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29,139 | 52c18878dfb070d168fb76c836e05b1b78fc778d | (CNN) -- Three games are on the schedule Friday at the World Cup, including a match between fancied Spain and always tough the Netherlands in a rematch of the 2010 final. You'll also be able to watch Mexico, which at one point was a minute away from missing the finals, battle Cameroon in the first match of the day, and Australia take on Chile in the last. Here are five things to look for on Friday: . Crushing on Cameroon . Their World Cup history is short and their highlights are limited, with six appearances in the finals and five early exits. But since Roger Milla's goal to shock holders Argentina in the 1990 opener, we've loved watching them. They are like a rock band with no hit records, but man do they put on a live show. El Tri says we're ready now . Mexico was about 90 seconds from being sent home from qualifying, but thanks to a stoppage-time goal from the United States that eliminated Panama, Mexico was able to advance. The team also struggled in warmup matches, so you'd think they might have a goal of say, getting out of their tough group, but no, they plan more. "Our team is strong and in our minds we believe we can make it all the way to the finals and make history," longtime defender and captain Rafa Marquez said Thursday. No sweat, they just have to make it out of a group that also has Brazil and Croatia. Early showdown . Defending champion Spain has this winning major titles thing down pat. Spain won European championships in 2008 and 2012 as well as the World Cup in '10. That's why La Roja is the No. 1 team coming in even if teams like Brazil and Germany are more favored. "It's a veteran team," Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque said. "It's a mature team with people who are in shape, it's what they do, what they have done." On Friday they meet the Netherlands -- you might call them Holland -- in what should be the best game of the day. Will there be more protests? In Natal, where Cameroon and Mexico play in the first match of the day, there are 4,700 federal troops to provide security and keep order, The New York Times reports, adding that a bus strike affecting a half-million commuters began this week. Reason to love Cameroon . One of the best nicknames in the tournament: The Indomitable Lions. | Cameroon may not get to the knockout round but they usually delight .
Mexico wasn't a great team during qualifying but their captain says don't overlook them .
Spain coach says his lads are in physically good shape .
Another reason to cheer for Cameroon? The team nickname . |
85,528 | f292e94dd3d9eef82fd6637e21178974f10d39c3 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that laboratory tests on popular smoking devices known as electronic cigarettes have found they contain carcinogens and other toxic chemicals dangerous to humans. E-cigarettes are battery-operated and contain cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals. Known as "e-cigarettes," the devices are battery-operated and contain cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals, spiced with flavors such as chocolate, cola or bubble gum. While manufacturers tout e-cigarettes as a "healthy way" to smoke, federal health officials say the devices turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. "The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public," said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the FDA. CNN contacted Florida-based Smoking Everywhere, one of the largest manufacturers of e-cigarettes, after the FDA announcement, and a spokeswoman said the company had no comment. Because e-cigarettes have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval, the agency had no way of knowing the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user. That is why the FDA began to test them. The FDA's Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of e-cigarettes. In releasing its information, the FDA did not identify the two companies, but said in one sample, diethylene glycol -- a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans -- was detected. Other samples detected carcinogens that are dangerous to those who smoke them, the FDA said. The FDA has been examining and seizing shipments of non-U.S.-made e-cigarettes at the U.S. border since summer 2008. To date, 50 shipments have been stopped. The products examined thus far meet the definition of a combination drug-device product under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. "We know very little about these devices, said Dr. Jonathan Samet, director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California, "but to say they are healthy -- that's highly doubtful." Samet and other health experts attended the FDA announcement on its findings. Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium, said parents need to be aware of e-cigarettes. "It is very important that parents let their children know these are not safe and to make recommendations, or even enforce rules that they not be used," he said. "Children who use these products may also be using other tobacco products," said Dr. Matthew McKenna, director of the Office of Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's a good idea to make sure the child is aware of the dangers of tobacco in products in general." The FDA has been challenged regarding its jurisdiction over certain e-cigarettes in a case pending in federal court. The FDA suggested health care professionals and consumers report serious side effects or product quality problems with the use of e-cigarettes to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone. CNN's Valerie Willingham contributed to this report. | FDA lab tests on e-cigarettes find carcinogens and other toxic chemicals .
E-cigarettes are battery operated, contain cartridges filled with nicotine, chemicals .
They turn nicotine, chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user .
Product had not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval . |
75,225 | d5479f618b51f6aba73ef060617f9fa2d549979d | By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 04:40 EST, 30 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:30 EST, 30 August 2013 . Students are hardly known for their desire to keep their accommodation spick and span, with mould often left growing in the fridge and bins overflowing with half eaten kebabs and empty cans of cider. So perhaps it is only fitting that this year's ugliest building award has gone to the new University College London digs at 465 Caledonian Road, which judges 'struggled to see as fit for human occupation'. Described as a 'Frankenstein concoction', it saw off stiff competition from runner-up Castle Mill - also built as student accommodation - which has infuriated residents for blotting out postcard views of the dreaming spires of Oxford. Grim: The UCL student accommodation at 465 Caledonian Road refused planning permission, but a planning inspector overruled the decision . Room with a view: The windows of the new property are at a different level to the original facade, pictured here, meaning students stare straight at a brick wall . Such is public anger with that building, calls have been made for a judicial review into how it came to be approved in the first place. But it was 465 Caledonian Road in the London Borough of Islington that stole Building Design magazine's Carbuncle Cup for the worst new building of 2013. Described as an 'outrageous housing scheme', 465 Caledonian Road offered 'deep grounds for offence in it's cavalier attitude to a historic asset,' according to the jury. Mind the gap: The developer retained the original frontage, but destroyed the rest of the Victorian building to make way for the new building . The magazine accused the architect . Stephen George & Partners of knowing 'a thing or two about grotesque . overdevelopment', adding: The practice’s . solution in Islington has to rank as the mother of all facadectomies.' Stephen George has declined to comment. The . new development was built on a site previously occupied by a listed . warehouse dating back to 1874. All but the front facade was pulled down . to make way for the new building. The bit that was left was stripped of its windows and propped 2m in front of the historic building's replacement. But the retained openings do not align with the new windows leaving students nothing better than a brick wall as a view for the unlucky occupants. According to Building Design: 'Of the . 44 student rooms addressing Caledonian Road, more than half have no . eye-level outlook.' To compensate for the fact the new building was two storeys higher than the original, the builder removed the top of the old facade and added a new floor, before sticking the original top back on again. Building Design said: 'One might hope that these . compromised rooms represent the worst the development has to offer, but . many of those facing away from the street promise to be grimmer still.' When Islington council refused planning permission in 2009, it identified 151 of the units as 'suffering from poor outlook', 179 as not receiving 'good daylighting', and 60 as not having 'adequate privacy'. Controversial: Oxford University's Castle Mill student accommodation was pipped to the post by Caledonian Road . Some of the rooms overlook each other from windows just 5m apart. Building Design pointed out residents of Pentonville Prison just down the road are treated to a better view. Overturning the council's decision, the Planning Inspectorate wrote: 'There is agreement that the nature . of the accommodation warrants some departure from the amenity standards . that would be applied to residential accommodation intended for normal . domestic occupation. 'Relevant . factors in this are that individual students would occupy the . accommodation for less than a year, and that its main function would be . for sleeping due to intensive daytime activities taking place at the . university campus.' Characterless: The Avant Garde building on Bethnal Green Road (left), which critics say fails to blend into the Victorian surroundings. Right, the Redcar Beacon . 'The dumpster': The stark-looking Porth Eirias Watersports Centre in Colwyn Bay, Wales, is also part of a multimillion pound seafront redevelopment, but its skip-like shape has led to an unfortunate nickname . 'Lumpen': The 234-room Premier Inn on York Road in Waterloo, designed by Hamiltons, is the third London building to make the Carbuncle Cup shortlist, and which building design describes as a 'travesty' | University College London digs described as unfit 'for human occupation'
The Caledonian Road building has won this year's Carbuncle Cup .
It saw off competition to be named Britain's most ugliest new building .
The judges noted nearby Pentonville Prison offered better views . |
129,448 | 3351ecbf1c9422b662fe335e546fe1e9f7c50b5c | (CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest. | Mexican police: Laura Zuniga, seven men face arms charges, federal probe .
Zuniga, men found in vehicles with weapons, $50,000, police say .
Zuniga won state beauty contest, finished third in national competition .
She won "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" title in October . |
255,737 | d700b8e033ba9de226bcc0bde02edd08ae2c755b | A man has been arrested on cannibalism charges in Papua New Guinea after he took his young daughter’s life by biting her neck and sucking out her blood. The three-year-old child's murder has shocked the country, which has become hardened to numerous cases of witchcraft and brutal killings. Police said the murder of the child had left the community all horrified and resulted in the local paper, The Post Courier, running a front page headline declaring: 'Vampire Father'. Terror in paradise: The man wrenched his daughter out of her mother's arms when they visited him in Morobe Province, pictured, and ran off with the little girl (stock image) The incident was described as 'a sickening act of cannibalism', a comment supported by police. The father, named as Rex Eric, from the Finschhafen District in Morobe Province, has been charged with cannibalism and wilful murder, although investigations are still continuing. Local councillor John Kenny, who was the first to reach the tragic scene, said the incident occurred after the mother and the child came to visit the father, from whom she is believed to be separated. 'He grabbed the baby girl from her, jumped over a fence and ran into bushes where he carried out this terrible thing,' said Mr Kenny. 'He held the baby close to him, bit deep into her neck, ate the flesh, sucked the blood,' he told the newspaper. Cannibalism: According to witnesses in Morobe, the father jumped over a fence and ran into nearby bushes where he ate bits of his daughter's flesh and drank her blood until she was dead (stock image) 'Two boys who were climbing coconut trees nearby saw him and ran quickly to the (nearby) settlement to alert the people. 'He was just laughing at the boys and continued eating the flesh and sucking the blood. 'The boys were scared and ran quickly to alert the people.' The baby girl's body was found where the father had dumped her in the bushes. The man ran towards a church seminary where other villagers grabbed him and handed him over to the authorities. Police said they believed the man was possessed - a claim not unusual in a country where sorcery and witchcraft are still practiced in remote areas. | Papua New Guinea father arrested on cannibalism charges .
Man bit three-year-old girl's neck and sucked her blood until she died .
The local community has branded the man 'a possessed vampire' |
169,023 | 66ad943eed95a11ae6bbf4681b963adbcd38c445 | By . Ulla Kloster . PUBLISHED: . 12:55 EST, 4 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:52 EST, 5 August 2013 . This strip club may be located at one of the world's most beautiful travel destinations, but it appears to have been mysteriously abandoned by its once regular clientele. Perhaps its venue - several feet below water level - was just too off-putting. The Nymphas Show Bar, which still features a stripper's pole, was re-discovered by photographer Gil Koplovitz during a dive off the coast of Eilat in Israel. Photographer Gil Koplovitz discovered the Nymphas Show Bar during a dive off the coast of Eilat in Israel, seen here through the windows. The pole is the only remaining clue to the club's past . It has been described as the world's . most bizarre nude dancing club, but even Koplovitz is unsure how long . the club has been lying underwater, empty. He told The Huffington Post: 'The entrance [to the strip joint] is . above water. People just crossed a 230ft bridge and . went down a flight of stairs. No need to get wet.' But while the club has lost its attraction, Koplovitz's pictures have caught people's imagination, capturing the eerie beauty of modern day ruins. Koplovitz's pictures have caught people's imagination - they capture the eerie beauty of modern day ruins . The pole in the centre of the picture is the only thing left which hints at the club's past as a strip joint - it used to be an underwater restaurant . The scene is called 'Abandoned Porn' and his photos have left many people more intrigued than they would be . by images of an ordinary strip club. Taken through the windows of the rusted destination, they show the once glossy, pristine interior. Chairs and most of the tables have been removed, but the stage and the pole remain. An empty bottle of mineral water has been left on one of the few remaining pieces of furniture. The only ones showing any interest in the club now are the fish having a peek through the windows as they swim past. Another peek through the windows of the now defunct Nymphas Show Bar in Eilat, Israel - a large mirror appears to have been left behind . Customers may have abandoned the Nymphas Show Bar, but the wildlife off the coast of Eilat is still showing interest . The Nymphas Show Bar seen through another window with some remaining tables and the pole - the diver can been seen though one of the windows . | Club captured by a photographer during a dive off the coast of Eilat, Israel .
'Nymphas Show Bar' said to once have been an underwater restaurant .
The entrance is .
above water, by a bridge, down one flight of stairs . |
107,635 | 16c73e36634ef940cb2c130d6cab365d7a0fde65 | By . Mail online Reporter . A Minnesota hunting club has offered to pay for the wedding and reception of a same-sex couple after first refusing to let the two men hold the ceremony there. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced the settlement between the Little Falls hunting club and couple Cole Frey and Adam Block Friday. It is the first settlement of its kind since Minnesota legalized gay marriage in 2013. A Minnesota hunting club has offered to pay for the marriage and reception of Adam Block and Cole Frey after initially turning the couple away . According to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the owners of LeBlanc's Rice Creek Hunting and Recreation Inc. will pay roughly $8,500 to cover the ceremony and reception and apologize to the couple. Frey, 20, and Block, 18, became engaged in November. Frey contacted LeBlanc's in February about holding the wedding there on his stepmother's suggestion. He was told the date he wanted was available. But when he went to sign the paperwork and give a security deposit, things went sour. 'That’s when they found out it would be between two males,' Frey told the Star-Tribune. 'They told us they don’t condone same-sex marriage, and they . wouldn’t be marrying us on their property.' Frey immediately called the state's Department of Human Rights and an inquiry was launched. An investigator from the department was also turned away when calling to ask about holding a same-sex wedding. The Little Falls hunting club said it would pay approximately $8,500 for the ceremony and reception to be held there . LeBlanc's attorney Paul Rogosheske claims his clients misunderstood state law. 'They made a mistake and we did everything in our power to correct it,' he said. 'This couple is going to have a great . wedding and I can assure you LeBlanc’s is going to be open to . everybody.' Rogosheske said it the initial refusal was because of the owner's religious beliefs. 'You’ve . got the archdiocese campaigning against the amendment, they were very . vocal,' he said. 'You could see how people involved in a private . hunting club, they were new to hosting weddings in the first place, you . could see how they made a mistake.' The owners declined interview requests. Minnesota criminalized discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1993. The couple said they no longer wish to have their wedding at the club because of its intolerance of same-sex marriage . Religious entities were exempted from having to take part in same-sex weddings when gay marriage was legalized there in 2013, but that exemption does not extend to businesses or individuals for their religious beliefs. The laws have enraged gay rights opponents . 'This . is a shameful example of government forcing citizens to accept the . government’s view of sexuality and marriage,' said Minnesota Family Council CEO John Helmberger. Even, without Helmberger's blessing, the happy couple's wedding will take place next Friday, at a private home. 'We . kind of came to the conclusion, anyway, that we didn’t want to have it . there because we didn’t want to be associated with them in that way,' Frey said. | Settlement is first of its kind since state legalized gay marriage in 2013 .
Little Falls hunting club would pay about $8,500 for the ceremony and reception for couple Cole Frey and Adam Block .
Frey and Block have already decided to hold the ceremony in a private home because they were uncertain about being associated with the establishment . |
116,357 | 222e48f8945d2e96f00b1dca2e3d22673e4fc666 | (CNN) -- Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has been handed his first call-up to the France squad for their two World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania. Gignac has been rewarded for his superb form this season with a first call-up to the France squad. The 23-year-old forward is the top scorer in French Ligue 1 with 17 goals this season -- and has been selected by coach Raymond Domenech ahead of Paris St-Germain striker Guillaume Hoarau. Defenders Patrice Evra and Ladil Rami return, but fellow-defenders Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon) and Julien Escude (Sevilla) are all ruled out through injury. There is also no place in the squad for captain Patrick Vieira, who has struggled to find his best form for Inter Milan this season. France are currently third in European Group Seven with just one win to show from their first three matches. They trail Serbia and Lithuania by five points but have a game in hand on both nations. France initially face Lituania in Kaunas on March 28, with the return match at the Stade de France in Paris on April 1. France squad: . Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Cedric Carrasso (Toulouse). Defenders: Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal), Philippe Mexes (Roma), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Adil Rami (Lille). Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich). Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse). | Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac handed his first call-up to France squad .
Gignac named in 23-man squad after scoring 15 goals in Ligue 1 this season .
But there is no place for captain Patrick Vieira in Raymond Domenech's squad . |
280,201 | f6fe7ee8344c947d8358c1ae6f1c777767f488f5 | Could the Netflix model work for a movie theater chain? AMC Theaters is reportedly exploring that with a pilot partnership with MoviePass, a company which offers a subscription service where movie lovers can attend a movie a day for a monthly fee. AMC operates more than 4,900 screens across the United States, making it the second largest theater chain behind Regal Entertainment. The New York Times reports that moviegoers would pay a fee of $35 a month, which would allow them a pass to attend one showing a day of any movie they choose. A $45 per month option includes 3D and IMAX films. MoviePass launched back in 2011 and AMC decided to partner with the company in response to the decline in attendance by young moviegoers. According to Nielsen's 2014 Moviegoing Report, which was released last week, audiences between the ages of 12 and 24 years old saw an average of 7.1 movies -- a decrease of 15.5% from last year's report. "Millennials are consuming things differently, and that includes going to the movies," MoviePass's chief executive and co-founder Stacy Spikes told the Times. Younger people are already enthusiastic users of subscription services like Netflix for movies and Spotify for music, which allows them to consume what they want, when they want. "It frankly wouldn't be smart to ignore the success of subscription in other areas of media," Christina Sternberg, the senior vice president for corporate strategy at AMC, told The Times. A movie a day might keep the lagging box office numbers away. The industry had a less than stellar summer blockbuster season. The new pilot program will be rolled out in January in Denver and Boston. Other cities will be added based on the rate of success in the initial markets. | AMC is launching a pilot program .
Moviegoers would pay a fee to get a daily movie pass .
Viewership by younger audiences is down . |
19,794 | 383318ee3a4ef163992e12e98f2a07e9e4d8ac50 | Washington (CNN) -- The 17-year sentence given to convicted terrorist plotter Jose Padilla was ruled too lenient by a federal appeals court on Monday, a legal victory for the Obama administration. A divided 2-1 panel of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the federal judge presiding over the 2007 conspiracy trial did not properly take into account the former gang member's past criminal history when sentencing him. Padilla and two others were found guilty of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens and provide material support to terrorists. "Padilla's sentence is substantively unreasonable because it ... does not adequately account for his risk of recidivism, was based partly on an impermissible comparison to sentences imposed in other terrorism cases, and was based in part on inappropriate factors," said the majority. "First, the district court acknowledged that Padilla had a criminal history but then unreasonably discounted this criminal history when it imposed a sentence. The presentence investigation report classified Padilla as a career offender, pursuant to [federal law] because of his extensive criminal history, which included 17 arrests and a murder conviction." Padilla was originally arrested nearly a decade ago on accusations he planned to set off radioactive "dirty bombs" in the United States. He had been held for 3 ½ years as an "enemy combatant" in military confinement, without being charged in that alleged plot. His later convictions were not related to those accusations, and prosecutors did not present the "dirty bomb" plot to the jury. He and co-defendants Adham Hassoun and Kifan Jayyousi were also found guilty of the three counts charged: conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim people in a foreign country; conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists; and providing material support for terrorists. The appeals panel upheld the convictions and sentences of the other two defendants but said Padilla's prison term was too light, ordering the trial judge to resentence him. The judges supporting the tougher sentence were Chief Judge Joel Dubina -- a George H.W. Bush appointee -- and William Pryor, a George W. Bush appointee. The order did not include a deadline for resentencing. A federal court jury in Miami in August 2007 had deliberated for just under two days before handing down the guilty verdicts. Padilla received a "fair trial and a just verdict," the Bush White House said in a statement at the time, but the administration decided to appeal the sentence. The Obama administration picked up the case in 2009. There was no immediate reaction to the appeals ruling from either Padilla's legal team or the Justice Department. During the trial, prosecutors played more than 70 intercepted phone calls among the defendants for jurors, including seven that featured Padilla, now 40. He is a Brooklyn-born convert to Islam who also is referred to in court papers as Abu Abdullah al Mujahir. FBI agent John Kavanaugh testified that the calls were made in code, which Padilla used to discuss traveling overseas to fight with Islamic militants, along with side trips to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Padilla's lawyers had argued he never spoke in code. His voice is heard on only seven of 300,000 taped conversations. In dissent in Monday's ruling, Judge Rosemary Barkett questioned Kavanaugh's testimony, saying his "opinion testimony should have been excluded because he was never qualified as an expert and did not have the requisite firsthand knowledge to offer his lay opinion." She also said the appeals court should not have questioned the trial judge's discretion over the sentence. The Supreme Court in 2004 had heard Padilla's original appeal over his former enemy- combatant status, claiming he deserved a chance to contest his prior military detention on constitutional grounds. He was arrested in May 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as he returned from overseas, where he had been living. He was detained as a material witness in the September 11, 2001, attacks investigation. President George W. Bush designated him an "enemy combatant" the following month and turned him over to the military. He was one of the few terror suspects designated by the U.S. as an enemy combatant since 9/11. Padilla was held in a South Carolina naval brig for 3 1/2 years before the government brought criminal charges against him. In November 2006, he was added to an existing indictment in south Florida, which said Padilla and his co-defendants belonged to a North American terrorist support cell and intended to carry out jihad, or holy war, in foreign countries. He was originally accused of, but never charged with, being a potential "dirty bomber," allegedly plotting to detonate a crude explosive device laden with radioactive materials in the United States. Those allegations were not included in the criminal indictment. Two other enemy combatants eventually were sent overseas to the custody of other nations. The Obama administration has since abandoned using the term "enemy combatant." The current White House has been criticized for continuing many of the anti-terror policies of the Bush administration, including military prosecutions of high-value suspected terrorists held in Guantanamo Bay. But some conservatives have also slammed President Barack Obama for his previous desire to close the prison facility in Cuba and prosecute terrorists in civilian federal courts in the United States. That policy has since been abandoned." Those three cases that include Padilla, as well as other appeals from foreign nationals held as enemy combatants overseas at a U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have tested the government's power to interrogate captives without allowing them regular access to a lawyer or the judicial system, on the grounds that they may pose a future threat or know about pending terrorist attacks. The current ruling is U.S. v. Padilla (08-10494). | 17 years too little time for convicted terror plotter, federal appeals court rules .
Ruling: Federal judge in 2007 trial didn't weigh criminal history adequately .
Dissenter: Lower-court judge's sentencing discretion shouldn't be question .
Jose Padilla, 40, a former gang member, plotted to set off "dirty bombs" |
91,986 | 025322a946ce4a8068ea0faaaef5ec9710b50270 | Paul Rosolie allowed himself to be eaten alive by a giant snake in a documentary for the Discovery Channel . The Amazon boasts the world’s greatest variety of wildlife, but no one had ever seen anything quite like this. Gliding through the dense, waterlogged vegetation was a 20ft long, 18 ½ st green anaconda — one of the world’s most terrifying creatures. Moving tentatively towards it was a man on his hands and knees pretending to be a wild boar — clad head to toe in a black armoured suit slathered in pig’s blood. Paul Rosolie was on a terrifying mission: to be eaten alive by the biggest and mightiest snake on Earth. The 27-year-old wildlife presenter and his ten-strong team had spent 60 days struggling up to the headwaters of the world’s largest river, battling electric eels, floods and poachers. Finally, they’d found a snake that might be big enough to swallow Rosolie whole as the cameras rolled. Tomorrow night in America, the Discovery Channel will broadcast the result of his experiment in its show Eaten Alive, despite protests from conservationists on both sides of the Atlantic. The documentary — to be aired in the UK on Friday — will follow his stomach-churning quest into the very belly of the beast. The channel has refused to say exactly what ensued after the snake wrapped Rosolie in its coils. But he has explained what drove him to such extremes of apparent lunacy — and told of his fear as he realised the snake had accepted his invitation to subject him to one of the natural world’s most lingering deaths. ‘I wanted to do something to grab people’s attention to the plight of the disappearing rainforests, something completely crazy,’ he told me this week. ‘Everything else has been tried.’ Whether his idea will ignite a debate about saving the forests or just terrify people even more about snakes remains to be seen. Rosolie, who has written the well-received book Mother of God about exploring the region, says anacondas are misunderstood. He describes the species as a predator at the top of the food chain, with no natural foes except human beings — who wrongly see the snakes as a threat. They are in fact shy creatures, but they can be deadly when roused. Reaching up to 30ft in length and 39 st, they live in or around water and are far thicker than the pythons of Africa and Asia. They are not venomous but boast powerful jaws attached by elastic ligaments. Rosolie had already been bitten by one anaconda and seized by another — it took five people to pry it off him, by which time it had broken one of his ribs. The naturalist donned a crush-proof suit for the stunt which has been criticised by animal rights groups . His bid to be eaten and, of course, rescued before perishing, was filmed last spring but the documentary took two years to prepare. Its makers’ main task was to ensure Rosolie didn’t end up like the snake’s usual meals: crushed until he was asphyxiated. Anacondas will bite their prey, such as wild pigs, with teeth that curve backwards — preventing the animal from breaking away. Then they’ll pull it into water if they can, wrapping it in coils that crush its bones to make swallowing it easier. The power of a giant anaconda (they are always female, the males are much smaller) is awe-inspiring. The force of constriction is equal to having a nine-ton bus on your chest, according to Rosolie. Happily, they rarely encounter people. But they will go after any prey that they can subdue and swallow. ‘An anaconda can stretch to three times its own girth, so a 20ft snake would easily encompass my shoulders,’ says Rosolie. For his experiment, he needed a lightweight but super-strong carbon-fibre suit to protect him from being crushed. One was created by a team of engineers, who used a 3D scan of his body to make sure it fit his 5ft 9in frame closely. It was also streamlined so he’d be less likely to damage the snake’s insides, and — crucially for Rosolie — its material would resist the anaconda’s digestive fluids. The sealed suit was finished with built-in cameras and a radio mic so he could communicate with his watching team. Doctors also made him swallow a capsule that would transmit his vital signs in case he was unable — or unwilling — to signal he was in trouble. ‘They knew I’m the type who’ll say “I’m fine, I’m fine…” until I’m dead,’ says Rosolie. ‘We had to make sure I didn’t get crushed, but the suit took care of that. But if I was eaten, we were worried what would happen to my breathing system because I could have suffocated very quickly.’ His face mask was connected to a crush-proof hose that trailed behind him, leading to an three-hour oxygen supply. Another hose removed the air he exhaled so it wouldn’t leak into the snake’s stomach and kill it. Next, the team had to find a suitable snake. They eventually encountered a vast beast in the dense foliage of the Peruvian Amazon. Then they had to ensure that it ate him. Pig blood was slathered on the suit to make it smell more like prey. But Rosolie says: ‘I had to provoke a defence response from the snake and turn it into a predator. I got down on all fours to make contact with it and simply let it bite me.’ The 27-year-old would not reveal the result of the experiment but said he has not yet fully recovered . Snakes almost always eat their prey headfirst so it goes down more smoothly. Rosolie was no exception. ‘She nailed me right in the face, and the last thing I remember was her mouth open wide, straight in my face, and everything went black,’ he tells me. ‘I went limp and let it constrict. All the while I was just thinking: “Eat, eat, eat!” ’ He describes the crushing feeling of the constriction as like being caught under a powerful wave. Incredibly, it lasted for more than an hour. ‘She wrapped around me and I felt my suit cracking and my arms ripping out of their sockets,’ he says. ‘It was absolutely terrifying.’ Enveloped in the snake’s coils, he couldn’t see anything but he was able to radio back to his team to say he was alive. They had agreed that once he was in past his waist, they would pull him out before it became too difficult to extract him without damaging either him or the snake. There were doctors and vets on hand, he says, and his wife Gowri, who’s also a naturalist, was watching too. ‘She was keeping everybody else relaxed, saying: “Paul will be fine.” ’ She wasn’t entirely correct, though. Rosolie will not reveal until the programme airs how much of him was actually swallowed — but he says the snake ‘beat the s***’ out of him and came off a lot better from the encounter than he did. Months later, he is still not entirely recovered. He has no problems about people calling his escapade a stunt, saying: ‘The whole idea is to shock people.’ But he hadn’t expected the volume of hate mail and even death threats he’s attracted from animal-rights campaigners around the world. The campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) judged from early reports of the experiment that the snake was ‘tormented and suffered for the sake of ratings’. The anaconda would have expended valuable energy in swallowing Rosolie and then regurgitating him, it argued. And Dr Ian Stephen of the British Herpetological Society, which covers the study of reptiles and amphibians, was ‘horrified’ by the project. ‘It demonstrates a complete disregard for animal welfare of the highest degree,’ he said. ‘It would have been stressed beyond belief.’ If it’s any comfort to his critics, so, surely, was Rosolie. | Paul Rosolie wanted to bring attention to the plight of the rainforest .
The 27-year-old allowed himself to be bitten and eaten by an anaconda .
Wore a crush-proof suit for experiment that was filmed for a documentary .
Stunt has been slammed by animal rights campaigners across the world .
Eaten Alive will be shown in America on the Discovery Channel on Sunday . |
261,243 | de57df216130c8cfa7d25bc518eac6db309f5d33 | The whereabouts of ousted Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan were a mystery Wednesday after he flew out of the country the night before, despite a prosecutor's order he not leave after his removal from office. Zeidan was in Malta late Tuesday on a refueling stop for about two hours while en route to "another European country," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in televised remarks. As of Wednesday, it was unclear which country that was or if he had arrived there. Libya's acting Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Abdullah al-Thinni told reporters Wednesday that -- despite the prosecutor's order -- there was no ban and Zeidan was free to leave. "If there is a warrant ... if he is wanted by the judiciary, he can return and be held accountable according to the law and international norms. And this is not considered fleeing," al-Thinni said, contradicting an earlier statement from the Ministry of Justice. Hours earlier, the North African country's parliament dismissed the prime minister after rebels in eastern Libya said a tanker loaded with oil from a port under their control escaped a naval blockade and moved into international waters. Libya's prosecutor general said in Tripoli he had banned Zeidan from traveling abroad because of an investigation relating to a payment the government allegedly made last year to an armed group blocking oil ports in the east. A copy of the travel ban, dated March 11, was posted on his press office's Facebook page marked "urgent and important." "We order placing the aforementioned in the monitoring database and banning him from travel until he appears for the investigation," said the order, addressed to the head of Libya's immigration department. Oil chaos . The vote of no-confidence came after Zeidan's failure to stop rebels from exporting oil independently, the latest challenge in the vast desert nation's bumpy transition. The Libyan government said late Monday it had taken control of the North Korean-flagged tanker, Morning Glory, as it tried to leave the Al-Sidra port in eastern Libya, and after having briefly exchanged fire with rebels. However, in a sign of the chaos and conflicting information typical for Libya, the rebels rejected the assertion. On Wednesday, al-Thinni said the tanker was at sea where Libyan military forces fired on it until they were called off by the U.S. Navy for fear of an environmental disaster. The oil tanker managed to sail away despite a fire on board, he said. A spokesman for Egypt's military, Col. Ahmed Ali, said on Wednesday that its navy will monitor Egyptian waters for the oil tanker. If the Egyptian navy finds the Morning Glory in Egyptian waters, authorities will demand to board and inspect the vessel to verify that the ship's cargo is legal and properly authorized, Ali said. Egyptian authorities will detain the ship if they find it to be violating of any laws or regulations. A North Korean state news agency said that while the ship had been temporarily flagged in North Korea, it is operated by the Golden East Logistics Company in Alexandria, Egypt. KCNA also wrote that North Korea notified the International Maritime Organization that the ship owners had violated North Korean law. It said Pyongyang had canceled and deleted the ship's registry. Oil slump . Oil production, Libya's economic lifeline, has slowed to a trickle since the summer as armed protesters have seized oil ports and oil fields to press political and financial demands. Oil revenue in the first two months of the year was only 16% of what was expected in the budget, Deputy Oil Minister Omar Shukmak said. They are seeking a greater share of the country's oil revenue, as well as autonomy for eastern Libya. Al-Thinni said the military would not fight the protesters in the ports. "There will be no use of force against Libyan citizens," he said. The conflict over oil wealth is stoking fears Libya may slide deeper into chaos as the fragile government fails to rein in the armed brigades that helped oust Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 but now do as they please. The removal of Zeidan, a liberal weakened for months by infighting with Islamists, deepens the turmoil in the country of 6 million people. | State media in North Korea says temporary registry for tanker has been canceled .
Acting PM says predecessor free to leave, return for legal proceedings .
Abdullah al-Thinni says Libyan navy tracked oil tanker after it got through blockade .
Cairo says it will board the tanker if it enters Egyptian waters . |
279,646 | f645493e6ddf51fadcbc78a38c7b917ee8a6e352 | (CNN)Two purported ISIS fighters interviewed for a news agency working in ISIS-held territory have given the same reason for the militants' retreat from the Syrian city of Kobani: the constant pummeling by coalition airstrikes. On Monday, Kurdish fighters declared that they had released the city on the border to Turkey from ISIS' grip after 112 days of fighting. The efforts of the Kurdish fighters -- known as the YPG, or People's Protection Units -- on the ground were backed by an extensive campaign of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS. And according to the interviews given to ISIS-aligned Amak news agency in Syria, it was those airstrikes that won the battle for Kobani, referred to by the fighters as Ayn Al-Islam. "Recently, we have withdrawn from Ayn Al-Islam bit by bit, because of the airstrikes and deaths of a number of our brothers," said one of the two fighters, his face covered apart from his eyes. He points to a scene of destruction behind him but vows that ISIS will persist, "and this is the message we send to Obama." The second fighter interviewed by Amak stood near a road sign reading Ayn Al-Islam. He said ISIS forces had raided 360 villages around Kobani, from which the people "ran away like rats." But the reason behind their withdrawal from the city, he said, "is that we no longer had places to hold there. We were inside Ayn Al-Islam and we occupied more than 70%, but the airstrikes did not leave any building standing, they destroyed everything." His horror of the airstrikes was apparent. "I swear by God, their planes did not leave the air, day and night; they did airstrikes all day and night. They targeted everything. They even attacked motorcycles; they have not left a building standing. But by God willing we will return and we will have our revenge multiplied." ISIS is on its heels after the loss of Kobani and an offensive by Kurdish Peshmerga -- armed fighters who protect Iraq's Kurdish region -- around Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city and a focal point for all sides in the conflict. But on Friday, the Sunni extremist group launched an assault on Iraq's oil-rich city of Kirkuk in what may be an attempt to divert Kurdish troops from Mosul. A report by Rudaw, a private website dedicated to presenting news from a Kurdish perspective, said at least 30 ISIS fighters were killed in the assault and 15 captured. Casualties on the other side included Brig. Gen. Shirko Fateh, the highest-ranking operational commander of the Peshmerga brigade located in Kirkuk. ISIS captured 15 employees working at the Khabbaz oilfield southwest of Kirkuk after launching their assault in the area, Brig. Gen. Sarhat Qader, the head of Kirkuk's suburbs and villages police, told CNN on Saturday. A joint operation is underway by his police officers, Peshmerga and Kurdish security forces to free the hostages and take back control of the oilfield, seized by ISIS militants on Friday, Qader said. Troops have already liberated Al-Assal village, also taken by ISIS on Friday and located next to Khabbaz oil field, he said. Meanwhile, Gen. Hussein Mansour, the head of Peshmerga forces in Jalawla, in Diyala province, was killed in clashes with ISIS in southwestern Kirkuk, Saman Jabari, a senior Kurdish figure and local Peshmerga leader, told CNN on Saturday. Mansour brought his troops from Jalawla, about 100 miles away, to reinforce the Peshmerga in Kirkuk following the ISIS assault, he said. U.S. and coalition aircraft carried out 17 airstrikes in Iraq on Friday, according to a U.S. Central Command statement, 10 of them near Kirkuk and two near Mosul. Both the coalition and the Peshmerga are trying to prevent ISIS from opening a new front in Kirkuk, which ISIS likely hoped would lessen the pressure on Mosul. Additionally, by going on the offensive here, ISIS appears to be offering some obvious targets for strikes. If ISIS can be driven back from positions in Kirkuk, it will have to try other tactical offensives to draw Kurdish forces away from the outskirts of Mosul. The Kurds on their own admission have no intention of entering Mosul but want to choke off ISIS supply lines into the city. Another 10 airstrikes were carried out Friday against ISIS targets in Syria, eight of them near Kobani. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition group, from October 6 to Monday the fighting for Kobani killed 979 ISIS combatants, 324 YPG fighters and 12 rebels backing the YPG. Thirty-eight more ISIS militants died in attacks using booby-trapped vehicles or bomb belts, and the ISIS shelling of Kobani killed 12 civilians, SOHR said. "On the other hand, hundreds of (ISIS) militants died during U.S. and Arab allies' airstrikes on the city and its countryside," the group said. However, the success of the coalition airstrikes in Kobani will be hard to replicate elsewhere. There are almost no civilians left in the city of Kobani, and most residents left early on when the fighting started, especially in the contested areas close to the front line. This meant airstrikes were fairly straightforward, with the coalition able to target one side and avoid civilian casualties. The front line was well defined, so it was clear where the ISIS and Kurdish fighters were. A more challenging situation is when airstrikes seek to target ISIS inside populated areas like Mosul in Iraq, Raqqa in Syria and other cities under ISIS control. Here the effectiveness of airstrikes is limited because of the risk of casualties among civilians. When coalition airstrikes hit cities in Aleppo, in northern Syria, civilian deaths were reported last year. CNN's Tim Lister and Brian Walker contributed to this report. | ISIS kidnapped 15 oil workers southwest of Kirkuk, local police chief says .
Two purported ISIS fighters say constant coalition airstrikes in Kobani drove them out .
"Their planes did not leave the air, day and night," says one fighter . |
78,427 | de478553a6a8a5908ff70c59bed1e89cc3ba776d | Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides in Mexico increased Tuesday to 41, a government agency announced. Most of the deaths -- 30 -- have occurred in eastern Michoacan state, on the central Pacific coast. The state attorney general's office released a list of the deceased Tuesday. Another 12 people are missing after mudslides from two large hills, Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy said Tuesday. The remaining 11 deaths resulted from a mudslide Saturday near the small town of Temascaltepec in neighboring Mexico state. Interior Secretary Fernando Francisco Gomez Mont has declared a state of natural disaster for the Michoacan cities of Angangueo, Ocampo, Tiquicheo de Nicolas Romero, Tuxpan and Tuzantla. The declaration makes those cities eligible for money from the federal natural disaster fund. The death toll in Michoacan had been 27 until three additional bodies were discovered Tuesday. Godoy said officials are focusing on three tasks: searching for anyone who is alive, recovering bodies and removing boulders and downed trees. Officials are under pressure to act quickly, he said, because another cold front with more possible rain is expected within the next few days. More than 3,500 Michoacan residents are homeless, the state government said on its Web site. In addition to Michoacan and Mexico states, unusually heavy rain in the past week also flooded parts of Mexico City, the nation's capital. Up to 37,000 people nationwide have been affected, government officials said. On Sunday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon toured Valle de Chalco, another city in Mexico state on the eastern outskirts of the Mexico City metro area. National Water Commission Director Jose Luis Luege said Tuesday that contaminated water from a sewage network there that overflowed Friday will continue to flood the town for at least another 48 hours. The break in the sewage pipe had been fixed, but it burst again. Officials also built two dikes to contain the sewage but were unable to use them out of concern that they would burst under the intense pressure from the floodwaters, Luege said. "It's a very complicated operation," he said. More than 3,000 homes in Valle de Chalco were flooded. Mexico state is bordered on the west by Michoacan and adjoins Mexico City on three sides -- north, east and west. | Most of deaths have been in Mexico's eastern Michoacan state .
A dozen people missing after mudslides, Michoacan governor says .
