that sat in the middle of the central courtyard into a flowerbed. Despite the dacha's peculiarities, though, the presence of the leader of the USSR in such a small coastal resort had a seismic effect in the town now being viewed on televisions across the world. "No doubt that when our leader began to visit Sochi, the city benefited from great development," Hovantseva says. "Earlier our city was the resort for the nobility, for only rich people. There had been tourists' villas long before Stalin came here. "But when Stalin began to visit Sochi, he began to develop it as a resort town for all people. Thanks to him, a lot of sanatoriums and hydropathic establishments (and) a road to Matsesta were built. All in all, he did really much for the development of Sochi." Ironic then that the town Stalin "built" was the one chosen by President Vladimir Putin, who also has a summer house in Sochi, to represent the modern face of Russia to the world. Local journalist Alexander Valov edits the independent "BlogSochi," a forum he has used to reflect the positive and negative sides of Sochi hosting the Olympics, much to the ire of Russian officials. "First of all I see it from the city's point of view and how the infrastructure is being developed. But there are negative sides, too ... we had a huge beach with 70 meters covered with pebble, a beautiful seafront, but now (as a result of development) there is no beach. The ecology and nature was damaged greatly," Valov told CNN. The choice may be seen as shrewd if costly politicking by some, but for Hovantseva, Sochi seemed like the obvious and most welcome choice to host the Winter Games. "With the Olympics, Sochi has received a great new development. For example, the new buildings were built, even the image of the city has changed. We could compare the current policy with Stalin's one," she says. "I was not surprised because our city is really unique. Thanks to our mild climate you can relax here all year round, even in winter. So it was quite logical and natural," the guide tells CNN as we view the pictures of Stalin's family on show in the fridge-like cinema room. There is a black and white image of his second wife Svetlana, who died young -- officially from appendicitis amid rumors of suicide. There's also pictures of his son Yakov, who did not survive internment in a German prisoner of war camp. The smiling faces in the photos do not convey the whole picture, according to Hovantseva. "Generally, he liked to be all alone. He loved his wife Svetlana and his children. He had no friends. He read and thought a lot. He enjoyed hunting. He also loved farming. He grew lemons (for medicinal drinks). So he was an unsociable man, I think." Hovantseva says there is no shortage of interest in the dacha. She thinks attitudes toward Stalin are as varied as the visitors to the site; some consider him a great politician, many consider him a dictator and treat him a little "disdainfully." However, one factor that shows no sign of changing is the restorative powers Sochi offers to the political elite. | Joseph Stalin's summer home is on sightseeing list for Sochi .
Dictator helped create much that is modern Sochi when he built dacha in 1937 .
Home has several features helpful to a man who had many enemies . |
40,366 | 71e7a0cc3cacbea0b40fb68cc7407edf305ec7fe | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 11:23 EST, 21 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:19 EST, 21 February 2013 . A British inventor has made a 'tsunami survival' capsule, and is to test it by going over Niagara Falls. Aerospace engineer Julian Sharpe, 50, believes his disaster-proof pod will save people from tidal waves, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and super storms. And he is so confident of the life-saving aluminium ball that he will ride it down the world-famous 167ft waterfall. Survival: Former Boeing engineer Julian Shape has designed a pod which will keep people safe during natural disasters including tsunamis and hurricanes . He said: 'We can tell people how strong it is, but until you've proved that it's saved a life they might not believe you.' Mr Sharpe claims the sphere will protect him from the massive impact, which will be similar to being rear ended by a car at about 20 mph. He believes the capsule will keep people safe in natural disasters, such as the tsunamis which hit Thailand and Japan. In a tsunami the main danger is not drowning in the fast flowing water but being crushed by the debris which is swept along. He said: 'Since it's a sphere, when you do run into something it's just going to glance off. 'In most cases, you're probably going to be a bit lighter than those objects so those objects will just go along their way and kind of move you.' Drop: Mr Sharpe is to prove how strong the pod is by going over Niagara Falls . Mr Sharpe was born in Carmarthern, West Wales, but now lives in Seattle in the United States. The former Boeing engineer has taken his prototypes to the Yokohama Expo in Kanagawa, Japan, and sponsors have commissioned further production. Now Mr Sharpe and his business partners are hoping to sell different models of the capsule for between £650 and £3,250 . Disaster: British search and rescue teams on the ground in Ofunato, Japan, where they were flown in to help search for survivors of the county's biggest earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011 . He claims the capsule will keep up to six people safe for several hours while it is buffeted by a Tsunami's powerful wave. He said: 'After the tsunami in Japan, we decided we had to develop it and get it out there for the masses. 'There are 135 countries worldwide exposed to the tsunami wave. 'If you can save one life, it would be worth producing it.' | Julian Sharpe invented pod to help people survive natural disasters .
Capsule is made of aluminium and designed to keep six people safe for hours .
Will test how much protection it offers by going over Niagara Falls . |
177,963 | 7262d3d04733a002fd1a13439d2eafc7f21aac64 | (CNN) -- Healthy men and women with good cholesterol levels could significantly reduce their risk of heart disease by taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, better known as statins, according to a study released at the American Heart Association meetings in November. Today, only people with high levels of cholesterol are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins. Nearly 18,000 people in 26 countries, including 7,000 women and nearly 5,000 minorities, participated in the clinical trial, the results of which were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. All had very good cholesterol levels, with average LDL -- or "bad" cholesterol -- levels of 108 and average HDL --or "good" cholesterol -- levels of 49. However, each participant had elevated levels of "high-sensitivity C-reactive protein" or hs-CRP -- a marker that indicates inflammation in the body and can contribute to coronary heart disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women in the United States. Under the current guidelines set for lowering cholesterol levels, none of the participants would have qualified for taking statins. In the study, the participants took 20 milligrams of the drug Rosuvastatin -- commercially known as Crestor -- or a placebo pill. The maker of Crestor, AstraZeneca, funded the study. According to the lead author, Dr. Paul Ridker of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, the pharmaceutical company had no input in the study's design and didn't see the final data analysis until the study was submitted for publication. Designed to last up to five years, the trial was stopped after less than two because endpoints set by an independent oversight committee were met, the study says. Researchers found that participants taking Crestor cut their risk of heart attack, stroke and death by nearly half -- 44 percent -- compared with participants taking the placebo. Bad cholesterol levels were reduced by 50 percent and hs-CRP levels dropped 37 percent. Overall death in the Crestor group was 20 percent less than the placebo group. "This is a huge reduction, unprecedented reduction in risk occurring very quickly," said Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic, who has studied the significance of CRP in predicting heart disease. Nissen estimates that 36 million Americans qualify for statins and that the new research could add at least 10 million to the ranks of who should be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Some published reports suggest the number could be twice as high. The study's statistician, Harvard University's Robert Glynn, estimates that about 250,000 heart attacks, strokes, hospitalizations and cardiac deaths could be prevented over five years if people with good cholesterol and high hs-CRP levels were taking statins. Ridker, the lead author, said doing so would benefit patients and health care providers, noting a simple blood test to detect hs-CRP levels is much cheaper than hospitalization. Blog: Heart disease and cholesterol . Ridker said the diversity of the participants, including women, African-Americans and Hispanics, is significant because there is limited information on preventing heart disease among those demographic groups. Today, only people with high levels of cholesterol are prescribed statins. Those with good cholesterol levels typically don't have their hs-CRP levels tested because there are no clear guidelines on who should be tested and how often. "These studies show that CRP levels are now emerging as an important risk factor in the development and progression of coronary heart disease," said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, referring to this study and two others being presented at an American Heart Association conference this weekend. Dr. Mark Hlatky, a professor of health policy and cardiology at Stanford University, reviewed the study for The New England Journal of Medicine. Hlatky agreed the study "provides more evidence about the effectiveness of statin therapy in reducing cardiovascular risk," even among people who don't currently meet the guidelines for this kind of therapy. But he suggested that before changing any guidelines, more research needs to be done to determine the effectiveness of testing people for hs-CRP levels, something this study was not designed to do. | Study: Statins can help healthy with good cholesterol levels cut heart disease risk .
None of study's participants would qualify for taking statins under current guidelines .
Maker of Crestor funded study; lead author says firm had no input in study's design .
Cardiologist: New research could add 10 million to ranks of those taking such drugs . |
207,116 | 982c4b2d4142a7bd237bbbda0942330cf7a36240 | Washington (CNN) -- Swimmers, if you want to know how filthy that lake or stream is before you jump in, there's now an app for that. The Environmental Protection Agency launched its My Waterway app on Thursday, available through the agency's website. By identifying the user's GPS location, the software allows swimmers and fishers to check the water quality in thousands of lakes, rivers and streams in the United States from their computer or smartphone. A list of waterways within five miles of the user's search location is returned and includes details about the water condition. Users can also enter a physical address to get results. CNN checked the app from its Washington offices near the U.S. Capitol. The My Waterway app identified 19 waterways within five miles of the nation's capital, all either listed as polluted or condition unknown. One of those waterways near the capital, the Anacostia River, has long been plagued by pollution so bad the Natural Resources Defense Council deemed it a "poster child for America's tragically neglected, abused urban waterways." The app's results showed the river had low oxygen, murky water, pesticides, toxic chemicals and trash, among other warnings about the river's condition. The EPA's latest smart phone app was announced in conjunction with the agency's 40th anniversary commemoration of the Clean Water Act being enacted on October 18, 1972. The software is available through the EPA's website and not Apple's app store or Google Play. | EPA launches its My Waterway app, available through the agency's website .
Software allows users to check the water quality in thousands of lakes, rivers and streams .
CNN uses app to check on D.C. waterways and found lots of polluted sites . |
68,033 | c1060984e1a70e898330cc2c3b88d0d21e26501a | Roger Goodell says London’s response to the NFL is ‘better than we ever dreamed’ - but stopped short of saying a franchise will be moving across the Atlantic. At his annual ‘State of the NFL’ address, the 55-year-old commissioner twice dodged a definitive answer to the question. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said London games had exceeded all expectations . ‘London has done not only everything that we expected but more than we expected, they are responding to the game better than we ever dreamed with more enthusiasm, more passion,’ he said. ‘You see it every year, the passion, the understanding of the game, every event that we have explodes with interest,’ he added. ‘We are continuing to advance our interests over there from the standpoint of playing more games.’ said Goodell. ‘The passion is obvious, we want to continue to respond to that fan interest and if we do - we don’t know where it will go but there is great potential in London for the NFL.’ During his 45 minute address, Goodell faced a wide range of questions and admitted he has not given a thought to resigning despite a ‘tough year’ for the NFL. Detroit Lions beat Atlanta Falcons with a dramatic last-gasp field goal at Wembley in October . The 55-year-old has attracted criticism in many quarters for his handled of the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases. Goodell promised that the league will also undergo a ‘serious’ and ‘thorough’ review of the Deflategate saga. When asked if he will give an apology to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft if the Patriots are cleared of wrongdoing, Goodell replied: ‘This my job. This is my responsibility, to protect the integrity of this game. I represent 32 teams.’ Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch could face fine for wearing ‘Beast Mode’ cap . The NFL will decide on the response to Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch wearing non-licences ‘Beast Mode’ cap during media appearances after Super Bowl. And Goodell responded to Lynch’s handling of media duties this week. ‘It’s part of your job,’ Goodell said. ‘There are things in your job that you might not necessarily want to do. I think Marshawn understands the importance of the Super Bowl and the importance of his appearance in the Super Bowl.’ Singer Lenny Kravitz, right, joined actor Jamie Foxx for Super Bowl radio show on Sirius XM . Foxx, model Charlotte McKinney and New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham take part in show on Friday . Foxx also met up with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson at the Phoenix Convention Centre . | NFL commissioner Roger Goodell delighted with 'enthusiasm and passion'
But Goodell refused to be drawn on possible London franchise .
He said he has not given a thought to resigning despite a 'tough year' |
38,427 | 6ca0032df7f523206189d28f11c14ef0f6ac4d46 | By . Fiona Macrae Science Correspondent . Scientists may have hit on the secret behind Usain Bolt’s success on the track – his perfect knees. A study of Jamaican youngsters found those whose legs, and particularly knees, match in size grow up to be the best sprinters. The finding could help explain why athletes from the Caribbean island dominate international 100m and 200m races – the distances Bolt specialises in. Perfectly formed: Scientists say the secret of Usain Bolt's success might be his symmetrical knees . The theory may seem bizarre, but many scientists believe perfectly paired body parts are a sign of good genes and good health. Previous studies have linked symmetrical bodies and faces with everything from good looks to fertility. The . latest study, which started in 1996, involved almost 300 Jamaican . schoolchildren whose bodies were measured from the age of eight. When they reached 22, they were asked to undergo more tests, including two sprint races, with just over half taking part. The study of Jamaican youngsters found those whose legs, and particularly knees, match in size grow up to be the keenest and best sprinters . The . results showed that those with the most symmetrical legs – and in . particular knees – as children were more likely to agree to race. Significantly they clocked up faster times than the other young men and . women. Northumbria . University researcher John Manning said his results could help explain . the success of six-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt – whose 100m world . record is 9.58 seconds – and his teammates, but added more research is . needed to back up his symmetry theory. He . told the Independent: ‘We need to... look at international level . sprinters and add some genetic tests. Also more data on Caucasians will . help to further clarify the issue.’ Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, he . added that symmetrical knees could also be a sign of general healthy . development of the body. Other . theories behind Jamaicans’ sprinting success include higher numbers of . ‘speed genes’ and fast-twitch muscle fibres that provide the explosive . power needed for sprinting. Professor Manning said: ‘We found that participants with symmetric legs in 1996, particularly knees, tended to volunteer for the sprints and they tended to run the fastest when tested in 2010. ‘There was some evidence that these Jamaican children had substantially more symmetry in their legs than UK children. ‘So we think our results inform the debate as to why Jamaicans tend to win gold medals in sprinting.’ Other theories behind Jamaicans’ sprinting success include higher numbers of ‘speed genes’ and fast-twitch muscle fibres the provide the explosive power needed for sprinting. Professor Manning said that more research is needed to back up his symmetry theory. He told the Independent: ‘We need to…look at international level sprinters and add some genetic tests. ‘Also more data on Caucasians will help to further clarify the issue.’ He added that symmetrical knees and legs may not only be conductive to speed. They may also be a sign of general healthy development of the body. Professor Manning said: ‘It may be the simple explanation is that symmetric knees are more efficient during sprinting. Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell. Research also suggests that Jamaican children's legs tend to be more symmetrical than those of their English counterparts . ‘However, for me, the most likely explanation concerns the nature of developmental stability. ‘People have a genetic instruction to develop symmetrically across most of the body. However, it is very difficult to maintain symmetry in, for example limbs, particularly if one is a rapidly growing child. ‘We initially measured these children when they were about 8 years old, and their knee symmetry at 8 years predicted their sprinting speed years later. ‘This suggests that symmetry can only be achieved and maintained by individuals with "good genes". Such genes are likely to influence one's physiology and hence one's running speed.’ | Study of Jamaican youngsters found .
those whose legs - and particularly knees - match in size grow up to be .
the keenest and best sprinters .
Many scientists believe perfectly paired body parts are a sign of good genes . |
278,690 | f50a1447852b9dbb6aea1f54b1326f636174aaf3 | It may look like a work of art at first glance, but this is the amazing image that reveals the past 170 of hurricanes around the globe. Produced by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it reveals exactly where in the world is worst hit. The image charts 11,967 tropical cyclones that have occurred on Earth since the NOAA began keeping a record in 1842, when data was supplied by ships and lighthouses rather than today’s advanced satellite detection systems. Interactive map: Using the map on the right hand-side, zoom in on a particular location or zoom out to see a global view. You can then click on the 'Hurricanes' or 'Country Strikes' tabs on the top right to view the frequency and path of all hurricanes in that particular area. The key on the top right corresponds to hurricane strength and the number of hits in that area since 1842. ‘Before the advent of the satellite era, hurricane tracks were constructed from ship reports – and although reliable, some storms were probably missed, the NOAA admits. ‘Geostationary satellites, such as NOAA’s GOES, revolutionised the ability of meteorologists to track cyclones,’ the map-makers explain. ‘Not a single storm is missed as these eyes in the sky provide consistent scans of the globe every few minutes.’ The group has also released an interactive map that allows you to zoom in on specific areas in the world and view hurricanes based on their frequency and path in the area. The team used colours to make patterns in the storms more obvious. By colouring how many times any storm track overlapped another, . patterns arose in the density of storms affecting a given area, the team . found. Last month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charted the 11,967 tropical cyclones that have occurred on Earth since records began. By colouring how many times any storm track overlapped another, certain patterns arise in the density of storms affecting a given area. Cyclone tracks overlapped the most in the western Pacific and Bay of Bengal. The frequency of track overlaps is much lower in the Western Hemisphere . Cyclone tracks overlapped the most in the western Pacific and Bay of Bengal (India), where typhoon season never ends since waters are always warm enough to sustain cyclone formation. The frequency of track overlaps is much lower in the Western Hemisphere than in the Eastern Hemisphere. They also produced a second map showing storm intensity. In contrast to the first image of frequency, the Northwestern Atlantic shows a much greater spread of strong storms, whereas in the Pacific the strongest cyclones seem to group near the Philippines. This map shows storm intensity, providing an interesting contrast to storm frequency. Here, the Northwestern Atlantic shows a much greater spread of strong storms, whereas in the Pacific the strongest cyclones seem to group near the Philippines . | The image reveals the areas worst hit by hurricanes and cyclones since records began in 1842 .
The frequency of track overlaps is much lower in the Western Hemisphere than in the Eastern Hemisphere .
In contrast, an intensity map shows the Northwestern Atlantic has had a much .
greater spread of strong storms . |
12,881 | 2483b25cd6cc0ca8806346fa7873251dd78b06a5 | By . Daniel Mills . Leura, in the Blue Mountains, was one of the regions which received a healthy splattering of snow on Friday . Australians are bracing for a wild weekend of winter chills as a cold-snap brings snowfall and extreme winds to many parts of the country. Residents living in Sydney's scenic Blue Mountains were treated to a splattering of snowfall on Friday night, as the first pictures of white atop the ranges appeared on Twitter around the Katoomba and Lithgow region. Further afield it was Bathurst, about three hours from the city, which copped an unexpected overnight overnight drenching of snow as residents braved the plummeting temperatures. The opening of the heavens ended Sydney's spell of above average temperatures which peaked on Thursday with a top of 25 degrees celcius. The mercury climbed to temperatures just shy of the record July 24 date, set 14 years ago, when the city was hit with a top of 25.9 degrees. Senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology Peter Zmijewski told the Sydney Morning Herald that snow had been forecast to fall down to 600 metres across the Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands. Children make the most of the wintry conditions in Mt Dandenong making snowballs . Bonnie Vandoon and Charlotte Dawson play in the snow after a brief snow shower on top of Mt Dandenong . Jade Stephens, left, and Tyor Fletcher make snow angels in the wintry conditions . Residents of Ballarat braved below-zero temperatures with the town copping 5cm of snow at the weekend . The view from Sovereign Hill at Ballarat . 'It's cold enough, so it's no surprise to us [that it's snowing],' Mr Zmijewski said. The state's snow resorts also copped a fresh coating of powder with up to 15cm falling at Thredbo on Friday and 27cm bucketing over Perisher in the past 48 hours. In Victoria, residents of Ballarat froze through a night of below-zero temperatures with the temperature gauge plummeting to -5. The cold-snap brought snow, blanketing the town with 5cm of icy powder making for some of the heaviest snow fall in Ballarat in recent years. A Weatherzone spokesperson said the 'super cold temperatures' were produced in the wake of a vigorous cold front which not only swept across Victoria. Canberrans and South Australians were also met with minor snow falls and weather experts are anticipating more ahead for the weekend. Weatherzone meteorologist Sam Brown said he had heard reports of snow falling around the Canberra region on Friday although he said any sighting would have been fleeting. 'I've heard reports that there has been snow falling around the Canberra region, but most likely around the elevated areas and higher peaks around Canberra, not the city itself,' he said. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast 'a brief snow shower' around the higher peaks of the Adelaide Hills and Flinders Ranges in South Australia. region. Peaks of up to 600m at Mt Lofty and 700m further north are in line for snow fall. Snowfall fell over the Blue Mountains ranges in Bathurst about three hours west of Sydney . Katoomba residents braved the cold conditions for a look outside at the snow earlier on the weekend . The first sign of snow in Leura on Friday night . Temperatures plummeted to less than 5 degrees at the Blue Mountains over the weekend . | Ballarat dropped to -5 degrees Celsius with snow falling on Friday .
