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93,235 | 03edc13196fccfa58ebdfa7615ecbe33f537aacc | London (CNN) -- When I was driving through Poland last year, all the talk was about a Chinese company's failure to complete a major motorway project. The contract was wrestled away from the Chinese and the Poles finished it themselves. The details, denials and counter-claims aren't important for this article; far more interesting is the impact of any China-led project in Europe. Any news on such projects -- good or bad -- makes headlines. But the splash is bigger when such projects fail or when people starting mumbling about Chinese influence. What China does in Europe matters greatly, though rarely do I hear or read a positive story about China's influence. When a Chinese company bought Volvo, it was the transfer of technology that made the headlines, along with the end of the era for a venerable European brand. When an Indian company bought Land Rover and Jaguar, Tata was hailed as the savior of two venerable European brands. Why is that? The answer appears clear. We are equally fascinated and frightened by the rise of China's economic and military prowess. The Chinese government's recent trip to central Europe revealed that the hiccup in Poland has not slowed China's plan to invest heavily in the former communist states. A $10 billion credit line will be used for infrastructure projects in Poland, Hungary and other countries. It was reported that the leaders of 16 central European countries met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao while in Poland. China's tech giant Huawei is a growing power in the telecoms world. But any attempt it makes to expand in Europe, United States or Africa is met with fears of technology transfer to a firm linked to the Chinese military through its founder. Rightly so, governments fret over a "foreign" firm controlling the hardware that is the backbone of modern society. In Huawei's case, as the Economist recently pointed out in a front cover story, the fear is China illegally tapping into western communications, both government and private. Of course Huawei will say it's a private company with no state control and simply wants to compete on a level playing field with the likes of Nokia-Siemens, Cisco and Ericsson. A change of leadership in Beijing will not have much impact in Europe. There is no reason to believe big changes will come from the top. Instead, change appears to be coming from the bottom. Rising wages and increased worker benefits might raise the prices of goods exported to Europe. It also helps to expand China's middle class which appears to love European and American products. I recall growing up in America with worries about the rising power of Japan. All the products we desired were designed there or manufactured there, from video games players to VCRs and automobiles to the Walkman. With the wealth created, the Japanese were buying up property in California and buildings in New York. It was feared the rise of Japan's economic prowess would never abate. But it did. Europe can't assume the same will happen with China. But the economies now are so interlinked that stingy European consumers quickly translates into weaker manufacturing output in China. That slowdown is dissected by European economists and, on any given day, it can cause stocks to fall, leading to the similar stock tumbles a few hours later on Wall Street. Recently Burberry noted a slowdown in sales in Asia, particularly in China -- its shares promptly fell 20%. Perhaps it was an overreaction, but it shows investors are quite happy to plow money into companies with "an Asian strategy" and then ignore it -- until there is a profit warning blamed on that same market. That goes to show Europe has to get comfortable with the growing influence of China on its shores. It cannot expect its companies to grow in the Chinese market, then be surprised when enriched Chinese companies come shopping for European companies to buy. China needs to understand that it will take time for Europe to get comfortable with China's investments. China has to make sure its investments and intentions are transparent. Oh, then there is that small matter of reciprocity. | CNN's Jim Boulden writes he hardly hears positive stories about China's influence in Europe .
Europe's and China's economies are intertwined .
A change of leadership in Beijing will not have much impact in Europe . |
48,322 | 8865eceb5bb779f31ef5ee5ca56b762a71de4162 | New York (CNN) -- They never got to run their race because of Superstorm Sandy, but ING New York City Marathon entrants can now at least recoup their entry fee, organizers of the marquee 26-mile test of human endurance said Thursday. Citing "extraordinary circumstances," the New York Road Runners organization is offering runners the option of getting a full refund of their entry fee. Entry fees for the canceled 2012 race varied from $216 for members of the New York Road Runners and $255 for non-members to $347 for runners from outside the United States. The refund offer exclude an $11 processing fee, race organizers said. Race organizers also offered two other options -- a guaranteed place in the always-crowded field for the New York Marathon one year during the next three years, or guaranteed entry into the NYC Half Marathon in March. But in those cases, runners would not get back their fees for this year's race and they would have to pay fees for whichever future race they chose. Runners vented frustrations about the latter two options on the marathon's Facebook page, complaining that they unfairly created a one-race-for-two-fees deal. Meanwhile, John Shostrom,captain of the Brooklyn Road Runners, told CNN the offers by marathon organizers gave runners "a decent range of options to choose from." The situation is "really good for people who are leaning toward option one (refund of 2012 entry fee)." Shostrom, a copy editor for Sports Illustrated, said Thursday. But the other two options make for "an income maximizer for the Road Runners in terms of all those people who feel like they really have to do another race ... it's a way of getting double payment for one actual race." Whichever options runners choose, a considerable total amount of money is involved. For the 2011 New York City Marathon, more than 47,000 runners paid their fees and pounded the pavements on a 26.2-mile course that snaked through all five of the city's boroughs. The 2012 marathon, scheduled for November 4,was canceled for the first time in its history so as not to draw resources and attention away from the response to Superstorm Sandy, which had blasted the New York and New Jersey areas only days before. By the scheduled race day, many areas were still without electricity and thousands of people were in need of aid. Just as the cancellation marked a first for the marathon in its 42-year history, race organizers pointed out that the refund offer also was a first. "We started with the premise that despite (organizers') no-refund policy, we needed to be able to offer runners that choice. Beyond that, we wanted to make sure they had as full options to run again as possible," Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners told CNN in an e-mail. Wittenberg said while race organizers would have liked to have offered waived entry fees for other events, "we couldn't do that protect our other races and running programs." Runners have until January 25 to choose an option. | The New York City Marathon was canceled in the wake of Superstorm Sandy .
Race organizers say runners can now get refund for their entry fees .
Or runners can opt for guaranteed entry into an upcoming race . |
230,769 | b6d2f85e8230a46abe45f7742ad38beb01d93f64 | By . Peter Allen In Paris . French security agents regularly spy illegally on phone calls, according to reports, which will embarrass President Francois Hollande, who has vocally criticsied the U.S. French security agents regularly spy illegally on people's phone calls, emails, and social media activity, intelligence sources confirmed today. Revelations about the covert activities follow President Francois Hollande attacking America for its own espionage activities, and saying they should stop 'immediately'. Le Monde, the most famous and best respected newspaper in France, today carries a detailed report outlining the behaviour of the DGSE, the country's notoriously ruthless external intelligence agency. It says the DGSE intercepts signals from computers and telephones - including foreign ones - to work out 'who is talking to whom'. Such activity boils down to wiretapping, even though this is officially strictly forbidden following a number of scandals in the past. 'All of our communications are spied on,' says Le Monde's report, quoting unnamed intelligence sources, as well as remarks made publicly by intelligence officials. 'Emails, text messages, telephone records, access to Facebook and Twitter are then stored for years,' it says. Such activities are just like those carried out by the U.S. National Security Agency, as described in documents leaked by former NSA worker Edward Snowden. He confirmed that the NSA keeps vast amounts of Internet data under a programme called Prism. It includes emails, chat room conversations and videos taken from sites run by giants like Facebook and Google. The U.S. government also gathers so-called 'metadata', noting the time, duration and numbers called - all listed by service providers like Verizon. The revelations will be an embarrassment to France, which has vocally criticised the U.S. after the Snowden leaks. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls today publicly dressed down the United States at the American ambassador's . July 4 garden party, denouncing alleged U.S. 'espionage' of France and . other countries. Tensions between France and the U.S. have been strained since former NSA worker Edward Snowden leaked documents suggesting America regularly spied on its European allies . Valls was guest of honor at the fete hosted by Ambassador Charles Rivkin . Thursday. In a speech before hundreds of guests, he said that 'in the . name of our friendship, we owe each other honesty. We must say things . clearly, directly, frankly.' He said that President Francois Hollande's demand for clear and precise . explanations about reports of U.S. spying are justified because 'such . practices, if proven, do not have their place between allies and . partners.' European countries agreed Wednesday that planned talks on free trade . with the U.S. must start in parallel with discussions on National . Security Agency surveillance. France's DGSE has publicly always insisted that it works within the law, but its past activities have included the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior ecological protest boat in 1985. The operation against the Greenpeace craft - which caused the death of a Dutch activist - violated New Zealand neutrality and caused international outrage. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls publically dressed down U.S. Ambassador Charles Rivkin during a July 4 garden party . It was ordered by former Socialist president Francois Mitterand, who was himself linked with an illegal wiretapping cell within France itself. But France's national security commission has challenged Le Monde's report, saying that the only body that collects communications information was a security agency controlled by the prime minister's office. Earlier this week, President Hollande threatened to block negotiations on transatlantic trade following revelations that the US spied on its allies. 'We cannot accept this kind of behaviour between partners and allies,' Mr Hollande said. 'We ask that this immediately stop. There can be no negotiations or transactions in all areas until we have obtained these guarantees, for France but also for all of the European Union, for all partners of the United States.' The DGSE revelations will now leave Mr Hollande looking, at best, incredibly naieve, and at worst extremely hypocritical. France's seven other intelligence services, including domestic secret services and customs and money-laundering watchdogs, have access to the DGSE data, writes Le Monde . Britain is said to have a similar spying programme on international phone and Internet traffic, and is said to share personal information with the American NSA. A spokesman for the DGSE in Paris refused to comment directly on Le Monde's report. | Revelations that security agents illegally spy on residents and foreigners .
Will embarrass French President who has been vocal in criticism of U.S.
Intelligence agency intercepts signals from computers and telephones . |
82,194 | e8fe204ca159dc3d62981ba334a5dbdfb3757abd | (CNN) -- The leaders of Sudan and newly independent South Sudan inked a deal Thursday that will resume oil exports, but failed to address other key disputes between the recently divorced countries. The African Union and the U.N. Security Council had initially given Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir one day to come to an agreement on several issues that have threatened to spark an all-out war between the two nations. The two leaders began talks Sunday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. In addition to restarting oil exports from South Sudan, the two presidents agreed on a demilitarized zone and principles of border demarcation. Yet they could not reach a deal on the status of Abyei, a disputed region claimed by both countries, which has been a contentious issue since the South declared independence on July 9 of last year. Speaking at Thursday's signing ceremony, Kiir said the agreement marked a great day for the two nations but called for a swift resolution to the question of Abyei's future, for the sake of its people. Al Bashir also welcomed the deal, saying it reflected a "desire to achieve peace and stability and the mutual benefit" of the two nations. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised both presidents for "demonstrating the statesmanship that made a comprehensive agreement possible, and for having once again chosen peace over war." More: Sudan's wanted president visits Egypt . Under the agreement, South Sudan will resume oil exports to Sudan, which controls the infrastructure through which the oil flows. South Sudan shut off its oil supply in January, saying that Sudan was stealing oil revenue. The South got around 70% of the formerly united country's reserves when it became independent last year. Both countries, especially South Sudan, have seen hyperinflation and a squeeze on incoming foreign currency, which has hurt their economies. The deal also set up a demilitarized zone along the two countries' border where the militaries of Sudan and South Sudan and other armed groups are not allowed. "This agreement breaks new ground in support of the international vision of two viable states at peace with each other," President Obama said in a statement Thursday. The United States is prepared to work with both countries to resolve the outstanding issues, he added. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, also praised the deal, saying the security agreements will contribute to stabilizing the border area. The agreement did not address the status of disputed areas along the border and the fate of Abyei, critical security issues that must be resolved if the two countries are to have lasting peace. Those issues may be addressed in upcoming talks, according to South Sudan's spokesman Atif Kiir. "For the border issues we had agreed that we are going to continue our talks and we are hopeful to reach an agreement for the peace and security of the two countries, for the peace of the two regions and for the international community," the spokesman said late Wednesday. Under a 2005 peace agreement that ended Sudan's two-decade civil war, Abyei residents were to take part in a referendum on whether to join the South or remain a special administrative region within Sudan. The vote was to take place in January 2011, at the same time as the referendum that led to South Sudan's secession. But disputes over who was eligible to vote prevented the referendum from going forward in Abyei. Sudan and South Sudan have been under increasing pressure from the African Union and Security Council to resolve the matter peacefully. More: Supermodel returns home to South Sudan . In April, Sudan and South Sudan slipped close to all-out war with a series of tit-for-tat air raids and ground attacks that prompted the African Union and Security Council to push the two sides to act. The Security Council had given the sides until Sunday to come up with a deal or face sanctions, but the negotiators said that deadline had been informally extended until the end of the talks. | The presidents of Sudan and South Sudan sign a deal on some points .
The two nations must still agree on the disputed territory of Abyei .
Border issues have festered since South Sudan became independent in 2011 .
An economic deal allowing both countries to share the South's oil wealth is badly needed . |
183,460 | 79a4fbcabce694f7f14332c4375d5b58a53380aa | (CNN) -- Did you hear that a barge leaked 31,500 gallons of crude oil into the Mississippi River over the weekend? When the tanker collided with a tugboat, the resulting spill caused 65 miles of the river to be shut down for two days as New Orleans Port traffic ground to a halt and drinking water intakes were closed. Or did you hear about the radiation leak at a New Mexico nuclear waste storage site? The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant stores plutonium-contaminated waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory and other government nuclear sites. The storage site has been closed since the Valentine's Day leak, but just this week, officials reported that more airborne radiation has been detected in southeastern New Mexico. Both incidents come at a dangerous time, where American oil and energy companies are getting increasingly wide discretion and the Environmental Protection Agency has been hollowed out, losing its authority and resources to protect public safety. In Louisiana and New Mexico, officials insist there is no public health threat, but such assertions are suspicious when our government at all levels is more interested in protecting the power of the military and energy industries than the public interest. A month after coal-processing chemicals leaked from an energy company's storage tank into West Virginia's main water supply, officials say the water is safe to drink. But residents are still wary. West Virginians report that just showering in their water causes headaches and rashes. In the staunchly anti-government, anti-EPA state, people wish there had been more government oversight and regulation to prevent the leak. Which should make us all incredibly skeptical of expanding domestic dirty energy projects in the United States. For instance, the Keystone XL pipeline. Forget the inflated claims about how many jobs the pipeline will create or even its environmental implications. Just think for a second about the fact that an existing stretch of the Keystone pipeline leaked 12 times in its first year of operation. Forbes energy analyst James Conca, commenting on the second pipeline spill in a week in 2013 involving Canadian crude oil, wrote, "It's crazy to think the Keystone XL pipeline won't leak." That is a terrible risk to bear for a pipeline that many experts believe will simply pump a lot of Canadian crude oil over United States soil in order to be processed and sold internationally and which will actually increase the domestic price of oil in America, according to a study by Cornell University and a report by Bloomberg news. Keystone denies that the oil will end up being exported -- despite many reports that its refined product will. Recently a judge in Nebraska ruled that legislation there allowing the governor to approve the Keystone XL route violates the state constitution — a victory for opponents of the pipeline. Days later, the State Department's inspector general determined that the federal government had not violated its own conflict-of-interest policies in selecting a company that stands to benefit from the Keystone expansion as the to prepare a report analyzing the pipeline project — a victory for Keystone XL proponents. Meanwhile, the ultimate decision about the Keystone XL pipeline is expected to be made by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry in the coming months. I'm not saying we should turn off all the wells and nuclear facilities in America tomorrow. Given our massive consumption of energy, that's unreasonable. But is it too much to ask that in the wake of disaster after disaster, we restore regular levels of funding to the EPA so that our government can properly monitor risks to public safety and health? Already hobbled by the Bush administration, the EPA's budget has declined every year for the past four years. "The jurisdiction is wide here and it's hard enough to do the job of environmental protection when working with the Department of Energy and the military, even when you have a well funded agency," said Michelle DePass, former EPA assistant administrator in the Office of International Affairs and a dean at The New School. "And this is another case, like the West Texas plant fire (in Smith County last year) and the BP oil spill where industry will refuse to acknowledge that the worst case scenario can happen -- until it does," she said. In addition to strengthening EPA oversight, we must seriously invest in green energy and new fuel technologies. Once upon a time, this was a nonpartisan issue -- with Republicans and Democrats alike not only voicing concerns about climate change but also wanting our nation to get ahead in the inevitable global green energy industry. Green energy not only reduces the risks of such devastating spills and leaks but -- an important bonus -- according to studies, green energy production actually creates more jobs than fossil fuel energy production. And yet China is leading the globe in establishing green energy sources and manufacturing solar panels for export. The United States appears to be lagging behind on every count -- except maybe when it comes to oil spills. The problem with dirty energy disasters is that we don't hear about them unless they're big -- on the scale of the BP Gulf oil leak or the Exxon Valdez. The other, "smaller" stories pop up quickly, but fade from national attention. And yet for people along the Mississippi River or in southeastern New Mexico or throughout West Virginia, the disaster doesn't go away. And as long as we keep our heads buried in the tar sands and refuse to step up and fully regulate dirty energy industries while investing in safe, green energy, the disasters will only spread. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sally Kohn. | Sally Kohn: Many environmental disasters -- radiation leaks, oil spills -- aren't reported widely .
Kohn: It's a bad time: EPA stripped of authority, energy corporations get wide latitude .
Kohn: It's time to pursue green energy, stop fossil fuel projects, regulate dirty industries . |
226,888 | b1ca361c4904be6b8e191852feea9a7e2d69e7b6 | Independent Muslim schools in London are being investigated amid fears that hardline Islamic extremism is being promoted among pupils and staff, . As many as a dozen private schools in Tower Hamlets, east London, are being looked into by officials over reports that fundamentalism is being spread, MailOnline can reveal. A Whitehall source said while investigations are in 'their very early stages', there is concern within the Department of Education over a number of fee-paying Muslim schools in the borough which has one of the strongest Muslim communities in the capital. At least a dozen independent Muslim schools in Tower Hamlets, east London (pictured), are facing investigations into claims Islamic extremists are pushing their hardline views through the classroom . Unlike the 'Trojan Horse' scandal which saw secular schools in Birmingham being infiltrated by extremists, the affected institutions in Tower Hamlets are all thought to be Muslim. Five schools were placed in special measures in Birmingham earlier this year after evidence suggested the views of Islamic extremists were being pushed upon pupils and staff. The Department of Education would not confirm whether Tower Hamlets was specifically at risk, but said it would consider 'any evidence' brought forward. 'All schools are subject to a tough inspection regime and we have been clear we will not hesitate to take firm and swift action if pupils are being let down or placed at risk. 'Keeping our children safe, and ensuring our schools prepare them for life in modern Britain, could not be more important.' Yummy Yummy, a sweet shop in Tower Hamlets, was searched as part of an ongoing police investigation into terrorism offences earlier this week . Earlier this week an address in the area was searched as part of an ongoing police effort to crack down on terror. Eleven men were arrested across the capital and in Stoke-on-Trent as part of the Scotland Yard effort. It comes as Ofsted prepares to publish the findings of 40 snap inspections across the country, launched amid concerns that some schools were not offering a broad enough curriculum. Jewish, Christian and Islamic schools were among those visited in Luton, Bradford, London and Manchester . Former terror chief Peter Clarke told ministers earlier this month it was likely allegations of extremist infiltration at the schools involved in the Trojan Horse scandal could be applied to other institutions across the country. Tower Hamlets is the only local authority in London where Muslims account for the largest single religious group. An estimated 35 per cent of the population practise Islam, compared with 4.4 per cent across the country according to the 2011 census. Almost half of all residents are aged between 20 and 39. In July, its mayor Lutfur Rahman sparked controversy by calling for the Palestinian flag to be flown above the town hall in a show of support Gaza. Jewish groups condemned the move as 'destructive'. Last month a black and white flag, similar to the kind brandished by ISIS, was taken down from the entrance of a housing estate in Tower Hamlets by a nun. Sister Christine Frost removed it as she feared it would incite aggression. This week a sweet shop called Yummy Yummy was searched as part of an anti-terror operation by Metropolitan Police. Eleven men were arrested as a result of the city-wide effort. Golden Hillock School, Nansen Primary School, Park View School, Oldknow Academy and Saltley School - which are all run by the Park View Educational Trust - were placed in special measures following complaints. Giving evidence to the Commons education select committee, he said it was incumbent on the government to investigate the situation. 'I'm not a great believer in coincidence and I would find it very surprising if this was only happening in the few schools that we had the time and opportunity to look at in east Birmingham,' Mr Clarke told the cross-party group of MPs. 'Some of the people who were involved in promulgating these techniques of gaining control and influence in schools have had national roles in various educational bodies and I know have lectured and taken part in conferences in other cities.' Earlier this month an inquiry into the Birmingham school heard a 'violent, extremist' video was shown in the classroom. Ian Kershaw, a former head teacher, told the Birmingham City Council that examples of 'bad behaviour' in the school included the film, which was 'completely inappropriate to young people'. He described this film as a 'violent, extremist video', and when committee chairman Graham Stuart asked if it was 'jihadist, violent, extremist promotional video', Mr Kershaw indicated that it was. | Schools in Tower Hamlets, east London, are among alleged extremist hubs .
Inquiries into independent Muslim schools in the area in 'early stages'
The borough has one of the strongest Muslim communities in the capital .
A Tower Hamlets address was searched by anti-terror police this week .
Five schools in Birmingham placed in special measures earlier this year .
Islamic extremists had been promoting fundamentalist material .
Department of Education said it would consider 'any evidence' of extremism . |
98,090 | 0a4acfbc331157b18e942dacbcbe73571aa66934 | LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (CNN) -- Carlotta Walls LaNier points out the only two African-Americans in her senior class as she flips through her high school yearbook. She pauses when she sees the picture on a page dedicated to "Integration." Carlotta Walls LaNier and eight other members of the Little Rock Nine are invited to Obama's inauguration. It's been nearly five decades since LaNier graduated from Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. "It shows how the 101st were on the grounds of the school," says LaNier. In 1957, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, an elite Army unit, escorted LaNier and eight other African-American students into the all-white public high school. The students, who became known as the Little Rock Nine, were taunted and threatened by an angry mob. "We knew we could not participate in extracurricular activities," recalls LaNier. "There was one who could have been in the band, one who could have been on track. I was the one who played basketball ... I couldn't do that." Back then, LaNier thought once the doors of equality were open it wouldn't be long before an African-American became president. "I had hoped to see something like that in the next 10 or 15 years when I was in high school but that didn't happen," says LaNier. What has happened is a new generation of students walks the halls at Central High. Even though the exterior looks the same as it did during integration -- the interior would be almost unrecognizable to LaNier and the other Little Rock Nine. Student: I can't believe it happened here, but I'm glad it did » . Today, the sea of mostly white faces has disappeared. The hallways are now filled with a more racially diverse student body. Students take a class to learn about the school's history and many say it's given them a greater appreciation for racial tolerance. "Now it's definitely hard to imagine -- you walk into the halls and you see people of all different races are in the hallway. And in addition, the majority of our school is African-American now," points out Afshar Sanati, student body president. "It is hard for me to walk inside the school every day and see how this place could have been such a hostile environment for nine African-American students." LaNier is still humble when she reflects on her experience. "We all knew that we were giving up something for a bigger cause and [we were] happy that we did it," says LaNier. "Because it has been 51 years, I think they were baby steps now. But they were big steps then." The steps taken by the Little Rock Nine were so big, in fact, they received personal invitations to attend President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. "I think the Little Rock Nine set the foundation," says student Sarah Karney. "I don't think [Obama's election] could have happened without them." Today, many students at Central High see themselves as the beneficiaries of an Obama presidency. "Him being president means there actually is a chance for anyone to do what they want to do if they work hard enough," says Helena Liu, who says she doesn't see race when she looks at Obama. "It doesn't depend on your race -- it depends on who you are, the quality of your character," says DeIvory Howard. "[We've] got to get past just the color of our skins being newsworthy. It's really about all the things we knew we could do for this country and now we have the opportunity to show it and it's going to come through his leadership," says LaNier. "And, we're looking forward to that." Senior Chris Bell couldn't agree more. "This election proves that this America is just not the old America. It shows that America is ready for something different," says Bell. "I just think ... that's amazing." | Carlotta Walls LaNier, eight others integrated Little Rock Central High School .
In 1957 school was all-white; today it's predominantly African-American .
"Little Rock Nine set the foundation" student says of Obama presidency .
LaNier hopes Americans will focus on a person's ability; not their race . |
112,587 | 1d40852b6e3dc1ee29f39949cb38747db889888e | (CNN) -- Yes, this really happened! A bunch of passengers left their seats to give their frozen plane a push at a snowbound airport in Siberia. That was the situation at Igarka Airport earlier this week where temperatures of minus 50 Celsius left a Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft stranded on the runway. Passengers rallied to the rescue when oil in the plane's landing gear iced up, according to UTair, the airline whose livery the plane carries. According to the Komsomolskaya Pravda website, there were cries of "Let's go!" as two rows of passengers, dressed in heavy coats and thick gloves, each took a wing and apparently began shoving the aircraft into position. "We all want to get home," one of the burly volunteers was quoted as saying. Video and images circulated on social media show the passengers succeeding in their mission, despite biting winds and freezing temperatures. Komsomolskaya Pravda said Russian officials were investigating whether any aviation safety regulations had been breached by the unorthodox take off. UTair said the aircraft was operated by a subsidiary, Katekavia, and that the parking maneuvers of aircraft and departure conditions were the responsibility of airport ground services. "The problems at departure were caused by weather conditions, in particular, extremely low air temperature which is typical for this part of Krasnoyarsk region and sometimes gets as low as minus 50 Celsius," an UTair spokesperson told CNN. "While the aircraft was parked at Igarka airport, its landing gear froze on to the aerodrome surface. In order to quickly resolve this issue the passengers assisted the tow truck to move the aircraft." The plane and passengers were reportedly able to take off and landed safely several hours later in Krasnoyarsk, to the south of Igarka. Thankfully there was no need for further pushing as the temperature at their destination was a balmy minus 11 Celsius. | Temperatures of minus 50 Celsius cause aircraft's landing gear to freeze .
Videos show passengers rallying to push the Tupolev plane into position .