Flooding has affected up to 37,000 people nationwide, officials say . |
140,575 | 41c5d3ac3e0e69a66b0dabbcd0d716e672b83221 | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 06:22 EST, 14 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:30 EST, 15 March 2013 . These are the first stunning pictures of comet PanSTARRS as it became visible above the UK for the first time last night. Paul Kingston managed to capture comet C/2011 L4 PanSTARRS in almost clear skies above the Irish Sea as it graced the western horizon trailing a blaze of fire. The pictures were taken over from near Whitehaven, Cumbria, and at St Bridget's Church in the nearby seaside village of Lowca. Scroll down for video . It's here! Comet C/2011 L4 PanSTARRS is seen in almost clear skies over the coast of Cumbria last night . PanSTARRS is pictured in the sky above St Bridget's Church, Lowca, Cumbria: Photographer Paul Kingston said he has been looking forward to seeing the comet in our skies for months . Mr Kingston, 31, of Teesdale, said: . 'It was an amazing sight to see the comet which I've been looking . forward to seeing for some months now. 'It's . one of the first glimpses we've had in the UK due to cloud cover but . there was a fantastic sunset and beautiful clear skies. 'It . was really difficult to spot at first, with it being in the same part . of the sky as the setting Sun, but once darkness set in, it was there in . all its glory, beneath the crescent moon. 'It's . very difficult to see with the naked eye, but with binoculars or a DSLR . camera you shouldn't have a problem and it's due to be in the western . skies for the next few weeks.' PanSTARRS has already been visible to observers in the southern hemisphere for some weeks, but appeared in northern skies for the first time in the past few days. Yesterday MailOnline published pictures of the comet blazing a trail through the skies over Las Vegas and southern California and, in coming weeks, observers at ever higher latitudes will have a chance to see it. Currently a mere 93million miles away, it is now heading away from our solar system and is not expect to return for another 100,000 years. However, it will be visible in the northern hemisphere for the next few weeks, just after sunset in the west. Just dropping by: Currently a mere 93million miles away, the comet is now heading away from our solar system and is not expect to return for another 100,000 years . To find PanSTARRS in UK skies, stargazers will need a clear sky, ideally be away from the lights of towns and cities and have a good western horizon, according to the Royal Astronomical Society. After sunset the comet will appear as a misty patch not far from the crescent Moon, low down in the western sky. Searching for PanSTARRS through binoculars is recommended, and it will help to see the tails which should be pointing upwards from the horizon. It will be visible for the next couple of weeks, but as the nights pass the comet will move away from the Sun and fade and light from the Moon will interfere more. PanSTARRS' name is an acronym for the . Hawaiian telescope used to spot it two years ago - the Panoramic Survey . Telescope and Rapid Response System. The . volcano-top telescope is on constant prowl for dangerous asteroids and . comets that might be headed our way. - and in recent months there have . been several. Like other . comets of its type, PanSTARRS is thought to have originated in the Oort . Cloud, a vast region containing millions of comets located more than two . light years from the Sun. PanSTARRS . travelled in towards the inner Solar system for millions of years, . dormant for most of this time as a small nucleus made up of rock and . ices. When comets approach . the Sun, these ices heat up, eventually turning to gases that jet out . into space together with dusty material to form a head or coma around . the cometary nucleus. Particles . from the Sun (the so-called solar wind) blow the gases back in a . straight tail, whilst sunlight exerts a pressure on the dust particles . to create a curved tail. Spot the comet: To find it in UK skies, stargazers will need a clear sky, ideally be away from the lights of towns and cities and have a good western horizon, according to the Royal Astronomical Society . To . find it in UK skies, stargazers will need a clear sky, ideally be away . from the lights of towns and cities and have a good western horizon, . according to the Royal Astronomical Society. 'After sunset the comet will be low . down in the west and appear as a misty patch not far from the crescent . Moon,' an RAS spokesman said. 'Using binoculars will make it easier to find and will certainly help identify the tails which should point up from the horizon. 'As the days pass, the comet will move away from the Sun and fade and light from the Moon will interfere more. 'At the same time however, PANSTARRS will be higher up, will be visible later in the night and so be seen in a darker sky. 'After . its brief period of visibility, the comet will travel back out towards . the depths of space where it will be only be detected by large . telescopes.' Travelling north: PanSTARRS seen from Los Angeles next to the waxing crescent moon off the western coast of southern California . The comet PanSTARRS, above and to the right, passes over the Stratosphere Casino Hotel, Las Vegas: Observers in southern U.S. states have already been able to see it for several days . Comet PanSTARRS is the first of two comets which will appear in the night sky this year in the UK. Later this year, in November and December, Comet ISON is expected to be one of the brightest comets ever seen and experts believe it will be brighter than the moon in the night sky. And next year astronomers are anticipating potential cosmic fireworks after they identified a comet hurtling into our solar system that could hit Mars with potentially catastrophic force. According to current calculations, comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) is set for a near miss that will bring it within 23,000 miles of the surface of the Red Planet. But the unpredictable nature of comet orbits, which can change as jet-like geysers of steam erupt from their surfaces as they near the Sun, means it could pass further away, or veer into a direct collision course. | Comet PanSTARRS seen over the Irish Sea from the Cumbrian coast .
It has been visible in the southern hemisphere for weeks already .
The infrequent visitor will be in British skies for a couple of weeks .
Experts recommend searching close to the crescent moon at dusk . |
83,692 | ed66dc670d9e1c7c24db87eae6a034d437e12e2d | Alexis Sanchez was afforded a well-deserved night out after firing Arsenal into the Champions League group stages. The Chile star notched on the stroke of half-time during a nervy one-goal win against Beskitas at the Emirates. And Sanchez, who cost Arsenal £30million from Barcelona in the summer, celebrated his first goal for the Gunners at London nightclub Chinawhite. Having a ball: Alexis Sanchez was pictured leaving Chinawhite on Wednesday after Arsenal's win . Thumbs up: Sanchez scored the only goal as Arsenal qualified for the Champions League group stages . That's better! Sanchez notched his first goal for the Gunners in the win against Beskitas . The 25-year-old’s role in the Arsenal side – whether he plays wide or centrally - has been up for debate over the last week. But Sanchez indicated to manager Arsene Wenger that he is able to operate through the middle in the absence of Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman is set to miss the next four months after surgery on a broken tibia but Wenger isn’t unduly worried. 'Sanchez can play his whole life at centre forward,' said the Arsenal boss. 'I bought him as a striker, not only to play on the flanks. He had a good game. He was mobile, dangerous and has shown as well he has great fighting spirit, qualities that will be very important in the Premier League. 'He produced the performance we wanted, technically, tactically and mentally. We needed that against a good team. It was nervous in the last 10 minutes when we were down to 10 men.' Neatly struck: The Chilean whipped home the winner against Slaven Bilic's side just before the break . VIDEO Sanchez showed fighting spirit - Wenger . Sanchez wasn't the only sporting superstar that enjoyed himself at the Chinawhite club on Wednesday night after sprint king Usain Bolt also made his way to the London nightspot. Beaming for the cameras after dining with his friends at trendy London restaurant Nozomi, Bolt was wearing a floral shirt and donned a baseball cap and sunglasses before he headed to Chinawhite. The world's fastest man was also showing off on Instagram, posting a video of himself performing a bizarre rap. Selfie time: Usain Bolt poses for photos with some of his fans outside Nozomi restaurant . All eyes: Bolt was on the lookout while out in London on Wednesday night . Steady now: Bolt looks calm and at ease as he leaves the restaurant . On route: An upbeat Bolt headed out to Chinawhite nightclub, like Sanchez, after dining out . Still wearing the baseball cap, it seems as if the Jamaican superstar is better at sprinting than he is at flowing lyrics. Bolt was due to run in the Diamond League meeting in Zurich this week, but pulled out due to injury as a result bringing his season to an early end. The six-time Olympic champion, who will resume training in October, will be looking to retain his world 100m and 200m crowns at the World Championships in Beijing next year. Early end: Usain Bolt has pulled out of the Weltklasse Diamond League event in Zurich . | Gunners' striker scored the winner against Beskitas at the Emirates .
Alexis Sanchez was pictured coming out of Chinawhite .
Arsene Wenger believes the Chilean is the answer to his problems up front .
Usain Bolt was also at Chinawhite on Wednesday night . |
106,526 | 15637ad5d0ae39d0469659d55a456b5c461dc549 | Mario Mandzukic missed two golden chances as La Liga champions Atletico Madrid started the defence of their campaign with a whimper against Rayo Vallecano. Missing suspended manager Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid looked toothless without Diego Costa, even against the leakiest defence in last season’s competition, and the Croatian could not step up to fill the gap. At a rowdy, intimate Vallecas, the favourites looked tired after their Super Cup exertions on Friday against Real Madrid and lacked incision, showing why they have been linked with playmakers like Santi Cazorla, Marco Reus and Shinji Kagawa this summer. SCROLL down to watch Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone sent off in Super Cup . Failed to fire: Summer signing Mario Mandzukic missed two golden opportunities to score for Atletico Madrid . Banished: Atletico manager Diego Simeone has been banned from the touchline for eight matches . Rayo Vallecano: Alvarez, Quini, Abdoulaye, Ze Castro, Tito, Trashorras, Bueno, Baena, Aquino, Pereira (Manucho 55), Kakuta. Subs Not Used: Cobeno, Nacho, Morcillo, Pozuelo, Lica, Embarba. Booked: Baena, Abdoulaye. Atletico Madrid: Moya, Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, Ansaldi; Koke, Gabi, Mario Suarez, Griezmann (Cebolla 84), Raul Jimenez (Saul 61), Mandzukic (Hector 74). Subs Not Used: Oblak, Gamez, Gimenez, Tiago. Booked: Mario Suarez, Juanfran . Referee: Clos Gomez . Att: 11,070 . Despite winning the title, Atletico Madrid still contrived to end last season—an incredible, unforgettable one for Rojiblanco supporters—in disappointment. The Champions League final defeat by arch-rivals Real Madrid was so ‘Atletico’ in its nature it was almost fitting—so, so close, but yet so far. A constant theme throughout the club’s history. Asked whether the club would be giving up their game-by-game stance to the season, which Simeone insisted the club were adhering to last year, the response was negative. He still sees his team as the underdogs to the league’s giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, and wants them to take each task as it comes, forgetting about arcing grand-plans of lifting titles or competing in Europe. Simeone was banned for this match, having been given five managerial yellow cards last season. Deadlock: Rayo Vallecano deserved their point as the reigning La Liga champions started their season slowly . We won’t be seeing him on the touchline for a while longer, after he was hit with an additional eight-game punishment for his unruly behaviour against Real Madrid in the Super Cup last week. But the team have been well drilled by the Argentine and stuck to their roles under the watchful eye of the hulking Mono Burgos. If officials thought they had got out of the frying pan, they are firmly in the fire now, because the assistant coach has a capacity to go berserk that is even easier to trigger than Simeone’s. Atletico have been somewhat deconstructed over the summer, with Chelsea recalling Thibaut Courtois and signing Filipe Luis and Costa. David Villa was another who left, leaving the club working hard to plug the holes. On paper, the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Mandzukic should be able to make a decent fist of the challenge, but they struggled against Rayo Vallecano. Having seen Barcelona and Real win their opening matches, the task for Atletico against Madrid rivals Rayo was clear. Last season Simeone’s side won the title with 90 points. Given the millions the ‘big two’ have spent on reinforcements, the total could be closer to 100 this time around. The spirit and resilience from last season was still evident, with captain Gabi taking an almost ludicrously high boot from Alberto Bueno to his face in the opening few minutes and Miranda and Diego Godin taking no nonsense at the back. Tough night: Atletico Madrid were far from the form that saw them beat Real Madrid to the Spanish Super Cup . Chances were at a premium at the start of the match, with Griezmann being denied by Cristian Alvarez when the goalkeeper was quick off his line to intercept a through-ball. At the other end Chelsea’s on-loan youngster Gael Kakuta was finding getting the better of right-back Juanfran to be hard work, just like his parent side did last season in the Champions League. In the 25th minute Atletico put together a brilliant move, with Griezmann flicking the ball into the path of Cristian Ansaldi, galloping up the field from left-back. His low ball was met at the far post by Mandzukic, but the former Bayern Munich man could only find the side-netting. He had another brilliant opportunity moments later when Rayo centre-back Abdoulaye Ba needlessly gave the ball away on the edge of his own box. Raul Jimenez played it into the path of Mandzukic but the forward’s low strike was well saved by Cristian Alvarez. On the occasions Rayo got forward, Atletico defended in numbers to keep them at bay, with Courtois’ replacement Miguel Angel Moya being well shielded by his backline, leaving him without a save to make in the first half. Toothless: Without manager Diego Simeone on the touchline, Atletico lacked their usual spirit and desire . With Atletico struggling to win the midfield battle they took off Raul Jimenez and brought on youngster Saul Niguez, who spent last season on loan maturing under Paco Jemez at Rayo. It did nothing to help, with Rayo beginning to dominate the game. Kakuta began to have more of an influence and former Manchester United forward Manucho forced a good save from Moya with a firm header after the electric Javier Aquino whipped it in from the right. Although the striker was an abject failure at Old Trafford, he caused Atletico more than a few problems after entering the fray as a substitute. By the end of the game it was the home side that looked far likelier to break the deadlock and Atletico will consider themselves lucky to have escaped with a point. With Simeone unable to conduct affairs from the sidelines and instead stuck up near the press box, the players would not have been looking forward to their intense manager finally getting to let off some steam on the short coach-ride home. | Manager Diego Simeone started his eight-match touchline ban .
Striker Mario Mandzukic missed two glorious chances for Atletico Madrid .
Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid to the Spanish Super Cup on Friday .
Simeone guided Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title last season . |
44,795 | 7e481d5b2418934730cbc98c93629d65b0589724 | Washington (CNN) -- Just one in 10 Latino high school dropouts earns a high school equivalency degree, compared with two in 10 African-American dropouts and three in 10 white dropouts, the Pew Hispanic Center said Thursday. The equivalency degree, called the General Educational Development (GED) credential, "is widely regarded as the best 'second chance' pathway to college, vocational training and military service for adults who do not graduate from high school," the center said on its website. Latinos also have a much higher high school drop-out rate than blacks or whites. About 41 percent of Latinos 20 and older in the United States do not have a regular high school diploma, compared with 23 percent of black adults and 14 percent of white adults, Pew said. Among Latinos, Pew noted, significant differences exist between those who were born in another country and those born in the United States. About 52 percent of foreign-born Latino adults are high school dropouts, compared with 25 percent of the native born, Pew said. Among Latino dropouts, about 21 percent of those born in the United States have a GED, compared with 5 percent of those born abroad, the research center said. A greater percentage of U.S.-born Latinos obtain GEDs because they are more aware of the opportunities available to them, said Richard Fry, the Pew Hispanic Center researcher who compiled the report. "For the foreign-born, it takes them a little bit of time to learn about the GED," Fry told CNN. "It takes a little bit of time to figure things out." Fry said he obtained the information by performing an analysis of newly available educational attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey. That Census Bureau survey was the first to differentiate between those who graduated from high school and those who obtained a GED, Fry said. Previous surveys had lumped both categories together. The Pew analysis also found that in 2008, Latino adults with a GED had a higher unemployment rate than those with a high school diploma -- 9 percent versus 7 percent. However, the report said, Latino full-time, full-year workers with a GED had about the same mean annual earnings ($33,504) as full-time, full-year Latino workers with a high school diploma ($32,972). The Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that does not take positions on policy issues. Release of the report comes amid heightened tensions over a recent Arizona law that requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance. Opponents have called for an Arizona tourism boycott and the measure has drawn criticism from Mexico and several Latin American nations. Fry said timing of the report's release was coincidental. "There's nothing magical about it," he said. "The report's been done for about a week or so and it was time to get it out the door." CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report. | At 41 percent, Latinos have higher high school dropout rate than blacks, whites, study finds .
Study finds differences between Latinos born in United States and those born abroad .
For foreign-born Latinos, "it takes a little bit of time to figure things out," researcher says .
Pew Hispanic Center, which conducted study, says report's timing unrelated to Arizona law . |
234,225 | bb381819881d4e0fdd02d5e342eaedf00709f296 | Washington (CNN) -- Five close calls involving passenger jets at big U.S. airports prompted a recommendation on Monday for new rules to prevent planes from getting dangerously close to each other when one aborts a landing. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) change its standards to ensure safe aircraft separation in cases of a "go-around." That's when pilots cut short a landing at the last minute and pull up to circle the airport before making another try. NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman outlined four incidents in 2012 and one in 2006 when planes initiating "go-arounds" and got dangerously close to aircraft taking off or landing. Three occurred at Las Vegas's McCarran airport, one at New York's John F Kennedy airport and one at Charlotte-Douglass International. Airliners too close for comfort over New York . "The NTSB is concerned that in these events, ATC (air traffic control) was not able to ensure the safe separation of aircraft." Hersman wrote in a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. Crashes were only avoided because pilots took evasive maneuvers, she wrote. The FAA oversees air traffic operations. In each of the incidents, the flight paths would not have intersected had the plane landed successfully instead of conducting the "go around." Controllers under current rules are required to ensure there is enough space between aircraft during take offs and landings. But there is a gap in regulations when those paths converge during "go arounds," the NTSB said. The FAA said in a statement that it takes the recommendations seriously and will respond within 90 days. Passenger plane, military helicopter come close near D.C. The FAA said its thoroughly investigated the close-call incidents and took aggressive steps to address the causes. The incidents cited by the NTSB include: . On July 30, 2012, a Spirit Airlines Airbus A319 was executing a go around at Las Vegas and came within a quarter mile horizontally, and 100 feet vertically of a Cessna Citation landing on a separate runway. The same day at JFK, an American Airlines Boeing 737 aborted landing and came within a third of a mile horizontally and 300 feet vertically a from a Pinnacle Airlines CRJ-200 regional jet. The NTSB reported the pilot of the American jet radioed "we are turning as tightly as we can" while the Pinnacle pilot said on another frequency "we are trying not to hit this aircraft off our right." On July 14, 2012, an ExpressJet Embraer 145 at Charlotte came within 1,000 feet horizontally and 400 feet vertically of an Air Wisconsin CRJ that was departing. On April 26, 2012, a Jet Blue A320 conducting a go around came within a third of a mile horizontally and 100 feet vertically of a Learjet 60 at Las Vegas. On January 27, 2006, a United Airlines A320 aborted a landing and came within 1,400 feet horizontally and 300 feet vertically of a departing American 757 at Las Vegas. | National Transportation Safety Board concerned about near misses during aborted landings .
Board says standards inadequate, recommends FAA improve aircraft separation .
Incidents, four last year, occurred in Las Vegas, New York and Charlotte .
Safety issue arises when planes scrub landing and then pull up to circle airport . |
155,072 | 54685a4292e06f642cf767f97e77cb01a0754cb7 | By . Beci Wood . New York is the city that never sleeps – and seemingly never stops working too. The rise of smartphones and tablets has helped people to work on the go. But now a new report from Ikea has revealed they like to work when they go too. The Swedish furniture giant has published a new study called Life At Home which looks at the morning habits of residents in Berlin, London, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai and Stockholm. On the go: The Ikea survey revealed New Yorkers are most likely to use their smartphones when they first wake up - including on the loo . It spoke to around 1,000 respondents in each city, aged between 18 to 60. And it has emerged 17 per cent of workoholic New Yorkers admit they conduct their business in the bathroom. While, according to the survey, Londoners wish they were having sex . while only eight per actually do in the morning. But 14 per cent of . residents make time to pray once a week. The report says: 'Traditional room functions are long gone, and we seem to do whatever, wherever and whenever - something which our new digital savviness allows. 'New Yorkers have no issue conducting their business where other business is traditionally done.' Wakey wakey! Londoners are more likely to start the day with prayer than any other city . Sweden surprisingly matches New York in multi-tasking while on the toilet while the remainder of the cities surveyed average around 10 per cent. But in contrast to Sweden's liberal reputation, sex is low down on their agenda early on in the day. Interestingly it's Mumbai who comes out on top in terms of intimacy and bedroom habits. An impressive 13 per cent of Mumbaikars get regular nookie in the mornings. And unsurprisingly 63 per cent of locals revealing they feel most happy and calm early on in the day. These figures are in stark contrast to every other country surveyed, with Moscow and Paris emerging as the most stressed. Shanghai is the least touchy-feely city with one in four people say they are never affectionate with their partner. At a whopping 70 pages long the report goes into A LOT of detail. New York: . 50 per cent of people crave morning sex but only nine . per cent actually do. Desperate to get to the office less than half of . New York eats breakfast. But nearly half of all New Yorkers who make the . time for breakfast do so with a smartphone or computer in hand. London: . Praying . is more common in London than any other European city, with 14 per cent . of all Londoners doing it at least once a week on weekday mornings. Londoners have emerged as being rather slow in the mornings with a majority rising at 7am or later. But 59 . per cent wish they had more time for sex, citing cuddling in bed with . their loved one as important but only eight per cent starting their day . with sex. Paris: . It's second only . to Moscow in terms of how much stress its citizens feel about how they . look. And while we usually think of Parisians oozing with confidence, . it’s emerges they are least confident about their appearance than any . other city. Stressed out: Parisians are the least confident about their appearance in the morning, says the survey . Mumbai: . 13 per cent of them admit to getting jiggy regularly before they go to work. 63 per cent are their happiest in the morning, with many say . they feel 'calm and peaceful'. Moscow: . 40 per cent of Moscow's women feel that the morning is their most anxious time of the day. Worried . about their appearance, women say an extensive beauty regime is very . important. 71 per cent declare weekday morning makeup a must, compared . to just over half among all other surveyed women. Berlin: . 42 . per cent of them consider themselves as evening people so have no issue . in pressing snooze more than once. Berliners are also more relaxed . about how they look: only 13 per cent feel nervous about their . appearance when they leave home. Shanghai: . The . Chinese capital doesn’t rate high in the sex and cuddling questions in . Ikea’s survey with only one in four people who live with others being . physically affectionate with each other in the mornings. That’s about . half of the share in other cities in the report. Stockholm: . Ikea . says, ‘Swedes may have quite an active and liberal reputation stemming . from the Seventies', however it turns out that Stockholm has less . weekday sex than any other city involved except, unsurprisingly . Shanghai. | Swedish store looks at the morning habits of residents in eight major cities .
Workoholic New Yorkers use their smartphone while on the loo .
The people of Mumbai like to have lots of morning sex and cuddles .
14 per cent of Londoners like to pray on weekday mornings . |
269,433 | e9000ed3db49993e88506a031067b69402d0a112 | They left it late again, very late, but Arsenal took more than they arguably deserved from a Premier League game for the second week running, Olivier Giroud in this case scoring the 90th minute goal that earned them a point. Everton’s Seamus Coleman and Steven Naismith had put the hosts 2-0 ahead in the first half, a score that stayed that way until the 83rd minute, when Aaron Ramsey pulled one back and set up this unlikely comeback. It will feel like a defeat to Everton and their supporters for a few days yet. Rescue point: Substitute Olivier Giroud scores a last-gasp equaliser for Arsenal against Everton . Everton: Howard, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas (Atsu 85),Naismith,Pienaar (Osman 10), Lukaku (McGeady 76). Subs Not Used: Robles, Besic, Stones, Alcaraz. Booked: Baines. Goals: Coleman 19, Naismith 45. Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Campbell 74), Ramsey, Wilshere (Cazorla 74), Ozil,Sanchez (Giroud 46). Subs Not Used: Koscielny, Rosicky, Martinez, Bellerin. Booked: Mertesacker, Wilshere, Chambers, Flamini. Goals: Ramsey 83, Giroud 90. Att: 39,490 . Ref: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire). To Arsenal and their travelling fans, who celebrated lustily at the end, it will feel like a win. Certainly this demonstrated backbone, and that, allied with Arsenal taking their unbeaten run in all competitions to 11 games, can do nothing but boost confidence. ‘We gave a great response with complete desire to come back, and the spirit was fantastic … we got a point and it was deserved,’ said Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger. He added that Everton’s goal - which replays showed to be offside, just - was ‘difficult to swallow. But we took it on the chin.’ The key tactical change that ultimately made the difference was replacing Alexis Sanchez, up front in the first half, with Giroud in the second. Wenger admitted Arsenal ‘looked more dangerous’ with the Frenchman instead of his Chilean team-mate but insisted Sanchez will find his form when fully fit. ‘He’s not completely ready physically,’ Wenger said. ‘But I’m not worried for him … when he’s at his best physically he’ll come back [to form].’ Wenger’s counterpart Roberto Martinez said: ‘For 75 minutes we gave a perfect performance … dynamic going forward, defending well … scoring two should have been enough … the disappointment was the result.’ The Spaniard, who said much the same last week after Everton drew 2-2 at Leicester, added: ‘How we can get our performances to be 90 minutes long [is crucial] … the performance overall against a very good Arsenal side was good.’ Arsenal last lost a competitive match on 6 April on this ground, 3-0 to Everton. Between then and Saturday, they won six straight Premier League games, an FA Cup semi-final and final, the Community Shield, and also drew away in midweek in the Champions League. Martinez made two changes from Leicester last week. Coleman, fully fit after injury, returned at right-back in place of John Stones. Kevin Mirallas returned in place of Aiden McGeady and played in an advanced left-sided berth in a three-man attack with Naismith to his right and Romelu Lukaku right of that. It is no secret among Everton fans that to make a sustained challenge on the top four they need to improve considerably against the ‘bigger’ teams in general, home and away. But Arsenal have grave concerns of their own when playing against top-five teams. As well as losing 3-0 in this fixture last season, they were thrashed 6-0 and 6-3 at Chelsea and Manchester City respectively and were caned 5-1 in [italics] that [off] drubbing across Stanley Park at Liverpool that set the red team from Merseyside on their tilt at the title. Arsenal did not win an away game against any of the teams finishing in the top five in the 2012-13 season, or in the season before that. It was a long ago as October 2010 that Arsenal last beat a team who finished in the top five, when they beat City 3-0. Clinical: Everton defender Seamus Coleman scores the opening goal against Arsenal on Saturday . Finding the net: Seamus Coleman heads the Toffees ahead during the late kick-off at Goodison Park on Saturday afterno . Impressive: The neat seven-man move which ended with Coleman putting Everton ahead - click HERE for more brilliant Match Zone statistics . Fortune: Romelu Lukaku appeared to foul Per Mertesacker in the build-up to Everton's second goal . Break: Steven Naismith was marginally offside before he scored Everton's second goal . Cool head: Steven Naismith doubles Everton's lead with a neat finish at Goodison Park . Cheers: Naismith celebrates scoring Everton's second goal against Arsenal . Gloom: New signing Alexis Sanchez was taken off at half-time after disappointing performance . Focused: Everton's James McAurthur challenges Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere . MINS KM MILES . Everton total 107.2 66.6 . Steven Naismith 90 11.9 7.4 . Gareth Barry 90 11.4 7.1 . James McCarthy 90 10.9 6.8 . Arsenal total 110.3 68.5 . Mathieu Flamini 90 12.5 7.8 . Aaron Ramsey 90 11.9 7.4 . Mathieu Debuchy 90 11.0 6.8 . Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League . Against their serious rivals, road trips have become simply bad trips. At least Saturday's had a pleasant comedown. Wenger made five changes to the starting XI who squeaked past Crystal Palace 2-1 in added time last week. They lined up ostensibly 4-1-4-1 with Mathieu Flamini the defensive shield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil on the right and left flanks of the midfield four, and Jack Wilshere and Ramsey dropping back to assist Flamini or pushing on in support of lone forward Sanchez as the situation required. Everton’s opener started with a set piece that went via Barry, Osman and Leighton Baines back to Barry, whose diagonal cross was headed home at the far post by Coleman, who breezed far to easily past his ‘marker’, Ozil. The hosts could easily have been further ahead three minutes later, Naismith feeding the ball to Mirallas, who punched it down with his chest and ran clear on goal. Just as he was about to shoot his left leg slipped enough to unbalance him significantly and his miscued his effort, which went wide. The manner in which the hosts extended their lead summed up the first half, Lukaku breaking forward and getting past Mertesacker far too easily before sliding the ball to the central Naismith. Replays showed him to be offside, but not by much and evidently not enough for the referee or his assistant to spot it, and the Scot finished the move through Wojciech Szczesny’s legs. Wenger took Sanchez off at half time, replacing him with Olivier Giroud in search of a focal point up front. His first contribution was to lash a volley over from Ramsey’s chipped supply and he had further shots wide and saved. Arsenal scored what looked like a consolation with seven minutes remaining, Ozil passing to Cazorla on the left, who weaved forward and crossed for Ramsey to convert. A long ball and a Monreal cross then set up Giroud at the end. That's pants: Giroud pulls down his shorts after missing a chance but he was to make amends late on . Hope: Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal a lifeline with a close-range srike in the 83rd minute . Hurry up: Ramsey grabs the ball after scoring Arsenal's first goal against Everton . High point: Arsenal players salute travelling fans after grabbing precious point at Goodison Park . | Arsene Wenger used Alexis Sanchez as lone forward and took him off at half-time .
Mesut Ozil was played wide on the left and was at fault for first goal .
Seamus Coleman put Everton ahead with a 19th minute header .
Steven Naismith made it 2-0 with a neat finish despite appearing to be offside .
Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal hope with a close-range strike in 83rd minute . |
99,834 | 0ca25dae48c3f0f5266fb1937163377472eeac7e | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 17:18 EST, 7 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:18 EST, 7 June 2013 . Frustration: Tory MP Anne McIntosh hung up on a 111 call centre worker after 15 minutes of 'completely inappropriate' questioning . A Tory MP has revealed how the NHS 111 helpline let down her dying father – a retired GP – in his hour of need. Anne McIntosh, 58, said she called the number after he developed worrying symptoms suggesting he had an infection. Despite pleading to be put through to a doctor or nurse, she was made to answer a series of ‘completely inappropriate’ questions by an unqualified worker ‘sticking religiously to the script’. After 15 minutes, the MP hung up ‘in sheer frustration’ and dialled 999 hoping to call out an ambulance. But as her father was so frail, paramedics were reluctant to transport him to the hospital 20 miles away and instead arranged for a GP to visit. The doctor did not arrive for another three hours and her father died from the urinary infection four days later. The Mail has repeatedly drawn attention to the failings of the helpline and the shocking state of out-of-hours care in our series The Out-of-Hours Debacle. The new phone service, which is meant to provide round-the-clock medical advice, has replaced NHS Direct and local GP out-of-hours numbers. Depending on a patient’s condition, they will either be told to go to A&E, given an appointment at a GP clinic or offered medical advice over the phone. But many people are being put through to call centre workers with just a few weeks training, who can only use a computer system to assess the severity of their illness. The MP – who is also a lawyer – acknowledged that her father’s death would have been very difficult to prevent. However, she said that both her father and her family had been failed by the helpline. ‘What is particularly poignant for me and my family is that my father had been a local GP in that area for some 30 years,’ she said. ‘He attended patients in all weathers and at all hours. My father was from a generation of GPs who were used to working all hours. He worked every other night on call and every other weekend on duty. ‘And he always made sure he put his patients first. It is obviously a source of some regret that he did not have similar access to a GP in his own hour of need.’ The MP for Thirsk and Malton, North Yorkshire, recounted her experience during a debate about the helpline in the Commons earlier this week. She had been visiting her father in County Durham – one of a handful of ‘pilot’ areas where the helpline has been running since 2010. She said: ‘When I called 111 I got the ritual reply of sticking very closely to a script, which I found completely inappropriate at times. I explained my father’s condition but the responder insisted on sticking religiously to the script – asking whether the patient was breathing, whether they were bleeding. Concerns: Many 111 calls are answered by medically unqualified staff with only a few week's training (FILE PHOTO) ‘I kept saying that I was not reporting an accident but a regular condition, the symptoms of which were extremely plain, and asking whether I could, please, just be passed to a nurse or doctor. ‘I have to say that in the end I hung up in sheer frustration ten or 15 minutes into the call because I could tell that I was not getting anywhere quickly.’ Yesterday NHS England released figures which it claimed showed the system was ‘steadily improving’ with 92 per cent of patients being ‘satisfied’ with the call centre staff. But there were huge gaps in the data with crucial statistics apparently ‘not available’ for certain areas of the country where the launch of the helpline has been disastrous. And earlier this week a leaked official report revealed how calls were routinely answered by untrained staff, patients were put on hold and doctors’ warnings ignored. Recently Miss McIntosh, who is married but uses her maiden name, upset some women GPs by referring to the high cost of training female doctors who may end up working just a few days a week. She claimed those who only work part-time after having children are putting a ‘burden’ on the NHS. | Anne McIntosh called line but hung up 'in sheer frustration' after 15 minutes .
Doctor father was showing signs of infection he died from four days later . |
141,944 | 438fbb130e78057ee056e85f2fe4ac7240947920 | A 40-year-old quad amputee was all thank yous at a news conference Tuesday at a Boston-area hospital as he showed off his two new arm transplants. Will Lautzenheiser sat next to the doctors from Brigham and Women's Hospital who spent almost nine hours in surgery with him last month. "To have come here and to have received this gift is really astonishing to me, and it's obviously life-changing," he said. Lautzenheiser, a former professor of film production and screenwriting, lost his limbs in 2011 after a battle with a severe streptococcal infection, according to the hospital. The arms came from an anonymous donor through the New England Organ Bank, the hospital said. "Of course I want to thank, to acknowledge and to honor the memory of the man whose arms I have so gratefully received," Lautzenheiser said. "This person who's anonymous to me will always be as close to me as my own skin now." In an anonymous statement, the family of the donor said, "Our son gave the best hugs, we pray that you make a wonderful recovery and that your loved ones will be able to enjoy your warm embrace." While his doctors said it may be years until he will be able to actually move his hands in complex ways, Lautzenheiser said he was astonished at his progress. "This is about it so far," Lautzenheiser said, laughing and slightly stretching his arm, which was in a splint and cast, "but I had nothing, so even that is incredible." There have been about 70 hand transplants around the world, according to Dr. Simon Talbot, one of the surgeons on the team that performed the operation on Lautzenheiser. In 2013, an Iraq War veteran who lost his limbs overseas underwent a successful double arm transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Cell transplant allows paralyzed man to walk again, researchers say . | Will Lautzenheiser underwent surgery last month at a Boston Hospital .
He lost all four of his limbs in 2011 to a streptococcal infection .
He thanked his doctors, his family and the anonymous donor of the arms . |
107,309 | 166a3ef7f872a6f8daebc3cf5425de316412f82e | By . Victoria Woollaston . A web button has been created that scans websites for abusive comments and replaces the negative words with more positive ones. For example, angry words such as 'hate' are replaced with words including 'love' or 'kittens'. The button is a plugin that can be downloaded on the Chrome or Safari browser and was inspired by the torrent of abuse directed to magazine GQ after they ran a series of One Direction covers. An online button has been designed by V Energy to replace abusive comments on websites with positive 'words of love'. It scans for swear words or negative language on Twitter, pictured, and YouTube and replaces them with words including cupcake and delicious puppies . The GQ debacle with One Direction fans kicked off on Twitter earlier this week. The bands exclusive interview with GQ . magazine was classed as 'their most revealing to date', but One . Direction's devoted fans weren't happy with how their idols were . portrayed. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis . Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan were unveiled as the latest cover . stars for the publication this week, with topics discussed in the . accompanying interview including bisexual rumours, groupies and their . tangled love lives. And since the publication of the . interview, the magazine has experienced a major backlash from dedicated . Directioners, who bombarded the GQ Twitter account with a string of foul-mouthed and abusive messages. There are similar plugins available already that can block out all mentions of Justin Bieber, for example, as well as James Corden or the Royal baby. It works by using a database of negative and positive words. Swear words, as well as words such as 'hate', 'stupid' and 'punch' are classed as negative. Words such as 'rainbow', 'unicorn' candyfloss', 'hug' and so on are classed as positive words. The VQ-Hab de-troller is part of V Energy drinks V-Hab.com’s Silence The Troll campaign that uses a comment converter to make internet trolls appear less angry or aggressive. The anti-trolling browser extension works with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. A V-hab.com spokesperson said, 'We . Love British GQ, but boy did those poor souls not know what they were . getting themselves into! 'Luckily for them, at V-hab we’re all . about countering trolls with a bit of positive energy so we’ve created . VQ-hab to take some heat of those poor journalists and try and inject a . bit of humour and positivity into what has clearly been a rather large . misunderstanding on all sides.' Not so lucky: GQ's Twitter account was subjected to a barrage of abuse thanks to its One Direction cover . VQ-hab has taken the most notable tweets in the original GQ article and run them through the anti-trolling comment converter to show what the internet could look like if everyone was just a bit more positive and understanding. The GQ debacle with One Direction fans kicked off on Twitter earlier this week. The bands exclusive interview with GQ magazine was classed as 'their most revealing to date', but One Direction's devoted fans weren't happy with how their idols were portrayed. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan were unveiled as the latest cover stars for the publication this week, with topics discussed in the accompanying interview including bisexual rumours, groupies and their tangled love lives. Since the publication of the interview, the magazine has experienced a major backlash from dedicated Directioners, who bombarded the GQ Twitter account with a string of often foul-mouthed and abusive messages. | The web button can be added to the Chrome and Safari browsers .
When activated it scans websites for abusive comments and swear words .
The VQ-Hab tool replaces negative language with 'words of love'
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
233,414 | ba2a90bae52498bd7bfea71fac7cf5d854deb3c8 | (CNN) -- The oil spill on the Gulf Coast has states and visitors bureaus working hard to keep the public updated and reassure beach-bound travelers. Here are some of the latest updates from destinations affected by the oil disaster: . Northwest Florida . Dime-size to 5-inch tar balls continue to wash up in widely scattered areas of the region, but all of Florida's beaches remain open, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism corporation. "There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region," Visit Florida's website said. The beaches and waters at tourist hot spots like Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island are open, according to the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, which represents the three destinations. "The air here is also still fresh and clean, with no smell of oil whatsoever," the bureau's website said. A few tar balls have been spotted, however, and there is a chance the area could see the approach of oil sheen in the coming week, according to the bureau. iReport: Share your photos of affected beaches . There have been no oil effects in Panama City Beach, Florida, and the area's beaches and waters are open, the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau website said. The water at Pensacola Beach is also open for swimming and fishing, according to the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. A health advisory has been issued for beaches stretching from the Florida-Alabama line to the entrance of Johnson Beach on Perdido Key, the Pensacola Bay Area visitors bureau said. Swimming and fishing in the affected waters are not advised. Gulf Islands National Seashore . All of the Gulf Islands National Seashore sites, which are located in Florida and Mississippi, are open, the park service's website said. Crews are finishing the cleanup of existing oil on Petit Bois Island, Mississippi. Meanwhile, more oil has been reported approaching Pensacola Pass, between the western point of Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island and the eastern coast of Perdido Key, according to the website. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama . Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, have experienced significant oiling, according to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. The beaches remain open for sunbathing and walking, but the City of Orange Beach is flying double red flags, meaning the waters are closed to the public. Public beaches in Gulf Shores are flying a yellow flag, meaning that caution is necessary. The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued an advisory against swimming in waters off Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan or in bay waters close to Fort Morgan, Bayou St. John, Terry Cove, Cotton Bayou or Old River. Grand Isle, Louisiana . Oil is affecting more than 45 miles of Louisiana coast, according to a state emergency website, although most of the coast is unaffected. "The primary affected area is from the mouth of the Mississippi River extending east. Over 75 percent of Louisiana's coastal waters extend westward from the mouth of the Mississippi River," according to the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau website. Grand Isle has closed its public beach, the site said. | All of Florida's beaches are open, including tourist hot spots Panama City and Pensacola .
Visitors advised not to swim in waters from Florida-Alabama line to Perdido Key .
Health officials have issued advisory against swimming in Alabama Gulf waters . |
91,727 | 0201ae47b2b681e0540586e81827bd113a0cbac3 | (CNN) -- In order to avoid the death penalty, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales intends to plead guilty in the killing of 16 Afghan villagers, his lawyer said Wednesday. A plea deal -- which Bales' lawyer John Henry Browne told CNN about by text message, as he was meeting with his client -- must be approved by a judge and a commanding general. In addition to those killed, six Afghans were wounded in the March 2012 attack near a small U.S. base in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. Missteps, closed culture undermine confidence in military justice system . The shooting spree strained already tense U.S.-Afghan relations and intensified a debate about whether to pull out American troops ahead of their planned 2014 withdrawal. The Army would not comment on any potential deal Wednesday. A hearing in the case is scheduled for June 5. Bales' attorneys have said that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and sustained a traumatic brain injury during a prior deployment to Iraq. Afghan girl tells court she hid behind father as he was shot . "We think the Army is attempting to escape responsibility for the decision to send Sgt. Bales to Afghanistan for his fourth deployment, knowing that he had (post-traumatic stress disorder) and a concussive head injury," Browne said last year. "I think that the person who made the decision to send Sgt. Bales to the most dangerous area in Afghanistan in a small outpost is responsible for Sgt. Bales being in Afghanistan, and he should have never been there." "He just started shooting," Afghan survivor testifies . Afghan authorities have called for swift action in the case. "He committed a mass killing crime, and we would like the court in the United States to implement justice and punish him according to the crime," said Ahmad Zia Syamak, spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Afghan anger kept U.S. agents from killing scene . | Shooting spree strained already tense U.S.-Afghan relations .
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales hopes to avoid the death penalty .
He is accused of killing 16 and wounding six Afghans .
Attorneys have said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder . |
239,521 | c21eb9da12232628cc6288a0cfab6adc6b14b2d0 | London (CNN) -- Emmelie de Forest carried Denmark to triumph early Sunday in the Eurovision Song Contest, an annual musical spectacle known for its combination of over-the-top costumes, kitsch pop songs and international rivalries. Flanked by marching drummers in military-style uniforms and performing in bare feet, de Forest took top spot with a breathy performance of "Only Teardrops." Millions of people across Europe and beyond tuned in to watch pop acts from 26 countries take to the stage in the Swedish city of Malmo. Dressed like a new-age Tinker Bell, 20-year-old de Forest bested a field that included the UK contender and 1980s hit-maker Bonnie Tyler. Azerbaijan's Farid Mammadov finished second with the song "Hold Me," and the Ukraine's Zlata Ognevich took third with "Gravity." What is Eurovision? Tyler, known for her hits "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero," finished in 19th place. Organizers expected more than 100 million people to tune in for the contest, hosted by Sweden -- the 2012 winner of the song contest. Demark was considered one of the favorites among bookmakers going into the final on Saturday night. Five nations -- France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom -- get an automatic entry to the final because they are the biggest financial contributors. The previous year's winner also automatically qualifies, as the host nation. The 39 countries involved in the contest awarded a set of points from one to eight, then 10 and finally 12 for their favorite songs. Under the rules, they can't vote for themselves and they must announce the score in both English and French. The crazy clothes of Eurovision . Television viewers also cast votes in their respective countries through telephone hotlines, which count for half the final tally. The remainder of the vote is cast by national expert juries, who based their scores on a dress rehearsal performance Friday night. Many perceive the voting to be tactical, with neighbors or members of regional blocs, such as the former Soviet nations, appearing to base their scoring on geopolitical alliances rather than artistic merit. Contestants can come from any member country of the European Broadcasting Union, which includes several non-European nations, including Israel, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Victory may not be welcomed by everyone back home since that nation bears the expense of hosting the following year's event -- a commitment that's more of a burden at a time of wide austerity in Europe. | Emmelie de Forest's "Only Teardrops" puts Denmark on top .
Azerbaijan finishes second and Ukraine takes third .
The contest is taking place in Sweden this year because it won in 2012 .