Snow also fell in NSW Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Canberra and Adelaide .
Thredbo and Perisher snow resorts also received a healthy drop .
The snow fall was triggered by a cold front sweeping over inland Australia .
Weather experts predict more snow ahead for the weekend . |
163,588 | 5f892b5d4bb410b5bcc3f05bfbc23677c1b93958 | (CNN) -- Didier Deschamps has been confirmed as the new coach of France after Laurent Blanc quit at the end of Euro 2012. Deschamps, a former coach of Juventus and Monaco, left his most recent post, as manager of Marseille this summer. The French Football Federation held talks with the 43-year-old in Paris on Saturday and confirmed his appointment on their official website. In his illustrious playing career Deschamps twice won the European Champions League as a player and also won titles in France and Italy. He captained France to their first ever World Cup triumph in 1998 and led them to victory in the European Championships two years later. He amssed 103 caps in total. A statement read: "The FFF has officially confirmed today the arrival of Didier Deschamps as coach of the France team. "Captain of Les Blues during the World Cup 98 and Euro 2000, the former coach of AS Monaco, Juventus and Olympique de Marseille has extensive experience at the highest level." Blanc resigned after a disappointing Euro 2012 campaign in which France lost to Spain in the quarterfinals and again were hit by problems in the dressing room. | Dider Deschamps named as the new coach of France .
Deschamps left French club Marseille this summer .
Laurent Blanc stepped down as France coach after Euro 2012 . |
10,813 | 1ebd680ecbac9fa449b304d54728c4c56125c862 | By . Becky Barrow . PUBLISHED: . 15:42 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:42 EST, 3 December 2013 . Nearly two-thirds of people who have retired in Britain expect to leave an inheritance when they die of around £180,000, a report revealed yesterday. The research shows British people are far more generous - or simply far richer - than people in many other countries, with their children typically being the lucky beneficiaries. Of 15 countries which were investigated in the research, the UK came out third in the league table of inheritance windfalls around the world. It was beaten by Australia and Singapore where retired people expect to leave an average of £322,000 and £238,000 respectively. Of 15 countries which were investigated in the research, the UK came out third in the league table of inheritance windfalls around the world . By comparison, the average amount that retired people expect to leave as an inheritance windfall is £95,000. All the figures are based on the inheritance after taxes have been paid and include the value of any property. Overall, it found 64 per cent of people who have retired in Britain expect to leave an average inheritance of £182,144, which is nearly twice the international average. But many plan to be even more generous. One in five expect they will leave ‘over £250,000’ to their children or other beneficiaries, such as a charity, the local church, a more distant family member or a friend. The report, from the banking giant HSBC, also reveals how the future of retirement will dramatically change for today’s workers. On average, people of working age think they ‘will be able to afford to retire on average at 65.’ But this is four years’ later than their own parents’ retirement date, it says. Australia . 69 per cent . £321,743 . Singapore . 70 per cent . £237,799 . UK . 64 per cent . £182,144 . France . 64 per cent . £143,397 . Taiwan . 70 per cent . £122,461 . USA . 56 per cent . £113,342 . Canada . 57 per cent . £109,714 . Hong Kong . 70 per cent . £93,553 . Brazil . 71 per cent . £84,462 . Mexico . 84 per cent . £61,761 . China . 59 per cent . £43,860 . India . 86 per cent . £30,625 . Malaysia . 78 per cent . £24,881 . While workers expect to retire at 65, . which is the current State pension age for men, their parent who was the . family’s main breadwinner retired at the age of 61. One . in five people told researchers that they ‘expect that they will never . to be able to afford to retire from all paid employment.’ Christine . Foyster, head of wealth development at HSBC UK, said: ‘It is good to see . that, even in these tough times, parents plan to leave an inheritance . to their children. 'However, it is vital that people do not rely on these potential windfalls to fund their retirement. ‘Whatever . their good intentions, parents may face their own unexpected hurdles . and require the money to fund other things such as their own medical and . nursing care in later life.’ Nearly . one in three people of working age have already received ‘a significant . financial gift or loan from their family’. The typical amount was . £8,190. The poll was based on the views of more than 16,000 people in 15 countries. None of them were HSBC clients. | UK came third in league table of what people expect to leave for loves ones .
The average amount those surveyed expect to leave is £95,000 . |
173,499 | 6c851d76fdd109d63daba200da3d42a0bbf0eae7 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 25 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:39 EST, 25 October 2012 . A lawyer for James 'Whitey' Bulger has identified the federal official who he says gave the Boston mobster immunity to commit crimes while he was an FBI informant. In court papers filed on Wednesday, former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Jeremiah O'Sullivan was named as having granted Bulger immunity for past or future crimes. Bulger's . lawyers said the judge in his case has a conflict of interest because he worked in the U.S. attorney's office in Boston at the same time as . O'Sullivan, who died in 2009. U.S. attorney Jeremiah O'Sullivan (pictured left) allegedly gave Boston mobster Whitey Bulger immunity for past or future crimes when he was an FBI informant . The revelation was made in a defense motion from attorney J.W. Carney for Judge Richard Stearns to recuse himself. Prosecutors have said Bulger never received immunity from anyone. The 83-year-old Bulger is accused of participating in 19 murders and is currently awaiting trial. Bulger has pleaded not guilty to . charges linked to the murders in the 1970s and 1980s, when prosecutors . say he ran the mostly Irish-American gang. He fled Boston in 1994 and remained one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives until his capture in California last year along with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig. Greig and Bulger, 82, were arrested on June 22, 2011, in an apartment hideout in Santa Monica, California, blocks from the Pacific Ocean, where they had lived under a number of fake and stolen identities for most of their years on the run. A cache of some 30 weapons as well as more than $800,000 in cash was hidden in a hole in the wall. Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, was also an FBI informant. Identification: Identification cards, including Social Security and AARP, are seen identifying Bulger as pseudonym Charles Gasko . His girlfriend Ms Greig, 61, was sentenced to eight years in March after being charged with conspiracy to harbor a fugitive, conspiracy to commit identity fraud, and identity fraud. Prosecutors had sought 10 years in prison while her attorney had recommended 27 months. The . accused mob boss fled Boston in 1994 after getting a tip from a corrupt . FBI agent that authorities were closing in on him. Greig joined Bulger a . few weeks later. Bulger's . trial is scheduled to start on November 5 although his lawyers have . said they need more time to sift through hundreds of thousands of pages . of evidence. Bulger's case inspired Martin Scorsese's 2006 Academy Award-winning film 'The Departed.' Bulger got his start in crime robbing banks and when he ended up in prison for nine years, he studied military tactics and strategies, according to Massachusetts police officer Thomas Foley who chronicled his decades' long hunt for Bulger in his book Most Wanted. Bulger was able to evade capture for almost 50 years thanks to the help of the FBI, according to Mr Foley. Bulger would tip off the agency on rivals in exchange for not being arrested, despite a $2 million tag on his head. John Connolly, one of the FBI agents who helped Bulger, is now serving a forty-year prison sentence. Life ahead: Bulger, right, is seen shackled in an orange jumpsuit after attending hearings in federal court in Boston last June . Handout: Reputed mobster James J. Bulger appears in two Federal Bureau of Investigation handout photographs. The left photo was taken in 1991, while the right was taken in 1994 . Life on the run: Fugitive crime boss James 'Whitey' Bulger, lived in this top left corner, third floor apartment in Santa Monica with his longtime companion Catherine Greig before their arrest . | Former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Jeremiah O'Sullivan, who died in 2009, named in court papers .
Prosecutors say Bulger, who is awaiting trial for 19 murders, never received immunity from anyone . |
64,306 | b6a17b822ebe3486c2c7da8777e9cad4a5a108d5 | (CNN) -- On the night of February 26, Trayvon Martin was wearing a hoodie and had bought Skittles and an Arizona tea at a convenience store in Sanford, Florida. Some time after that, he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman. But beyond those established facts about the shooting of the unarmed teenager in an Orlando suburb last month, much is in dispute about the case that has gripped the nation. Of the two people directly involved, Martin will never be able to describe what happened, and Zimmerman has kept mum. His lawyer vows that, once all the facts surface, things will not appear as clear-cut as they are to many of Martin's supporters at the moment. America will have to wait and see as State Attorney Angela Corey plunges deeper into a case charged with allegations of racism. Martin was African-American; Zimmerman is a Hispanic who, his family says, has been wrongly described as racist. What's clear is that, as more is learned about this case, it becomes more complicated. The little information that has surfaced has been through 911 tapes, what Zimmerman told police and the accounts of witnesses who helped paint a picture of the night Martin died. George Zimmerman . Zimmerman was wearing a red jacket and blue jeans when he came across Martin on that night. He was a neighborhood watch member carrying a Kel-Tec 9 mm pistol, according to a police report. He said he was on his way to a grocery store when he spotted Martin walking through the Retreat at Twin Lakes, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which pieced together an account of what happened based on leaked information from investigators. Sanford police said the newspaper account "is consistent with the information provided to the State Attorney's office by the police department." Martin was visiting his father's fiancee, who lived in the gated community in Sanford, a racially mixed northern suburb of Orlando. Zimmerman called police to report a suspicious person. He described Martin as black and said he was acting strangely and could have been on drugs. Zimmerman said he got out of his SUV and followed Martin on foot. "Something's wrong with him," he told a 911 dispatcher, according to the contents of a call released by authorities. "Yep. He's coming to check me out. He's got something in his hands." The teenager started to run, Zimmerman said. A 911 dispatcher asked Zimmerman whether he was following Martin, and Zimmerman said he was. The dispatcher said Zimmerman did not need to do that. Zimmerman said he lost sight of Martin and began walking back to his SUV; Martin approached him, according to the Sentinel account. Martin asked Zimmerman if he had a problem; Zimmerman said no and reached for his cell phone, he told police. Martin said, "Well, you do now" or something similar and punched Zimmerman in the nose, Zimmerman said, according to the Sentinel. Zimmerman said Martin pinned him to the ground and began slamming his head into the sidewalk. The police report described Zimmerman's back as wet and covered with grass, as though he had been lying on the ground. Zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and the back of his head, the police report said. "I was yelling for someone to help me, but no one would help me," Zimmerman told police. By the time police arrived on the scene, Martin was dead from a gunshot wound in the chest, according to Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee. The unarmed teenager was lying face-down. Zimmerman told police that he shot Martin. And that he did it in self-defense. 911 calls . Residents of the gated community heard the gunshot. Seven 911 calls released by authorities document their fear. Someone screams, "help, help!" in the background. "There were gunshots right outside my house. There's someone screaming. I just heard a guy shot," a neighbor says. "Hurry up, they are right outside my house." Another man cries for help. Then the gunshot. "Hurry, please. ... There's someone screaming outside," a neighbor whispers. "There's a gunshot. Hurry up. ... There's someone screaming. I just heard a gunshot." In another call, a woman begs the dispatchers to send help, saying someone is "screaming and hollering" for help. Moments later, she describes a light at the scene of the shooting. "Oh, my God," she says. "There's still somebody out there walking with a flashlight." Zimmerman's call to police was among the 911 tapes released by police. Some people hear what sounds like a possible racial slur. CNN enhanced the sound of the 911 call, and several members of CNN's editorial staff repeatedly reviewed the tape but could reach no consensus on whether Zimmerman used a slur. Mary Cutcher and Selma Mora Lamilla . Mary Cutcher was in her kitchen making coffee that night with her roommate, Selma Mora Lamilla. The window was open, she said. "We heard a whining. Not like a crying, boohoo, but like a whining, someone in distress, and then the gunshot," she said. They looked out the window but saw nothing. It was dark. They ran out the sliding glass door, and within seconds, they saw Zimmerman. "Zimmerman was standing over the body with -- basically straddling the body with his hands on Trayvon's back," Cutcher said. "And it didn't seem to me that he was trying to help him in any way. I didn't hear any struggle prior to the gunshot. "And I feel like it was Trayvon Martin that was crying out, because the minute that the gunshot went off, the whining stopped." The two women said they could not see whether Zimmerman was bruised or hurt. It was too dark. "Selma asked him three times, 'what's going on over there?' " Cutcher said. "He looks back and doesn't say anything. She asks him again, 'everything OK? What's going on?' Same thing: looked at us, looked back. Finally, the third time, he said, 'just call the police.' " Anonymous witness . A witness who asked not to be identified, even by gender, told CNN's Anderson Cooper about hearing voices outside in an area where neighborhood residents often walk their dogs and wondering, "Oh, my gosh, who's out there walking their dog in the rain?" Then the witness heard a "very loud, predominant voice" and opened the window. "I couldn't hear the words, but it was like, OK, this is not a regular conversation. This is someone aggressively, you know, yelling at someone." The witness recalled seeing two men on the grass, one on top of the other. "And at that point, not looking out the window, I heard the yell for help, one yell for help, and then I heard another ... excruciating type of yell," the witness said. "It didn't almost sound like 'help.' It just sounded so painful. But I wasn't watching out the window during that. And then the next time I looked out the window, there's the same thing: two men on the grass, one on top of each other. I couldn't see a lot of movement. It was very dark, but I felt like they were scuffling. And then I heard the gunshots, which, to me, were more like pops than they were like a bang." The witness recalled hearing more than one shot. "It definitely was more than one pop noise, so I don't know if it was an echo or anything else. But it definitely made more than one pop." Then one of the men, who appeared to be Hispanic, started walking toward the witness' vantage point, the witness said. Zimmerman is Hispanic. "He didn't appear hurt or anything else," the witness said. Martin's girlfriend . Benjamin Crump, the Martin family lawyer, says Martin's girlfriend's account of what happened connects the dots and destroys Zimmerman's claims of self-defense. The girl, who did not want to be identified, said she was on the phone with the teen before the shooting. When Zimmerman got closer to Martin, she told her boyfriend to run, but Martin told her that he was not going to run, she said. "What are you stopping me for?" Martin asked Zimmerman, according to the girl. "What are you doing around here?" Zimmerman asked in response. The girl said she then got the impression that an altercation was taking place and that someone had pushed Martin, because the headset fell out of his ear, and the phone shut off. Zimmerman's friend . Joe Oliver said Zimmerman filled Oliver in on what happened between the time Martin came face to face with him and when the gun was fired -- the part that's not all clear. Oliver said he could not divulge what Zimmerman said, just that the gun went off. Corey, the state attorney, was asked whether that meant the shooting might have been accidental. "We look into that in every shooting case," Corey said. Oliver said Zimmerman was badly hurt that night. He went to a doctor the next day to be treated for a broken nose. "He hasn't been back to his apartment, which is in that complex, ever since that happened, and he's being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, for depression, for insomnia," Oliver said. "He cried for days after this happened. The George Zimmerman I know is not here anymore, because he knows that he took someone else's life, and he's extremely remorseful." Zimmerman has not been charged, sparking a firestorm of protest across America. Corey's homicide staff, meanwhile, continues to work around the clock. | The case becomes more complicated as details emerge .
Witnesses have made seemingly contradictory statements .
Zimmerman told police Martin slammed his head on the sidewalk .
Martin's girlfriend says she believes he was pushed to the ground . |
245,982 | ca60a3f1a5e85a7b94e1e79e1315a26c4277ddd4 | (CNN) -- The average American woman can live long enough to celebrate her 80th birthday, so if a woman is able to become pregnant using in vitro fertilization with a donor egg at 56, she could still watch her child grow into an adult. But just because it's possible, does that mean she should? Some feel that having children after 45 is unfair because the parents might not live to see the kids become adults. The death of 69-year-old Maria del Carmen Bousada of Spain, who used in vitro fertilization with a donor egg to have twin boys at 66, has the fertility treatment community bracing for a backlash. It could rival the fallout from octuplet mom Nadya Suleman -- and it seems to have already started. In a national online survey about fertility conducted in May by Johnson & Johnson's Babycenter.com, 7 out of 10 moms who responded wanted tougher regulation laws for IVF treatments, and half of the 1,095 respondents thought it was bad for the children if a parent conceived past 45. Fertility specialists understand those concerns, but they say it's not that simple. Although it's rare for anyone older than 55 to get the go-ahead for IVF, that guideline is peer-enforced rather than mandated, and decisions typically are made on a case-by-case basis. Georgia Dardick, an advertising executive in Boynton Beach, Florida, was one of those cases. Dardick tried to conceive via IVF six times and seriously considered adoption, but at 51, she wasn't ready to let go of her desire to have a baby. "Fifty was the cutoff for my doctor, but they agreed to give us one more try," she said. She had her daughter in January. Dardick said she never planned to have a baby at 51, but feels that she made the right decision, despite the judgments others may have. "The word selfish has come into my mind. But for any parent, having a child is selfish. No matter what your age is, once you have that child, you owe that child everything. I live the best, healthiest life I can." Doctors say society's views of aging needs to change. "The 40 and 45-year-old of today is not the 40-year-old of the past; the 50-year-old [today] is not the same of the past," said Dr. John Jain, a physician at the Santa Monica (California) Fertility Clinic who has treated age-related infertility for 15 years. "They're eating healthy. A woman who is 45 is barely halfway through [her] life." Healthy or not, having a child at that age can cause tremendous stress on the body. Candidates for IVF after 45 use either an egg donor or their own frozen embryos from a prior cycle and are screened for underlying medical problems, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension or lung disease, said Dr. Charles Coddington of the Mayo Clinic's reproductive endocrinology department in Rochester, Minnesota. Still, "if somebody were in good health, it would be hard to say, 'you shouldn't have a baby,' " he said. "One has to judge where they are, health-wise and financially." But if a woman who claims to be 55 is actually in her mid-60s -- as Bousada reportedly did -- what's a doctor to do? Not much, physicians say. Watch report on death of 69-year-old mother » . "The truth may get dimmed to fit into the realm of a patient that may be acceptable. I don't sit there and say, 'Go get your birth certificate.' If someone's coming in and they're saying they're 52 or 55, I take it at face value," Coddington said, who does refer questionable cases to the fertility center's ethics board. Even for those who choose to use it, the availability of this technology can be a double-edged sword. Dardick said she wouldn't change anything, but if she did have to do it all over again, she said she may have considered adoption earlier. "In a way, there's this hope always out there for you, and once you get into it, it's harder to break away," she said. It's the intense desire to have a biological child that Manhattan-based psychotherapist Joan Winograd, who specializes in fertility issues for women 40 and older, has been treating for 20 years. "I work with women who've been very successful. They went to the right schools, got married and they feel that everything comes to you if you work hard. But then they realize pregnancy doesn't happen that way," said Winograd. She helps her clients find balance -- and limits -- by creating a plan: How long should they try IVF? How long until they consider adoption or child-free living? "They need that." Winograd said, "because many times a doctor will say, 'Look, this is your money, this is your dream; who am I to say that you can't do it anymore.'" While doctors do help women try to reach their dream, Jain said he isn't afraid to tell a patient "no" if they simply aren't healthy enough -- or are just too old. But, Jain said, it's all based on his judgment as a trained physician. "Ninety-five percent of us do a great job about regulating ourselves. I personally don't want to see more regulation, because it becomes problematic, and it can be more costly. Someone who's failed three cycles and [has already spent] $50,000 -- with the next cycle, will I be more aggressive? Certainly," Jain said. "But maybe there's a middle ground, if the rule is that donor IVF will not be offered for women over 55 years of age. Regulations at the extremes might be useful." Even though Dardick plans on living her life as a new mom for quite some time, she said having a baby at her age isn't ideal. She and her husband are taking careful precautions by adjusting their financial planning to make sure their daughter will be financially secure. They're also tightening bonds with extended family and friends, should anything happen to her or her husband -- a decision Bousada may have made as well, as her twin boys are now in the custody of a relative. Those, Dardick said, are the decisions one has to make when having a child later in life. ""People feel that it's not fair to the child because you may not live long enough," Dardick said. But as someone who lost a father as a teenager, she knows "there are no guarantees in life." | If a woman is in good health, she can conceive and give birth into her 50s .