Aircraft reportedly completed its journey without further problems . |
254,203 | d505afaab8cc51eab1ddabb3af1e75c8eeffecdc | London (CNN) -- With just days to go before the Olympic Games open in London, questions over the provision of security guards for the event are dominating the British media. Thousands of team officials and athletes are arriving this week, and throngs of visitors are expected to follow. But should they be worried? The security concerns were triggered last week when it emerged that private security contractor G4S, which was supposed to have provided 10,400 guards for the Olympics and Paralympics, would not be able to deliver. Its failure to recruit, train and vet enough staff in time led the government to announce last week that it was deploying an extra 3,500 troops to cover the shortfall. G4S said it has only about 4,000 guards trained and ready, although it hopes to have 7,000 fully accredited by the time the Games begin on July 27. While the recruitment failure by G4S is highly embarrassing for the company -- and led its share price to drop sharply -- the Games' organizers insist that their contingency planning will keep everyone safe. Visitors can certainly expect to see far more visible security measures in place than usual at Games venues and transport hubs. Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the London organizing group, LOCOG, said Tuesday that the only real difference resulting from the G4S debacle would be in who is performing the security checks. "The numbers really haven't changed. It's really simply about the mix of security on the park," he was quoted as saying by the Press Association news agency. LOCOG is working with G4S to try to ensure that as many people as possible are accredited in time, Coe said, adding, "This is not a failure in numbers. We've got the numbers there. There's no compromise on security." Home Secretary Theresa May gave a similar message last week as she was grilled by lawmakers on the matter, saying, "There is no question of Olympic security being compromised." Critics have been less positive, with some Labour Party lawmakers concerned that security will be inadequate or that visitors will be made uncomfortable by a prominent military presence. The chief executive of G4S, Nick Buckles, was forced to agree Tuesday under questioning from lawmakers that the security staffing fiasco is "a humiliating shambles for the country." The Home Office said Monday that G4S is suffering from a software problem, which means the contractor cannot guarantee who will turn up where and whether guards have the right training. The guards employed by G4S will be responsible chiefly for such tasks as providing venue perimeter security, a spokesman for the contractor said. This includes manning X-ray machines, searching people, searching vehicles and operating closed-circuit television systems, he said. People with tickets for Olympic events have been sent e-mails giving details of the security requirements for each venue. These include airport-style limits on the size of bags that can be carried and the quantity of liquids that can be taken in. One such e-mail reads, "Be prepared for security checks when you arrive: this will be like taking an international flight at an airport. It will be busy and you will have to queue, so get there early." The 17,000 British military personnel deployed for the Games, including the extra 3,500 troops called up at short notice, are to help out with the security checks and stewarding at venues, as well as specialist tasks such as bomb disposal and sniffer dog searches. Military jets and helicopters are also on standby around the capital, ready to respond to any threat, and new airspace restrictions came into force Saturday around London and the southeast. The Royal Navy's largest ship, the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, is now moored in the Thames off Greenwich, where it will act as a base for helicopter operations and house 400 troops providing security at the Greenwich Park Olympic venue. Police in London and elsewhere also will play a big role in ensuring security. Well before the G4S debacle hit the headlines, London's Metropolitan Police Service, known as the Met, was planning what it says is its biggest-ever peacetime operation. The operation will "run for 66 days and cover over 1,000 venues, including those hosting Olympic and Paralympic sports, cultural events and 2012-themed celebrations taking place across the capital," the website says. On the busiest days, up to 9,500 police officers will be used, including some from forces outside London, for Games-related operations, it says. Officers at Olympic venues will focus on preventing crime and keeping people and their property safe, while G4S is responsible for the security operation, it says. Away from the venues, the Met will also have to provide the usual policing for the city and its visitors. The Games come just over a year after parts of London were rocked by rioting that led to police being brought in from elsewhere in England to help bring the disorder under control. The threat of a potential terrorist strike has also been in the news in recent days after a number of arrests, although police said the operations were not linked to the Olympic Games. The terror threat level on the UK Home Office website remains unchanged at "substantial," which is the third highest of five levels. The next level up is "severe," which means an attack is "highly likely," and the highest is "critical," meaning an attack is "expected imminently." Government officials from Washington to London insist that there are no known specific or credible terror threats tied to the Olympics. Travel to and around the United Kingdom will nevertheless be a focus of security efforts. Visitors arriving at London's Heathrow Airport can expect to see every desk at passport control manned during the Olympic Games, the home secretary said last week. Immigration desks have extra staffers, Heathrow said Monday, amid fears of long lines to get into the country as security checks are carried out. Retired border officials and retired police officers are among those being brought in to supplement immigration staff, the Home Office said. Officials from outside the United Kingdom may also be lending a hand in certain areas. The UK Department for Transport said a small number of staff from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration will be based at certain British airports "to act as an on-site liaison for the TSA." The TSA staffers will not, however, be conducting security screening or inspections, the Department for Transport said. U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Tuesday that his country has full faith and confidence in Britain's ability to provide security. The United States is sending senior diplomatic security staff to Britain to act as liaisons, Ventrell said, adding that the TSA has a "handful" of agents in the country. Meanwhile, London's public transport authorities have been warning commuters for weeks to avoid travel hotspots around the time of the Games -- but have not stressed any additional security risk. The city's transport network is not immune to terror threats, as the attacks of July 2005 showed. But visitors can seek reassurance in the fact that Britain's police and intelligence officials have been successful since then in foiling attacks on the capital. In the 2005 incident, three bombs were detonated on underground trains and one on a bus in the city. The blasts killed 52 people and wounded more than 770. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is in charge of the Olympic preparations, said it will be "a very safe and secure Olympics." "We have had a contractor who has let us down ... but we had a contingency plan in place," he said. "It's not possible to secure every single square inch of a huge global city like London, but where there are important concentrations of Olympic activity ... then there will be a security regime before you can enter those. Obviously the actual Olympic venues will be very tightly secured." Hunt said the vigilance of the public will also be important. "So far, we have not received intelligence of any particular additional threats, but this is a city that has huge experience of dealing with security issues over very many years," he said. CNN's Jill Dougherty contributed to this report. | NEW: U.S. State Department has full faith and confidence in Britain's security measures .
Security contractor G4S has failed to train and recruit enough security staff .
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt says it will be "a very safe and secure Olympics"
Visitors will encounter airport-style security measures at Olympic venues . |
24,368 | 45248c0b737b7961ef4ccfc4dd03a0720179a0b1 | By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:44 EST, 23 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:28 EST, 24 February 2014 . These are the child prodigies who used up all the available words at a spelling bee, forcing organizers to stop the showdown until they could find more. When Sophia Hoffman, 11, and Kush Sharma, 13, buzzed through the list of words over 47 rounds during Saturday's Jackson County Spelling Bee, organizers had to pull more from a dictionary. But after blitzing the extra 20 words, organizers decided to postpone the competition until March 8 because people were too tired to continue. 'It was legendary,' said Mary Olive Thompson, spelling bee co-coordinator said. Brainy: Jackson County Spelling Bee organizers were forced to halt the showdown between Sophia Hoffman, 11, and Kush Sharma, 13, when they used up all the words over 47 rounds on Saturday . Fierce competitors: The showdown between Sophia Hoffman and Kush Sharma will continue on March 8 . Loss for words: Organizers looked through a dictionary for extra words so the bee could continue on Saturday . After 19 rounds in a Missouri county's . annual spelling bee over the weekend, only two competitors out of the 25 remained - Hoffman, a fifth-grader at Highland Park Elementary School in the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit, and Kush Sharma. Onlookers were stunned when the students effortlessly ran through a list of about 20 additional words bee officials picked out of their Merriam-Webster's 11th Edition during the lunch break, The Kansas City Star reported. But bee officials decided not to pull more words from the dictionary because they worried one speller might get a tough word and the other a relatively easy one, which wouldn't be fair. Plus, Thompson said, at 'about 2 o'clock, I think we were all really tired.' Saturday's competition went 66 rounds, she said, while last year's bee ended after only 21. Venue: The Jackson County Spelling Bee kicked off 9am Saturday at the Kansas City Public Library's Plaza Branch (pictured) 'Scherzo', 'fantoccini' and 'intaglio' were among the words Kush correctly spelled in the late rounds, while Sophia nailed words such as 'schadenfreude', 'mahout' and 'barukhzy'. Both of them missed what Kush said was the hardest word: a 'French word; I have no idea how to pronounce it. It was a long word.' With the winner moving on to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C., in May, both contestants were at the top of their game in the final rounds Saturday, Thompson said . 'Sophia and Kush's eyes were just bright and glowing,' she said. 'It was almost magical.' The contest will resume March 8 at an undetermined library site. Fair: Bee officials decided against pulling more words from the dictionary in case one speller got a tough word, and the other got an easy one . | After 47 rounds, organizers stopped Jackson County Spelling Bee because all words had been used .
Officials picked 20 extra words from the dictionary for Sophia Hoffman, 11, and Kush Sharma, 13, so competition could continue .
It was stopped after round 66 and will resume on March 8 because officials want to ensure new list of words is fair . |
35,815 | 65b4242b76a13386b5a40e646dd429f5921951ae | It is the win they had dreamed of through 12 years of doggedly playing the same numbers every week. Gina Nolan and 11 colleagues in her work syndicate matched six numbers on the National Lottery last Saturday. The warehouse workers from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, phoned lottery operator Camelot, which confirmed they were one of three ticketholders who would share the advertised £6.2million Lotto jackpot. Losing out: Gina Nolan (pictured centre) said, 'It has taken away the whole excitement of winning' Eleven of the syndicate were in line for £159,709 each while the 12th member, who paid double for their go, would get twice that amount. But two days later, Camelot told them there had been a mistake. Blaming ‘human error’, it said it had calculated the jackpot incorrectly – and in fact it would be nearly £1.5million less. Last night the five men and seven women accused Camelot of misleading them by failing to honour the advertised estimated jackpot. Instead they will receive £124,621 each. It is unwelcome news for Camelot, which on October 5 relaunched its Lotto draw and doubled ticket prices to £2 as part of a drive to reverse a decline in ticket sales. Mrs Nolan, 53, said: ‘It has taken away the whole excitement of winning. I cannot see how a big company could make such an error. I was more shocked than when we found out we had won.’ In the lead-up to Saturday’s draw Camelot had advertised the jackpot for its main Lotto draw as £6.2million. As broadcaster Chris Evans ‘released the balls’ on the live BBC1 draw on Saturday he told viewers: ‘£6.2million, here we go everyone.’ Releasing the balls on Saturday night, Chris Evans told viewers: '£6.2 million, here we go everyone' And on the official National Lottery Twitter page, it said: ‘You could fill the average bathtub 27 times over in £2 coins if you won tonight’s £6.2million Lotto jackpot!’ After the draw Mrs Nolan phoned Camelot which told her the syndicate’s ticket was one of three matching six numbers and would share the £6,228,639 jackpot. Her colleagues wept as they realised they would share a £2,076,213 portion of the jackpot. But later in the week Mrs Nolan was visited by Camelot officials who told her the jackpot had been miscalculated and was actually £4,860,213. ‘I went white as a ghost,’ said Mrs Nolan. ‘I know they say it is an estimated jackpot but after the draw they put up the £6.2million figure on their website – it is not estimated after the draw has taken place. She denied the group are greedy, saying: ‘We just want the prize they advertised.’ A Camelot spokesman confirmed that the Lotto jackpot had been ‘incorrectly communicated’. He said the error had been detected on Monday and the revised jackpot share of £1.62million paid out. He added: ‘The draw itself was conducted entirely in line with National Lottery game rules and procedures. We have apologised and are conducting a thorough review to prevent such a mistake happening again.’ | Camelot confirmed Gina Nolan and 11 colleagues were one of three ticketholders and that they would share the advertised £6.2 million jackpot .
Two days later Camelot said it had made a mistake through 'human error'
The warehouse workers were told their win was £1.5 million less .
Gina Nolan said: 'It has taken away the whole excitement of winning' |
38,332 | 6c622e656020a8a34265fa87b8bc05a286269402 | Police say Australian bikie gangs are expanding into South East Asia to bolster their underworld operations. The gangs are establishing in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia, where local chapters of the clubs are recruiting new members and working with their Australian counterparts. The overseas expansion of local gangs is one of the key factors addressed by the National Anti-Gang Squad, based on the Gold Coast. The group leads investigations into the activities of Australian-based gangs overseas and their links to crime in Australia. Thai members of the Rebels Club, the largest Australian bikie club. Police believe Australian bikie gangs are are expanding aggressivelyinto south-east Asia . It is believed the gangs are being formed in locations that lack anti-gang resources as Australia . The social media accounts of the overseas offshoots of the Australian bikie clubs feature pictures of firearms . In June, the Gang Squad hosted a South East Asia conference in Bangkok to tackle the mounting threat of outlaw motorcycle gangs. It was attended by 75 State and territory police officers from Australia, as well as officers from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia Vietnam Singapore and America. The Commander of the Gangs Squad in NSW Detective Superintendant Deb Wallace told Daily Mail: 'We keep a very close eye on outlaw motorcycle gangs and, in recent years, have observed a number of gang members moving overseas.' 'In particular, the Rebels have made a concerted effort to expand their international footprint', he said. 'The rationale behind this expansion is driven largely by organised crime objectives. Chapters have been established to tap into underworld business opportunities in overseas markets, particularly in locations where law enforcement agencies don't have the same level of anti-gang resources or expertise as we do here in NSW.' The Rebels MC have made the largest expansion into south-east Asia. They club has 2000 members in Australia alone, making them the largest motorcycle club in the country . The Minister for Justice Michael Keenan said the National Anti Gang Squad Australia is 'leading the fight against Outlaw Motorcycle Gang criminal highways through South East Asia.' 'The activities of organised crime groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs are an ongoing threat to Australia. 'They are violent predators who profit from the misery of drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, extortion, prostitution and firearms trafficking.' The Rebels MC have 2000 members in Australia alone, making them the largest motorcycle club in the country. The Rebels, who were founded in Brisbane in the late 1960's, have successfully expanded into Malta and New Zealand. They have now established chapters in Thailand, Indonesia Malaysia and Cambodia. The social media accounts of the Indonesian Rebels club features images of firearms. In July, the head of the rebels Alex Vella had his Visa cancelled while on holiday in his home country of Malta, where he has since been stranded. The news of overseas expansion comes amid harsh national crackdowns on the clubs, particularly in Queensland, where the Campbell Newman Government introduced the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act to combat the gangs in 2013. The Minister for Justice Michael Keenan told Daily Mail 'the National Anti Gang Squad Australia is leading the fight against Outlaw Motorcycle Gang criminal highways through South East Asia' In June, the Gang Squad hosted a South East Asia conference in Bangkok to tackle the mounting threat of outlaw motorcycle gangs . | Australian outlaw bikie gangs are expanding their networks into south-east Asia .
Overseas chapters are established to tap into underworld business opportunities .
They are formed in locations that lack anti-gang resources .
The overseas expansion of local gangs is one of the key factors addressed by the National Anti-Gang Squad in Queensland .
The Gang Squad hosted a South East Asia conference in Bangkok in June .
The news comes amidst harsh crackdowns on the clubs in Australia . |
248,114 | cd0faf2ad1ea3f634855510bbe325a20a48276de | By . Jenny Hope . PUBLISHED: . 18:18 EST, 24 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:03 EST, 25 August 2012 . Children who are overweight or obese are up to six times more at risk of developing gallstones, warn researchers. They found that fat girls are at the highest risk from the condition. Gallstones join other supposedly adult disorders now affecting youngsters, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Children who are overweight or obese are up to six times more at risk of developing gallstones, warn researchers . The study found children and adolescents who were overweight were twice as likely to have gallstone disease. Those who were moderately obese were four times as likely to have gallstones and those who were extremely obese were six times as likely to have gallstones. The study was based on information in the electronic health records of more than 510,000 children ages 10 to 19, from 2007 to 2009, who were members of the health insurance plan Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Researchers found a stronger association between obesity and gallstones in girls than in boys. Girls who were obese and extremely obese were six and eight times more likely to have gallstones than girls who were underweight or of normal weight. Girls who were obese and extremely obese were six and eight times more likely to have gallstones than girls who were underweight or of normal weight, the study found . Obese and severely obese boys were more than twice and three times as likely to have gallstones than normal or underweight peers, says the study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition (must credit). Using oral contraceptives was also a risk factor for gallstones. Lead author Corinna Koebnick of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation, said ‘Although gallstones are relatively common in obese adults, gallstones in children and adolescents have been historically rare. ‘These findings add to an alarming trend-youth who are obese or extremely obese are more likely to have diseases we normally think of as adult conditions. ‘It is a concern, prevalence of diabetes is increasing and cardiovascular risk factors. ‘This emphasises that obesity, especially extreme obesity, is not a benign condition, it’s got to be taken seriously.’ Gallstones may cause symptoms such as recurrent abdominal pain and nausea, although many people with gallstones have no symptoms. Gallstones can block the passage of bile into the intestine, which in turn can cause severe damage or infection in the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas and, if left untreated, the condition can be fatal. Obesity is a major risk factor for gallstones in adults. Dr Koebnick said the study identified 766 children who had gallstones because they were treated, probably with surgery to remove the gallbladder. She said there had been reports of clinics in the US performing more gallbladder surgery on children, with operations at one clinic in Texas going up from two to 100 a year over 40 years. She said ‘We just don’t know what the health implications are because previously gallstones in children were the result of gallbladder disease. ‘It’s still an uncommon condition in children’ she added. ‘But now we have to think that being fat is the key cause of gallstones in youngsters.’ George Longstreth, senior study author and a gastroenterologist from Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center, said ‘The high rate of gallstones in obese children and adolescents may surprise paediatricians because gallstone disease is generally regarded as an adult disorder. ‘Since obesity is so common, paediatricians must learn to recognize the characteristic symptoms of gallstones.’ | Overweight girls most at risk, according to a U.S. study .
The condition is generally regarded as an adult disease .
Using oral contraceptives was also a risk factor . |
221,740 | ab0a90dd5f4ad033f3ad57a9ada1cb5e9a22ec14 | By . Emine Sinmaz . PUBLISHED: . 22:15 EST, 25 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:17 EST, 26 November 2012 . Campaigner: Princess Diana speaks at an Aids event in 1991 . Princes William and Harry have followed in their late mother’s footsteps by pledging their support for one of the country’s leading HIV charities. In a letter congratulating the Terrence Higgins Trust on its 30th anniversary, they called on a generation to ‘pick up the sword and continue the fight’ against HIV. Their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, fostered close ties with HIV charities, and opened the first specialist Aids hospital ward in England at Middlesex Hospital. ‘Our generation has never known a world without HIV,’ William and Harry wrote. ‘We have grown up knowing of the devastating impact this virus has on lives, on families, on communities. ‘We know, too, that HIV can be treated and the lives of sufferers extended by many years. However, there is still a stigma which blights sufferers of the disease, even today. ‘Our generation must pick up the sword and continue the fight. There is still no cure or vaccine. However, we know it is possible to prevent HIV from spreading further in the future. ‘Terrence Higgins Trust will be to the fore in this, and for that reason, and because our mother believed so passionately in the work of the trust, we wholeheartedly congratulate you on 30 years of selfless service to others.’ A photograph of William and Harry with Diana, by John Swannell, will go under the hammer at the charity’s 30th anniversary auction at Christie’s on March 21. Terry Higgins died of an Aids-related illness in London in 1982, aged 37. That year, three of his friends founded the charity in his name. It is now the UK’s largest HIV and sexual health charity. Its chief executive, Sir Nick Partridge, said: ‘We are incredibly honoured to have this message of support from their Royal Highnesses. ‘It’s wonderful to see the princes inspiring their generation... the way their mother inspired mine.’ Princes William and Harry pictured raising money for Sentebale - a charity set up by Prince Harry partly to help HIV victims in Botswana . | Princes support Terrence Higgins Trust in letter on its 30th anniversary .
Call for new generation to 'pick up sword and continue the fight' against HIV . |
76,832 | d9eda4e09f4d106d3157e34a4dc2a762ca7add0d | (CNN)It has been described as Ben Hur on snow. Twelve horses line up in a start gate but the race is far from conventional. The race track is a snow-covered frozen lake and attached to each horse is a skier. It is akin to human chariot racing as riders hit speeds of 50km/h jostling for position and, ultimately, victory. The sport of skijoring has a long and rich history. And Franco Moro and the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz have been a part of the White Turf event for over three decades. With its often combative nature, it is no wonder Moro likens the sport to the 1959 film starring Charlton Heston. "Skijoring is just something that people want to see," he says. "It's like Ben Hur on snow, the modern way. I love the speed, the adrenalin rush is something special. It's just unique." Skijoring comes from the Norwegian word skikjøring, which literally translates as ski driving, and is thought to date back to the 14th Century. In St Moritz, the sport began in 1906 and was even a display sport at the 1928 Winter Olympics. When it first began, participants set off at one-minute intervals over a 10-kilometer stretch. But after it was switched to a makeshift racecourse, the race now consists of two laps covering a distance of 2,700 meters. There is no doubting the precarious nature of the sport. At one notorious race in 1965, not a single entrant finished. And at the last race, during the notoriously challenging start where jockeys aim to avoid getting their ropes tangled, Moro says: "One jockey crashed his head and lost a few minutes with a loss of consciousness." Some 10,000 people flock to each race in the Swiss Alps, creating a party atmosphere for the only three events of the year held each February. The overall victor is crowned "King of Engadine," so called after the valley where the racing takes place. Moro, who has been skijoring for 31 years and has no qualms about nudging horses out of his in a bid for on-track supremacy, was crowned king on Sunday. The 55-year-old could only finish fifth in the third and final race of the three-week series, but two previous wins towed by the horse Dreamspeed proved sufficient for another title. His family ran a horse-carriage business, so skijoring allies one passion with another. His day job is as the director of St Moritz Ski School. And having stumbled on the sport in the first place, he says: "Skijoring is something you can't forget. Maybe we're a little bit crazy, I don't know." There are obvious dangers to the sport, not least wrestling with reins and ropes in a melee of horses and drivers at the start. "You get very close to the other horses, it's like a sandwich and it's a bit dangerous," he explained. "You have horses in front and behind and the danger is someone can stand on your ski." Amazingly, though, Moro has never had a major accident in his time in the sport and is pleased to point out there have been no deaths during his era. Although there have been a litany of injuries to others, "nothing too bad, broken arms and legs," he adds matter-of-factly. It's not just in Switzerland where skijoring has taken hold, variations of the sport can entail people being driven by dogs or even motor vehicles. In the United States, it generally involves jockeyed horses pulling skiers along by a rope -- catching hoops and tackling jumps along the course. For Scott Ping, president of the North American Ski Joring Association, which hosts its own World Championships at the end of January each year in front of 4,000 spectators, the sport almost cost him his life. Ping does not ski -- he rides the horses instead -- but became precariously unstuck while training for one particular competition. "I was running my horse through ice and snow when it broke through the ground and half a ton of horse came down on me," he recalled. "It all happened in slow motion. "I heard my neck break, I heard it crack like a gun going off." With his head planted, he couldn't move. He was trapped in the snow, with just enough room to breathe in a gap under his chin. He had broken the C1 and C2 vertebrae in his neck and was now alone as his horse headed back to the barn. "I was getting very anxious that this was where I was going to die," he said. But eventually he regained sufficient movement in his arm to telephone for help and was in an ambulance 20 minutes later. Two hours later he was moving his toes and, defying the doctors, he was walking within two days. "The doctor said one tenth of 1% of people that have that injury live and one tenth of that number walk again. I'm walking." Despite the horrific nature of his injuries four years ago he returned to skijoring only to fall again and break eight ribs leading to a longer hiatus from the sport, which ended two years ago. For him, it is a drug he just cannot give up: "It's a lot of fun, it's a kick. I don't think there's any sport to compare to it. It's an unusual combination of old cowboys and skiers getting together to make a big run. When I compete, the adrenalin is just unbelievable." As for the wider appeal, he jokes: "The silly story is that some guys got together to have a combination of who the best horseman is, the best skier and the best drinker, and this combines all three!" So what exactly makes a good skijoring competitor? Moro, who like his fellow riders has to take an exam in order to be eligible to compete, explains: "First it is experience, and knowing what can happen in a race so you can react when something goes wrong. "You have to be a very good skier and you have to have the feeling of the horse. You need to be a team. Often these are horses you don't know so they need to get an immediate confidence from you." Edging into his 2015 season finale, Moro continues to master that triumvirate in what is perhaps the purest form of horsepower. | Skijoring is akin to human chariot racing as horses tow racers on skis behind them .
Franco Moro has become the master of the sport in St Moritz, a historic hub for skijoring .
Scott Ping nearly lost his life competing in the United States after breaking his neck . |
33,407 | 5f059581497f6cc79a8e65ec5463cd55fe10287e | Charged with murder: Tobacco tycoon Mohammed Nisham has been accused of killing a security guard because he was too slow opening the gates to his apartment complex in the Indian state of Kerala . An Indian millionaire has been charged with murder after allegedly ramming his Hummer into his security guard because he was being too slow to open his gates. Mohammed Nisham is accused of chasing the guard with his SUV inside an apartment complex last month, squeezing him against a wall before beating him with an iron rod. He was reportedly angry over a delay in opening the gate after returning home late one night two weeks ago. The 50-year-old guard, K Chandrabose, died yesterday after being in hospital on life-support in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Doctors treating Chandrabose said 'his heart had not been functioning properly following the impact of the internal injuries,' according to the Press Trust of India news agency. Nisham was in custody in a jail near the town of Thrissur where he lives, police official Biju Kumar said today. He has had several police cases filed against him, including one for allowing his nine-year-old son to drive a Ferrari on a public road in 2013. He was granted bail on some cases and was ordered to pay fines for others. India's economic boom has created a class of super-rich, whose excesses are frequently in the news. Nisham has a thriving tobacco and real estate business in Kerala. He reportedly also owns hotel and jewellery businesses in the Middle East. Scroll down for video . Allegations: Nisham is accused of chasing the guard with his Hummer (like the one pictured) inside an apartment complex last month, squeezing him against a wall before beating him with an iron rod . When he was charged with allowing his son to drive the Ferrari F430, police records showed he owned 18 high-end cars worth an estimated $4m (£2.6m), including a Bentley and a Lamborghini. He let his son take the wheel of the £127,000 supercar on his birthday - with nobody else in the vehicle except for his six-year-old brother. The boy drove it for several hundred metres along a road - all filmed by his proud family, who then uploaded the footage to YouTube. Kerala Police registered a case against Nisham for uploading a video of an illegal act, sending out a wrong message to the world and allowing a child to drive a vehicle. Reckless: Nisham has had several police cases filed against him, including one for allowing his nine-year-old son (above) to drive a Ferrari on a public road in 2013 which he filmed and posted on YouTube . Irresponsible: Nisham let his son take the wheel of the £127,000 supercar on his ninth birthday - with nobody else in the vehicle except for his six-year-old brother . | Tobacco tycoon Mohammed Nisham accused of hitting guard with iron rod .