The results are decided on the basis of votes cast by TV viewers and national juries . |
96,121 | 079d63a56e512e55c9e5d22a7ab62e776aad116a | Marouane Fellaini claims the reason he went down in pain during Tuesday's 2-1 win over Stoke was because he twisted his neck in an incident with Oussama Assaidi. Assaidi's outstretched leg seemed to just catch the Belgian on the hand in the middle of the park, but Fellaini bizarrely went to the ground in pain holding his neck as Stoke went on to equalise through Steven N'Zonzi. He remained down as the goal flew in, but Fellaini insists he was injured, not play-acting to gain a free-kick. Oussama Assaidi's (left) challenge seemed only scraped Marouane Fellaini's hand . Assaidi's boot also looks to scrape Fellaini's right leg as he jolts his head back . Fellaini then bizarrely holds the side of his neck as the ball moves up the pitch . Some have criticised Fellaini for the reaction, but the Belgian insists he cricked his neck . He said after the game: 'My neck twist a little bit, I stayed down because I felt the pain and they scored so, unlucky as well.' Fellaini scored with a towering header in the first-half, and despite N'Zonzi's equaliser, United went on to win through Juan Mata's strike in the second-half. Fellaini said: 'It's a good moment, a good goal I think and a good cross. We won and it's an important win. Now we have to stay focussed and the luck was with us. 'Today we didn't play very well but we won the game, that's the most important thing. 'We will see, we take it game by game and will see at the end of the season.' Head here to Like our Manchester United Facebook page. Marouane Fellaini goes down holding his neck after Oussama Assaidi's challenge . Fellaini remained down as Steven N'Zonzi scored Stoke City's equaliser at Old Trafford . Belgian midfielder Fellaini lies on the floor as Stoke attack the Stretford End at Old Trafford . N'Zonzi scores Stoke's equaliser with a thunderous effort from the edge of the box . Fellaini (left) is seen on the floor as Bojan moves forward with the ball . VIDEO Van Gaal displeased despite victory over Stoke . Stoke were back in the game, but Juan Mata's second-half strike won it for United . | Marouane Fellaini went down holding his neck despite Oussama Assaidi's challenge seemingly only scraping his hand .
Stoke went on to score through Steven N'Zonzi as Fellaini remained down .
Fellaini insists he twisted his neck during the challenge .
The Belgian scored in the first-half of United's 2-1 win at Old Trafford . |
199,631 | 8e6cd5d53a6254728d3bf19404b3a09f4052927b | A pensioner who was paralysed 11 years ago is claiming she can now walk again after experiencing a 'miracle' at a church in southern Italy. Michelina Comegna, 74, was struck by the 'miracle' during morning mass at a church in modern Pompei. 'I took communion and instantly felt a fire going from my feet up my legs and my whole body. At the same time, I was overcome by an intense scent of flowers', she said. Michelina Comegna, 74, was struck by the miracle during morning mass at the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei . I forgot I was in church and looked around, convinced my clothes were on fire. I was covered in sweat, it was dripping from my head like water. I told my husband I was feeling an intense joy, and I needed to walk,' she said reported Gazzetta del Sud On Line. 'It was so strong, that I began to become scared. I forgot that I was in a church; because of the burning sensation I thought I was on fire.' In April 2003 she was paralysed following breast cancer surgery and a brain aneurysm that left her bed-ridden for three years. A mastectomy and several cycles of chemotherapy followed, and she spent the next 11 years in and out of a wheelchair, afflicted with partial paralysis. 'I took communion and instantly felt a fire going from my feet up my legs and my whole body. At the same time, I was overcome by an intense scent of flowers', she said (file photo) Ms Comegna has attended the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei for years, but says it was not until taking communion at a service last month that her prayers were answered. Vicar Giuseppe Adamo confirmed he had witnessed the incident, although remained cautious about declaring a miracle and said the church was waiting for a medical report, reported The Local. Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, who is in charge of the cathedral, also urged caution. 'We must wait for conclusive scientific evidence. 'While many prodigious events have taken place in this sanctuary by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, it is up to medical science to produce the evidence to confirm them'. But Ms Comegna’s husband, Giovanni Passaro, insists his wife has received a miracle. 'I have seen a great miracle...it changed everything,' he was quoted as saying. 'She got up and quickly walked towards the nave. I asked her to stop, but she went and had no sign of paralysis.' In February a 20-year-old US college student who was paralysed in a sporting accident says he received messages from God telling him the exact day he would walk again - and he did. | Michelina Comegna, 74, was struck by the 'miracle' during a morning mass .
She attended the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii .
'Because of the burning sensation I thought I was on fire,' Ms Comegna said .
Paralysed following breast cancer surgery and a brain aneurysm . |
41,396 | 74c54d91274d613d13ffeaf63b61ddea7f95a501 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:10 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:14 EST, 5 December 2013 . The lesbian waitress who claimed that she was left a bigoted note may have lied again as a charity has still not received a donation that she announced she was making. Dayna Morales kicked up a firestorm after telling a gay advocacy group that she was left a homophobic note by a family that she waited on who instead of a tip. The family later said she was making it up, but that hasn't stopped 22-year-old Morales from collecting tips from other customers who were eager to make up for what they believed was a real insult. Some good, finally: Dayna Morales has begun refunding well-wishers who donated around $3,000 to her after hearing her outrageous tale . She later said that she would donate the 'replacement tips' that she had received since the ordeal to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity that helps injured soldiers. Now the charity has told the local Patch site in Bridgewater, New Jersey that they have not been able to find any donations from anyone in the area near her home address- meaning that they would be able to find it whether or not she used her name or remained anonymous. The only other way that the donation could have been made without it being searchable is through an unidentified third party or in a different zip code. She first announced that the donation- the amount of which remained undisclosed- was going to Wounded Warriors because of her own personal military service as a Marine, but that has also been called into question. Upset: Dayna Morales, pictured left while a . marine and right, said she was offended and hurt by how the couple, with . two small children, treated her while she served them but the family denied her claims . While Morales did serve in the Marines Corps reserve from July 2009 to May 2013, there’s no indication in her record of any combat service in Afghanistan or Iraq. The donation issue is just the latest in a string of lies that have been unearthed, as MailOnline previously interviewed one of Morales' friends who told a number of the 22-year-old's other tall tales. Kiersten Lynn Bremer, 23, from Washingtonville, New York, said she met Morales in November 2011 when she got engaged to one of her best friends, Teresa Rivera. Proof? The controversial receipt (left) shows exactly the same price, time and date of the meal as the family's copy (right) - but does not have the $18 tip the family swear they left bringing the total to $111.55 . 'We hit it off from the start and I never had such a good a connection from a girl ever. My husband and I left her stay the night at our house so many times.' 'But then things started coming up - she started saying things about how she was once pregnant and the baby died. She claimed she was blown up in her tank in Afghanistan. She said everybody else in the platoon were killed - so there were no other witnesses. We just soaked it all up.' | Dayna Morales claimed that customers left her a bigoted message rather than a tip but the family has said she made that up .
She also promised to donate the 'replacement' tips she received but now the charity has said that they have no record of the donation .
Morales, who friends say frequently made up stories, has been taken off the schedule at her restaurant . |
155,750 | 55512a741fb5686c80fc0f656b64ef17d7e3958b | It can be the cause of a fair amount of agitation - the passenger next to you on the aeroplane has commandeered the whole of the arm rest. With a response of casually edging you elbow in, or uncomfortably sliding your arm down the side of your seat, it's not an ideal situation to find yourself in. But one company may have found an answer to the conundrum - and all it involves is setting up is a plastic divider. Courtesy of Soarigami . The design, obviously in the shape of a plane, could end the arguments over armrests . Transforming the armrest evenly for two people will be pleasing news for many . Soarigami is a clip-on, origami-style armrest divider that looks like a paper airplane and frees up twice the space of a regular armrest. The invention also folds easily back into your bag, not taking up valuable space in your cabin luggage allowance. However, the solution to an everyday problem is not quite there yet - it is still being tested and is not expected to be released until early 2015. How the Soarigami will be modelled; the paper divider is set to be available early 2015 . Grace Chang writes on the Soarigami blog: 'Soarigami was designed to elevate the travel space by getting rid of the fight for armrests. 'Sick of fighting for armrests, our co-founder sketched the first idea onto a cocktail napkin during a particularly unpleasant flight. 'Sora means sky in Japanese, and gami means graceful. With the product being origami-inspired and meant to be used in flight, the name Soarigami was born, aiming to soar the skies with grace. 'The Sorigami is a portable, lightweight travel product that ends the fight for elbows.' The divider is expected to retail at around £20 ($30). | Soarigami is a clip-on, origami-style divider that looks like a paper airplane .
Will take away the need to fight for the armrest with the person next to you .
However still being tested, and not available until early 2015 .
Is expected to retail at around £20 and can fold into your bag . |
272,657 | ed241da4b2e988ca408799d7ea2a3e382a42008b | Extreme conditions: Police say Armando Villa appears to have died from heat exhaustion while on a fraternity-sponsored hike in the Angeles National Forest . A California university has ordered a . fraternity to cease and desist all activities following the death of a . 19-year-old pledge during an initiation activity. Armando Villa, 19, was in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest during an overnight hike with other members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity of California State University when they ran out of water around 5:30pm Tuesday.Villa lost consciousness on the trail before his companions flagged down a ranger who called emerged he was taken to hospital where he later died. The student's family says they believe the hike was a hazing ritual. 'The boys were left out there without shoes and water to kind of find their way out,' Villa's aunt Maria Casteneda told KTLA. She said that her nephew was left in the forest with no shoes, very little water and no cell phone. His feet and back were blistered. 'How do you leave somebody out there without shoes in 100-degree weather?' asked one of Villa's distraught cousins. The sheriff's department says Villa's death appears to have been brought on by heatstroke, but the exact cause of death with be determined by a coroner. His family says Villa had just completed his first year at the university and planned to eventually study medicine. Villa had been trying to join Pi Kappa Phi and had participated in two other events, one of which left him with bruises. Initiation: Villa's family say he and other young men hoping to join the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity were left on a mountain with very little water and no shoes to find their way back overnight . Beloved: Villa (left, pictured with two cousins) was trying to join the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and his family say they believe his death is the result of a hazing ritual . 'I . remember he came back with his elbows bruised, and he was talking to me . about an event he was excited for, and then when he got back I asked him . about it, and he was like "It wasn't even fun"', Villa's cousin, . Christopher Castaneda told ABC7, . adding that he had decided not to continue with the fraternity but went . on the hike because he'd already given his word that he would go. 'He . went to fulfill a promise he made because he was such a loyal person, . such a beautiful, beautiful person, and they treated him that way,' Mark . Castaneda said. Investigation: Villa (left) was found with no shoes and blisters to his feet and back. The university has ordered the fraternity to halt all activities as the investigation is carried out . 'We lost him, and we'll never have that light in our family anymore.' The university has issued a statement offering condolences to Villa's family. The school and the fraternity are cooperating with police as they investigate. 'The fraternity is cooperating fully with the authorities and university to investigate. In the interim, all chapter activities have been suspended pending the conclusion of the investigation,' reads a statement issued from Pi Kappa Phi. | Armando Villa, 19, died following a hike in the Angeles National Forest Tuesday .
His family say the fraternity-sponsored hike was actually a hazing ritual .
They say he was left in the mountains with very little water and no shoes to find his way back .
His companions found a ranger who called emergency services after he collapsed .
He was found with blistered feet and back and police say Villa appears to have died from heat exhaustion .
Villa was trying to join the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and had taken part in two other fraternity activities, one of which left him with bruised elbows .
All Pi Kappa Phi activities have ceased as police investigate . |
89,127 | fcf7e2eb076e6d457956ad41b03e81dfb1ac0ee1 | Wonga, the payday loan company, has been required to write off £220million of debts for 330,000 customers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has taken action because Wonga had been granting loans to customers without checking that they could afford the repayments. Back in June, the same company admitted to sending fake letters from fictitious law firms to customers in arrears, attempting to frighten them into repaying debts. For this cruel deception they paid £2.6m in compensation. Now these are not the actions of a commercially acceptable enterprise. Rather, they are the squalid manipulations of legalised loan sharks, whose profits are plundered from the distressed and the desperate. And this is the company whose name continues to disfigure the shirt of Newcastle United Football Club. Newcastle's shirt, as worn by midfielder Remy Cabella, features the logo of payday loan company Wonga . The point has been made repeatedly, not least in these pages, that the presence in football of these chancers, with their annual interest rates of up to 5,853 per cent, demeans not only the club, but the game itself. Yet when the matter is raised with contacts at the club, the responses are recited like a familiar script: ‘They’re not doing anything illegal … their money’s as good as any- one’s ... £32m over four years is too much to turn down.’ The Newcastle owner, Mike Ashley, feels no need to explain this or any of his decisions; indeed, one imagines him staring at the bottom line and smiling at the fuss. Then there is his manager, Alan Pardew. When the Wonga deal was signed, precisely two years ago, Pardew greeted it with the Pollyanna enthusiasm of a born company man. ‘Now there’s no reason why we can’t be one of the top-four clubs,’ he boasted. ‘I listened to the owner (of Wonga) and their customer satisfaction levels are higher than any other bank or lending facility… When Wonga have been involved in football clubs they’ve been very successful. If our fans do have any concerns, maybe they should contact Blackpool supporters and see how they’ve done. The feeling I get is that Blackpool fans have been happy with Wonga and what they’ve done for the club.’ It was almost too easy to snigger at his crass misjudgment. Pardew cited Blackpool as evidence of the benefits that legalised loan sharks can bring to football. In this case, it appeared to involve a cheque of undisclosed proportions and a half–time competition which featured a giant Wonga logo hanging from the goal in front of the North Stand. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley (right) talks with managing director Lee Charnley at the Liberty Stadium . A lucky fan was invited to walk out on to ‘the hallowed Bloomfield Road turf’ and strike a football through the ‘O’ of Wonga. Success brought him a £150 prize. Unfortunately, most people missed this pantomime, since they preferred to go off for a cup of tea and complain about the first half. The last time I looked, one bookmaker was offering odds of 1-20 on for poor old Blackpool to be relegated to League One. I was up there for a pre–season game, and I must tell the starry-eyed Pardew that the fans were deeply unhappy with just about every aspect of their car-crash of a football club. If anybody uttered a word in praise of Wonga, then I missed it. For they understood exactly what attracts such a company to a sadly down-at-heel seaside town. And Newcastle fans, in the heart of the recession-plagued North East, are similarly aware of the cynical strategy. Where there is poverty and stark insecurity, there is Wonga. Now it is clearly asking too much for men such as Ashley or Karl Oyston, the singularly charmless chairman of Blackpool, to recant, remove that objectionable shirt logo, renounce their ill-considered contracts, return the fees and face the consequences. Had they harboured the smallest scrap of sensitivity, then they would never have entered into such shameless agreements. But we are surely entitled to ask those who are charged with running the game to take a more civilised view. Newcastle manager Alan Pardew raises a smile as he arrives ahead of the match against Swansea . It is not an unreasonable request. The FA chairman Greg Dyke, the Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and the Football League chairman Greg Clarke should jointly announce that payday loan firms should no longer be allowed to advertise their services through the sponsorship of shirts. They should point out that they are taking such action because of the damage to football’s image and the danger to football’s customers. And if they need moral and legal bases for their action, then they may find them in the closely-argued pages of the FCA report, which demonstrates their repugnant methods and their insatiable greed. The case has been made. It is time that football took its stand against the sharks. Racism is never a joke, Jose . By his own eccentric standards, Jose Mourinho’s season has been admirably restrained. Declining to court controversy or seek a cheap headline, he has obeyed the ancient cliché and let Chelsea’s football do the talking. But we sensed it was too good to last and, sure enough, he has broken cover with his assertion that ‘There is no racism in football’. Mourinho had been asked about the wisdom of the English game adopting a version of American Football’s ‘Rooney Rule’, which decrees that at least one black or ethnic minority candidate must be interviewed for every managerial post. He insisted that: ‘Football is not so stupid to close doors to people. If you are good, you get the job. If you are top, you are top.’ Now it is perfectly possible for people of open minds and good intentions to differ about the desirability of the Rooney Rule. But the notion that football is immune from the virus of racism is flagrantly absurd. Racism exists in the police, the media and in both Houses of Parliament. It exists in the Institute of Directors, the Trade Union Congress and in every branch of the Armed Services. Mercifully, it is far less widespread and its manifestations far less odious than once they were. But excavate the dark corners of our society and the evidence will be exposed. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho speaks during a press conference on Friday ahead of the Arsenal match . In any case, we cannot dismiss that deeply depressing statistic which tells us that while our 92 Premier and Football League clubs contain 25 per cent black players, only two have black managers. We can do much more to achieve decent, equitable, appropriate representation. An intelligent man like Mourinho is surely aware of this. We must therefore conclude that he is merely being mischievous. He has chosen the wrong subject and the wrong moment for his little jape. Time to revert to restraint. All hail Kimetto’s glorious triumph . In a weekend of a reckless Wayne Rooney and a breathless Ryder Cup, the deeds of Dennis Kimetto scarcely raised a flutter. Which was a great pity. Because the 30-year-old Kenyan completed the Berlin Marathon in 2hrs, 2min and 57sec, thus becoming the first man to go beneath 2hrs 3min for the distance. Imagine that: 26.2 miles at an average pace of around 4min 41.5sec per mile! It is beyond astonishing. Kenya's Dennis Kimetto gives the thumbs up after breaking the world record for the marathon in Berlin . Kimetto took a full 26 seconds off the previous record. Thirty years ago this month, the Welshman Steve Jones set a fine world record of 2.08.05. Kimetto would have left him almost a mile-and-a-half adrift. It is, of course, impossible to quantify. But as a measure of athletic excellence, I would suggest that it stands alongside Roger Bannister’s first sub-4-minute mile or the various world records set by Usain Bolt. Kimetto was humility personified. Kimetto raises his arm as he crosses the finish line during the 41st Berlin Marathon last Sunday . ‘I went to Berlin just to compete, but I thank God that I have come back as a world record holder,’ he said. ‘It was a surprise.’ It was much more than that. It was a glorious triumph of human endeavour. We shall count ourselves fortunate to see anything comparable in this sporting year. PS… . Joey Barton — the eminent linguist, professional provocateur and midfield scuffler — has been out of the public eye. And Joey hates to be ignored. So he decided to offer some unsolicited advice. Barton knows why Arsenal haven’t won the title for ten years. It’s Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal manager doesn’t like ‘warriors’, it seems. He can’t stand ‘shouters and bawlers’. And the result: ‘At the latter stages of a season they come unstuck because of that lack of — I hate to say it — a real lack of character or spine within the team.’ It was vintage Barton, more in sorrow than in anger. You just know that Wenger will be truly thankful. Joey Barton during his appearance on BBC Question Time earlier this year . | Wonga had been granting loans to customers without checking that they could afford the repayments .
The payday loan company admitted in June to sending fake letters from fictitious law firms to customers in arrears .
These are the squalid manipulations of legalised loan sharks .
Payday loan firms should no longer be allowed to advertise their services through the sponsorship of shirts .
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho asserted 'there is no racism in football'
The notion that football is immune from the virus of racism is flagrantly absurd .
Dennis Kimetto's world record at the Berlin Marathon was a glorious triumph of human endeavour .
Joey Barton said Arsenal have a 'real lack of character or spine' |
98,396 | 0ab17ae9546426438c6d5c2f86a77f64b5d8d04f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:03 EST, 23 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:03 EST, 25 March 2013 . Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who slaughtered 77 people in the country's worst peacetime massacre, is pleading to be let out of prison to attend the funeral of his mother. Breivik and his mother Wenche Behring Breivik met earlier this month at Ila Prison where Breivik is being held, his lawyer Tord Jordet said today. She died on Friday after a long illness, according to her lawyer Ragnhild Torgersen. She was 66. A murderer's llament: Anders Behring Breivik, seen here making a salute at his trial in Oslo, is pleading to be let out of jail to attend his mother's funeral . 'He was allowed to say goodbye. They both knew it would be the final meeting,' Mr Jordet said. 'I spoke to him this morning. He was grieving. It was very sad news to him.' Breivik and Mr Jordet also discussed whether the confessed mass murder would like to attend her funeral. 'He would like to do so but it is up to the prison (board) to decide,' Mr Jordet said. The 34-year-old right-wing fanatic killed 77 people in twin attacks on July 22, 2011, in Norway's worst peacetime massacre. Chilling: Anders Behring Breivik walks with a gun in hand among bodies on Utoeya island July 22, last year . Terror: Teenagers on the Norwegian holiday island of Utoya had to 'swim for their lives' and hide in trees when Breivik fired indiscriminately at them . He detonated a car bomb outside . government offices in Oslo killing eight people and then drove to the . island of Utoya where he massacred 69 in a shooting spree at the summer . camp of the governing Labour Party's youth wing. Five years before the massacre, Breivik had moved back to live with his mother and ended all social contacts. His . mother never attended Breivik's 10-week trial for health reasons, but . in a statement read in court she said Breivik had fabricated . information. Breivik and his mother had telephone . contacts in recent months because she was not able to visit him in . prison for health reasons, Mr Jordet said. Carnage: A man lies injured in the road amid wreckage from the Oslo blast as emergency service personnel rush to help him . 'He told me they had completely . opposite ideological views but they had a good mother and son . relationship,' the lawyer said. 'He regarded her as a good mother.' Last . year, the Oslo District Court found Breivik guilty of terrorism and . premeditated murder for the attacks. He was given a 21-year prison . sentence that can be extended if he's considered a threat. The self-styled anti-Muslim militant denied criminal guilt, saying he's a commander of a resistance movement aiming to overthrow European governments and replace them with 'patriotic' regimes that will deport Muslim immigrants. Police said they found no evidence of Breivik belonging to any such group. | Wenche Behring Breivik, 66, died on Friday after a long illness .
She had met with her killer son in prison earlier this month .
Breivik killed 77 people in twin attacks on July 22, 2011 . |
77,542 | dbe07427b06110d9dc78299fe2535f993ef2ff75 | A young mother was shot dead on her son’s third birthday. Jazzmine Wash, 23, was killed outside her Long Beach, CA, home Thursday morning while on the front steps to retrieve her son’s diaper bag just hours before a party she had planned. She was shot multiple times in the upper torso, officials said, and pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting happened just before 6:30am, and was at very close range, witnesses said. Tragedy: 23-year-old mother Jazzmine Wash was shot dead on her son's third birthday . Ms. Wash, a single mother who had just started a new job, according to KCAL, was planning to throw a party for her young son later in the day, a neighbor said. ‘They were going to take them to Chuck E. Cheese,’ Shawn Mallory told NBC Los Angeles. ‘We're all pretty upset. This is a tight-knit community here, so the neighbors all know each other.’ That party never happened. Instead, witnesses say they heard multiple gunshots in the gated courtyard leading to their apartments. Ms. Wash was killed in an instant. ‘The police woke us up and I heard gunshots. Four or five gunshots,’ a neighbor told KCAL. Multiple shots: Witnesses said they heard four or five gunshots just outside their doors . Too young to die: Relatives and neighbors are crushed by the death of Ms. Wash . Emergency responders pronounced Ms. Wash dead only 10 minutes later. ‘She came outside of the apartment to gather a bag, what was described as a diaper bag, and was shot multiple times in her upper torso,’ Long Beach Police Sergeant Aaron Eaton told KCAL. ‘The suspects fled the scene and the fire department came and unfortunately she was pronounced dead here at the scene.’ Investigators do not yet have any suspects, but believe the shooting was not random, according to reports. Normally quiet: The shooting happened in a gated courtyard, just outside the doors of several residents . Just outside: Ms. Wash is said by investigators to have stepped outside to retrieve her son's diaper bag when she was shot dead . ‘Just a tragic incident all around – for him to lose a mother, for her to lose her life, and a family and friends to lose a loved one or friend,’ Mr. Eaton told NBC Los Angeles. Ms. Wash’s family is devastated, according to a neighbour who spoke to KCAL. ‘They killed her,’ the neighbour said she heard a relative of Ms. Wash say. Those who knew Ms. Wash are stunned, not believing that such a horrific death could happen to their friend and neighbour. Ms. Wash’s landlord told NBC Los Angeles she was ‘a polite young woman who had no enemies.’ ‘Good neighbor. Always said hello, friendly. A real nice person, you know,’ Mr. Eaton told KCAL, adding that it ‘was the little boy’s birthday. It is really sad. We are heartbroken.’ The investigation is ongoing, officials said, adding that investigators are trying to determine Ms. Wash’s familiarity with her killer(s). | Jazzmine Wash planned to throw a party for her three-year-old son later in the day at Chuck E. Cheese .
Ms. Wash was shot multiple times, at close range .
Investigators do not believe the shooting was random . |
31,525 | 59a7eabe84f8aaede0af76e8c65346a427bb1b78 | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 11:44 EST, 24 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:45 EST, 24 July 2013 . The easiest way to lose weight isn't willpower but to take away temptation, according to a new study. Research shows that the best way to avoid temptation is not to face it in the first place. In the case of dieters, this means not buying chocolate biscuits, rather than trying to resist raiding the biscuit tin. The study found that the most impulsive people benefited the most from avoiding temptation, or ¿pre-committing¿, as it is known to scientists . Those who are strapped for cash might do well to put their money in a savings account with stiff penalties for early withdrawals. Similarly, cutting up a credit card will likely do more for bank balance than simply trying not to use plastic. The advice follows Cambridge University research into how easy people find it to give into temptation. A group of men were given the choice of looking at a ‘mildly enjoyable’ erotic picture straight away or waiting for an image that would be ‘extremely enjoyable’. Sometimes, they had to exert their willpower to wait for the second picture. Other times, they made their choice at the beginning and the instant temptation was taken away from those who said they’d rather wait. When this was the case, more men viewed the second image. The study also found that the most impulsive people benefited the most from avoiding temptation, or ‘pre-committing’, as it is known to scientists. Sciensists said cutting up a credit card would do more for a bank balance than simply trying not to use plastic . Researcher Molly Crockett said that willpower is not the only form of self-control and anticipating problems also helps. Dr Crockett, who worked with German researchers on the project, said: ‘Our study suggests that the most effective way to beat temptations is to avoid facing them in the first place. ‘It confirms in the lab what we knew all along intuitively, which is that removing temptation from your choice base is a really effective way of reaching your long-term goals. ‘If you are on a diet, don’t buy sweets at the store because if they are in the house, right in front of you, you are not going to be able to resist them.’ Dr Crockett, who resists temptation by using a computer programme that stops her from browsing the internet while she is working, admitted that many people will find the advice hard to follow. She said: ‘People really like to have a choice and pre-commitment over-rides your preference to keep your options open. ‘Maybe one way to encourage people to pre-commit is to emphasise the benefits of achieving their long-term goal.’ The study, published in the journal Neuron, also shed light on the brain regions involved in the different aspects of self-control. Professor Jason Halford, chairman of the UK Association for the Study of Obesity, said: ‘If you know what situations causes you problem, then avoiding it is a useful way of changing your behaviour. ‘As the study shows willpower alone is clearly not a superior strategy. Indeed in situations of temptation or stress it may set individual up for failure.’ However, he added that having someone else set the rules by, for example, denying certain foods, could be a source of arguments. | Research by Cambridge University has found that the best way to avoid temptation is to not face it in the first place .
In the case of dieters this means not buying chocolate biscuits in the first place, rather than trying to resist raiding the biscuit tin .
Dr Molly Crockett who was involved in study resists temptation by .
using PC programme that stops her from browsing the internet .
while working . |
187,788 | 7f2e6f740ec5b5d484b1caa7e759ab173a6ff721 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Lance Armstrong appeared to be putting fitness first on his list of New Year's resolutions after he was spotted paddle-boarding with his bikini-clad girlfriend in Hawaii this week. It seemed like strenuous workouts were in need for the disgraced cyclist, 42, who showed off a bit of a paunch as he paddled shirtless in the tropical waters. Armstrong was joined by his 32-year-old girlfriend Anna Hansen who looked incredible in a tiny, black two piece. The couple were enjoying a beach day on Monday with their two children and Armstrong's three children from his previous marriage. Lance Armstrong looked toned and healthy while paddle-boarding with his family in Hawaii on January 6 . Anna Hansen, 31, has two children with Armstrong after they began dating in 2008 . The blended family enjoyed water sports and a spot of sunbathing, with one of Armstrong's older daughters helping his youngest son build sandcastles. Armstrong began dating Anna Hansen in July 2008 after they met through his charity work. Five months later, he announced that Miss Hansen was pregnant, having conceived naturally. At the time, it was believed that Armstrong could no longer father children after having battled testicular cancer in 1996 and undergone chemotherapy. Their son Maxwell Edward Armstrong was born in 2009. A daughter, Olivia Marie, followed in October 2010. Armstrong has three children after using IVF with his ex-wife Kristin Richard. The couple married in 1998 and have three children Luke David, 14, and 12-year-old twins Isabelle Rose and Grace Elisabeth. The pregnancies were possible following the sperm Armstrong banked prior to his cancer treatment The couple divorced in 2003. After two children, Miss Hansen has kept her amazing figure which she showed off in a tiny black bikini . The former champion relaxes in the sea with his girlfriend of five years during a winter vacation to Hawaii . Armstrong enjoyed a day of snorkeling and paddle-boarding with his family on the Hawaiian beach . Anna Hansen, 32, relaxes on the beach with her son Maxwell and one of Armstrong's daughters from his previous marriage . Armstrong and children believed to be from his first marriage enjoyed a day at the beach in Hawaii . Lance Armstrong jogging on Miami beach in 2006 (pictured left) and this week in Hawaii (right) The shamed cyclist also dated singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow from 2003 until 2006. He dated designer Tory Burch from March to October 2007. In 2012, Armstrong was banned from competitive cycling and he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles over his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs. After years of denials, Armstrong admitted last January that he had in fact used performance enhancing drugs during a much-hyped interview with Oprah Winfrey. The confession came after a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report detailed widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs by Armstrong and his USPS team. Armstrong appeared relaxed during his beach vacation despite the fact that this week cycling's governing body appointed a three-man independent panel to investigate the sport's doping past, including allegations the UCI colluded with the athlete. Armstrong tweeted on Tuesday that he planned to cooperate with the UCI commission but that he had yet to be contacted by the organization. The disgraced cyclist chats with his girlfriend, who is ten years younger, while they hang out in the sea . Miss Hansen met Armstrong five years ago while working for his cancer charity in Texas . Anna Hansen grabs the blended family's belongings during their day at the beach . Miss Hansen and her blended family gather up their toys after spending some time at the beach on Monday . Shared pastime: Lance Armstrong's girlfriend Anna looks like a professional athlete as she goes for a cycle in Hawaii . Lance Armstrong on Miami Beach in 2010 with his girlfriend Anna Hansen and their two children, Maxwell and five-week-old Olivia . | The disgraced cyclist, 42, showed off his curvy physique as he paddled shirtless in the sea with girlfriend Anna Hansen, 32 .
Armstrong has 2 children with Hansen whom he met in 2008 while working for his cancer charity .
The ex-Olympian has 3 children from his previous marriage which ended in 2003 . |
197,924 | 8c2e03d9768c9e182ec2c0654940b44fbf047d53 | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 08:04 EST, 20 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:40 EST, 21 February 2013 . A British couple are to be deported from Australia next month – because they settled in a suburb that was 2 miles and 854.45 yards from where they were told to set up home. George and Lana Breen today told of their despair at being sent back to Scotland, after migrating to Queensland, 10,400 miles away, five years ago, and each finding jobs that were of benefit to the Australian community. But under the rules of their migration visa they had to live and work in a specified area. Strict rules: George and Lana Breen are being deported from Australia after breaching the terms of their visas by moving to an area three miles away from the location they were allocated to live in . Mr and Mrs Breen, from Dundee, settled in the suburb of Calamvale, south of Brisbane, which is less than three miles from Browns Plains, where they were meant to live. There was good work for the two of them in Calamvale and they were convinced they were doing the right thing in a country that has been asking for skilled and qualified workers. But the Immigration Department was not happy about their choice of suburb and has invoked a little-known rule that they cannot work in any other place other than that initially specified until such time as their full residency visas are approved. ‘When we heard from the immigration that we’d broken the condition of the visa we were shattered,’ Mrs Breen, who works as a disability care specialist, told Channel Seven’s Today Tonight programme. ‘This was not done intentionally.’ Mr Breen, who is working as a much-in-demand bricklayer, was devastated. ‘We work hard, we’ve put in a lot of money, we’ve set up home here, we’ve got vehicles and this is home,’ he said. Strict guidelines mean immigrants can't live in anywhere other than the area stated on their visas . Demography expert Dr Bob Birrell said he believed the visa that ‘controlled’ the Breens was created to soothe the nations’ concerns that migrants were flocking to the capital cities while areas that needed workers were being bypassed. Migrants, he said, weren’t going where they were really needed, so when the Breens were told they had to live in Browns Plains it was expected they would abide by that ruling. Mr Ian Mulvey, who knows the couple well, said Mrs Breen had been looking after his disabled son for three years. Skilled workers or professionals must be nominated by a state or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area to be granted a 475 skilled regional visa in Australia. The visa is valid for four years and only for a designated area in Australia where the applicant's skills are most needed. Workers are allocated a specific area to work in because of concerns migrants were only flocking to big cities to work and weren't helping to fill gaps in workforce. After the four years is up, workers can apply for permanent residency if they wish to stay in Australia. Australia is well-known for its tough stance on immigration. ‘She’s just made a significant difference to his life,’ he told the TV programme. ‘The Australian adage, give someone a fair go…that’s just gone out of the water with all this.’ Mr Greg Robbie, General Manger of the Algester Sports Club, where Mr Breen is a social member, said a petition of 650 had been signed in favour of Mr Breen and his wife staying in Australia. But the Immigration Department has been unmoved. ‘Their particular visa applies to those working and residing in regional Australia and of course regional Australia is determined in our case by postcodes.’ Mr and Mrs Breen said they thought they had obeyed all the conditions of their 475 skilled regional visa and it wasn’t until they applied for permanent residency in 2011 that they found out they were victims of red tape. Desperately, they approached real estate agent Tony Cook looking for place to live in the ‘correct’ suburb. ‘At that time, there was not much available and weren’t able to help and passed them onto other agents who also weren’t able to help,’ said Mr Cook. The Breens appealed to the Migration Review Tribunal but lost their case on the basis that they had breached the terms of their visas. The TV channel said it was hard not to have some sympathy for the British couple when it was known that other migrants are not prevented from moving into suburbs where people of similar nationalities live. Dr Birrill gave as examples Vietnamese migrants who gather in three suburbs in Melbourne, the Chinese who tend to move into a particular Sydney suburb, the Indians in another and the Lebanese in three suburbs. On March 7, said Mr and Mrs Breen, they will be ordered onto a plane and sent back to Scotland.‘We’ve made an awful lot of friends here and to be sent home…I think it’s a bit of a disgrace,’ he said. | George and Lana Breen migrated to Queensland from Dundee in 2008 .
Couple had to live in Browns Plains, Logan City, as part of visa conditions .
Pair then settled in Calamvale, Brisband - three miles from Browns Plains .
Breens are being deported back to UK for breaching the terms of their visa . |
274,937 | f02c763374f368c0a03b48b421bcac82fffa4d23 | Click here for Sportsmail's brilliant World Cup Match Zone . Russia: TBA . South Korea: TBA . Host commentator . Russia take on Belgium next in Group H, they're going to have to improve to trouble Marc Wilmots side. King Capello though, eh? Meanwhile, South Korea take on Algeria. That's all from me tonight, I hope you enjoyed the coverage here. All over here, I'm thankful the second half improved! The heat made it difficult to play with a quick tempo, but both teams seemed content with a draw. Igor Akinfeev's mistake will live long in the memory... 90+4mins: All over? Kokorin gets in down the left and plays the ball across the six yard box, but Samedov slices it wide at the back post. 90mins: Russia in the ascendancy, they have been much more positive in the last 20 minutes or so. Four minutes added on. 85mins: Just five minutes left here, and you have to say it's been an entertaining second half. I guess anything would be considered exciting after those first 45 minutes though! Can either team nick a crucial winner? 79mins: What now? This game has certainly livened up. Unbelievable! Russia equalise immediately. They look so much better with two up front, and Kerzhakov capitalises after a goalmouth scramble. Four years ago Capello had to watch on as Rob Green dropped a clanger for England against USA. I think this ones worse... 71mins: Fabio Capello going for it now, on comes another striker. Dear. Oh. Dear. This is one of the worst goalkeeping howlers you will ever see. And I'm sorry Igor Akinfeev, but this game needed it. Substitute Lee Keun-Ho shoots speculatively from 30 yards, straight at the Russian goalkeeper, who practically throws it into his own net. Really, just... awful. 66mins: Superb ball in from Kombarov from the left, and to be fair to South Korea's goalkeeper he deals with this one well, pucnhing the ball clear. 62mins: Few players dropping with cramp at the moment. Me too lads, me too... 58mins: On comes the Alan Dzagoev, the top scorer from Euro 2012 as a youngster. Dubbed as the next Andrei Arshavin, can he inspire Russia here? 56mins: Off goes the former Arsenal striker, who just like his days in the Premier League, was ineffective tonight. 50mins: This half is much more promising. Ki hits a swerving shot from long range and Akinfeev only just parries on the second attempt. 48mins: Another harsh booking here, this time for a Russian player. Oleg Shatov is slightly late, but I reckon that was his first foul. 46mins: Great start to the second half from Russia. Faizulin has a shot tipped over the bar before Berezoutski nods a header into the side netting. No goals at the break then... we haven't seen a goal since around 6pm (BST). South Korea had the best chances in that half and but for some wayward finishing would be in front. Capello needs to install some belief into his Russia side, they surely need to go for it. 43mins: Looks like we're going to be goalless at half-time. Players trying to pace themselves in this 80 degree humidity. 38mins: What a chance this is for Son Hueng-Min yet again. he dances into the box and creates space to shoot but blazes it miles over the bar. A complete shank. 34mins: Another long range shot, this time from Son Heung-Min, the shot is deflected and with Akinfeev rooted, would have found the net had it been on target. Just wide, though. 33mins: Better from Russia. Kokoring feeds Zhirkov on the left-hand side who drives towards the box. He elects to shoot but gets all wrong, kicking the ground and it's a goal kick. 30mins: Another harsh booking for South Korea, for what seemed to be a 50/50. The resulting free-kick is blasted towards goal by Faizulin and the ball has to be beaten away by the goalkeeper. 27mins: At the moment Russia are only looking dangerous from corners. Jung Sung-Ryong just about manages to claw the latest set-piece away. Dare I say it, this game needs a goal... 22mins: I mentioned earlier that Russia were the favourites for this, especially after South Korea lost to Ghana 4-0 in their final warm-up game. But the Asian side are holding their own, with the Russians crying out for some invention. 17mins: Not impressed by Russia at all so far. It's slow, steady and they're lacking creativity. Dare I say it reminds me of England in 2010? 13mins: We saw a lenient referee earlier on, but this is ridiculous. Son Heung-Min is booked, but he barely touched Aleksandr Samedov, who made the most of it. 10mins: More lovely play from South Korea! A fabulous touh from Koo Ja-Choel sets up Heung-Min, but he is a bit selfish and goes for goal himself from the edge of the box instead of laying it off to Chung Yung. He eventually blasts his shot over the bar. 8mins: Decent bit of movement from Son Heung-Min, who dances past a couple of challenges. Russia have had a corner early on but little threat other than that - they seem to be lacking pace on the wing. 4mins: Russia looking to force the pace early on, but South Korea have already shown some technical quality on the ball. Bolton's Lee Chung-Yong is one to look out for, and he will look to get some joy against an aging defence. Away we go! Surely not another 0-0 draw? Let's hope for an entertaining game. Look out for Aleksandr Kokorin for Russia tonight, the 23-year-old has a fine record in his home country. It is their first World Cup appearance since 2002, coincidentally the year South Korea made the semi-finals... Son Heung-Min is the danger man for them, and he is partnered up front by former Arsenal flop Park Chu-Young. Russia have only kept one clean sheet in their last six World Cup games, it was against Tunisia on June 5, 2002 (2-0). This is South Korea’s eighth World Cup in a row (since 1986); only Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Spain can boast a longer streak currently. South Korea have only won two of their last 10 World Cup games (against Togo in 2006 and Greece in 2010). The one previous meeting between Russia and South Korea came in a friendly in November 2013; Fabio Capello’s side won 2-1. Including games played as Soviet Union, Russia have lost seven of their last 10 World Cup games, winning the other three. South Korea have kicked off each of the last three World Cups with a win: v Poland in 2002, Togo in 2006 and Greece in 2010. South Korea have scored the most direct free-kicks in the World Cup since 1990 (5).Aleksandr Kokorin was the youngest player to score 10 or more goals in the Russian Premier League in 2013-14; he was born in March 1991. South Korea captain Koo Ja-cheol said 'I don't know the (Russian) names themselves. But I know their numbers.' Rewind four years ago, and Fabio Capello was slammed in the press after a poor performance in South Africa with England. Can he make up for it with his Russia side tonight? They qualified convincingly and will be the slight favourites for this one. Never rule out the South Koreans though... Sung-Ryong; Suk-Young, Young-Gwon, Lee-Yong, Jeong-Ho; Ja-Cheol, K.Young, Sun-Yueng, Chung-Yong; Chu-Young, Heung-Min . Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Glushakov, Kokorin, Berezutskiy, Shatov, Zhirkov, Samedov, Fayzulin, Eshchenko, Kombarov . Hello and welcome to Sportsmail's coverage as Russia take on South Korea in Group H. These are the last teams yet to play in this summer's World Cup. Team news from Cuiaba to follow shortly. | Russia responded immediately from keeper Igor Akinfeev's blunder .
Lee Keun-ho scores after a terrible mistake from Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev who looks distraught .
Kerzhakov capitalised after a goalmouth scramble .
Fabio Capello delighted with his players' response .
Rob Green made goalkeeping error for England under Capello at World Cup 2010 .
Group H rivals last two teams to kick off Brazil 2014 campaign .
Russia appearing in first finals since Japan/Korea 2002 .
European outfit led by former England boss Fabio Capello .