Most fertility centers stop treating after 55, but there aren't any laws to enforce this .
Doctors say tougher regulations would hinder their ability to treat patients .
Florida woman was able to have her miracle baby at 51 . |
53,851 | 98b598ea31bc2f0215fb050d15d8c3f3e8574a12 | The new Botox? Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh, a well-known Harley Street doctors, claims his new treatment is 'as big and important as Botox was seven years ago' When it was first revealed that women . were paying to have a toxin injected into their faces in an attempt to hold back the march of time, there were howls of derision . from the public. That was . more than two decades ago, and even when in 2002 cosmetic Botox received . official approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, which . evaluates new medical procedures, critics continued to pour scorn on the . procedure. But in recent years, legions of . British women have taken up the habit - and celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Kim Kardashian have even tried it out - making it one of the most popular anti-ageing procedures of the decade. However, while A-listers have been banishing wrinkles with Botox, one of their favourite cosmetic doctors has been quietly championing the next big thing. Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh is an acclaimed Harley Street doctors who treats and has developed a range of topical creams with supermodel Cindy Crawford. He says his new treatment is 'as big and important as Botox was seven years ago.' Dr Sebagh, whose clinics in Paris . and London's Wimpole Street are packed with the beautiful and the very . rich (many fly in to see him the way most of us would pop to the shops), has been offering the treatment for 14 months. On his website, he describes the . £1,200 treatment as a 'technological innovation offering women what no . treatment has ever provided in such a simple way: a redefined face, . restored volume and reduced wrinkles by means of a 30-minute treatment . at their doctor’s, for a result lasting up to 18 months.' During the procedure, thread made of polylactic acid is drawn through the skin after injections of local anesthetic. Dr Sebagh says that he uses the thread to give a tailor-made result, lifting specific parts of the face. This acid . is completely biodegradable and acts on the deeper layers of the skin . and naturally stimulates the body so that it produces its own collagen. He claims this . action, which continues over time, helps increase the volume . of saggy areas and restore shapeliness to the face gradually and naturally. Is this goodbye Botox? The £1,200 treatment claims to offer women a redefined face, restored volume and reduced wrinkles by means of a 30-minute treatment, which promises to last up up to 18 months . Speaking to ES magazine . about the procedure, he said: 'It's a thread that dissolves completely . after 18 months, and it has an immediate lift and lasting regenerative . effect, all along the thread. 'It . really looks chic,' he said of the 30-minute treatment. 'It restores . fat to the right place, with the right tension. It provides volume, but . not too much. Not like all these weird faces we see puffed up like . balloons.' 'I have used Silhouette Soft thread on ten women today, starting in the morning with a queen of one of the Middle Eastern countries,' he revealed. Don't fancy having your face threaded or going back for top-ups every six months? Another hot new anti-ageing treatment is being offered by Dr Yannis Alexandrides of 111 Harley St. How does it work? Dr Sebagh uses the thread to give a tailor-made result, lifting specific parts of the face. The thread, which is drawn through the skin after injections of local anesthetic, is made of polylactic acid . He swears by the Thermafrax lift, which doesn’t penetrate skin. It’s a tighten, tone and resurface treatment that combines Thermage technology (Gwyneth Paltrow's favourite) and Fraxel resurfacing to provide what's described as the 'ultimate non-surgical face-lift'. 'It’s a one-off treatment that targets surface skin condition and also deeper layers of skin for a tight, youthful result,' says Dr Alexandrides. 'A surgical facelift requires two weeks minimum recovery time, and only combats sagging, aged skin. The ThermaFrax Lift targets both the sagging, and improves skin texture with results that last up to 10 years.' | Dr Sebagh launches Silhouette Soft .
£1,200 treatment claims to redefine face, restore volume and reduce wrinkles .
30-minute treatment with results lasting up to 18 months .
Uses thread made of polylactic acid, which acts on the deep skin layers .
Naturally stimulates the body so that it produces its own collagen . |
260,887 | dde068c251219e4948be3130d1fe004ff7ebca33 | By . Marianne Power . PUBLISHED: . 07:53 EST, 21 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:56 EST, 21 January 2013 . What do you look for in a holiday? A bit of sun? Some nice food? Perhaps the chance to enjoy some high-octane water sports? Well, what about a holiday that promises to turn back the clock – to help your wrinkles soften, your skin brighten and make you look years younger by the time your return to Heathrow? Welcome to the latest thing to hit the travel world: the anti-ageing holiday. A break with a difference: Marianne traded chocolate and alcohol for vegetable soup in Austria . Forget 'starvation vacations' or yoga holidays – this holiday promises to make you look younger and I, for one, am in desperate need. You see last year was a slog. For whatever reason life didn’t seem to go my way and after 12 months of no holiday, non-stop work and some minor home dramas, I woke up one day feeling - and looking - about 10 years older. It was as if I’d hit some sort of tipping point, my face looked older over night. The wrinkles deepened, the shadows under my eyes got darker, and I appeared to have a permanent frown on my face. For the first time in my life I started to throw money at all sorts of anti-ageing serums and potions but I couldn’t see any difference. If anything, they made me spotty. And so I did what any sane woman would, I ran away. The Viva Mayr Clinic is a famously strict spa-cum-medical centre in Austria, which has earned a cult-like following from celebs who swear by it to lose weight, fast. Its no frills regime of Epsom salts (to clear out the system), vegetable soup and spelt bread might not be fun but it’s certainly effective. Royal approval: The Duchess of York, pictured her with her daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, is a big fan of the Viva Mayr clinic . But the doctors who run the clinic claim this spartan diet does more than drop the pounds, it also drops years. The theory is simple. Most of what we eat in day-to-day life – or at least most of what I eat – is prematurely ageing us. Sugar – one of the mainstays of my diet – is the very worst. It makes collagen and elastin in the body become more rigid which makes skin lose that bouncy, youthful appearance. In fact, last year research found there is a direct link between how much sugar you eat and how old you look, with scientists saying that the damaged caused by sugar really start showing at the age of 35. Exactly my age. Oh dear. As for alcohol, caffeine and fast foods – well, they’re creating damaging free-radicals, which are extremely ageing, both in terms of your appearance and to the health of your body. By removing these from our diet you can see dramatic results. But it’s not just what we eat but how and when we eat that can age us, according to the clinic’s director, Dr Harald Stossier, who in on a one-man mission to teach us all to chew. At the clinic every itty bitty mouthful of bread you put into your mouth has to be chewed 40 times because the doctors believe that if we don’t chew food thoroughly our bodies cannot absorb the nutrients properly and gulping food down puts our system under huge stress. Spartan: Her new regime included plenty of Epsom Salts and pint-sized meals . Finally, at the Mayr calories are dramatically restricted to give your digestive system a break – I’m on about 700 calories a day. It might sound drastic but many experts now believe that fasting is the key to looking and feeling younger. A ground breaking Horizon documentary which aired last year, showed convincing proof that eating as little as 500 calories two days of the week, can reduce your chance of cancer, heart disease, diabetes – all of the health problems associated with an ageing body. But boy it’s hard. While holidays begin with a spot of sunbathing and dozing, mine involves lying in my pants while my tummy gets poked and prodded by a stranger – a daily abdominal massage to help digestion. Next comes a battery of tests to assess everything from my hormone to levels of vitamins and minerals. The tests confirm I am very deficient in the sunshine vitamin D (very common in colder countries) which affects energy levels and immune system and that my body has problems making serotonin. 'Do you find your mood goes up and down?' asks my doctor. Yes! Soothing: Daily trips to the Viva Mayr's sauna and regular massages helped Marianne get glowy skin . Lighter life: It might not be for everyone, but Austria's Viva Mayr clinic gets real results . But worst of all, my levels of free-radicals are much higher than average. I ask my doctor why and he says it’s a combination of stress, modern polluted life, my diet… the list goes on. In order to look and feel younger I need to get these down – which Dr Stossier says can be done in about three to four weeks of very healthy eating – lots of veg, no caffeine, alcohol or sugar, and no eating late at night. My first day of vegetable soup, sheep’s yoghurt and bread isn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. The novelty of counting my chewing keeps me distracted and I have enough food still in my system to keep going (I had, of course, eaten double in the run up to the holiday, in preparation). By day two, however, I am so hungry I start searching the bottom of my handbag for any old bit of chocolate or mint I can find – (I find two almonds and am overjoyed). By day three the withdrawal of sugar and caffeine makes me feel light-headed and spaced out. The daily Epsom Salt cocktail we have to drink every morning make me run to the toilet more in a day than I usually would in a week. The regular abdominal massages only make the problem worse. By day four I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck – my body doesn’t know what has hit it. I start to get desperate for any form of sugar. Eating my lunch of watercress soup with a teaspoon, I feel ready to crack. By day five, I do crack. I know that just outside the clinic gates there is a souvenir shop which I’m convinced must sell chocolate. Looking good: The end result, says Marianne, was well worth all the vegetable soup . After lots of pacing my room I decide I’m going to go for it. I sneak into the shop and, like a robber casing the joint, I look around for any form sugar. I pick up a Bounty bar - practically fruit! - and walk to the counter. My heart is racing as I reach into my pocket to pay – but I can’t find the tenner I’d put in there. I look in my other pocket. Nothing. My money must have fallen out on the walk. I walk away and go back to a dinner of clear broth eaten with a teaspoon. I want to cry. But then the next day something magical happens – I wake up on day six and I feel good. Great even. I look at the mirror and bright, sparkly eyes stare back at me. I notice my skin, which is usually flaky, red and slightly spotty looks smooth, and plump and glowing. Just as I seemed to age overnight in London, the years seemed to fall off me overnight at Viva. It sounds over the top I know, but it was true. Another guest, a woman I’d shared a taxi with from the airport, even comments. 'You look completely different,' she says. 'Honestly, you look about ten years younger.' She was exaggerating of course, but who cares? I become a convert. By the time I leave, on day seven, I vow never to eat another chocolate bar and to eat every bit of food not just forty times but one hundred times! My body will be a temple! I will turn back the hands of time! It hasn’t lasted of course. Two weeks after returning, the odd bar of chocolate has crept back in, and a life without wine isn’t one that I could ever envisage. But friends are still commenting on how well I look. One colleague, who spends hundreds in the quest to turn back the clock with the help of various potions and the odd bit of Botox even asked what I’ve had done. When I told her nothing, she didn’t believe me. 'You must be doing something different,' she said. 'Yes, I’m chewing.' Now that’s a cheaper alternative to a fancy new anti-ageing cream. | Viva Mayr Clinic in Austria is a favourite of Sarah Ferguson and other celebrities wanting to lose weight and years quickly .
Daily 700 calorie menu includes epsom salts, no coffee, lots of vegatable soup and spelt bread .
Patients are advised to chew everything 40 times to ensure that nutrients are fully absorbed in to the body . |
177,382 | 71a0613a4b674d5fb36aacd7c10cec1d22ea872d | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 10:08 EST, 3 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:27 EST, 3 March 2014 . Loved: Arno Birdsong, 89, and his wife Myrtle, 88, Birdsong passed away just two days apart . A couple married for 71 years have been buried side-by-side after dying just two days apart. Relatives said they believe Myrtle and Herbert 'Arno' Birdsong from Fort Meade, Florida died of broken hearts. Mrs Birdsong, 88, died of heart failure on Sunday February 23, two days before her 89-year-old husband passed away from heart failure as he battled cancer in hospital. 'They did tell him that she had died and there was a tear that came out,' their daughter, Melanie Justice told Bay News 9. 'I truly believe they both did die from broken hearts.' The couple, who married in 1943 and . had three children, were remembered by a standing-room-only congregation . on Saturday morning at the First Church of God in Fort Meade. More . than 100 mourners, including the couple's grandchildren, shared . memories of the couple, who were stalwarts of their church and . community, the Ledger of Lakeland reported. 'Arno could say a lot with a little,' said the Rev. Randall Belcher, who led the service, the Ledger reported. 'Myrtle could say a lot with a lot.' The couple married as soon as Myrtle finished high school in 1943, according to their obituary. Arno . Birdsong, who served in World War II, owned and ran B&B Electronics . in Fort Meade and also worked as an assistant chief of the . city's volunteer fire department. Never apart: The couple, pictured with one of their grandchildren, were separated in their last days as Arno battled cancer in hospital. Relatives said he shed a tear when he learned his wife had died . Friends remembered Mr Birdsong, who was also a member of the Fort Meade Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce, as a capable man. 'If he had been a doctor, he would have . been a perfect one,' said Abiola Adeyemo, who leased property from Birdsong. 'If he had been a pastor, he would have been a . perfect one.' Myrtle Birdsong worked . with the Polk County Tax Assessor's office for nearly 10 years and . assisted her husband in their family business, according to the obituary. She . also served as the First Church of God's Sunday school teacher and . choir director for more than 25 years - helping out 'in any area of the . church that needed her attention'. Strong: The couple married in 1943 when Myrtle left high school and stayed in Fort Meade, Florida, where they raised two daughters and a son, and were involved in the community and church . 'Mrs Birdsong shared her wonderful talent of singing throughout her . community for many years singing for countless funerals and weddings,' the obituary reads. 'She was an accomplished vocalist, artist, and loved quilting.' 'She always had her mind on someone else,' her granddaughter Sherri Hanson said at the funeral. 'And then, when she would pray, she would ask God to help her be more giving. Even with all she gave, she wanted to give more.' The couple had two daughters and a son and are also survived by five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. | Myrtle Birdsong, 88, suffered heart failure on February 23 - two days before her husband Arno, 89, passed away in hospital .
Family members believe they both died on broken hearts .
The couple, who were both heavily involved in their local church, were remembered by more than 100 people at their funeral on Saturday . |
98,365 | 0aa8917118ac78e22ccb19536ca1314b9c0dbb92 | (EW.com) -- The current eighth season will be "Psych's" last. The long-running USA Network series will conclude Wednesday, March 26. The finale will be followed by a one-hour live "Pysch" after-show featuring a Q&A with the cast and show creator, Steve Franks. Starz greenlights half-hour comedy from LeBron James . Though the producers did not know about the cancellation until recently, they had an inkling this might be coming, sources say. So the final episode therefore feels like a suitable finale, with topics addressed like Juliet (Maggie Lawson) and Shawn's (James Roday) relationship. "Psych" is one of the rare cable dramas to surpass 100 episodes. Its legacy includes a two-hour musical, a 10-city college tour and five appearances at Comic-Con. 'Community': B.J. Novak to guest in season finale . "Psych has made an indelible imprint on the television landscape, with a unique brand of comedy," said Chris McCumber, president of USA Network. "The final season celebrates the iconic characters that have made this show so beloved, and will be an exclamation point on the series' incredible run. And while the series will wrap in March somehow I don't believe we've heard the last of Shawn and Gus." In 2013, "Psych" averaged 4.2 million viewers. Below is a message from stars James Roday and Dule Hill about the final season: . 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. | USA's "Psych" will end with its current eighth season .
The series finale will air on March 26 .
It will be followed by a one-hour Q&A with "Psych's" cast and creator . |
166,765 | 63a42ba532cc4728b67716a629f6d9f7dce9423e | Mongolian fisherman braved -22C temperatures to catch the fish first of the winter season yesterday. Through holes cut in the ice of the frozen Chagan Lake in Jilin Province, northeast China, members of the Chinese Mongolian ethnic group used a centuries-old technique to catch carp and other edible fish in their nets. The first catch of winter is considered auspicious and this year fetched about 288,888 Chinese Yuan (£28,900) as part of the annual Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival. First catch: Fisherman from the Chinese Mongolian ethnic group pull in fish in the first catch of winter in -22C temperatures . Each year, record-breaking hauls are caught by fisherman, rugged up in fur hats and sheepskin coats, using nets. Crowds of up to 20,000 people watch each year in the belief that the catch brings good luck. Some 936 tonnes of fish were caught at last year’s event at Chagan Lake, the seventh largest freshwater lake in China and home to some 70 species of fish. Catch of the day: The fisherman use primitive fishing techniques, cutting holes in the ice of Chagan Lake and using nets, to haul in the auspicious catch . Brave the cold: The first winter catch at the lake is thought to bring good luck, with fish fetching around £28,900 and attracting a crowd of up to 20,000 visitors . Record-breaking haul: Each year, as part of the Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival, the fisherman catch huge amounts of fish while rugged up in fur hats and sheepskin coats . The winter fishing technique at the lake is the most primitive Mongolian fishing method and dates as far back as 10,000 years ago when the Chagan Naoer people were hunting there. The practice, now considered a national cultural celebration, brings together various ethnic groups. During the festival, which began this month, people dress in traditional costume, perform folk dances and auction off the biggest fish. Fish fantastic: This fisherman proudly shows his catch at Chagan Lake yesterday, the seventh largest freshwater lake in China . Primitive practice: The fishing technique is the most primitive Mongolian fishing method and dates as far back as 10,000 years ago . National celebration: The annual event brings together various ethnic groups and is celebrated in China . | Fisherman cut holes through the frozen Chagan Lake to catch fish with nets .
The first catch of winter is considered auspicious, attracting 20,000 visitors .
The primitive Mongolian fishing technique dates back 10,000 years ago . |
126,987 | 3024fc1463e8722f6502de0c02bd583efa52c54e | A series of extraordinary photos show how hundreds of Kashmiri villagers who turned out for the funeral of suspected terrorist Shiraz Ahmed, who was killed in a gunbattle with government forces. Relatives sobbed while other mourners covered their faces in grief, as the funeral procession moved through the village of Panjran, 28 miles south of Srinagar in India. Three suspected rebels were killed on November 20, during an encounter with security forces in Tral area of Pulwama district in South Kashmir. Hundreds of Kashmiri villagers turned out for the funeral of suspected terrorist Shiraz Ahmed, killed in a gunbattle with government forces . Mourners watch as the funeral procession moves through the village of Panjran, 28 miles to the south of Srinagar in India . The men were thought to be members of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the militant group India believes is responsible for the 2008 attack on Mumbai that killed 166 people. According to local reports, police said Ahmed transported militants, who were involved in the killing of Assistant Sub Inspector Farooq Ahmad. The reports state Ahmed had been studying journalism in Islamic University of Science and Technology. 'It was his fourth semester while recently he had rejected a government job,' his father Muhammad Sultan told the Kashmir Dispatch. Ahmed was thought to be a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group India believes is responsible for the 2008 attack in Mumbai . Relatives sob as the suspected rebel is carried through the village in a funeral procession that was watched by hundreds . Muslim Kashmiris prey before the body of suspected terrorist Shiraz Ahmed, killed in clashes with government forces in south Kashmir . 'We are well off and are a part of fruit industry', he added. 'I failed to understand what prompted my son to join militant ranks when I was providing him every comfort of life.' Kashmir, India's only Muslim majority state, is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. The two countries fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over the Himalayan region. Lashkar-e-Taiba (translated as Soldiers of the Pure) is one of the most militant groups fighting against Indian control in Kashmir and believed to be responsible for a number of deadly attacks both in the Muslim region and across India. The extraordinary photographs show hundreds of men and women who attended the funeral in the suspected rebel's village . Ahmed was one of three suspected rebels were killed on November 20 during an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir . Kashmir, India's only Muslim majority state, is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both countries . Kashmiri Muslim villagers carry the body of suspected militant Shiraz Ahmed during his funeral in Panjran in Pulwama District . | Shiraz Ahmed is one of three suspected rebels killed in a gunbattle with government forces in South Kashmir .