His alleged victim, 50, died in hospital after two weeks on life support .
Nisham was arrested in 2013 for letting his son, 9, drive his Ferrari . |
82,144 | e8d2701696b7b79e674088cd8b339dacb23703af | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:53 AM on 18th July 2011 . Jailed: Neal Ray Schmidt thought he was meeting two 14-year-old girls for sex . A former senior member of the Ku Klux Klan has been jailed for attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with two undercover police officers who he believed were underage girls. Neal Ray Schmidt, a former grand dragon of the Missouri chapter of the Klan, first met the police officers in an online chat room. The 59-year-old believed he was talking to two 14-year-old girls who claimed they were friends and lived near each other in McDonough, Georgia. Following a few general exchanges the former delivery man began to steer the conversation towards sex. According to the Examiner.com, Patrick Crosby, the U.S. Attorney’s spokesman, said: 'Over the ensuing months, in an effort to groom the girls for an eventual sexual encounter, Schmidt sent sexually explicit videos of himself, as well as images and videos of child pornography.' In June last year Schmidt made arrangements to meet the girls for sex at a McDonough motel. However he was arrested by police officers in the car park carrying guns, sex toys and Klan paraphernalia. He later pleaded guilty in court for seeking to have sex with two 14-year-old girls. Hate group: A member of the Ku Klux Klan . On Thursday a judge in Atlanta sentenced Schmidt, from St.Louis, to 20 years in prison. After serving his sentence he will have to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said: 'This case starkly illustrates how the Internet can expose our children not only to the predator down the street, but also to the would-be molester who lives hundreds of miles away.' Prosecutors also revealed that since his arrest in this case Schmidt has been charged with molesting his granddaughter in Missouri and with arranging to have sex with an underage girl in Florida. | 59-year-old believed he was meeting two 14-year-old girls for sex at motel .
Police officers arrest him carrying guns, sex toys and Klan paraphernalia . |
84,370 | ef519313f552e81764ed3fed4c4b4971e91f49ce | By . Laura Cox . Twins are always special in a family but these baby sisters are a truly rare double delight. At estimated odds of four-billion-to-one, Jessica and Clara Gwynne represent the fourth generation of twins in one family. They follow in the footsteps of their mother Mel and their grandfather and great-grandmother – all of whom were twins. Double act: Twins Jessica (left) and Clara Gwynne are the fourth consecutive generation in their family . Big shoes to fill: The girls' mother Mel (right) said she has an eerie connection with her twin sister Sherrill . Which is which? The babies' grandfather Kevin (right) grew up with his twin brother Keith . Mrs Gwynne, 36, discovered she was carrying twins at her 12-week scan after spotting the image of a second head on a monitor. She said: ‘It was a bit of a shock really. Although deep down I think I’ve always known that me or my sister Sherrill would have twins. 'They did the scan and I could see on the screen they were looking at the one baby and I saw something else which in the corner and I thought well there’s nothing else that could be round like that apart from another head. 'And I thought no, don’t be silly and then she moved it over and she went “and there’s twin two”.' The girls – who are featured in Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute tonight – were born five weeks premature and spent the first few weeks of life in a special care baby unit. They are now seven months old. Family album: The babies' great-grandmother Joyce Garrad, pictured, also had a twin sister . History: The babies' grandfather Kevin (left) and his twin Keith being held by their mother Joyce, also a twin . Newborns: Clara (left) and Jessica were born to their mother Mel Gwynne prematurely . The pattern for twins in the family began with Jessica and Clara’s great-grandmother, Joyce Garrad, who had a twin named Margaret. Joyce went on to give birth to Kevin and Keith, 60, and Kevin and his wife had Mel and Sherrill. Mel Gwynne, a school kitchen manager from Bristol, is anticipating that her girls will develop the same close bond she shares with her identical sister. However, she and her husband Chris are adamant she won’t dress them in identical clothes. She said: ‘My Nan always used to put me and my sister in the same thing and we hated it. We hated being the same because we were separate people.’ At times she has seen spooky visions of her twin which turned out to be true, she said. 'One . time Sherrill had already gone to school and I was off sick and I woke . up and said to mum “I want to wear my leg warmers” and she said “you’re . not going anywhere, what do you want to wear your leg warmers for?”', . she said. Twice the effort: Mrs Gwynne said she always knew she or her sister would end up having twins . Screen stars: Jessica (left) and Clara, from Bristol, will feature tonight on Channel 4's One Born Every Minute . The school kitchen manager hopes her girls will develop the same bond she shares with her sister (right) 'And I said . “because Sherrill’s got hers on, I want to wear mine”. But I wouldn’t . have known because I was asleep when she was getting ready.’ On . other occasions Mrs Gwynne knew when her sister hurt herself – once . picturing the smiley face plaster the school nurse had just put on . Sherrill’s knee. And she said she often knows when her sister is about . to phone. In the UK there is a 112-to-one chance of a pregnancy resulting in non-identical twins. US health journal, Forensic Science International, estimate the odds of four generations of twins in one family are one in four billion. However, yesterday Jane Denton of the Multiple Births Foundation said it was difficult to estimate how common fourth generation twins are as it depends on whether they are identical or non-identical, and a database tracking this information is not known about. She said: ‘It is terribly complicated. The rate of identical twinning is fairly constant, for any woman anywhere there is about a three to five per thousand risk. 'But with non-identicals there is a rare gene carried by females. So if a woman carrying the gene has twins, her daughter has a four times greater chance of having twins herself.' One on each arm: Mel (right) and her twin Sherrill when they were babies being held by their grandmother . Birth: Mel and Sherrill as babies. Mrs Gwynne said she had an eerie connection with her twin sister . How they've grown: Mel Gwynne and her twin Sherrill when they were four years old (left) and in a recent photo . | Girls born to school caterer Mel Gwynne, 36 - who has a twin sister Sherrill .
Their father Kevin was a twin and so was their grandmother Joyce .
Mrs Gwynne, from Bristol, will feature tonight on One Born Every Minute .
'Deep down I’ve always known me or my sister would have twins,' she said . |
156,410 | 56337d2a7f89fbb1a82f6462dc54d4b2ab5e333b | Take the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, add the most talented British player of his generation in Gareth Bale, throw in the top scorer from the last World Cup, James Rodriguez, and the goalkeeper who made the most saves last season in La Liga in Keylor Navas, add the world football's most affable manager Carlo Ancelotti and what have you got? Possibly the £530million super team that will dominate European football for the next five years. Real Madrid's transformation into the team everyone wants to watch has even got Johan Cruyff twitching. Speaking in Spain this week the former Barcelona player and European Cup-winning manager gave his verdict on Real's summer signings and it made depressing reading for the rest of Europe. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Cristiano Ronaldo smash one in off the bar during training . Galacticos: Real Madrid have a team of superstars who look set to dominate European football for the next five years, with players such as (from left to right) Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and Cristiano Ronaldo . Stars: Ronaldo (left) and Bale (right) will be on show against Sevilla in the Super Cup in Cardiff on Tuesday . Envy: Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has a squad any other manager would dream of - with an average age of just 25 . Glory: Real won the Champions League last season and will look to be the first team to defend it this campaign . '(Toni) Kroos was one the best players at Bayern and for Germany in the World Cup,' he said. 'He moves the ball about very well and James Rodriguez is a really top-class ball-player. Madrid have so much quality in midfield and up-front. Barca used to sign the ball-players, now it's Madrid.' The praise from Cruyff and the sight of the ball a blur in the 'rondo' passing drills at Madrid's Valdebebas training ground – something that was once Barcelona's trademark – is a reminder that Real went to another level last season and are threatening to go to yet another level this season. Jose Mourinho had made them the best counter-attacking team in world football and Ancelotti has maintained that element to their play with the £86million introduction of Bale last season making them even more lethal on the counter-attack. But with the introduction of Isco last season and the growing influence of Luka Modric, a short passing game was added to the cut-throat forays forward. Madrid could mix it up. Now with Rodriguez and Kroos they can really mix it up. Rival: Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has commented positively on Real's recruitment and playing style . Sharp shooter: Bale practises free kicks watched by Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti . Star appeal: Real Madrid's Bale (left), Kroos (centre) and Rodriguez train in Cardiff . On the run: Kroos (left) and Bale train with their team-mates at Cardiff City Stadium on Monday . Stopper: Real signed Keylor Navas this summer and the average age of their starting line-up is just 25 . VIDEO Ancelotti aware of expectation . The upshot is that sides facing the European champions are at a loss as to how to play them. Play a high line and the ball over the top to Ronaldo and Bale destroys them as Bayern Munich found out last season. Let them have the ball and play in front of you and with Modric now supported by Rodriguez and Kroos they can play passes through the gaps. And they can also shoot from distance, which gives them something even the brilliant Barca team that won 14 trophies in four years under Pep Guardiola did not have. There were times when that Barca side floundered against a 10-man defence and would rely on a long shot for the breakthrough. Occasionally it came, from Andres Iniesta at Stamford Bridge in 2009, but often it didn't. This Madrid side scored more goals from outside the area than any team in Spain last season and with Kroos and Rodriguez added that is not about to change. It's not the first time Madrid have tried to buy every world-class player on the planet but the last time it ended in tears as egos clashed and players were brought in with no thought given to how they might play together. Local hero: Madrid's Welsh forward Bale at Cardiff City Stadium on Monday ahead of the Super Cup . Waiting in the wings: Real legend Zinedine Zidane is likely to take over from Ancelotti in the future . Next in line: Sergio Ramos is likely to be named the next permanent Real captain if Iker Casillas leaves . Sir Alex Ferguson dubbed that crop the Harlem Globetrotters because there was more exhibition than silverware. If last year's Spanish and European Cup double are any indication there is a winning mentality to this team that will not be satisfied by thrilling failure. Winning all six trophies this season is the aim and they can also become the first side to win back-to-back Champions Leagues. The frightening thing for their rivals is that the age of the players likely to line-up for the big games this season (Navas 27, Carvajal 22, Varane 21, Ramos 28, Marcelo 26, Kroos 24, Rodriguez 23, Modric 28, Bale 25, Benzema 26, Ronaldo 29) is just 25. And when Ancelotti does decide to step aside Zinedine Zidane will be ready to step-up from the B-team. CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . It's a dynasty in the making, and one that has got the marketing men salivating too. There is something for everyone with Spaniard Sergio Ramos likely to emerge as the long-term captain if Iker Casillas is eventually replaced by Navas; South American superstar Rodriguez world football's next poster-boy, Ronaldo the FIFA-crowned king of world football and World Cup winner Kroos, the German who walked out on Bayern Munich to be part of it all. In any language (but we'll use Spanish) it's an 'equipazo', a brilliant team. And on Tuesday night in Cardiff, with homeboy Bale leading the way, it goes in search of trophy No 1 of a possible six this season. Titles: Real can win a maximum of six trophies this season - and they are aiming to claim all of them . VIDEO Bale and Ronaldo showboat in training . | Madrid now boast a team of superstars who complement each other .
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff is worried by Real's recruitment and style .
They have a side who can mix it up and play in all sorts of ways .
Luka Modric and Rodriguez allow Real to play a crisp, passing game .
Real scored most goals from outside the box in Spanish league last season .
Madrid can win six trophies this season - and they aim to claim them all .
They also want to become the first team to defend the Champions League .
Madrid face Sevilla in European Super Cup in Cardiff on Tuesday evening . |
234,308 | bb51661eceb5b4dc98bfb8ed7bc8b260372f324a | Arroyo Grande, California (CNN) -- First, an 11-foot wooden cross was stolen from Saint John's Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande, California. Then, weeks later, the cross was discovered set aflame in the middle of the night outside the bedroom window of a 19-year-old woman of mixed race. Now authorities are investigating the case as a theft, arson and hate crime, police said Tuesday. The burning cross was erected in a neighbor's large front yard adjacent to the house rented by the woman and her mother. The mystery of who stole the cross and set it afire has deeply disturbed the small coastal town of Arroyo Grande, located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It sits in the heart of a wine region, just 47 miles northwest of the vineyards depicted in the movie "Sideways." Police Chief Steven Annibali told CNN Tuesday that a cross-burning is unheard of for his community of 17,000, and that only three hate crimes have been reported in his town the past 15 years, mostly for uttering slurs. That figure is the lowest for San Luis Obispo County, he said. With a picturesque mountain backdrop and only about 5.5 square miles in size, Arroyo Grande calls itself "the gem" of the central California coast. Authorities have announced a $3,500 reward in the case and even established a "Justice for All in Arroyo Grande" fund-raiser to raise that amount. But an attorney for the alleged victim and her mother has criticized the police investigation. "The family is trying to go about daily business, but they have ongoing concerns about their security and the direction of the investigation," attorney Louis Koory told CNN on Tuesday. "For example, if there are known racist elements in the community, it is not clear that the police are looking at these groups. It appears that it would be a logical starting point for an investigation, if there are known racist groups in the community. The first problem is that the police initially treated this as a prank and may have lost the opportunity to conduct an effective investigation," Koory said. Arroyo Grande police have not released the name of the 19-year-old woman, citing confidentiality provisions under California hate-crime laws. Annibali, the police chief, said his agency moved quickly over the weekend following the cross burning, which occurred on a Friday, and is now working with the FBI, the California Department of Justice, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's investigators and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department. His agency is also working with the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP, he said. "It's funny that he would even say that because we have a very good relationship with the victim and the mother from the start," Annibali said about the family's attorney. "Like with most crimes, you look at who would want to do this, and have you been involved in any activities that would lead someone to do this, or do you know somebody who would," the police chief said. "I'm very comfortable that we handled this appropriately," he continued. "We have been given access to any resources that the FBI has. And for a local agency like this, it's unprecedented." Annibali said police never called the cross-burning a "prank," saying that word was misattributed by local media. Agencies are now pursuing several leads, and he believes the cross-burning isn't the work of an organized hate group, he said. "We feel right now that it's people who are local. We don't think it's an organized group or anything like that. It's bloggers who want to raise that issue," the chief said. "There's no active hate groups in Arroyo Grande, none that we're aware of. We're working with the FBI, so we're pretty confident." Arroyo Grande police submitted physical evidence from the cross-burning scene to an independent crime lab for forensic analysis, authorities said. Authorities are also analyzing an "accelerant" used on the cross, Annibali said. In an interview with CNN at her home, the mother said she and her daughter looked out their window after midnight March 18 and were horrified by the sight of a burning cross just 12 feet from their house. "We were just blindsided. My daughter does not have a beef with anyone. We were both terrified. My daughter had a friend over and we looked out the window and there it was, a huge burning cross," the mother said. "We are just trying to maintain normalcy. We would like to see whoever did this caught," the mother said. She added that her daughter "is doing better now -- I bought her a puppy. She can give some love instead of all that hate and anger." The cross was stolen from the grounds of Saint John's Lutheran Church between February 5 and March 5, police said. The exact date is uncertain because church members weren't aware of the theft for a month, police said. The cross is ceremonial and wasn't an architectural fixture on the church, police said. At 12:30 a.m. on March 18, local police and firefighters were called about the cross-burning. By the time they arrived, they found large pieces of charred wood in the wet grass, still burning with about 5 inches of flame, police said. Randy Ouimette, pastor of the church where the cross was stolen, said he was disturbed that "a cross which is revered and gives hope was used to put fear into this family and disgust into the community." "First, the cross in Roman times became this symbol of crucifixion, punishment and awful death. Then it became the symbol of resurrection, renewal, the symbol of Jesus Christ of reconciliation, peace and hope. Now to see it used as a symbol of hate, intolerance and rejection is a misuse and desecration," Ouimette told CNN. The cross, which was hollow and made of different types of wood, had been used in a local production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in the community theater, Ouimette said. It was often brought to the beach on Easter mornings and adorned with bright flowers, Ouimette said. Many in the community are outraged at the incident. The Rev. Stephanie Raphael, president of the San Luis Obispo County Ministerial Association, said the group's 35 religious leaders representing Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others, signed a letter to the San Luis Obispo Tribune condemning the incident. "Catching someone is less important to me as people coming to grips with the fact that we do not live up to all the ideals of our democracy here in America," Raphael told CNN. "Even in a wonderful place like Arroyo Grande, bad things happen. I think that that is why some people in Arroyo Grande had such a hard time dealing with this: They did not think a cross-burning could happen in their city," she said. "But I think the good thing is that people are talking about this, discussing this, people of all faiths engaging in dialogue about what happened. I think that is very healthy." The police chief described his community as "one of the best secret places in California to be." "It's not what I would describe as a heavily multicultural community. It's heavily white, but we do have a number of other cultures represented in the community," Annibali said. CNN's Paul Vercammen contributed to this report . | Police in Arroyo Grande, California, are investigating a cross-burning as a hate crime .
A 19-year-old biracial woman found an 11-foot cross burning outside her bedroom window .
The police chief defends his investigation from criticism by the victim's family attorney . |
159,252 | 59db4d5b44c30455bf250f225709660e751d51e9 | By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 18:42 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:47 EST, 20 December 2012 . Eating meals together as a family - even just once a week - boosts children’s fruit and veg intake to near the recommended five-a-day, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that even just Sunday lunch round the table can help improve the diets. The survey of 2,389 children attending 52 primary schools in London discovered nearly two-thirds of children (63 per . cent) did not consume the World Health Organisation recommended amount . of five portions (400g) of fruit and veg a day. Researchers at the University of Leeds found children who eat meals with their families were much more likely to get their five-a-day . Children who always ate a family meal together at a table consumed 125g (1.5 portions) more fruit and veg on average than children who never ate with their families. Even those who reported eating together only once or twice a week consumed 95g (1.2 portions) more than those who never ate together. The research also suggests parents who eat fruit . and veg themselves and cut up such food for them also boosted how much . their youngsters’ ate. Study supervisor Professor Janet Cade, of the University’s School of Food Science and Nutrition, said: 'Even if it’s just one family meal a week, when children eat together with parents or older siblings they learn about eating. 'Watching the way their parents or siblings eat and the different types of food they eat is pivotal in creating their own food habits and preferences.' In families where parents reported eating fruit and veg every day, children had on average one portion (80g) more than children whose parents never or rarely ate fruit and veg. Meaghan Christian, who conducted the study as part of her PhD, said: 'Modern life often prevents the whole family from sitting round the dinner table, but this research shows that even just Sunday lunch round the table can help improve the diets of our families.' Children whose parents always or sometimes cut up fruit and veg for them ate, on average, half a portion (40g) and quarter of a portion more, respectively, than children of parents who never cut up their fruit and veg. The study found two-thirds of primary school children in London were not eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables . Prof Cade added: 'There are more benefits to having a family meal together than just the family’s health. 'They provide conversational time for families, incentives to plan a meal, and an ideal environment for parents to model good manners and behaviour.' It is estimated that one in 10 British children aged two to 10 is obese. Dr Christian added: 'Since dietary habits are established in childhood, the importance of promoting the family meal needs to be more prominent in public health campaigns. 'Future work could be aimed at improving parental intake or encouraging parents to cut up or buy snack-sized fruit and vegetables.' The study includes dietary measurements from 2,389 children attending 52 primary schools from the boroughs of Wandsworth, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Sutton, Lewisham, Lambeth, Merton and Newham in Greater London. Diet was assessed using a questionnaire separated into a School Food Diary and a Home Food Diary. The Home Food Diary also included questions about the home food environment and parents attitudes to fruit and vegetables. The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme, was published in the British Medical Journal’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. | Even just Sunday lunch can help improve diet, study shows .
Two-thirds of London children don't eat enough fruit and veg . |
148,575 | 4c1edcc85a164b3315c41a734fcdfea1ad02492f | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:34 EST, 16 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:04 EST, 17 September 2013 . Jailed: Robert Hunter has been sentenced to 14 years after he abused young girls all over the world . A paedophile was jailed for 14 years today after posing as pop star Justin Bieber online to lure children from all over the world into sexual abuse. Robert Hunter's 'sadistic exploitation' of young girls was described by the judge as among the worst the British courts have ever seen. His abuse involved children as young as nine, and sparked an international operation led by Interpol. The 35-year-old used Facebook, Skype and MSN to abuse . girls across Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. He . would also often pose as the singer Justin Bieber in an attempt to . convince the girls to expose themselves and perform sex acts on a . webcam. Teesside Crown Court heard that after being arrested in December 2012, he continued to target children and this resulted in a girl from Tasmania eventually contacting police, who traced him back to his home. In total, more than 800 videos and images were discovered on his computer. Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said: 'Over the course of 2010, 2011 and 2012, Hunter, using a number of online aliases, had pretended to a number of very young girls that he was a teenager. 'On each occasion he was able to disguise his true age and identity by the clever use of images of young boys or by pretending that his computer wasn't working properly. 'As a further demonstration of the naivete and innocence of his victims, he was also able to persuade some that he was the music artist Justin Bieber. 'He did this in order to dupe and encourage these young girls to strip on webcams and perform sex acts for him.' Terrible: Hunter even convinced some victims he was Justin Bieber and then convinced them to perform sex acts . Hunter also blackmailed some of the victims into agreeing to his demands by threatening to make the videos he had already made of them public. Sentencing Hunter to 14 years in prison, Judge Peter Bowers said it represented a callous and sadistic exploitation. 'This is one of the most serious cases on internet abuse that the courts have dealt with,' he said. 'It's a warning to all parents of teenage children of what can be done via the internet. 'The public will be disgusted by how you have behaved even after you had been arrested and bailed. 'It represents callous and sadistic exploitation of a number of girls over a number of years.' Shocking: Teesside Crown Court heard what the judge said was one of the worst paedophile cases the British justice system had ever seen . Tamara Pawson, defending, said Hunter was remorseful for his actions and the distress he had caused. In total, Hunter pleaded guilty to 30 offences, which included 15 charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and 14 of making indecent photos of children. Sergeant Paul Higgins, from Cleveland Police, said: 'Robert Hunter was a calculating and malicious predator who set out to coerce and bully young girls into exposing themselves over the internet. 'This investigation highlights the dangers that children face when conversing with people over the internet.' | Robert Hunter 'sadistically exploited' young girls from all over the world .
Took on fake identities, including Justin Bieber's, to abuse children .
Led to Interpol probe because victims in Europe, Asia and North America .