Group H opener took place in Cuiaba at Arena Pantanal . |
255,836 | d7209b797b148db978b0ed795615240eb0a10dcb | New York (CNN) -- The space shuttle Enterprise, mounted atop a 747 jumbo jet, swooped across the New York City skyline on Friday before touching down at the city's John F. Kennedy International Airport, bringing an end to its final flight. It took off from Virginia's Dulles International Airport with a flight plan that included fly-bys of the Statue of Liberty and other Gotham landmarks. It is ultimately bound for its new home at the city's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. "This is going to be the largest NASA artifact north of Baltimore in the entire Northeast region," said Susan Marenoff-Zausner, the Intrepid's president. "For kids to be able to come and see this when they'd have to travel miles and miles to go somewhere else, it's right in their back yard." The space agency said it will put the shuttle on a barge in a few weeks and float it up the Hudson River to its final home. "It's the end of one era, but I think it's the beginning of another era," said space historian Andrew Chaikin. "The shuttle was amazing but it's not sustainable. And above all, we need a space program that can do great things in a sustainable way." Share your shuttle photos, videos with CNN iReport . The shuttle, which has been on display at a Smithsonian Institute museum near Washington, is the latest to shift locations as NASA sends its fleet into retirement. Discovery -- the most traveled of the shuttles -- is replacing Enterprise in the Smithsonian facility. Completed in 1976, Enterprise was designed as a prototype test vehicle. Test pilots demonstrated that it could fly and land in the atmosphere like airplanes, but the Enterprise never flew in space. "It's a very gratifying feeling for someone who's devoted their career to test flying like myself and all the other astronauts," said former Air Force Maj. Gen. Joe Engle, who commanded one of two flight crews that manned the Enterprise during test flights in 1977. "To get a flight in a space shuttle is just the culmination of your entire professional career." The shuttle was originally to be named the Constitution, but a write-in campaign by fans of the television series "Star Trek" persuaded officials to rename it in honor of the show's main starship. NASA sent the shuttle on a tour of Europe and Canada in 1983, and it also appeared in the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans. The craft made a brief return to service as a ground test vehicle in 1984 before retiring to the Smithsonian's collection in 1985. NASA is preparing to fly space shuttle Endeavour to Los Angeles sometime in the second half of the year. Atlantis is being readied for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The other two shuttles in the NASA program, Challenger and Columbia, were destroyed in flight. | NEW: "This is going to be the largest NASA artifact north of Baltimore," Intrepid's president says .
The shuttle is flown over various landmarks before landing in New York .
It will be housed at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum . |
264,481 | e28df92ae78dc0252b1bb46b897958b4f1e634c6 | An Indiana teenager has been killed and his father is feared dead after their plane crashed while they were trying to set a record for an around-the-world flight. Family spokeswoman Annie Hayat said Wednesday that the plane flown by 17-year-old Haris Suleman went down shortly after leaving Pago Pago in American Samoa. Suleman and his father, Babar Suleman, were on board. Hayat says the body of Haris Suleman has been recovered but crews are still looking for his father and the plane's wreckage. Scroll down for video . Tragic end: Haris Suleman's plane went down shortly after leaving Pago Pago in American Samoa. Suleman and his father, Babar, were on board, pictured together here . Flight path: The father-son duo were due to complete their journey on Sunday. Pago Pago was their last scheduled stop before Hawaii and their final journey home to Indiana . Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor in Los Angeles said the Hawker Beechcraft plane crashed into the ocean Tuesday night around 6.30pm PDT under unknown circumstances. Haris' sister, Hiba thanked supporters on Facebook and said the family were still waiting for news on her father. 'I'd like to thank everyone for their support of my father and brother throughout this trip, as well as for the support given to my mom, brother and myself as we waited for their safe return,' She wrote. 'Haris and my dad's plane went down upon take off in American Samoa. Haris has been found - he did not make it. My father has not yet been found. Please pray that my dad is found alive and well. Also, hug your siblings and parents - tell them you love them, a hundred times. A thousand times.' Haris’s uncle is an Air Vice Marshal in Pakistan. He confirmed the crash to The Express Tribune. ‘We are very sad. It was the last leg of their trip, a journey of 13-14 hours, Abid Rao said. 'But their plane crashed within two minutes after they took off.’ The two left Indiana on June 19 in the hopes of breaking a world record and raising money for a non-profit organization that builds schools for the poor in Pakistan. They planned to return home Sunday which would have put them five days behind schedule for their aimed time of 30-days but still in the running to set a Guinness World Record for the youngest pilot to complete a circumnavigation in a single engine aircraft. The pair were documenting their journey on social media and the 17-year-old posted a series of tragic tweets hours before his death. 'Pago Pago is without a doubt [in the] top 5 places I've been this summer,' Haris wrote on Tuesday after posting a photo of the island's sunset captioned: 'The beauty of Pago Pago'. The account documented the pair's journey across the globe alongside a blog which included a GPS map tracking their journey. Shared journey: Haris Suleman shared every stage of his journey online including photographs from his plane's window including a shot of his final sunset on Pago Pago, pictured left, and the view of the ocean, pictured right . Prepared: The father and son duo posed for pictures in their emergency gear and were well prepared for the journey - but it sadly wasn't enough to save them from their tragic crash . Charity mission: Haris had been flying with his father since he was eight years old. The pair were hoping to raise money for Pakistan educational charity TCF . Haris had been flying with his father since he was eight years old. The father and son duo spoke to MailOnline before setting off on their journey. 'I am really looking forward to getting going,' the junior at Plainfield High School said. 'I only just got my license but I can’t imagine a better way to spend my summer.' 'He will be the pilot in command,' added Babar. 'I will only take over the controls in an emergency situation. If all goes well, my son will be going back to school for his senior year with some tall tales to tell. 'He has been flying with me since he was 8-years-old. He couldn’t see above the windshield in those days but he would keep the three instruments in line.' Love of flying: Both father and son had a passion for planes and flying with Haris joining Babar on his many journeys . Thankful: Haris' sister took to Facebook to thank supporters for their kind words as she shared the sad news of his death. Here Haris Suleman is seen hugging his mother goodbye before taking off from Greenwood, Indiana, on June 19 . Team: Haris and Babar Suleman were dedicated to raising money for Pakistan charity TCF which helps educate the country's poorest children . The pair were leaving the American Samoa island for Hawaii which was due to be their next stop. Haris' tweets suggest the pair were re-routed as they discovered there was no fuel in their next scheduled stop of Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island. Instead they were preparing for a long flight path from Pago Pago direct to Hawaii. Rescuers are still searching for Babar's body but fear he will have perished in the impact like his son. He is himself an experienced flyer and survived an emergency landing after his plane developed engine trouble during a flight in 2008. The pair were dedicated to raising money for Pakistan charity the Citizens Foundation. The non-profit raises much needed funds to help educate Pakistan’s poorest of the poor and build schools to teach children living in some of the world’s worst slums. Posing alongside their plane on their GoFundMe page they appealed for support. In a statement the charity said: 'It is with great sadness that we can confirm that a Beechcraft aircraft flown by Babar Suleman and his son Haris, from Plainfield, Indiana, has crashed into the ocean near American Samoa. They were on the final leg of an inspiring journey around the world in 30 days to raise funds for The Citizens Foundation. Their goal was to raise $1 million and two donors had already offered to give enough money to build two schools.' The family are originally from Pakistan but emigrated to America in the eighties, they had visited relatives in the country on their round-the-globe trip. On Sunday the teen was interviewed by the Indianapolis Star and spoke of the moving lessons he had learned from the different cultures the pair had encountered on their journey. Last days: Babar and Haris Suleman shared images of the final stops on their record-breaking attempt before tragedy struck . 'Beauty and culture': The 17-year-old shared photographs on Twitter and his blog during the round the world trip . Favorite stop: Haris wrote about Egypt and said it was his favorite stop on the journey. 'Egypt was the best because of the history', he wrote. 'There is so much beauty and culture in each country that I couldn't possibly witness all that I want to in the span of two days,' he said. 'Egypt was by far the best because of the history,' Suleman said. 'I loved the pyramids and the Sphinx.' Last September, Australian teenager Ryan Campbell, 19, became the youngest person to fly a single-engine aircraft solo around the world, pipping the Guinness World Record set by 21-year-old Jack Wiegand three months earlier. Their journeys took 70 days and 58 days respectively. Haris was in a different category as he was with his father - rather than alone. His young age would have set its own record though as well as the 30 day target the pair were aiming to hit. His school paid tribute to his ambition and 'adventurous spirit' in a statement released to Fox 59. “Plainfield Community School Corporation is deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students. Seventeen-year-old Haris Suleman completed his junior year in May and left Plainfield only days later in an attempt to fly around the world with his father. 'Haris’s adventurous spirit and huge heart led him to reaching for this personal goal while also seeking to raise funds and awareness for schools supported by The Citizens Foundation, a non-profit organization headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. ' 'The loss of Haris is a sobering tragedy for our school community. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Haris’s family.' | The body of Haris Suleman, 17, has been recovered off Pago Pago .
The teen was attempting to be the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the globe in a single engine aircraft with father Babar alongside him .
Babar's body and the plane's wreckage is yet to be recovered after the crash which took place on Tuesday night .
The plane went down a mile after take-off from the island airport .
The father-son duo were raising money for Citizens Foundation, a charity educating Pakistan's poorest children .
Babar has more than ten years flying experience and said his son joined him on flights from age eight before they departed .
Haris, a Plainfield High School rising senior, excitedly shared news of their journey on his blog and Twitter .
His final heartbreaking tweet revealed how much he loved the American Samoan island of Pago Pago and included a picture of an idyllic sunset . |
222,605 | ac2c3ce8a2d802671ee0ba6b823a259814f16e91 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:21 EST, 17 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:25 EST, 17 May 2013 . Russia’s Federal Security Service has publicly named the man who it says is the CIA station chief in Moscow. The unusual decision to release the identity of the agent who arrested US diplomat Ryan Fogle after he tried to recruit him, is said to be a breach of intelligence protocol. According to the Telegraph, there could be an angry response from the US Government as the names of intelligence officers are not released to the public. A diplomat with the same name is . listed as a Counsellor in the US Moscow embassy. It was unclear if he . was still based in the country, said the Telegraph. Undercover diplomat Ryan Fogle has . been mercilessly mocked on the web both in Russia and the West for his . apparently amateurish Boy's Own approach to espionage in Moscow. Scroll down for video . Arrested: The US diplomat was pinned to the ground and arrested by the Russian agent he was trying to recruit . Claims: The FSB counter intelligence service said the envoy, a third secretary in the political section of the American embassy was caught red handed seeking to recruit a Russian intelligence officer . Detained: The FSB said Fogle was in possession of two floppy wigs, three pairs of glasses, a map of Moscow and a folding knife when he was detained . Seized: After his arrest, he was taken to the FSB headquarters at the Lubyanka, in Moscow, and later handed over to the US embassy in keeping with diplomatic protocols . But the FSB claimed that the Russian anti-terrorism expert he was . hoping to lure to treachery wasted no time in personally apprehending . him, pinning him to the ground, and handing him over to the authorities. 'The man behaved like an officer . worthy of his name, detaining the recruiter and handing him over to . counterintelligence authorities' said an FSB source yesterday. 'He will continue to serve. There is no threat to his career.' The Russians have not named the . target of the CIA approach but he is believed to be a specialist in . terrorism linked to extremist Islamic groupings. Fogle called him seeking a meeting at which he intended to recruit him, it is claimed. Instead he ended up face on the . ground, and handcuffed, before being taken to the notorious Lubyanka HQ . of the secret services for questioning. FBI agents first came across the . Russian agent when they were given assistance by Moscow over the Boston . marathon bombings, it is understood. Fogle, 29, a third secretary in the . embassy's political department, was detained wearing a blond wig under . his baseball cap while on a mission to recruit the FSB operative on the . night of May 13. In his possession, Fogle had another . wig, a compass, a map of Moscow, sunglasses, and a 'Dear Friend' letter - . apparently translated into Russian on Google - which offered $1 million . a year plus bonuses to the FSB man. Fogle has been ordered to leave Russia in the next few days. Statement: 'Recently, the US intelligence service has made repeated attempts to recruit the staff of Russian law enforcement agencies and special services,' according to the FSB . Stash: He was detained with 'special technical devices, written instructions for the person he was recruiting, a lot of cash, and things to help change one's appearance,' according to the FSB . Mission: The website of the American embassy in Russia informs that its Political Section is engaged in 'bringing to the attention of the Russian government the US position on the issues of foreign policy and security' Questions: A letter the agent carried suggested the US government was willing to pay up to $1 million a year plus bonuses to his unidentified potential Russian recruit, if the letter released by the FSB is genuine . Release: Fogle was held overnight before being released to U.S. officials and expelled from Russia . The arrest of Ryan Fogle is just the latest twist in the long history of spying between the U.S. and Russia. Famously, 10 Russian sleeper agents were arrested in June 2010 and accused of pretending to be ordinary Americans while secretly plotting against the country. The best-known is Anna Chapman, above, who has become a major celebrity in her home country since being deported from the U.S. In the Cold War period, however, U.S.-Soviet espionage was often a matter of life and death - in 1985, military officer Arthur D. Nicholson was shot dead by a Soviet sentry while spying in East Germany. One of the war's major crises was caused by the shooting down of an American spy plane in 1960 and the subsequent capture of its pilot. The FSB stressed yesterday that the . US and Russia 'will try to avoid ratcheting up tension around the Ryan . Fogle case, focusing instead on the positive aspects of their . relations'. But Russian intelligence services say they have trapped a CIA ‘spy’ as he offered millions of pounds to a senior Russian agent. Diplomat . Ryan Fogle was thrown down and handcuffed in a night-time sting by the . FSB secret service – formerly the KGB. He had a rudimentary espionage kit . containing a compass, map of Moscow, knives, a microphone, two wigs, . three pairs of glasses, plastic bags containing thousands of euros and . an RFID Shield, which prevents passports with computer chips being read . remotely, Russian intelligence sources said. The ‘agent’, a third secretary in the . political section of the US embassy, was quizzed in the FSB’s feared . Lubyanka complex before being handed over to US officials. Unusually, the FSB made its coup . public at once. It released pictures of a man being arrested in a blue . checked shirt, dirty-blond wig and baseball cap, along with images of . him in detention. Spy sources said Fogle was . caught after a lengthy covert operation. US ambassador Michael McFaul – . who refused to comment on the news – has been summoned to Russia’s . foreign ministry. Fogle was caught in Vorontsovski Park, an area in south-east Moscow, the FSB said. They implied that he wanted to contact a senior FSB agent who was snooping on Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the alleged Boston bomber. A letter in Russian which Fogle . carried suggests – if genuine – that the CIA hoped to reel in a big . fish. Addressed ‘Dear friend’, it states: ‘We are ready to offer you . $100,000 [£65,000] and discuss your experience, expertise and . co-operation, and the payment may go much higher if you are ready to . answer certain questions. ‘For long-term co-operation we offer $1million [£650,000] per year.’ The recruit is instructed to use an . internet cafe to ‘create a new Gmail mailbox which you will use only for . staying in touch with us’. The incident is the biggest spy . scandal since the arrest of glamorous agent Anna Chapman and nine other . Russians in the US in 2010. The FSB stated: ‘Recently, the US . intelligence community has made repeated attempts to recruit employees . of Russia’s law-enforcement bodies and special agencies.’ | Russian agent who arrested US diplomat after he tried to convert him, has been named .
Unusual decision to publicly reveal identity is seen as snub to Washington .
Russian authorities said agent 'behaved like an officer' by handing Mr Fogle over .
Letter allegedly found on Mr Fogle offers agent $1million per year to defect .
U.S. ambassador summoned to Russian foreign ministry to explain yesterday .
Photos of his belongings show .
he was in possession of two wigs, three pairs of sunglasses, a .
microphone, a knife and plenty of money . |
241,958 | c5249774782cc3ac83d92e7665761823e9baa631 | By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . Pop star Kate Bush is under pressure to expunge paedophile Rolf Harris from her albums. Fans of the Wuthering Heights singer want her to remove the sex offender’s contribution to three songs from any rereleases. Bush’s musical partnership with Harris began in 1982 when she asked him to play the didgeridoo on the title track of her 1982 album Dreaming. Pop star Kate Bush (left) is under pressure to expunge paedophile Rolf Harris (right) from her albums . The pair became friends and collaborated again on the chart-topping 2005 album Aerial when Harris performed the spoken role of the painter on the two tracks ‘An Architects Dream’ and ‘The Painter’s Link’. But fans say they can no longer bear to listen to the tracks after Harris, 84, was found guilty of 12 sexual assaults against victims aged between eight and nineteen between 1969 and 1986. They are now urging the Babooshka singer to ensure his contribution is kept off the albums if they are remastered or reissued. One tweeted: “I feel they (the songs) have now been soiled, and I would like the chance to listen to these tracks without the input of Rolf Harris. “Maybe Kate will do this in future, she has been an avid supporter of childrens’ charities here in the UK (NSPCC springs to mind) so she may want to do this.” Another added: “Rolf Harris made a significant contribution to The Painter’s Link and every time that track officially down loaded, Kate (via her companies) profits from it. That has to a very unwelcome association for Kate. Although she clearly wasn’t aware of Rolf’s criminal activity at the time the recording was made, she must be well aware of it now.” Another fan simply said they would like to listen to Aerial ‘without having to spend time with a sex offender.’ Bush who will next month perform her first live concerts in 35 years was reportedly shocked when she heard that Harris had been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for the attacks. The star, 55, is believed to be planning to perform ‘An Architect’s Dream and The Painter’s Link when she takes to the stage for 22 nights at the Hammersmith Apollo. Fans are also wanting assurances that the singer’s record label will not release a vision of the song She Moves Through the Fair which she is believed to have recorded with Harris. A spokesman for Kate Bush who has sold out all 22 gigs was last night unavailable for comment. | Fans of Kate Bush want her to remove sex offender's contributions to three songs from any rereleases .
Bush's musical partnership with Harris began in 1982 when she asked him to play on title track of her album Dreaming .
The pair collaborated again on her 2005 album, Aerial . |
256,585 | d81769d3798222da864de52ecce575b70f19265b | Police officers in the NYPD have hit back at outraged protesters furious at the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died in a police chokehold, saying he brought it upon himself. Union officials and police supporters have seized on findings showing that Garner's asthma and obesity contributed to his death, and say they feel 'thrown under the bus' by demonstrations and politicians. They also said that more people should have been pointing out that Garner was wrong to resist arrest when confronted by officers in State Island, New York City, this July. Killing: Eric Garner was killed by an NYPD officer grabbing him round the neck. Officers have pointed out that Garner's size and health issues contributed . He was wrestled to the ground and repeatedly told officers 'I can't breathe' as white patrolman Daniel Pantaleo held him round the neck. He died in the wake of the confrontation - over the illegal sale of loose cigarettes - but a grand jury this week decided there would be no indictment over this death. The verdict, following close behind the decision not to charge officer Darren Wilson for shooting dead Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, prompted waves of ongoing protests - which have left officers sore. Mayor Bill de Blasio also weighed in, saying the case underscores the NYPD's need to improve relations with minorities. Policemen say the outcry has left them feeling betrayed and demonized by everyone from the president and the mayor to throngs of protesters who scream at them on the street. 'Police officers feel like they are being thrown under the bus,' said Patrick Lynch, president of the police union. Outraged: Police officers say they feel badly treated by widespread protests sparked by the case . But Lynch said: 'What we did not hear is this: You cannot go out and break the law. What we did not hear is that you cannot resist arrest. That's a crime.' At the noisy demonstrations that have broken out over the past few days, protesters have confronted police who had nothing to do with the case. Signs read: 'NYPD: Blood on your hands,' 'Racism kills' and 'Hey officers, choke me or shoot me.' Some demonstrators shouted, 'NYPD pigs!' More than 280 people have been arrested, and more demonstrations were planned Friday. In private and on internet chat rooms, officers have said they feel demoralized, misunderstood and 'all alone'. Some are advising each other that the best way to preserve their careers is to stop making arrests like that of Garner's, in defiance of the NYPD's campaign of cracking down on minor 'quality of life' offenses as a way to discourage serious crime. 'Everyone is just demonizing the police,' said Maki Haberfeld, a professor of police studies at John Jay College of criminal justice. 'But police follow orders and laws. Nobody talks about the responsibility of the politicians to explain to the community why quality-of-life enforcement is necessary.' Marches: People have called for police reform on the back of the Garner case. Union bosses say the message should be not to resist arrest . The fatal encounter occurred in July after Pantaleo and other police officers responded to complaints about Garner, a heavyset 43-year-old father of six. The video showed Garner telling officers to leave him alone and refusing to be handcuffed. Pantaleo, an eight-year veteran, appeared to wrap his arm around Garner's neck and take him down to the ground with the help of other officers. Garner could be heard saying, 'I can't breathe,' several times before he went motionless. The medical examiner later found that a chokehold resulted in Garner's death, but also that asthma, obesity and cardiovascular disease were contributing factors. While many have decried the death of another black man at the hands of a white officer, no evidence has come to light to suggest that Pantaleo's actions were racially motivated. His supervising sergeant at the scene was black, and so were some of the officers involved in the confrontation. As the video sparked accusations of excessive force, the police unions mounted a counter-narrative: that Garner would still be alive if he had obeyed orders, that his poor health was the main cause of his death and that Pantaleo had used an authorized takedown move - more like a headlock than a chokehold - to subdue him. While the grand jury proceedings were secret, Pantaleo's lawyer has said that the officer testified that he never tried to choke Garner and did not believe the man was in mortal danger. Pantaleo's defenders have included Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who argued that the grand jury outcome would have been the same if Garner had been white, and that police were right to ignore his pleas that he couldn't breathe. 'The fact that he was able to say it meant he could breathe,' said King, the son of a police officer. 'And if you've ever seen anyone locked up, anyone resisting arrest, they're always saying, `You're breaking my arm, you're killing me, you're breaking my neck.' So if the cops had eased up or let him go at that stage, the whole struggle would have started in again.' | Eric Garner was killed by officers in July who grabbed his neck .
Sparked waves of protest and calls for police reform .
Medical report found chokehold killed Garner but ill health contributed .
Police union reps say NYPD has been 'thrown under the bus' by politicians . |
21,040 | 3bb76e02bc4469aefa64e88c48378680a4ddd361 | When 33-year-old Ashoo Mongia visits the supermarket it's rarely for stocking up his fridge for the week. As head of a cow protection enforcement team, he regularly scours Delhi grocery stores and outdoor markets for food products containing cow beef. For the last 15 years, Mongia and his team of 120 Delhi-based volunteers have thrown themselves in a battle that pits India's billon-dollar meat industry and growing underground beef trade against Hindu traditionalists keen on preserving the holy status of cows. "The cow is our mother, it's our duty to protect her," said Mongia, who monitors and raids hundreds of stores, butcher shops and slaughterhouses suspected of carrying, selling or slaughtering India's blessed bovines. "We do this because we believe in what the cow represents in our country, our culture and in the Hindu religion." This year, India will displace the United States as the world's third largest beef exporter, behind Brazil and Australia. In just the first half of 2012, India exported $1.24 billion worth of meat, and a 30 percent growth in revenue from 2010 exports is projected by the end of the year, according to a U.S. Beef Export Federation study. While the bulk of Indian exports is buffalo meat bound for Middle East and Southeast Asian markets, the growing middle class in Arab countries has sparked a new craving for cow beef. The rise in demand could make India the world's king beef exporter by 2013, according to USDA estimates. But as India continues its struggle for economic and political dominance in South Asia, there is concern that Hindu-mandated bans on beef could hamper the industry's future growth, particularly in states like Kerala and West Bengal where the practice is legal. Relied on by generations of Indians for tilling fields, dairy products and dung fuel, the cow is regarded by Hindus as gau mata, or maternal figure, and has had a long-standing central role in India's religious rituals. Those religious attitudes, however, are viewed by some Indian business leaders as a major hindrance to commerce. "Cow beef could be a very lucrative business in India," said Dr. S.K. Ranjhan, the director of Hind Agro Industries Limited, who believes that religious attitudes may stand to change once the extent of business opportunities are realized. "I think five-to-10 years from now, people won't be so scandalized by the sale of cow beef." The majority of India's 24 states outlaw the slaughter of cows except under extenuating circumstances: to stifle contagious diseases, prevent pain and suffering, medical research, etc. And several states -- including Delhi and Rajasthan, among others -- ban the sale and slaughter of cows altogether. The strict laws against cow slaughter in the majority of India's provinces have forced the lucrative cow beef trade underground. An estimated 1.5 million cows, valued at up to $500 million, are smuggled out of India annually, which some analysts say provide more than 50% of beef consumed in neighboring Bangladesh. "When you consider just how much money is made from underground cow smuggling, it becomes clear that not only is there a huge amount at stake, but a huge demand that butchers and slaughterhouses are catering to," said Dr. Zarin Ahmad, a fellow at the Centre de Sciences Humaines in New Delhi, who has extensively studied the work and trade among India's butcher communities. Working with Mongia's enforcement team is Parmanand Mittal, a cow-advocacy lawyer who works from a home-office on the outskirts of Delhi. Throughout the day, Mittal fields a stream of phone calls -- tipsters who have caught wind of illegal slaughterhouses and owners of gau shalas, or cow sanctuaries, concerned with unexpected expenses associated with new rescues. In Mittal's office hangs a painting of Lord Krishna — one of the most revered divinities in Hinduism— with his arm resting affectionately on a white calf. While Mongia's crew breaks up the slaughterhouses, Mittal builds a legal case for prosecution. His backlog of casework extensive, Mittal says. While there might be money to be made from adding cow beef to current exports, India would incur costs elsewhere, Mittal says. "Cows have long been the source of fuel, manure and fertilizer, among other things. These animals are revered because they've played a large role in the welfare and livelihood of all Indians," Mittal said. "Take away the cow and the repercussions will be huge." | India will become the world's third largest beef exporter this year.
There is concern that Hindu-mandated bans on beef could hamper the industry's growth.
The majority of India's 24 states outlaw the slaughter of cows, forcing the trade underground. |
146,408 | 49533aa24670db9f41bfc44b9560f5150eae1669 | (CNN) -- The Egyptian Football Association says it has reached an agreement with Bob Bradley for the former U.S. coach to take control of the north African country's soccer team. The 53-year-old will take over from Hassan Shahatah, who left the position after Egypt failed to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. "We have chosen Bob Bradley to lead the national team after a lengthy negotiation with many foreign coaches," Egyptian FA president Sameer Zahir told CNN Arabic. "We believe that Bradley is the most suited coach at this stage. "We sent scans of the contract to him for review and comments and we expect to sign the contract officially with him here in Cairo in a couple of days." Zahir said that Bradley will be paid $35,000 per month, a deal which he said suited both the coach and the Egyptian FA's budget. Bradley was sacked by U.S. Soccer in June, having led his team to the final of the Gold Cup earlier the same month. A year previously he took America to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He will be hoping to guide Egypt to the nation's first World Cup finals since 1990, with the next edition of the four-yearly tournament to take place in Brazil in 2014. After coaching at college level, Bradley earned his first big job with Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire, winning a domestic double in 1998 to be named coach of the year. He later moved to MetroStars in his home state of New Jersey and then Chivas USA of Los Angeles before winning the U.S. job in late 2006. | Former U.S. national soccer coach Bob Bradley accepts offer from Egyptian FA .
Its president Sameer Zahir says the 53-year-old is due in Cairo to sign contract .
Bradley was sacked by U.S. Soccer in June after five years in the role .
He guided the U.S. to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa . |
7,145 | 143bb0d05798adfffceeb6d1ba39372aa9a8d82c | (CNN) -- The United States is vacating an air base in Pakistan at Islamabad's request following a NATO attack that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers. U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter told Pakistan's Waqt TV on Monday that the United States is leaving Shamsi Air Base in Balochistan Province southwest of Quetta. U.S. drones have taken off from the base and refueled there for operations against Islamic militants, according to sources familiar with U.S. drone operations in Pakistan. The order to clear out of the base comes in the aftermath of a November 26 incident in which a NATO airstrike killed 24 Pakistani troops. According to two U.S. officials familiar with an initial assessment of the incident, U.S. commandos were working alongside Afghan troops when they came under fire. The troops did not tell Pakistani authorities about the mission ahead of time because they had thought it would take place entirely within Afghanistan, the officials said. U.S. and Pakistani officials said Friday there were conversations between the sides before the strike, but they differed on the content of those conversations. A Pakistani military spokesman said the attack hit the wrong target. A probe, headed by U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Stephen Clark, is under way. The loss of the base is unlikely to have any major impact on operations in Pakistan, experts said. A U.S. official said Sunday that the "loss of access to this base would not lessen capabilities, as it has served primarily as a back-up capability for quite a while now." The United States flies drones out of Kandahar in nearby Afghanistan, so the impact should not be enormous, said CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen. Still, there would be an impact, said Anthony Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "You're talking potentially 40 to 60 minutes' added reaction time," he said. But the issue is broader than simply closing an airbase, Cordesman said. "It's what Pakistan intends to do about its airspace," he said. "If it's saying, in addition to the base closing, that it will no longer cooperate to allow the United States to use Pakistani airspace and there will be no cooperation on targeting and no quid pro quo where we would use systems to hit at insurgents or extremists which were threats to Pakistan as well as Afghanistan, then it goes much further," he said. "It also basically means that, if you're going to do this, you're clearly violating Pakistani airspace and, if you're going to do it, you may have to rely much more on stealth." International law is clear, he noted. "You can't, in theory, send an intelligence aircraft over somebody's airspace. Period. The fact that people do it all the time doesn't make it legal. If you go beyond that, and the vehicle or airplane shoots something, that's an act of war." Former CIA covert operations officer Mike Baker said that, from a logistical point of view, closing the airbase is "irritating, inconvenient, concerning." But, he added, "It won't impact our ability to strike at a target." Baker, who is president of Diligence LLC, a global intelligence and security firm, described the base closure as "one more step down this dysfunctional road with the Pakistanis," but predicted that "cooperation between CIA and other intelligence portions of our military and the Pakistanis" will continue. "Regardless of what happens in the headlines, there is an operational level of activity that continues to move forward because, ultimately, it is in the Pakistanis' best interest to continue to try to counter some of the extremists' activity." High-level Pakistani officials have supported, quietly, the U.S. drone campaign for years, he said. "They've been playing the same game that any other nation will play -- they want a little bit of plausible deniability." In other words, when public opinion turns against the drone attacks, the officials will turn against them, too, Baker said. "Once they feel threatened from their own population because of their support and cooperation from the United States, that's when they'll turn on us," he said. "Will they decide a drone strike in Pakistani airspace without permission is an act of war? Doubtful." U.S. officials have long prepared for Plan B in Pakistan, he said. "If you have facilities in any country where you have a somewhat occasional volatile relationship, you're always looking for alternatives," he said. The issue of U.S. and other NATO forces entering Pakistan has been a sensitive topic in that country since May, when U.S. commandos killed al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad without Pakistani leaders' consent. NATO has called last month's casualties "tragic." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called the incident a "tragedy" and offered condolences. President Barack Obama called Pakistan's president Sunday to express condolences over the airstrike. He said the incident was not a deliberate attack on Pakistan, the White House said. The incident exacerbated already strained relations with Pakistan. "Such attacks ... demonstrate complete disregard for international law and human life," Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the day after the attack. Khar asked the United States to vacate the Shamsi Air Base within 15 days. The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan confirmed Monday that Munter said the United States is complying with the request. On Monday, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan wants to have good relations with the United States based on mutual respect and clearly defined parameters. "I think that is doable," he told state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. "I think that it won't take long." He said that new ties being negotiated with the United States would ensure that the two countries "respected each other's red lines" regarding sovereignty and rules of engagement along the border. "I think we have evolved some mechanisms, and we are ready to cooperate" on peace efforts in Afghanistan, he said. In Washington, deputy State Department spokesman Mike Toner, referring to the cross-border incident in which two dozen Pakistani soldiers were killed, said he welcomed Gilani's remarks. "From the very moments after this tragedy, we've been clear that this relationship is vital to U.S. national security interests, it is vital to Pakistan's national security interests, it is vital to the region's interests that we work together productively. And we are committed to addressing the issues between us and moving forward," he told reporters. CNN's Pam Benson, Nasir Habib, Nick Paton Walsh and Barbara Starr and journalist Shaan Khan contributed to this report. | NEW: Pakistan's prime minister says he wants good relations with the United States .
The U.S. is vacating Shamsi Air Base, which is used by unmanned combat vehicles .
The impact of vacating the air base is likely to be minimal, experts say .
Pakistan told the U.S. to leave the base after an airstrike killed 24 Pakistani troops . |
157,799 | 5807925fa91ce92f89e5227a9c071a21cdd92172 | Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal has rubbished speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United. The Chilean was strongly linked with a transfer from the Italian champions, with Louis van Gaal's new-look Red Devils mooted as a potential destination. Real Madrid were also said to be interested but the 27-year-old insists he was only concentrating on recovering from a knee injury and plans to stay in Turin for the foreseeable future. Arturo Vidal (right) has pledged his future to Juventus after a summer of speculation . The Chilean midfielder insists he was only focused on recovering from a knee injury last summer . Vidal told Italian newspaper Tuttosport: 'The truth is I was calm and relaxed this summer, only focusing on my knee. 'I never once asked my agent or Juventus if something was happening. 'I have a pact with my agent: if there is something concrete, he alerts me. He did not alert me.' Speaking ahead of Juventus' top of the table clash with Roma on Sunday, Vidal would not be drawn on whether he would have moved to Old Trafford had the opportunity arose. Arturo Vidal (centre) gets stuck in against Atletico Madrid's Mario Mandzukic in their Champions League clash . Key Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal (left) celebrates with Carlos Tevez after the latter scores against Atalanta . The former Bayer Leverkusen star featured for Chile in the World Cup but a knee problem limited his impact in Brazil. He added: 'I really don't know. All I can say is I'm happy in Turin, my wife loves Turin and the little ones are happy here. 'My family's happiness is more important than anything else.' | Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal was linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer transfer window .
Insists there was no concrete offer and he's happy at Juventus .
Starred for his country at this summer's World Cup in Brazil .
Vidal spent pre-season recovering from a knee injury which limited his impact at the World Cup .
Preparing for Sunday's key top of the table clash with Roma . |
72,625 | cde593d4c0db709af138652c71c368235b21313c | (CNN) -- A young woman whisked away by Syrian security forces to coax the surrender of her activist brother turned up beheaded and dismembered, activists and human rights groups say, yet another high-profile display of cruelty in the conflict-wracked nation. Nineteen-year-old Zainab Alhusni stepped away from her Homs residence last month to buy groceries. Her family never saw her again until security forces returned her mutilated corpse, two opposition activist groups operating inside Syria and Amnesty International told CNN. As reports of the torture sparked outrage across Homs and the rest of the world, amateur video surfaced of dozens of woman protesting the death. "They killed the rose Zainab," their placards said. "If it is confirmed that Zainab was in custody when she died, this would be one of the most disturbing cases of a death in detention we have seen so far," said Philip Luther, Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. The case also drew the antipathy of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which characterized the incident as "appalling" and as one example of the "targeting and attacking of families and sympathizers of the protesters by security forces." The ferocious Syrian government crackdown against dissenters began in mid-March when anti-government protests unfolded. The number of people killed over the past six months has reached at least 2,700, according to the U.N. human rights office. Some activist groups put the toll at around 3,000. Zainab's brother Mohammed Alhusni -- a prominent opposition activist praised by colleagues for leading anti-government protests and treating the wounded -- had been evading authorities for weeks when his sister disappeared, said the Homs Quarters Union, an activist group. "The secret police kidnapped Zainab so they could threaten her brother and pressure him to turn himself in to the authorities. The government often uses this tactic to get to activists," a union media coordinator told CNN. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an activist group, said security forces called Zainab's family to trade her "freedom for her pro-democracy activist brother's surrender," LCC said. Mohammed Alhusni was eventually slain on September 10, when security forces fired on demonstrators in Homs. When the family retrieved Mohammed's body from a Homs military hospital, medical officials told relatives about another unclaimed body with the label "Zainab Alhusni" that had been kept in a hospital freezer for some time. Days later, Zainab's family received the woman's headless and limbless corpse, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Amnesty International and the Homs Quarters Union said. The Homs Quarters Union provided a video to CNN showing the pale trunk of a female body beside a detached head with long black hair among dismembered limbs. Authorities forced Zainab's mother to sign a document saying both Zainab and Mohammad had been kidnapped and killed by an armed gang, Amnesty International said in an online statement. Syrian authorities could not be reached for comment on the Alhusni case. The Syrian government has maintained that armed gangs with foreign agendas, not the regime, are responsible for the violence that has plagued the Arab country for months. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video, the claims, or the death toll because the government has repeatedly denied requests for journalists to report inside Syria. | "They killed the rose Zainab," protesters' placards say .
Zainab Alhusni's death is called "appalling" by the United Nations .
The woman was seized to get at her brother, many say . |
205,750 | 965c638a98e232ba267d8702406b79f8b82740ab | It is predicted to be the biggest video game of 2014 and cost a staggering £310 million ($500 million) to make. Destiny - a game set 700 years in the future during a war between humans and aliens - has gone on sale, with fans queuing during the night to get their hands on the highly anticipated release. It is the most expensive video game ever made, dwarfing the most expensive Hollywood blockbuster – Avatar – by £47 million ($75 million). Scroll down for videos . Destiny, a game set 700 years in the future during a war between humans and aliens, has gone on sale, with fans queuing during the night to get their hands on the highly anticipated release. A screenshot is pictured . The game was developed by studio Bungie, maker of the Halo franchise, and published by Activision, which is behind the Call of Duty series. Destiny is set 700 years in the future, with Earth and humanity in the midst of a war with a mysterious entity called The Darkness and its various alien allies. The game is an online multiplayer shooter that blurs different game genres such as role playing, rolling it into one adventure where players can meet each other. They can work together to defeat enemies, playing as characters such as hunters, warlocks and titans – but no-one known then the game will ‘end’. Destiny has smashed the record for the most expensive video game, which was held by Grand Theft Auto V. It launched last year and reportedly cost around £170 million ($275 million) to develop and market. Destiny is the most expensive video game ever made, dwarfing the most expensive Hollywood blockbuster – Avatar – by £47 million $75 million. A screenshot is pictured . Destiny cost a staggering $500 million (£310 million) to make and is the world’s most expensive video game.Grand Theft Auto V, which launched last year, cost $265 million (£165 million).It was predicted at the time of launch that the driving game would generate $1.6 billion (£1 billion) during its first year on sale, with 25 million copies to be sold.The Grand Theft Auto series has accumulated sales of 135 million copies since its 1997 debut.Star Wars: The Old Republic was the third most expensive game to make at $200 million (£124 million) in 2011.Final Fantasy VII for the original PlayStation cost $145 million (£90 million) in 1997.Max Payne 3, released in 2012, cost $105 million (£65 million). Globally, the video game market is now thought to generate £48 billion ($80 billion) a year. But it seems the investment was worth it as the title exceeded worldwide sales of £500 million ($800 million) on its first day. It was predicted at the time of launch that the driving game would generate £1 billion ($1.6 billion) during its first year on sale, with 25 million copies to be sold. The makers of Destiny will hope that their enormous investment will pay off in a similar way. Globally, the video game market is now thought to generate £48 billion ($80 billion) a year, with increasingly large budgets for titles. In July, over 4.6 million people tested Destiny in what became the biggest console beta of this console generation. Pictures posted by the retailer Game, showed long queues outside branches around the UK, which opened late especially for the launch, . A launch party in London was attended by fans of the game including Tinie Tempah, Professor Green, boxer Anthony Joshua and footballer Ashley Young. The title is already the most pre-ordered video game in history and has won more than 180 awards and nominations. Gamers around the world reported their first experiences of it on Twitter. One user wrote: ‘Am I gonna be tired at work tomorrow? Yes. Was it worth it? YES!’ Some couldn't wait to get their hands on the game, others were watching the clock as they waited to get home from work to play it for the first time. One tweeted: ‘Hurry up postman, don't keep me waiting for Destiny all day!’ Harold Ryan, Bungie president, said: ‘Destiny is the game we’ve always wanted to make.’ ‘We’ve dreamt of this universe for years, so we couldn’t be more thrilled to swing open the doors and let fans shape this experience as they tell their unique stories in the game. A launch party in London was attended by fans of the game including Tinie Tempah, Professor Green (pictured playing the game), boxer Anthony Joshua and footballer Ashley Young . Images posted by retailer Game (pictured) showed long queues outside branches around the country, which opened late especially for the launch. A queue at Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, London, is pictured . The game is an online multiplayer shooter that blurs different game genres such as role playing, rolling it into one adventure where players can meet each other. They can work together to defeat enemies, playing as characters such as hunters (pictured left), warlocks (right) and titans . Destiny is set 700 years in the future, with Earth and humanity in the midst of a war with a mysterious entity called The Darkness and its various alien allies. A screenshot is pictured . ‘For us, the next generation of games is all about allowing players to collide and interact with each other as they take on epic, action packed adventures all their own.’ Destiny costs around £45 and people playing it on their Xbox One, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 4 console will need to sign up to gaming services to play online, which cost around £35 a year. There is already an expansion pack set to arrive in time for Christmas, which promises to ‘extend the Destiny adventure’ with new story missions, cooperative activities and new weapons to earn for around £20. Gamers around the world reported their first experiences of the game on Twitter. One user wrote: 'Am I gonna be tired at work tomorrow? Yes. Was it worth it? YES!'. Here, rapper Tinie Tempah plays Destiny at the game's launch event . The . title is already the most pre-ordered video game in history and has won . over 180 awards and nominations. Here, people queue to get their hands . on the title late at night, outside Game . Described as a ‘shared world shooter,’ Destiny lets gamers play together in a huge online world. It’s a mixture of the first person shooter and role playing game genres. Players choose to be either a hunter, warlock or titan to battle aliens. The story is set 700 years in the future when a massive planet-like alien called The Traveller arrives on Earth to help humans spread across the galaxy with superior technology. But Earth’s protective alien is tracked down and almost destroyed, only protecting The Tower skyscraper – the setting for most of Destiny - leaving unfriendly aliens to raid the rest of the solar system, The Guardian reported. In the game, players work together to slay aliens and complete missions to unlock new weapons and abilities to protect what is left of Earth. Victories throughout the game help players ‘level up’ to open up new abilities. All players start with a basic spaceship and mission map, showing activities available throughout the solar system, including quick ‘strike’ missions and longer explorations on Earth, the moon, Venus and Mars. Players can communicate with friends or strangers who they invite into their team via gaming headsets. Some missions require players to create teams to work together. Players don’t shoot each other, but work together to eliminate the enemy aliens. Despite this, the game has an age rating of 16+ as there is a lot of violence used against the aliens. There is no traditional end point of the game, with lots of missions to complete – and more in the pipeline. In July, over 4.6 million people tested Destiny in what became the biggest console beta of this console generation. A screenshot showing the beauty of the graphics is pictured . | Game is set 700 years in the future in a war between humans and aliens .