The three men were thought to be members of the militant Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
LeT is fighting against Indian control in Kashmir and believed to be responsible for the 2008 attacks in Mumbai . |
150,979 | 4f33b859994847815256a77f1c0a1b5c3328fdd0 | (CNN) -- A Ugandan marathoner who won the nation's first Olympics gold medal in 40 years returned home to a hero's welcome and a check for $80,000. Stephen Kiprotich, 23, was virtually unknown in Uganda before he stunned his Kenyan challengers, who were heavily favored to win the marathon during the London Olympics. His unexpected win sparked excitement in the East African nation that won its last gold medal in the Munich Games in 1972. Throngs flooded the airport to honor Kiprotich, whose win sparked fierce pride as the nation celebrates 50 years of independence. "I need to salute Kiprotich and those people who helped him to train," said President Yoweri Museveni, who had breakfast with him Wednesday at state house in Entebbe. "This gives us morale boost to organize ourselves better." Museveni also presented Kiprotich with a check of Ugandan shillings 200 million ($80,000), according to a statement from the president's office. He ordered the money be deposited on his account before the close of business and pledged to build a three-bedroom house for his parents in eastern Uganda. "This medal is from God particularly now that Uganda is celebrating 50 years of independence," the president said. The president also pledged to provide more support to Ugandan athletes and build a high altitude training facility for future runners. Kiprotich moved to Kenya's high altitude Eldoret region to train because of lack of training facilities in his nation. The Ugandan Olympian started off the marathon by trailing behind the Kenyan duo that won silver and bronze, but finished with a big lead. After he crossed the finish line, he dropped to his knees and bowed, draped in a Ugandan flag. "I have been dreaming, 'Can I be like John Akii-Bua?'," Kiprotich said after winning. " I think today I joined the champions, so I am happy." The late Akii-Bua won Uganda's first Olympic gold four decades ago in the 400-meter hurdles. | Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich stunned Kenyan challengers, who were heavily favored to win .
In addition to the check, the president says he will build a house for his parents .
The president also pledges to provide more support to Ugandan athletes . |
1,446 | 042d3157353f6c46d9123a9421eccc6961e242c6 | (CNN) -- After 14 years, Larry Page has confessed to the Financial Times that Google "probably does need" a new mission statement. Back in 1999, Google came up with "ten things we know to be true" that defined the then-little Silicon Valley start-up. So here are some suggested tweaks to make the Google's original mission statement more relevant in 2014. Ten things we still know to be true. 1. Original mission: Focus on the user and all else will follow . Tweak: Follow the user and all else will come into focus . Google, of course, relies on knowing everything about its user to make money. Its "free" service isn't really free for us, since Google has become the preeminent "big data" company, mining our personal information to sell advertising. Indeed, as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt boasted, Google follows us so closely that it not only knows where we've been, but also where we are going. 2. Original mission: It's best to do one thing really, really well . Tweak: It's best to do many, many things really, really well . Google started as just another search engine. But today, the $372 billion leviathan, one of the world's three most valuable companies, not only dominates the world's advertising industry, but is also increasingly powerful in the publishing, movie, automotive, education and mapping industries. Google does many, many things really, really well. So well, indeed, that the company has grabbed the attention of anti-trust regulators in Washington DC and Brussels. 3. Original Mission: Fast is better than slow . Tweak: Fast is worse than slow . As the Internet critic Nicholas Carr famously asked: "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" In his 2011 Pulitzer Prize nominated best-seller, The Shallows, Carr concluded that yes, Google is indeed making us stupid. It is shortening our attention spans and making us more and more reliant on links. Through Internet companies like Google, Carr says, we have become information skimmers, snacking continually on unedifying links and other superficial content. 4. Original Mission: Democracy on the web works . Tweak: Democracy on the web doesn't work . Last week, UK spy chief Robert Hannigan said that terrorist groups like ISIS are exploiting the web to successfully peddle their radically anti-democratic message. Describing social media as "a terrorist's command-and-control network of choice," Hannigan warned that unless companies like Google actively cooperate with security services, the web will become an increasingly effective bastion for anti-democratic forces and messages. 5. Original Mission: You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer . Tweak: You don't need to be at your desk or in your car or at a café or in bed to need an answer . Google, of course, now has many, many more ways of following users than its traditional search engine. From Google Glass to Google self-driving cars, the view from the Googleplex is increasingly ubiquitous. Wherever we are, Google is coming up with devices to track our behavior. The desk is so 1999. Today, Google is transforming the whole world into a desktop environment where all our movements and thoughts can be tracked and analyzed wherever we are -- from our cars to our bedrooms. 6. Original Mission: You can make money without doing evil . Tweak: You can make a lot of money without doing good . Okay. So Google isn't any more evil than Exxon, General Motors or Raytheon. But it isn't morally better either. Google was founded on the hubristic notion that one could simultaneously become very rich and do good. But this, of course, is the ultimate Silicon Valley conceit. Ten years on from its original mission statement, Google has emerged as one of the most powerful and profitable multinational corporations in the world. Its mission is making money for its shareholders, not improving the world. Rather than a public service, Google is -- with Apple -- the most successful for-profit company in today's global capitalist system. 7. Original Mission: There's always more information out there . Tweak: There's always more and more information out there . See #5 . 8. Original Mission: The need for information crosses all borders . Tweak: The need for information crosses all borders (except China, Russia and Iran) For a mixture of idealistic and self-interested reasons, Google has branded itself as the information platform for the world. But, of course, the world isn't a United Nations-style high school project and countries like Russia, China and Iran are increasingly making it hard for its citizens to use Google. Indeed, this is Google's greatest challenge in its second decade: how to compete against state-supported search companies like Baidu and Yandex. 9. Original mission: You can be serious without a suit . Tweak: You can be serious with a suit . One of Google's most remarkable accomplishments over the last 14 years has been to disrupt traditional corporate culture. Disruption now is business orthodoxy. Everyone -- from IBM to Ford -- wants to "do a Google" and disrupt entire industries. The Google way -- of encouraging play and creativity -- has become the new corporate conformity. If you want to rebel these days: wear a suit. Everyone else is trying to look like Larry Page. 10. Original Mission: Great just isn't good enough . Tweak: Google just isn't good enough . Google was originally conceived as a way of reinventing the world. "Ultimately, our constant dissatisfaction with the ways things are becomes the driving force behind everything we do," the company wrote in 1999. But today, Google has become the standard operating system for the world - the way things are. Its real challenge over the next 14 years is to convince its billions of users that we can trust a company that relies on mining our personal data for its massive profits. Currently, Google just isn't good enough. Let's hope by 2029, this will have changed. | Google's Larry Page admits Google "probably does need" a new mission statement .
Andrew Keen suggests tweaking the internet behemoth's "ten things we know to be true"
Keen: Google-style disruption of traditional corporate culture is now business orthodoxy .
"Can we trust a company that relies on mining our personal data for its massive profits?" |
208,846 | 9a7096b129a876d9560a15bf1025b7579a23164a | (CNN) -- All 25,000 people living in a refugee camp in Sudan's Darfur region have fled amid fighting between armed militia groups and Sudanese government forces, U.N. officials said Friday. Many of the refugees have sought shelter in nearby Kutum town or the Zariba area, the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said, but lack water, food and sanitation. The U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA said reports indicated that the entire population of the Kassab camp had "fled because of the fighting." The camp in North Darfur housed those who had already been displaced from their homes during nine years of conflict in the region. Chris Cycmanick, head of media relations for UNAMID, told CNN that many people had fled Kutum as well as the Kassab camp. "It is a complex situation with multiple armed groups," he said, describing the fighters as tribal militia. "What the people have asked for mostly is security and medical care, so we are trying to provide that," he said. "They say they want to return to Kassab camp, but very few of them have returned." Cycmanick said Darfur was still troubled, although the media has largely turned its attention to South Sudan and the Arab Spring . "The situation is troublesome, it is not supposed to be happening in Darfur, but there is still fighting going on," he said. "Between 2010 and 2011, we saw a decrease in civilian casualties here. But recently, there has been an uptick in criminal activity." Those newly forced from their homes say they fear to return unless security is improved. "We are afraid to return to the camp, because armed men may come back to attack us," Fatima Adam Badaui, a woman from the Kassab camp, told UNAMID. Asked if the organization was doing enough to safeguard civilians, Cycmanick said: "I think there is always more that can be done. We are in a difficult situation. We are looking at a sovereign country. It is ultimately their responsibility to protect the civilian population." President al-Bashir feels heat from 'Sudanese Spring' In its weekly bulletin, the OCHA said it had "received reports of looting of houses of displaced people, markets and businesses" in the camp and Kutum town. Members of the Sudanese Armed Forces removed the "armed tribesmen" from Kutum town last Saturday, but the militiamen returned a day later to fight again, the OCHA said. "It has not been possible to determine the number of civilians killed and injured," the agency said. "During the violence, the premises of five humanitarian organisations were looted. Humanitarian staff have been evacuated to El Fasher town." A UNAMID statement Monday said the violence began after an incident on August 1, when three armed men carjacked the local district commissioner and his driver and shot them dead. "Subsequently, on the same day armed men surrounded Kassab, looted the market, burnt down the Sudanese Police post in the camp and reportedly killed four persons (three civilians and one police officer) and injured six others," the statement said. Security continued to deteriorate over the following days in Kutum town, Kassab camp and another camp, Fataborno, "including fighting between the armed elements and government forces, as well as looting and displacement of civilians," it said. UNAMID said it had bolstered its presence in the camps and urged the government to protect civilians there. Four days later, all those living in the Kassab camp have fled. Conditions for the refugees now in Kutum are poor, with the majority of those displaced from the camp living in open areas without basic services, such as clean water, food, sanitation facilities and health care, UNAMID said Friday. "The situation there is very bad, houses and shelters are crowded, the health situation is getting worse and they lack sufficient food," said Altheir Ismail Ali, a community leader in the camp quoted by UNAMID. UNAMID said it had worked with local health officials and the World Health Organization to give medical aid to 170 people Thursday. They were treated for ailments including respiratory infections, trauma and malaria, as well as injuries that occurred during the attacks on the camp, UNAMID said. Children were also treated for fever and diarrhea. U.N. workers have also been giving out drinking water. The United Nations estimates as many as 300,000 people have been killed and almost 3 million people have been displaced from their homes since the Darfur conflict broke out in 2003. A paper published by the independent monitoring group Small Arms Survey last month, titled "Forgotten Darfur: Old Tactics and New Players," details how the violence in the troubled region continues. New non-Arab "Popular Defense Forces" have been recruited, trained and armed by the Sudanese government since late 2010 to force Zaghawa rebel groups out of a swath of the eastern Darfur region, the paper says. As a result, about 70,000 people had been displaced by mid-2011, and retaliatory attacks by both sides continue, it says. Meanwhile, aerial bombardment has continued to target rebel forces and civilian villages believed to support them, in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the paper says. Weapons and ammunition also continue to flow into the hands of proxy forces and government forces in defiance of a "wholly ineffective" embargo on Darfur, it says. In March of this year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's defense minister for 41 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in the Darfur region. Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein is wanted for actions from August 2003 to March 2004 in Darfur, where rebels have fought government forces and allied militiamen such as the Janjaweed since 2003. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is also wanted for crimes against humanity by the ICC in connection with the Darfur conflict. Four ways social media could transform the conflict in Africa . CNN's Alexander Felton contributed to this report. | NEW: "It is a complex situation with multiple armed groups," says UNAMID spokesman .
All 25,000 inhabitants of the camp, which housed those displaced by conflict, have fled .
The violence started 10 days ago with attacks on an official and the Kassab camp, U.N. says .
Millions have been displaced and many killed in nine years of conflict in Darfur . |
62,862 | b2952b57fc88cf63ca367a6151638bc92c9ed2e7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:31 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:22 EST, 19 June 2013 . LeBron James is regularly labelled ‘cocky’ and ‘arrogant’ by his critics and judging from his latest line of Nike trainers they’ve got a fair point. Photographs released of the new low-top version of the LeBron X trainer show the shoe features the wording ‘2-Time Champion’ - a rather bold claim considering James has won just one NBA title and his chances of a second win are hanging in the balance. The bold prediction is printed inside one shoe, while the other features the dates '11-12' and '12-13', a reference to the fact LeBron and the Miami Heat won the championship last year and supposedly a prediction about this year's eventual winners. As things stand the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are drawn 3-3 in the series with one game left to play on Thursday at the Heat’s . home court. If LeBron's - and Nike's - blushes are to be spared the Heat need to win the final game to win the NBA Final. Cocky prediction: The latest rang eof LeBron X trainers feature the wording ''2-Time Champion' inside one shoe - something which James currently isn't . The other shoe features the dates '11-12' and '12-13', a reference to the fact LeBron and the Miami Heat won the championship last year and supposedly a prediction about this year's eventual winners . The new low-top version of the LeBron X trainer is the latest collaboration between James and Nike . On the brink: The Heat must win Games six and seven both in Miami to lift the NBA title again . | The basketball star's latest pair of Nike trainers proclaim him a '2-Time Champion' - something that hasn't happened yet .
The Miami Heat star could be left looking rather embarrassed if the San Antonio Spurs win the championship . |
226,302 | b108f174610f49299567b4a9a96e34193470a1c9 | By . Associated Press Reporter . A buzz of excitement is surrounding the Long Island race track where California Chrome could become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 tomorrow. The possibility that the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes could extend his winning streak to New York's Belmont Park is expected to attract thousands more visitors. Belmont Park's director Martin Panza has been preparing for the extra attention California Chrome has brought, and has been adding extra seating, security and bathroom facilities. Scroll down for video . Warm up: Exercise rider Willie Delgado helps get California Chrome ready for his Belmont Park race . Nearby businesses are profiting from the . racehorse's success too, with fully booked hotels and restaurant owners . anticipating an increase in customers. California Chrome's chance to make it into the record books has coincided with a relaunch at the Belmont track. New management have filled the undercard with high-stakes races, which increased the day's total purse to $8 million - the second-richest day in American horse racing behind the final slate of the Breeder's Cup. It has also planned to surround the action with music from rapper LL Cool J, former New York Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams, and Frank Sinatra Jr singing New York, New York. 'For the first year of us doing this, under this new format, it's not going to get any better than this,' Panza said in an interview near his track office, which was filled with boxes of Belmont Stakes caps and bags of souvenirs. 'From our end, what we need to do now is observe how the day goes and see what we can do for next year, always thinking that there could be another Triple Crown on the line.' Winning streak: Victor Espinoza celebrates as California Chrome crosses the finish line to win the Kentucky Derby in May . Victory: California Chrome, right, leads the field as he wins the Preakness Stakes in Maryland on May 17 . California Chrome is the twelfth horse to reach Long Island with wins in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, since Affirmed won all three in 1978. Attendance for those 11 races averaged nearly 30,000 more than in years without a contender - going from a low of 37,171 in 1995 when Thunder Gulch and Timber Country split the Derby and the Preakness, to a record 120,139 in 2004 when Birdstone upset Smarty Jones in the last of a three-year stretch of Triple Crown contenders in the Belmont Stakes. On-site wagering on the race-day program also surged in those years, according to track records, jumping from $6.8 million in contender-less 1996 to $9.2 million the following year when Silver Charm took the first two races, and from $8.8 million in contender-less 2007 to $13.3 million when Big Brown raced for history in 2008. Supporters: Trainer Alan Sherman stands with California Chrome at Belmont Park on Friday . Attention: The racehorse nudges exercise rider Willie Delgado after a workout on Friday . I'll Have Another's wins in Louisville and Baltimore sent attendance for the 2012 Belmont Stakes to nearly 86,000 and on-site wagering to $13.8 million even though the horse was withdrawn the day before the race due to a leg injury. The head of the track's management team said ticket sales for this year's Belmont Stake were already brisk before California Chrome broke from the gate at Churchill Downs in May. More than 70 percent of tickets and premium tables for the race were sold before the Derby, and all were gone before the Preakness, according to New York Racing Association president and chief executive officer Christopher Kay. After the Preakness, Kay said, they added a track-side tent and additional seating to accommodate the surge of interest in a potential California Chrome coronation. On track: With the first two legs of the Triple Crown already won, California Chrome is warming up for the final . General admission and grandstand tickets costing $10 remained available through the track late in the week and more than 3,000 tickets, ranging from $12 for grandstand to $2,300 for a table for two at the Garden Terrace Restaurant, were available on the secondary ticket sales website StubHub.com. Good weather - 82F and sunny, according to the National Weather Service - could push the crowd into record territory. 'Our intent is to make Belmont Stakes day an important day year in and year out,' Kay said. This year it has been an important day for business. Keeping cool: Groom Raul Rodriguez, right, washes down California Chrome after a training session on Friday . Competition: Ride on Curlin cools off after training as the horse prepares to go up against California Chrome . The largest hotel on Long Island, a Marriott with more than 600 rooms in Uniondale, and the ornate Garden City Hotel - where management said all of the owners, trainers and jockeys in the Belmont Stakes were staying and where the menu includes a cocktail named for each horse - have sold out under race-related demand. Other hotels were also booked solid, officials said, forcing some out-of-town fans to find lodging in Suffolk County, about 20 miles east, or stay in Manhattan, about 15 miles west. 'This Triple Crown opportunity doesn't come too often,' state hotel association chairman John Tsunis said. 'But, whoever wins in the race, the real winners will be Long Island and New York State.' | Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner could be first to clinch three-race victory since 1978 .
Belmont Park has increased seating and facilities after surge of interest in champion horse . |
270,808 | eac1461616b3728cd23d5c8fd243394d3dbf5d66 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 08:02 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:33 EST, 16 October 2013 . Grinning in a 'selfie' with a blazing Iraqi oilfield behind him, this is how Tony Blair is being portrayed in a new exhibition about modern warfare. The Imperial War Museum North in Manchester says Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War, a collection of 70 works created since since the First Gulf War, forms the largest and most important show of its kind for years. At its centre is the kennardphillipps' take on the decision to invade Iraq ten years ago, with a happy Tony Blair cut in front of a shocking battle scene of smoke and flames in Iraq. Powerful: Kennardphillipps' take on the decision to invade Iraq ten years ago shows a happy Tony Blair in front of burning oil field . The exhibition also includes Turner Prize winning artist Steve McQueen's For Queen and Country. It is a series of 'postage . stamp' sheets with photographic portraits of those who died in . the Iraq War and each one also bears the standard profile of the Queen. The work was completed in collaboration with 98 families of the . deceased soldiers who chose the photographs. Tribute: Steve McQueen's For Queen and Country is a series of 'postage stamp' sheets with portraits of those who died in the Iraq War . Contrast: Timberlake's Another Country series began with a painted backdrop, combining well-known Romantic landscapes by Turner or Constable with nuclear mushroom clouds . Empty: Langlands and Bell's House of Osama bin Laden, is an interactive vido reflecting the long hunt for the terrorist . Lonely: Paul Seawright's photographs of minefields in Afghanistan show a seemingly empty landscape, which in reality is both lethal and inaccessible . The exhibition showcases installations, photography, film,sculpture, oil paintings, prints and book works; varying from the highly moving to the humorous,philosophical or outrageous. It explores how art ifluences perceptions of conflict and shapes the way history is written. Rasheed Araeen’s White Stallion explores the role of the media by questioning the nature of propaganda during the First Gulf War, while Paul Seawright seeks an alternative way of photographing war through his images of empty, but lethal minefields in Afghanistan. Artists are often driven by their own experiences, political views or a desire to protest. Taysir Batniji’s series of estate agent details for destroyed homes in Gaza is a tongue-in-cheek comment on the situation in Palestine. Historic: Between 1998 and 2006, Angus Boulton took a series of photographs at Soviet military bases in and around Berlin . Eye-catching: Jack Milroy's Blast, which is one of a series of exploding bookworks the Scottish artist has produced . Message: Willie Doherty's Unapproved Road 2 is a scene showing a border road in rural Northern Ireland with an abandoned roadblock . Dark: German artist Frauke Eigen's took this photo of a jacket in Kosovo shortly after the end of 16 month war there, left, and Trio Sarajevo, right, shows how the world flocked to the Bosnian capital for the Olympics in 1984 but ten years later it was a warzone . Some artists aim to counter common opinions, while others explore the legacy of their own family history, or the long-term impact of conflict. Willie Doherty's photograph Unapproved Road, showing a rural makeshift roadblock, suggests a violent past event and reminds us of the significance of land and territory in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Graham Boxer, IWM North director, said: "IWM North is a . venue for challenging exhibitions; a place for visitors to discuss big . questions relating to war and conflict and our lives today. 'Catalyst: . Contemporary Art And War contains some of the most important artworks . on this theme of the past 25 years - on display together for the first . time - and explores why war has inspired such creativity.' The exhibition runs until February 23 next year. | Imperial War Museum North in Manchester has collection of 70 works that forms Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War .