Judge said it was one of the worst online abuse cases in legal history . |
284,608 | fcc1c388f4a690ed187733458a822333fa4cf21b | If you've always dreamed of ringing in the New Year leisurely lounging on a sprawling balcony with a glass of champagne in hand and an unbeatable view of the fireworks show, then these luxurious apartments will be right up your alley. New Year's Eve accommodation in Australia's biggest cities is always hard to come by, with people scouring the net to find the perfect vantage point to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the night's festivities. To make things a little easier, accommodation website Stayz has whittled down their top rental picks from each of Australia's top cities over the festive period: . SYDNEY . If you've always dreamed of ringing in the New Year leisurely lounging on a sprawling balcony with a glass of champagne in hand and an unbeatable view of the fireworks show, then these luxurious apartments will be right up your alley . New Year's Eve accommodation in Australia's biggest cities is always hard to come by, with people scouring the net to find the perfect vantage point to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the night's festivities. The apartment sits directly opposite the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, giving the renter a picture perfect view of the world famous Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks . The unrivalled art-deco Kirribilli harbour-front apartment has everything you would need for the perfect Sydney New Year's Eve. The apartment sits directly opposite the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, giving the renter a picture perfect view of the world famous Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks. The unrivalled art-deco Kirribilli harbour-front apartment has everything you would need for the perfect Sydney New Year's Eve . A private balcony looks out at the harbour's edge, giving renter's the chance to escape the massive crowds that gather around the opera house and bridge . The apartment is situated in a prime Sydney location with access to the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House . The apartment can be rented over the festive season . A private balcony looks out at the harbour's edge, giving renter's the chance to escape the massive crowds that gather around the opera house and bridge. The apartment has one bedroom, is suitable for two people and comes fully furnished so all you need to do is bring your suitcase. MELBOURNE . Melbourne's magnificent fireworks display can be seen from this stunning apartment . This luxury waterfront sub-penthouse at Freshwater Place is the epitome of modern living . Boasting 2 bedrooms and a sprawling balcony, occupants are treated to one of the best views of Melbourne's CBD . This luxury waterfront sub-penthouse at Freshwater Place is the epitome of modern living. Boasting 2 bedrooms and a sprawling balcony, occupants are treated to one of the best views of Melbourne's CBD. Melbourne's magnificent skyline and the iconic Yarra River can be seen from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. This apartment is the perfect location for those wishing to ring in the New Year in style as it sits right next to the famous Crown Casino . Melbourne's exhibition and convention centre, which hosts many events over the festive period is mere minutes away . This apartment is the perfect location for those wishing to ring in the New Year in style as it sits right next to the famous Crown Casino. Melbourne's exhibition and convention centre, which hosts many events over the festive period is mere minutes away. The building features a massive pool, a gym and an entertaining area, although the vast space in the apartment should be enough for any party. Melbourne's magnificent skyline and the iconic Yarra River can be seen from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows . BRISBANE . There is nowhere like Brisbane on New Year's Eve as the city puts on a breathtaking fireworks display . Adjacent to the Botanical Gardens and overlooking the Brisbane River, this four-bedroom penthouse is the perfect base for an unbeatable NYE Night . Adjacent to the Botanical Gardens and overlooking the Brisbane River, this four-bedroom penthouse is the perfect base for an unbeatable NYE Night. The cities cafe districts and nightclubs are just around the corner from Oaks 212 Margaret and excellent access to transport makes getting around the city a breeze. Breathtaking views can seen from the top balcony of the apartment including the river, park and city. The cities cafe districts and nightclubs are just around the corner from Oaks 212 Margaret and excellent access to transport makes getting around the city a breeze . The apartment is part of a hotel which offers guest a heated pool, an indoor gym and a room service . Breathtaking views can seen from the top balcony of the apartment including the river, park and city. The apartment is part of a hotel which offers guest a heated pool, an indoor gym and a room service. A car space is also available for those wishing to take a road trip over the holidays. . CANBERRA . If you're looking for accommodation with pure class and style, look no further than this luxurious Canberra penthouse . The apartment offers affordable accommodation with a housekeeping service, a parking space for one car and elegant furnishings and appliances . It is also walking distance to some of Canberra's sights and best restaurants and bars . If you're looking for accommodation with pure class and style, look no further than this luxurious Canberra penthouse. The apartment features wraparound glass windows that overlook Lake Burley Griffin and makes this pad a winner for celebrating the new year. The apartment offers affordable accommodation with a housekeeping service, a parking space for one car and elegant furnishings and appliances. The beautiful, modern apartment is the perfect base from which to see the sights of Canberra . The apartment features wraparound glass windows that overlook Lake Burley Griffin and makes this pad a winner for celebrating the new year . The huge bathroom features two sinks and a sprawling bath . Three-bedroom apartments in the luxurious building start at $220 a night . It is also walking distance to some of Canberra's sights and best restaurants and bars. Three-bedroom apartments start at $220 per night. HOBART . Set atop the city's harbourside establishment, Lenna of Hobart, the luxurious apartment has picturesque views of the historic Battery Point . Situated on Salamanca place, the balcony showcases the best Hobart has to offer with it's wraparound deck and ceiling-to-floor windows . This Hobart find would be a treat for any NYE celebrations. Set atop the city's harbourside establishment, Lenna of Hobart, the luxurious apartment has picturesque views of the historic Battery Point. Situated on Salamanca place, the balcony showcases the best Hobart has to offer with it's wraparound deck and ceiling-to-floor windows. The apartment offers 360 degree views of the harbour and the view from the rooftop apartments are simply stunning. The apartment offers 360 degree views of the harbour and the view from the rooftop apartments are simply stunning . While the apartments have a strict no function or party policy, the pad can still be enjoyed by people looking for a tranquil NYE . While the apartments have a strict no function or party policy, the pad can still be enjoyed by people looking for a tranquil NYE. A 24 hour reception desk, room service, car parking and underfloor heating are used throughout the apartment. There is also a bar open for meals and drinks and Alexander's Restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner. A 24 hour reception desk, room service, car parking and underfloor heating are used throughout the apartment. DARWIN . These stunning apartments overlook the Darwin waterfront precinct, which is described as a mini Darling Harbour. This penthouse is located in the newly developed waterfront area of the city . It is close to cafes, restaurants and speciality shops . These stunning apartments overlook the Darwin waterfront precinct, which is described as a mini Darling Harbour. This penthouse is located in the newly developed waterfront area of the city. It is close to cafes, restaurants and speciality shops. The new Waterfron precinct is an up and coming area in Darwin and boasts magnificent views . An impressive sweeping balcony with BBQ gives renters the oppurtunity to kick back at home instead of heading out into the crowd for NYE . The apartment boasts amazing views of the Darwin waterfront, harbour, lagoon and wavepool . The Waterfront precinct is connected via a sky walk to the town, which can be accessed from a glass lift in the Vibe Hotel. The apartment boasts amazing views of the Darwin waterfront, harbour, lagoon and wavepool. An impressive sweeping balcony with BBQ gives renters the oppurtunity to kick back at home instead of heading out into the crowd for NYE. The stunning penthouse apartments are decorated to perfection and offer ample space for families . The back balcony is a tranquil place to sit and watch the ships roll in and is just a few short minutes walk to downtown Darwin. PERTH . Perth's firework display lights up the city . The building boasts two heated swimming pools, sauna, spa and BBQ facilities. It's no secret that the most sought after place to celebrate NYE in Perth is on the Swan River, just minutes walk from the bustling city. This modern, chic and affordable two-bedroom apartment comes with everything you need, including everything you would expect in a five star hotel. The building boasts two heated swimming pools, sauna, spa and BBQ facilities. This modern, chic and affordable two-bedroom apartment comes with everything you need, including everything you would expect in a five star hotel . The stylish bathroom compliments the modern vibe of the apartment . The bright living room is perfect for a group of travellers or a couple looking for a romantic NYE break . The apartment is in a highly desirable location, offering access to Langley Park, South Perth and Kings Park. Free Cat buses run from right outside the door into the city and all the attractions of Perth are right on your doorstep. The apartment is in a highly desirable location, offering access to Langley Park, South Perth and Kings Park . ADELAIDE . Boats line up on the river as they watch Adelaide's impressive firework show . This modern architectural haven is the perfect retreat for NYE . This modern architectural oasis is the perfect retreat to enjoy an unforgettable New Year's Eve. The apartment is within walking distance to the historic Montefirore Hill and North Adelaide. It offers a huge vantage point for all the NYE celebrations including the magnificent fireworks display in Adelaide. The apartment is within walking distance to the historic Montefirore Hill and North Adelaide . this home features a gourmet kitchen, air-conditioning and a huge outdoor entertaining area. It is a five minute drive from Adelaide's bustling CBD and is within walking distance to the free tram, cafes and restaurants. The house was designed by a university architecture lecturer, and is amazingly light and open yet quirky. It has a great sense of space and is enhanced by the use of natural timbers and earthy textures. It offers a huge vantage point for all the NYE celebrations including the magnificent fireworks display in Adelaide . | New Year's Eve Accommodation is notoriously hard to pin down .
These luxury apartments make up a dream list of NYE accommodation .
Stayz.com has put together their top rental properties over the festive period . |
26,673 | 4bb8d74b8961d4bf0475265150b1e332820dbc59 | (CNN) -- Brazilian soccer icon Zico has hailed the South American country's World Cup-winning team of 1958 as the best in the sport's history, ahead of the reigning world and European champions Spain. After a thumping 4-0 victory over Italy in the final of Euro 2012 last weekend, Spain became the first team to win three consecutive major tournaments -- following on from triumphs at the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship of 2008. The recent success enjoyed by Vicente del Bosque's team has led some to label them as the finest ever, leading to comparisons with other legendary teams -- such as the Brazil squad which became world champions in 1970. But former "selecao" star Zico, currently coach of the Iraq national team, selected the Brazil team which lifted the Jules Rimet trophy in Sweden 54 years ago as the finest in football history. The greatest football team: Spain 2012 vs. Brazil 1970? "For me the best national team of all time is the Brazilian team from 1958," Zico, who was part of the much-heralded Brazil team which reached the second group stage of the 1982 World Cup, exclusively told CNN. Is victorious Spain the best team ever? "Quite simply because it had, in my opinion, the best players in the world. Pele and Garrincha. They scored a bag full of goals and put in a show in almost every game." Pele rose to prominence as a 17-year-old at the 1958 tournament, scoring six goals including a brace in Brazil's 5-2 defeat of hosts Sweden in the final. The striker is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers the sport has ever seen and, after being hampered by injury during his country's 1962 World Cup win, he was a key figure in Brazil's 1970 success. Garrincha was a tricky winger who not only won the World Cup in 1958, but starred as Brazil retained the trophy in Chile four years later. His four goals made him joint top goalscorer alongside teammate Vava. The flamboyant Garrincha, who spent the vast majority of his career with Rio de Janeiro-based Botafogo, died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1983 aged 49. Strutting midfielder Zico is fondly remembered by many football fans for his stylish contribution to the Brazil team which lit up the 1982 competition in Spain, alongside playmaker Socrates. | Football star Zico tells CNN Brazil's 1958 team is the best of all time .
Spain's Euro 2012 success has led many observers to label them the greatest .
Brazil won the 1958 World Cup with a team featuring stars such as Pele and Garrincha .
Spain are the first team to have won three consecutive major tournaments . |
72,764 | ce54b4d583dc3488d4e764606d54381449a7163d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 7:04 AM on 19th February 2012 . Serial killer Wesley Shermantine has claimed that he knows of even more sites where the bodies of murder victims were buried in an extraordinary letter to a California television station. Shermantine, one of the so-called 'Speed Freak Killers', told CBS-13 that two burial sites used by his accomplice Loren Herzog have not yet been discovered. The letter, sent from Death Row, also contained a lengthy complaint about Shermantine's media portrayal and about the behaviour of his sister - and it ends, 'Have a nice day.' Letter: Wesley Shermantine sent a bizarre message to a California television station this week . The bizarre letter was sent to the station's Koula Gianulias at the end of a week when a search team found 1,000 bone fragments at a site previously named by Shermantine as the location of some of his and Herzog's victims. He said the reason he had not revealed the other two sites was because he hasn't been paid $33,000 promised by bounty hunter Leonard Padilla. Mr Padilla, who recognised Shermantine's handwriting in the letter, says he's working to establish a trust account before paying. Shermantine began the letter by claiming that reports about him in the media were '90% lies', and repeating the assertion that Herzog, not Shermantine, was responsible for the deaths of up to 20 murder victims. He then complained that he had been taken to hospital following a warning from his sister Barbara Jackson that he could be suicidal - Shermantine said: 'Her concern is about 13 years too late.' The letter concluded: 'If you want to tell the truthful story you've got to offer me something. I've learned nothing's free any more in capitalism [sic] America,' with an invitation for Ms Gianulias to visit him in San Quentin prison. Grim work: San Joaquin Sheriff detectives Paul Hoskins, left, and Lindsay Smith sift for human remains that were excavated from an abandoned cattle ranch near Linden, California . Meticulous: Department of Justice personnel take a record of the human remains found in the well after Wesley Shermantine, motivated by a bounty hunter's promise to pay, lead investigators to burial sites . Wesley Shermantine (left) and Loren Herzog were dubbed the 'Speed Freak Killers' after their 1999 arrest for a methamphetamine-fueled killing spree - Herzog hanged himself last month after finding out Shermantine was going to reveal the location of their burial sites . All week crews have been sifting through mounds of dirt after information was provided by Shermantine revealing the location of his long-lost victims. Investigators have expanded the search after . authorities determined they have probably come to the bottom of the first . well on the ranch about 12 miles outside of Stockton, San Joaquin . Sheriff's Department spokesman Les Garcia said on Wednesday. Officials said about 1,000 bone fragments were found buried on Calaveras County property once owned by Shermantine's family. Mr Garcia could not provide any new numbers on how many bones or possible victims have been found. The first well, which was filled in by the owner in the mid to late 1980s, is being cleared so that a camera could be lowered into it. Cadaver dogs from Santa Clara County will be brought in today to detect if there are human remains left in the dirt cleared out, Mr Garcia said. Close detail: Crews spent days searching the ranch in Linden, at what San Joaquin Sheriff's Department spokesman said was a ¿slow and tedious¿ pace . Victims: The bodies of Cyndi Vanderheiden, left and Chevelle Wheeler, right, were found buried in California in the area identified by Shermantine . Missing: Michaela Garecht, nine, has still not been found since her abduction in November 1988 . The search has already had a significant amount of success, as the bodies of two murder victims were found earlier this week. The . remains of two women- Chevelle 'Chevy' Wheeler disappeared while . skipping school in 1985 aged 16, and Cyndi Vanderheiden, a 25-year-old . last seen in front of her Linden home in 1998- were found during the . search, giving their families some closure. Dental records identified remains found Thursday in Calaveras County as those of 25-year-old Ms Vanderheiden, who disappeared. Another set of remains were found Friday . in the same area, and the parents of the missing 16-year-old girl have . said authorities told them that Shermantine said their daughter was . buried in that spot decades ago. The . new bones and skulls that were discovered along with clothes, a purse . and jewellery leads authorities to believe that there may be 10 or more . victims. Meanwhile, 65 calls have been made to a . hotline set up by authorities for people who believe their loved ones . might be among the victims of Shermantine and Herzog. Shermantine has said many more remains could be found at the well, where digging resumed on Wednesday after being hampered by rain. Earlier this year, Shermantine wrote to a local . paper saying that Herzog was behind the abduction of Michaela Garecht, a 9-year-old was was snatched from the street in 1988. He said that he . would lead police to the spot where the pair used to bury their victims, . but she is still missing. Shermantine is on death row after he was convicted in 2001 of four murders. Investigators said the boyhood friends were suspected in as many as 20 murders as a result of a meth-fueled crime spree. Herzog was convicted of three murders . and sentenced to 77 years to life in prison. Herzog's sentence was . reduced to 14 years after an appeals court tossed out his first-degree . murder convictions because his confession had been illegally obtained. Herzog was paroled in 2010 to a trailer outside the High Desert State . Prison in Susanville. He killed himself in January outside that trailer after learning Shermantine was disclosing the victims' locations. He is making the disclosures after Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla promised to pay him $33,000. He said he hopes to collect on rewards being offered by the state of California for information about several missing persons suspected of being victims of Herzog and Shermantine. | Location of bones was revealed by Westley Shermantine after a bounty hunter promised to pay him $33,000 .
Officials already identified two female victims buried on Calaveras County property . |
185,386 | 7c1ea0865c8fe10a1b645b956ed4fb7de124d282 | (CNN) -- Three Pakistan international cricketers have been banned from the sport for the next five years after being found guilty at an anti-corruption hearing on Saturday. Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were found to have been involved in "spot-fixing" -- a practice involving illegal gambling during matches. Butt, 26, was banned for 10 years with half of that suspended on certain conditions while Asif, 28, received a seven-year ban with 24 months suspended. Amir, 18, was given a straight five-year penalty for his involvement in incidents during the Test series against England in August 2010. They have 21 days to appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The International Cricket Council announced the punishments following an independent tribunal's hearing in Qatar. It came a day after Britain's Crown Prosecution Service charged the trio and their agent Mazhar Majeed with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat. Amir and Asif were accused of deliberately bowling no-balls -- deliveries which incur a scoring penalty and cannot dismiss batsmen -- to the instructions of Majeed, who received money from a third party, while Butt was said to be aware of the arrangement. The conditions of the reduced sentences require Butt and Asif to refrain from further breaches of the anti-corruption code and to participate in an education program run by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Pakistan trio to face criminal charges . The independent tribunal resumed its hearing on Saturday after adjourning on January 11. It dismissed a charge that Butt had agreed to bat out a run-less (or "maiden")over in the match played at London's Oval ground from August 18-21, but said the player failed to disclose to the ICC's anti-corruption unit that Majeed had approached him with such a request. The main charges stem from the following match at Lord's, the final Test of the series. "The tribunal found that the charges under Article 2.1.1 of the Code that (respectively) Mr Asif agreed to bowl, and did bowl, a deliberate no-ball in the Lord's Test match played between Pakistan and England from 26 to 29 August 2010, Mr Amir agreed to bowl, and did bowl, two deliberate no-balls in the same Test, and Mr Butt was party to the bowling of those deliberate no-balls, were proved," it said in a statement on the ICC website on Saturday. Amir is the youngest bowler to claim 50 Test wickets, six of which came at Lord's as Pakistan lost to England by an innings and 225 runs. Butt has played in 33 Test matches since making his debut for Pakistan in 2003, and scored 1,889 runs. He became captain of the side in 2010 and led his country in a Test series against Australia as well as the tour of England before being replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq in the wake of the scandal. Asif has twice tested positive for steroids, resulting in year-long bans, and in 2008 was detained for three weeks after being found in possession of illegal substances at Dubai airport. | Former captain Salman Butt banned along with Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir .
Pakistani cricketers found guilty of "spot-fixing" during Test series in England .
Asif and Amir said to have deliberately bowled no-bowls under instruction from agent .
The tribunal said that Butt was aware of this illegal arrangement . |
25,004 | 46d5f804bb44c420bab7df7da7c06a49a3a295b7 | (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree renaming the organization the "State of Palestine," according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency. The change comes a little more than a month after the United Nations voted to upgrade the authority's status to "non-member observer state." The authority had been classified as a "non-member observer entity" until the November 29 vote. Abbas issued the decree Thursday, WAFA said. With the decree, Palestinian identification, passports and other documents will be branded with the new name, WAFA said. WAFA called the change a "unique new move to the path of national independence." The rebranding comes amid efforts to unify rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas following the watershed U.N. vote -- widely seen as a victory for Abbas' Fatah faction -- as well as the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Read more: Hamas leader unbending, but seeks Palestinian unity . After the conflict, Hamas was given approval to hold its first rally in the West Bank, which Fatah controls. Hamas, which controls Gaza, allowed Fatah to stage a rally there Saturday. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy has also invited Abbas and Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal, who lives in Cairo, to a meeting to discuss Palestinian unity. Read more: Gaza rally called step toward unity for Fatah and Hamas . | NEW: Rebranding comes amid efforts to unify rival Palestinian factions .
Decree from Mahmoud Abbas renames Palestinian Authority as the "State of Palestine"
Change comes after the U.N. upgraded the authority's status to "non-member observer state"
The authority had been classified as a "non-member observer entity" until the vote . |
212,922 | 9fb91e7d017b6d0e3292ef82cbd4b4a5edf34cd9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . When it comes to fighting for TV viewers, Twitter and Facebook think they’re pretty important to TV viewers and have spent the last year or so fighting for a piece of advertisers’ budgets. However, new research from the Nielsen-affiliated Council for Research Excellence suggests that most people don't pay any attention to social media at all when they tune in to their favorite shows. The study found that despite shows attempting to build a presence on social media and encourage 'chatter', most are only checking such sites about 16 percent of the time we watch primetime TV shows. Whilst brands put a lot of time and effort into primetime ads when the biggest audience numbers are up for grabs, viewers only end up chatting about the show half the time. Twitter and Facebook still have a long way to go to become part of the mainstream TV consumption experience . Of the 16.1 percent of respondents who claimed to use social media while watching TV, 7.3 reported their social media activity was related to the show they were watching, but 7.8 percent said their social media use was unrelated to a particular TV show . Rethnk possible? Listen to executives at Twitter and Facebook talk about how we watch television and you might walk away thinking that Americans are chattering nonstop on the social networks while watching their favorite shows . Only 16.1 percent of survey respondents claimed to have used social media while watching prime time television. 1,665 . survey participants were instructed to log any social posts about a . prime time TV show, as well as any time they discussed a TV show on . their social networks. The . study’s findings were based on 78,310 diary entries covering nearly . 1,600 shows reported via a mobile app supplied by the research group. The survey found that just 6.8 percent of people tuned into a show because of a social media conversation. That . number was far lower than other, more general factors pushing people to . turn on a show, as about 40 percent said TV commercials sent them to . watch, and 30 percent said they already watched that show previously. The figures may not be wholly convincing for advertising who believe such social media networks are the way to reach their loyal followers. Facebook was most popular with 11.4 percent of survey respondents actively engaging on the network. Twitter users measured almost less than a third of Facebook users . It seems that social media has very little impact on whether people actually watch TV shows . Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg has earned billions from his company, which has recently been valued at $150 billion . Twitter’s Amplify program allows broadcasters to send promotional tweets when you begin to talk about a TV show. If . ABC knows you’re tweeting about Dancing With The Stars, it can insert a . promotional tweet in your feed from a particular advertiser. Facebook . also introduced something similar and uses Neilsen data to reach . audience members that it believes are in its target demographic for . advertisers. Of the social . media platforms being used during prime time television viewing, . Facebook was the most popular with 11.4 percent of survey respondents . actively engaging on the network. Twitter . users measured almost less than a third of Facebook users, with only . 3.3 percent of the survey respondents using Twitter during their TV . viewing time. The survey . showed that people only use Facebook to chat about their favorite prime . time show 3.8 per cent of the time and Twitter even less, just 1.8 per . cent. There are anomalies. Award shows appear to draw more social media buzz and the numbers of . users both watching TV and using social media at the same time are . higher. One only needs to look at how popular Ellen's record-breaking Oscar selfie was. Other . shows that reach a climax such as American Idol or the Bachelor, also . generate 'watercooler discussion' more than regular shows. The . Council for Research Excellence surveyed 1,700 people between the ages . of 15 and 54 that were 'representative of the online population.' The data was self-reported using mobile-app diary entries. Despite making a later push into social TV, Facebook performs slightly better on this front. Some 3.8% of primetime viewers in the study used Facebook to talk about the show they were watching at that moment compared to just 1.8% for Twitter . The selfie heard round the world: Ellen's Oscar selfie generated more free buzz and marketing oomph than pretty much anything, ever, in the company's history. The picture is reportedly worth $1 billion . The data shows the type of shows most influenced by social media, with special programs at the top of the list, followed by Sci-Fi and sports shows . The survey confirms a previous . Nielsen study that found social media conversation drives some TV . ratings but that the impact is fairly small. This new study backs up . such findings. The study . found that those who engage on social media about the shows they're . watching tend to be more likely to binge watch programs and consume TV . shows on tablets and smartphones. 'The . majority of viewing remains live and on traditional TV sets, but we do . see that social media has a stronger relationship with the newer . platforms and behaviors,' CRE Social Media Committee chair Beth Rockwood . said. 'This is evidence that social media is an important part of the new ways that people are consuming television content.' Commercials and traditional promos were the top factor in what drew people to watch a particular show with nearly 40% of those surveyed saying this led them to watch a new show. By comparison, just 6.8% of respondents cited social media . Of people who chatted on social media while watching TV, just 3.3 percent did so through Twitter, well below Facebook at 11.4 percent. It's . not to say that viewers are not engaging with social media whilst . watching TV, they are. Just not at the levels that Twitter recently discussed. Social networks essentially twist their data so show the most positive statistics. They promote the 'most-tweeted' shows which are popular amongst the 'most active' users. 'Super . Connectors,' or people who regularly used social media to follow TV . shows or actors, made up 22 percent of the survey respondents. It is this small group . of people whom social media advertising is probably the most effective, . rather than most TV viewers who are simply looking for something to . pass the time. | Social Networks believe there are advertising opportunities in our TV habits .
Just 16.1% of those surveyed use social media while watching prime time .
Only 1 in 5 American's are reached by social media when it comes to TV shows .
Most of us do not Tweet or post while watching television .
Promos and commercials are also more effective at making us want to watch a TV show than any social media campaign or advert . |
32,899 | 5d76ba8e3c3626b381753dac0a0752f95d4f5790 | Three young children were stuck in a car in a Walmart parking lot for seven hours after their parents were arrested for shoplifting and failed to mention them to police. Tosheba Hope, 30, and Gerald Moultrie, 24, were busted at a Walmart in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, after trying to sneak out of the store with $600 in tools and car accessories about 7pm on Monday, according to police. As police cuffed them and hauled them off the jail, they never told officers that their children, age two, seven and nine, were locked in their car just a few feet away. Scroll down for video . Said nothing: Tosheba Hope, 30, (left) and Gerald Moultrie, 24, (right) never told police that their kids were in the car after they were arrested at a Walmart in South Florida . The kids, seen here being led out of a police station, were only rescued when a customer noticed them locked in a car seven hours after the arrest of their parents . The kids were stuck in this car from 7pm, when their parents were busted, until 2am. They were upset, but otherwise healthy after the ordeal . The kids were not discovered until almost 2am when a customer spotted the children crying and called store employees. Neither Hope - the mother of all three children - nor Moultrie - the father of the youngest child - said anything about the children that were trapped in their car in the parking lot, according to police. However, Hope didn't hesitate to mention her children in her bid to be release from jail. WTVJ reports that she told a judge she is the mother of three children and is pregnant with a fourth - in a bid for leniency. She was later released on her own recognizance. 'It's extremely dangerous that the kids were left in a car with no supervision. No one knew they were out there, no one knew where their parents were,' Broward Sheriff Office spokeswoman Gina Carter told the Miami Herald. Police said the children were upset, but otherwise not injured after spending seven hours stuck in a car. In addition to grand theft charges, authorities expect to file child neglect charges against the couple. The children have been placed with family members. | Tosheba Hope, 30, and Gerald Moultrie, 24, never said anything about their kids after they were arrested for shoplifting .
The children, age two, seven and nine, were stuck in the car for seven hours until a customer spotted them crying .
Hope cited the fact that she's a mother-of-three and said she is pregnant with a fourth when she asked a judge for leniency . |
205,857 | 967e516dd42275b1c6fae4ec6fab0c01a9f46204 | By . Alex Finnis for MailOnline . A pair of Indian teenagers being plucked from obscurity by a struggling sports agent to go and play professional baseball - this is the fanciful story behind Disney's latest film - Million Dollar Arm. But amazingly, it is based on real life. Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel's incredible rags to riches story took them from extreme poverty to the bright lights and big money of Major League Baseball, completely transforming their lives - all thanks to a game show. Struggling sports agent J.B. Bernstein, played by Jon Hamm in the film, took a punt at rejuvenating his career by heading to India. His aim - trying to find boys who had never played the game before and turn them into huge stars. Scroll down for trailer . Real-life stars: Rinku Singh (left) and Dinesh Patel (right) are the inspiration behind new film Million Dollar Arm . Pitch perfect: Singh (left) and Patel (right) pose for a photo shoot in their Pittsburgh Pirates kit . Silver screen: The pair shown as depicted in the new hit Disney film, which stars Mad Men actor Jon Hamm . These boys turned out to be Singh and Patel - neither of whom had pitched a ball in their lives. They both lived in poverty-stricken villages in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the north of the country, without running water - but ended up being flown to America and being put on the books of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Singh, the son of a truck driver from Bhadohi, lived with eight other siblings in just one room, while Patel was forced to be brought up by his grandmother in Khanpur as his parents were too poor to afford to raise him. But then along came The Million Dollar Arm - a reality TV show dreamt up by Bernstein which would literally pitch 37,000 hopefuls against each other for the prize of $100,000, a shot at a Major League Baseball contract - and a chance to change everything, not just for themselves, but for their families. Humble beginnings: Both Singh and Patel grew up in poverty, yet found themselves moving to America . Rags to pitches: The pair were signed up by MLB outfit the Pittsburgh Pirates and changed their lives forever . Singh emerged as the winner of the contest, and Patel as a talent too good to turn down. They suddenly found themselves moving to the USA after impressing scouts from the Pirates. The pair became the first Indians to sign American Major League Baseball contracts, and were flown to Florida to join the Pirates' training camp, before being sent to play for the organisation's Gulf Coast League affiliates - a rookie-level minor league team which help players prepare for an eventual career in MLB. Singh became the first Indian to make an appearance in a professional U.S. baseball game, with Patel close behind him, and they both enjoyed relatively successful starts to their careers. Their fairytale was a dream come true for their families back home - both boys were able to buy new homes for their parents with the money earned from their contracts. Pitching for success: Patel returned to India in 2010 and helped fellow villagers in the second Million Dollar Arm . In the money: The parents of Rinku Singh posing with the cheque for $100,000 he won as his prize . Singh, now 26, went on to play all over the world, including in the Dominican Rupublic and Australian leagues, and made the World All-Star team for the 2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star game. In 2010, he even met President Obama. After a hugely successful season with South Atlantic League side West Virginia Power in 2012, he missed the whole 2013 season through injury, and despite being invited to spring training by the Pittsburgh Pirates this year, will also miss the whole of this season as he undergoes elbow surgery. Patel meanwhile was released after two seasons with the Gulf Coast League Pirates, and returned home to finish his studies. He helped boys in his village prepare for the second instalment of The Million Dollar Arm, free of charge, before returning to javelin - a sport he had succeeded in in his youth, and competed at the national athletics championships in 2011. Hollywood heroes: The two baseball players (standing right) as millions will see them in cinemas . Star of the show: Mad Men's Jon Hamm plays the struggling sports agent who discovers the two boys . The film is released today, and he has spoken about what a special moment it is for the two real-life stars, who have got to see their lives brought to Hollywood and the silver screen. 'It’s crazy that there is a film about our lives,' said Patel, 25. 'It was a beautiful moment when I watched the film, I was overwhelmed. 'Our lives over the last six years have been a dream come true - we could never imagine it. We're very thankful for all the opportunities that have come our way.' In the film, Singh is played by Suraj Sharma, and Patel by Madhur Mittal. It has received fairly positive reviews, being rated 61 per cent by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. | Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel are the inspiration behind Million Dollar Arm .