It's predicted to be the biggest title of 2014 and cost $75 million more than Avatar - Hollywood's most expensive blockbuster film to date .
Game was developed by studio Bungie, maker of the Halo franchise, and published by Activision, which is behind the Call of Duty series .
Destiny smashed the record for the most expensive video game - held by Grand Theft Auto V - which launched last year .
The title is already the most pre-ordered video game in history .
Gamers queued through the night to buy a copy of the video game .
It's available for PC, XBox and PlayStation and costs around £45 . |
137,186 | 3d757e164c3780a4976b9391c504b6735f425471 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:12 EST, 2 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:21 EST, 2 July 2013 . Boris Johnson today put himself on a collision course with David Cameron as he revived calls for an amnesty for illegal immigrants. The Mayor of London said the government had to be 'honest' that when someone has been in Britain for 15 or 20 years 'authorities no longer really pursue you'. But the Prime Minister has rejected the idea, warning last week that it would send out a ‘terrible signal of Britain as a soft touch’. Scroll down for video . Amnesty: Boris Johnson defied warnings from David Cameron to back the idea of allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the UK . The coalition has sought to take a tougher line on immigration, unveiling a raft of measures to curb benefit tourism and deport people in the UK illegally. But Mr Johnson said the failure of border agency staff and the police to find illegal immigrants and send them home meant there was already effectively an amnesty in place. And he blamed 'ambulance-chasing lawyers' who clogged up the legal system with repeated appeals against deportation. Appearing on his new monthly radio phone-in on LBC 97.3, the London Mayor said: 'This is a chronic problem and if you . look at what has happened in this country over the last 20 years, we . have continuously failed to evict anybody. ‘If you look at the number of people . who are staying here illegally and you measure that against the number . that are meant to be on planes, it is absolutely astonishingly small. ‘The culture of human rights, the . immense power of the ambulance-chasing lawyers who immediately come in . and offer people protection against eviction, insert all sorts of delays . into the procedure. It is blindingly difficult to get people on to . planes. ‘They melt away into the maquis, into . the undergrowth, and they are lost again. It is one of the reasons . people lost confidence in the immigration system.’ Ask Boris: Mr Johnson was speaking on his new monthly radio phone-in about the government's approach to immigration . Checks: Mr Johnson told co-host Nick Ferrari (left) that the authorities stop looking for people who have been in the UK illegally for 15 or 20 years . Mr Johnson said he remained convinced . about the need for an amnesty despite the fact that Mr Cameron and other . party leaders ‘turned their machine guns on me’ when he first suggested . it in 2008. ‘We effectively have it,’ he said . after being asked about a recent operation to remove dozens of Romanian . squatters from a derelict former football club in the capital. ‘If you have been here for 10 or 12 . years, I’m afraid the authorities no longer really pursue you. They give . up. Why not be honest about what is going on? Boris Johnson today revealed he could be tempted to run for mayor again - but only if hundreds of thousands of people line the streets demanding it. The Mayor of London dodged questions about his ambitions to be Prime Minister when his term ends in 2016. Instead he revealed he has been talking to friends about the possibility of breaking his promise to only serve eight years in City Hall. Mr Johnson joked that he could be persuaded to stand again if London saw a ‘Reverse Morsi’, referring to the mass protests taking place in Cairo against the Egyptian president. He said politicians should be careful not to ‘do things for too long’ but admitted that he had discussed the idea of staying on with friends. ‘You mean, if it was a sort of a 'reverse Morsi' situation? If there were hundreds of thousands of people actively calling for an extension of the administration?’ he asked. ‘The truth is that there are so many things we are trying to do at the moment that I know I am not going to be able to get in in time for 2016 that it is becoming increasingly... ‘I won't deny it, it is something I think about and something that I've even talked to friends about.' ‘Ultimately you have got to reflect . reality. Otherwise they are not engaged in the economy, they are not . being honest with the system, they are not paying their taxes properly . and it is completely crazy. ‘But the key thing is to kick ‘em out - . get them before they hit first base. Stop them coming in in such . numbers and be much, much tougher in your general approach to borders.’ The Lib Dems suggested an amnesty in . their 2010 election manifesto, but leader Nick Clegg ditched the policy . in March because it was 'seen by many as a reward for breaking the law'. Last week Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi . claimed offering an amnesty to more than half a million illegal migrants . would make financial sense by enabling them to pay tax rather than . subsisting on cash-in-hand jobs. It would boost Tory support among ethnic minorities and stop the undercutting of low-income workers, Mr Zahawi claimed. But he was slapped down by Mr Cameron, who said: ‘It’s not what we are going to implement. I’ve never supported an amnesty. ‘I think that it would send a terrible signal of Britain as a soft touch. ‘What this Government is doing is . making sure we have strong control of our borders, strong control of . immigration, a proper policy of returning people who don’t have a right . to be in the UK.’ Today Mr Zahawi insisted he and Mr Johnson were proposing the 'sensible approach'. 'We have got to tackle this issue because we have got to create harmonious societies,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One. 'There are people who've been here for 12 or 15 years working in the cash economy, the black economy. 'If you can bring them out of the shadows, bring them into the real economy, they can contribute to the tax system ... GBP3 billion a year, according to the London School of Economics. 'Coupled with that, you need rigour in your immigration system, border checks, UKBA being able to get people out of the country, not allowing them to use ... human rights legislation.' Warning: David Cameron rejected the idea of an amnesty during a Brussels press conference last week, insisting it would paint Britain as a 'soft touch' The mayor fielded a lot of calls about London’s bus and rail system, and defended controversial bonuses given to transport bosses following last year’s Olympics. He has followed Mr Clegg in hosting a regular phone-in, although the Deputy Prime Minister answers calls one a week. After David Cameron was accused of jinxing tennis star Laura Robson by tweeting a message of support, Mr Johnson declined to use the radio appearance to wish Andy Murray good luck at Wimbledon. ‘If I say `Go Andy!’ or something like that, I will be accused of blighting his chances,’ he joked. However, he did not blame the Prime Minister for cheering on British sports heroes who have later gone down to defeat. ‘David Cameron, like all politicians, wants to offer support to great British athletic stars,’ he said. | London Mayor says it is 'completely crazy' that people who have been in the UK for years are not paying taxes .
Says the authorities stop chasing people here for 15 or 20 years .
David Cameron slapped down a similar idea from a Tory MP last week . |
94,443 | 05618d8123ceff15c4512c7f45eee4ef59e099ab | (CNN) -- A 23-year-old woman suffocated her son and then buried his body beneath the sand of a playground, police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said Thursday. Tiffany Toribio, 23, was arrested and charged with killing her son. Police arrested Tiffany Toribio about 4 a.m., just hours after they said they wanted to speak to her about her missing 3-year-old son, Ty. Family members had contacted authorities, saying her son matched the description of a boy found Friday at an Albuquerque playground. Police Chief Ray Schultz said she confessed to killing the boy soon after being apprehended. "She placed her hand over her son's mouth and nose and suffocated him. She had second thoughts about what she did. She performed CPR on her son, brought him back to life and then decided to go forward with that original act she had started to commit," Schultz said. Watch Schultz describe the alleged killing » . "What makes this story especially sad is, when asked the reason why she took Ty's life, Tiffany said that she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him, the same way that she had grown up where nobody had cared about her." An emotional Schultz added that Toribio has tried to kill herself since her arrest. She was being held in isolation at a detention facility and kept under observation, he said. He added, "As you can see, this case has been very emotional for everybody in the department." Toribio was charged with first-degree murder and an array of other charges, including abuse of a child under 12 that caused death. The discovery of the body at Alvarado Park on Friday shocked the community, which dubbed the boy "Baby Justice" and "Baby Angel" as they rallied around his case. Police released a composite image of the boy Tuesday, hoping to garner more leads in the case. They weren't able to release a photo of the boy because his body was so disfigured by the sand's heat. Schultz said that after killing her son, Toribio dug a hole under gym equipment at the playground, moved the body and buried him in the shallow grave. "Since that time, she's been walking the streets of the city of Albuquerque," he said. The boy was wearing Arizona brand clothing, size 3T: nylon black running pants with red stripes, a red shirt with a monster truck on it and black, gray and lime green Skechers sneakers. Toribio did not comment Thursday morning after her arrest as she was put in a police car. Schultz said there had been no reports of child abuse filed against Toribio. But he said family members indicated that she did not express the typical love of a mother for her child. "She did not show the normal relationship that you would see with a mother, son," he said. This week, police had gone to residences where she had lived previously, but she wasn't there, Schultz said. Police had gone there after family members expressed concern because "they did not like the way Ty was being treated," the police chief said. CNN's Mallory Simon contributed to this report. | NEW: New Mexico mom, 23, faces charges including murder .
NEW: Police say she suffocated son, revived him and then killed him .
NEW: Mom told cops "she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him"
The boy was found at playground Friday; case dubbed "Baby Justice" |
38,425 | 6c9f6e32798371bb5971ecf7dd65d1a1382a2e61 | By . Will Stewart . PUBLISHED: . 12:03 EST, 25 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:03 EST, 25 June 2013 . Politics? Russian media tycoon Alexander Lebedev, whose prosecution was signed off by a former classmate of President Vladimir Putin . The controversial criminal prosecution of newspaper owner Alexander Lebedev was started by a former university classmate of Vladimir Putin, it was claimed at the newspaper owner's trial. A document in the case file records shows that the probe was demanded by Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of the powerful Investigative Committee, known as the Russian FBI, said a Lebedev lawyer. The media magnate is accused of the draconian offence of hooliganism motivated by 'political hatred' in lashing out at property mogul Sergei Polonsky during a heated TV debate. The revelation comes as a lawyer for Polonsky predicted to a Russian journalist that Lebedev will be jailed next week for three years. The maximum penalty is five years. The court file refers to 'an order' from Bastrykin 'to investigate the circumstances of Polonsky being beaten' during the television show. In a demand relayed via a subordinate, his order was to 'establish objectively all the circumstances of the incident' and 'submit a draft decision to start criminal proceedings under article 213 of the Criminal Code'. A day later Polonsky signed an application to start criminal proceedings in the case. Lebedev's lawyer Genri Reznik expressed concern in court that Bastrykin had ordered the supposedly objective probe at the same time as calling for the start of criminal proceedings under the draconian power. The same criminal charge was used last year to jail two singers from punk group Pussy Riot after a protest against Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral. Bastrykin is Russia's top law enforcement chief and studied at Leningrad State University in the same class as Putin. Judge Andrey Bakhvalov announced today that he will personally interrogate the tycoon in a court session on Thursday after which closing arguments from prosecutors and defence lawyers are expected. A verdict is then expected by Wednesday next week, according to court sources. Old school ties: Mr Putin, left, studied at Leningrad State University in the same class as Alexander Bastrykin, right, who is head of the Russian Investigative Committee, that country's equivalent to the FBI . Lebedev, 53, owns investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta in Russia and his family controls the London Evening Standard and The Independent titles. His legal team have denied the 'punches' even made contact with Polonsky and insist there was no political malice. The Kremlin has denied that Putin interferes with the independence of the judiciary despite claims this prosecution is politically motivated by Lebedev's ownership of Novaya Gazeta. Polonsky has been absent from a trial which has been dubbed 'farcical' after it was claimed by his legal team that he is in Cambodia on bail and cannot leave the country. However, images of him surfaced in Tel Aviv and one lawyer has admitted she is seeking asylum for him in Israel. Prosecution witnesses included people who watched the show on TV. One was recruited randomly when she stepped off a bus in central Moscow. Lebedev has said he is 'steeling' himself for jail despite insisting he is not guilty of the hooliganism charge. Farcical: Polonsky has been absent from the trial after his legal team claimed he's in on bail Cambodia and can't leave the country. However this picture surfaced last week purportedly showing him in Israel . Polonsky lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky said Lebedev was likely to be jailed for three years, according to a Novaya Gazeta report. The paper has questioned whether the verdict is already set before the trial is over. Analysts say the case raises issues of press freedom amid claims the state is using draconian powers to gag a newspaper proprietor. 'I don't want to criticise our legal system, I am satisfied with the way it treats me,' said Lebedev recently. 'I am not exactly enjoying this but it is all new experience for me. Remember that the judge is the part of the system, and won't go against it. 'Don't say Kremlin is after me, it is all about the machinery. Once they started the engine and began all this against me, they must go on, it is just a big and heavy machine.' | Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin studied with the Russian leader at Leningrad State University .
Lebedev is accused of hooliganism motivated by 'political hatred' in lashing out at property mogul Sergei Polonsky .
Analysts say the case raises issues of .
press freedom amid claims the state is trying to gag a .
newspaper proprietor . |
74,754 | d3eb6beebdfd11a2a728b6b852d55712f52002db | After his party's losses in the midterm elections, President Barack Obama will wade into a mass of foreign policy challenges during his trip to Asia this week. Obama made America's pivot to Asia a centerpiece of his foreign policy architecture. But some commentators say the President, beset by crises elsewhere, has failed to put words into action. "The Asia pivot remains more rhetoric than reality," CNN's Fareed Zakaria said. "Having promised a larger U.S. military presence in the Philippines, Singapore and Australia, there is little evidence of any of this on the ground." Obama arrived Monday in Beijing, where the greater U.S. focus on Asia is viewed with deep suspicion. "Two prevailing sentiments -- perceived U.S.-led containment of China and the threat posed to America by China's growing economic and military strength -- have set the two major powers on a confrontational course," said Cheng Li, a senior foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution. Obama is in Beijing for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, but he will also hold direct meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where sensitive issues like cybersecurity will be on the agenda. "To put this crucial bilateral relationship back on track, President Obama and President Xi must use the summit in Beijing to deepen mutual understanding and publicly challenge these misperceptions," Li said in comments published by Brookings. "The United States welcomes the rise of a prosperous, peaceful and stable China," Obama said in a speech Monday at the APEC CEO Summit. He announced that the U.S. and China have agreed to extend the maximum length of tourist, business and student visas for each others' citizens. While in Beijing, Obama also spoke about North Korea's release of American detainees Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller over the weekend. He said the release did not involve high-level talks on any pressing issues between North Korea and the United States. ISIS fight in new phase, Obama says . Myanmar reforms 'sliding backwards' After China, Obama will travel to Myanmar, a country where, two years ago, he became the first sitting U.S. President to visit. There was much fanfare then about the introduction of political reforms after decades of oppressive military rule. The opening up of Myanmar, also known as Burma, became held up as a positive example of U.S. engagement in Asia. But concerns are now rife about the halting progress of those changes and the plight of the Muslim minority group, the Rohingya. "Since the high point of Myanmar's reform process in 2012 and early 2013, the country's political opening has stalled and, in my opinion, slid backwards," wrote Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. He said Obama, who will be attending regional summits in the country, should pressure the Myanmar government to push ahead with political changes and rethink its "racist" plan for the Rohingya. But a senior U.S. official cautioned not to expect any major leaps forward any time soon. "I don't think we're going to see breakthroughs in the short term," Tom Malinowski, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for human rights and labor, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour last week. "Burma was an opening to a breakthrough and it's one that we always knew would take years to move from its starting point to its finishing point." Will Obama and Putin meet? The last country on Obama's itinerary is Australia, where the G-20 summit will take place in Brisbane. He plans to deliver "a very significant policy address discussing U.S. leadership in the Asia Pacific," as well as holding a trilateral meeting with the Australian and Japanese prime ministers, Evan Medeiros, senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, said Friday. But much attention will be focused on how Obama will navigate the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has angered Western leaders with his aggressive actions in Ukraine. They already suspended Russia from the G8, the group of leading industrialized nations, earlier this year. But Putin will be in Brisbane for the G-20, and could even bump into Obama earlier in the week at the APEC meetings in Beijing. U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice didn't rule out the possibility of an encounter in Brisbane. "I imagine, as in the past, that there will be an opportunity for the G-20 leaders to engage informally on the margins," she said at a news briefing Friday. "There's no formal bilateral meeting scheduled or planned, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had some informal communication." The two leaders had a brief conversation about the Ukraine crisis on the sidelines of the D-Day commemorations in France in June. | Obama: North Korea's release of Americans didn't involve major talks on pressing issues .
The U.S. "welcomes the rise of a prosperous, peaceful and stable China," Obama says .
He announces an agreement with Beijing to extend the maximum length of visas .
The U.S. President will visit Myanmar and Australia later this week . |
171,002 | 6952c973d9f37b2c28c990acd622f2e787d7060a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:29 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:11 EST, 29 August 2013 . The parents of a Japanese girl who was abducted by the North Koreans at the age of 13 today spoke of their agony over not knowing her fate 36 years on. For two decades after Megumi Yokota vanished on her way home to school, the police would call her parents whenever they found an unidentified body. It later emerged that she was one of a dozen Japanese citizens kidnapped by the secretive North Korean regime in order to help teach spies about Japan. Scroll down for video . Gone: Megumi Yokota disappeared from her hometown in Japan in 1977 at the age of 13 . Family: Megumi, centre, with her parents Shigeru and Sakie, and younger brother Tetsuya and Takuya . North Korea insists that Megumi is now dead - but her body has never been recovered, and her parents still hold out hope that she may be alive and will return home one day. The schoolgirl from Niigata disappeared while walking home after playing badminton at school in 1977. 'We felt a huge fear,' her mother Sakie told a UN panel today. 'I took her little brothers by the hand and we ran out in the dark, looking on beaches and calling Megumi, Megumi.' Police sniffer dogs found that Megumi had reached a street corner near her home, but the trail went cold there. Agony: Mr and Mrs Yokota discovered 25 years later that their daughter had been kidnapped by North Korea . Testimony: The couple today gave evidence to a UN Commission of Inquiry into North Korea's kidnapping . Intervention: Figures such as George W. Bush, pictured with Sakie and Takuya, have tried to persuade the North Korean regime to reveal the fate of the 13 Japanese citizens it kidnapped . 'Whenever they found a body, or there was a murder, or a skeleton got snagged in the fishing net of a boat, anywhere in Japan, the police would get in touch with us,' Mrs Yokota said. 'We lived in a sadness that I thought would drive us mad.' In 1997, reports began to emerge suggesting that a number of missing Japanese people had ended up in North Korea. Five years later, Kim Jong Il admitted that 13 people had been kidnapped from Japan in the 1970s and 1980s in order to help efforts to spy on the country. The regime claimed that eight of them - including Megumi - were dead, but did not provide proof. It emerged that Megumi had married and had a child while in North Korea, but her subsequent fate was unclear. Alive: Megumi is pictured in North Korea as a young adult; the authorities claim that she has since died . Mystery: The Yokota family is fighting to find out Megumi's fate, and they say they are confident she will return . Pyongyang sent Japan some remains which they claimed were those of Megumi, but DNA tests found that they were in fact a man's. 'Three photos came back with the bones, our first sight of Megumi as an adult,' Mrs Yokota said. 'I cried and cried. Both my husband and I apologised for not being able to help her.' She told the UN Commission of Inquiry that her daughter would turn 49 in October. 'She was just 13 years old,' she added. 'Did they mistake her for an adult and take her, or did they have something else in mind? We'll never know. Until she comes home.' The UN hearing in Tokyo is the first time an expert panel has ever formally examined North Korea's human rights record. The dispute over the abductees has been one of the most controversial obstacles to establishing good relations between Japan and Pyongyang. Husband: Megumi married Kim Young-nam, second right, and the pair had a daughter, Kim Hye-kyong, right; Mr Kim's second wife and their son are also pictured . Home: Megumi was kidnapped from the Japanese coast in Niigata prefecture . Prime minister Shinzo Abe has expressed hope that North Korea's young president Kim Jong Un will be more open to co-operation than his father, but the North has refused to recognise the UN commission. Panel chair Michael Kirby, a retired Australian judge, said that the inquiry aimed to give a voice to the Yokotas and other affected families, and to help them know what happened to their relatives. 'Who else has engaged in kidnapping, and not kidnapping of nuclear scientists, internet experts - the kidnapping of a chef, a guard, a schoolchild, a housewife whose two young children were left crying in a creche?' he said. 'It certainly calls out for evidentiary answers. If the evidentiary answers are not given, North Korea will only have itself to blame if the commission of inquiry and the world community believes what these witnesses have told.' | Megumi Yokota went missing aged 13 on way home from school in 1977 .
She was presumed dead but her parents discovered she was kidnapped .
North Korea insists Megumi has since died, but has not given any evidence .
Her parents tell UN panel they still believe she will return home one day . |
130,740 | 3515bdceda47c5755ade7fcee513e41a0b9991c3 | By . Travelmail Reporter . The world’s tallest climbing wall is opening in Nevada – on the side of a hotel. Climbers can scale the 164ft structure on the Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno, US, which boasts incredible views of the city. Once at the top, brave explorers will be rewarded with a panorama with the stunning snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains as a backdrop. Escape route! The Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno is opening the world's tallest climbing frame . Incredible views: The structure reaches the top of the hotel - at 164ft high . Starting point: The route takes brave climbers 164ft above the city in Reno . With different colour footholds on the building to indicate the route’s difficulty levels, the attraction will open its doors along with the new hotel on Saturday. The venue, which is located right next to the historic Reno Arch in the heart of downtown, boasts 150 modern-style rooms, and is a live music venue. National and international artists, from touring rock bands to local talent, will be booked to play at the hotel over the summer. Brave enough?: The route has different colour footholds so climbers can follow individual tracks . Climb with a view! The 164ft structure is the tallest climbing wall in the world . And go! The Whitney Peak Hotel climbing wall will be open to guests and the general public . The climbing wall, known as BaseCamp, also has 7,000-square-foot indoor bouldering park, and the only official 150metre speed wall in the US. Rob Hendricks, General Manager of the hotel, said: ‘We're excited to bring a new concept to downtown Reno. ‘There are a lot of people who want to come to town for the outdoors, the dining, the live entertainment.’ Grand opening rates start at £77 per night for a room at the hotel. BaseCamp is open to the public seven days per week, costing £10 for adults. | Structure on new Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno boasts incredible views .
Different colour routes up the side indicate difficulty levels .
Attraction to open officially alongside the hotel on Saturday . |
182,586 | 786d1b86dd215e07b432a84058822fb90eb2c405 | The glamour model ex-girlfriend of Colonel Gaddafi's playboy son has told of the terrifying moment she was captured by rebels who threatened to 'burn her alive'. Talitha van Zon had been with Mutassim Gaddafi just over a week ago as he calmly drank Jack Daniels whisky and coke as he toasted a victory over the rebels. But the next day the rebels backed by Nato airstrikes launched a surprise attack on Tripoli and Mutassim joined fighters. Talitha was ambushed as she tried to leave the country was forced to turn back and take refuge at a hotel. Dutch model: Talith van Zon partied with Mutassim Gaddafi then was captured by rebels after they attacked Tripoli last weekend . But the Dutch model was then paraded in front of rebel fighters who chanted 'petrol'. She feared they would 'burn her alive' and then made a desperate escape by leaping from the hotel's balcony. 'I was shocked when I met Mutassim. He had changed,' Talitha told the Sunday Telegraph this week from the hospital where she was being treated for her injuries. 'It was the first time I had seen him since just before the February uprising. He had a beard, he was sitting on a couch strewn with automatic weapons, and he was guarded by unsmiling 16-year-old boys with sub-machine guns.' Luxury: Talitha had a three month relationship with Gaddafi's son after they met in 2004 . Talitha said that on her latest visit to Libya, Mutassim's eyes were 'cold'. She said he looked capable of 'killing someone '. The image of Mutassim sitting beneath a portrait of his father and plotting the war against rebels was a far cry from the fun-loving playboy she had been in a relationship with in 2004. Their romance had only lasted three months, as Talitha claims that there were 'other women' in Mutassim's life, but the pair remained close friends. The former Playboy centrefold was drawn into the world of luxury that the Gaddafi clan enjoyed and showered with gifts. She recalls how she was flown around the world. In Monaco Talitha said she was taken to the Grand Prix and a dinner party attended by Princess Caroline. While at Christmas she enjoyed holidays on the Caribbean island of Saint Barts after being flown their on a private Boeing. According to Talitha, when Mutassim was in Paris or London he would book several floors of the most expensive hotels and fill them with friends and Italian hairdressers would be flown in from from around the world. 'I asked him once how much he spent, and he took a minute to add it up in his head. He said ''about $2 million''. I said ''you mean a year?'' He said ''no – a month''.' The gifts that the Arab leader's son showered Talitha with included a collection of Louis Vuitton bags and an expensive watch. But throughout their relationship, Talitha said that she remained in a 'gilded cage' and had little idea about the lives of Libyans who seemed 'happy enough'.ordinary . Talitha was never allowed to meet Gaddafi himself and never questioned having an intimate friendship with the son of a tyrant. She visited Tripoli and stayed in Mutassim's beach houses, his country estates and villas, which were furnished with gaudy gold fittings and lavish chandeliers. Conflict: Libyan rebels celebrate after defeating loyalist troops in Al-Jamil, western Libya yesterday. Talitha said she feared they would burn her alive when they caught her . Talitha said that Mutassim denied that the Libyan people were suppressed. They had free hospital care and schools, and cheap bread and rice, he is said to have told her. But beneath the playboy's fun-loving exterior was a sinsiter side she witnessed when he launched a scathing attack on a servant who delivered a cold mean and the forced him to sit in the corner and eat it all. She said that Mutassim idolised leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro and longed for that kind of success. Instead, he spent his life in the shadow of his older brother, Saif, who many considered to be Gaddafi's heir. Mutassim is believed to have once tried to overthrow his father but was exiled when he failed. He was given a role as a national security advisor but has been described by officials as 'not intellectually curious'. Talitha said that he confirmed to her Libya's role in Lockerbie bombers which appear to have been done for revenge. She said: 'I told him the victims were civilians, not military, and he said ''Talitha, the Americans attacked our house in Libya and my father lost one child (a reference to the US bombing of Tripoli in 1986).'' He was quite open about the Libyans doing it for revenge.' Talitha's last meeting with Mutassim was on the Friday before rebels attacked Tripoli. He left her to fight for his father and she left the country on a humanitarian ship to Malta on Friday. | Talitha van Zon partied with Mutassim Gaddafi night before rebels attacked Tripoli .
Dictator's son swirled ice cubes in whiskey and boasted of a victory .
Bragged of spending $2m a month on hedonistic lifestyle .
Dutch model leapt from hotel balcony to escape fighting . |
65,390 | b9b368ebd92deb312e2d594a9643fda09f1a57ac | (CNN) -- Ain Shams University Biologist Hebat Abdel Hadi is taking "waste not, want not" to a whole other level. Alphonso Van Marsh discovered first hand how damaging the Nile crayfish can be. She says crayfish carcasses the part of the crustacean that humans often throw away are for the birds. As higher chicken feed costs push multi-national chicken firms like Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson's Food to report losses this year, Abdel Hadi says crayfish waste is an alternative source for the protein and minerals necessary to raise chickens. Abdel Hadi earned her PhD exploring the use of crayfish as chicken feed. Her studies included comparing chickens fed with fish meal, with those raised on meal made with crayfish waste. "The group of chickens [that we raised] on crayfish have stronger bones, have a higher optical density of meat. The color of the meat is better, the taste is better, it looks better," she says. The crayfish carcass is largely shell and skeleton. Feed nutritionists say crayfish-sourced feed would therefore contain high percentages of calcium and minerals. As a result, Abdel Hadi says, her experiments show that chickens raised on a crayfish feed diet lay more, stronger, higher-protein eggs. But poultry nutrition experts warn that chicken farming is a complex science that involves multiple nutrition and energy needs. "The challenge has to do more with genetics, and the right balance for this fast growing bird," says Martin Humphries, Feed Sales Director for an English specialist poultry feed supplier. "Crayfish heads will have some meat in there for protein. Crayfish skeletons will have calcium and I'm sure there is a nutritional value but perhaps [feeding crayfish to chickens] is a leap too far for now," Humphries says. Egypt is experiencing a crayfish invasion along the Nile River. Scientists like Dr. Madgy Khalil, who also works at Ain Shams University, say there are unprecedented numbers of crayfish thriving in the Nile with no natural predator, from the Mediterranean Sea or from the south of Egypt. The crayfish that have a penchant for clawing into fishermen's nets and eating their catch are causing problems for fishermen. But are there enough crayfish to sustain a chicken feed industry? Andrew Kendall, a spokesman with the UK's largest feed manufacturer BOCM Pauls is unsure. "Theoretically, it is possible to use crayfish remains, but they would be in such short supply it would not be a feasible solution. For manufacturers who make any kind any business on a large scale, there's not enough [crayfish] supply to be a viable business. However, it could be better for a niche market," he says. | CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh spent time with Nile fishermen in Egypt .
Egypt is experiencing a crayfish invasion along the Nile River.
Crayfish have been a problem for fishermen, but now used in chicken feed . |
104,787 | 132f6e0a1c6075e43390cabe4a05cfb72f1e321a | LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- Bolivian officials have declared a health emergency after three deaths attributed to dengue hemorrhagic fever, the often-lethal form of a mosquito-borne disease that more than 1,000 Bolivians are thought to have contracted since November. Brazilian soldiers pour insecticide to fight dengue fever in 2008. Bolivia also is battling the mosquito-borne disease. At least 12 unconfirmed instances of dengue hemorrhagic fever have been reported in the first 17 days of 2009, the official ABI news agency said. About 250 cases of dengue fever, the milder, nonlethal form of the disease, have been confirmed in the past two weeks, said Health Minister Ramiro Tapia in the Los Tiempos de Cochabamba newspaper. Authorities said they have committed more than 20,000 military personnel and 2.5 tons of insecticide to combat the disease. A preteen boy died last week at Children's Hospital of La Paz, a few days after arriving with internal bleeding, hospital director Christian Fuentes told La Razon newspaper in La Paz, the nation's capital. "By that time, there was nothing we could do. He had multiple internal hemorrhages," Fuentes said. A 17-year-old boy and a 30-year-old woman also died last week, the ABI news agency said, citing the national director of epidemiology, Juan Carlos Arraya. Cases of dengue fever usually spike from November through January, which is Bolivia's hot and rainy season. Alberto Nogales, the country's vice minister of health, said the fight against mosquitoes will last until April. Dengue occurs in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of four dengue viruses, the World Health Organization says. Symptoms, which appear three to 14 days after the bite, can include mild to high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain and a rash, the WHO says. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a potentially fatal complication that affects mainly children, the WHO says. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and bleeding. The disease cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are up to 100 million cases worldwide each year. "It actually is quite common," Dr. Ali Khan of the CDC told CNN last year. "And unfortunately, over the last 30 years or so we've seen an increase in the number of countries infected with dengue fever." Khan attributes the increase in part to population growth. Mosquitoes that carry dengue typically breed in areas near humans. "This is a disease that occurs where there's lots of population," he said. The WHO says mosquitoes carrying dengue viruses breed in exposed water, including places as shallow as jars, discarded bottles and plant saucers. Last year, 55,000 people in southeastern Brazil contracted the disease. The outbreak was confirmed as causing the deaths of at least 67 people -- almost half of them children under 13 -- and another 58 deaths were under investigation last summer, the Rio de Janeiro state's ministry of health reported at the time. Final statistics on the outbreak were not immediately available. | At least 12 unconfirmed instances of dengue hemorrhagic fever reported in Bolivia .
Bolivia fights disease with 20,000-plus in military, 2.5 tons of insecticide .
Cases of dengue fever usually spike in Bolivia's hot and rainy season .
At least 55,000 contracted disease last year in Brazil . |
231,955 | b850773d24e5060c98a74f04f47f3f20b4c79835 | (PEOPLE.com) -- Just how telling are 140 characters? Amid new tabloid reports of infidelity by Ashton Kutcher, and trouble in his marriage to Demi Moore, the two -- who are currently on different coasts -- have curbed their prolific Tweeting in some possibly telling ways. On September 23, Moore shared a quote from Greek philosopher Epictetus, writing, "When we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." The pair also spent their sixth wedding anniversary -- September 24 -- apart. Kutcher arrived in San Diego on September 23 for a weekend of partying with his former That '70s Show costar Danny Masterson. Among their stops: Fluxx nightclub, where they had a VIP table. The actor also refrained from Tweeting anything on his wedding anniversary. PHOTOS: Ashton & Demi: Inside Their Marriage . Moore, 48, has been in New York City to promote the short film she directed as part of Lifetime's TV anthology, "Five." The actress attended the premiere along with Jennifer Aniston, who also directed a short, on Monday night. Kutcher, 33, who recently returned to TV in "Two and a Half Men" was in Los Angeles, where he presented an award to Ryan Seacrest Tuesday night during L.A.'s Promise Gala 2011. The actors' reps have not commented yet. The couple, who began dating in 2003 and married in 2005, dealt with rumors of infidelity and marital trouble a year ago. At the time, they took a trip to Israel for what the actor described as a spiritual journey. See full article at PEOPLE.com. © 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are currently on different coasts .
The pair also spent their sixth wedding anniversary apart .
Moore, 48, has been in New York City to promote "Five" |
156,889 | 56dcf2c5167d7f0241b42dcccda00f87b0dfe0d5 | Thirteen months on and Steve Clarke admits he did not see it coming. He was talking about his sacking in December 2013, the bottom line of a late-night training-ground conversation after West Brom had been beaten in Cardiff. But the Reading manager’s words would have been equally applicable to Cardiff, a low-to-mid-table team in the Premier League then, but now in a dreadful, cost-cutting freefall. Kenwyne Jones opened the scoring for the hosts but they now have only a mediocre Championship campaign to consider after Oliver Norwood and Hal Robson-Kanu hit back with goals for Reading. Steve Clarke watches on as his Reading side came from behind to beat Cardiff City in the FA Cup . Oliver Norwood (right) equalised for Clarke's Reading team with a brilliant free kick . Striker Hal Robson-Kanu (left) scored the winning goal for Reading to get to round five of the FA Cup . Cardiff were so poor that their manager Russell Slade admitted that if he was a fan he would have walked out. Clarke, though, has no such desire. He was a year out of management after leaving West Brom but three wins in seven games since taking over a struggling club have them moving in the right direction. ‘I don’t think when I get back to the training ground that the chairman will be waiting for me,’ he said after this win. ‘But then I didn’t think I’d get sacked last time.’ With Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all out, Clarke, a Cup-winner as a player and coach with Chelsea, added: ‘I think everyone will be thinking it has opened a little.’ Slade’s concerns are deeper. On Saturday, John Brayford was sold to Sheffield United and Kim Bo-kyung released. ‘One or two more’ will follow this week, according to Slade, who must cut the wage bill. Russell Slade admitted after the game that his team's performance was short of what is expected . Kenwyne Jones (second left) put Cardiff ahead but Slade is concerned he could leave the club . He said he has been given no indication that he will lose Jones, the club’s top earner and goalscorer with 12 in all competitions. ‘If an enormous offer came in then that would be left with the owner and chief executive, said Slade. ‘I’d like him here. At this stage there is no kind of mandate to lose Kenwyne.’ | Steve Clarke was sacked as West Brom boss after losing to Cardiff City .
He is now manager at Championship club Reading .
Reading came from behind to beat Cardiff 2-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday . |
198,581 | 8d0bc51106b5ae1c4f2adb69a508520d8895a8cd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:45 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:23 EST, 18 June 2013 . Top New York television meteorologist Bill Evans who has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his estranged wife claims it was she who attacked him and scratched his private parts during a violent dispute about moving cars. Bill Evans and his soon-to-be former spouse of 19 years, Dana Evans, offered radically different accounts of the domestic incident that took place inside their Connecticut home last month. According to an affidavit by the responding police officer, Evans' wife grabbed the waist band of his underwear and reached for his scrotum with her free hand, subsequently scratching it (his scrotum), which resulted in bleeding.' He said, she said: WABC weatherman Bill Evans (left) claims it was his wife, Dana Evans (right), who attacked him and scratched his private parts during a fight last month; the couple appeared in court Tuesday . Vicious fight: Mr Evans claimed his soon-to-be former wife (pictured) humiliated him in front of their children, tried to 'karate kick' him and struck him with a wooden hanger . The 52-year-old WABC meteorologist claimed that the fight started on May 14 when Dana Evans humiliated him in front of the couple's children, telling him that he does not live with them and they he is not wanted in their home. Mr Evans' daughter then asked him to move the car, and he replied that he would do it after he changed, according to the affidavit by Greenwich police officer Kristin Lindstrom that was cited by The New York Post. The domestic dispute escalated when Dana Evans, 48, stormed into the room, emptied her husband’s work bag onto the bed and grabbed the car keys, the document states. Spat: Bill and Dana Evans were both arrested following a fight at their home in May . When Mr Evans asked for his keys back, . 'Dana then punched him with her right hand on the left side of his face . while holding the keys and then slapped him,' the WABC weatherman told . police. According to the . 52-year-old man, his wife attempted to 'karate kick' him, but slipped on . the hardwood floor. Undeterred, the woman allegedly reached into his . underwear and scratched his testicles, drawing blood. Mr . Evans said he pushed his spouse away, but she attacked him with a . wooden clothes hanger, striking him in the back and buttocks. Dana Evans, however, has offered a wildly different version of events. Mrs . Evans said she wanted to move cars outside their driveway so they would . be able to leave on time the next day, and asked her husband for the . keys - but he refused, an affidavit for her version of events showed. When . she reached for the keys, her husband grabbed her by the hand and she . attempted to throw the keys out of the door - but they landed in a . closet and they both scuffled for them, she said. According to the wife, Bill Evans . shoved her, so she attempted to kick him away, but the weatherman . grabbed her leg, causing her to fall. Dana Evans said her spouse punched . her in the right eye with a closed fist, and she defended herself by . striking him with a clothes hanger. Dana Evans, who has also been arrested, sought counseling at a domestic-violence center after the fight on May 14 at their home in Greenwich, Connecticut. Scroll down for video . Bust up: Evans, who works for WABC, claims his wife punched and slapped him during a row about car keys . At work: Evans has been with the network for 25 years and is a popular member of the morning team . Scene: The couple allegedly fought at their Old Greenwich home in Connecticut (circled) in May . For more videos, please go to ABC . Evans, 52, who works for television station WABC-TV, and Dana, 48, both surrendered to Greenwich police last week and were released after promising to appear in court. They have been charged third-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges. Both were ordered by a judge to keep away from one another. 'Bill and Dana are presently going through a difficult divorce,' Evan's lawyer, Philip Russell, said in a statement. The New York Post reported that court papers showed the row was sparked by moving parked cars. But Bill Evans said it was their daughter who had asked him to move the cars, and he agreed to dress and help her. But his wife 'began to insult him in . front of their children and told him he does not live there nor is he . wanted there,' his version reads. She then went to the room and grabbed . his keys, and when he asked for them back, she punched him on the face . and then slapped him, he said. Russell added . that more than two weeks after the argument, Mrs Evans was advised by . her divorce attorneys to file the complaint, and a police investigation . was launched. TV personality: Evans, who has worked for the network since 1989, is pictured left outside Radio City Music Hall and right with Ken Rosato, Robin Roberts and Lori Stokes outside Good Morning America studios . Hopeful: Evans (pictured second right with Ken Rosato, Lori Stokes, Lara Spencer and Sam Champion) has been cooperating with authorities and his lawyer said 'the case will be quickly forgotten' 'After seeking counseling at a . local domestic violence center, Dana reported the incident to the . Greenwich police,' Dana Evans' lawyer Mark Sherman said in a statement. 'Obviously, divorces can get emotional, . and we expect Dana to be cleared of these charges in due time. The . safety, privacy and welfare of her family continue to be her primary . concern.' Connecticut law requires that all reports of domestic arguments are reported to the Superior Court. But the weatherman's lawyer said in a statement: 'We expect that Bill will be exonerated and this case will be quickly forgotten.' Evans, who grew up in Mississippi, has worked for WABC since 1989 and is a published author. The couple has four children together. | Bill Evans, who works for WABC, and his wife Dana both surrendered to police and have been charged with assault and disorderly conduct .
Evans, 52, claims his wife reached inside his underwear and nicked his scrotum, drawing blood, and them hit him with clothes hanger .