Exhibition contains art, photgraphs and even videos concerning conflicts across the world over recent decades . |
155,438 | 54e69034b215dea72d682a028050c484bc450e11 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House has invoked executive privilege to keep President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, from having to testify Thursday about the firings of at least eight U.S. attorneys. The White House invoked executive privilege to keep . Karl Rove from having to testify Thursday. Rove, "as an immediate adviser to the president," can't be ordered to testify and has been told not to appear, White House Counsel Fred Fielding told the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee called Rove and his deputy, Scott Jennings, to testify Thursday morning. The White House says it is trying to protect the president's ability to receive candid advice and offered to let top aides discuss the firings only if they were not placed under oath and no transcript was taken. "It is regretted that the committee has forced this action, as the president's offer of accommodation to you and to the House Judiciary Committee could have provided information being sought in a manner respectful of presidential prerogatives and consistent with a spirit of comity," Fielding wrote. But Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, accused the White House of trying to cover up Rove's role in the firings. He questioned why Rove discussed the matter publicly when the issue first made news, but now "is suddenly unable to talk it about when he is under oath." "Mr. Rove has given reasons for the firings that have now been shown to be inaccurate, after-the-fact fabrications," Leahy said in a statement issued Wednesday evening. "Yet he now refuses to tell this committee the truth about his role in targeting well-respected U.S. attorneys for firing and in seeking to cover up his role and that of his staff in the scandal." Mark Paoletta, a lawyer for Jennings, told CNN his client will appear before the Judiciary Committee but would refuse to answer questions he feels are covered by executive privilege. Former White House political director Sara Taylor testified under similar circumstances in July. The White House already has invoked executive privilege to block previous testimony by Taylor and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, who skipped a hearing in the House two weeks ago, and to keep Chief of Staff Josh Bolten from turning over documents subpoenaed as part of the inquiry. The panel voted to cite Miers and Bolten for contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas. The decision on whether to pursue any action on those citations lies with the Justice Department. The privilege claim can be challenged in court. But Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has said the courts would be unlikely to resolve any challenge before Bush leaves office. Vice President Dick Cheney dismissed the congressional investigation of the attorney firings as a "witch hunt" during a CNN interview Tuesday. Democratic congressional leaders, however, say administration officials have been unable to answer their most basic questions -- who compiled the list of prosecutors to be dismissed, and why were they selected? While the Bush administration has maintained that the prosecutors' firings were handled properly, the controversy has led to the resignations of at least three top Justice Department officials and triggered widespread criticism of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who repeatedly told a Senate committee in April that he did not recall details of the firings. Critics say the attorneys were forced out for political reasons, such as for failing to bring voter fraud cases pushed by Republican activists, and administration officials have acknowledged that one was fired to allow a Rove protege to take a post in Arkansas. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report. | Executive privilege to keep Karl Rove from testifying about attorney firings .
White House says it is trying to protect president's ability to receive candid advice .
White House invoked executive privilege to block other advisers' testimony .
Senator accuses White House of trying to cover up Rove's role in the firings . |
55,140 | 9c324e472ab1e33a17c748424c1da9d54d47667f | Conakry, Guinea (CNN) -- Both candidates contending in Guinea's much-delayed runoff presidential elections called for calm from their supporters and traded accusations over the weekend after the runoff was postponed for the fourth time. The West African nation's election was due on Sunday but was delayed indefinitely on Friday for technical reasons by new electoral commission head Gen. Siaka Toumani Sangare, a Malian national. Fighting between supporters of the rival candidates Cellou Dalein Diallo and Alpha Conde continued on Friday night and Saturday morning after Diallo's supporters claimed they were attacked by Conde's RPG supporters and Conde's supporters said they were sold poisoned water and yogurt at a large rally in the capital Friday afternoon. Both candidates called news conferences Saturday to give their side of the story and call their activists to calm. Two people were killed on Tuesday and dozens injured in clashes between supporters of Diallo's UFDG and police. Senior party members also said that one of its supporters was killed and another left in a coma after violence between UFDG and RPG loyalists on Thursday. That violence continued into the weekend, and there were reports of security forces firing at civilians and raping at least one girl in Conakry's impoverished suburbs. Experts and political leaders are worried about the prospect of ethnic polarization, as support for both parties is divided along ethnic lines. The two largest ethnic groups, Peul and Malinké form the principle bases of support for Diallo's UFDG party and Conde's RPG party respectively. "What worries us is the excessive tribalization of the debate and the violence," Diallo said to reporters on Saturday. Diallo's party also sees the Guinean state as biased against their party and complicit in the recent violence that has engulfed the capital. "We need to be extremely careful because our country runs a big risk when politicians at the highest levels act they way they are acting today," Faya Minimono, a senior official of Diallo's UFDG party said Saturday. The U.N. Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement Friday condemning what it saw as "excessive force" and ethnic-based violence carried out by Guinea security forces during the week. "Some members of the security forces appear to be making threats, and even carrying out assaults, based on people's ethnicity or political affiliation," the report said. Guinea, a former French colony, has never had a free and fair presidential election in its 52-year history. A military junta has ruled the country since taking power in a coup after the death of longtime autocrat Lansana Conte in December 2008. | Presidential runoff election in Guinea delayed indefinitely .
Both candidates call for calm .
West African national has never had a free, fair presidential election . |
92,266 | 02ab67f42eb50af55a1806f724353d9eac0231b4 | By . Simon Tomlinson . UPDATED: . 09:49 EST, 29 December 2011 . Star: Julie Goodyear, pictured at the 2005 National Television Awards, denies any knowledge of an Environment Agency probe . A farm owned by former Corrie actress Julie Goodyear is at the centre of an environmental probe over allegations that hazardous waste was dumped there illegally. Land at the 69-year-old star's Primrose Hill Farm in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, has been filled in to raise the ground level as part of work to build riding stables. But environment chiefs launched an investigation following allegations that the site was being filled in with illegal materials. Miss Goodyear, who played legendary Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch for more than 30 years, said she has no knowledge of the probe. Work on the farm's horse arena was carried out by Roeacre Industries Ltd, of Heywood, after planning permission was granted by Rochdale town hall. The Environment Agency is investigating whether materials were illegally dumped at the farm and, if so, what enforcement action should be taken. Roeacre Industries company director Pete Cordwell said the allegations of illegal tipping were unfounded. He said: 'Everything we've done there is perfectly legal. As far as we're concerned it wasn't waste - it was for engineering purposes. We've used granular fill, material like bricks and stones, to build the horse arena.' Mr Cordwell added that no work had been carried out on the stables since last year. Probe: The investigation centres on whether illegal materials were dumped during the construction of riding stables at Miss Goodyear's home at Primrose Hill Farm (above) in Rochdale, Greater Manchester . Roeacre Industries ceased trading in 2010 and went into administration in January this year with debts of £350,000. The Environment Agency said that, if a firm is in administration, it can still prosecute a company director if the business is found to have breached tipping regulations. Construction and demolition waste can be considered hazardous under EU law especially if it contains dangerous substances such as asbestos or mercury. Farewell to Corrie: Miss Goodyear pictured as she leaves Coronation Street for the last time in 1995 after quitting her role as legendary Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch . Mark Fowles, environment officer at . the Environment Agency, said: 'We are currently investigating a site at . Primrose Hill Farm, Heywood, Lancashire, following allegations of waste . being illegally tipped. 'Once . our investigation is complete we will consider what, if any, . enforcement action is required to ensure we continue to protect the . environment.' Miss Goodyear bought Primrose Hill Farm around 15 years ago and has ploughed hundreds of thousands of pounds into its renovation. Long run: Miss Goodyear as Bet lynch, with Betty Turpin and Gordon Lewis in 1984 . It is now known whether she was living at the property when the alleged offences took place. Her agent said the actress had no idea about the probe at the farm and did not wish to comment. She recently attended the funeral of Weatherfield icon Betty Williams and is rumoured to be making a comeback to the street. Roeacre Industries' administrators MCR declined to comment on the investigation. | Environment Agency investigating whether land was filled with illegal materials .
Miss Goodyear, who played landlady Bet lynch, denies knowledge of investigation . |
149,217 | 4cf2b441d3e4fce765e9b33f64222ce996b32a8b | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The U.S. trade embargo on Cuba is endangering the health of millions by limiting Cubans' access to medicines and medical technology, human rights group Amnesty International alleged Wednesday. Amnesty International says the U.S. trade embargo is limiting Cubans' access to medical technology. An Amnesty report examines the effects of the sanctions, which have been in place since 1962. Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene Khan called the U.S. embargo immoral and said it should be lifted. "It's preventing millions of Cubans from benefiting from vital medicines and medical equipment essential for their health," Khan said. The embargo restricts the export of medicines and medical equipment from the U.S. and from any U.S.-owned company abroad. Amnesty also called on President Obama to not renew the Trading with the Enemy Act, which is due for renewal on September 14. The Act has been reviewed by U.S. presidents on an annual basis since 1978. Amnesty said that while not renewing the Act would not in itself end the embargo against Cuba, it would send a clear message that the U.S. is adopting a new policy toward Cuba. In April this year President Obama lifted restrictions that had prevented U.S. citizens from visiting relatives in Cuba, and sending them remittances. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman would not comment on the report because she hadn't read it. However, she said, "The president believes it makes strategic sense to hold on to some inducements we can use in dealing with a Cuban government if it shows any signs of seeking a normalized relationship with us and begins to respect basic human rights." The Amnesty report also cites United Nations data that says Cuba's inability to import nutritional products for schools, hospitals and day care centers is contributing to a high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia. In 2007, the condition affected 37.5 percent of Cuba's children under three years old, according to UNICEF. Watch a report on Cuba's health care system » . Cuba can import these products from other countries, but there are major shipping costs and logistical challenges to contend with. Gail Reed is international director of MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba), a non-profit organization that encourages cooperation among U.S., Cuban and global health communities. She told CNN, "In general, the embargo has a sweeping effect on Cuban healthcare. Over the past decades, I would say the people most affected have been cancer and HIV-AIDS patients." She also said the embargo affects the way doctors think about the future. "Doctors in Cuba always worry that an international supplier will be bought out by a U.S. company, leaving medical equipment without replacement parts and patients without continuity of medications," Reed said. Gerardo Ducos, an Amnesty researcher for the Caribbean region, told CNN that although medicines and medical supplies can be licensed for export to Cuba, the conditions governing the process make their export virtually impossible. According to the report, the U.S. exported $710 million of food and agricultural products to Cuba in 2008, but only $1.2 million of medical equipment and products. Reed said the embargo does not permit the sale of active ingredients or raw materials to the Cuban pharmaceutical industry. She gave the example of methotrexate, used to treat breast cancer, telling CNN that an export license was denied to a firm wanting to sell the U.S.-produced active ingredient to Cuba, to be used in domestic production of the drug on the island. "Four times as many women may be treated with methotrexate if the drug could be produced domestically, so that Cuban importers were not forced to purchase the finished product on the international pharmaceutical market," she said. The report says that products patented in the U.S. are covered by the embargo. Ducos told CNN that this particularly affects HIV/AIDS treatments. "The latest medicines are usually covered by U.S. patents, which means Cuba must wait several years for the patent to run out before they can buy generic products," he said. In the statement, Khan added, "Although responsibility for providing adequate health care lies primarily with the Cuban authorities, governments imposing sanctions such as embargoes need to pay special attention to the impact they can have on the targeted country's population." | Amnesty report says Cuba embargo limits Cubans' access to medicine .
HIV/AIDS patients are particularly affected, according to Amnesty .
Embargo has a "sweeping effect" on Cuban health care, says MEDICC . |
246,118 | ca8d7080c76c8ea5e65f31e3f9c0e42d87a2c4b5 | It doesn't debut until next month, but the Fox sitcom 'Dads' is already taking heat in early reviews for being crass, sexist and racially insensitive. Critics who’ve watched the pilot episode have been highly critical of the tone of the show, accusing it of relying on ‘poop jokes and sexy Asian schoolgirl jokes’ for cheap laughs. The show stars Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi as successful video game developers and roommates whose lives are unexpectedly changed when their politically incorrect fathers move in with them. Scroll down for video . Bad dads: Fox's new sitcom has been accusing of relying on 'poop jokes and sexy Asian schoolgirl jokes' The dads are played by Martin Mull and Peter Riegert. The series is executive produced by Seth MacFarlane, whose animated comedies, including ‘Family Guy,’ have been regularly accused of bad taste, yet are also extremely popular. Critics have wasted no time in lambasting the show. Jace Lacob of BuzzFeed tweeted: ‘The worst part of #Dads is that it is casually racist AND horrifically unfunny. Which is not a good combination, really.’ NPR's Linda Holmes explained that ‘it's mostly nasty about women of color.’ The show stars Seth Green, right, and Giovanni Ribisi, left, as successful video game developers and roommates whose lives unexpectedly change when their politically incorrect fathers move in . The show is filmed before a live studio audience but even that has been criticized. 'Having people braying at “ironic” racism makes it real racism,' wrote critic Todd VanDerWerff. The stars and producers of ‘Dads’ faced reporters Thursday and attempted to defend the show by claiming that it focused on human frailties for the sake of laughs and enlightenment. At the Television Critics Association meeting, they vowed to tweak the tone of the series as appropriate as the season unfolds. However a critical mauling doesn't mean a show it destined to fail, 'Two Broke Girls' and 'The Big Bang Theory' are shows critics love to hate, but the general public just seem to love. 'Dads' is set to premiere Sept. 17. 'Dads' is executive produced by Seth MacFarlane, whose animated comedies, including 'Family Guy,' have been regularly accused of bad taste . 'Dads' is executive produced by Seth MacFarlane, whose animated comedies, including 'Family Guy,' have been regularly accused of bad taste . | Critics who've seen the pilot episode of Fox's new sitcom 'Dads' have accused it of relying on 'poop jokes and sexy Asian schoolgirl jokes'
Producers have already vowed to tweak the tone of the series which premieres on Sept 17 . |
257,953 | d9d5c88ea8692ed0aee6987cf7cdaf5b7f531ccb | By . Chris Waugh . Sunderland manager Gus Poyet was delighted by the performance of new £2.5million signing Will Buckley against Manchester United on Sunday. The Black Cats drew 1-1 with Louis van Gaal's side at the Stadium of Light and Poyet was full of praise for a player he previously coached at Brighton before bringing him to the North East during the summer. Buckley was a target for Poyet as soon as he took over the helm at Sunderland - even though the Uruguayan was not convinced the winger would ever make it as a Premier League footballer when he coached him on the south coast. Praise: Sunderland boss Gus Poyet was impressed with Will Buckley's (right) display against Man United . Impressed: Poyet thought Buckley showed his direct ability as a winger against United at the Stadium of Light . Poyet said: 'When I first saw him, no. But he was learning, listening. 'He is very quiet, shy, but with his feet when he is on the pitch and he's got the chance to attack you, he's a nightmare. 'He is confident with the position that we play him, he knows what we want from him. When it's clear, it's supposed to be easy. 'He doesn't need to make too many decisions, apart from doing what he does best and being in position.' Unexpected: Poyet did not think that Buckley would make it as a Premier League player when at Brighton . Sunderland retain an interest in Liverpool forward Fabio Borini. They hope to tie up another loan deal for the Italian, similar to the one they agreed last season, but are unlikely to buy him for £14million. Lille's ex-Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou is also a target. Return: Sunderland want to bring Italian forward Fabio Borini back to the club on loan from Liverpool . Interest: Sunderland are looking into the possibility of signing Lille's ex-Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou . | Poyet brought Buckley to the Stadium of Light for £2.5m from Brighton .
Sunderland drew 1-1 with Manchester United at Stadium of Light on Sunday .
Poyet was delighted by the 'dangerous' play Buckley showed against United .
But he admitted he did not think Buckley would be a Premier League player .
Sunderland want to sign Fabio Borini on another loan from Liverpool .
Lille's ex-Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou is also interesting Black Cats . |
198,787 | 8d53003bb0c0f8d719e434f90aab363489c95f9e | By . Claudette Davies . Trophy Wife has been cancelled after just one season. The critically beloved show - starring Malin Akerman and Bradley Whitford - will not return to ABC for a second series, while fellow newcomer Mixology has also been axed. Co-star Marica Gay Harden announced the news on Twitter, writing: 'Thank u 4 watching beloved fans. Parting is such sweet sorrow... @TrophyWifeABC cancelled just hours ago. @ABC_Publicity#season2watch#:('. Cancelled: Malin Akerman's Trophy Wife has been cancelled by ABC after just one season . Trophy Wife tells the story of Malin's character who marries a middle-aged lawyer (Whitford) and has to deal with his two ex-wives and three children. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a number of factors determined its cancellation, including the large pay salaries of the well known cast. Time to say goodbye: Marcia Gay Harden revealed Trophy Wife will not be coming back . Critical darling: Bradley Whitford and Marcia Gay Harden's critically loved show will not be returning to TV screens . Meanwhile, Mixology, from the team behind The Hangover and Executive Producer Ryan Seacrest, has also been cancelled after one season. The controversial show - which takes place over the course of one night - has received a number of criticisms from the start and was blasted for a 'rape joke' in its first episode and perceived misogyny. Co-star Frankie Shaw tweeted: 'Sad day. Love to all you #Mixology fans. Keep watching! Great episodes left, esp the finale. xoxoxoxo.' Meanwhile Rebel Wilson‘s half hour comedy Super Fun Night was also chopped by ABC, with The Neighbors and Suburgatory suffering the same fate. Disappointed: The cast will no doubt be disappointed with the cancellation after critical praise for their show . However it seems the Aussie actress was looking on the bright side on Friday, . as she tweeted an image of herself with the cast of her forthcoming film . Pitch Perfect 2. And, there was good news for some shows at ABC and especially for formidable showrunner Shonda Rimes. Both Grey's Anatomy and Scandal have been renewed while her new show has been picked up. How to Get Away with Murder, starring Viola Davis as a 'brilliant, charismatic and seductive' law professor who gets caught up with four students from her class has been ordered to series. Just one season: Ryan Seacrest's Mixology has also got the axe after just one season on ABC . Criticism: Mixology, set over the course of one night in a bar, has been cancelled after just one season by ABC . Looking on the bright side: Rebel Wilson did not seem bothered her show was cancelled as she tweeted a picture of herself at a presentation with her Pitch Perfect 2 castmates . Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been renewed for a second season while Marvel's Agent Carter starring Captain America's Hayley Atwell has received a series order. Once Upon a Time, Resurrection, Revenge, Castle, Modern Family and The Goldbergs will all return. The Bachelor, America's Funniest Home Videos and Shark Tank will all return to the network while cult-favorite alien sitcom The Neighbors has been axed. There was also good news for Nashville fans, with company co-president Ben Sherwood tweeting: 'Congratz and welcome back for Season 3 to @Nashville_ABC @conniebritton @CharlesEsten @CallieKhouri, the whole Nashville team and loyal fans.' New shows featuring Karen Gillan (Selfie), Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) and Felicity Huffman and Timothy Hutton (American Crime) have also been picked up. Coming back: Dancing With The Stars will return for a 19th season after being picked up by ABC . Coming back: Dancing With The Stars will return for a 19th season after being picked up by ABC . Ready to groove: Candace Cameron Bure arrived for DWTS practice in Hollywood on Friday . Red hot! The 38-year-old actress showed off her toned stems in red jeans teamed with a white tank top and sparkling flats . Cargo: The Full House star rummaged through her belongings after disembarking from her vehicle . Bag lady: She headed into the studio, carrying numerous bags . Keeping it casual: Pro dancer Mark Ballas arrived for rehearsal in black sweatpants, Converse sneakers, and a white V-neck T-shirt . Funky: The 27-year-old dancer showed off his tattoos and sported a little black top hat . | Trophy Wife and Mixology both lasted just one season on ABC .