Grew up in poverty in Indian villages before trying out in reality TV show .
Show aimed to find the best pitcher in India and bring them back to MLB .
Agent in charge, J.B. Bernstein, is played by Mad Men actor Jon Hamm .
Both boys were flown to America and given contracts by Pittsburgh Pirates .
Were able to buy new homes for their families with their new-found wealth . |
24,572 | 45a954eca8aba972029049d77a52af4a6e9bf9ae | (CNN) -- The man raced toward the school gate, flailing a knife as terrified youngsters scattered. A little girl raises her arm to try to defend herself but fails. She falls to the ground, losing her pink backpack near the entrance gate. After a few minutes of horror, the attacker chases other students as they try to flee the school grounds. By the end of the man's rampage, at least 23 elementary students were wounded, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The knife attack at Chenpeng Village Primary School in China's Henan province took place on December 14, the same day an American gunman killed 20 student and six educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Read more: China attack illustrates U.S. gun law divide . Recently released surveillance video from the front of the Chenpeng school shows children and adults tried to fend off the attacker with brooms. Authorities say 36-year-old Min Yongjun first stabbed an elderly woman in Chenpeng before breaking into the elementary school, Xinhua said. Police said Min was driven to commit the attack by "doomsday" rumors, according to Xinhua. Authorities also said Min testified he was inspired by TV reports about a kindergarten killing in 2010. "He thought he was doomed and hoped to do something to impress his existence upon the world before he died," police said, according to Xinhua. Initial assessments suggest the attacker is mentally ill, the state-run Chinanews.com said, citing Guangshan county authorities. China suffered a spate of knife and cleaver attacks targeting school children in 2010. A number of measures were introduced at the time, including increased security at schools across the country and a regulation requiring people to register with their national ID cards when buying large knives. But in Chenpeng, the only visible line of defense appeared to be elementary students and nearby adults with brooms. | The video shows children and adults trying to fend off the attacker with brooms .
Xinhua: Police say the knifeman stabbed an elderly woman and wounded 23 students .
Police say he was influenced by "doomsday" rumors and a 2010 kindergarten killing .
China suffered a spate of knife and cleaver attacks targeting school children in 2010 . |
62,636 | b1f8b576f55e3141d8587130374d51dfab46a1ba | A kindergarten teacher has been suspended from her job after two of her students were found ‘having sex’ while naked in her classroom's bathroom. Kelly Mascio, who has been teaching for more than 15 years in Mullica Township, New Jersey, has been suspended with pay since the incident on September 30. According to a police report, Mascio found the two five-year-olds - a boy and girl – naked in her in-classroom bathroom. They told her they were ‘having sex.’ Scroll down for video . Kelly Mascio, who has been teaching for more than 15 years in Mullica Township, New Jersey, has been suspended with pay since reporting the incident last September . Mascio immediately reported the incident to Principal Matthew Mazzoni, who in turn advised the Police Department and the state Department of Youth and Family Services. The teacher was immediately suspended, while police investigated the case. No criminal charges were filed, but on Wednesday the Mullica Township Board of Education voted to bring charges against the educator through the state to seek to remove her from her position. In a show of support by parents in the community, about 200 people came out to support the 'much beloved teacher', reports the Press of Atlantic City. The local Board of Education voted on Wednesday to bring charges against Kelly Mascio, who posted this message on Facebook on the very same day . ‘Our main concern is that the administration has completely forgone all traditional disciplinary avenues available in handling the incident,’ said Mullica Township Education Association President Barbara Rheault. ‘The administration has selected a disciplinary route that has resulted in enormous emotional and professional turmoil, and has strained the confidence and trust of school staff, parents and community members.’ On the same day, Mascio posted the following message on her Facebook page: 'I call my students "my kids" because in out year together they aren't just kids on my class list, they become a part of my heart'. | Kelly Mascio, who has been teaching for more than 15 years in Mullica Township, New Jersey .
She has been suspended with pay since finding two five-year-olds - a boy and girl - naked in her in-class bathroom on September 30 .
No criminal charges were filed, but now the local Board of Education is seeking to have her removed from her .
position .
200 people came out to support the 'much beloved teacher' |
121,487 | 290506c77bc8155ef25cf63dc2b074459e460a49 | Paramedics had to cut away a shopping cart from a victim's face after he was robbed and then attacked while walking down a California street. The 26-year-old man, who has not been identified, was attacked in Stockton on Friday at 2:25pm. The man reported that he realized he was being followed by three suspects when one of them called out to him. Paramedics had to cut away a shopping cart from a victim's face after he was robbed walking down the street in the middle of the afternoon (stock photo) He tried to get away, but was hit on the back of the head and knocked to the ground, reports CBS Sacramento. Two of the men held the victim down as the third proceeded to rob him by rifling through his pockets - they took all of his money. Then the trio - who were all wearing bandannas - slammed the man's face into the side of a shopping cart. The 26-year-old man, who has not been identified, was attacked on Pacific Avenue near the Calaveras River in Stockton, California (pictured) on Friday at 2:25pm . They forced his lips through the metal mesh and then ran away from the scene. The victim was unconscious when police found him. Paramedics were called and they were forced to cut the cart from his face. The condition of the man is unknown. One suspect is described as thin, 6 feet tall, between 20 to 25 years old, and had a red bandanna covering his face. The only description given of the other two suspects is that they wore dark bandannas on their faces. | The 26-year-old man, who has not been identified, was attacked in Stockton, California on Friday at 2:25pm .
He was hit on the back of the head and knocked to the ground .
They took his money and then slammed his face into the cart .
Paramedics had to cut the cart from his lips - his condition is unknown . |
202,118 | 91a7fd9ee639eea0454b77a4004906523c3af22e | A U.S. district court has fined TV host Ryan Seacrest's Typo Products for violating an injunction barring it from selling a $99 iPhone case found to have likely infringed on BlackBerry patents. U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco ordered Typo on Wednesday to pay BlackBerry $860,600 (£567,303) in sanctions, plus attorneys' fees and costs incurred in connection with Typo's violation of the injunction. BlackBerry had filed a suit in January 2014 against Typo, co-founded by 'American Idol' host Seacrest, alleging that the physical keyboard it makes for some of Apple's iPhone devices infringed on the Canadian smartphone maker's design patents. Scroll down for video . The Typo Keyboard, pictured, costs $99 (£60) and is due to launch in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the iPhone 5 and 5S. Other phone and tablet versions will then follow later next year . Although the keyboard slides onto the bottom of the phone, it actually connects to the software via Bluetooth. When a user wants to write a message, . email or Facebook post, for example, they can type on the physical . keyboard and the key strokes will be sent wirelessly to the phone in . real-time. The case adds a quarter of an inch thickness to the bottom of the Apple handset, and around an inch to the length. In March, the court issued a preliminary injunction that barred Typo from selling the physical keyboard iPhone case. A spokeswoman for Typo in an email said that the ongoing litigation and fine relates to the initial Typo product and does not impact its since redesigned keyboard product. 'It has no impact on the Typo 2 product currently in the marketplace, or our other planned product releases for the tablet,' the company said in an email, declining to comment any further on the matter. BlackBerry, which had asked the court to fine Typo $2.64 million for violating the injunction, declined to comment on the matter, stating merely that the court order speaks for itself. The court, in an order issued on Wednesday, said that Typo had sold nearly 19,000 of the keyboards after the preliminary injunction had been issued. Typo argued that BlackBerry has not shown that it has lost any sales as a result of Typo's conduct and that a fine would constitute an undeserved windfall for BlackBerry. The judge agreed it was unclear to what extent BlackBerry had been damaged, but added that 'Typo's not so clever attempts to evade the court's preliminary injunction' were quite transparent. 'The amount of sanctions awarded is only a third of what BlackBerry sought and is directly tied to additional revenue that Typo could have expected from its illegal conduct,' said judge Orrick, in the order. Seacrest is said to have invested $1million in the phone keyboard, and he is shown as a co-founder on the Type Products company website. Although the keyboard slides onto the bottom of the phone, it actually connects to the software via Bluetooth. When a user wants to write a message, email or Facebook post, for example, they can type on the physical keyboard and the key strokes will be sent wirelessly to the phone in real-time. The case adds a quarter of an inch thickness to the Apple handset, and around an inch to the length. Project: American TV presenter Ryan Seacrest (left) is said to have invested $1million in the phone keyboard (right), and he is shown as a co-founder on the Type Products company website . According to the Typo Products site: . 'When we set out to design the Typo Keyboard, our goal was simple: . create a keyboard and case that would add the absolute minimum . additional length and thickness to the iPhone, while still providing . protection to the phone and a butter-smooth, tactile typing experience.' The gadget is set to launch at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The . company added: 'For several years, many of our friends carried two . phones: one for typing and correspondence and an iPhone for virtually . everything else. 'One night, we were out to dinner and both had our phones on the table. Although the keyboard slides onto the bottom of the phone, it actually connects to the software via Bluetooth. When a user wants to write a message, they can type on the physical keyboard and the key strokes will be sent wirelessly to the phone in real-time . 'Two people, four phones! We looked at each other and thought there was an easy solution to the problem, a keyboard for the iPhone. 'That's when we decided to take matters into our own hands and the Typo Keyboard was born.' However, it is not the first keyboard adapter for touchscreen devices. BoxWave produces cases that have keyboards that slide from the bottom of iPhones and other touchscreen devices. The OEM Slider board is similar, but slides from the side of the handset, whereas the Concord Keystone Swivel board has a keyboard built into a flip case. | Typo Keyboard cost $99 (£60)and launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas .
US presenter Ryan Seacrest is a founder and said to invested $1million .
Keyboard fits over the bottom of the phone adding an inch to the length .
Blackberry says keyboard infringes on its design patents .
Judge ordered Typo on to pay BlackBerry $860,600 (£567,303) in sanctions, plus attorneys' fees and costs . |
127,368 | 30a25083b2bc188a4fcafb6628084b6222160a87 | A defiant Barack Obama dives into what could be a defining period of his presidency this week, after repeatedly enraging Republicans from afar during his Asia tour. Obama faces showdowns with the GOP over immigration, the Keystone XL pipeline and his drive for a nuclear deal with Iran, all of which have huge consequences for his political legacy. Far from being chastened by the Republican capture of the Senate, Obama is setting out to prove he is no lame duck and can still set the agenda. But the GOP insists the mid-terms gave them a share of power in Washington, and believe Obama risks usurping his authority and even the constitution with his bold new strategy. Obama drawing lines on immigration, climate change . Obama chose a highly symbolic setting to set the tone for two final White House years in which he will face a unified Republican Congress. Side-by-side in Myanmar with the world's most famous dissident, Obama refused to bow to what Republicans regard as the capital's new political "reality." On the veranda of the lakeside villa from where Aung San Suu Kyi faced down a junta, Obama said he had long warned House Republicans he would use executive power to reform the US immigration system if they failed to. "That's gonna happen. That's gonna happen before the end of the year." The president doubled down in Australia on Sunday, before boarding Air Force One for home, saying he would be derelict in his duties if he did not act. "I can't wait in perpetuity when I have authorities that at least for the next two years can improve the system," he said. White House officials have not said when Obama will wield his executive powers in a move that could remove the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented people. But they say it will be soon. While Obama was abroad, post-election tensions escalated sharply on Capitol Hill as happy talk from both sides about working together quickly ebbed away. Senior aides dispute the idea the elections were a referendum on the President and say Obama is at his best when he is on "offense" and believe that's what Americans want to see. So, as he trekked through Asia, Obama rattled Republicans almost every day. Related: On the other side of the world, Obama determined as ever to bypass Congress . He surprised everyone with a new climate deal with China that the GOP slammed as costly and "ridiculous." He popped up on video to discuss new Internet regulations that may spark another row. He refused to budge on approving the Keystone XL pipeline to take oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. He may veto a bill on the project that Congress is expected to pass this week. While in Asia, the president debunked the idea that the plan, opposed by environmentalists in his political base, would create lots of jobs and lower gas prices. Obama says he still wants to work with Republicans on tax reform and infrastructure spending bills. But it looks like he has decided that he won't compromise his legacy priorities to get that done. GOP promises retribution, but avoids specifics . Republicans are fuming over Obama's go-it-alone attitude since voters handed the GOP the Senate and expanded its majority in the House. "We'd like for the president to recognize the reality that he has the government that he has, not the one he wishes he had," said the next Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham warned Obama could spark a backlash over immigration. "If he goes it alone he is going to run into the ire of the American people," Graham said, though said Congress also had a responsibility to act. Republican Senate leadership member Roy Blunt warned however that Obama will eventually have to play ball, or he will end up with Republican bills he doesn't like. "At that point, his choice is to sign it or veto it." Republican leader John Boehner said his goal was to stop the president from violating his oath of office and the constitution. "There are things he is just not going to get." Republican anger is however masking a serious problem the party has yet to resolve : how to hit back at what it sees a presidential power grab. Other than warning that Obama would "poison the well" for future cooperation, GOP leaders won't say whether they will use pending federal funding bills as leverage. That route led to a damaging government shutdown for which the GOP paid a heavy political price last year. One response could be to pass a series of short term funding measures, that keep administration priorities in limbo and maximize Republican leverage. House Republicans could also chose to expand the lawsuit they have already lodged against Obama alleging he usurped his authority in implementing Obamcare. Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer stirred buzz on Friday by declaring executive action on immigration would even be an "impeachable" offense. GOP leaders are already braced for pressure from the right for a tangible and not merely symbolic reflex when the president acts. "If the president moves forward and does his executive action, the Republicans have no choice but to respond," said Dan Holler, communications director of Heritage Action for America, a conservative non profit group. "That response needs to be legislative. The vehicle that makes most sense is denying funding for the activity that they say is unconstitutional and inappropriate." Obamacare: Voters, are you stupid? Obama's strategy could divide Republicans . Holler's point reflects a secondary benefit some Democrats see in Obama's strategy — it will cause a big political headache for Republican bosses. Obama's immigration move is certain to ignite a firestorm of grass roots conservative anger. That will in turn pile pressure on rank-and-file Republican House members who campaigned for office slamming what they see as an imperial president. Some conservative lawmakers were already skittish at leadership warnings that it might be impossible to repeal Obamacare with a Democratic president in the White House. Nothing worries Republicans in deeply conservative districts more than the prospect of a primary challenge, and many simply cannot afford not to mount the kind of rowdy response to Obama which will rock Boehner's restive caucus. Several House Republicans are arguing that it's time to quickly get to work on holding hearings and drafting an immigration bill to demonstrate their party has its own reform ideas, and is not just about blocking the president's policies. "Ultimately we all know we've got to deal with this problem, so why not start dealing with the problem - even though it's the lame duck, even though you're not going to get anything through to final passage," Idaho Republican Rep Mike Simpson told reporters Friday. "Now we could start showing some seriousness that we're going to address this problem." Executive orders on immigration will also detonate as the 2016 presidential race dawns, trapping Republicans between the party's activist base and a desire to engage Hispanic voters vital to GOP White House hopes. Republicans are also adamantly opposed to the nuclear deal with Iran which could emerge from down-to-the-wire talks in Vienna starting this week and are threatening to upend it with new sanctions. Obama appears to reject the idea Republicans have a mandate for change at all. He stressed in his post-election news conference that two thirds of Americans did not even vote and he was "the guy who's elected by everybody." But he knows a tough political fight looms and reflected Friday on the contrast between polarization at home and the welcome he gets on his travels. "You are always popular in somebody else's country. When you're in your own country, everybody is complaining." | Obama stakes out defiant tone toward GOP .
The White House readies executive action on immigration .
Republicans puzzle over how to respond . |
36,257 | 66d601297a788c6e1fb6bdb77630d4dbbc251aac | (CNN) -- Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are looking for a man who assaulted five other young British girls on vacation in Portugal, London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday. Madeleine was 3 when she disappeared while she was on vacation in the Portuguese resort town of Praia da Luz with her family in June 2007. Her disappearance prompted headlines worldwide. Officers are investigating 12 potentially linked crimes at resorts near where the toddler vanished. The man, whom witnesses describe as being tanned with short, dark, unkempt hair, is suspected of breaking in to 12 vacation homes where British families were staying in the Algarve between 2004 and 2010. In four of the incidents, girls between 7 and 10 years of age were sexually assaulted in their beds. On one of these occasions, he assaulted two girls in the same villa, police said. These attacks happened between 2004 and 2006. "Whilst not identical, there are many similar aspects to each of the incidents in that in most cases there were no signs of forced entry to the property, nothing was taken, and the intruder appeared in the early hours of the morning," between 2 and 5 a.m., police said in a statement . "The suspect may have been in the villa or looking round the villa for some time before committing the offenses or being disturbed either by a parent coming in, or the child waking up. He remained calm, even when disturbed." Mystery . Of the 12 offenses, there were four in Carvoeiro, six in the Vale da Parra, Praia da Gale district, and two in Praia da Luz. On two occasions, the noise of a bin collection lorry could be heard nearby. The man is said to have spoken in English with a foreign accent, and his voice was described as slow, or possibly slurred. "These matters are very serious. It's very important primarily for us to understand and identify who this offender is," Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said. "Firstly, because clearly nobody has been prosecuted for these horrible offenses against these young people. And secondly, once we have identified this offender, we need to be able to prove or disprove whether these offenses and that offender is connected to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann." Last October, new police sketches were released of potential suspects in the case, and UK police appeared in a television appeal for information. The program prompted a flurry of tips, and police in Portugal announced they would reopen the case. Since then, the Portuguese investigation has run in parallel with the British one. Detectives have previously said they were investigating a spike in break-ins in the area in the weeks before Madeleine disappeared, two of them in the same block where her family was staying. Mystery has surrounded Madeleine's disappearance for the past six years. Neither her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, nor the detectives investigating her case have given up on one day finding the little girl from Leicestershire, England. CNN's Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report. | Officers probing 12 potentially linked crimes at resorts near where Madeleine vanished .
Man is suspected of breaking into vacation homes where British families were staying .
Madeleine was 3 when she disappeared in a Portuguese resort town in 2007 .
Her disappearance prompted headlines worldwide. |
54,974 | 9bc1cd2240fcd132e6b2a7dca70c3bed08fc4ab0 | By . Jessica Jerreat . A body found hidden inside a RV that had been hired for a bachelor party is that of a 22-year-old father from Minnesota who went missing in November. Kevin Casserly, the father of two young children, had gone missing from his Anoka home on November 12. His body was discovered hidden inside a RV on Thursday by a group of friends who had hired the vehicle for a trip to the Kentucky Derby. Victim: The body of 22-year-old Kevin Casserly, who went missing in November, has been found in a rented RV . No cause of death has been released, and results are not yet available from a postmortem examination that was carried out. His body was found in an exterior compartment of a rented RV by members of a bachelor party who were trying to find the source of a foul smell. When they hired the RV, its owner, 'Rob', told the group not to use the front compartments because they were out of order. Jake Wanek, who was part of the bachelor group, said they had pulled over in Winona at about 10pm to collect a few more friends when they found the body. It 'didn’t look fresh. Let’s put it that way,' he told the Star Tribune. Dan Trainor, who the bachelor party was being held for, added that the incident felt 'like we were in the middle of a movie'. Police have not said if the owner of the vehicle has any ties to Mr Casserly. Devoted dad: Kevin Casserly had two young children and was getting his life back on track after a struggle with drugs . On Saturday, the victim's family issued a heartfelt statement on a Facebook page that had been set up to try to find Mr Casserly. 'After 24 weeks of searching, it is with heavy hearts that we share with you that Kevin’s body was recovered on Thursday,' the post read. 'To all the volunteers who helped us search for Kevin, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Words cannot express how much the support has meant to all of us and Kevin's family.' Mr Casserly was last seen at about 7.30am on November 12. He was spotted barefoot at the side of a highway. His car was found a short distance away, with an empty tank and the door open. When his mother visited his apartment to look for him she found the door slightly open but all his belongings there, including his wallet and a $20 bill on his kitchen counter. The 22-year-old, who had suffered from meth addiction in the past, was close to his mom and had been sober for a long period. He had also recently been promoted at his work. 'Nothing right now has led us to believe he's having a relapse,' his sister, Alexander, said shortly after he disappeared. 'To just disappear like this ... he wouldn't do it,. He wouldn't disappear without checking in on his kids,' she added. Gruesome find: A group of friends from Minnesota were on their way to the Kentucky Derby in a rented RV, pictured, when they found a body . Mr Casserly had a six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter who lived with his grandmother, because their mother is struggling with drug addiction. He was described as a doting father who was determined that his children would not fall into the drug problems he had. He took them to dance and karate lessons, and was working hard to get his life back on track. Members of the bachelor party who discovered his body were initially taken in for questioning by police, and later released. John Kirk, who was part of the group traveling to the annual triple crown race, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune . that he and a few of his friends were instructed by the RV’s owner, . ‘Rob,’ not to open the outside compartment because it did not work. But when . the RV rolled into Winona to collect the last of the guests outside . Shopko, one of them opened the bin, releasing a gust of bad smell into . the air. ‘I opened it up and I saw two legs and they're bruised or decomposing,’ Trainor told KTSP. Unexpected discovery: Jake Wanek, left, and the groom-to-be Dan Trainor IV, right, found the body when they investigated a weird odor coming from a container in the RV . Trainor . said that in the first few minutes, responding officers treated them as . potential suspects, but they eventually realized that the revelers had . nothing to do with the mystery man's death. The friends were taken to a police station for questioning, which lasted for two hours before they were finally let go. | Kevin Casserly was last seen barefoot at the side of a Minnesota highway on November 12 .
His decomposing body was found stashed inside compartment on rented vehicle . |
143,955 | 4629e187d00b1bc863fe3152514c843eb6a9c2a0 | (CNN) -- An indictment unsealed in Manhattan criminal court on Thursday formally charged suspect Conrado Juarez with the 1991 slaying of 4-year-old Anjelica Castillo, known for decades only as "Baby Hope." Juarez, 52, in an orange jumpsuit and a translator at his side, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder in the second degree. Assistant District Attorney Melissa Mourges read portions of a statement, unsealed in court, taken when Juarez allegedly confessed after his October arrest. The document said that Juarez "admitted that he had sex with the victim and killed her by smothering her with a pillow, then packed her into the cooler and brought the cooler uptown and left it as previously described." Outside court, Juarez's attorney Michael Croce called the alleged confession "completely suspect," saying his client was interrogated for more than 13 hours. Croce said he was told a police translator helped facilitate the confession. "That's always problematic for me," he said, casting doubt on its "veracity" and "accuracy." Last month, police said that Juarez -- 30 at the time -- visited a Queens apartment shared by seven of his relatives and saw Anjelica in the hallway. In 1991, construction workers found the body of Anjelica -- who had not been reported missing -- bound and stuffed in a garbage bag. The bag was hidden under some soda cans inside a blue and white cooler. She had been smothered and sexually molested, police said. Her body was so decomposed that several sketches were made in attempts to capture what she looked like. The young victim became an emotional symbol for the NYPD and its unsolved cases. Two years after she was found, the girl was laid to rest in a donated plot. She was buried in a white dress bought by a detective's wife, with a tombstone paid for by detectives to mark her grave. "Because we care" said an inscription at the bottom of the tombstone. Each year, on the anniversary of the July 23, 1991, discovery of her body, police canvassed nearby neighborhoods, handing out fliers and seeking leads in the case. An anonymous tip called in after the latest canvass in July helped crack the case, police said. It took detectives to Anjelica's sister, now an adult. The lead helped them identify the woman believed to be the girl's mother. Anjelica's name was recently added to her tombstone, more than 20 years after her body was discovered. For parents of the missing, does hope spring eternal? | Unsealed indictment formally charges alleged killer of girl known as "Baby Hope"
Suspect Conrado Juarez pleads not guilty to charge of second-degree murder .