Couple, who have four children, are divorcing after 19 years of marriage . |
150,405 | 4e74dfdcef8becfdfc3b929cedeb35955264e93b | Crew members from the Royal Navy's most advanced attack submarine have been reunited with their families as HMS Astute returned from her maiden deployment. More than 100 submariners were welcomed back to HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane. The vessel left Scotland in February to become the first Astute Class submarine to contribute to the UK's presence in the Mediterranean. Commanding Officer Gareth Jenkins said the deployment had been a "huge success". Preparing to dock some crew members of wave to their waiting families at HMNB Clyde at Faslane . Submariners wave from HMS Astute on its return to HM Naval Base Clyde during a special ceremony following the completion of its maiden deployment . Back in my arms once again: One girlfriend takes a selfie with her sailor to commemorate the moment . He added: "The ship's company has been outstanding and I am pleased that so many of their families are here today to welcome them back to the home of the submarine service." The Duchess of Cornwall, known as the Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, will later be given a tour of the submarine and attend a reception at the base. During her eight months at sea, HMS Astute travelled more than 27,000 miles and took part in counter-smuggling operations and an international exercise. Submariner Steven Panniers is greeted by his daughter Amelia after disembarking HMS Astute at HM Naval Base Clyde, Scotland, following the submarine's maiden deployment in February . The deployment saw seven men qualify as submariners, including 19-year-old Connor Campbell from Dunfermline in Fife, who was met at Faslane by his proud parents, sister and girlfriend. He said: "It was quite exciting getting off the boat and seeing everyone. It's been hard work but it's definitely been worth it. "You get used to the conditions after a while. Now I'm just looking forward to getting home and relaxing." Submariner Rory McEwan from Gloucestershire is greeted by his children and wife Rossanne at Faslane . Submariner Dan Theobold from Portsmouth hugs daughter Amber, five, as he comes home after eight months at sea . His mother Jane, 44, said: "It feels great to have him back. I'm very proud of him." Thomas Bett, 26, from Anstruther in Fife, said what he missed most while at sea was his own bed. He said: "It's not that bad – you have a Mess you can sit in and the food's ok. The main thing I miss is my double bed - it's more comfortable." Submariner Tony Simpson from Helensburgh hugs children Iyla, seven (left) and Rheana, four . Mr Bett was welcomed home by sister Nicola, 37, and her husband, with whom he lives. She said: "It's fabulous to be here and see him come off the boat. It's been hard and we've missed him, but I've not missed the washing." Astute was launched in June 2007 at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness and was commissioned during a ceremony at Faslane attended by the duchess, the boat's sponsor, in August 2010. The Duchess of Cornwall, known as the Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, is greeted by Gareth Jenkins Commanding Officer of HMS Astute as she joins senior naval officers at HM Naval Base Clyde . Faslane is the home of the UK submarine service and all seven of the Class vessels – Astute, Ambush, Artful, Audacious, Anson, Agamemnon and Ajax – will be ported there. Commodore Michael Walliker, Commander of the Faslane Flotilla, said: "I am delighted to welcome HMS Astute back to her base port at Clyde. "Her return is the culmination of four years' dedication and commitment by a great many people, both in uniform and in industry to deliver this submarine to the front line." The 97-metre long Astute is able to circumnavigate the world without surfacing. Its nuclear technology means it will never require refuelling and the submarine can manufacture its own oxygen from sea water. Lieutenant Commander Rob Tantam, 36, said the returning home was made even better by the exceptionally sunny weather. The Plymouth-based officer was met by his wife Kate and his sons Thomas, three, and James, five. He said: "It's been quite a long time away and so it's great to come back and see the families on the jetty, which is not something you're used to on a submarine. "It's been a great day, especially with the nice weather which is not usual for Faslane." The duchess, wearing a raspberry-coloured coat with a Rothesay tartan collar, boarded HMS Astute briefly before meeting submariners and their families at a reception where she presented awards to the newly-qualified submariners. She told the 300 guests: "I'm pleased to see everyone back in one piece. I imagine there's lots of making up to do with wives, sons, brothers and family members. "I'm proud to be sponsor of HMS Astute and pleased to see everyone home." Commander Jenkins said: "It was a tremendous honour for my ship's company to be welcomed home by Her Royal Highness and made what was already an auspicious occasion even more special." The 97-metre long Astute is able to circumnavigate the world without surfacing. Its nuclear technology means it will never require refuelling and the submarine can manufacture its own oxygen from sea water . Meanwhile, Europe's largest military exercise has begun off the coast of Scotland with involvement from 22 ships and submarines. Exercise Joint Warrior happens twice a year and is hosted in the UK. The three Armed Forces and a number of other nations are involved in the exercise to help hone how they all work together. In addition to the large number of warships, more than 50 aircraft and almost 3,500 people are taking part. Military chiefs said the exercise allows UK, Nato and allied units to train together in tactics and skills for use in a "combined joint task force". The exercise runs through a range of scenarios, including crisis and conflict situations that could be realistically encountered in operations, such as disputed territory, terrorist activity and piracy. Countries taking part are the UK, the United States, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, Belgium, Poland, Estonia and Latvia. | More than 100 submariners welcomed back to HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane .
During eight months at sea, HMS Astute travelled more than 27,000 miles .
Military chiefs said exercise allows UK, Nato and allied units to train together . |
114,937 | 205454888f23ffd4c2fa01fa0efb48809c1e8cd9 | By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 13:41 EST, 6 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:59 EST, 6 November 2012 . A novice bell-ringer caused become caught in her rope – and had to be winched 20ft to safety from the belfry. Helen Springthorpe, 58, was beginning her weekly practice session at her church when she was lifted by the rope and fell, knocking herself unconscious. Her horrified fellow bell-ringers called an ambulance, but because the bell tower could only be reached by a steep and narrow spiral staircase, paramedics could not carry her down on a stretcher. A team of firefighters helped to rescue Helen Springthorpe from the top of the spiral staircase . The solution? A team of specialist . firemen more used to rescuing climbers from cliff tops and rock faces – . who embarked on an elaborate mission that involved opening a trap-door . in the belfry floor and winching Mrs Springthorpe to the ground 20ft . below. Mrs Springthorpe, who works as a . typist, said: ‘I don’t remember very much at all, I started pulling the . bells and the next thing I knew I was looking at a paramedic. ‘I have no real memory of it at all. I . have no memory of being caught up. I think I hit my head on the wall . and then fell over and hit it on the floor – it wasn’t that exciting. The exciting bit was being rescued by all the firemen. ‘It’s just been quite a drama I think . trying to get me out – the actual accident wasn’t much, but trying to . get me out of where I was was quite difficult.’ Paramedics who arrived at St . Nicholas’s Church in Bathampton, near Bath, initially thought Mrs . Springthorpe had broken her hip and gave her morphine – but she received . a clean bill of health after a hospital examination. Rescue: A total of 19 firefighters - including specialists more typically called out to rescue rock climbers in difficulty - attended the scene at the church in Bathampton . A trapdoor in the gallery floor was lifted out so firefighters could lower the 58-year-old through the gap to safety . Precarious: The bell-ringer was strapped to a stretcher and passed from the confined gallery at the top of the belfry to a waiting firefighter on a ladder . Mrs Springthorpe, from Bath, has only . been bell-ringing for three months and took up the hobby after a . neighbour suggested she come along to the weekly group sessions. ‘I just like the church bells, I’ve . always liked hearing them, so I thought I’d have a go,’ she said, adding . she would ‘have to see’ whether she would be going back to the belfry . any time soon. Tower captain Peter Powell, 79, was one of five bell-ringers who were there when Mrs Springthorpe fell. 'I started pulling the bells and the next thing I knew I was looking up at a paramedic' Helen Springthorpe . He said: ‘It all happened so quickly. She was unconscious for a while, and two of our ringers, who are . qualified medically, quickly got down with her and tried to revive her . quickly and start talking to her. ‘At the same time the ambulance was . called and then it was a case of keeping her warm on the floor, because . she was very cold and the colour had drained from her face. Everybody . was just sitting around very worried, not quite knowing what to do, but . left the two that did know what they were doing to carry on. ‘She was learning to ring, had just started, and then this happened.’ Reverend Paul Burden said Mr Powell . had been training bell-ringers for many years and that nothing like the . incident on Monday evening had ever happened before. Careful: Ms Springthorpe's stretcher was attached to specially designed ropes before being guided to the ground by firefighters, who spent over an hour getting the woman to safety . The inside of the tower at St Nicholas Church in Bathampton, near Bath . He said: ‘It’s not nice when it . happens and it’s a reminder that bell-ringing is a very skilled hobby . and there needs to be careful training on it.’ The clergyman added that he was pleased with how the rescue went and praised the emergency services for doing a ‘brilliant’ job. He said: ‘Helen was only really aware of the number of people involved when she got to the bottom and was wheeled out.’ The nine firemen from Bath who . initially attended called in a specialist team of 11 from Bristol, who . usually deal with rescues from rock faces. Ms Springthorpe had been attending bell-ringing sessions for three months at the picturesque church . The typist joked that she may think twice about returning to bell-ringing after her experience . An Avon Fire and Rescue Service . spokesman said: ‘The local woman took off with the rope and she got . knocked around in the process. ‘There is a small trap door and the . only way she could have come down was through the trap door – the . staircase was so narrow we wouldn’t have managed to bring her down . through that on a stretcher. ‘The woman was safely lowered about . 20ft to the ground, where she was taken into the care of ambulance staff . who took her to hospital.’ | Helen Springthorpe collapsed on the gallery floor 20ft above the ground after hitting her head and being knocked unconscious at a church near Bath .
The 58-year-old was stranded at the top of a steep, narrow spiral staircase .
A total of 19 firefighters removed a section of the gallery floor and lowered the woman to safety on a stretcher .
Ms Springthorpe was left bruised and 'groggy' but otherwise unharmed . |
41,575 | 75456ca78692fd016c860c7f3595a0604d180c56 | ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday, as security in the Swat Valley continued to deteriorate despite a month-old peace deal. Pakistani soldiers on patrol in the Swat Valley, which is home to the country's only ski resort. Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the northwestern tourist valley early Thursday morning, ransacked it and set it on fire, said Sardar Rehim Shahzad, district coordinator for Swat police. The hotel, the only one at the Malam Jabba ski resort, sustained significant damage, he told CNN. The resort is located near the Afghanistan border and about 300km (186 miles) from the capital city of Islamabad. It was shut down last summer after militants overran the area, keeping tourists away, Shahzad said. Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), was once Pakistan's biggest tourist destination. Aside from the ski resort, it was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area. In recent months, however, militants bent on imposing fundamentalist Islamic law, or Sharia, have unleashed a wave of violence across the NWFP which has claimed hundreds of lives, many of them security personnel. The militants want women to wear veils, beards for men and to ban music and television. After months of bloody battles, the government in May reached a peace deal with fighters loyal to the banned hardline Islamic group, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM). It is the latest attempt by Pakistan's new government -- headed by the party of the assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto -- to achieve peace through negotiations in the lawless tribal areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein. Ahead of the peace pact, Pakistan's government released TNSM's former leader Sufi Mohammed, who had been jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He was freed after agreeing to cooperate with the government. Under the terms of his release, TNSM was also expected to lay down its arms and forgo violence. But his son-in-law Fazlullah, who took over TNSM during his jail stint, vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region. | Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday .
Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the Swat Valley .
The resort is located near the Afghanistan border, 300km from Islamabad . |
194,553 | 87d7eb6815eea92b364f3eafb41a87b7ec685e41 | Sex symbol: Former actress Gina Lollobrigida was once dubbed 'the most beautiful woman in the world' after starring in a film of the same name . An Italian film actress, once dubbed 'the most beautiful woman in the world', has become involved in a bizarre legal battle with her former fiancé claiming he 'married' another woman pretending to be her. Gina Lollobrigida, 85, was one of the sex symbols of her day with sultry starring roles alongside Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Bogart during the 1950s and 60s. But she has become entangled in real-life love scandal of her own after allegedly discovering that her ex partner, Spanish businessman Javier Rigau y Rafols, married an imposter in a bid to lay claim to her estate when she dies. 'This vile person married me by . proxy, without my knowledge and without my permission, in order to . inherit my estate after my death,' she told the Italian media today. 'There will be international investigations because I want to shed light on this squalid affair and all the people involved.' Ms Lollobrigida accused Mr Rafols, who is 34 years younger, of being able to carry out the fraud because he had obtained legal powers to act on her behalf. 'A while ago he convinced me to give him . my power of attorney. He needed it for some legal affairs. But instead I . fear that he took advantage of the fact that I don't understand . Spanish...Who knows what he had me sign,' she said. The fake marriage allegedly took . place three years ago, but she only found out about it by chance this . week when she came across legal records on the internet. 'I found a document in which it seems . that in November 2010 he became my husband, in Barcelona, in front of . eight witnesses. It is incredible. At the altar there was another woman, . a certain Teresa,' she said. Real-life drama: Ms Lollobrigida claims her former boyfriend, Spanish businessman Javier Rigau y Rafols, pictured together left, 'married' an imposter claiming to be her in Spain three years ago . A member of her staff, who identified . himself as Carlo, confirmed to The Daily Telegraph today that she was . planning to launch legal action against her former toy boy. 'She's very angry. She considers him to be a vulture. A very strange affair,' he said. The couple met at a party in Monte Carlo in 1984 and had at one point been engaged. But the marriage was called off in 2006 and the pair split. It would have been her second wedding, following her 1971 divorce from Yugoslavian-born doctor Milko Skofic. The former actress has known Spanish businessman Javier Ragau y Rafols for more than 20 years but the pair reportedly split in 2006 . The former screen idol starred alongside Humphrey Bogart and Frank Sinatra in the 1950s and 60s . Mr Rafols was reported as having said at the time he would 'always love and respect' Ms Lollobrigida. But on Sunday she made a formal complaint to Carabinieri police in Rome and is threatening legal action. The former screen idol has since turned her skills towards art in recent years, first in photography and later sculpting. Lollobrigida began making movies in Italy just after the end of World War II. Her screen credits include 'The World's Most Beautiful Woman,' 'Come September,' 'Trapeze,' 'Bread, Love and Dreams' and 'Never So Few'. | Gina Lollobrigida, 85, claims ex-partner Javier Rigau y Rafols, 51, married a woman pretending to be her in Spain three years ago .
Italian actress was one of the sex symbols of her day in 1950s and 60s .
Couple were engaged at one point but split in 2006 .
Actress says wedding was scam to try to claim on her estate after she dies . |
27,707 | 4e8a351d30e125464d9adeebd10e376adcb80d79 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 10:25 EST, 26 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 26 July 2013 . A Southwest Airlines jet that crash-landed at LaGuardia Airport touched down on its front nose wheel first before the main landing gear at the rear of the plane. About 150 people were aboard the Boeing 737, and 16 passengers suffered minor injuries when the Flight 345 from Nashville, Tennessee, . skidded off the runway Monday and came to rest on its nose. The nose-down landing violated the airline's normal procedures, Southwest said. Scroll down for video... Down and out: The landing gear of a Boeing 737 operated by Southwest Airlines collapsed on landing at La Guardia Airport in New York. The mishap closed both of the airport¿s runways for more than an hour . A Southwest flight crash-landed at New York's La Guardia airport on Monday evening after the landing gear unexpectedly crumpled beneath the plane . Caught on tape: A grainy video of the plane skidding down the runway for 15 seconds was released on Tuesday morning just as the airport fully reopened . The . National Transportation Safety Board has released preliminary . information about the accident and said the finding was based on video . and other evidence. NTSB . spokesman Eric Weiss would not say whether pilot error contributed to . the hard landing or if the nose gear should have been able to withstand . the impact. 'That's something we're going to look at during the investigation,' Weiss said. Southwest . spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said the 'landing scenario that the NTSB . described is not in accordance with our operating procedures.' She . provided no further details. About . 4 seconds before touchdown, the plane's pitch was about 2 degrees . nose-up, the NTSB revealed. When the plane touched the runway, it was . pitched down about 3 degrees, it said. Emergency vehicles can be seen rushing to the scene of the crash and hosing down the nose of the jack-knifed plane . One passenger posted this picture on Instagram of passengers escaping the plane through the inflatable sliding ramps while emergency crews look on . Passengers ran to safety after evacuating the crippled jetliner on Monday evening . Pilots . are trained to land on the main landing gear, which are much sturdier . than the nose wheel, and then gently ease the nose of the plane down . until the nose wheel is on the runway. Denny . Kelly, a retired airline pilot and now a consultant and private . accident investigator in Dallas, said that the Southwest plane was . pointing nose-down 3 degrees when it touched the runway, 'That's a . problem.' 'If you are . pitched down at all, you will land on the nose wheel. At touchdown, the . nose should be pointed up at 3 to 5 degrees,' Kelly said. Inflatable ramps were extended from the doors of the plane to allow passengers to escape . The disabled plane is seen here with its tail jutting into the air and its nose planted on the tarmac . The . NTSB had said Wednesday that the landing gear 'collapsed rearward and . upward into the fuselage, damaging the electronics bay that houses . avionics.' It posted a photo showing the jet's electronics bay penetrated by the landing gear with only the right axle still attached. Investigators recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders on Tuesday. They'll be analyzed by the NTSB. | Planes typically touch down first using their rear landing gear beneath the wings .
Investigators reviewing cockpit data and voice recorder .
Boeing 737-700 was bound for New York from Nashville, Tennessee .
16 passengers treated for minor injuries .
Pilots reported possible problems with landing gear before touching down . |
82,959 | eb4181c9940a545a1fbecdd25fe21e8ad48b8a80 | A British sports car enthusiast is thought to have spent more than £6 million on a rare McLaren F1 in what could be a record price paid for a motor. The 240mph McLaren F1 is regarded as the Holy Grail of high-performance motoring and is worth at least six times as much as a typical Bugatti Veyron. It is the most desirable car of the past 40 years and, with just 64 ever built, it is also one of the hardest to buy. The Holy Grail: A 240mph McLaren F1 has been snapped up by a Brit for £6 million . The car is reputed to be the most desirable car of the past 40 years and, with just 64 ever built, it is also one of the hardest to buy . But now an anonymous Brit - a self-described 'car nut' - has joined the ranks after spending what is possibly a record-breaking estimated $10 million on the Woking-built motor. He joins an exclusive group of enthusiasts who own an F1 with Rowan Atkinson, Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren among a select few lucky enough to have a set of keys. George Harrison, the late Beatle, also owned an F1 with his bespoke car currently held in a family trust. This particular model, known as chassis 28, was originally given to U.S. racing driver Michael Andretti by McLaren. It is one of only two red McLaren F1s and it still has Andretti's signature on the back of the sun visor. The racing driver held onto it for a couple of years before selling it to a Japanese collector. It has since been owned by two California-based F1 fans. The amount spent is believed to be a record-breaking sum on the Woking-built motor . James Cottingham, vehicle acquisition consultant at DK, spent six months trying to source a car for his buyer . The Woking firm had hoped to build 300 F1s but there weren't enough wealthy fans at the time who were willing to spend more than half a million on a new car . After spending the past ten years on the West Coast of America, the car has now returned to British soil thanks to Hertfordshire-based DK Engineering. James Cottingham, vehicle acquisition consultant at DK, spent six months trying to source a car for his buyer. A car was found and an agreement was finalised last month with the red supercar now shipped over to the UK as the world's most expensive modern car. The price is thought to be around £6.2 million ($10m). In 2008, a McLaren F1 sold for a then world record £2.53 million with the latest sale representing an increase of more than 1,000 per cent over its original retail price . The value of F1s, unlike most modern cars, has continued to rise and over the past few years have gone through the roof . The McLaren F1 remains the world's fastest normally-aspirated car - a title it is unlikely to lose in the near future . It achieved this price, in part, thanks to its breathtaking performance which comes courtesy of a 6.1-litre BMW engine developing 627bhp. This gives the supercar, where the driver sits in the centre of three, a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of more than 240mph. Despite being 20 years old, the McLaren F1 remains the world's fastest normally-aspirated car - a title it is unlikely to lose in the near future. This latest model is the second McLaren F1 which Mr Cottingham has sold in the past year, an impressive feat in its own right. He said: 'I think this is one of the most important F1s because it was built for Michael Andretti, one of McLaren's race drivers and therefore seals the car's close links with the company's terrific motor racing heritage. 'F1s are without doubt one of the most difficult cars to sell or buy. You have a lot of ‘fantasy' cars for sale so getting a genuine customer and genuine vendor is very hard. The car is one of only two red McLaren F1s and it still has Andretti's signature on the back of the sun visor . 'Likewise for a buyer, finding a dealer who will be able to fulfil the task in hand is very hard indeed. 'It took six months to find a car and get the deal in place and the new owner did not see the car before the transaction took place. I flew to California with 24 hours' notice and the deal was completed just a few days later. 'The F1 is the most significant road car since the Ferrari 250 GTO. A lot of 250 GTO owners also own an F1. 'Last year a model sold at auction for $8.5 million and the market has moved on since then.' McLaren only built 64 road-going F1 cars and they were sold in the mid-90s for a then staggering £540,000. The Woking firm had hoped to build 300 F1s but there weren't enough wealthy fans at the time who were willing to spend more than half a million on a new car. But their values, unlike most modern cars, have continued to rise and over the past few years have gone through the roof. In 2008, a McLaren F1 sold for a then world record £2.53 million with the latest sale representing an increase of more than 1,000 per cent over its original retail price. Gold, which has been one of the best investments over the past 20 years, has increased by around 300 per cent during the same period. | The 240mph McLaren F1 is regarded as the Holy Grail of motoring .
It is worth at least six times as much as a typical Bugatti Veyron .
But now a Brit has joined the ranks of enthusiasts who own one .
Other owners include Rowan Atkinson, Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren . |
97,369 | 094bcbee41fc9515909d9c6e0e0f47a993115587 | By . Amy Oliver . UPDATED: . 01:36 EST, 1 May 2012 . For five years she had been an ordinary single mother, bringing up her young son in a quiet suburb of an American city. But today justice finally caught up with Rasema Handanovic as she was jailed for five-and-a-half years for the war crimes she committed two decades ago at the height of the Bosnian conflict. The 39-year-old, who is a US citizen, admitted killing six Bosnian Croats during an attack on the southern village of Trusina in April, 1993. Jailed: After being extradited from the US Rasema Handanovic was jailed for five-and-a-half years today . Killing squad: This picture of Rasema Handanovic was taken at the time of the Bosnian conflict . The court had heard how she was a member . of the Bosnian army’s feared special unit, the Zulfikar, which killed . with impunity during the conflict. Handanovic had shot a woman and an elderly couple dead. She was also accused of joining a firing-squad execution of unarmed Croatian soldiers and civilians on the same day. A total of 18 Croat civilians and four prisoners of war, were killed during the attack on April 16 1993. Judge Jasmina Kosovic,sitting in Sarajevo, said Handanovic had been the victim of a wartime rape before committing the Trusina crimes and had lost several family members in the conflict. Handanovic was sentenced to . five-and-a-half years in prison, after she struck a plea bargain and . agreed to testify against six other members of the Zulfikar special unit . of the Bosnian army which carried out the attack. Awaiting her fate: Handanovic at Sarajevo airport in December after being extradited to the US . Protectors: U.S. soldiers, members of the NATO led peacekeeping force prepare to go on patrol in Bosnia . Civil . war among Bosnia's three main groups - Muslims, Serbs and Croats - . broke out in 1992 and lasted until 1995, killing 260,000 people and . driving 1.8 million from their homes. Muslims . and Croats were allied against the Serbs at the start of the war, but . they became enemies when Croat forces sought to capture territory held . by the Bosnian army. War crimes trials have been occurring since the end of the war. The . worst atrocity was Bosnian Serbs' slaughter of 7,500 Muslims in . Srebrenica in July 1995. The killings galvanised international will to . end the war. The . testimony from combatants differs somewhat, but the underlying . narrative, included in the prosecution's file on Handanovic, is . consistent. According . to it, Handanovic's unit rounded up a group of Croat residents and, . along with three captured soldiers from the Croatian military, bound and . shot them, the combatants said. As . they lay dying, she 'shot into the heads of two or three (Croat) soldiers who were lying on the ground and showing signs of life,' a . combatant testified. 'She might have shot more of them, but I cannot remember now.' 'The court has taken into account that . Handanovic admitted the crimes, was willing to provide all information . and evidence related to the attack and the fact that she expressed . remorse to the relatives of the victims,' Kosovic told the court. Handanovic, whose parents live in the US, is the first woman to be jailed for slaughtering civilians during the Bosnian War. She was arrested in Portland, Oregon, . at the home she shared with her son, last year at the request . of the Bosnia and Herzegovia government. They also arrested her accomplice Edin Dzeko, 39, in Everett, Washington. Dzeko allegedly threw a man into the . yard of a house, then shot and killed him. When the dead man's wife . would not stop grieving, Dzeko allegedly shot her in the head and killed . her. At the time of Handanovic's arrest, neighbours spoke of their disbelief at the allegations. Speaking to katu.com, neighbour Ella Wilvorn said the arrest had been a complete surprise. 'That totally dumbfounds me,' she said. 'I can't even imagine it.' Another, who did not give her name, described the Bosnian Muslim as 'direct' but not violent and 'very calm'. Handanovic became a U.S. citizen in 2006 having come to America in 2001. She had lived in Portland since 2003. The killings occurred during the 1993-94 war between Bosnian Muslims and Croats. After a truce was brokered a Bosnian state war crimes court was set up in 2005 to try the thousands of war crimes suspects. The only other woman to have been . convicted of war crimes during the Bosnian war was Biljana Plavsic, the . former Bosnian Serb president who was found guilty of persecution and . crimes against humanity by the Hague-based war crimes tribunal for the . former Yugoslavia. Plavsic was sentenced in 2003 to 11 years in jail and released after serving two-thirds of her term. Disbelief: At the time of Handanovic's arrest, neighbour Ella Wilvorn, right, spoke of her disbelief at the allegations, while another, left, who did not give her name described her as 'direct' but 'calm' | Rasema Handanovic, 39, had been living in Oregon .
She was part of Bosnian army's feared Zulfikar unit .
Sarajevo court heard she admitted killing six people .
Victims were Bosnian Croats from village of Trusina .
Court heard she had been the victim of wartime rape . |
33,661 | 5fc41f9f067978a58864e03416425a60ed474f84 | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 08:39 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:39 EST, 7 November 2013 . Matt Lauer and Al Roker have undergone prostate exams live on the Today show in a bid to dispel myths about the potentially life-saving procedure. The hosts went to Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, where Dr. David Samadi, a urologist, carried out a rectal exam on each of the men in an examination room off-screen. Lauer came out after just 34 seconds and said the procedure had been quick and simple. 'It doesn't hurt at all,' he said. 'Is it the best 34 seconds of your life? Probably not, but if in 34 seconds a doctor can detect something . that could save your life, what are we talking about?' Scroll down for video . Dispelling myths: Al Roker (second left) and Matt Lauer (second right) underwent prostate exams on the Today show this morning with Dr David Samadi, left. The procedure took seconds . Heading inside: The clock starts ticking as Lauer, who has a family history of the disease, heads for the test . Quick: Dr Samadi emerged from the room to speak with Roker and Dr Nancy Snyderman after 34 seconds . The procedure involves a manual . digital examination of the prostate gland to see whether it is a normal . size and shape. If doctors feel any nodules on the prostate, further . checks are required. It . is one of the ways that can detect the early stages of prostate cancer . and is often part of routine physical checkups for men, but some choose . to skip it because of the discomfort. But . if it is detected early, prostate cancer is one of the most treatable. One in six men can expect to be diagnosed with the cancer in his . lifetime, and each year it claims around 29,000 lives. After . his test with Dr Samadi, Al Roker added that it was not particularly . comfortable but that it was 'certainly, obviously do-able'. Making light of it: Dr Samadi joked that he was going to be extra thorough by checking with 2 fingers . Horror: From left to right, fellow hosts Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie and Tamron Hall react to the tests . If . prostate cancer is detected early, it is one of the most treatable. But many cases remain undetected . because of the perceived embarrassment surrounding the prostate examination; each year . it claims around 29,000 lives and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. While undergoing a rectal examination does not seem like the most comfortable prospect, the seconds-long check could potentially save your life. The procedure involves a manual . digital examination of the prostate gland to see whether it is a normal . size and shape. If doctors feel any nodules on the prostate, which is usually a spongey consistency, further . blood checks are required. Another test that men undergo to detect prostate cancer is a PSA blood test, which checks for elevated levels of protein in the blood. One . in six men can expect to be diagnosed with the cancer in his lifetime . and the average age of diagnosis is 67. Lauer added: 'I think a lot of guys are also concerned about the embarrassment factor of it, so my advice would be find a doctor you're very comfortable with. That embarrassment factor is not going to be an issue.' Dr Samadi said that the prostates felt normal, adding of Roker's: 'It's a little enlarged, but it's not terrible.' He said that if he had felt any problems, he would have given the men antibiotics in case it was simply an infection, before carrying out blood work. Both of the men had already undergone the first part of the test to detect any prostate issues - a 'PSA' blood test, which checks for elevated levels of protein in the blood. Lauer said that he had been having regular blood checks with Dr Samadi for the past five years because he has a family history of prostate issues. But the doctor said his PSA had stayed steady. Dr Samadi suggested that men should start having the test after the age of 40. Lauer and Roker have also been growing beards since the start of the month for 'No Shave November' - joining other men across the country in a bid to raise awareness of male cancers. Before the check, the hosts said they . were undergoing the procedure to dispel the myths around it and to show . just how easy it is. 'We're . trying to raise awareness, trying to get men of a certain age to go to . the doctors to raise some of these issues,' Lauer said. 'A lot of people . have fears or concerns. We're going to show you just how quick this . procedure is.' Checks: As well as carrying out the prostate exam, doctors take a PSA blood test to detect the levels of protein in the blood, which can be an indicator of issues. Here, Roker receives the blood test . Pre-test nerves: Al Roker looked concerned before he had the test, as co-hosts Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie posed wearing gloves. The fellow hosts and viewers commended the men for undergoing the test . Roker chimed in: 'For men over 40 - everyone should at least get this once.' Ahead of the tests, Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie posed on set wearing gloves while a concerned Al Roker looked on. The Today show hasn't shied away from more grisly health checks in the past. It comes more than a decade after Katie Couric famously underwent a colonoscopy live on the Today show as 6.7 million viewers tuned in - changing how many viewed the procedure. Couric, who also had a mammogram live on TV in 2005, had the colonoscopy after her . husband died in 1998 from colon cancer, and when she left the show in . 2006, she said it had been her proudest accomplishment. | Lauer and Roker had tests to dispel myths about the simple procedure .
It took just 34 seconds between entering and leaving the examination room .
Doctor concluded that Lauer's prostate was normal and Roker's was a little enlarged - but said he would check on him again in 6 months .
The hosts are also both growing beards for 'No Shave November' to raise awareness of male cancers .
Their tests come more than a decade after Katie Couric underwent a colonoscopy live on the show and 8 years after she had a mammogram . |
131,756 | 365916c834af58ae479cc75722fef69a412fc4ea | Defending champions Japan won their first match of this year's Asian Cup, beating newcomers Palestine 4-0 Monday in their opening Group D match. Yasuhito Endo, Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda scored in the first half to give Japan the lead against the tournament debutants in wet and windy conditions at Hunter Stadium. Maya Yoshida scored after the break from Shinji Kagawa's cross to complete the rout. VIDEO Scroll down for HIGHLIGHTS as Japan dominate Palestine 4-0 in Asian Cup . Yasuhito Endo (right) strikes the ball to put Japan 1-0 up against Palestine in the Asian Cup on Monday . Endo (right) celebrates with team-mate Gotoku Sakai after putting Japan 1-0 up in Newcastle, Australia . There were strong winds during the opening Group D match, but Japan were still easily victorious . Japan (4-1-4-1): Kawashima, Nagatomo, Morishige, Sakai, Yoshida, Honda, Endo (Muto 58), Kagawa, Hasebe, Inui (Kiyotake 46), Okazaki (Toyoda 80) Subs not used: Ueda, Ota, Nishikawa, Kobayashi, Shiotani, Konno, Shoji, Shibasaki, Higashiguchi . Palestine (4-4-1-1): Saleh, Mahajna, Jaber, Al Bahdari, Battat, Ashraf Nu'man, Al Amour (Abusalah 82), Khader Abuhammad (Salhi 71), Murad Said, Dhadha (Salah 77), Abuhabib . Subs not used: Tawfiq Abduhammad, Fares, Abujazar, Salem, Ahmed Wridat, Jaka Hbaisha, Norabuena, Rami Hamada . 'The best thing we achieved today was the result and the winning three points,' Japan coach Javier Aguirre said. 'That was not an easy game for both of us because of the strong wind. 'In modern football it's not easy to win by four goals. So as for tonight's result I am happy by winning by four goals.' Ahmed Mahajna was sent off in the 73rd minute to make it a tough first tournament start for the Palestinians, who qualified by winning the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives. Japan have won four Asian Cup titles in the past six tournaments and are seeking a record fifth continental crown in Australia. The Japanese needed only eight minutes to score their first goal as Endo's long-range strike beat Palestine captain and goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh's dive. Keisuke Honda, scorer of Japan's third goal against Palestine, weaves through a pack of players . Honda gestures to the Japanese supporters at the full-time whistle, as Japan overcame Palestine with ease . 'Endo's early goal was great,' said Okazaki, who was named man of the match. 'It gave the team great momentum. We played well, however, we could have been better. 'We are not satisfied with four goals. We should have scored more.' The Palestinians sat deep in defence to negate Japan's intricate passing and movement but had no answer for Takashi Inui's strong run and cross that found Kagawa, who sent a shot from the edge of the box. Okazaki stooped low with his head to deflect the ball past Saleh in the 25th minute. It wasn't until the 40th minute that the Palestinians managed a scoring chance with Ismail Alamour's shot sliding wide of Eiji Kawashima's goal. Shinji Kagawa (left) celebrates with Southampton's Maya Yoshida, who scored Japan's fourth goal . The Japanese squad bow in front of their supporters in Newcastle, Australia after the full-time whistle . The defending champions scored their third when Honda stroked home a penalty after Musab Battat pushed Inui in the box in the 44th minute. Yoshida scored from a powerful header from Kagawa's cross just after halftime as Japan tried to put last year's disappointing World Cup showing behind them. 'The most important thing we achieved today was the confidence we achieved,' Okazaki said. 'And also to gain back the confidence from the poor result from the World Cup campaign.' Kagawa in action for his country at the Asian Cup... Japan beat Palestine 4-0 in their Group D opener . Ex-Manchester United man Kagawa comes crashing down after a challenge from Abdallah Jaber of Palestine . The best chance for the Palestinians came in the 81st but Abdallatif Albahdari sent his strong header narrowly wide. 'People may think Japan was superior over Palestine but it was not an easy game today,' Aguirre said. 'They've played against China and Uzbekistan and they drew with China and Uzbekistan` to score only one goal against them.' Despite the lack of chances, a small contingent of Palestinian fans in the crowd of 15,497 waved flags, beat drums and sang for the duration of the match. The Japan first team, led by Eintracht Frankfurt's Makoto Hasebe (bottom left) pose for a photograph pre-game . Palestine line up for a pre-match team photo ahead of the 2015 Asian Cup game against Japan . 'The feeling has touched our emotions, Palestine coach Ahmad Alhasan said. 'To see the Palestinian people everywhere in the world can be gathered to support Palestine. 'This is the only national team that plays in this tournament that is still under occupation.' Elsewhere in Group D, Iraq beat Jordan 1-0 to join Japan at the top of the standings. A single goal from Yaser Kasim was enough to secure the three points. | Yasuhito Endo opened the scoring for Japan within the first 10 minutes .
Shinji Okazaki doubled Japan's lead against Palestine after 25 minutes .
And 2-0 became 3-0 before the half-time break when Keisuke Honda scored .
Maya Yoshida completed the rout in the second half to put Japan top . |
39,990 | 70d91421908ff897506c3e8f57174a2d2fc1bab0 | Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish fishing boat repelled an attack by suspected pirates Sunday morning in the Indian Ocean off the African coast, Spain's ministry of defense said. The Spanish Ortube Berria fishing vessel was in waters southwest of the Seychelles when pirates aboard two skiffs opened fire on the ship with light arms and a grenade shot from a launcher, according to a defense ministry news release. The Seychelles are a group of islands located north of Madagascar and southeast of Somalia, whose coastal waters have become known for piracy. The attack happened at about 5:40 a.m., the ministry said. A private security company aboard the fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted the attack, the statement said. No one was injured, and the ship did not suffer any material damage. Following the attack, the Ortube Berria was sailing southward away from the area, the defense ministry said. Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11, according to information from Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon. Earlier this month, the crew of another Spanish fishing boat, the Alakrana, was released by Somali pirates after 47 days in captivity. The Alakrana was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. On Sunday, the commander of a European Union anti-piracy operation, deployed a Portuguese frigate based in the area toward the site of the attack, Spanish authorities said. CNN's Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | Spanish fishing boat repels attack by suspected pirates in Indian Ocean off African coast .
Private security company aboard fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted attack .
Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11 . |
182,964 | 78f341b1d47f37ce2c0a4aa91ffaf101714966d1 | (CNN) -- The director of a Somali radio station was shot dead and a colleague seriously injured in the capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday, according to a local journalist and a Somali journalists' organization. Colleagues carry the body of Somalia's Shabelle radio network's director, Mukhtar Mohammad Hirabe, on Sunday. The assassination of Mukhtar Mohammad Hirabe of Shabelle Media follows last week's abduction of a station director for TV Universal. Hirabe was shot in the head, the journalist said. His colleague Ahmed Omar Tajir was hospitalized. Two men with pistols attacked the two men as they were talking together, said a statement from the National Union of Somali Journalists. Hirabe, 48, director of Radio Shabelle, was shot in the head five times, and Tajir -- identified in the statement as Ahmed Omar Hashi, 47, Radio Shabelle's news editor -- was shot twice in the stomach. Five journalists have been killed in the east African nation this year, including three from Shabelle, the group said. The incidents have left the media community reeling in the east African nation, which has not had an effective government since 1991. The union's statement condemned the violence, with its secretary general, Omar Faruk Osman, saying Hirabe's death was "premeditated and targeted. ... Colleagues who are committed to do their job in this extreme situation need to be protected." Another journalist, Nur Muse Hussein, 56, died last month after being shot in April, the organization said. CNN regularly works with Somali journalists who are employed by Shabelle Media. Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report. | Radio station director Mukhtar Mohammad Hirabe was shot five times in the head .
His radio colleague was shot twice in the stomach as he walked with Hirabe .
Five journalists have been killed in Somalia in the past year; three from the station . |
220,673 | a9a93cc53361af8a174386eb62bbd842c89bd285 | Wednesday was a dark day for the future of books. The Department of Justice charged Apple and five large book publishers with conspiring to raise e-book prices. Three of the five publishers quickly capitulated rather than face the risk and expense of a protracted legal battle. Much of the case revolves around the decision of five of the largest six publishers to simultaneously adopt the agency pricing model immediately before Apple launched the iPad and iBookstore in April 2010. At that time, Amazon commanded about 90% of the e-book market. Amazon priced many books at $9.99 -- which was below the cost at which Amazon was paying the publisher -- in an effort to drive e-book adoption among consumers and capture market share. Publishers balked at Amazon's strategy out of concern that low prices could cannibalize their print sales, set unrealistic expectations in the minds of consumers, and lead Amazon to demand e-book price concessions from publishers. When Steve Jobs offered Apple's proposed agency pricing model to publishers, large publishers welcomed Apple's market entry because they wanted a strong counterbalance to Amazon's market dominance. Under the agency model, publishers set the prices and retailers don't discount. Critics of the agency model viewed it as an attempt to raise e-book prices. They believe retailer discounting serves an important public service. I see it differently. While I'm a big fan of discounting and price competition, I think the responsibility for pricing decisions should rest with authors and publishers. If they price fairly and competitively, customers will reward them. If they price too high, customers will migrate to lower-cost books. Most important, the agency pricing model levels the playing field for e-book retailers. It prevents deep-pocketed retailers or device makers from engaging in predatory price wars to harm competitors or discourage formation of new competitors. It would enable the marketplace to support more retailers, which would mean more bookstores promoting the joys of reading to more readers. And it would force retailers to compete on customer experience rather than price. Customers are best served when we have a vibrant e-book retailing ecosystem. For authors and publishers, the agency model provides them with greater control over the timing of their promotions and higher per-unit earnings of 70% of the list price as opposed to 50% for the conventional wholesale pricing model. It allows publishers to price their books lower -- to the benefit of customers -- and yet earn the same or greater profit. There's already indication that some publishers and authors who use the agency model are dropping prices as they compete for customers. At my company, where we distribute over 100,000 e-books on behalf of 40,000 self-published authors and small publishers, the average price of our books is about $3.41, a drop of 25% over the last 18 months. If the Justice Department prevails with its antitrust lawsuit, the decision might have unintended negative consequences for those who write, publish, sell and enjoy e-books. The government's intention to protect consumers could end up backfiring on consumers by harming retailers, authors and publishers. It could inadvertently hasten the downfall of the world's largest book publishers by forcing them to comply with onerous conditions outlined in the Justice Department's Competitive Impact Statement. These conditions -- including restrictions on collaboration with fellow publishers and increased federal auditing and reporting requirements -- will increase publisher expenses and slow their business decisions at the very time when publishers need to become faster, nimbler competitors. I'm not normally a defender of big publishers. They price their books too high, while most of their authors earn poverty wages. They take 12 to 18 months to publish a book -- an anachronism in today's world of instant self-publishing. They often reject talented writers who don't offer the celebrity platforms of more marketable "authors" such as Snooki or Justin Bieber. Despite the mistakes of the largest publishers, I don't want them to go away. I want them to thrive by becoming more responsive to their customers and authors. Unfortunately, the self-inflicted wounds of large publishers have already begun to render their businesses less relevant to the future of publishing. Authors are beginning to turn their backs on traditional publishers in favor of self-publishing. Authors are now hiring their own editors, cover designers and marketing consultants. By assuming responsibility for the roles once played by publishers, authors are earning up to 70% of the list price as their e-book royalty versus the 17.5% paid by traditional publishers. They're publishing low-cost e-books that are hitting all the bestseller lists. The all-important access to distribution -- once exclusively controlled by publishers -- is now available to all self-publishing authors. The next time you see an overpriced e-book, blame the publisher but not the agency pricing model. | The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five publishers .
Coker: Government's intention to protect consumers could end up harming consumers .
He says threat to the agency pricing model hurts retailers, authors and publishers .