Shonda Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy and Scandal renewed and new drama How To Get Away With Murder ordered to series .
Dancing With The Stars will return for a 19th season .
Reality shows The Bachelor, America's Funniest Home Videos and Shark Tank will all be back next season .
Castle, Once Upon A Time, Revenge, The Goldbergs, Resurrection and Modern Family all renewed .
Cult-favorite alien sitcom The Neighbors axed .
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. renewed for second season while Marvel's Agent Carter starring Captain America's Hayley Atwell receives a series order .
Five new dramas and two comedies picked up . |
101,060 | 0e3a4e684307c223a705bc06934716106cb7ce88 | Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be formally questioned by an Army investigator on Wednesday about his 2009 disappearance in Afghanistan. Bergdahl will be interviewed by Major General Kenneth Dahl, who was appointed to head up the AR 15-6 investigation into the circumstances leading up to his captivity. The pair have already met informally, though Wednesday will be their first formal interaction and the interview will take place at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Bergdahl's attorney Eugene Fidell told the New York Daily News that he will meet with Bergdahl today to prepare for Dahl's questions, and will also attend on Wednesday. An Army lawyer assigned to Bergdahl's case will attend with them. Scroll down for video . Time to talk: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, pictured, will be formally questioned by an Army investigator on Wednesday about his 2009 disappearance in Afghanistan . The former prisoner of war was released in May in a prisoner swap with the Taliban after five years in captivity. Soon after, accusations began to emerge that he deserted. Greg Rinckey, a former JAG officer and military practice lawyer, told the Daily News that he expects Bergdahl to answer Dahl's questions though Fidell may call a stop to the probing at any point. The news comes a week after bitterly divided House panel voted to condemn President Barack Obama for the swap of five Taliban leaders for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The Republican-led Armed Services Committee backed a nonbinding resolution that disapproves of the exchange and faults Obama for failing to notify Congress 30 days in advance of the swap, as required by law. The vote was 34-25 with two Democrats - Reprentatives Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina - joining Republicans in support of the measure. The bipartisan resolution raises national security concerns about the transfer of the five Taliban, who had been held at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for more than a decade, and the 'repercussions of negotiating with terrorists.' The measure also expresses relief that Bergdahl has returned safely to the United States. The full House is expected to consider the measure in the fall, just a few weeks before the midterm elections. The Obama administration has come under harsh criticism from many in Congress, especially Republicans, who have said Bergdahl was a deserter and the United States gave up too much for his freedom. Several lawmakers have cited intelligence suggesting the high-level Taliban officials could return to the Afghanistan battlefield. Investigator: Bergdahl will be interviewed by Major General Kenneth Dahl, pictured, who was appointed to head up the AR 15-6 investigation into the circumstances leading up to Bergdahl's captivity . Five senior Taliban were released from detention at Guantanamo in exchange for Bergdahl, who had disappeared from his post in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. The five Taliban are to remain in Qatar for a year. The administration has defended the swap and its decision to keep Congress in the dark, saying concern about Bergdahl's health and safety required speedy action. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has unanimously supported the exchange, insisting that the United States has a sacred commitment to men and women who serve that it will never leave anyone behind on the battlefield. Army General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the swap in May was 'likely our last, best opportunity' to free Bergdahl. During the hearing, Republicans on the Armed Services panel accused Obama of breaking the law, with Representative Trent Franks, Republican for Arizona, referring to a 'lawless presidency' in which the president has failed to live up to his oath of office. Representative Scott Rigell, Republican for Virginia, who pushed for the resolution, said if Congress fails to act now, future presidents will ignore the law. Democrats maintained that the resolution was one step toward impeachment of Obama, part of a broader GOP effort that includes the House lawsuit, led by Speaker John Boehner, Republican for Ohio, against the president for unilateral changes in the health care law. | Bergdahl will be interviewed by Major General Kenneth Dahl .
Dahl was appointed to head up the AR 15-6 investigation into the circumstances leading up to his 2009 captivity .
The pair have already met informally, though Wednesday will be their first formal interaction .
The interview will take place at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, and he is expected to cooperate . |
116,007 | 21bb119259f18ac7a14577c3f64d86b842b963fb | Everton coach and club legend Duncan Ferguson was involved in a motorway car crash, but true to his hard-man image he refused to go to hospital. The 43-year-old was driving on the M57 near Liverpool when the car behind crashed into the back of the club's £18,000 BMW 1 Series he was driving. The crash took place early on Thursday morning and left the other motorist's car, an Audi A3 convertible, with considerable damage. Duncan Ferguson was involved in a motorway car crash outside Liverpool on Thursday morning . A white Audi convertible drove into the back of the blue BMW Ferguson was driving on the M57 . Police at the scene divert traffic around the two stricken cars as traffic builds up behind them . A view of the traffic jams that built up behind the incident on the M57 on Thursday . Neither driver is thought to have sustained serious injuries, and Ferguson refused to go to hospital for treatment. Police arrived at the scene and attempted to restore order to the motorway but large traffic jams had already built up behind the crash . The former Rangers forward spent 10 years at Everton over two different spells, and built a reputation as a no-nonsense, competitive front man. Ferguson, who has scored more Premier League goals than any other Scottish player, has been working as a coach at Everton and was even touted for the manager's job following David Moyes' departure in 2013. Ferguson (left) scores against Manchester Untied in a 1-0 win back in 1995 . The former forward in his new role as a coach at Everton (left) and greeting the Goodison Park crowd in 2011 . Ferguson towers over Teddy Sheringham and Sol Campbell during a clash against Tottenham . | Duncan Ferguson involved in a car crash on the motorway near Liverpool .
The Scottish coach refused to go to hospital for treatment .
Neither driver is thought to have been seriously injured in the crash .
Ferguson spent 10 years at Everton over two different spells . |
173,750 | 6cd709a383bbb7b96b048cbb64e6710c15b8e2d7 | Fate in the balance: Bardwil waits before his hearing at Manhattan's Supreme Court . A millionaire businessman who threatened a burglar inside his home with a gun is facing three years in jail because he did not have a license for the weapon. George Bardwil, who owns linen company Bardwil Home, was at home in his E. 51st Street apartment in Manhattan in January, when a man broke in. Bardwil, 60, brandished the gun at the intruder, who then fled, and the businessman called 911. But when he showed police footage of . the incident recorded on his home security system he was arrested on . suspicion of possessing an illegal gun. Bardwil . - known as the 'Linen King' - denies the charges and pleaded not guilty . to gun possession at the Supreme Court in Manhattan yesterday. His . defense lawyer Michael Bachner told the New York Post that the loaded . .40 cal Sig Sauer was kept in a secure box in Bardwil's apartment and . was legally registered to his bodyguard. Prosecutors will recommend a three year sentence at court. Mr Bachner told the New York Post: 'There's no dispute that George was being burglarized. 'George had been the victim of multiple burglaries, and the DA's office concedes that it was used in self defense.' A man has also been arrested in connection with the burglary. Bardwil Industries was founded in 1906 and is based in New York and sells a range of linen and bath towels and rugs. Bardwil is also facing assault charges after he allegedly attacked his ex-wife Emiko. He is on $250,000 bail, according to the New York Post. She suffered a cut to her head after hitting the sidewalk but Bardwil said she fell. George Bardwil has been accused of possessing an illegal handgun - a .40 cal Sig Sauer - after he brandished the weapon at an intruder (file photo) 'Linen King' George Bardwil pleaded not guilty to possession of an illegal handgun at the Supreme Court in Manhattan . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | George Bardwil, 60, pointed loaded .40cal Sig Sauer at intruder .
His defense lawyer says gun was registered to Bardwil's bodyguard . |
278,871 | f54a45ac5c0fa1bfbf46835d5bfbc0f71f9ec3e3 | Chelsea powerhouse Nemanja Matic hasn't lost a game for his club since April and heads into the new year threatening to be the Premier League's most dominant player of 2015. While Jose Mourinho's men lost their chance of emulating Arsenal's unbeaten season when they were beaten at Newcastle United, they still have an Invincible in their midst in Matic. The 26-year-old Serbia midfielder – strong, powerful, tactically and technically excellent and hailed as a 'giant' by Mourinho – proudly boasts a personal record of 23 wins and seven draws in his last 30 games for the club in all competitions. VIDEO Scroll down for Matic's stunning FIFA Puskas award 2013 nominated goal . Nemanja Matic has impressed at the heart of the Chelsea team since rejoining for £26million in January . When Matic (left) has been in the Chelsea team, they have not lost since a 2-1 defeat by Sunderland in April . Matic's last 30 games for Chelsea, since April 19, 2014 . Played 30: Won 23 Drawn 7 Lost 0. Matic's goals: 3 . *In all competitions since a 2-1 home defeat against Sunderland . And as Chelsea chase an unprecedented quadruple, something even Mourinho hasn't managed before, Matic is the player he can least afford to lose, including John Terry, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. Lest we forget, Chelsea are currently top of the Premier League, in the last 16 of the Champions League, semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, and the FA Cup is about to start. 'It is possible. We are all ready to play in every moment,' insists Matic, and if they pull it off, he would be a shoo-in for Footballer of the Year. It is no coincidence he was out with suspension when Chelsea crashed 2-1 at Newcastle at the start of December to lose their own unbeaten run. It is the only time since mid-September Chelsea have conceded more than one goal in the game. As they prepare for their first test of 2015 at Spurs on New Year's Day, he is the player who separates Chelsea from the rest. Their rivals boast such glittering names as Alexis Sanchez, Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling but where Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool miss out is the lack of a truly world-class holding midfield player. Manchester City have the closest thing to Matic in Brazilian midfielder Fernando, which is why it's no coincidence they are next best to Chelsea in the table. Matic (right) celebrates after scoring during a Champions League group stage match against Sporting Lisbon . Jose Mourinho has hailed his central defensive midfielder as a 'giant' - he is a 6ft 4in wall of steel . Mourinho says of his 6ft 4in wall of steel: 'He's a giant. Not for his size, but for the way he plays. He is a giant.' The eye-catching £26million paid to Benfica to bring Matic back to the Bridge in January now looks a bargain. Players are normally physically or technically excellent. Matic is both, combining outstanding power and a calmness on the ball that allows him and Cesc Fabregas to be the launchpad for so many Chelsea attacks. Intriguingly, it has taken more than five years for Matic to become an overnight success in England. He originally signed for Chelsea as a 20-year-old in the summer of 2009, his official start date coming exactly a month after the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as manager. Had Middlesbrough been quicker off the mark, they would have got him first. He spent a week on trial at the Riverside after Boro had been tipped off by the manager of his Slovakian club Kosice, Allen Bula, but the Teessiders never followed it up. Chelsea sold Matic (left) in 2011 to Benfica, but bought him back in January and he has become a big success . He came up against his current club in the Champions League in 2012, while playing for Benfica in Portugal . Instead, the £1.1m paid by Chelsea to Kosice looked money well spent when Matic's first three appearances for Chelsea ended in wins by 4-0, 5-0 and 8-0. But after a season on loan to Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem to gain first-team experience, the midfielder was surprisingly sold to Benfica in the summer of 2011. Even though the £21m transfer fee represented a tidy profit for Chelsea, the absence of a Matic-type player in midfield was felt as Roman Abramovich tried to build a new attacking Chelsea around the likes of Hazard and Oscar. The experiment with Andre Villas-Boas didn't work and Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez's stints were always going to be brief given Abramovich's uncertainty towards RDM and the hostility of the Stamford Bridge crowd to Benitez. When Mourinho arrived back in 2013, he realised halfway through his first season that Chelsea were too flimsy. Out went Juan Mata to Manchester United for £38m in the January transfer window in 2014 and back in came Matic, at an increased price . Chelsea have a number of crucial players, but Matic (far left) is vital to the way Mourinho's side play . It was a surprise when Chelsea sold Matic to Benfica in 2011, but less of a shock when they bought him back . Chelsea had been able to keep a direct watch on the left-footer while he had been in Portugal. Matic played for Benfica against the Blues in the 2012 Champions League quarter-finals, which the English club won 3-1 on aggregate, and the Europa League final the following year, which Chelsea won 2-1. Back at the Bridge, Matic impressed towards the tail-end of last season but it's been this campaign where he has excelled. After an uncharacteristically loose start to the season for a Mourinho team, including a 6-3 victory against Everton, Chelsea have become masters of the clean sheet again. Going forward, he is also a threat, mainly through his passing but also when he decides to unpack his fierce shot or show his aerial ability at set-pieces. Not one to shirk a tackle, Matic flies into a challenge with Southampton's Graziano Pelle on December 28 . Matic runs with the ball between Southampton pair Jose Fonte (left) and Maya Yoshida (right) Two of his three goals have come in the Champions League – in which Chelsea qualified with ease – including a header on his return to Portugal when Chelsea won 1-0 in Sporting Lisbon. Perhaps his stand-out display came in a hard-fought 2-1 win at Liverpool in November. He was voted man of the match at Anfield as Chelsea resisted a strong performance from Brendan Rodgers' side. Matic didn't misplace a pass and even gave the team talk before the game. 'It was very inspiring,' said skipper John Terry. 'He is a real player for the team. He has been the heart of our performances week-in, week-out.' With Mourinho currently in a paranoid state about a 'campaign' against Chelsea, he will probably remember having Fernando Torres sent off at White Hart Lane season by referee Mike Dean. Still, with Matic in the side, you wouldn't put money on Chelsea losing their opening game of 2015 or many beyond that. | Chelsea have not lost with Nemanja Matic on the field since April .
Since then, he has played 30, winning 23 and drawing just seven .
Matic is strong, powerful, tactically and technically excellent for Chelsea .
The Blues can still win four trophies this season, and Matic will be at the heart of the team as they strive to make history . |
126,927 | 301461ba5514cea09d51cbbbdb4b2b3326f8f2ad | By . Emily Allen . UPDATED: . 06:26 EST, 9 August 2012 . Charged: Actor Jody Latham, seen here in The Fixer, will appear at court next week charged with producing cannabis . Former EastEnders and Shameless actor Jody Latham is to appear at court after allegedly running a cannabis farm. The 30-year-old actor, who played Rob Grayson in the BBC soap, was arrested along with his girlfriend Sarah Melia, 31, after police swooped on his home in Bacup, Lancashire, in May last year. They found 25 marijuana plants worth £15,000. The couple will appear at Burnley Magistrates' Court next week charged with producing cannabis. Mr Latham is best known for his role as Phillip 'Lip' Gallagher in Shameless. He revealed he was facing bankruptcy earlier this year. The actor's career took off at the age of 12 when his talent was spotted during performances at Burley Youth Theatre. He . played the intelligent and outspoken eldest son of Frank Gallagher in . Channel 4's acclaimed drama Shameless between 2004 and 2008. He appeared as pimp Grayson in EastEnders between February and March last year. But he has also starred in ITV’s The Fixer and had a stint as a trainee chef in Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen. Talent: Latham, left, played the eldest son of Frank Gallagher in Shameless. He is pictured in a scene with Kash (Chris Bisson) and Ian (Gerard Kearns) Hard hitting: Latham joined the cast of EastEnders last year, . playing pimp Rob Grayson in a controversial sex exploitation storyline . | He will appear at Burnley Magistrates' Court next week . |
254,075 | d4d2e6dedd9d1128acb8d4dbabb7108093003894 | By . Mail Online Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:18 EST, 28 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:33 EST, 28 October 2013 . A photographer has captured the astonishing details on small creatures' faces - by spending hours hovering over them and taking extreme close-up photographs. Colin Hutton, 29, has created stunning portraits of the world's most overlooked animals including spiders, wasps, bees, common flies, and beetles. He only pictures the animals alive and can spend up to three hours painstakingly trying to keep the insects still while he zooms in on his camera. Photographer Colin Hutton, 29, has created stunning portraits of the world's most overlooked animals, pictured, including spiders, wasps, bees, common flies, and beetles. The images are made using a powerful macro lens and can be incredibly hard to achieve because of the quick movements of the creatures. He also photographed weevils, pictured. Many weevils are damaging to crops . A mystaceus spider . The images are made using a powerful macro lens and can be incredibly hard to achieve because of the quick movements of the creatures. Colin, from North Carolina in the U.S, scours local parks to find the insects but will travel over 600 miles to his parent's house in Florida to capture more unusual bugs. His favourite subjects are jumping spiders and he is even considering a trip to Australia to find the Peacock spider, due to their colourful abdomens. One such jumping spider capture by Hutton is the Phidippus mystaceus spider. It is found in North America and females grow the largest, reaching around one centimetre in body length. Females also have the most pronounced 'moustache', found below the eyes, and in fact the name of the species means Jumping Moustache. The red back salamander, pictured, is a small terrestrial salamander usually found in forested areas under rocks and logs across eastern North America, west to Missouri, south to North Carolina, and north from southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada to Minnesota. They are also known as the eastern red backed salamander or the northern red back salamander depending on where they are found. Adults grow between 5.7 and 10 cm in length . The larvae of a Spicebush Swallowtail. This larvae becomes a common swallowtail butterfly found in North America, also known as the Green-Clouded butterfly. The wingspan of a Spicebush Swallowtail ranges from nine to 10cm . Colin, who has just finished a degree in environmental science, said: 'I originally planned to focus on reptiles and amphibians but I soon realised how many insects are out there. 'I try to capture the insects out in the field but sometimes I bring them home so I can photograph them there with lighting. 'Taking the photograph itself doesn't take too long but it can be difficult when they are moving around as it becomes very sensitive when you are zoomed in so much. 'Sometimes I can spend a couple of hours trying to get the perfect shot and it can be quite difficult. 'The . small varieties of the jumping spider are very active so often I look . through the lens and I have to find it as it moves around. 'After working with them for so long I now know what to expect and how to handle them. 'I . try to photography any insect I can and I often travel to Florida to . see my parents but take my camera and focus on the insects they have . over there. 'I went on a . trip to Colombia and took my camera and one day I would love to travel . to Australia and take a photograph of the Peacock jumping spider they . have there.' The name of . the Chalcid wasp, photographed by Hutton in northern America, comes from . the Greek for 'copper' because of their metallic colour. The name of the Chalcid wasp, pictured, comes from the Greek for 'copper' because of their metallic colour. There are said to be around 22,000 known species of chalcids and each eat the eggs or larvae of other insects as food. As a result, the wasps keep crop pests under control and many species have been imported into regions for this reason . There are said to be around 22,000 . known species of Chalcids and each eat the egg or larvae of other . insects for food. As a result, the wasps keep crop pests under control, . and many species have been imported into regions with the sole purpose . of controlling pests. Hutton also managed to capture a . series of dragonflies including a pair of small to medium-sized skimmers . known as Erythrodiplax minuscula, or dragonlets. They are found in the eastern United . States, Argentina and Columbia. The insects reach a length of up to . 2.7cm and their wings are almost as long, at 2.1cm. Young dragonlets are . a green-brown colour while the adults are predominantly ash blue. Hutton photographed a number of flies . and damselflies on his travels, too, including the robber fly and the Rambur's forktail damselfly. The male Rambur's forktails . are green with blue abdomens, while the females can range from being . orange-red, olive green or similar to males in colour. It was named in . honour of entomologist Jules Pierre Rambur. These small to medium-sized skimmers are known as Erythrodiplax minuscula, or dragonlets. They are found in the eastern United States, Argentina and Columbia. The insects reach a length of up to 2.7cm and its wings are almost as long, at 2.1cm. Young dragonlets are a green-brown colour, left, while the adults are predominantly ash blue, right . The . robber fly has spiny legs and stiff bristles on its face called the . mystax, from the Greek mystakos meaning 'moustache' or 'upper lip'. Adults grow to around 1.5 cm in length. Hutton also captured images of reptiles, including the red back salamander. It . is a small terrestrial salamander usually found in forested areas under . rocks and logs across eastern North America, west to Missouri, south to . North Carolina, and north from southern Quebec and the Maritime . Provinces in Canada to Minnesota. They . are also known as the eastern red backed salamander or the northern red . back salamander depending on where they are found. Adults grow between . 5.7 and 10 cm in length. The left-hand image shows a Rambur's forktail damselfly. The males, such as the one pictured, are green with blue abdomens, while the females can range from being orange-red, olive green or similar to males in colour. It was named in honour of entomologist Jules Pierre Rambur. The robber fly, right, has spiny legs and stiff bristles on its face called the mystax, from the Greek mystakos meaning 'moustache' or 'upper lip'. Adults grow to around 1.5 cm in length . | Colin Hutton took stunning photos of the world's most overlooked animals including spiders, flies and wasps .