Girl was killed in 1991 . |
48,192 | 88092fd8b4337f93a9447a502c7afed4d52e9886 | It has all the usual suspects of Christmas dinner, with turkey, honey roast ham, stuffing, cranberry jelly and even Brussels sprouts. But this festive spread is served up in 1.5lb giant toastie. Made from two separate sandwiches, the first toastie has up to 4oz of roasted free-range turkey and melted Camembert topped with cranberry sauce. Scroll down for video . Flic and Barny Luxmoore who run gourmet toastie service The Jabberwocky in Leamington Spa created the 1.5lbs Mrs Claus - an entire Christmas dinner with all the trimmings in two toasted sandwiches . The mammoth festive snack has roast turkey, honey ham, herb stuffing, roast carrots, Camembert, cheddar, cranberry sauce and Brussels Sprouts. Three chipolatas and cheesy turkey gravy complete the creation . The second sandwich contains 2oz of honey roast ham, herb stuffing, roast carrots, cheddar and sautéed Brussel sprouts - but customers can opt remove the sprouts for a £1 charity donation. Three pigs in blankets and cheesy turkey gravy, sandwiched between the two toasties before being fused together on the griddle, complete the creation, . The Yuletide sarnie is the brainchild of Flic and Barny Luxmoore, from Leamington Spa. The couple, who run The Jabberwocky, a gourmet street food service which specialises in toasties, have called the 1.5lbs festive feast Mrs Claus and have put it on sale for £8.50. Their festive menu also features a mince pie toastie, made with homemade mincemeat and a scoop of brandy butter, and a turkey toastie with cranberry sauce and Camembert. The toastie is made from two sandwiches fused together with cheesy turkey gravy . The pair - who have been creating Christmas themed toasties since 2012 - have become renowned for their seasonal toasties, even winning the BBC Midlands Street Food Award in 2013 for their very British culinary flare. Mrs Luxmoore 30, said: 'We've had a great response from customers to the Mrs Claus toasty. 'People use it as an ersatz Christmas dinner, and just love the idea of a whole Christmas dinner - in weight as well as in content - in a single toasty. 'The most common response is a widening of the eyes as we put it together and they realise how much they have let themselves in for. 'But invariably they come back after and tell us it was amazing.' The festive menu also features a mince pie toastie and a turkey toastie with cranberry sauce and Camembert . For those put off by sprouts, the couple are offering customers the chance to remove the Brussels in return for a charity condition of £1, dubbing the option as the 'Mrs Claus clause'. Surprisingly, they have only had one request to remove the green wintry veg, regularly selling out their entire stock of Mrs Claus toasties with sprouts included. Mr Luxmoore said: 'We are constantly asked if we can add or subtract ingredients here and there, often making a totally different toasty. 'Before Christmas, we had a horrible premonition that we would spend the entire time taking sprouts out of the Mrs Claus. Mrs Luxmoore (left) preparing the festive feast in a sandwich. Customers who want their toasties sans sprouts have to make a £1 donation to charity (right) 'We thought we would at least give people an incentive to try it, seeing as they actually really work. 'Although we have had donations where people have left the sprouts in, only one person has paid to take them out, which perhaps suggest people like sprouts more than we thought. 'We only raised a few pounds for charity, but I guess every little helps.' | The Mrs Claus toasted sandwich created by Flic and Barny Luxmoore .
The couple run gourmet food service The Jabberwocky in Leamington Spa .
Mammoth toastie weighs 1.5lbs and is made from two sandwiches . |
242,173 | c5709a2f8699728b8950c3ff74d3ab8d416be235 | Anyone suspected of being a potential sex offender could have their internet use curbed and be banned from spending time with children without ever being convicted of an offence. Sexual Risk Orders will be handed to anyone who 'poses a risk of sexual harm' in Britain or overseas and will last for at least two years. Ministers said it was vital to making it easier for police to monitor sex offenders and would mean the UK has some of the toughest powers in the world. Monitoring: Anyone suspected of posing a risk of sexual harm could have their internet use curbed or be banned from being left alone with under-16s (file picture) Under the new regime police or National Crime Agency (NCA) officers will be able to apply to the magistrates' courts for a new Sexual Risk Order aimed at limiting the activities of individuals who they judge to be a risk but have not charged with an offence. A range of restrictions can be applied to individuals under the powers, such as limiting their internet use, stopping them from being alone with a child under 16 or preventing travel abroad. And breaching the order could see a person jailed for up to five years. Policing and criminal justice minister Damian Green said: 'The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders. Warning: Home Office minister Damian Green said Britain would have some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders . 'Today, we are going even further by giving police and National Crime Agency officers the power to place greater restrictions on any person they judge to be a risk. 'Our proposals support the Childhood Lost campaign to tighten the law on sex offenders and make it easier for police to monitor them. 'This is part of ongoing work by the Home Office led national group to look at how the police and other agencies can better identify and deal with sexual offending, ensuring victims are at the heart of the criminal justice system.' The proposals, tabled in the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, also include a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order which can be applied to anyone convicted or cautioned for a sexual or violent offence, including where offences are committed overseas. The Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasts a minimum of five years and has no maximum duration, while the Sexual Risk Order lasts a minimum of two years and has no maximum duration. Both orders will have a lower risk requirement and their remit will be wider, meaning foreign travel restrictions can be applied. The new measures replace orders that can currently be imposed on sex offenders who have been convicted, cautioned, warned or reprimanded for an offence or those who pose a risk. Individuals will be able to appeal against the order and the police or the person concerned are able to apply for the order to be varied, renewed or discharged. | New Sexual Risk Orders for anyone who poses 'risk of sexual harm'
Internet use is limited, contact with children monitored and travel banned .
Ministers hail the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders . |
261,230 | de53ec7250888df24125ce91cde037a468a0fc07 | By . Hugo Gye, Meghan Keneally and Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 01:41 EST, 6 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:45 EST, 6 November 2012 . Barack Obama was last night overwhelmed with emotion during the final campaign performance of his career as he was forced to wipe away a tear in front of a huge crowd in Iowa. Seemingly swept up in the significance of the event in Des Moines, the usually-stoic President appeared to weep from his left eye as he made his last plea to voters last night. 'I've come back to Iowa one more time to ask for your vote. This is where our movement for change began,' he told the crowd of 20,000 people. Scroll down for video . Emotional: Barack Obama was caught tearing up at his final rally in Iowa on Monday night . To the people: Obama said that he picked Iowa as the place for the final rally because that was where the campaign began . Frosty: The cold temperatures of the late night rally caught up with the President . ‘You took this campaign and you made it your own. When the . cynics said you couldn't, you said: “Yes we can”.’ He was joined on stage by First Lady Michelle, who hugged her husband and they happily clasped hands as they strode off stage. She also gave a speech introducing Barack at the event. The late night rally in Iowa was the final stop on the drawn out re-election campaign, and the President capped off the last 24 hours with visits to Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa. He was joined on the road by some top-tier celebrity supporters, including rapper Jay Z and rocker Bruce Springsteen. It's done! A joyous Michelle greets the President after his speech to the crowd of 200,000 people . Approving look: The couple have been campaigning for Obama's re-election for nearly 18 months . That's all, folks: The Democrat called in his many celebrity supporters in an effort to raise attendance numbers at his final rallies . Light at the end: Neither of the first daughters attended the rallies with their parents . The President said last night that more reforms are needed in college American football, four years after he called for an eight-team play-off system to be introduced. This was to replace a model where the nation’s top teams were paired off in championship games based on polls and computer models. A four-team single-elimination tournament will begin in 2014, reported the Huffington Post. But after being asked if this went far enough on ESPN Monday Night Football's half-time show, Obama said: ‘Promises made, promises kept. 'This (a college football play-off system) was something I said needed to get done. And this is the kind of change you can believe in. 'But, I'd like to see it actually go to eight. I'll be honest with you.’ Jay Z, who has held multiple fundraisers for the President, even changed his lyrics to take a jab at the President's Republican rival Mitt Romney, rapping: 'I got 99 problems but Mitt ain't one.' He told the crowd in Columbus, Ohio, that when Obama asked him to perform at the campaign rally, he replied: 'Michelle is coming?' Earlier the President appeared with Springsteen in Madison, Wisconsin in a last-minute attempt to shore up his lead in the Midwestern swing state. However, the pair drew a crowd just a quarter of the size of that drawn by Springsteen and John Kerry in 2004. Obama and the Boss then travelled on Air Force One together to Ohio and Iowa, with Springsteen playing a short set before Obama delivers his campaign speech. The Boss said that his travels with the . President marked his first time on Air Force One, giving the . presidential ride a succinct 'pretty cool'. The Boss: Bruce Springsteen spent the day campaigning with Obama in Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa (pictured) Big fans: Michelle and Bruce both spoke at the Iowa rally . Happy hugs: The Obama team chose to spend the final day of the campaign in the midwest to sure up votes in the critical swing states . Waving to the masses: The crowd fought the cold to be present for the late-night event . Bringing out the crowds: Both candidates are vying for strong showings in the midwest . The two musical legends were joined by nearly 200 other well-known 'surrogates' for Obama lending their voices to the last day of his re-election effort. 'You took this campaign and you made it your own. When the cynics said you couldn't, you said: "Yes we can"' President Barack Obama . Springsteen played his hit Land of Hope and Dreams in front of a crowd of 18,000 yesterday morning, before rousing them with a speech in support of the President. He said that Obama had run on an optimistic message of change in 2008, but now faced 'a world that challenges your hopefulness'. Springsteen also joked that although he was proud to support the President's re-election, 'that first debate really freaked me out'. Support: Barack Obama was joined by celebrity allies Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen at an event in Ohio . Passion: Jay-Z performed at a campaign event for Barack Obama in Columbus, Ohio on Monday . VIDEO: Springsteen and Jay-Z open for Obama in Ohio . However, while the mood was festive, either Springsteen or Obama appeared to have lost some star power, as the turnout was sharply reduced compared to similar events in the past. 'I've come back to Iowa one more time to ask for your vote. This is where our movement for change began' President Barack Obama . The rocker appeared with Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in Madison in 2004, and drew a crowd of 80,000. And in 2008, 50,000 supporters turned out to watch the Boss promote Obama's campaign in Columbus, Ohio. Yesterday's crowd of 18,000 was even dwarfed by an Obama solo appearance in Madison on Sunday, when 30,000 people gathered to hear him speak at the University of Wisconsin campus. Luckily for Obama, Springsteen was not the only celebrity pulling for him on the day before the presidential election. Paired: The politician and the rocker spent the whole penultimate day of campaigning together . Triumph: But Springsteen admitted he was 'freaked out' by the first presidential debate . First class: Springsteen and his wife Patti step of Air Force One upon their arrival in Columbus, Ohio . Couple: U.S. Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney kisses his wife Ann at a campaign rally in Columbus, Ohio . The Hollywood Reporter obtained a list of 181 public figures who had joined the President's campaign and agreed to help sway the few remaining undecided voters. Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson are all calling in to radio stations to get the message out, while Neil Diamond manned phone banks for Obama on Sunday. 'I got 99 problems but Mitt ain't one' Jay Z . Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin hit the campaign trail in person, joining Michelle Obama at events in Florida. Other stars associated with the re-election campaign include Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Brandon Routh and Sheryl Crow. Mitt Romney has his own roster of celebrities, including Kid Rock, Meat Loaf and Clint Eastwood. He has also drawn the apparent support of troubled actress Lindsay Lohan, who is prone to impromptu political rants via Twitter. Anne Hathaway . Armando 'Pitbull' Perez . Ashley Judd . Billie Jean King . Brandon Routh . Bruce Springsteen . Carole King . Cedric the Entertainer . Chris Rock . Cynthia Nixon . Danny DeVito . Dave Matthews . Eva Longoria . Ice Cube . Jack Black & Kyle G. Jake Gyllenhaal . James Taylor . Jay-Z . Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) Jim James (My Morning Jacket) John Cho . John Legend . John Mellencamp . Jon Hamm . Justin Long . Katy Perry . Lady Gaga . Laurence Fishburne . Maggie Gyllenhaal . Mario Van Peebles . Marisa Tomei . Maya Angelou . Natalie Portman . Rashida Jones . Ricky Martin . Roger Altman . Samuel L. Jackson . Scarlett Johansson . Sheryl Crow . Stephen Stills . Stevie Wonder . Victor Cruz . Vivica A. Fox . Will.i.am . Zachary Quinto . VIDEO: A tearful Obama gives his last speech of campaigning career . | Bruce Springsteen joined President for tour of key Midwest swing states .
Jay Z performed for Obama, rapping: 'I got 99 problems but Mitt ain't one'
Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa visits for Obama ahead of today's Election Day . |
186,287 | 7d4abff71fd90bcd5e37a2d85811c645d824cebb | Fashionistas may despair at the latest trend reports - but their granddads will be delighted. Socks and sandals are the latest must-have look, according to a leading fashion editor. And it's not the delicate shimmering sock with an elegant heeled sandal you've seen at Burberry and Prada but an altogether more masculine pairing. Rita Ora has been braving the trend since spring, with Velcro sliders. Time to get some sheepskin 'Stocks? Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen wear the socks and sandals combination - apparently it's the hottest trend . This season it's all about double-strap flats and thick, ribbed socks, says Katherine Ormerod, senior fashion news editor at Grazia. She has said that the Birkenstock is a more affordable take on designer looks, but warns you must retain some bare skin and avoid covering up your whole leg to make it work. The look has been dubbed 'Stocks and socks and is all about a silhouette of chunky sock and chunky, flat shoe. Traditionally, it's a look favoured by granddads and hippies and general creatures of convenience with minimal interest in fashion. But the past few months have seen it filter through designer catwalks such as Miharayasuhiro, through to fashion bloggers like Man Repeller, and down to showbiz darlings like Rita Ora and the Olsen twins. Now, it's stomping its way through social media and onto the feet of the fashionable woman on the street, says the Guardian. The James Long show for SS15 (l) and Miharayasuhiro at Paris Fashion Week, also SS15 (r) The Birkenstock Arizona shoes with sheepskin lining (l) and a fashion show attendee in Paris this summer (r) 'Flat sandals and socks look good worn with a pretty dress, bare legs and a chunky jacket. It doesn't work with tights,' says Katherine Ormerod. 'The sock needs to be substantial, something with a bit of a hiking vibe to it. Best get them in a grungy colour, a grey or an olive or a brown, and wear them a bit slouched down. The whole look needs to be outdoorsy. It can work for men as well as women too, as part of that whole urban woodsman look. You know: the beard, lumberjack shirt, rolled-up jeans, sandals and socks. 'While this look is always going to look great on a woman with long slim legs, like many things, socks and sandals can be flattering to lots of shapes and sizes because of the proportions involved. Things that are heavier around the ankle make your leg look slimmer. This is why big chunky boots are currently so popular too.' Birkenstocks were, of course, huge for summer. But fashion says you should consider carrying the shoe into autumn (especially the new sheepskin-lined Arizona style), paired with chunky socks. The look will definitely keep your toes toasty as well as, apparently, make your legs look slimmer and earn you plenty of fashion points. A couple of weeks ago, geeky Velcro-strap sandal company Teva ran a promotion with Urban Outfitters in America. They celebrated socks and flat sandals by offering a pair of Teva with Woolrich socks at a $65 set. Models in a dedicated lookbook were seen wearing the sandals with colorful socks and hipster-chic ensembles such as chambray shirt-dresses and acid wash joggers. And in an appeal to the snap-happy Instagram set, the lookbook had the hashtag #SockAndSandals printed on the cover. But highly styled, long-limbed, airbrushed models are one thing, and real life is another. It remains to be seen whether even the most stylish women on the street will really adopt the look. Are you convinced? Fearne Cotton in the old look of thin sock and heels in 2011 (l) and Uma rocking the current trend (r) | Traditionally a fashion faux-pas, the dreadful look is now 'on trend'
Katherine Ormerod, senior fashion news editor at Grazia, says so .
Prada and Marni started it, since seen on fashion blogger Man Repeller .
Woman on the street will soon be wearing the look, says the Guardian . |
70,654 | c854df7ac634e0b589d24d3da47ca59bad1bcaba | By . Victoria Woollaston . There are a number of hand gestures used around the world that people recognise, regardless of what country or language they're being used in - such as tapping your wrist to ask for the time, or writing in mid-air when asking for the bill. However, the rise in technology is seeing an number of new, tech-related gestures achieving similar global recognition, according to research from HP. For example, the European study found 89 per cent of people can correctly identify the finger swiping motion for 'the next page' - and this exceeded the 83 per cent of people who identified the gesture for asking for a drink. Tech firm HP asked 6,000 people across UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Russia to identify nine hand actions. They included traditional, everyday gestures such as OK, established tech gestures, including 'texting', and more contemporary gestures, such as 'next page' and 'scroll down' pictured . HP surveyed 6,000 people across the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Russia, and asked each participant to identify nine different actions. The first three were traditional, everyday gestures including the OK sign, made by pressing together a thumb and index finger, raising an imaginary glass to ask someone for a drink, and tapping a wrist to ask for the time. The next three were established technology gestures including holding an imaginary telephone to the ear to signify ‘call me’, tapping a thumb rapidly to mimic texting, and typing on an imaginary keyboard when discussing emails. Gesture Rate of recognition by country . Call me . 97% . 98% . 96% . 99% . 99% . 98% . 88% . 91% . 96% . 97% . 94% . 73% . I'll text you . 94% . 96% . 96% . 96% . 94% . 90% . Next page . 89% . 64% . 96% . 93% . 97% . 97% . Scroll down page . 81% . 38% . 86% . 84% . 71% . 84% . Zoom out . 18% . 37% . 95% . 89% . 18% . 30% . OK . 91% . 72% . 94% . 87% . 91% . 83% . What's the time? 98% . 98% . 98% . 99% . 99% . 99% . Drink - pint . 83% . 30% . 34% . 74% . 42% . 32% . Drink - shot glass . 4% . 3% . 17% . 5% . 5% . 18% . Drink - wine bottle . 4% . 61% . 31% . 13% . 45% . 16% . Respondents were then asked to identify three actions based on modern touchscreen hand gestures, namely swiping to the next page, scrolling, and zooming out. The vast majority of people in the UK correctly identified gestures for calling someone and typing an email (97 per cent and 88 per cent respectively), while 81 per cent also correctly identified the ‘scroll down’ gesture. James Morrish, HP's chief technologist for printing and personal systems in UK and Ireland said: 'This study shows how new technology is paving the way for new immersive ways of interacting with our devices. As expected, established gestures such as 'What's the time?' had one of the highest recognition rates, pictured bottom. The sign for OK was recognised in 86% of cases, but people in France and Russia also thought it was the sign for zero . There were cultural variations in the understanding of 'zoom out', pictured. In the UK, recognition rate dropped to 18% while France (37%) Spain (18%) and Russia (30%) also found the 'zoom out' gesture harder to identify. Respondents from Italy and Germany fared better, with 95% and 89% respectively . 'We used to learn to ‘speak’ our computer’s language, but today gesture-led technology intuitively works in conjunction with our natural language and movements.' There were some cultural variations in the understanding of the ‘zoom . out’ gesture, however. In the UK, the recognition rate dropped to 18 per cent, while France (37 per cent) Spain (18 per cent) and Russia . (30 per cent) also found the ‘zoom out’ gesture slightly harder to . identify. In addition, just under a third (30 per cent) of the UK sample . said that they didn’t know the meaning of the ‘zoom out’ gesture. Respondents from Italy and Germany fared far better, with 95 per cent and 89 per cent getting it right respectively. When it comes to drinking, Germans and Britons most commonly mimed a large glass when asking for a drink. In France, the most common drinking gesture was the 'wine bottle' mime. Italians used a mixture of large glasses and wine bottles, while Russians additionally used a short glass gesture, pictured . Gestural communication expert Dr. Peter Collett said: 'The findings suggest some gestures can give . rise to ‘iconic confusion’. In the case of the zoom out command, for . example, the fingers actually come closer together, not further apart, . which looks like they’re depicting a narrower, not a wider, perspective. 'It’s quite likely that the inherent contradiction of this gesture will . slow down its spread, even in countries where touch screens are widely . used, until such time as the gesture manages to gain a proper foothold'. The study also found age does not significantly impact a person's ability to recognise new tech gestures with only a two per cent difference in success rate between the over 65 age group, and participants aged 18 to 24. 'This is a story about the constant evolution of humanity and what we are seeing is a snapshot of a deeply fascinating process, as it happens,' added Dr. Collett. 'The younger generation has an inherent understanding of touch technology, and their influence extends to people who are much older. In no time at all ‘touch tech’ gestures will become a part of a universal convention.' | Tech firm HP asked 6,000 people across Europe to identify hand gestures .
This included three traditional gestures and six technology-based actions .
More people in the UK recognised the gesture for 'the next page' than the action used to ask for a drink .
Other gestures included 'zoom out' and 'scroll down the page'
People in Italy and Germany recognised the most modern-day terms . |
1,964 | 05ad942f638fdfd2448d4897287a27089341fa9a | A seven-year-old boy who asked Santa for a new heart is recovering after receiving a life-saving transplant. Micah Muller, from Waynesburg, Ohio, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition that affects blood flow to the heart. After complications last September, he was admitted to the hospital and put on the heart transplant waiting list a month later. Micah, who wasn't expected to live through the New Year, received a new heart on December 20 - just in time for Christmas. Scroll down for video . Gift of life: Micah Muller asked Santa for a new heart and received a life-saving organ transplant just five days before Christmas . 'It's amazing,' Micah's mother LaVonne Dougherty told Fox 8 News Cleveland. 'It's surreal. Never though that we would be here. Never thought it.' One of the doctors at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital said Micah had been dying after 'a lifetime of being sick' prior to the surgery. Ms Dougherty admitted that she struggled with her emotions when her son was put on the heart transplant waiting list. Normal heart: The seven-year-old from Waynesburg, Ohio is finally recovering and looking forward to going home with his mom LaVonne Dougherty (center) and his three sisters . Amazing recovery: Micah, who is pictured with his sisters Cassie (left) Julie (center) and Madeline (right), now has a normal heart after being born with a rare birth defect . 'Just the idea of: “Okay. Am I wishing for another child to die - you know another family's worst tragedy - to save my own?”' she said. 'Psychologically it could do a number for you.' Now Micah's goal is to go home with his mom and play with his three older sisters, Cassie, Madeline and Julie. Micah, who has been fighting for his life since the day he was born, had his first surgery when he was one week old. He faced another soon after, and by the time he was five months old, he had endured a total of three surgeries. Unwavering support: After being admitted to the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital last September, Micah was visited by Batman, as well as LeBron James and other members of the Cleveland Cavaliers . Inspiring attitude: Micah makes silly faces with his mom (left) and his sister Julie (center) Although his condition limited his physical abilities, Micah lived at home and attended school at Sandy Valley Elementary before he was admitted into the hospital last September. Throughout his stay at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, Micah has received visits from Spider-Man, Batman and Thor, as well as LeBron James and other Cleveland Cavaliers players. Last December, Micah's school principal Vic Johnson told The Press-News that his student is an inspiration. 'Micah is one of the most amazing young people I have ever met,' he said. 'Courage and energy are two words directly associated to him.He has taken on this challenge since birth, never wavering.' Mr Johnson added: 'He's full of life every minute of the day. You can't help but smile when you're around him.' | Micah Muller from Waynesburg, Ohio was not expected to live through the New Year .
After several months on the heart transplant waiting list, a donor organ became available on December 20 .
Micah was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition that affects blood flow to the heart . |
79,611 | e1bf24d117e3eecd723c866856d7b67aa1891867 | (CNN) -- T-shirts and other official merchandise from what were billed as Michael Jackson's last concerts are up for sale, the shows' promoter told fans by e-mail Thursday. Official merchandise from Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour is for sale, according to the shows' promoter. The e-mail, which went to people with tickets to London tour dates that were to start in July, reaffirmed an earlier announcement that ticketholders will receive a full refund or, if they chose, a commemorative ticket for the tour. The concert merchandise includes Jackson belt buckles, socks, hats, wallets, music and a myriad of T-shirts. "Early in June, Michael Jackson approved a line of official merchandise for you, his fans," said the e-mail from concert promoter AEG Live. "As we mourn the loss of one of the greatest talents the world has ever seen, we are only beginning to feel the impact that Michael left upon us all. A variety of official merchandise commemorates this incredible talent and preserves the legacy that is Michael Jackson." Fifty sold-out Jackson concerts were scheduled for the O2 Arena in London, starting July 13. The shows were billed as the final concerts of his career and were called "This Is It." Jackson was expected to earn $50 million from the London shows. The singer died with debts estimated at $500 million, and his estate will take years to unravel legally. On Wednesday, Paul McCartney refuted media accounts about the fate of the Beatles song catalog, which Jackson co-owned. "Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles songs to me in his will, which was completely made up and something I didn't believe for a second," a statement on McCartney's Web site said. "Now the report is that I am devastated to find that he didn't leave the songs to me. This is completely untrue. I had not thought for one minute that the original report was true and, therefore, the report that I'm devastated is also totally false, so don't believe everything you read folks!" | Fans were told by e-mail Thursday that "This Is It" tour merchandise was for sale .
Jackson himself approved a line of official merchandise in early June .
Paul McCartney refuted media accounts about the fate of the Beatles song catalog . |
212,862 | 9fa0eea0508d0e398f5ad2e834162498d3e4373c | The term 'a fish out of water' describes someone taken from his natural environment to one he's not comfortable in. But a group catfish in one odd ecological pocket have shown themselves to be rather comfortable with leaping on to dry land. A study published yesterday investigates the remarkable phenomenon of the catfish that hunt pigeons. Lying in wait: A catfish lurks in the waters of the Tarn River while it waits for a pigeon to stray too close . Pounce: The fish lunges from the water and snaps up the bird in its jaws . Catfish in south-west France have been spotted leaping from a river to snap up the unsuspecting birds, before wriggling back beneath the water to swallow them. The unusual behaviour - similar to the way some marine mammals beach themselves to snap up prey from the shore - has never been seen among catfish in their native range. It has led researchers the University of Toulouse to dub them 'freshwater killer whales'. Between 1m and 1.5m long, European catfish are the largest freshwater fish on the continent and third largest in the world. Most catfish are bottom feeders, consuming aquatic plants, other fish, decaying vegetation, fish eggs and crayfish as well as snails, aquatic bugs and minnows. Feeding ground: Researchers spent five months watching . the catfish from a bridge over a small gravel island over a stretch of . the Tarn passing through the city centre of Albi, north-east of Toulouse . However in the Tarn river, where they where introduced in the early Eighties, they seem have adapted their natural behaviour to capture prey in their new environment. Researchers spent five months watching the catfish from a bridge over a small gravel island over a stretch of the Tarn passing through the city centre of Albi, an ancient town about 50 miles north-east of Toulouse. Over that period they observed 54 beaching incidents, in which the catfish managed to snap up a bird 28 per cent of the time, dragging them back into the water to gobble them up. While the beachings were quick - lasting from less than one second to no more than four seconds - in about 40 per cent of cases the fish lunged so far from the water that more than half their bodies were exposed. Just when you thought it was safe: In five months they observed 54 beaching incidents, in which . the catfish managed to snap up a bird 28 per cent of the time, dragging . them back into the water to gobble them up . To go back in the water: The beachings were quick, but in about 40 . per cent of cases the fish lunged so far from the water that more than . half their bodies were exposed . Along comes a hungry catfish: The unusual behaviour - similar to the . way some marine mammals beach themselves to snap up prey from the shore - . has never been seen among catfish in their native range . Catfish are named for the long, sensitive whiskers (known as barbels) around their mouths, and the those of the Tarn fish would perk up whenever they were hunting fish. That finding, combined with the fact that the fish only went for those pigeons who were moving, suggested the the catfish used water vibrations to hunt rather than visual cues. While the study highlights an interesting example of unusual behaviour, the researchers said the ecological causes that have led to the unusual adaptation are still unknown . Catfish were only introduced to the Tarn in 1983, and they now flourish there, leading the researchers to speculate that increased numbers of the fish could have led to a decline in marine prey. The findings were reported yesterday in the open-access journal PLoS ONE. | Catfish in the Tarn River in south-west France are the only ones ever to be observed exhibiting the behaviour .