Coker: Pricing decisions should rest with authors and publishers rather than retailers . |
78,697 | def110f830a4e01bdbd97eeea9a77a8abce4d1a0 | A mum who ballooned to a size 26 with a steady diet of fast food and crisps is launching her modelling career after shedding six stone in just five months. Mallorie Goodwin, from Wetherby, West Yorkshire, topped out at 15st as she struggled to control her weight and poor eating habits for much of her life, but has shifted the bulge after committing to a rigid diet. Now a healthy 9st 5lb, the 39-year-old 'yummy mummy' has the size eight body she has always dreamed of and has even been contacted by a modelling agency. Scroll down for video . Mallorie Goodwin dropped from 15st (left) to 9st 5lb (right) in just five months . The svelte mum-of-two said: 'It's a dream come true. I have now got the figure I always wanted and I feel so much more confident in myself - to have a modelling agency want me is just the cherry on top. 'Now when I go out with my husband Anthony people think I'm his daughter. I'm so happy to have a figure I always wanted - I'm just getting used to it. 'I have a wardrobe bursting with clothes and I can't wait to show my outfits off. Before I hated my picture taken but now I love it.' Her weight problems began as a child when she was served huge portions of hearty meals such as cottage pie. Before: The mum-of-two lived on a steady diet of fast food and crisps as she gained more weight . At the age of six, her parents would exclude her from fish and chips dinners because she was overweight. Mallorie said: 'I was always conscious that my weight was a problem from a very young age. 'We would eat very large portions at home and I grew up in the era when you would finish everything on your plate. 'My mother was told by my primary school teacher that I was always asking for seconds.' She shed the puppy fat in secondary school but with access to junk food like pizza and crisps as she grew older, the weight soon came back. 'I knew I was getting bigger and I had a double chin which I hated. I would very rarely have my picture taken.' She was able to munch through 15 bags of crisps in an evening and kept piling on the weight – and losing confidence – as she grew older. Fat fighter: Mallorie says she was able to munch through 15 bags of crisps in an evening . Things took a turn for the worse when, in her 20s, she was a size 14 and her boyfriend at the time told her he always dated slimmer girls who were a size eight. Mallorie said: 'My confidence was non-existent. I knew I should have been a size ten but I was living a party lifestyle, going out drinking and having curries at 1am. 'I would then wake up and have a full fry up and pick on junk food throughout the day.' Later, after Mallorie had her two children, Dylan, 9, and Pippa, 7, she struggled with health issues, including fatigue and back pain. After going back and forth to doctors' appointments for five years, she was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. It was at the doctors that she finally weighed herself and realised the scales were reading 15st. It served as a wake-up call and she prepared herself for the fight of life. Mallorie said: 'I was gobsmacked. I had accepted that I was about 13 stone but to see 15 was a complete shock. Breakfast: Fry up . Lunch: Two Big Mac meals from McDonald's . Snacks: Crisps . Dinner: Pizza, Chinese, curry, roast dinners or cottage pie . Breakfast: CWP shake, poached eggs, or porridge with skimmed milk . Lunch: CWP soup . Dinner: Chicken and veg, fish and veg . Snacks: CWP, lemon bar, nuts, fruit, yoghurt . 'I had a battle with my health and not feeling well since I had my children and to finally find out what was wrong gave me the confidence to lose the weight. 'Once I started my medication and my health improved I realised I was left with this fat body which I didn't want. 'The doctor told me that if I didn't lose weight I was at risk of developing diabetes - it was a real wake-up call.' Mallorie started the Cambridge Weight Plan in November of last year and lost a staggering five stone 10lb in just five months. She said: 'I cut out the junk and lost seven pounds on my own but it wasn't enough. Cambridge Weight Plan was perfect for me - after two weeks on the soups and shakes I didn't feel hungry at all and the support I received was amazing.' After: Mallorie with husband Anthony and their two children - Dylan, 9, and Pippa, 7 . Mallorie even sent in her picture to a modelling agency after being encouraged by a stylist on a Cambridge Weight Plan shoot. She was stunned when the agency said they wanted to represent her. She said: 'I'm so excited about the thought of modelling. When I was a size 26 I never dreamed I would be happy having my photo taken - now I can't wait to get in front of the camera and try my hand at modelling. 'I have been on photo shoots for Cambridge Weight Plan and on one the stylist said to me that as I should look into doing modelling because she thought I would be really good. 'Never in a million years did I dream I would be starting a modelling career at 39. 'I'm so excited, my husband was a bit worried but I've told him I'm not going to go off with anyone else.' Mallorie has become a Cambridge Weight Plan consultant, using her experience of being overweight to help others. 'I've been there so I know how hard it is and how lonely it can feel. 'I get a lot of compliments from other mums or women asking to help them, which I can't wait to do. 'My life has changed for the better and my husband and children are so proud of me and love how happy and content I am and now I just want to give something back.' | Mallorie Goodwin decided to make a significant change after weighing 15st .
Her weight problems began as a child when she was served huge portions .
She piled on weight over the years as her confidence plummeted .
She now has the size eight body she has always dreamed of .
When she goes out with her husband people think she is his daughter . |
260,921 | dded5cd9850acf942f17a70c892fcd6fbf061fb3 | Britain's biggest jail, with space for 2,000 inmates, has been given the go-ahead today. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling confirmed plans to build the £250million ‘super-prison’ in Wrexham, North Wales with work on the project is due to start next year and the jail opening in 2017. But a further four prisons are to due close under the plans to build two new 'super jails in England and Wales. An artist's impression of the 2,000-capacity 'super-prison' in Wrexham, Wales, that will be announced today . Work on the project is due to start next year and the jail is set to open in 2017 . One new prison will be built on the 108-acre site of a Firestone rubber factory, which is owned by the Welsh Assembly. In June, when plans for the prison were first mooted, Mr Grayling said it would help ensure more inmates were locked up at lower cost to the taxpayer. He said: ‘My priority is to provide enough prison places for those sent there by the courts – and to do so in a way that gives taxpayers the best possible value for money. ‘This will be the first prison in North Wales and a massive boost to the Welsh economy. ‘It will provide around 1,000 much-needed jobs, great opportunities for local businesses and millions of pounds worth of construction opportunities. ‘It will also allow offenders from the region to be held closer to their homes, which we know helps prevent reoffending. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the prison will save the taxpayer money . Mr Grayling said the project would also be a boost to the Welsh economy . ‘Across the country I am reducing the cost of prison by replacing old, inefficient buildings with newer accommodation that is cheaper to run. ‘This new prison allows us to continue this work while providing a significant and rapid investment in the Welsh economy.’ The average price of a single prison place for one year is £40,000 but in new jails the cost can be less than half that figure. Officials estimate the new jail will eventually save taxpayers £20million a year. Britain’s biggest prison by number of inmates is Oakwood in the West Midlands which holds 1,605. Next in size are Liverpool and Birmingham jails which each hold around 1,450. Wandsworth prison in South London has 1,300 places. However the new prison will be dwarfed by Europe’s largest, Fleury-Merogis Prison on the outskirts of Paris, which can hold 3,800 prisoners. Meanwhile Blundeston in Suffolk, Dorchester, in West Dorset, Northallerton in North Yorkshire and Reading prisons will close, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said. As well as being cheaper, new prisons can provide more opportunities for rehabilitating offenders with purpose-built workshops and training centres. Prison reform groups have criticised the new prison, warning it could be a ‘warehouse’ which would put the public at risk. | The prison is due to open in Wrexham, North Wales, in 2017 .
Justice Secretary Chris Graying said the project will boost Welsh economy .
Said super-prison will also save taxpayer money and create more space . |
93,176 | 03dd8ed45fda87103e5f668eb7d74f90544be022 | Southampton secured their first win at Old Trafford in 27 years as they saw off an out-of-sorts Manchester United side on Sunday. Dusan Tadic scored the only goal of the game - just six minutes after coming off the bench - to secure a memorable away day for the Saints. Here, Sportsmail assesses how each player has performed. MANCHESTER UNITED (3-5-2) David de Gea - 6 . The Spaniard didn't have much to do but could do nothing to stop the Saints' winner as Tadic struck the ball home with aplomb. Chris Smalling - 6 . Made a number of crucial interceptions for the hosts in the first half. But was caught sleeping for the all-important winner. Chris Smalling - impressive throughout - goes in for a challenge with Southampton's James Ward-Prowse . Phil Jones - 6 . Wasn't his worst performance of the season but did nothing to stand out. Daley Blind - 6 . After a quiet first half the Dutchman was better after the break, but it wasn't one of his finest games. Antonio Valencia - 6 . Put in a few inviting crosses into the box for the hosts but nothing came of it. One of United's better performers though. Antonio Valencia and James Warde-Prowse challenge for the ball during the first half . Juan Mata endured a frustrating afternoon for United - missing two golden opportunities in the closing stages . Juan Mata - 5 . Looked lively at times but crucially missed two golden opportunities to level proceedings in the closing stages for United - lacking any kind of composure. Another frustrating day for the Spaniard. Michael Carrick - 6 . United's Mr Reliable had a quiet game by his usual standards as Southampton bossed the midfield. Luke Shaw - 5 . The 19-year-old faced Southampton for the first time since leaving the club, but flattered to deceive before being replaced by Tyler Blackett. Angel di Maria - 5 . Always eager to get on the ball and produce something. One of his quieter afternoons though. Wayne Rooney - 6 . As always was United's workhouse, but failed to spark anything of real note for the hosts. Manchester United's Angel di Maria fights for the ball with Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin . Robin van Persie - 5 . Anonymous throughout for the hosts before appearing to limp off the field on the hour mark. SUBSTITUTES . Ander Herrera (on for Van Persie, 60) - 6 . Showed some nice touches after coming on but didn't really get into the game otherwise. Marouane Fellaini (on for Di Maria, 72) - 5 . Was brought on to be an aerial threat for the hosts, but had no real joy with the Saints defence dealing with everything that was thrown at them. Tyler Blackett (on for Shaw, 64) - 5 . Came on to fill the void at left back for the unimpressive Shaw. SUBS NOT USED: . Victor Valdes (GK), Jonny Evans, Paddy McNair, James Wilson. MANAGER . Louis Van Gaal - 5 . A bad day at the office for Van Gaal against a familiar face in the shape of Ronald Koeman. Robin van Persie has a shot on goal blocked in a rare goalscoring opportunity during the first half . SOUTHAMPTON (4-3-3) Fraser Forster - 6 . Didn't have a great amount to deal with in the Southampton goal, but looked shaky on a couple of occasions. Nathaniel Clyne - 7 . The right-back's rampaging run and shot inside the first minute could and probably should have given the visitors the lead. Improving game-by-game. Jose Fonte - 9 . Had already won on his international debut for Portugal on the same ground earlier this season and history repeated itself on Sunday. Brilliant performance from the experienced centre half. Toby Alderweireld - 6 . The Belgian was forced off injured after just 20 minutes for the Saints and after a shaky period immediately after, the Saints' defence shored things up admirably in his absence. Jose Fonte put in an outstanding display to thwart the likes of Robin van Persie and Co on Sunday . Toby Alderweireld is forced off after just 20 minutes after over-stretching when clearing the ball . Ryan Bertrand - 7 . The former Chelsea left back put in another solid display for the visitors. Steven Davis - 7 . Really stepped up his game after the break. A good performance from the midfielder. Victor Wanyama - 7 . A solid performance from the former Celtic midfielder in the heart of the Saints midfield. Morgan Schneiderlin, pictured challenging for the ball with Wayne Rooney, was outstanding throughout . Morgan Schneiderlin - 9 . You can see exactly why the Frenchman is so highly regarded after yet another excellent performance. Imperious in the middle of the park for the visitors. Eljero Elia - 6 . The Dutch winger put in a solid display on his Saints debut before being replaced by Tadic. Eljero Elia put in a solid display on his Southampton debut against Manchester United . James Ward-Prowse - 8 . Done a sterling job limiting the impact of Carrick in the first half in particular. Another good display from the youngster. Graziano Pelle - 7 . Anonymous in the first half but was much better after the break and was involved in the all-important goal, as his shot rebounded off the post leaving Tadic to tap the ball home from close range. SUBSTITUTES . Florin Gardos (on for Alderweireld, 20) - 7 . Done a decent job after replacing the injured Belgian early on. Dusan Tadic (on for Elia, 63) - 7 . Showed real composure to slot the ball home from close range after Pelle had hit the post. Dusan Tadic slots the ball home from close range to put Southampton into the lead at Old Trafford . Tadic wheels away in celebration after giving the Saints a memorable lead against Manchester United . Harrison Reed (on for Davis, 80) - 6 . The youngster didn't put a foot wrong after coming off the bench late on. SUBS NOT USED: . Kelvin Davis (GK), Shane Long, Lloyd Isgrove, Matt Targett. MANAGER . Ronald Koeman - 9 . The Dutchman masterminded a stunning 1-0 win for the Saints against former foe Van Gaal. Southampton's midfield totally bossed proceedings from start to finish. | Southampton secured an impressive win at Manchester United on Sunday .
Dusan Tadic came off the bench to score the all-important winner .
Saints' first win at Old Trafford in 27 years and also in the Premier League .
Ronald Koeman's men move up to third in the Premier League after 1-0 win . |
237,731 | bfb5119e46bdb76f483465cbc54ed2af96715147 | By . Robert Verkaik . PUBLISHED: . 20:50 EST, 17 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:53 EST, 17 November 2012 . Reforms: Jordan's King Abdullah. Despite human rights advances, The European Commission admits the country still falls behind on international standards . British taxpayers have spent more . than £10million on Jordan in a futile battle to return hate preacher Abu . Qatada to the Middle East state. The . cash, funded through Foreign Office handouts and EU grants, has . financed a range of human rights reforms to try to bring one of . Britain’s closest military allies in line with European standards of justice. But last week Qatada’s deportation . was blocked after a court ruled there was a real risk that evidence . obtained through torture might be used against him. The controversial cleric must stay in London with his family under house arrest. Britain’s security services still regard him as capable of supporting Al Qaeda terror operations in the UK. The . £10million handouts are on top of the £3million legal bill for Qatada’s . failed deportation and the on-going £5million-a-year cost of keeping . him in the UK. But . despite millions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money and the . Government’s frustration, Jordan is still not a fit country to receive . Muslim terror suspects. Last . year the Foreign Office spent a record £1.5million directly from . Treasury coffers to help pay for a justice system free from the risk of . torture and other human rights abuses. And since 2008, Britain has contributed £4.26million to an EU human rights aid budget for Jordan. This year the EU pledged £3.8million from the UK contribution to improve human rights and democracy in Jordan. Among . the projects part paid for by UK taxpayers is a human rights centre in . Jordan’s capital Amman directly funded by the Foreign Office. 'Many in the world look to Jordan... a model for the region, a democratic constitutional monarchy' Baroness Ashton, head of EU foreign policy, in February . Other . EU and FCO projects are aimed at reforming the justice system, . electoral system and an open national media. They include a €158,000 grant for ‘strengthening the capacity . of local societies to better understand human rights issues’ and a . €193,000 grant to ‘reverse the gender bias against Jordanian women . married to foreigners’. This . week, nearly ten years after Britain first began the process of . deporting Qatada, Home Office officials were dispatched to Jordan once . again to try to resolve the human rights issue. Earlier . this year, Europe’s human rights judges ruled that Qatada could not be . returned to Jordan because of its sub-standard criminal justice system, a . ruling followed by British judges last week. In February, Baroness Ashton, head of . EU foreign policy, heaped praise on Jordan’s progress on human rights . in support of the on-going aid programme. On . a trip to Jordan, she said: ‘Many in the world look to Jordan. You have . announced these important reforms, you follow a Jordanian model that we . admire very much... a model for the region, a democratic constitutional monarchy.’ But . in May this year, officials working for Baroness Ashton reported . concerns about Jordan’s human rights record, including allegations of . the ‘severe abuse of detainees’. Concerns: Baroness Ashton says there are allegations of the 'severe abuse of detainees' in Jordan . In . the document seen by The Mail on Sunday, it was also reported that the . Jordanian government had not fully signed up to an international treaty . outlawing torture. In the same month an EU sub-committee pressed Jordan to introduce reforms to ‘prevent any acts of torture’. A . recent Human Rights Watch’s report said that ‘despite a lack of . progress, and a number of reverses’, EU assistance to Jordan increased . by 12 per cent. King Abdullah of Jordan, left, shakes hands with Gordon Brown, then Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 2007 . As recently as last month . Amnesty International condemned Jordan for a crackdown against . pro-reform activists. It said: ‘The 20 men will be tried by the . country’s State Security Court, a special court whose procedures fail to meet international fair-trial standards.’ Last . night the European Commission admitted that despite all the money . lavished on the country, Jordan had failed to tackle its human rights . problems. A . spokesman said: ‘The rationale for these actions is a mutual . recognition that there is major work to be done to bring the Jordanian . judicial system into line with best international standards. ‘There . is no attempt to hide the fact that in a wide range of political and . social spheres, human rights in Jordan need to be improved on. ‘The Jordanian authorities have recognised this and are taking steps, with our help, to remedy the situation.’ | Money spent on Jordanian human rights reforms .
£10million is on top of Qatada's £3million legal bill . |
101,947 | 0f644488ff0f66a81fdd4c9fed4d0c2333477808 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Kenneth Cole is the first to admit he has a bit of a language problem. Pun-loving Kenneth Cole pays tribute to inspiring people in his new book. "I need to distort not just leather and fabric, but also words," he said. "It's a disorder I have." The pun-loving fashion designer has raised plenty of eyebrows with advertising copy that ranges from the provocative and the political to the lighthearted and cutesy. Browse his online store and you can buy a T-shirt that reads "In war is it who's right, or who's left?" A canvas tote bag says, "Use me again and again and again ... (I'm used to it)." Should you purchase either product, you're assured that all your money will go to Cole's "Awearness Fund," an initiative designed to draw attention to social issues like homelessness and AIDS. To that end, Cole has just released a new book called "Awearness: Inspiring Stories About How to Make a Difference" (DK Adult). It's a collection of essays from influential types intended to encourage readers to get involved in service and volunteerism in their communities. Watch Cole talk about 'Awearness' » . Former President Bill Clinton contributes a piece on the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Actress Rosario Dawson writes about empowering young Latinos to vote, and cyclist Lance Armstrong discusses the merits of starting a movement like Livestrong, his effort to energize the fight against cancer. As Cole says: "No good deed should go unpublished." Pun intended. The book commemorates 25 years in the fashion business for the New Yorker, as well as a quarter century as an advocate for social activism. Cole spoke to CNN about the book, the belief, his wife and the cover. (OK, so not everyone is brilliantly punny.) The following is an edited transcript of the interview. CNN: What is the big message you're hoping to get across with this book? Kenneth Cole: The message is that these are extraordinary times. They're transformative in so many ways. And America recently expressed the reality that there is an appetite for meaningful, significant, social change like we've never seen before. CNN: In the introduction of your book, you talk about how you've met a lot of people who have inspired you. Is there one person who stands out above the rest? Cole: There are so many people that inspire me, and there are 90 role models in this book, some of whom I've been very close to. I am the closest of all to my wife, who is in and of herself a change agent and has committed to impacting the realities of homelessness -- and making sure I get out of the house every day to do what I have to do. So she's inspired me and she's done great stuff. So I think I'll stay with that answer. CNN: In Robert Redford's essay on freedom of speech, he encourages the use of humor when speaking out about a cause someone feels passionate about. Has humor helped you? Cole: I think it does. I agree with Mr. Redford, and he's been a model of mine. ... And I think we also have these walls around us, and when people disagree, we're inclined not to listen, but to a degree you can break through that wall often with humor. Jon Stewart has shown us how to do that, as have some other people who are in the art of doing it well. CNN: What's your biggest hope for President-elect Barack Obama's presidency? Cole: He has already surpassed my greatest hopes. I think he's created a sense of spirit and energy and opportunity in this country that we've never seen. And I think it has transformed, in a sense, who we are as a nation globally within 24 hours. We saw that happen. CNN: How does a successful fashion designer, who also has a big conscience, feel in a weak economy? Cole: I think it's an extraordinary opportunity. There are only so many things we can do that make us feel better. We pick up the newspapers and we want to cry every day. We turn on the news and we want to jump out the first window, jump in front of the first truck. And there's not a lot you can look forward to right now ... but you can make yourself look better, and if you look better, you'll feel better, and it becomes self-fulfilling. I think fashion can do that to you. You can do it with some older stuff and mix it with newer stuff, or you can just do new cool stuff by a new cool American designer (smiles). And starting from the ankles down, and then up. CNN: Do you think that fashion gets a hard rap? [Are] people too quick to write it off as frivolous and underestimate its power? Cole: I've struggled with that over the years. Is fashion relevant? Is it frivolous? Is it trivial? Because I give so much of my essence to it, as do everybody I work with. I've come to two conclusions. One is that it's as relevant as anything, because most of the people you encounter in a given day don't get to know anything more about you than how you appear. You're making a very thoughtful statement ... so I think fashion is important. And then at the end of the day if someone you know is sick or someone you know can't afford the roof over their head or the food on the plate, then it becomes not so important. So I think it's relevant, and for me it's been an extraordinary resource for me to do so much. And I love fashion. I think it makes us feel good. And if you feel good, we do good. | Kenneth Cole highlights public-spirited people in "Awearness"
Fashion designer Cole admires use of humor to leaven passion .
Cole: Fashion is relevant, even in tough times . |
84,670 | f03d4d8268ce7e449d9e9bf36a34fa8518050c77 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . The financial watchdog has been accused of committing an ‘extraordinary blunder’ by releasing market-sensitive information about an insurance inquiry which sent the stock market plummeting. Around £7billion was wiped off the value of insurers at one point on Friday after Clive Adamson, from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), revealed that 30million pensions and savings policies were due to be investigated. The watchdog rushed to reassure panicked investors about the inquiry into rip-off charges and sub-standard service, but despite their efforts to calm the market the industry ended up suffering a total fall in value of around £2.4billion. Criticism: Andrew Tyrie (left) the Treasury committee chairman said the FCA were guilty of making an 'extraordinary blunder' after the FCA's Clive Adamson (right) said 30million policies were to be investigated . MP Andrew Tyrie, the Treasury committee chairman, said the FCA had breached the principle that information should be released to all parties concerned at the same time, adding: ‘On the face of it, this is an extraordinary blunder. ‘This announcement may have led to a disorderly market in shares. It may also have damaged consumer confidence in the industry as a whole.’ The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday . that the FCA was planning to investigate financial policies worth . £150billion, sold between the 1970s and the turn of the millennium. The . inquiry, which is due to start in the summer, will attempt to discover . whether loyal customers who took out products such as private pensions, . endowments, investment bonds and life insurance over a 30-year period . are locked in with high exit penalties. The announcement was a fresh blow for . the industry after the Chancellor gave pensioners the freedom to draw . down as much or as little of their pension pot as they want, removing . the need to buy an annuity. Proposal: Pensions Minister Steve Webb promised a 'full-frontal assault' last week on pension schemes which give poor value . George Osborne’s radical pension reforms have been criticised by the former head of the Pensions Commission and the Financial Services Authority. From April 2015, all restrictions on access to a retirees’ pension pot will be removed. But Lord Adair Turner has claimed that the changes risk leaving millions of pensioners close to poverty in later life. He warned: ‘There’s a danger that people don’t realise how low the state pension is. ‘Many pensioners could even use their pots to invest in buy-to-let properties which could stoke future house price bubbles.’ And last week Pensions Minister Steve Webb promised a ‘full-frontal assault’ on pension schemes which give poor value, announcing that a 0.75 per cent cap will be imposed on charges from April next year. Mr Tyrie has now called for the investigation into the FCA’s release of information to be led by an independent figure and for any resulting report to be published in full. He said: ‘It is crucial that we have a full and transparent explanation about how such an apparently serious mistake came to be made by our financial services watchdog – the body appointed by Parliament to enforce high standards of conduct. ‘Responsibility for the FCA’s work on this should lie not with the board as a whole but with the independent directors alone, led by the chairman. This is an early test of their essential role in exercising oversight of the executives and ensuring that they meet the same high standards expected of the industry.’ The FCA declined to comment. Concern: Critics fear George Osborne's radical pension overhaul will put millions at risk of poverty in later life . | Financial Conduct Authority accused of releasing sensitive information .
Revealed 30million pensions and savings policies were to be investigated .
Watchdog rushed to reassure panicked investors about inquiry into charges .
Despite efforts to calm market, industry lost a total of £2.4billion . |
84,071 | ee699b944bd02ae28cc6eb30ade2a7401a936507 | By . Katy Winter . She didn’t let pregnancy slow her down, and it seems Zara Phillips is determined not to let the stresses of having a young child get the better of her either. Like many modern mothers Zara has shunned the traditional longer period of maternity leave, instead opting to return to work mere months after giving birth. The Queen’s granddaughter took part in a cross country course walk for Musto clothing competition winners during day three of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in Badminton today. Zara, whose face was partially concealed beneath a baseball cap and sunglasses, seemed to really be enjoying the day . Zara Phillips (centre, in blue baseball cap) took part in the cross country course walk for Musto clothing competition winners . Clearly at ease in her beloved countryside, the 32-year-old royal smiled and laughed with her companions, covering her face with a large pair of sunglasses and a bright blue baseball cat. Dressing practically for the days activities, Zara wore a pair of jeans under sturdy brown knee high walking boots, keeping warm in an anorak displaying the logos of the event’s supporters. The rather blustery and unpredictable weather didn't seem to bother the group. Despite only having given birth to her first child, Mia, in January, Zara has already regained her fit physique, no doubt helped by her levels of exercise both during the pregnancy and after the birth. Clearly at ease in her beloved countryside, the 32-year-old royal smiled and laughed with her companions, . Zara wore a pair of jeans under sturdy brown knee high walking boots, keeping warm in a anorak displaying the logos of the event’s supporters . Although she took an eight-month break from eventing the accomplished equestrian, who has represented Britain in the Olympics made her competitive comeback just months after giving birth. The new mother galloped to ninth place at the end of last month at the Symm International Horse Trials in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The embodiment of modern motherhood, Zara was seen cradling her three-month-old, the Queen's fourth great-grandchild, in between the trials. She has since competed in various trials and spotted at numerous racing events, as she effortlessly combines motherhood with her career. | Zara back to work just over three months after giving birth to daughter Mia .
Joined cross country walk at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials . |
239,203 | c1aee720fa89b07858f448e90235886e92bc33d0 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 15:20 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:23 EST, 19 February 2013 . Third victim: William Currie from Penzance was on a winter skills training course when he died in the Cairngorms last Thursday . The third climber killed in an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands last week has been named today. William Currie, 18, from Penzance, Cornwall, was one of three people on a winter skills training course who died in the Cairngorms on Thursday. Mr Currie - who was a student on the second last day of a course at the nearby Glenmore Lodge outdoor centre - was among two parties of six climbers in a 120ft gorge on the popular Lairig Ghru walk between Deeside and Speyside when the avalanche happened. Nine other people who were on the mountain at the time of the avalanche escaped unhurt. The three victims died when they were buried under 13ft of snow said to be like 'concrete'. Northern Constabulary said a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal but investigators are unsure as yet why the avalanche happened. The principal of Glenmore Lodge, Bob Kinnaird, said today that Mr Currie was the first fatality at Glenmore Lodge for more than 40 years. The other two victims, both RAF officers, have already been named as Flight Lieutenant Fran Capps, 32, from Dulverton in Somerset, and Squadron Leader Rimon Thann, 33, of RAF Valley, North Wales. Flight Lietenant Capps had been commissioned into the RAF in 2001 as a Logistics Officer and worked on a variety of stations, most recently with the Chinook Force at Royal Air Force Odiham at Hook in Hampshire. She had served on operational tours in Iraq, the Falkland Islands, Afghanistan and Qatar. She lost her life together with Squadron Leader Rimon Than, 33, of RAF Valley, North Wales, where Prince William is based as a search and rescue pilot. Both Squadron Leader Than and Flight Lieutenant Capps were members of the RAF Mountaineering Association. Tragic: Flight Lieutenant Fran Capps was the second to be named after three people were killed following an avalanche in the Cairngorms . Police, Cairngorm mountain rescue . team, Cairngorm mountain ski patrol, search and rescue dogs, RAF . Lossiemouth's rescue team and three helicopters were involved in the . rescue operation following the avalanche on Thursday. The three victims were all airlifted from the . Chalamain Gap area to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary shortly after 12.30pm but died of their injuries. Mark Diggins, co-ordinator of the . SportScotland Avalanche Information Service, said following the operation that rescue teams . had worked 'incredibly hard' to dig out and locate the three casualties . as quickly as possible. He said it has been a 'challenging' winter in the area in terms of the weather conditions. 'There have been violent winds, very changeable conditions and that has an effect on the snow pack,' he said. The incident was the latest in a series of deaths on the Scottish Highlands so far this year. Of the nine people to have been killed on Scottish mountains in less than a month five have been medics. On January 19 four climbers died on 3,773ft Bidean Nam Bian in Glencoe having being caught up in an avalanche. Dr Rachel Majumdar, 29, who was . working at Harrogate District Hospital in Yorkshire and junior doctor . Una Rachel Finnegan, 25, from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, were . among those who died after the 1,000ft fall descending the mountain. Dr Majumdar`s boyfriend Tom Chesters, 28, who also died in the tragedy, was studying for a PhD in osteoporosis. And on January 26, 22-year-old . medical student Ben St Joseph from Essex fell over 300 feet to his death . on Ben Nevis, Britain`s highest mountain at 4,409ft. First to be named: Squadron Leader Rimon Than was also killed in the avalanche on Thursday . Scene: Emergency services were called out to reports of the snowdrift in the Chalamain Gap area of the Cairngorms . Helicopter: Two helicopters from RAF Lossiemouth, Rescue 137 and 138, were involved in the operation . Casualties: Three people were airlifted to hospital in Aberdeen following the avalanche in the Scottish Highlands . | William Currie, 18, from Cornwall died in the Cairngorms on Thursday .
He was on the second last day of a winter skills training course .
Mr Currie is the first fatality on the Glenmore Lodge course for 40 years . |
73,959 | d1b73f7291e95cdd837fe4adfa3d0c6dd9348bf4 | (CNN) -- The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK has acquired two models of the world's first 3D-printed gun. The 'Liberator' pistol is the invention of Cody Wilson, a Texan law student whose company Defense Distributed caused a furore in May when it made blueprints for its firearm freely available on the internet. The distribution of the designs led to Wired magazine naming Wilson as one of the '15 Most dangerous People in the World'. In theory, once downloaded, the designs would allow anyone with access to a 3D printer to make their own gun. Video shows test firing of 3-D printed handgun . A few days after Wilson conducted his first successful test of the pistol, the U.S. government forced Defense Distributed to take the plans down. Wilson complied, but not before the design had been downloaded over 100,000 times. The V&A museum has two copies of the Liberator pistol on display as part of London Design Week. The two prototypes on display -- one extant and one disassembled to show its components -- are part of a new collection of 3D objects. According to the curators, the guns "represent a turning point in debates around digital manufacturing." The Science Museum in London also has a Liberator on display. In an interview with CNN, Wilson said that he felt the museum's curators appreciated the Liberator pistol as a design object, but also appreciated the political ideas the weapon conveyed. "The curators of the museum's digital collection understand Liberator and our other pieces are first and foremost articles of political thought-practice," Wilson said. Wilson says that in his view 3D printing is still in its infancy, and that it will become more significant in the future: "I see digital manufacturing playing a bigger role in our lives." While he thought that the mainstream firearms industry is no longer as powerful as it once was, Wilson said he thought that the spread of weaponry will gradually increase, and that in future it will be easy for almost anyone to get a gun: "I think gun-making culture is on an understandable decline, but the barrier to entry to this culture will be lowered." U.S. requires group to remove 3-D gun instructions from its website . Considering it as a design object, Wilson believes that the Liberator's unusual shape has been part of its success: "Looking back, I would change nothing of the design. It was curious, boxy, alien. Its strangeness allowed it a better examination -- both as an article of design and as a concept." Alongside the 3D printed gun, the museum also acquired four other items which point to the future of design, including a homemade toaster constructed from odds and ends for just $6 and a futuristic armchair with elongated "ears" to create an artificial private space. 3-D printed guns a boon for criminals? All the items were bought through the Design Fund to Benefit the V&A. Martin Roth, the museum's director, said: "The generosity of supporters of the Design Fund ensures that the V&A is able to acquire for our permanent collections some of the best and most exciting design projects of our time. "This year's acquisitions reflect an interesting combination of new technologies working with traditional crafts." NASA sending 3-D printer into space . | London museum acquires world's first 3D-printed gun .
The firearm is the invention of Texan law student Cody Wilson .
The U.S. State department banned Wilson from distributing the gun's plans in May . |
165,325 | 61c66de679c3714517c1c3d6695b104bfb513c70 | By . Leon Watson for MailOnline . The Granite City of Aberdeen has been identified as a stronghold for a deadly Italian crime syndicate, a new European Union report has found. The Camorra group, based in Naples, is made up of family networks and is said to have killed more people than any other crime organisation in Europe. But, according to the new study, the violent Mafia-style gang has spread further afield, and now 'controls' catering, food retail and property in Scotland's third most populous city. The Transcrime research centre found evidence that Camorra and two other gangs, the 'Ndrangheta and the Sicilian Mafia, have operations in the UK. The gang now 'controls' catering, food retail and property in Aberdeen, according to a new EU study . Police on the street, the impact of La Camorra crime gangs in Naples, Italy . The project, which was funded by the EU, analyses how the main organised criminal groups invested the proceeds of their crimes in selected countries between 2007 and 2013. It states: 'The Camorra stronghold is Aberdeen, the third most populous city in Scotland, where it controls the catering, public works, food retail and wholesale and property sectors.' The report adds: 'The Sicilian Mafia runs illegal gambling dens in London. The 'Ndrangheta also has a presence in London, in the property sector.' Aberdeen has been linked repeatedly with Mafia activity over the past decade. City restaurateur Antonio La Torre - named by Italian prosecutors as a Camorra crime lord - was arrested in 2005 and jailed in Italy for extortion and racketeering. He is the brother of Augusto La Torre, who later confessed to murdering 40 people in Italy. Former Aberdeen restaurateur Michele Siciliano, who is said to have looked after La Torre's finances following his extradition, also gave himself up to anti-Mafia prosecutors the following year. The Camorra group, based in Naples, is made up of family networks. Here Italian boss, Francesco Schiavone, is arrested by Italian police in Caserta in 1998 . Residents look at an Italian forensic police officer inspecting the body of alleged mobster Pasquale Russo, who was killed at the restart of a bloody Camorra war . Another city restaurant boss, Ciro Schiattarella, spent time in jail after being extradited to Italy to face charges. Former Aberdeen City Council leader Barney Crockett said the Mafia's presence in Aberdeen was no secret. He said: 'I think the attraction of Aberdeen is the fact that they can swap over a lot of money, because it is such a busy business environment. 'However, I am totally confident that there is no involvement in public works of any description.' Members of Aberdeen's 600-strong Italian community have denied the city is in the grip of gangsters. But Italian MEP Oreste Rossi is using the new report to push for fresh crime prevention 'tools' to combat Mafia money-laundering across Europe. Last night, former MEP Struan Stevenson, said the claims in the report were 'absolutely staggering'. He said: 'It is well known that criminal gangs in Scotland use legitimate business operations to turn their dirty money into clean money. 'But these have always been home-grown gangs, usually from Glasgow, where money has been known to go into things like taxi companies and construction firms. 'It is absolutely staggering - but probably shouldn't come as a surprise - that the Camorra has twigged that places like Aberdeen are potential havens for them to launder money. 'Scottish police need to get to the bottom of whether the findings of this report are true - and if it is, there needs to be unilateral action to stamp it out. 'New European laws to back this up would be helpful.' The first seeds of the Cammora's deadly power took root in Aberdeen in the late 18th Century. Italian commentators say its strength reached its peak in modern times. The only record of alleged clan activity in the UK was perpetrated by the La Torres in Aberdeen. The Transcrime report also identifies Mafia operations in Romania, Spain, Portugal and France in industries such as catering, property, transport and farming. European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom said the report was being analysed by Brussels officials and would influence new legislation being drawn up. Police Scotland declined to comment on the report. | The violent Mafia-style set of family network is based in Naples .
But according to the new study, the gang has interests in Aberdeen .
Group is said to have killed more people than any other gang in Europe . |
148,981 | 4ca26f6981bc8942fd88485e153561f72d318efa | This talented Great Dane really does know how to be happy! The musically-inclined mutt from Portland, Oregon, can teach Grumpy Cat a thing or two about being cheery. Abbey Doo may look like she can't be bothered but she's paying close attention to what's going on. And when her owner sings the childhood classic If You're Happy And You Know It… Abbey Doo wags her tail right on cue, thumping it resoundingly on the floor. The dog's interpretation of the song is adorable and she's got a perfect sense of timing as she doesn't miss a beat. Instead of simply clapping her paws or nodding her head, this talented hound slaps her tail with unbridled enthusiasm. Waiting for her cue: The hound's impeccable sense of rhythm is clearly evident in the video . Time to wag that tail! Abbey Doo's 'mummy' Madi McGlone from Portland, uploaded the video on YouTube . The heart-warming video was uploaded on YouTube by Abbey Doo's 'mummy' Madi McGlone whose voice can be heard singing the song. According to Miss McGlone's Twitter feed, she was singing the song with her mother when the dog joined in. The video currently has over 50,000 views on YouTube and Abbey Doo has gained new fans and garnered and positive reviews . User Vreeda Anna said: 'Awwww madam, this is so lovely! Thank you for sharing with us.' Fan Dorie Bertram enjoyed the video as well, saying: 'This gave me a much needed LOL for the day!' | Talented mutt 'claps' with her tail to prove that she's feeling joyful .
Musically-inclined dog has a good sense of rhythm and wags right on cue .
The video currently has more than 50,000 views on YouTube . |
220,720 | a9bacaef5154a7d9c03a9c277bcc3c1c77d31385 | Three teenagers accused of beating and robbing a disabled Army veteran on an Ohio bus while shouting racial slurs have been arrested. Police apprehended Kenneth Matthews, Ronald Reid Williams and an unnamed 16-year-old girl who allegedly filmed last Friday's daytime attack on her cellphone, as they tried to flee. The trio were among up to eight teenagers who allegedly mobbed Matthew Robinson on the RTA Healthline in Cleveland. When the college student got off the bus near 6th Street and Euclid Avenue, the group allegedly followed him before stealing his belongings while yelling, 'Knock that white boy out!' Bystanders in the Public Square refused to help him. Scroll down for video . Furious: Disabled vet Matthew Robinson has spoken for the first time about being attacked by a violent mob of teens while he rode the bus in Cleveland last Friday . Scene: Following reports of the attack, Cleveland Police rushed to the scene and spoke to victim Matthew Robinson (far left) before arresting three suspects who tried to flee . 'What they were saying was, ‘Knock that . boy out!’ ‘White boy.’ ‘Cracker'. They were saying, ‘Knock that white boy out',' a visibly shaken Matthews told 19 Action News. 'The whole time I'm just thinking, pretty much protect myself and don't let anybody in behind you. No-one stepped in to help, so I thought it was a shame. 'No-one should have to deal with that kind of racism or ridicule. 'I think there should be jail time for assaults. Who's to say that your mother or sister couldn't be on the bus, and the same thing could happen to them.' Arrests: Cleveland police arrested two men, aged 18 and 19, and 16-year-old girl whose cell phone was used to capture the horrific attack . Scene: Paramedics treated Matthew Robinson at the scene after he was attacked by a mob of teens . Ambushed: Matthew Robinson saidhe was riding RTA's Healthline when six to eight teenagers surrounded him on the bus, and then started following him before attacking him . The crowd scattered when police arrived on scene, however cops were able to apprehend three of the young suspects. 19 Action News reported Kenneth Matthews was recently busted for trying to steal a woman's cell phone at the West 25th Rapid Station. He is also charged for trespassing at Tower City after police repeatedly told him to move on. Police said two of the teens who were arrested were 18 and 19-years-old. The age of the victim has not been reported. According to police, violent groups of teens hanging around Public Square has become a growing problem. Cops regularly patrol the area in a bid to quell any violence after a teen was brutally beaten on the square last month. On the beat: Violent teens and mobs have become a problem around Cleveland's Public Square recently, prompting police to patrol the area . Growing problem: Police say groups of teens hanging out at the Public Square, the four-block central plaza of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, have become violent recently . | Matthew Robinson beaten and robbed by up to eight teenagers last Friday .
The Army veteran was on a bus in Cleveland when he was mobbed .
He said no-one tried to help .
Police arrested three teens as they fled the scene, including a 16-year-old girl who filmed the attack . |
129,821 | 33ccbf553f0f7d6d74ba2245c7354714c4f7ab64 | By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 12:31 EST, 2 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:19 EST, 2 May 2013 . Children who spend more time playing outside are less likely to suffer from short-sightedness. Two new studies have added to the body of evidence that daylight plays an important role in preventing the condition. It is not known why daylight is important but some experts believe levels of the brain chemical dopamine play a role. High levels of dopamine in the eyeball have been associated with a lower risk of short-sightedness. Until recently it was thought that short-sightedness was inherited, but scientists are discovering that other factors, such as sunlight exposure, play a role . Short-sightedness, or myopia, is an eye . condition that causes a person to see things clearly close-up but . struggle to see things when they are far away. In . childhood it is correctable, but it is also linked to the development . of severe forms of the eye disorder in adulthood, which increases the . risks for potentially blinding diseases such as glaucoma and retinal . detachment. Research on short-sightedness is intensifying as the condition nears epidemic status in Asia and other regions, primarily in developed countries. Shockingly, it has increased by more than 65 per cent since 1970 in the U.S.. Although it often inherited, researchers are now assessing environmental factors to help explain why rates are rising so rapidly in some populations. The Taiwanese study observed 333 students who spent their break between lessons in the playground. These children, many of whom had formerly spent recess indoors, now spent a total of 80 minutes per day outdoors. Taiwanese scientists are suggesting enforced outdoor playtimes would help stem the growing number of children who suffer with shortsightedness. The condition has rocketed by nearly 65% since 1970 in the U.S. A nearby school acted as the control group because children were not forced to spend their break outdoors. Students at both schools received eye examinations at the study outset and one year later. The results showed that significantly fewer children became short-sighted or shifted toward short-sightedness in the school that required outdoor breaks, compared with the control school. The researchers recommended that primary . schools should add frequent breaks and other . outdoor activities to their daily schedules to help protect children's . eye development and vision. ‘Because children spend a lot of time in school, a school-based intervention [such as an outdoors break] is a direct and practical way to tackle the increasing prevalence of myopia,’ said the leader of the study, Pei-Chang Wu, of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. A separate study on the impact of daylight exposure on eye development analysed data collected in a 2005 clinical trial that included 235 Danish school children with short-sightedness. Of the children who played outside, significantly fewer became short-sighted or shifted toward short-sightedness, compared with the control school . Participants were divided into seven groups, each of which represented a different time of year. Because daylight hours fluctuate dramatically with the seasons in Denmark - from seven hours in winter to nearly 18 in summer - access to daylight was distinct for each group. Axial eye length – the distance from the front to the back of the eye – and vision were tested in each group of children at the beginning and end of their seasonal interval. Axial length is an important measurement because elongation of the eye shows that myopia is worsening. In the children with access to the fewest hours of daylight, eye growth averaged 0.19 mm; in those with access to the most daylight, eye growth was just 0.12 mm. ‘Our results indicate that exposure to daylight helps protect children from myopia,’ said the leader of the study, Dongmei Cui of Sun Yat-sen University, China. ‘Parents should encourage [children] to spend time outdoors daily. ‘When that's impractical due to weather or other factors, use of daylight-spectrum indoor lights should be considered as a way to minimize myopia.’ Both studies were published in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. | Short-sightedness has increased by over 65 percent since 1970 in the U.S.