He said he often spends up to three hours trying to photograph just one restless bug to capture the perfect photo .
Colin, from North Carolina, .
scours local parks to find the insects but will travel over 600 miles to .
his parent's house in Florida to capture more unusual bugs . |
198,089 | 8c698075768310127a5e14d99377c72fa53bf6cf | By . Daily Mail Reporter . This season of 19 Kids and Counting has charted Jill Duggar's courtship with Derick Dillard. And tonight, in the finale episode, we will finally see him pop the big question. In a clip from the show, which airs at 9pm on TLC, a nervous Derrick, 25, is seen preparing for his date with 23-year-old Jill, the fourth child of Jim Bob and Michelle, who are devout fundamentalist Christians. As he is seen doing his hair and choosing his clothes, he says: 'I went to bed last night, I was just looking at the rain and thinking, wow, I'm gonna propose tomorrow, to Jill, the most incredible girl ever.'Scroll down for video . What happens next... A nervous Derick Dillard gazes at Jill Duggar just moments before he proposes to her . Derick admits that a proposal may not come as a complete surprise to his girlfriend though. 'I have an idea that she, I'm sure, suspects something, cause she's really smart so it's hard to pull anything over on her,' he says. 'So I think she'll be suspecting something but maybe she doesn't know how it's going to happen or what exactly to expect.' Unsure whether to keep the ring in its box, or slip it into a pocket, Derick calls on his mother for advice. She assures him that keeping the ring in the box is the thing to do, and confirms that it cannot be seen when he slips it into his inside jacket pocket. Casual: The couple are seen taking a walk after lunch with two of Jill's sisters trailing behind as chaperones . Surprise: Derick and Jill are stopped on their walk by country singer Walker Hayes, who, it turns out, penned a song about them especially for the occasion . Another clip from later in the episode, published on People.com, shows Derrick pulling off the first of his surprises - a serenade from country singer Walker Hayes, who had penned a song about them especially for the occasion. Derick admits that as he and Jill were walking from the Mexican restaurant where they had just dined, he was 'trying to play it cool.' 'I was going over what I was going to say in my head,' he reveals. Details: Derick attempts to get his hair just the way Jill likes it before they meet for their date . Nerves: Unsure how to carry the ring, Derick calls on his mother for advice. She suggests keeping the ring in the box, and confirms that it cannot be seen when he slips it into his jacket pocket . Initially the couple are trailed by two . of Jill's sisters, but the girls slope off, leaving the . soon-to-be-betrothed couple to enjoy the music alone. As the song . progresses, two other musicians, who had been masquerading as . bystanders, join in, leaving Jill in little doubt that this is a special . occasion. As Derick predicted though, Jill already had her suspicions. 'I ... am like on the alert, basically, like, "What's going on?"' she says. The . clip concludes at this point, saving the big moment for tonight's . episode. But as the season finale filmed in April, we already know that . Jill accepted Derick's proposal. Frugal: Jill and Derick have listed their wedding gift registry at Wal-Mart, asking for just modest items . Study buddies: Derick holds a degree in accounting while Jill is currently training to be a midwife . Happy couple: Jill was first introduced to Derick online through her father Jim Bob, and the two only met after several months of Skyping from afar . The couple, who made the announcement a day after they got engaged in a video on People.com, celebrated by holding hands for the very first time. 'I . am so happy,' Jill told the camera. Derick adds: 'It . was great to hold her hand for the first time.' The pair were initially introduced by Jill's father, Jim Bob, 48, who struck up a friendship with Derick several years . ago, the two subsequently becoming 'prayer partners' while Derick was doing . missionary work in Nepal. 'The . first time we talked, he was in Japan, we met in Nepal [where her father played chaperone], he spent time . in India and Israel and then came back to Arkansas where he met my . family,' Jill explains. Double date! Derick and Jill, seen here with Jill's sister Jessa and her boyfriend Ben, have been spending lots of time together since they started courting . Practice makes perfect? The young couple can be seen here cuddling up with Jill's nephew in an Instagram snap shared by her brother, Josh Duggar captioned 'Congrats to Jill Duggar & Derick Dillard #bf #gf' Pitter patter of tiny feet? Starting their own family will surely be the next step after their upcoming marriage . The Duggars, from Tontitown, Arkansas, define courting as a couple deciding whether marriage is . appropriate while in a group setting with both of their families. Only . once they have committed to their engagement are they permitted to hold . hands for the first time, but they will have to wait until their . wedding day before sharing their first kiss. The family first entered the spotlight in 2008 with a TV show titled 17 Kids and . Counting - but have since added two more to their brood. Practice makes perfect: 19 Kids and Counting mother Michelle Duggar (right, with husband Jim Bob) has revealed that she thinks labor gets easier the more babies you have had . Smile . for the cameras! The Duggars first entered the spotlight in 2008 on . TLC's show 17 and Counting - a series which followed the life of . Michelle and Jim Bob and their then 17 - now 19 - children . They . are considered representative of the Quiverfull movement which 'teaches . that children are God’s blessing and that husbands and wives should . happily welcome every child they are given.' Addressing . their critics, Mr Duggar once said: 'People think we are overpopulating . the world [but] we are following our convictions.' Jill . is not the first of her siblings to find a partner. She follows in the . footsteps of her brother, Josh, who is married with three children, and . younger sister Jessa, 21, who is currently planning a wedding to Ben . Seewald, 19. | Derick surprises his beloved with a serenade from country singer Walker Hayes .
After their engagement, the couple were allowed to hold hands for the first time. They will save their first kiss for their wedding day . |
206,939 | 97f215667009a5e0b07534918ee76f2a2050b813 | Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has revealed how Argentina allegedly told Chilean officials to stop the crew entering the country as they tried to flee from an angry mob upset over their car’s H982FKL number plate. The 54-year-old BBC presenter claims the South American country tried to stop their quick getaway so that Clarkson – along with the show’s fellow stars Richard Hammond and James May – could be arrested. However, Argentina’s plan was thwarted when the Chilean officials refused to succumb to the request – instead letting the crew into the country where they were able to safely fly back to the United Kingdom. Scroll down for videos . The Top Gear team (pictured during their trip to Argentina) including Richard Hammond (far left), Jeremy Clarkson (second left) and James May (far right) were forced to flee the country after being hounded by a mob . Argentine officials and newspapers took offence to Clarkson's number plate, which they said was a 'provocation' and a 'very big offence'. They claimed it was a reference to the the 1982 Falklands conflict . Clarkson said the number plate was a coincidence and was not meant as a reference to the Falklands War . A Lotus car which was used by Top Gear presenter James May is pictured with smashed windows after being pelted with stones by angry Falklands War veterans as the crew tried to make their way through the country . The drama unfolded when the Top Gear convoy was attacked with rocks, sticks and pickaxe handles as it made its way through the country during filming for a special edition of the BBC motoring show. Angry locals hounded the crew after the Porsche Clarkson was driving arrived into the country with the H982 FKL plates – which locals have claimed referred to the 1982 Falklands conflict. Clarkson said he was forced to hide under a hotel room bed with his co-stars as an armed mob rampaged after them and shouted: ‘This is a mafia state, best you do as you're told'. They were eventually forced to flee Argentina under police escort – three days earlier than planned - as the furious thugs tried to 'kill' them. They faced a gruelling six-hour journey to the Chilean border in a collection of hired 4x4s, trucks and the three 'star' cars that the crew had planned to use in the ‘car football match’ for the show. They eventually made it to a remote border post where there was not even a road, but a river, and boarded a tractor to cross the water into the neighbouring country. The presenters' cars were left by the side of the road in Argentina before they fled across the border to Chile . Clarkson's damaged Porsche bearing the H982 FKL plate, which locals took to be reference to the 1982 conflict . The Top Gear crew came under attack from a group of angry Falklands War veterans . The crowd was incensed by the number plate - H982 FKL - on the Porsche driven by Jeremy Clarkson . The attack took place in Ushuaia, on the southern tip of Argentina. The crew later fled over the border to Chile . However, the presenter said it was at this point on Friday night that they faced difficulty crossing into Chile when the Argentinians ordered that they were stopped. He told The Sun: ‘After they [the crew] crossed a river into Chile, they spoke to the local official who said his opposite number in Argentina called him and told him to chuck our guys out, back into Argentina. ‘Their plan was to then arrest the crew for entering the country illegally. ‘Luckily for us, we’re really popular in Chile and they love the British so the official refused. In fact his direct quote was, “I told them, f***k you!”.’ Clarkson described him as a ‘real hero’ and also praised the police officers who escorted the film crew safely into Chile. Jeremy Clarkson (pictured after landing at Heathrow) said the number was a complete coincidence . Clarkson took to Twitter upon returning to the UK to clarify that no offence was intended to be caused . However, he also accused the Argentinians of taking advantage of their visit for 'political capital' and said the violent protest was 'state-organised'. ‘The more I think about this, the more I’m convinced we were set up by the local government,’ he added. The controversial number plate is not likely to be a private one and was attached to the car when the BBC received it for filming, a spokesman for the show said. The H at the beginning of the plate represents the year in which it was produced - 1991. FKL, the last three letters, represent where the vehicle was first registered. In this case it was Maidstone in Kent. The numbers in between these characters are chosen at random by the DVLA. Porsche confirmed today the car was not bought from them by producers at Top Gear, but from a private owner. It is possible to transfer registration plates to a new vehicle for £80. Plates beginning in NIQ or Q - Northern Ireland registered vehicles - cannot be transferred. Motorists cannot transfer a registration plate if it will make the new car look younger. His comments come as it emerged that he may have broken driving laws by switching number plates on the grey 1991 Porsche. Photographs show how the crew swapped the number plate from the controversial H982 FKL to H1 VAE after the abuse started. However, the replacement plate is allegedly already licensed to another vehicle – a white 206 Porsche. It means Clarkson could have breached driving regulations as the DVLA said it is an offence to drive a car ‘in this country or abroad’ under a plate other than the one assigned to the vehicle. The Independent reported that the BBC planned to ask the Top Gear crew about the registration plate used but ‘not in an investigative way’. Earlier, Clarkson took to Twitter to confirm that he, along with the rest of the Top Gear team, had not meant to cause offence with H982 FKL plate. He wrote: 'The number plate WAS a coincidence when it was pointed out to us, we changed it. 'And these war veterans we upset. Mostly they were in their 20s. Do the maths. 'They threw us out for the political capital. Thousands chased crew to border. Someone could have been killed. 'This was not a jolly jape that went awry. For once, we did nothing wrong. 'We had planned a good ending for the show. But thanks to the government's foolishness, it's now even better.' Clarkson was in South America filming for the next series of Top Gear with Richard Hammond and James May . April 2007 - Referring to a car made in Malaysia, he said it was built by 'jungle people who wear leaves as shoes'. October 2009 - Claimed TV producers were obsessed with having 'black Muslim lesbians' on screen. January 2012 - He compared synchronised swimming to the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004. January 2012 - Clarkson mocked the clothing, trains and food in India, as he ridiculed the country's sanitation by driving a Jaguar fitted with a toilet through slums. The Indian High Commission in London formally complained to the BBC about the comments. March 2013 - The presenter joked that a bridge with an Asian walking across it had a 'slope on it'. The BBC later apologised but said it was not aware of the racist term at the time. In July, Ofcom ruled Clarkson had deliberately used racist language, but the BBC did not take action against him. April 2014 - He took to Twitter to introduce his new dog - a black terrier he named Didier Dogba after the Ivory Coast and Chelsea footballer, Didier Drogba. May 2014 - Clarkson was caught in a clip reciting the rhyme: 'Eeny, meeny, miny, moe' before mumbling what sounded like 'catch a n***** by his toe'. Clarkson initially denied the incident but then backed down and said he was 'mortified' and 'horrified when he realised it 'did appear that I'd actually used the word I was trying to obscure'. | Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear crew hounded out of Argentina by a mob .
Forced to abandon cars by side of road and leave country three days early .
Clarkson's H982 FKL number plate was taken as reference to 1982 conflict .
The Top Gear convoy was attacked with rocks, sticks and pickaxe handles .
Presenter said authorities tried to stop film crew crossing border into Chile .
Said country asked Chilean officials to block entry so they could be arrested .
However, Chile allowed crew into country where they safely flew back to UK . |
105,284 | 13c88340e9bb22ca18d032103bea1ed79ffdee24 | (CNN) -- Pitcher Derek Holland restricted St. Louis Cardinals to just two hits in eight and a third innings to help Texas Rangers record a 4-0 win Sunday night to level the World Series at 2-2. The Cardinals had hit 16 runs in a comprehensive victory in game three on Saturday, with Dominican Albert Pujols smashing three home runs, but Holland was instrumental as the Rangers scored a shut-out success. "Our pitcher was in complete control of the game," Rangers designated hitter Michael Young told Major League Baseball's (MLB) official website. "That was the story of the game. "Every game in the postseason is huge -- every game is massive, and rightfully so -- but Derek pitched a great game tonight." Young's view was echoed by the Cardinals' designated hitter, Lance Berkman, who conceded Holland had been the difference between the two teams. "He was on," said Berkman, 35. "The story of the game, for me, is Derek Holland was better than the St. Louis Cardinals tonight. He just was. He was great." The Rangers' manager Ron Washington was full of praise for the left-hander, saying the 25-year-old showed his game-winning quality. "We needed him to go out there and pitch well and he did," Washington said. "He showed the world what he's capable of doing." The Rangers' first run came at the bottom of the first, with Elvis Andrus running in from first base to score off the batting of Josh Hamilton. The game's deciding moment came at the bottom of the sixth, when Mike Napoli went deep off pitcher Mitchell Boggs to score three for Texas and cement their winning lead. The Rangers are searching for the first World Series triumph with Game Five in the best-of-seven series Monday night in Texas. Game Six is at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium Wednesday. | Texas Rangers record a 4-0 win over St. Louis Cardinals to level World Series 2-2 .
Pitcher Derek Holland restricts Cardinals to two hits in eight 1/3 innings .
Game Five of the best-seven-series is at Texas Monday . |
145,569 | 483c63e66d787daeb55b7ddbc6786ffcb4df9abb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:46 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 19 August 2013 . Nicole Jacques, 27, will start her jail time for corrupting a minor on August 26th . A Pennsylvania teacher has been sentenced to 11.5 to 23 months in jail for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy she met at her devoutly religious school. Nicole Jacques, 27, was 25 years old when she faced charges of 20 counts of statutory rape, 20 of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, ten counts of unlawful contact with a minor and 20 counts of a corruption of minors. Ms Jacques, from Hatfield, Pennsylvania, was finally charged with corruption of minors by Montgomery County Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy on Friday and will start her sentence on August 26th. The former Calvary Baptist School teacher will also serve a three-year probation sentence after her parole time and pay a $500 fine, phillyBurbs.com reported. Ms Jacques is to have no further contact with her young male victim and will have to report her employment, address and vehicle she drives for the next 15 years. She had been reported to police in February 2012 for 'excessive and inappropriate communication' by the teenager's father. She reportedly met the boy while working as a teacher at Calvary Baptist School in Towamencin. She quit her job in 2011 and began a year long relationship with the 15-year-old, according to Hatfield Township Police. A police investigation showed there were 37 calls between Jacques' landline phone and the teens cellphone between January 23 2012 and February 9 2012 and 1,168 text messages between the pair. The boy admitted to having sex on many occasions with his former teacher at her apartment but authorities did not believe the relationship started until after Jacques had left the school. Meeting place: Jacques came across the student at Calvary Baptist School in Towamencin, Pennsylvania . It is not believed that any sexual . relationship between the teacher and student occurred on school . property. Authorities would not say how long Jacques taught at the . school. The school, which . teaches from pre-school to senior high and has a strong focus on . religious education, cooperated in the investigation into their former . employee. Prosecutor for the case, County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Quigg said: 'I wanted to see her punished appropriately for what she did, as well as send a message to the community in general that you can't engage in sexual relationships with minors. 'Specifically, she engaged in sexual relations with someone who was a former student of hers.' Randy . Thaxton, chief administrator, told philly.com that he was 'deeply . saddened' by the arrest but the school had no further comment. Ms Jacques will never be allowed to teach again. | Nicole Jacques will also serve a three-year probation sentence after her parole time and pay a $500 fine .
The boy admitted having sex with her on many occasions .
Boy's father went to police over their 'excessive and inappropriate communication' |
286,123 | fec237852b18958b01f46a416eeec71bc69a4d27 | Kris Marshall may be best known as the former BT spokesperson - or as the love-lorn Colin in everyone's favourite film, Love Actually - but it's the 41-year-old actor's current starring role on BBC drama, Death in Paradise, that's truly one to watch. While we count down to the start of appropriate Love Actually viewing season, Tamara Hinson checks in with Somerset native for a confessional chat about everything from his naughtiest holiday memory to the most unusual thing he's ever eaten abroad. So where does TV's Caribbean-dwelling detective really consider to be absolutely idyllic? Read on... Kris Marshall, of Love Actually and Death in Paradise, reveals his best and worst travel moments . Earliest holiday memory? When I was three and living in Canada, we drove down to Disneyworld — a long way. Last destination you visited? We get a week off in the middle of shooting Death In Paradise so I decamped to Antigua (the next island) with my family. Favourite place? The UK. When you travel the world you realise we live in a beautiful country with a generally fair society. Worst ever holiday experience? Contracting a Congolese parasite while filming Oka. Kris and his family most recently visited Antigua, during his week off from filming Death in Paradise . What do you miss the most when you’re abroad? My wife and son. What’s your biggest travel-related confession? I have an outstanding speeding fine in Switzerland. I’m scared to go back. Where’s the MOST romantic place you’ve ever been to, and why? Cornwall. Beautiful, desolate and haunting. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten? Pigeon in Hong Kong. I was invited to the home of someone I was working with and they even ate the heads. What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve done on holiday? I had my car stolen while it was being fixed at a garage in the UK. They gave me a hire car while they worked out what to do — a Skoda! I was incensed so decided to take it on a little road trip. To Morocco. What’s one place you’ve got absolutely no desire to visit? Dubai. Death In Paradise returns to BBC One in the New Year . Kris thinks that Cornwall, UK, is one of the most romantic places in the world . | Actor Kris Marshall is best known for Love Actually and Death in Paradise .