Researchers have no idea why they hunt the birds but speculate it could be because of declining prey . |
239,986 | c2adfa12323dc75a53a292896429b1dc462b4aab | (CNN) -- Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega opened the door to the possibility of his country going back to international bodies in an attempt to get a $17 billion payout from the United States. But the United States considers the case closed, according to William Ostick, a State Department spokesman. The money was originally awarded to Nicaragua in 1986 by the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Nicaragua had gone to the court alleging that American involvement in their civil war by arming, financing and supplying the Contra fighters was a breach of international law. The Central American country also alleged that U.S. overflights and attacks on Nicaraguan ports violated its sovereignty. The court sided with Nicaragua, and ruled that the United States was to pay reparations. Nicaragua asked for $17 billion, though an amount was never set. The United States, which did not recognize the jurisdiction of the court in this case, resisted international pressure to pay, and eventually, under the administration of President Violeta Chamorro, Nicaragua dropped its claim from the International Court in 1991. The International Court subsequently issued an order removing Nicaragua's case from the court's list, Ostick said. "In due time we will call for a referendum," Ortega said Tuesday, referring to the revival of the claim. Ortega was speaking at an event commemorating the fall of former dictator Anastasio Somoza, which brought the Sandinistas to power. The aim of the Contras was to destabilize the Sandinistas, the party Ortega belongs to. The president said he would call for "a referendum so that the people ... say whether or not we collect this debt that the 'Yankee' government owes." "Nicaragua has a legitimate position to be entertained and debated," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. However, it is unlikely that Ortega would seek such a referendum, which would stir the pot with the United States, he said. In some ways, Ortega has proven to be more pragmatic in his actions than his rhetoric suggests, Birns said. If Nicaragua chooses to revive the lawsuit, it could be because the impoverished nation sees the $17 billion -- or even a settlement at a fraction of that amount -- as a quick boost to the country, he said. The case is most likely closed forever, said Fred Morrison, a law professor at the University of Minnesota who was on the U.S. legal team in the first phases of the case. When Nicaragua dropped its claim, it did so by stating in a letter that it "had decided to renounce all further right of action based on the case and did not wish to go on with the proceedings." There is a precedent that such declarations are binding, Morrison said. "I would think the case is now closed," he said. | Ortega says he may hold a referendum to see if case should be revived .
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1986 against the United States .
At issue is U.S. involvement in Nicaragua's civil war . |
41,251 | 74638a5059d1f82efcb8712fd6752d648c16a8fe | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:37 EST, 19 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:38 EST, 19 June 2013 . Food safety officials have recalled 22,737lb of ground beef over fears that it could be contaminated with E.coli. Although no illnesses have been reported, the ground beef was classed as a Class I health hazard meaning it was probable that the meat would cause serious health problems. The food, with a sell by date of June 14, was flagged up during a routine inspection at the National Beef Packing company in Liberal, Kansas. Health fears: Nearly 23,000lb of ground beef from Kansas has been recalled after an inspector found E.coli . The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service is concerned that some shoppers may still have the potentially contaminated food in their freezers. An inspector found E.coli in a sample from the company during a routine inspection, which led to a voluntary recall of the meat. Young children, the elderly and sick are at particular risk from E.coli, which causes diarrhea, dehydration and, in extreme cases, death. Shoppers are being told to cook ground beef all the way through, to an internal temperature of 160F. Cooking advice: Although no illnesses have been reported, shoppers are advised to thoroughly cook beef . A spokesman for the National Beef Packing company said: 'This recall is voluntary, and there have been no reported illnesses related to the recall.' 'We are ... contacting our customers who have purchased this product.' The meat that has been recalled include 10lb packages of National Beef 80/20 Coarse Ground Chuck, package code 0481; 10lb packages of National Beef 81/19 Coarse Ground Beef, package code 0421”;and 10lb packages of National Beef 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck, package code 0484. | Kansas meat recalled after routine inspection finds bacteria .
Meat may cause serious health problems but no illness has been reported . |
123,527 | 2bae493affe71b26fda40358b950b2d5df7aa726 | Andres Iniesta is set for a return to action after a month on the sidelines with a leg injury. The Barcelona midfielder injured the soleus muscle in his right calf during their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on October 25. Iniesta has missed five matches for Barcelona and two matches for the Spain national team during his recovery. Andres Iniesta (right), seen here celebrating with Lionel Messi and Neymar, is ready to return to action . The midfielder and his Barcelona team-mate went go-karting instead of training on Friday . Iniesta (left), Luis Suarez (middle) and Javier Mascherano laugh at something during the go-karting event . Team doctors declared him fit on Saturday morning and he trained on the Tito Vilanova pitch at the Ciutat Esportiva training complex with the first-team squad. The team went go-karting instead of a training session on Friday as they prepare for Sunday's La Liga match at Valencia. Barca are currently two points behind Real in the table but that could extend to five by the time they line-up at the Mestalla as their rivals play at Malaga on Saturday night. | The Spain midfielder had been out for a month with muscle problem .
Iniesta sustained the injury in 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid .
He is set to return in Barcelona's trip to Valencia on Sunday .
Iniesta has missed five matches for Barca and two for Spain . |
164,013 | 60191e6254d02535359e9bb3ce066c05084e168d | Targeted assassinations or the capture of senior insurgent leaders in larger counterinsurgency operations can provide both positive and negative outcomes according to a classified CIA document posted by the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks on Thursday. The use of so-called high-value targeting, or HVT, programs are the subject of a document titled "Best Practices in Counterinsurgency" and labeled as secret -- and not for the eyes of foreign nations -- dates back to July 2009 in the early days of the Obama administration. According to the document, the CIA assessed the results of such operations by either U.S. government personnel or other countries during operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Israel and eight other countries. Use of high-value targeting programs can have beneficial effects such as eroding insurgent effectiveness, weakening insurgent will, and fragmenting or splitting the insurgent group among others. However, the report cites the possibility of increasing the level of support for insurgent groups, radicalizing an insurgent group's remaining leaders and creating a vacuum for additional radical groups to enter as potential adverse effects for such operations. A CIA spokesperson told CNN the agency does not comment on the authenticity or content of purported stolen intelligence documents. Several case studies from various high-value targeting operations spanning 50 years formed the basis of the report. Efforts to target senior members of the Afghan Taliban since 2001 were constrained by the limited reach of the central government beyond Kabul, along with the Taliban's "high overall ability to replace lost leaders" illustrate the limits of high-value targeting operations according to clandestine and U.S. military reporting that formed the basis of that research. But the report cites the Colombian government's use of high-value targeting operations against the FARC guerilla movement, and the overall psychological impact produced by the strikes on the broader population boosted the "government's legitimacy" and reduced morale within the FARC over time. And the continued use of targeting senior al Qaeda leaders served to weaken Osama bin Laden's control of his organization before his death at the hands of U.S. Navy SEALs in 2011. Bin Laden's efforts to avoid detection "including his reliance on low-technology communications, his reluctance to meet with subordinates and his contentment with leading from a sequestered distance via infrequent contact," affected his ability to lead the organization according to the report. The document purports to provide both lessons and a framework for evaluating high-value targeting operations for US policy makers and military leaders involved in their ultimate authorization. Multiple sources of information formed the basis for the CIA's findings according to the document. "Most of our source information relies on clandestine and defense attache reporting, discussions with HVT practitioners, a CIA-sponsored study on HVT operations in counterinsurgencies and our review of current and historical case documents," the report says. | A classified CIA document was posted by the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks on Thursday .
It said targeted assassinations can have both positive and negative outcomes . |
125,884 | 2eb9ddc0d967a9a69d6438bef673d1b3035426c7 | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 14:22 EST, 13 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:15 EST, 14 March 2013 . More than one million Syrians have been forced to leave their lives behind to escape the war, crossing the borders to neighboring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. As many feared they would be stopped if they appeared to be on the run, the refugees could only carry little more than what they can fit in their pockets or the folds of their clothes. They have brought with them what is closest to their hearts, seeking sanctuary from the Syrian conflict in refugee camps and temporary shelters. The Quran: Iman, 25, pictured with son Ahmed and daughter Aishia in Nizip refugee camp in Turkey, holds her copy of the holy book of Islam, saying it gives her a sense of protection . Mother-of-two Iman, 25, holds tight onto son Ahmed and daughter Aishia - and her copy of the Quran - in Nizip refugee camp in Turkey, . Iman fled Aleppo after hearing of sexual . harassment against women in the city. She lost five relatives on the . journey to Turkey but says as long as she has her Quran she is . protected. A majority of these portraits were . taken in Domiz refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, where many Syrians have . taken shelter since the start of the civil war. Waleed, a 37-year-old doctor, poses . for a portrait in the camp’s Médecins Sans Frontières clinic where he . works, carrying his most valuable possession: a photograph of his wife. They fled Syria together only 20 days after she . gave birth. ‘This is important because she gave . me this photo back home before we were married, during the time when we . were dating. It always brings me great memories and reminds me of my . happiest time back home in Syria.’ ‘I left the country for the sake of my family. I don't want . to see my children grow up as orphans.’ Buzuq: Omar, 37, holds a long-necked lute, known as a buzuq, which he brought with him to Domiz from Damascus as his family fled following his neighbours' murder . Bracelets: May, aged eight, is showing off her bracelets in Domiz camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, saying that although they are her most treasured in the camp, her favourite thing is her doll Nancy which she had to leave behind . House keys: Although he does not know if the family home still exist, Abdul hopes to return to the flat in Damascus from Lebanon's Bekaa Valley where his family, his wife, daughter and her three children, now live in a plywood shelter . Eight-year-old May is showing off her . bracelets, but says she misses her doll Nancy which was left behind in Damascus. Since arriving in Domiz from Damascus, she . has had recurring nightmares. Her family made their way by foot and bus to the border, where they followed a rough trail in the cold to Domiz. Salma, who is at least 90, fled from Qamishly City, Syria with her three sons. She wears an old ring that was given to her by her dying mother when she was just ten years old. She . says her mother told her to keep the ring to remember her and she intends . to wear the ring to her grave. ‘It's not valuable - not silver or gold . - just an old ring. But it's all that I have left.’ Omar, 37, fled his home in the Syrian capital of Damascus the night that his neighbors were killed. ‘The killers came into their home, . whoever they were, and savagely cut my neighbour and his two sons,’ he . recalls. He holds a buzuq, a type of long-necked lute, saying that when he plays it, 'it fills me with a sense of nostalgia and reminds me of my homeland. 'For a short time, it gives me some relief from my sorrows.' Her mother's ring: Salma, who is 'at least 90' and fled to Domiz with her three sons and their families from Qamishly City, Syria, wears the ring her dying mother gave her when she was ten years old . Jeans and phone: Leila, aged nine, holds a her favuirite pair of wedding jeans, while, Yusuf, right,holds his mobile phone in the building he now calls home in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, which he uses to call his father, who is still in Syria, and to look at pictures of family members left behind . My soul: Alia, 24, does not consider her wheelchair a possession which she has taken with her, but an extension of her body, saying she has brought only her soul from Daraa, Syria to Domiz . His wife's image: Waleed, a 37-year-old doctor pictured at his place of work at the Médecins Sans Frontières clinic in the Domiz refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, carrying his most valuable possession: a photo of his wife . Confined to a wheelchair and blind . in both eyes, 24-year-old Alia says she was terrified by what was . happening around her in Daara, Syria before her family fled. ‘Men in uniforms came and killed our cow. They fought outside our house and there were many dead soldiers. I . cried and cried.' Alia says the only important thing that she . brought with her ‘is 'my soul, nothing more'. When . asked about her wheelchair, she seems surprised, saying she considers it . an extension of her body, not an object. Student Tamara, 20, is pictured in . Adiyaman refugee camp in Turkey, holding her education diploma. After . Tamara's home in Idlib was partially destroyed in September, the family . decided their best chance of safety was to reach the Syrian-Turkish . border. ‘When we left our house, we felt the . sky was raining bullets,’ Tamara recalled. ‘We were moving from one . shelter to another in order to protect ourselves.’ Covering his face, a man named Abdul holds the . keys to his home. Although he doesn't know if the apartment still stands, he dreams every day of returning. ‘God willing, I . will see you this time next year in Damascus,’ he told UNHCR in . Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. He and his family fled their apartment . in the Syrian capital shortly after his wife was wounded in the . crossfire between armed groups. Abdul, his wife, their daughter, and her . children share a plywood shelter constructed by UNHCR and the Danish . Refugee Council. Diploma: Tamara, 20, pictured in Adiyaman refugee camp in Turkey, holding her education diploma - the most important thing she brought from her partially destroyed home in Idlib . What got me through: Ahmed, 70, left, holds the cane which helped him cross the Iraqi border and into the Domiz camp, while Mohamed, a 43-year-old refugee from Syria's Hassakeh governorate, who is the imam at the camp mosque, holds his copy of the Quran . My wife: Ayman, 82, (left) with wife Yasmine, 67, whom he says is the most important thing he was able to bring from Aleppo, which they fled after their son's murder . ‘She's the best woman that I've met . in my life,’ says 82-year-old Ayman about his wife Yasmine, 67 - the . most important thing he brought with him. ‘Even if I were to go back 55 . years, I would choose you again,’ he adds, turning to his wife. The . couple, pictured in Nizip refugee camp in Turkey, fled from their rural home near Aleppo after their . neighbor and his son were brutally killed. Breaking into tears, Ayman describes . how nearby farms came under attack, and how homes were looted and set on . fire. ‘It is unbelievable that any human being can do this to another,’ he said. Leila, aged nine, holds up a pair of . jeans in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, where she and her family found . shelter in a partially constructed home which they now share with 30 . others. The family fled from Deir Alzur in Syria after their neighbours . were killed by a shell. ‘I went shopping with my parents one . day and looked for hours without finding anything I liked. But when I . saw these, I knew instantly that these were perfect because they have a . flower on them, and I love flowers,’ she explains. Leila has only worn . the jeans three times, all in Syria - twice to wedding parties and once . when she went to visit her grandfather. She says she won't wear them . again until she attends another wedding, and she hopes it, too, will be . in Syria. | More than one million Syrians have fled the civil war across the borders to neighbouring countries .
Many could only take with them what they could fit in their pockets, they most important things they could carry . |
69,365 | c4ab41e1e5804693607867d1f98a009b5f2712de | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Lt. Col. David John Wood MBE, arriving at Bristol Civil Justice Centre . A decorated SAS hero, a landowner, and aLiberal Democrat peer are embroiled in a bitter High Court battle - over a 500 yard piece of muddy land. Former Lieutenant Colonel David Wood, 52, claims he was granted a right of way over a quarter of a mile long track when he bought his £3.25million country home from Lib Dem peer Lord Sharman four years ago. The 500-yard strip allows horse riders using his commercial livery yard to reach a nearby bridleway where they can hack over the Wiltshire countryside. Mr Wood says he bought the land believing that it came with the access rights. But the owner of the land, Edward . Waddington, 46, claims he has no such rights, and has now erected locked . gates to keep people out. He claims riders from the livery centre, created by Mr Wood, are disturbing game birds he keeps, and fears it could put an end to a renowned annual shoot he hosts. The move has forced Mr Wood to re-direct horse riders across muddy fields from the stables he built around his home. He is also unable to drive vehicles to reach a vital road which runs alongside the properties. The bitter dispute is now before the High Court, sitting in Bristol, where a judge heard Mr Wood believed the right of way came as part of buying his home. Mr Wood told the court: 'I want my access uninterrupted. I have a right of way granted to me by my predecessor which required me access to those areas. 'Mr Waddington told me it was his right to put the gates on the lane and he was ‘forced to take defensive action’. 'He said he wanted to make it absolutely clear that he "will continue to protect my rights".' The court heard how the land in question near Salisbury, Wiltshire, was originally part of some put up for sale in 1998 for a total of £7 million. Mr Wood claims he was granted right of way over the rack when he bought his home from Lib Dem peer Lord Sharman (left) four years ago. But the land owner, Edward . Waddington (right), 46, claims he has no such right . But when a sale fell through it was separated into lots, three of which were bought by Lord Sharman and turned into his home, the 35-acre Manor Farm. The fourth parcel of land was snapped up by Mr Waddington, who moved into the property included in the sale. Lord Sharman claims Manor Farm had access rights to nearby bridleways - despite the fact he had to cross his neighbour’s land to reach them. He told the court: 'I was clear during the whole time I was there I enjoyed a right of access at all times for all purposes. 'Mr Waddington and I didn’t discuss boundaries and details at any time, we had a good relationship, we got on. 'When I wanted to deepen a trench for flood defences [on his land] I didn’t feel the need to go to him to ask. 'Using the route was convenient for me and I did it from time to time.' In 2009 Lord Sharman sold his property, alongside the presumed rights, to Mr Wood, who immediately began building a menage on the stables he had been left. Lieutenant Colonel David Wood - who lives and works at Manor Farm Liivery (RED) and Edward Waddington - who lives next door, Field Barn Farmhouse, (BLUE). The lane marked in yellow is the disputed land/access . But Mr Waddington took immediate exception to the new construction, complaining about its size and the noise it would generate. 'I don’t object to horses disturbing my shoot,' he told the court. 'I would like to try and keep the horses down to a sensible number but obviously there are horses in the village and this new menage is clearly a growing business. 'Had there been an established livery or equestrian centre I would not have considered buying, there was no mention of horses during negotiations. Mr Waddington, 46, has now erected locked gates to keep people out. He claims riders from the livery centre, created by Mr Wood, are disturbing game birds he keeps, and fears it could put an end to a renowned annual shoot he hosts (pictured is the land in dispute) The move has forced Mr Wood to re-direct horse riders across muddy fields from the stables he built around his home . Col Wood's home and business. Despite not owning the land the veteran claims he was given a right of way to freely come and go when he purchased his house from Lib Dem peer Lord Sharman, four years ago . Edward Waddington's home. He believes a popular livery centre, created by Mr Wood, is disturbing game birds he keeps and will ultimately put an end to a renowned partridge and pheasant shoot he hosts annually . 'Technically Lord Sharman was trespassing when he drove his vehicles down that lane but we have always got on and there has never been an issue.' The dispute continued and in January 2012 the disgruntled neighbour claimed builders had altered his land to make way for the building. In a letter sent to Mr Wood’s solicitors he wrote: 'Following the meeting with your client I took advice from my solicitor and the land in which your client has constructed his new track appears to belong to me.' When Mr Wood disputed this, the farmer began to build gates and warned the former soldier he would 'continue to protect my land'. The court heard Mr Waddington claims riders from the Manor Farm Livery could put an end to the famous Teffont Magna shoot he has spent 15 years creating. He believes sportsmen, paying nearly £1,000 a day to shoot partridge and pheasant on his land, would be forced to hold fire every time a horse rode by. The four-day court case in front of Mr Justice Morgan is expected to end today. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Colonel David Wood claims he was granted access when he bought land .
He purchased land off Lib Dem peer Lord Sharman four years ago .
Lord Sharman: 'The whole time I was there I enjoyed a right of access'
But owner of land, Edward .
Waddington, 46, says Wood has no such rights . |
156,556 | 5668e973994081603f2bcb7b40380313ca568291 | Hillary Clinton won't be keeping her supporters in suspense over whether she will run for president for much longer, after promising to reveal her decision on January 1, 2015. Clinton was speaking on Friday at a charity event in Mexico for a foundation run by telecom billionaire Carlos Slim when she stated her choice would be made by the 'first of the year.' The former secretary of state and presidential candidate also said she had a 'unique vantage point' on the position of president, according to Reuters. In the dark: Hillary Clinton reportedly stated her decision on whether to run in the next election would come by January 1 . Speech: Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the scholarship recipients of the Telmex Foundation hosted by billionaire Carlos Slim, in Mexico City, Mexico . Presidential race: Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she had a 'unique vantage point' on the position of president, according to Reuters . Business Insider notes that Clinton didn't move that fast during the run-up to the 2008 election, only announcing the launch of her campaign on January 20, 2007. Clinton has kept a high public profile after leaving her post as secretary of state in 2013. In an article last month in the Atlantic, Clinton put some of the blame for the rise of ISIS on President Obama. 'The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad—there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle—the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,' said Clinton. Clinton also focused on releasing her book Hard Choices, which was published by Simon & Schuster in June. Pressing on: Clinton hit the road to promote her new book, which some likened to a presidential campaign, and included a stop in Martha's Vineyard . The tour had some salivating for a 2016 run . USA Today said the tour could be a good 'preview' of Clinton on the presidential trail while the Boston Globe called it a 'campaign-disguised-as-book-tour' and panned it. | Clinton made the comments during a speaking event in Mexico on Friday .
She recently criticized President Obama for 'failure' that lead to rise of ISIS .
Her book, Hard Choices, was published in June and was followed by a book tour . |
116,090 | 21d873c170c0e72f5ec2dcaa04770ca520c2d9e4 | (CNN)We really haven't forgotten about them. "The Breakfast Club" has endured as one of the most popular films of the 1980s and now you can relive it. In honor of the 30th anniversary of its release, the movie will be shown in select theaters during a two-day run March 26 and 31. More than 430 theaters around the country will participate in the event, which will include a newly restored version. It will be introduced by a bonus featurette that looks back at the movie that helped define the genre of teen films. Fans will hear personal insights from cast members Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall and John Kapelos about the John Hughes-directed project. "Both long-time fans and new audiences now have the chance to see this iconic film return to its original home of the big screen," said John Rubey, chief executive officer of Fathom Events, which is sponsoring the showing along with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and BY Experience. "Viewers also have the exclusive opportunity to get the inside scoop straight from the film's well-known and cherished cast." Ringwald and Sheedy attended a packed screening of the restored film Monday at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Tickets for "The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary" are available at participating theater box offices and online at FathomEvents.com. "The Breakfast Club 30th Anniversary Edition" was released on Blu-ray and DVD March 10. | "The Breakfast Club" was released 30 years ago .
A remastered version of the film opens next week in more than 430 theaters nationwide .
Some cast members held a reunion for a screening this week at SXSW . |
250,238 | cfdbbb38cbb9617825adbb8a1e8eeecba1032e63 | Falls Church, Virginia (CNN) -- Garrulous and active, 79-year-old Joy Bricker presides over her hotel suite in a manner befitting a grander home. She offers tea to the staff and media with the ease of a person schooled in proper etiquette. Like many hotel guests, Bricker has learned to make herself feel comfortable, making her room a home away from home. Only, Bricker has called the Towne Place Suites by Marriott, in Falls Church, Virginia, home for more than 10 years. A former pilot, the 5-foot tour de force is finally turning in her key card, as movers wait to carry off the few labeled belongings she'd brought in to room 202. "I had this chair brought up from my condo in Florida," says Bricker. A divider serves as a mantel for framed pictures of family, separating the kitchenette and living area of her 500-square-foot suite. She's made the hotel furniture, identical in all rooms, more personal with a blanket on a sofa and stuffed animal over a lampshade. Extended hotel stays are not so unusual, according to Carla Berberich, a general manager at the Towne Place Suites, especially for business travelers. This Virginia location is nearly half-filled, at 46 percent. But, no one has stayed as long as Bricker, who checked in on August 4, 2001. She is the longest extended-stay guest any Marriott hotel has seen. What brought Bricker here was a job with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the second politically-appointed position the onetime homemaker says she accepted. But this one came when she was 68, when many senior citizens are well settled into retirement. But, Bricker began her professional career at 50. Years of political organizing she says led to a friendship with Elizabeth and Bob Dole and ultimately to her first job during the Reagan administration in the Department of Transportation in 1981. A stint followed at the White House, where she worked in the campaign for A Drug Free America starting in 1986. For the Pennsylvania native, who spent the better part of her adult life in rural Ashland, New Hampshire, the Beltway is where she has felt most at home. The death of her husband, Glenn, from cancer gave her no pause in returning to work in 2001, which landed her at the Towne Place Suites. For less than the price of many apartment rentals in the Washington metro area (roughly $1,500-$1,700 a month) Bricker's room was supplied with wifi, which fueled her hours of daily online research and reading a day, and the added benefit of daily room cleaning, and round-the-clock security. Though she says she still makes her bed each day, though not nearly as well. Bricker has become a pillar of the transient, makeshift community. She's made friends of staff and short-term neighbors alike. Next door, her new Kuwaiti friend brings traditional meals of spiced stew for them to share. "It's helped my appetite," says Bricker as she acknowledges her frail frame. "I call it community planning," she adds, "I turned it into a community." Her daughter, Chris Winton, explains further, "She turned them into family, and they accepted." And, it was this family of hotel staff who came to her aid when last year a late-night fall landed her in the hospital with a broken hip. General Manager Bobby Bellinger was the first person Bricker saw when she awoke in her hospital bed. "It ran through my mind how many people would have been this lucky," says Bricker as she holds Bellinger's hand on what will be a final visit together. Now, compounded ailments of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis are forcing the fiercely independent Bricker to move in with her daughter in upstate New York. For a woman who once flew a Cherokee 180 (which she says is still in the air), she won't be grounded by this next phase of her life. She plans to devote her time to church. "If I've set a goal, I'm going to reach it, she says." Her goal now: "Continue offering whatever I am able to give. I have to help. I'm not a sitter." | Joy Bricker has lived at a Falls Church, Virginia, hotel for over a decade .
Ailments are forcing her to move in with her daughter in upstate New York .
A job with HUD brought her to Washington in August 2001 .