Playing outside made children less likely to develop short-sightedness .
Those exposed to the least amount of daylight had elongated eyeballs, which causes the condition . |
30,255 | 55ffe80c0eb76acf03cd4ced8bdde3f566db3d6f | Pirot, Serbia (CNN) -- In the backroom of a small house in Pirot in southeastern Serbia, a handful of women are fighting to keep an ancient craft alive. Their dexterous fingers race up and down large wooden looms, weaving the bold geometric patterns distinct to Pirot carpets. Once celebrated throughout Europe for their beauty, Pirot carpets graced the walls and floors of Serbian royal palaces, as well homes of the urban elite. Weaved for over four centuries in the town after which they were named -- Pirot, once a thriving trade center on the caravan route between east and west -- they were ceremonially rolled out for state visits, and given to foreign dignitaries. However, what was a thriving craft practiced by 5,000 weavers a century ago is now under threat of extinction, with only 10 women still keeping the tradition going. "Pirot carpet weaving is our treasure which is passed on from generation to generation. It's the knowledge I learned from my mother and my grandmother," says Slavica Ciric who founded the Lady's Heart cooperative in Pirot with local women in 2009, to try to stop the skills nurtured throughout centuries from passing into oblivion. "Carpet weaving is in our DNA," she continues. "We were born on carpets and we grew up in houses filled with Pirot carpets." Mastery of craft . Pirot carpets are very thin but extremely dense, and are said to last more than a century. They have two identical sides and are geographically protected, which means that they can only be made in the Pirot area, and out of Pirot sheep -- a rare breed with only a few flocks counting just 250 sheep remaining. Weaving is painstaking work. It requires geometrical precision, supreme skill and creativity in equal measure. Everything is done by hand only, and in the same way as hundreds of years ago. It takes two weavers working simultaneously a month to create less than one square meter. Traditionally a female activity, young girls would start at the loom at the age of 10, practicing every day for five years to reach a level considered good enough. Their weaving skill had a great impact on their marriage prospects -- it was considered a measure of intelligence because of the knowledge of mathematics required to calculate the size and distribution of patterns. "When you look at a carpet with an untrained eye, you can see beautiful colorful patterns, but we work out exactly how many of these patterns we can fit within a meter," says Ciric. "We have to be visionaries and use logic to see where these patterns will stop, and where the border of the carpet will connect and finish," she adds. And if a weaver makes a mistake, the carpet is instantly pulled apart, even if the work was nearly completed. Magical meaning . The concentration necessary for this kind of precise work often means that once a weaver sits down at the loom, she loses all sense of time. "The pattern in a mysterious way simply possesses her, drags her into the depth and she's so taken by her work that everything around her stops. She forgets about the time, she surrenders herself to the pattern," says Ciric. And it's those patterns that give Pirot carpets a mystical allure. Weavers say they represent ancient symbols which carry magical meanings and can be read as an image alphabet, and there are 95 varieties which weavers have to memorize. "It is very mysterious but in every single carpet there is a story which you can read. When I see a carpet I can immediately tell whether it has been made now or in a different period, whether it has been made with love or only to be sold," says Ciric. Even though this skill is now practiced only by a handful of women, Ciric and her fellow weavers from Lady's Heart are trying to pass it on to the next generation, organizing winter courses for schoolchildren, including boys. "There is a new generation coming along and if we manage to pass on this knowledge to them, I think there won't be any danger of this craft dying out," says Ciric. "We are the guardians of the tradition of Pirot carpet weaving, and we do this with love." Read this: Resilient Belgrade rebuilds once again . Read this: No battery? Use a 'Strawberry Tree!' More from On the Road Serbia . Monique Todd contributed to this report. | Carpets have been weaved in the town of Pirot for 400 years .
They were hung in Serbian royal palaces and celebrated across Europe .
However, only 10 weavers still practice the craft today .
Weavers say patterns have magical meanings and symbolism . |
105,415 | 13ec1e9efdff3253f6b7ccaadb1b7d473c0e7c8f | By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius conceded Wednesday that it's 'possible' convicted felons could become Obamacare 'navigators,' gaining access to tax information and Social Security numbers of Americans as they help them register for insurance coverage. Her admission came during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, in a tense exchange with Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn. 'Isn't it true that there is no federal requirement for navigators to undergo a criminal background check,' Cornyn asked her, 'even though they will receive personal – sensitive personal information from they individuals they help sign up for the Affordable Care Act?' HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius conceded that criminals could be helping Americans fill out health insurance applications, gaining access to the tax information required to determine their eligibility for government subsidies . Round Two: Sebelius faced an unexpectedly harsh grilling at the hands of Senators. Last week, she got a similarly hostile welcome in front of congressmen . 'That is true,' Sebelius responded in a moment of nervousness. 'States could add an additional – um – background checks and other features, but it is not part of the federal requirement.' 'So a convicted felon could be a navigator,' an annoyed Cornyn followed up, 'and could acquire sensitive personal information from an individual, unbeknownst to them?' 'Uh, that is possible,' she said, shifting blame to the groups responsible for deploying navigators in the field. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . 'Four Pinocchios' Much of Wednesday's hearing focused on President Obama's now-debunked promise that Americans who like their health care plans would be able to keep them after Obamacare went into effect -- a promise that The Washington Post called a 'whopper' Line of fire: Sebelius faced calls to resign over the shambles by Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts . 'We have contracts with the organizations, and they have taken the responsibility to screen their individual navigators, and make sure that they are sufficiently trained for the job.' Sebelius also mentioned 'a self-attestation' that navigators are expected to sign, confirming their identities and their intentions. 'But it is possible.' President Obama is headed to Dallas, Texas on Wednesday, where he will promote the navigator program, a feature of Obamacare that allows paid assistants, many from community organizing groups cast in Obama's historical mold, to help Americans with their enrollment. Despite the administration promoting the navigators as an alternative means of registration to the program's semi-functional website, they too must use the website to determine whether or not applicants are eligible for federal government subsidies. March to the gallows: Sebelius faced unusually tough questions from a typically more sedate Senate Finance Committee panel, with one member calling for her resignation . Under questioning from Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, Sebelius tried to qualify her startling admission about information security under Obamacare. 'The navigators must go through a minimum of 20 hours of training,' she said. 'A significant portion focuses on privacy and security issues.' She insisted that applying for insurance under the new law 'there is no personal health information ever collected or needed, so they don't have access to that.' But Isakson countered that 'to estimate the subsidy somebody's going to get under the Obamacare law, you'd have to know their income on their tax return.' 'Are the navigators going to be able to use that information in order to make that estimate?' 'If a consumer chooses – yes – to share that information,' she replied, 'they can give the consumer the information about what they qualify for.' Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Sebelius' home state of Kansas, called for her resignation over the botched Obamacare website rollout. | HHS secretary says there's no background-check requirement for the thousands of community activists tasked with being enrollment helpers .
Texas senator grills her on whether felons could qualify, and she says yes .
Sebelius insists the 'navigator' volunteers get information security training .
Senator from her home state of Kansas calls for her resignation . |
66,671 | bd1467b7b877ee6d403d737d582707fab6816663 | By . Freya Noble . What started out as a man with a passion for photographing the sea, has now become the entire world for an early-rising and seriously skilled photographer from Bondi. In 1999 Eugene Tan begun to wake that little bit earlier before his commute into the city to his full-time design job, and took the time to capture the sunrise. Every morning since then Uge, as he's known to nearly 45,000 Aquabumps subscribers, has photographed the first light of the day over Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach. Aquabumps began more than 15 years ago, when Eugene Tan decided to photograph the sunrise over Bondi Beach every morning . Uge specialises in underwater photography, and what begun as a hobby has become his entire business . Another of his trademarks is aerial shots, sometimes taken from a remote operated helicopter . Aquabumps has taken Uge and his family around the world to shoot in Hawaii, Fiji, Indonesia and Italy . Since 1999 Uge has sent a daily email with shots of the sunrise over Bondi Beach to subscribers . 'I believe in the niche. My niche is underwater and aerial shots of Australian beaches, I started doing aerials about five years ago,' Uge told the Daily Mail Australia. 'I'm looking for interesting light, a lot of action, bright colours. Anything distinctive.' And distinctive is exactly what Uge's pics are, showing stunning serene waters in some images, while others showcase tumultuous swell and surfers taking on huge barrels and breaks. Most portray incredible light patterns, some are perfectly formed waves against a bright backdrop, while the underwater shots reveal the full power of the sea from a whole new perspective. Intricate and interesting light patterns are prevalent in many of the Aquabump photographs . Almost 45,000 people now subscribe to the emails, which arrive in inboxes around the world each weekday . Uge photographs all sorts of swimmers and surfers good and bad and tried to capture what happens down the beach in the early morning . Aerials are a big part of his portfolio, which he started shooting five years ago . Though the images usually feature bright colours, black and white photographs sometimes make an appearance . Before the immediacy of social media and the infinite blogs which flood the online world, Uge was a pioneer of sorts, sending a daily email to friends and family featuring his favourite shot of the morning, giving people that little escape as they sat in their cubicles or at their desks. 'Basically I just emailed 20 friends, then 50, then 1000 and it just grew,' Uge told the Daily Mail Australia. 'In the 90s daily pictures of the beach weren't as prevalent.' Just one year after Google's inception, Uge turned his passion for photographing the ocean into Aquabumps, a website which now has fans and clients all around the world and a permanent art gallery in Bondi. 'We sell online. I can't remember anyone selling photography online when we started.' Crystal clear waters and perfectly formed waves make up much of the Aquabumps archives . The photographs often feature one or more subjects, and aren't exclusively of the sea itself . The crowded shores of Bondi are also a big feature in the Aquabumps images . Serene beach scenes perfectly composed and captured are another identifying factor in Uge's shots . The gallery is just back from Bondi Beach and Uge insists he wants people to feel comfortable and spend time in the place . He describes his site as somewhat 'under the radar' despite boasting 104,781 Facebook likes and a further 47,552 followers on Instagram. And that's in addition to the 44,125 website subscribers. 'The ultimate compliment for me is for someone to say "I think that's one of Aquabumps' shots", in a time when there's just a sea of photography and we're bombarded with mediocre pictures. There's a lot of noise.' Aquabumps has collaborated and partnered with some of the biggest brands in Australia and the world, including Speedo, Havaianas, Audi, Cannon and Corona just to name a few. One of his photographs was featured as a print on Havianas thongs last summer, and the shoe was the biggest selling design after plain black. 'Everyone was really surprised by how well that did,' Uge admitted. Still waters and spectacular sunrises are often seen in the daily Aquabumps emails . Skilled surfers are a favourite subject for Eugene to shoot, as he loves being out in the waves himself . The Bondi beach lover has only missed two morning shoots, the days his two sons were born . Aquabumps has collaborated with huge surf brands such as Speedo swimwear and Havianas thongs . The shots give a different perspective to the sea through Uge's lens . Despite this, the photographer maintains 'we're really fussy about who we do collaborations with, we get a lot of offers from huge brands.' He also urges that he wouldn't have enjoyed the same successes if he wasn't so devoted to the work. 'You just have to it with passion, I started something I was so passionate about, and did it for free in my spare time for the first five years. It's so important when you start with something you love.' Aquabumps takes the Tan family all around the world every single year, and Uge has surfed swells and photographed waves in Hawaii, Italy, the Mediterranean, Indonesia, and New Zealand. 'You name it, I've done it,' he said. 'Helicopters in the Kimberleys, over the Great Barrier Reef... We (along with his wife and two young boys) spend a month every year in Hawaii.' The images show the Australian beach culture quite literally in a unique light . Beaches in New Zealand, the Mediterranean and America also make appearances in the collection . Uge and his wife Debbie recently travelled to London and New York to investigate the overseas market who are also purchasing the prints . Photographs with lots of action and movement in them are preferable for the photographer . The early morning shoots are a ritual for Uge, who says he feels like his routine is interrupted if he doesn't get out in the water . Uge said it's 'very rare' for him to ever miss a morning in the surf at Bondi, and described his early alarms as a 'ritual.' 'The days my sons were born I wasn't down... It has to be extreme circumstances.' On an overseas trip earlier this year Uge and wife Debbie spent time in New York and London, trying to scope out the market, as they ship prints to both cities every week. 'We were trying to figure out how people find out about us,' he said, and added that they have plans in the works to get some of the brand there, and looked at the possibility of adding galleries overseas. There is something distinctive about the style of the Aquabumps photographs . Swimmers of all sorts have made appearances in the stunning series of snapshots of the sea . Simplicity is sometimes king in the serene images . Light and colour plays a big role in the composition of Aquabumps photographs . The thing all the images have in common is Uge's clear passion for what he does and his love of the ocean . For now though, the home of Aquabumps is at a stunning location just back from Bondi Beach, and Uge said insisted 'it's not like a regular shop.' 'I want people to feel comfortable for a while, I want people to come for an hour or two. It's all free, you subscribe free.' Aquabumps' roots are firmly planted in the beachside community, and Uge credits that, in part, to its great success. | Eugene Tan (Uge) has been waking up early every day for the last 15 years to catch the sunrise over Bondi Beach .
The ritual started purely as a hobby but out of that grew Aquabumps, a site which sends a photo out daily .
There is also an Aquabumps gallery and the brand has collaborated with some of Australia's biggest companies .
Uge has only missed shooting on two mornings, on the days both his sons were born . |
25,109 | 4724a48e3f60aaf0a21e0262d01d123a634c92cc | (CNN) -- For a man dubbed "The Big Easy," Ernie Els isn't putting his feet up anytime soon. One of the most successful golfers in the world, the 42-year-old boasts an incredible three major championship crowns and nearly 70 wins in a stellar career spanning 22 years. But far from basking in his golfing glory, the South African is throwing his weight -- and his millions -- behind an important cause close to his heart. The former world No. 1's son Ben was diagnosed with autism five years ago, and Els plans to open a world-leading research and education center -- "something the world's never seen before." "We have one child in our family with autism. I've seen families with three kids with autism and I want to tell you it must be one of the hardest things in the world because just to do your normal, everyday life stuff must be almost impossible," he told CNN. "He's nine years old and he's not speaking yet. He goes to a very good school in Florida. That's another thing that's lacking around the world, is education for autistic children. That's why we moved from England to go to Florida for proper treatment for him." Until recently, Els had remained private about his family life. Now he's using his status -- winning the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997 and the British Open in 2002 -- to help fund the Els for Autism Foundation in Florida. Since 2009, he has been hosting golf tournaments to raise money for his dream center. It will be based in the U.S. but it is hoped its programs and research will help autistic children around the world. Els has so far raised around $25 million towards the project, but is still $5 million short of his target for construction. And the man who topped the European Tour's money list in 1993 and 1994, and is nicknamed for his six-foot-three-inch frame and seemingly effortless golf swing, hasn't limited his enterprises to autism research. Giving it back: Els' off-course passions . Els' golf foundation, now in its 13th year, was established to help under-privileged kids take up a sport unaffordable to most in his native South Africa. He also contributes to the economy of the Cape region where he grew up, investing in a wine and restaurant business plus an award-winning golf resort that he helped design. So while Els has spent most of his life carving a name for himself as one of the best golfers in the world, he says he now wants to be remembered for dedicating the rest of it to autism research. | Former world No. 1 Ernie Els is throwing his support behind ambitious autism center .
The South African golfer hopes the foundation in Florida will be the best in the world .
He is inspired by his son Ben, who was diagnosed with autism as a four-year-old .
Two-time U.S Open winner still needs to raise $5 million to reach his $30 million target . |
256,721 | d843554b1b56d37c96168fe008aeb9fe0c9c5ea4 | By . Sara Malm . When Lulu Melotte lost her business in the recession, she made the life-altering choice of taking her children out of school and spent all her savings on a family trip around the world. Mother-of-two Lulu, 40, was living in Barcelona with husband Nacho, 38, when the economic downturn forced her to give up her job running an organic shop. Her husband was made redundant around the same time, so the couple decided to leave Spain behind and explore the world with their children Frida, three, and seven-year-old Leon. Family adventure: Lulu and Nacho Melotte gave up their lives in Barcelona, Spain and took her children Frida, three, and Leon, seven on trip around Asia . Lulu, from Putney, south-west London, has spent every penny she owns on her family's six-month tour of Asia, but says she does not regret emptying her purse on the trip. The Melottes visited Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia at a cost of £9,000, budgeting for a £1,000-a-month living expenses after spending £3,000 on flights. Lulu, who moved to Spain after a holiday romance with Nacho, said: ‘Everyone was losing their jobs left, right and centre, so we thought the best thing to do was leave the country. ‘We had always discussed travelling with our children as we thought it would be a wonderful thing to do as a family and they were the ideal ages. ‘Nacho had some redundancy money, and we thought rather than pay it into a bank which could collapse overnight, we'd go on an adventure. So that's what we did.' Globetrotters: The Melottes, pictured in Bali, Indonesia, withdrew all their savings to take their children on a 'school of life' journey around the world . Invaluable: Frida, three, pictured in Saturn, Thailand, has seen a lot of the world at a very early age, something her mother says is worth much more than the £9,000 it cost the family . Learning from life: Lulu believes Frida and Leon, pictured riding an elephant for the first time in Pai,Thailand, have learned invaluable lessons that they could never have been taught in a school . Lulu has no qualms over taking her children out of education in order for them to see the world, saying Frida and Leon have been taught in the 'school of life’. ‘We did a lot of sightseeing and the children saw their first elephants and monkeys on our travels and both learnt to snorkel. ‘We saw a lot of poverty too. My little girl gave her favourite bright pink shoes to a baby who lived on the street and we gave the family toys and clothes too. ‘They spent a lot of time playing with street kids and made a lot of friends along the way but it's hard for them to build friendships because we were always moving on. ‘The kids didn't like the creepy crawlies much and sometimes we had to bang on the floor to rid them of snakes.’ Carpe diem: Adventurous Lulu, snapped enjoying Bali, says she has no regrets removing her children from school and spending all the family's money on the trip . The family are now living in Putney with Lulu's parents, repaying credit card debts and building a new life, but despite this, Lulu believes she made the right choice. She said: ‘Three of friends all my age with children have died and that shows life is too short. ‘I . have spent six quality months with my babies and the most important . thing in life is your health and happiness - it's not about materialism . and money.’ Lulu, who is working part-time in a cafe, added: ‘The last six months have been a whizz. ‘We are desperately trying to keep the adventure going for the children but they will probably not fully appreciate what they have done until they are older and look back.' | Lulu Melotte took her children out of school and on a trip around the world .
Mother-of-two, 40, and husband Nacho, 38, lost their jobs in the recession .
Family gave up life in Barcelona and spent their life savings to see Asia . |
184,297 | 7ab82a0958152d37828666d7c24fc8dc90d52d6d | (CNN) -- An era in American broadcast television will end Friday as the nation finishes its delayed transition to digital TV. Without a converter box, satellite service or cable hook-up, analog TVs will deliver only static now. By 12:01 a.m. Saturday, broadcasters must have shut down their outdated analog transmitters, leaving static to watch for those who are not ready. Stations all over the country will be making the historic switch all day Friday, Federal Communications Commission officials said. American TV viewers were given four extra months to get ready for the switch, when Congress voted early this year to delay the digital TV transition. At that time, an estimated 6.5 million homes -- including many elderly, poor and disabled Americans -- weren't prepared for a February 17 switch to digital, supporters argued. "In any change this big, there are going to be disruptions," said Michael Copps, the Federal Communications Commission acting chairman. "We are trying our best to provide people, especially those who are most at-risk, with the help they need to make the switch as smoothly as possible. And we're going to keep offering it after June 12, so people should call us at 1-888-CALL-FCC." People who pay for cable or satellite TV service are unaffected by the change. Republicans opposed the delay, saying the government had given people years to prepare. The end of analog television frees up that part of the broadcast spectrum for other uses. The federal government raked in $20 billion in auctions by selling licenses for the frequencies vacated by local television stations for other commercial uses. Some of the frequencies also have been reserved for emergency agencies to use for communications. Stations have been broadcasting in digital and analog for the past several years, but the switch puts an end to the transition and a form of broadcasting that's existed since the first regularly scheduled television service began in the United States in 1928. | By 12:01 a.m. Saturday, broadcasters must have shut down outdated transmitters .
Congress voted early this year to delay the digital TV transition by four months .
Haven't converted yet? Call 1-888-CALL-FCC for help .
End of analog frees up that part of the broadcast spectrum for other uses . |
88,271 | fa8fdc2ba3fc04da7b08d2d5beeab56f34db4afb | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A mandatory grounding of Air Force F-15s has been expanded to cover those flying combat missions over Afghanistan after a crash in Missouri last week, Air Force officials said Monday. The Air Force grounded models of its F-15 fleet after the crash of an older model F-15C Friday. The F-15Es in Afghanistan can fly only in emergency situations to protect U.S. and coalition troops in a battle, according to Maj. John Elolf, a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force Central Command. Maj. Cristin Marposon, an Air Force spokeswoman, told The Associated Press the country's fleet of 676 F-15s, including mission critical jets, was grounded on November 3 for "airworthiness concerns" after the crash of an older model F-15C on Friday. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but Air Force officials said it was a structural failure and the plane broke apart in flight. A spokeswoman for Boeing, the aircraft's manufacturer, told AP the company was cooperating with the Air Force but could not provide additional comment because of the pending investigation. Col. Robert Leeker, commander of the 131st Fighter Wing, said Friday the plane had been among four planes split into pairs and were engaging in one-on-one training flights in which speeds of 400 to 450 mph are typical, according to AP. A pilot, a 10-year veteran of the guard whose name and rank were not released, safely ejected from the aircraft when it crashed in Dent County, Missouri, AP reported. The pilot suffered a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm and minor cuts and bruises. Now only "mission critical" F-15s will fly. Pentagon officials said the U.S. Navy has had to move the only aircraft carrier in the region from the Persian Gulf to the North Arabian Sea to fill mission gaps for the F-15s. Several dozen F/A-18 fighters from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise will fly missions with other Air Force aircraft to fill mission gaps. The F-15E Strike Eagle is an air-to-ground and air-to-air fighter, making it more versatile than other F-15 models, which are used for only air-to-air missions. The Strike Eagle is used in Afghanistan in its air to ground role, dropping bombs on targets with its advanced sensors. "The U.S. Air Force maintains assigned F-15E Strike Eagles on ground alert and will accomplish all assigned missions with a variety of fighter, attack and bomber aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles, under my command and control during this period," Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, commander of the U.S. Central Command's Combined Forces Air Component, said in a statement Monday. The single-seat F-15C is one of the older models in the Air Force's fleet of 700 F-15s which entered service in 1979. The Air Force's top aircraft, the stealthy F-22 Raptor, is newly operational for the air service and has not yet been deployed in combat. The expensive F-22 will eventually be the main fighter jet for the Air Force, but budgetary restrictions on the plane have forced the Air Force to cut the number of planes it will have in the fleet. E-mail to a friend . | F-15Es can fly only in emergency situations to protect troops, official says .
F-15 models grounded after crash in Missouri .
Plane fell apart and the pilot ejected; the crash cause is under investigation .
Fighter, attack and bomber aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles will fill gap . |
259,304 | dbad93c52bbb72f08da0acaef048c88d31de68c9 | New York (CNN) -- Authorities have identified a teenager believed to be suffering from amnesia who was found on the streets of New York two weeks ago. Police say a CNN viewer in Maryland identified the young woman, who mysteriously turned up in Manhattan two weeks ago, claiming to have no memory of her family, her home or even her own name. The 18 year old whose name is not yet being released, is in the process of being reunited with her family. They are from Washington state and are on their way to New York, New York Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said on Saturday. A photo of the woman, who has been referred to as Jane Doe, was circulated by police and aired on CNN this week. The viewer in Maryland was familiar with her situation and knew she had been missing from her family earlier this month. The girl was found in Midtown Manhattan around 12:30 a.m. October 9 outside the Covenant House youth shelter, although the organization said that she was not a resident at the time and did not appear as if she intended to seek refuge at the facility. "I just want to know who I am," the girl said in a statement from the New York City Administration for Children's Services. "I want to know who I am and what happened to me." According to its Web site, "Covenant House New York is the nation's largest adolescent care agency serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth." Nearly 7,000 youths reportedly seek shelter there per year. A security guard for the shelter noticed the girl walking on the sidewalk near Covenant House and approached her. Finding her unresponsive, he called the New York City Police Department. Police officers interviewed the young woman, but it became clear that she couldn't provide authorities with any information about herself. The police said she was wearing military green camouflage pants, a black shirt and a pair of black sneakers when she was discovered. The children's services agency said the girl recently wrote down the name "Amber" and has responded to it on one occasion, but she has no idea whether it is her true name. On another occasion she is said to have recalled certain words, which turned out to be an excerpt from the fantasy novel "Fool's Fate" by Robin Hobb. The girl also is apparently writing a fantasy story of her own that features a heroine named Rian, "who's been raised by the commander of the guard post on the edge of a fantasy kingdom," the young woman said. Judging from her poor dental hygiene, said Lt. Christopher Zimmerman, she appeared to have been living on the streets for some time. Evan Buxbaum, Susan Candiotti and Vanessa Juarez contributed to the report. | NEW: New York Police say the 18-year-old is being reunited with family in Washington state .
NEW: CNN viewer in Maryland identified the young woman, police say .
She was found October 9 outside Manhattan youth shelter .
Agency says girl wrote down "Amber" and responded to name . |
38,207 | 6c09e5d7c6f27776697ed46615b10cc70cc8dfd2 | An American photographer braved frigid conditions in order to capture these stunning photos of thousands of penguins huddled together on an island in the Antarctic. Mike Johnson, 68, from Estero, Florida, joined several photographers on an expedition on board the Polar Pioneer voyage to the remote South Georgia Island. The photographs from his trip capture the beautiful landscapes of the island and the incredible amount of adorable penguins huddled together. Scroll down for video . Face off: An adult king penguin squares off with a seal as wildlife gather near the ocean at the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia . March of the penguins: King penguins follow each other as they waddle along the rocky beachfront on the remote island . Snow-covered mountains make for a breath-taking vista as thousands of penguins huddle together on Gold Harbour . Mike Johnson snapped incredible images in the Antarctic. Pictured: The king penguin rookery on Salisbury Plain on South Georgia Island . Rockhopper penguins also inhabit the island, where Mr Johnson managed to capture this candid snap on at Hercules Bay . Mike Johnson encountered adult king penguins (left) and curious young penguins (right) during his visit to the island . 'We were lucky, according to our guides, in that there are three large king penguin colonies on the island and we were able to land at each of them,' said Mr Johnson. 'To see tens of thousands of immature and adult penguins huddled together in a rookery was an incredible sight. 'I had spent a couple of weeks in the Falklands on a previous trip and to see a rookery with a couple of thousand birds was impressive. A rockhopper penguin jumps from the ledge above - and slips as it lands just above the water - at Hercules Bay, South Georgia Island . Fuzzy, immature penguins make for the perfect photography subjects. Pictured: St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island . Mike Johnson, a 68-year-old retiree, snapped this photo during an expedition on board the Polar Pioneer voyage to South Georgia Island . Follow me: A group of friendly king penguins walk along the rocky shore of Fortuna Bay at South Georgia Island in the Antarctic . Mr Johnson says that guides told the group that they were lucky, since they were able to land at each of the three penguin colonies . 'But this was over the top. It was more awesome to learn that we were early in the season and there would be more in a few weeks.' South Georgia Island is administered by the United Kingdom as part of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Despite the wide range and vast numbers of birds and marine life, combined with beautiful scenery, the remote location and lack of access makes the island quite a rare destination for tourists. Spectacular landscape: Another king penguin colony was spotted in a rookery on St. Andrews Bay at South Georgia Island . Despite the island's wide range and vast number of birds and marine life, the remote location and lack of access keep tourists away . Happy feet: The stunning mountains provided the perfect picturesque backdrop for Mike Johnson's breath-taking images . South Georgia Island is administered by the United Kingdom as part of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . Mr Johnson said: 'I remember the scale of the beauty. I remember putting my camera down at a few points and just taking the scenes in.' 'Not only do you have the opportunity to photograph wildlife that you cannot see in other places, the settings are spectacular.' During his visit he managed to see several varieties of the bird including king penguins, rockhoppers, macaroni, chinstrap and gentoo penguins. A rockhopper penguin falls into the frigid water after jumping off a ledge and failing to find its footing . Young king penguins were quite curious when they spotted Mr Johnson's camera (left) while adults remained much calmer . Seeing thousands of immature and adult penguins huddled together in a rookery was 'an incredible sight,' says Mr Johnson . Mr Johnson has been travelling the world searching for wildlife and nature photography opportunities since he retired 10 years ago. He said: 'The main motivation for my trip was to step onto Antarctica, which is the last continent I had yet to visit. 'It was a photography trip on a small expedition ship, the Polar Pioneer. Stand tall: With plenty of younger birds in the background, this adult king penguin stands strong on Gold Harbour . This particular photography trip to see penguins in their natural habitat was a small expedition on a small ship called the Polar Pioneer . 'My experience is that smaller groups and smaller ships make for better photo opportunities. 'The ships can land in smaller bays and the group is small enough to enable 'people free' wildlife photos. 'South Georgia turned out to be a highlight. Seals, penguins and other birds are both plentiful and, since they haven't been hunted in many years are very approachable. Mr Johnson says smaller groups and smaller ships make for better photo opportunities, as was the case on South Georgia Island . Mike Johnson braved frigid conditions to photograph penguins and seals at St Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island . The seal was photographed in front of the group of king penguins at Gold Harbour on South Georgia Island . These penguins take an interest in the large puddle in front of them at Moltke Harbour, South Georgia Island . 'Of course, with some animals, like the beach master Elephant Seals, you kept your distance.' Mr Johnson's journey, which lasted 20 days and encompassed 3,436 nautical miles, also saw him visit the Falkland Islands and Elephant Island as well as the Antarctic Peninsula. He has also had a few other wild adventures in 2014, having been photographing in grizzly bears and cubs in Alaska and jaguars in Brazil. | American photographer, retiree Mike Johnson, joined wildlife expedition to remote South Georgia Island .
Mr Johnson snapped photos of penguins huddled together amid the picturesque landscapes .
He said: 'To see tens of thousands of immature and adult penguins huddled together was an incredible sight' |
126,668 | 2fbe68dd22b45447195ee98cb2edcd41b4d78f96 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:19 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 1 March 2013 . The lead oboist of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra died on Thursday morning after he collapsed onstage during a weekend performance at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. William Bennett, 56, was in the middle of a Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto on Saturday when he fell from his chair in front of a packed audience and lay unconscious for 20 minutes before the paramedics arrived. The musician, who had been treated for tonsil cancer in 2004, suffered a brain hemorrhage. Collapse: William Bennett, the San Francisco Symphony's principal oboist, had a cerebral hemorrhage on Saturday night while playing in front of a packed orchestra . 'I am heartbroken by the tragic death of Bill Bennett, which has left a terrible, sad emptiness in the hearts of the whole San Francisco Symphony family,' Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas said in a statement. 'Bill was a great artist, an original thinker, and a wonderful man. I am saddened to have lost such a true friend.' According to accounts of the incident on Saturday, Mr Bennett reportedly held his oboe above his head long enough for a violinist to grab it, according to the SF Gate. A doctor who was sitting in the front row, jumped on stage to help the musician until paramedics arrived, according to the Arts Journal. There was a longer than scheduled intermission but the orchestra completed its evening's performance. Mr Bennett had previously undergone radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer but was given the all clear and returned to performing in 2005. The classically-trained musician had studied oboe at Yale and the Juilliard School. He joined the San Francisco symphony in 1979 and served as the principal oboist since 1987. He is survived by his wife Peggy and two sons Daniel and Michael. Star: The oboist (pictured right) joined the San Francisco symphony in 1979 and has been lead chair since 1987 . The show must go on: The musician collapsed on Saturday evening during a Strauss performance at Davies Symphony Hall but the orchestra completed the concert following an extended intermission . | William Bennett, 56, was in the middle of a Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto on Saturday when he fell from his chair . |
159,220 | 59cd6daf85de06190d6d2a36aa844180c96d94b3 | Imagine waking up to a whale outside your window, or snoozing in mid-air. Well, in 10 years' time this could be a reality for holidaymakers with technological advances continuing to gather pace. The Future of Travel 2024 report by Skyscanner predicts that the heights of the Earth's orbit and the depths of the world's oceans will become holiday destinations over the next decade. Good morning: An artist impression of the underwater hotel room, where a view of the sea-bed awaits . Journeys to the bottom of the sea will be a much more mainstream, fashionable option, with a few already in existence such as The Neptune and Poseidon suite at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai. The race for space will initially take travellers to Earth's low orbit allowing them to experience the stunning curvature of the globe from ultra-high altitude. The report's findings highlight the current Foster + Partners and ESA work exploring the possibilities of 3D printing to construct lunar habitations. Space lovers will also be able to visit sky resorts currently being developed that are set to contain zero-gravity spas, space gliders and space observatories where guests can experience weightlessness. Picture this: Forget a stunning sunset, the view outside your hotel in the future could be earth . A room with a view: A holiday home on the moon might set you back a pretty packet . Advances in technology mean that hotels will be able to provide incredible levels of hyper-personalisation for their guests, providing a tailored overnight experience. The report predicts that pillows with embedded electronics will provide sleep-aiding massages, rooms will be designed to reset the internal clocks of jet-lagged guests, and advances in technology will mean that guests can have unique experiences like jet-lag solutions such as shower water infused with Vitamin D. And forget any trips to the gym while you're on holiday - guests will be able to work out alongside a digital personal trainer in the comfort of their own room. Follow me: There will be no more trips to the gym as you will be able to work out with a digital personal trainer in the comfort of your own room . Choices: Hotel rooms will be user-defined - with the options of showering in Vitamin D one particular benefit . The Skyscanner Future of Travel report has been produced in association with The Future Laboratory and fifty-six trend experts and futurologists in the travel and tech industries. It paints a detailed picture of how breakthrough technologies will shape the global travel industry from planning and booking a holiday, right through to exciting new destinations. Filip Filipov, Skyscanner spokesman, said: 'Taking travel to space will be a ground-breaking milestone for mankind in general. 'But what is even more exciting is the transfer of technologies that space exploration can bring to commercial aviation. 'A regular traveller might see a London to Sydney flight in two-and-a-half hours, which will make travel even easier and faster than ever before, breaking time boundaries.' The firm conducted the research ahead of World Space Week, which runs from October 4-10. With holidays in 2024 set to take advantage of the growth of technology, the Atlantis: The Palm hotel in Dubai has already moved with the times. Charging up to £6,000 a night, the Neptune and Poseidon, forming the Lost Chambers Underwater Suites, are luxurious accommodation that give a real up-front view of ocean life. Bliss: The Atlantis Hotel in Dubai already has two suites underwater - charging up to £6,000 a night . Friends with the fish: The bathroom almost looks as though it is in the water itself . The rooms, which can sleep as many as five people, spread across three floors and feature a full living room. There is also a butler on call 24 hours a day. With floor to ceiling windows into Ambassador Lagoon, you will be captivated by the dramatic ancient ruins of the mythical lost city and its 65,000 marine inhabitants. | Report by Skyscanner defines how our holidays will be in 2024 .
Lunar habitations and depths of the ocean breaks will be offered .
Room technology will solve the issue of jetlag - including vitamin D-infused shower water . |
243,755 | c782122e2bc00dbae9649190b3eee8e92b1587a7 | As Arsenal consider splashing out £20million on Sami Khedira, Lukas Podolski certainly seems keen on his Germany team-mate joining him in the Premier League. Podolski has enjoyed the limelight after his nation won the World Cup on Sunday night, posting several pictures on social media, despite not featuring at all in the later rounds. And on this occasion - during a Khedira interview back in buoyant Berlin - the Gunners forward screamed: 'Arsenal!' Perhaps suggesting a move is close. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Lukas Podolski interrupt Sami Khedira's interview . Hint? Lukas Podolski screamed 'Arsenal' over the top of Sami Khedira's post-World Cup interview . Ours to keep: Khedira, Podolski and Jerome Boateng celebrate with the World Cup trophy in Berlin on Tuesday . German bond: Mesut Ozil is believed to have spoken to the Real Madrid midfielder about the London life . Great support: Hundreds of thousands of German supporters lined the streets in the capital to see their heroes . Mesut Ozil, one of Khedira's closest friends, is believed to have already spoken to the 27-year-old about the London life. Arsenal have already signed Alexis Sanchez for £30m, while an £11m deal fo Mathieu Debuchy should be completed this week. One sticking point for Real Madrid's Khedira is his £150,000-a-week wage demands. Sportsmail understands some members of the Arsenal hierarchy are concerned about the potential cost of the deal. As Per Mertesacker, Ozil and Podolski enjoy the week of their life, their club side have been working hard on strengthening the squad for a title tilt. And it's obvious who the latter wants them to sign... Cllub spirit: Mertesacker, Podolski and Ozil celebrate at the Maracana after beating Argentina on Sunday night . Swoop: Arsenal have already signed Alexis Sanchez for £30million and are considering Khedira for £20m . VIDEO Germany's Bayern stars welcomed home . | Khedira is linked with £20million move to Arsenal from Real Madrid .
Player was celebrating in Berlin after Germany won 2014 World Cup .
While taking interview, Gunners forward Podolski shouts: 'Arsenal!' |
2,133 | 063960595d3280d4b75321ec11adb337259b1fca | By . Associated Press . Last updated at 7:09 PM on 4th October 2011 . A Nigerian man accused of trying to . bring down an international jetliner with a bomb in his underwear . walked into the start of his federal trial today and declared that a . radical Islamic cleric killed by the U.S. military is alive. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's outburst came as jury selection got under way for his federal terror trial in Detroit, where the 24-year-old is acting as his own attorney and has previously told reporters they should stop reporting that Osama bin Laden was dead. 'Anwar is alive,' Abdulmutallab . said today, referring to American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who . was killed last week by a joint CIA-U.S. military air strike in Yemen. Outburst: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab claimed his 'mentor' American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed last week in Yemen, is not dead . 'The mujahadeen will wipe out the U.S. — the cancer U.S.,' he added. Abdulmutallab, . a well-educated Nigerian from an upper-class family, was directed in . the attack by al-Awlaki and wanted to become a martyr when he boarded . Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Amsterdam a Christmas 2009, according . to the government. Abdulmutallab, . who complained loudly at a previous hearing about having to wear prison . clothes, came into the courtroom today wearing an oversized prison . T-shirt. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds called a brief recess to . allow him to change into clothes more appropriate for court, after . acknowledging and denying his apparent request to wear a 'Yemeni belt . with a dagger.' The judge has denied several of Adulmutallab's requests for the trial, including that the case be judged under Islamic law. Abdulmutallab . has pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including conspiracy to commit . terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. Bomb in his underpants: The slightly charred and singed underpants, allegedly worn by Abdulmutallab, with a packet of explosive powder sewn into the crotch is seen in government photos . Moment of arrest: Alleged plane bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab being taken into custody on board Delta/Northwest Airlines Flight 253 . The . government says he wanted to blow up the plane by detonating chemicals . in his underwear, just seven minutes before the jet carrying 279 . passengers and a crew of 11 was to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. But the bomb didn't work, and passengers assisted by crew members saw flames and pounced on Abdulmutallab. The . failed suicide attack, the first act of terrorism in the U.S. during . the Obama administration, revealed the rise of a dangerous al-Qaida . affiliate and al-Awlaki's growing influence. The . government says Abdulmutallab willingly explained the plot twice, first . to U.S. border officers who took him off the plane and then in more . detail to FBI agents who interviewed him at a hospital for 50 minutes, . following treatment for serious burns to his groin. Abdulmutallab . told authorities he trained in Yemen, home base for Al-Qaida in the . Arabian Peninsula. He said he was influenced by al-Awlaki, who was . killed Friday by an air strike that President Barack Obama called a 'major blow' to al-Qaida's most dangerous franchise. Good upbringing: Abdulmutallab, a well-educated Nigerian from an upper-class family, was directed in the attack by al-Awlaki . Following . the strike, a U.S. official outlined new details of al-Awlaki's . involvement against the U.S., including Abdulmutallab's alleged mission. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss . intelligence matters, said al-Awlaki specifically directed Abdulmutallab . to detonate an explosive device over U.S. airspace to maximise . casualties. Osama bin Laden . appeared in a video declaring Abdulmutallab a 'hero.' Abdulmutallab . also has been lauded by al-Qaida's English-language Web magazine . Inspire, whose editor was killed along with al-Awlaki. After . the outburst about al-Awlaki and flap over Abdulmutallab's clothes, . jury selection got under way in earnest, with most questioning done by . the judge and attorney Anthony Chambers, who has been appointed to . assist Abdulmutallab. Abdulmutallab, . who had suggested he would interview some prospective jurors and could . give his own opening statement, calmly questioned one woman who . indicated she had concerns about retaliation for serving on the jury. The woman remained in the jury pool, but several others were immediately dismissed after saying they could not be impartial. | Nigerian 24-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab also called America a 'cancer'
Arrives in court wearing oversized prison t-shirt after judge denied request to wear 'Yemeni belt .
with dagger'
Jury selection under way with Abdulmutallab acting as his own attorney . |
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