Recalls best and worst holiday memories, shares travel confessions .
Admits that while he loves the UK and Antigua, has no desire to visit Dubai . |
57,092 | a1c63292b76cd60755e4c1f2e8449e373c2d640e | (CNN) -- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and midfielder Samir Nasri have both been charged with improper conduct by governing body UEFA following the London club's European Champions League elimination at the hands of Barcelona on Tuesday. The French duo are alleged to have made comments to Swiss referee Massimo Busacca after Barcelona's 3-1 second leg win at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. "UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Arsenal FC coach Arsene Wenger and the English club's midfielder Samir Nasri," read a UEFA statement. "Both are to face charges of improper conduct, and their cases will be heard by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body on Thursday March 17." Was Wenger right - did the referee kill the game? The Gunners were angered by Busacca's decision to issue Dutchman Robin van Persie with a second yellow card in the 56th minute for kicking the ball away following an offside decision, although the striker claimed to have not heard the referee's whistle. At that point the match was level at 1-1 after Lionel Messi had given Barca the lead on the stroke of half time, only for makeshift defender Sergio Busquets to head the ball into his own net in the second half. Messi returns to haunt Arsenal . Once the visitors were reduced to 10 men Barcelona took control and a Xavi strike coupled with a Messi penalty helped the Catalans to a comfortable success. Wenger, 61, and Nasri, 23, are both alleged to have made comments to Busacca in the tunnel at the end of Tuesday's match. | Arsene Wenger and Samir Nasri have both been charged with improper conduct by UEFA .
Charges relate to alleged comments made to the referee after Arsenal's 3-1 defeat .
Arsenal angered by referee Massimo Busacca decision to send off Robin van Persie .
Van Persie was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball after an offside decision . |
11,975 | 21fbbd27b8dcfafb9055862ef18f9aac739fa455 | By . Guy Walters . PUBLISHED: . 16:39 EST, 23 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:07 EST, 24 September 2012 . Crammed into small boxes, their heads wedged through tiny holes, the monkeys undoubtedly look terrified. Around them, men in rubber overalls and gas masks arrange a semi-circle of boxes containing guinea pigs on the deck of a sloping pontoon. After the boxes have been laid out, the men disappear below the deck of a ship, and for a while, nothing happens. Scroll down for video . Gruesome: A still from the 1952 film shows a monkey in distress as it is exposed to bubonic plague during the germ warfare tests of the Isle of Lewis . Then, after several minutes, a small bomb placed on a boom a few feet out to sea detonates, and showers the animals in a deadly cloud of bubonic plague. These scenes, which have just been released, appear in a gruesome film showing secret germ warfare experiments on animals carried out by British government scientists sixty years ago. The experiments, which ran from May to September 1952 off the coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, exposed nearly 3,500 guinea pigs and 83 Rhesus Macaque monkeys to deadly germs such as bubonic plague. Codenamed Operation Cauldron, the secret experiments were part of our nascent biological warfare programme, which at the time was deemed as important as the development of nuclear weapons. Acting in the belief that the Soviets . were producing bacteriological bombs, scientists from Porton Down . laboratory in Wiltshire were briefed to devise similar weapons that . could be used in retaliation against a Russian germ warfare strike. Although . the existence of the 47-minute film has been known about for many . years, it is now available for the world to see on the video-sharing . website YouTube, thanks to the efforts of Mike Kenner, 58, an Open . Government campaigner from Weymouth in Dorset. Trials: A Rhesus Macaque monkey and five guinea pigs await their fates on the deck of the pontoon . Scientists set out the animals in cages on the deck of the pontoon before a small bomb containing bacteriological agents is detonated . ‘This is the only film like it in the world,’ says Mr Kenner, who lobbied the Ministry of Defence to get the film released. ‘As far as I know, it’s the only film that shows animals being exposed to deadly pathogens.’ The MoD was reluctant to release the film, and it is not hard to see why as it is disturbing viewing. Many of the monkeys and guinea pigs exposed to the germs died within a few days, while any that survived were killed and dissected so their organs could be studied for the effects of the deadly germs. Above all, it is the sight of the monkeys’ almost human faces that make the film so shocking.‘Although we see the tests are being carried out on animals,’ says Mr Kenner, ‘when one sees the monkeys, one can’t help but empathise, and realise that these weapons were being designed to be used against people’. Very few of those who took part in Operation Cauldron are still alive. One of the men who can testify to the truth of what happened is Geoffrey Scarlett, 82, who was a petty officer on board the ship the Ben Lomond, which housed the animals and scientists. As the ship’s writer, responsible for sending back reports to the Admiralty, Mr Scarlett well understood the aims of the project. Many of the other sailors only had a vague idea of the experiments being carried out on the nearby pontoon. The terrified monkey are sealed in small boxes in the hold of the pontoon before being brought up on deck in batches to exposed to deadly germs . Fate: Many of the monkeys and guinea pigs exposed to the germs died within a few days, while any that survived were killed and dissected so their organs could be studied . ‘We were simply told that we were . going on a germ warfare trial,’ says Mr Scarlett. ‘But we were not told . where we were going.’ However, the men were informed that taking part . was not compulsory. ‘Right . from the beginning, they let anybody know that if they objected to the . experiments being carried out on animals, then they would be allowed to . drop out and there would be no stain on your record,’ says Mr Scarlett. ‘To . my knowledge, nobody dropped out. You have to remember these were . different times and animal welfare was not such a priority.’ Mr Scarlett also says most saw the necessity for the development of a new type of weapon of mass destruction. ‘It . was the middle of the Cold War,’ he says. ‘You realised that it had to . be done. Most had served in the war, or, like me, had been brought up . during the war. We had seen the atomic bomb, and this was another type . of warfare. ‘In . theory, it was going to be a lot more deadly than nuclear warfare. A . nuclear bomb can take out a city. Germ warfare can take out a country.’ The . utmost care was taken to keep the experiments safe and wind conditions . were carefully monitored before each detonation to avoid spreading the . germs inland. A scientist prepares for an experiment. Around 3,500 guinea pigs and 83 Rhesus Macaque monkeys were exposed to deadly germs . However, there was one accident that could have had disastrous consequences.On the last day of the programme, a trawler, the Carella, sailed through the path of a bubonic plague experiment. ‘The trawler was tailed by two naval vessels for 21 days, waiting for any distress call,’ says bacteriological warfare expert Dr Brian Balmer of University College, London. ‘When none came, almost all records of the incident were burnt.’ Indeed, the crew members only heard about their exposure to the plague when the official records were opened 50 years later. When the scientists involved in the trials returned to Porton Down, they judged the experiments to have been a success. ‘New ground has been broken with plague trials,’ read a report. But the findings of Operation Cauldron were never meant to come to the public’s attention. If the experiments ever did come to light, the then prime minister, Winston Churchill, had prepared a statement justifying what many would have regarded as unethical. ‘The possibility that bacteria may be used in a future war cannot be overlooked,’ the statement read. ‘The researches ... are being pursued so that defensive measures may be taken. The experiments now taking place form part of these researches.’ Today the MoD has sought to distance itself from the experiments. It says it does not recognise the treatment of animals as seen in the film as being in line with modern ethical scientific conduct. Although it is unlikely such creatures are today being exposed to deadly pathogens in the pursuit of military advantage, the release of the film is a chilling reminder of the disquieting lengths Britain went to develop perhaps the most deadly weapons the world had ever seen. | WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT .
Operation Cauldron took place on pontoon off the coast of the Isle of Lewis .
Military chiefs believed the Soviets were producing bacteriological bombs . |
28,016 | 4f6444645955632f768346d4b8884d3f363ee839 | A 'glowing' statue of the Virgin Mary has brought hundreds of pilgrims flocking to a house in a small town in southern Belgium. Police in Jalhay have been forced to post guards around a pavilion erected by the retired owners of what is being referred to as 'the mysterious glowing Virgin'. On one day this week alone 500 people visited the house in the normally quiet town to see the statue, which witnesses claim emits a dull glow in the dark. Mystery solved: Scientists found that the statue was covered in paint containing zinc sulphide which made it glow . But local Catholic authorities, who . have sent clergymen to investigate, remain cautious about claiming for . definite whether there is a natural or religious explanation for the . statue's luminescence. The . phenomenon was first noticed in the middle of January and has gradually . attracted growing crowds. Local media report that some of those visiting . the statue claim to have been cured of ailments. Pilgrims: Over 500 people came to the house in Jalhay, Belgium, in one day this month . The . statue, which is about a foot high, represents the 'Virgin of Banneux', . from the name of a nearby village where a young girl was said to have . witnessed an appearance by the Virgin in 1933. The . town has since become a pilgrim destination in largely Catholic . Belgium, although Catholic authorities from the Banneux sanctuary are . expressing caution about the 'glowing' Virgin. 'It's certain that something is going on but I can't tell you whether there is a natural or a miraculous explanation,' said Father Leo Palm, who was sent to investigate the statue by the bishop of Liege. The owners of the statue have refused to allow it to be removed for further examination, saying 'she is fine where she is'. | 500 visitors came to the 'mysterious glowing Virgin' in one day this week .
Police forced to post guards around a pavilion erected by its owners .
Catholic authorities have sent clergymen to investigate the phenomenon .
But they refuse to comment on whether it is natural or miraculous . |
106,880 | 15e05add4ffc651a169abf2ad4b31e86e9491e7d | Los Angeles (CNN) -- A tour bus crash with a big rig and two vehicles in California early Wednesday killed four people and injured nearly two dozen others near the Arizona border, according to the California Highway Patrol. All four fatalities were passengers on the tour bus, which was carrying 25 people, CNN affiliate KCBS-TV said. A truck carrying metal pipes jackknifed around 2 a.m. Wednesday on Interstate 10 near Blythe, sending the load across the highway and apparently into the opposite lane of traffic, where the tour bus was traveling, the station reported. "The pipes subsequently caused some of the vehicles to crash into them in the eastbound lanes and it appears they could have rolled into westbound traffic which is where the bus was traveling," Terri Kasinga of Caltrans told the TV station. The bus struck the pipes and then ran off the freeway by 40 to 50 feet, KCBS reported. It then fell down an embankment and landed on its side, the station said. No further details were available on the two vehicles involved in the crash. The tour bus was traveling westbound on I-10 from El Paso, Texas, to Los Angeles and had just made a stop in Phoenix, the highway patrol told the affiliate. It was not immediately known which company operated the bus. 31 children killed after bus catches fire in Colombia . Overpass fires shut down Southern California overpass . FedEx truck crashes into students' bus in California . | A tour bus, big rig, two vehicles are all involved in a crash on I-10, California Highway Patrol says .
All four fatalities were on the tour bus carrying 25 people, TV station reports .
A rig jackknifes and sends its load of metal pipes spilling onto freeway, station says . |
257,430 | d92e106dc307e6949c127a27e60698c1ad5c00d5 | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 13:09 EST, 21 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:47 EST, 21 March 2013 . A series of massive volcanic eruptions wiped out half of life on Earth 200 million years ago, according to new research. Scientists examining evidence around the globe from the United States to North Africa say they have linked the abrupt disappearance of half of the world's species 200 million years ago to a precisely dated set of gigantic volcanic eruptions. The mega eruptions may have caused climate changes so sudden that many creatures were unable to adapt - possibly on a pace similar to that of human-influenced climate warming today, according to the researchers. Scroll down for video . A series of massive volcanic eruptions wiped out half of life on Earth 200 million years ago, researcher have claimed. They say the mega eruptions may have caused climate changes so sudden that many creatures were unable to adapt . The extinction opened the way for dinosaurs to evolve and dominate the planet for the next 135 million years, before they, too, were wiped out in a later planetary cataclysm. In recent years, many scientists have suggested that the so-called End-Triassic Extinction (ETE) and at least four other known past die-offs were caused at least in part by mega-volcanism and resulting climate change. However, they were unable to tie deposits left by eruptions to biological crashes closely in time. The Earliest Jurassic plate configuration showing distribution of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province where massive eruptions occured 200m years ago . Now the new study provides the tightest link yet, with a newly precise date for the ETE - 201,564,000 years ago, exactly the same time as a massive outpouring of lava. Co-author Paul Olsen, a geologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who has been investigating the boundary since the 1970s, said: 'This may not quench all the questions about the exact mechanism of the extinction itself. 'However, the coincidence in time with the volcanism is pretty much ironclad,' Lead author Terrence Blackburn used the decay of uranium isotopes to pull exact dates from basalt, a rock left by eruptions. The basalts analyzed in the study all came from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), a series of huge eruptions known to have started around 200 million years ago, when nearly all land was massed into one huge continent. Previous studies have suggested a link between the CAMP eruptions and the extinction, but other researchers' dating of the basalts had a margin of error of one to three million years. In Clifton, New Jersey, a massive basalt flow (black rock on left) from the time of the End Triassic is exposed in a former quarry, now located behind a retirement home. Reddish sedimentary rocks signaling the extinction itself lie to the far right. The new margin of error is only a few thousand years - a blink of the eye, in geological terms. Blackburn and his colleagues showed that the eruption in Morocco was the earliest, with ones in Nova Scotia and New Jersey coming about 3,000 and 13,000 years later, respectively. Fossils show that heat-sensitive plants especially suffered; there is also evidence that the increased CO2 caused chemical reactions that made the oceans more acidic, causing populations of shell-building creatures to collapse. There is also some evidence that a large meteorite hit the earth at the time of the extinction, but that factor seems far less certain. A much stronger case has been made for the extinction of the dinosaurs by a meteorite some 65 million years ago - an event that opened the way for the evolution and dominance of mammals, including man. Along sea cliffs in southern England, geologist Paul Olsen of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory samples rocks from near the 201,564,000-year Triassic extinction boundary. The End Triassic was the fourth known global die-off; the extinction of the dinosaurs was the fifth. Today, some scientists have proposed that we are on the cusp of a sixth, manmade, extinction. Explosive human population growth, industrial activity and exploitation of natural resources are rapidly pushing many species off the map. Burning of fossil fuels in particular has had an effect, raising the air's CO2 level more than 40 per cent in just 200 years - a pace possibly as fast, or faster, than that of the End Triassic. Blackburn said: 'In some ways, the End Triassic Extinction is analogous to today. 'It may have operated on a similar time scale. 'Much insight on the possible future impact of doubling atmospheric CO2 on global temperatures, ocean acidity and life on earth may be gained by studying the geologic record.' | Scientists examining evidence around the globe from the United States to North Africa .
Found evidence off mass extinction 201,564,000 years ago, exactly the same time as a massive outpouring of lava .
Extinction opened the way for dinosaurs to evolve and dominate the planet . |
3,994 | 0b843c646f493292bdf60cf4b87c6a3b305ec2f1 | (CNN) -- Carrie Underwood continued her reign over the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday night. The platinum-selling singer and former "American Idol" champion took home the country music ceremony's top honor, video of the year, for her hit "See You Again." It was the fifth time Underwood snagged the award and her third win in a row. Before accepting her buckle, Underwood performed "Somethin' Bad," her duet with fellow country superstar Miranda Lambert, who won female video of the year for her tune "Automatic." Lambert's husband, singer and "The Voice" coach Blake Shelton, scored in the male video category for "Doin' What She Likes." Shelton was also on hand to present Cassadee Pope with the breakthrough video of the year for "Wasting All These Tears." Shelton mentored Pope on "The Voice," and when she won, an overwhelmed Pope asked, "What do I do?" to which Shelton joked, "still coaching you." Other winners included Florida Georgia Line, who won duo of the year for "Round Here" and collaborative video of the year with Luke Bryan for "This Is How We Roll." Bryan and Lionel Richie also won the CMT performance of the year awards for "Oh No/All Night Long." But the night belonged to the many performances of the evening. Florida Georgia Line, Bryan and pop singer Jason Derulo teamed up for a mashup of their respective hits "This is How We Roll" and "Talk Dirty," while R&B star John Legend, Jennifer Nettles and Hunter Hayes performed a specially arranged version of Legend's No. 1 hit "All of Me." Kacey Musgraves and Lee Ann Womack paid a performance tribute to Alan Jackson, who was honored for his 25 years in the industry with the first CMT Impact Award. Actress Kristen Bell hosted the awards show in Nashville. | Carrie Underwood won again for video of the year .
Country stars team with other musicians for mashup performances .
Alan Jackson was honored with the first CMT Impact Award . |
180,223 | 755a0bdf10a68c84b31e1d5982166e409a609e67 | They are a trademark of the Islamic State terror group. Slickly produced propaganda videos, filmed with high definition cameras. Now it has been revealed that an Australian university student is behind many of the packages broadcast around the world, which often feature barbaric threats to Westerners. In an interview with The Australian newspaper, an unnamed former electrical engineering student from Sydney said he had witnessed beheadings during his time working for the Islamic State. But he described his life as fairly typical. 'I have a job, I live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me so I can be Shaheed (martyred). Pretty typical life,' he told the newspaper. Australian militants are in front of the camera and behind the scenes: Abdullah Elmir, 17, from western Sydney, has featured in IS propaganda videos and it was revealed today an unnamed Sydney man is working behind the scenes to produce the terror group's packages . Slick production values: The Islamic State has shown a penchant for producing high-quality propaganda videos, often featuring HD cameras and elaborate costuming . It is unknown who is responsible for this video, which featured former western Sydney resident Abdullah Elmir, who headed to Syria after reportedly telling his mother he was 'going fishing' Fled overseas: Bassima (centre) and Issam El Baf, the parents of (from L to R) Taha, Hamza, Bilal and Omar from Yagoona in western Sydney, have released an image of their four sons in an effort to locate them . The man was quoted saying video editing was 'kind of a hobby at first back in Australia... mostly cheap little film effects.' He stopped when he attended university, but it became a valuable skill working for the militant group in the Middle East. The young man is one of more than 70 Australians who have left for the Middle East to fight for the militant organisation. Many wannabe militants have failed to make it over there, with the Federal government cancelling more than 100 passports. One Australian militant who featured in the group's videos, so-called 'Ginger Jihadi' Abdullah Elmir, 17, declared in a propaganda broadcast in October that Islamic State would not rest until 'the black flag is flying high across every land'. The teenager vanished in June, reportedly telling his mother he was 'going fishing' - only to turn up in the propaganda video months later, surrounding by Islamic State fighters chanting loudly. Zakaria Raad, 22, also from Sydney, appeared in a recruitment video in June but died in an ambush in Syria shortly thereafter. Australian militant Zakaria Raad (left) appeared in an Islamic State propaganda video in June . Raad was killed shortly afterwards in an ambush in Syria . Professor Greg Barton, a terrorism expert from Monash University, told Daily Mail Australia it was 'quite chilling' to think many Australians living relatively ordinary lives had joined the terrorist group. 'It's all abstract, until the kid in the next suburb over is involved in doing that,' he said. Prof Barton said there has been no indication the number of citizens heading to Syria or Iraq has slowed recently. Four brothers from a western Sydney family vanished in November after telling family they were going on a trip to Thailand. They sent a text message to their sister saying: 'we will see you in Paradise.' Acclaimed German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer, who recently spent 10 days embedded with the terror group in Mosul and Syria, said he was surprised by the hundreds of foreign fighters who have arrived from all over the world. In a detailed post on his Facebook site this wek, Todenhöfer wrote: 'The West underestimated the risk posed by IS dramatically. 'The IS fighters are much smarter and more dangerous than our leaders believe. 'In the Islamic State, there is an almost palpable enthusiasm and confidence of victory, which I have not seen in many war zones.' Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week warned security agencies have picked up 'heightened terrorist chatter' since last week's siege at the Lindt cafe in Martin Place. Abdullah Elmir was only 17 when he fled Australia to join Islamic State fighters . | Australian university student is behind some Islamic State propaganda videos .
Terrorist group is known for its slickly produced propaganda packages .
Video producer told a newspaper his life was fairly typical .
'I have a job, live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me so I can be martyred' |
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