She says she plans to devote her time to church in retirement . |
222,529 | ac1421aa24884cfacc48798f8679f7a338636db7 | MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia is planning a "comprehensive rearmament" of its military, President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday. A Russian T-90 tank rolls through Red Square during 2008's Victory Day parade. The announcement comes amid concerns in Moscow over the performance of its forces during last year's invasion of Georgia, an expert on the Russian military told CNN. Christopher Langton, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said the campaign against the former Soviet republic had revealed significant weaknesses within Russia's armed forces. "The Georgia thing was a wake-up call on a number of fronts," said Langton, a former British military and defense attache in Russia. "Things they expected to perform well didn't -- communications, the air force. It took five days, which is quite a long time, to suppress another country's air defenses, quite a small country's." Medvedev said the "most important task is to re-equip the [Russian] Armed Forces with newest weapons system," in televised remarks to defense ministry officials. He said the process had already begun and would accelerate through 2011. Medvedev insisted that falling prices for oil and gas -- which contribute significantly to Moscow's budget -- would not force him to scale back on plans to modernize the military. The defense budget has "virtually remained the same as was planned," Medvedev said, "despite our current financial problems." The country will aim for 70 percent of its weaponry to be "modern" by 2020, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said, according to RIA-Novosti, the state-run news agency. Russia invaded Georgia, to its south, in August of last year -- the first time Russian military forces had engaged in an offensive outside their borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The conflict strengthened the hand of Medvedev, who favors reform, against generals who oppose it, Langton, the military analyst, told CNN. "It gave Medvedev a chance to reply to opponents in Ministry of Defense: 'We need much more mobile forces, better weaponry,'" Langton said. But Langton pointed out that Russia has been talking about modernizing its army almost since the end of the Cold War nearly two decades ago. Former President Boris Yeltsin announced in the early 1990s that Russia would replace its conscript army with a professional force by 2010, Langton said -- a target it has come nowhere close to meeting. Modernization foundered on Russia's need to bring in money by exporting arms, rather than using the products of its military-industrial complex itself; opposition from entrenched interests in the Ministry of Defense, which opposed downsizing; and in the face of a national security strategy that focused on conflicts like the two Chechen wars. Former President Vladimir Putin staked his popularity in the late 1990s on winning the second war with the restive Chechnya, Langton observed. Medvedev, too, wants to promote pride in the country's military, the analyst said, but has a "more nuanced approach" than his predecessor, who remains influential as prime minister. Langton said Medvedev believes Russian forces should be capable of operating alongside Western forces. But, he added, "Some of the generals don't agree with him." | Russia planning "comprehensive rearmament" of its military, Moscow announces .
Analyst: Last year's invasion of Georgia revealed Russian military weaknesses .
"Large-scale rearmament" to begin in 2011, President Dmitry Medvedev says .
Russia aiming for 70 percent of its weaponry to be "modern" by 2020 . |
46,931 | 8436bc154b92279e023b29b8d85001a26479dc8d | By . Luke Salkeld . PUBLISHED: . 10:05 EST, 26 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:22 EST, 27 March 2012 . Tragic: The corpse of Sian Rees, pictured, was found in the van of her partner John Doyle following a road accident and it is alleged she was strapped into the passenger seat . A property developer murdered his lover and put her in the front seat of his van to take her away to dispose of the body – only to be caught when he crashed into a hedge near their home, a court heard yesterday. John Doyle, 54, is accused of strangling and stabbing Sian Rees the night she came home after surgery for breast cancer. They had rowed over Miss Rees meeting another man on the internet when he turned up late – and drunk – to collect her from the hospital, it was alleged. The court heard that the couple’s 15-year relationship had been under strain and, using the pseudonym Sindy Sox, Miss Rees started communicating with a family lawyer online. This man had invited Miss Rees for a flight in his plane and when Doyle found out a huge row ensued, the jury was told. When he tried to dispose of the body the next morning, his van hit a traffic island and punctured a tyre. Desperate not to stop, he eventually lost control and crashed. Prosecutor Paul Dunkels QC said: ‘It quickly became apparent why the defendant was so keen not to stop and tried to carry on driving on a shredded tyre and metal rim. ‘In the front passenger seat was the body of his partner Sian Rees. She had not been injured in the car crash. Her body was cold and she had been dead for about 12 hours.’ A nurse stopped at the scene of the crash, the court heard, and found that Miss Rees was obviously dead. Doyle asked ‘Is she OK?’ When told she was dead he replied ‘Oh’, which surprised the nurse because of his ‘lack of emotion’. Exeter Crown Court was told that on the day of the murder Doyle had dropped his long-term partner off at hospital before drinking in several pubs while she was operated on under general anaesthetic. After he returned late to pick her up, it was said that despite her post-operative condition, Miss Rees drove the couple home to their converted mill house, but planned to spend the night alone at a hotel. Before she got there however, the . court heard, Doyle strangled her and then loaded her body into the . passenger seat of his Ford Fiesta van. He crashed the next day. Investigation: Police survey the scene in Hatherleigh, Devon where the strangled body of Sian Rees was found dead last year . The court heard the couple had also argued about Miss . Rees’s weight and Doyle’s apparent lack of progress in renovating their . remote property, Merton Mill, near Hatherleigh in Devon. Mr Dunkels said: ‘The defendant was to renovate it while Sian Rees brought in the income.’ But problems arose, Mr Dunkels said, . because she felt he was not getting on with the renovation and he did . not like the fact that she had put on a ‘considerable amount of weight’. Miss Rees, confided to a friend that . the couple were not ‘making each other happy any more’ and that she was . ‘sick of living on a building site’. Two days before she was killed, Miss Rees told her secretary that she wanted to ‘start a new life without him’. At the same time that their relationship hit the rocks, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Close-up: Partner John Doyle was driving with one slashed tyre when he crashed his van here. A passing nurse then saw him pulling the body from his car . The court heard that after they . arrived home from the surgery, a row must have flared in the kitchen . where, it is alleged, Doyle stabbed her with a four inch knife and may . have used a leather bra to throttle her before strangling her with ‘his . bare hands’. The next morning Doyle set off with the body, knife and bra in his van. ‘It is not clear where he would end . up or what he was going to do’, Mr Dunkels continued. ‘He knew one . thing, he had to try and get rid of the body of the woman he had . murdered.’ A post mortem examination revealed Miss Rees died from compression of the neck and her voice box had been fractured. Doyle, who denies murder, told police . in a statement that Miss Rees had ‘ranted’ at him on the trip from the . hospital because he was late and drunk. At the mill he said his memory was ‘hazy’ but said his lover said she felt ‘old and unattractive’ and was upset. He claimed she grabbed the kitchen knife and as he took it from her, she was stabbed in the stomach. The trial continues. | Sian Rees had an operation on the day before she was killed .
'Couple may have been arguing over her meeting another man on the internet using the pseudonym Sindy Sox'
John Doyle killed her in their kitchen and then moved the body in his van 12 hours later, Exeter Crown Court heard . |
154,883 | 542a62a66e1ca86db9c7a0c4aa1e24c3eee98d4c | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:08 EST, 26 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:17 EST, 26 June 2012 . From a chapel pulpit on Lackland Air Force Base, where every American airman reports for basic training, Col. Glenn Palmer delivered his first order to nearly 600 recruits seated in the pews: If you're sexually harassed or assaulted, tell someone. 'My job is to give you a safe, effective training environment,' Palmer said firmly. What the colonel did not mention directly in his recent address was a widening sex scandal that has rocked the base, one of the nation's busiest military training centers. Victims?: Female airmen march during graduation at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio . Allegations that male instructors had sex with, and in one case raped, female trainees have led to criminal charges against four men. Charges against others are possible. The most serious accusations surround an Air Force staff sergeant scheduled to face a court-martial in July on charges that include rape and multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault. The other three defendants were charged with lesser crimes ranging from sexual misconduct to adultery. All of the defendants were assigned to turn raw recruits into airmen in eight weeks of basic training. A two-star general is now investigating alongside a separate criminal probe, which military prosecutors say could sweep up more airmen. Advocates for female service members and members of Congress have started taking notice. 'It's a pretty big scandal the Air Force is having to deal with at this point,' said Greg Jacob, a former Marine infantry officer and policy director of the Service Women's Action Network. 'It's pretty substantial in its scope.' Col. Glenn Palmer (pictured) advised recruits: If you're sexually harassed or assaulted, tell someone but did not mention the scandal . Yet there are signs the Air Force still doesn't have a handle on the full depth of the problem. Staff Sgt. Peter Vega-Maldonado pleaded guilty earlier this month to having sex with a female trainee and struck a plea deal for 90 days' confinement. Then he acknowledged being involved with a total of 10 trainees — a number previously unknown to investigators. On Friday, after months of embarrassing disclosures, the head of the Air Force's training command ordered Maj. Gen. Margaret H. Woodward to lead an independent investigation. That same day, the Air Force gave reporters rare access to Lackland's instructional headquarters in an effort to show there was nothing to hide. The headquarters facility is where Lackland trains the people who train recruits. Inside one small classroom, three women and two men were lectured on the importance of having a moral compass while watching a slide presentation titled 'Integrity First'. Lackland has about 475 instructors for the nearly 36,000 airmen who will graduate this year. That's about 85 per cent of what Lackland would consider a full roster of instructors, a demanding job that requires airmen to work longer hours than most for four years, at the expense of family and personal time. The Air Force recently launched a smartphone app to help recruit instructors. Topping a page of frequently asked questions is whether the divorce rate for instructors really is higher. (The Air Force says no.) Palmer said that a slight shortage in instructors has not lowered the standards for applicants. In response to the allegations, he said instructor training is being revamped and that he was accountable for problems within the training wing. Leaders of the instructor program, however, said the responsibility falls on the accused. 'A person sitting in that seat, they're going to do what they're going to do when no one is watching,' said Master Sgt. Greg Pendleton, who oversees the training. 'That's across the board. That's just them. When we're outside this door or outside these walls, there are individuals that have their own personal values.' Military personnel stand outside the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, one of the nation's busiest military training centers, where four male instructors are charged with having sex with, and in one case raping, female trainees . So widespread is the fallout that Lackland halted operations for an entire day in March to survey about 5,900 trainees about whether they had seen or been a victim of sexual misconduct. It was a highly unusual move for a vast 15-square-mile base that runs with relentless efficiency. A new class of airmen graduates every Friday for 50 of the 52 weeks in the year. At first, Palmer, commander of the 737th training wing, said he wasn't sure that halting training was even possible. Airman Andrea Madison, a new graduate who was in basic training at the height of the investigation at Lackland, said she never felt uncomfortable with her instructors. 'They want to make sure no foul play is happening, no one is taking advantage of us,' said Madison, of Columbus, Ohio. Last week, one commander of a Lackland training squadron caught up in the sex scandal was dismissed after the Air Force lost confidence in his leadership. Col. Polly Kenny, 2nd Air Force Staff, said the dismissal was not directly related to the sexual misconduct investigation. The Service Women's Action Network supports and works with servicewomen . Nearly three dozen instructors at Lackland have also been removed in the past year, but the Air Force will not say how many lost their jobs as a result of the investigation that began last fall, only that the majority of dismissals were unrelated. The first sexual misconduct allegations at Lackland surfaced a year ago against Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, who is charged with 28 counts. Walker, the only instructor who has been accused of sexually assaulting another airman, faces life in prison if convicted. His civilian attorney, Joseph Esparza, has declined to speak with reporters and did not return multiple calls for comment. Sexual assault victims are reassigned and can apply for a 'humanitarian discharge' from the military, but Lackland civilian spokeswoman Collen McGhee said she did not know whether those affected by this case had done so. | The first sexual misconduct allegations at Lackland surfaced a year ago against Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, who is .
charged with 28 counts .
Another is accused of rape and will face a court-martial in July .
5,900 trainees were surveyed about whether they had been a victim .
More than 30 instructors at have been removed in the past year . |
56,130 | 9f18414810506477f20ffb2d0cce5c7951ef3992 | (CNN) -- A large turkey unexpectedly arrived at a New Jersey home one morning in August, but the homeowner wasn't giving any thanks. Huddled in her bedroom, Marie Manco, 70, was instead calling the police about the live intruder, which had entered her home by flying through a second-floor window. "A wild turkey came through my skylight and it's flying around my house right now, destroying everything! I'm in my bedroom, but I'm afraid to come out," a frightened Manco told the 911 operator. "I just hear a banging, and it's just destroying my whole house!" Police arrived at her Kinnelon home shortly after and observed that a large window had been broken above the front door. When officers went in with a blanket to catch the turkey, it ran off into the kitchen and smashed through a 5-by-5-foot picture window, according to Sgt. David Crouthamel of the Kinnelon Police Department. Police said that the turkey was "one of the biggest birds" they've ever seen. When one officer, who is nearly 6 feet tall, attempted to grab it, it came up to his hip, Crouthamel said. The giant gobbler proved to be no chicken when it trashed Manco's home, leaving an estimated $6,000 to $7,000 in damages before trotting away. Three large windows were shattered, walls were cracked, and the floor was littered with feces, broken glass and feathers, according to police. Manco was home alone at the time of the incident and remains shaken up. "Violated. I felt violated. And frightened. And I'm still frightened," Manco told CNN affiliate WCBS. Police believe that the bird saw its reflection in the window glass and became aggressive. Turkeys are not able to recognize their own image and will respond to a reflection as they would to an intruding or competing turkey, according to the New Jersey Wildlife Control Operators Association. "It's mating season for turkeys, and we're attributing the aggression to that," Lt. John Schwartz told WCBS. Manco has been having difficulty getting her insurance to cover the damage to her home, police say. While police took photos of some turkeys in the surrounding area, the "suspect" is still at large. | A wild turkey busted a window in a New Jersey house and wreaked havoc .
"It's just destroying my whole house!" the frightened homeowner told 911 .
The big bird broke three windows, cracked walls, left feces and feathers .
The turkey may have reacted to its reflected image, wildlife group said . |
140,194 | 41476a25cb2340dcc91a283bd1c01ba62a5f3b51 | By . Alexis Parr . The Marchioness of Worcester has turned Miss Marple after a valuable statue of a pig went missing at a society party – and was last seen in the company of a convicted fraudster. The £8,000 bronze was auctioned last month at a fundraiser for Tracy Worcester’s animal welfare charity, Pig Business, held at London nightclub, 41 Mayfair. It was bought by Matthew Unger Brown, who was last seen jumping into a taxi with it. Stymied: This £8,000 pig statue went missing after being auctioned to known conman Matthew Unger Brown who was seen getting in a cab with it, but now claims it has disappeared . But Unger Brown, 29, is a serial conman who, the Marchioness says, paid with an ‘uncashable’ cheque. Unger Brown, meanwhile, claims he hasn’t got the pig, saying he may have left it in the taxi. Now the Marchioness – who starred in the 1980s TV detective series CATS Eyes – has launched an investigation, searching CCTV footage to establish the truth. She said: ‘I’m giving him a month to sort it out – either return the pig or come up with the money.’ Tracy Worcester says Mr Brown paid with an 'uncashable' cheque and has now launched an investigation . A statement issued by Unger Brown’s lawyers said: ‘He categorically denies he behaved fraudulently’ and that he ‘lawfully purchased’ the pig. In 2004, he admitted deception charges after posing as an aristocrat to get a credit card, running up bills of thousands of pounds. | Pig statue sold in charity auction to Matthew Unger Brown last month .
Tracy Worcester, who sold it, claims he paid with an 'uncashable' cheque .
Mr Brown was seen getting in cab with it, but now says it has disappeared . |
124,633 | 2d18b7dcdd5abfb2f0ebdff8547a43cdfe68e88d | Talk about bad timing. On the same day Secretary of State John Kerry held up a new United Nations climate change report as evidence of global warming, a record-breaking storm hit his home state of Massachusetts, which he was visiting that day for a funeral and a football game. The local temperature fell to 36 degrees that morning and snow and wind blasted the state. 'The bottom line is that our planet is warming due to human actions, the damage is already visible, and the challenge requires ambitious, decisive and immediate action,' Kerry said in a statement on Sunday responding to the release of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change review. A casually clad John Kerry, right, enters the stadium of the New England Patriots with team owner Robert Kraft, left, before Sunday's game between the Patriots and the Denver Broncos. Kerry sat with Kraft in his indoor box while regular Patriot fans suffered through 20 degree weather in order to see their team play . As the statement was released, temperatures were dropping in New England and snow began to blanket the north east, leading to the most snow fall on record for Nov. 2 in the Bay State in 120 years. Later in the day the snow dissipated and just rain and sleet came down throughout the afternoon, the Boston Globe reports. Still, enough snow fell that the field of the New England Patriots had to be cleaned off ahead of their early evening football game, which Kerry attended with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and watched from a cozy seat in Kraft's indoor box, as CNS News pointed out. Outdoors, average Patriots fans braved the 40 degree weather and 13 mile an hour winds that made the temperature feel like a chilly 32 degrees Fahrenheit to see their team play. Temperatures crept back up into the low 50s today today, Weather Channel data shows. The UN's latest climate change report follows claims by Weather Channel founder John Coleman that man-made global warming is not real. In an open letter last week to the Intergovernmental Panel, Coleman said, 'I have studied this topic seriously for years. It has become a political and environment agenda item, but the science is not valid.' Warming has not occurred for a decade and a half, Coleman said. 'There is no significant man-made global warming at this time, there has been none in the past and there is no reason to fear any in the future.' The Weather Channel immediately disavowed Coleman and trumpeted its own views that 'strong evidence' points to an increase in temperatures globally as the result of human activity. 'The science is really clear, and I don't like our brand being associated with something that's not scientifically based,' Weather Channel CEO David Kenny told CNN. Besides, Kenny said, Coleman hasn't been affiliated with the organization he founded for thirty years. Secretary of State Kerry was in his home state on Sunday to attend the funeral of former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. A record-breaking snow storm hit Massachusetts that day just as Kerry released a statement sounding the alarm on global warming . On Sunday Coleman assailed Kenny on CNN and pointed out that unlike the current CEO of his former company he is a scientist who bases his arguments on fact. He also pooh poohed Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter, whose show he appeared on, for labeling him a climate 'denier' when he is merely a 'skeptic.' 'CNN has taken a very strong position on global warming,' he said, and claims 'that it is a consensus.' 'Well there is no consensus in science. Science isn’t a vote. Science is about facts,' he told Stelter. Coleman lamented the fact that climate change had become politicized and a major part of the Democratic Party's platform. 'But he science is on my side,' he said, triumphantly. He later told CNN viewers, ‘Hello, everybody! There is no global warming!' Democrat Kerry said on Sunday that not only is the climate warming, the world is on its way to 'a large scale disaster.' 'The longer we are stuck in a debate over ideology and politics, the more the costs of inaction grow and grow,' the Obama official said in an official government statement. 'Those who choose to ignore or dispute the science so clearly laid out in this report do so at great risk for all of us and for our kids and grandkids,' he continued. The UN report warned 'the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen.' 'It is very likely that heat waves will occur more often and last longer, and that extreme precipitation events will become more intense and frequent in many regions,' it went on to say. Kerry, who has equated the importance of acting to slow down global climate change with the necessity of ending terrorism, proclaimed on Sunday that 'greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are higher than ever, and we're seeing more and more extreme weather and climate events.' That includes storms, heat waves and downpours, he said. And 'it's not a coincidence.' 'With this report, we have yet another round of authoritative, peer-reviewed science to prove it,' he asserted. | A record-breaking storm hit his home state of Massachusetts, which he was visiting that day for a funeral and a football game .
The blizzard led to the most snow fall on record for Nov. 2 in the Bay State in 120 years .
Patriots fans braved the 20-odd degree weather to see their team play Sunday night; Kerry stayed warm by sitting in the team owner's indoor box .
Earlier that day Kerry claimed the world is on its way to 'a large scale disaster' because of rising temperatures worldwide . |
150,510 | 4e9649c88b7f96d1c5d4865727e7cb9dc76f653d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:03 EST, 17 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 03:11 EST, 18 February 2014 . On one unfortunate occasion, Winnie the Pooh got his head stuck in a honey jar. But it seems the cuddly bear has got himself into stranger predicament, after he was flushed down the toilet. Along with a pink bike and a fax machine, the stuffed bear was among the unusual objects clogging sewers last year. Blocked by Pooh: The teddy bear was found in a sewer in East Kilbride, Scotland . The items were dragged out of sewers by Scottish Water workers throughout last year. Among these were a pair of jeans, pants, mobile phones, toy soldiers, a deckchair, false teeth and a golf club. On one occasion, a credit card stolen from a Scottish Water employee turned up on the screens of the sewage works. The company said around 80 per cent of the blockages were caused by people putting the wrong things down sinks and toilets. Stuck: A pair of jeans were found blocking a pipe in Strathblane . Strange: An action man figure, a watch, a ring and a mobile phone were all said to have caused problems in drainage systems last year . Most were caused by cooking fat and oils, or bathroom waste such as cotton buds, nappies and baby wipes. The company has launched a campaign to stop people flushing rubbish down their drains, highlighting the £7 million annual cost to taxpayers. Chris Wallace, director of communications at Scottish Water, said: 'The waste water drain which runs from your house to the public sewer is usually only about four inches wide, which is less than the diameter of a DVD. 'This drain is designed to take only the used water from sinks, showers and baths and pee, poo and toilet paper from the toilet. 'Scottish Water believes the best way to tackle blocked drains and sewer flooding is to work with our customers to prevent blockages that can clog up the cycle in the first place.' Broken: The items, including clothing, become tangled in pipes and cause them to break. This happened at a water plant in Dumfries and Galloway (pictured) | Teddy bear was dragged from a drain in East Kilbride by Scottish Water .
Was among hundreds of unusual items blocking sewers last year .
Workers also found a pink bike and a fax machine were blocking pipes . |
38,135 | 6bdfb70ac1cc581d27f000268b1e62ea36144ccf | A video that shows the beheading of American Steven Sotloff was delivered as a "second message to America" to halt airstrikes in Iraq, following through on a threat to kill the journalist. In the video posted Tuesday online, Sotloff says -- in a message surely scripted by his captors -- that he is "paying the price" for U.S. military intervention. The intelligence community in the United States is working to confirm the authenticity of the video, and the journalist's family was waiting for that formal authentication that Sotloff has been killed. "The family knows of the video and is grieving privately," family spokesman Barak Barfi said. Who is ISIS? The killing of Sotloff follows a threat last month by ISIS made during the videotaped beheading of American journalist James Foley. The latest video threatens the life of another man. A masked ISIS figure in the new video speaks to U.S. President Barack Obama, telling him, "Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people." The Islamic State has thrived and mutated during the civil war in Syria. It swept into Iraq in June, seizing large swaths of the country's Sunni-dominated northern and western provinces. Obama ordered targeted airstrikes in Iraq to begin in early August after ISIS fighters began targeting ethnic Yazidis and launching attacks toward the Kurdish regional capital of Irbil. ISIS appeared to date the execution video of Sotloff, referencing specific U.S. military actions in recent days, including U.S. airstrikes that helped over the weekend to break the siege of Amerli -- a northern Iraqi town home to thousands of minority Shiite Turkmen. Intelligence officials are analyzing the video, trying to answer some key questions, a senior U.S. administration official said. Among the questions, the official said: When was it shot? Where was it shot? Is the killer in the Sotloff video the same one in the Foley video? Until they answer those questions, the official said the administration does not want to speculate. It's believed ISIS is still holding a "small number" of Americans hostage, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Beheading of American journalist James Foley recalls past horrors . ISIS: 'Back off and leave our people alone' In the new video, the militant threatens the life of the man, who is shown kneeling with the militant standing behind him. "We take this opportunity to warn those governments who've entered this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone," the militant says. CNN could not immediately confirm when he was taken captive. But the Washington Post reported he was an aid worker abducted in March 2013. The newspaper, citing unnamed aid workers involved in efforts to gain his release, said he was abducted near a refugee camp in the northern Syrian province of Idlib. British Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters he was aware of reports about the video and called Sotloff's killing "an absolutely disgusting and despicable act." Who was Sotloff? Sotloff disappeared while reporting from Syria in August 2013, but his family kept the news secret, fearing harm to him if they went public. Out of public view, the family and government agencies had been trying to gain his release for the past year. Last week, Sotloff's mother, Shirley Sotloff, released a video pleading with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi not to kill her son. "Steven is a journalist who traveled to the Middle East to cover the suffering of Muslims at the hands of tyrants. Steven is a loyal and generous son, brother and grandson," she said. "He is an honorable man and has always tried to help the weak." Her plea was met with taunting responses on social media by ISIS supporters. Sotloff, 31, grew up in South Florida with his mother, father and younger sister. He majored in journalism at the University of Central Florida. His personal Facebook page lists musicians including the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Miles Davis and movies including "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Big Lebowski" as favorites. On his Twitter page, he playfully identifies himself as a "stand-up philosopher from Miami." He graduated from another college, began taking Arabic classes and subsequently picked up freelance writing work for a number of publications, including Time, Foreign Policy, World Affairs and The Christian Science Monitor. His travels took him to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey -- among other countries -- and eventually Syria. Editor Nancy Gibbs said the magazine's staff is "shocked and deeply saddened" by the reports of his death. "He gave his life so readers would have access to information from some of the most dangerous places in the world," she said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family." Sotloff brings the number of journalists killed in Syria to at least 70, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. More than 80 have been kidnapped in Syria since the civil war began, with many going unpublicized, the group said. "We condemn in the strongest terms possible the murder of journalist Steven Sotloff. He, like James Foley, went to Syria to tell a story. They were civilians, not representatives of any government. Their murders are war crimes and those who committed them must be brought to justice swiftly," CPJ said. Obama on ISIS -- No strategy yet . Response from the White House . White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration "has obviously been watching very carefully since this threat against Mr. Sotloff's life was originally made a few weeks ago." A top U.S. State Department official told CNN's Christiane Amanpour to "stay tuned" on U.S. plans to combat the organization. "We are putting the features in place, developing a broad regional coalition, a broad international coalition, working to get a new Iraqi government stood up, working to get our plans in place. So stay tuned," said Brett McGurk, the deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iraq. Obama, who was briefed on the videotaped execution of Sotloff, came under fire from Republicans and Democrats who called on the President to take stronger against ISIS, also known as ISIL. The criticism came a week after Obama said, "We don't have a strategy yet" to deal with ISIS in Syria. Obama said he has asked America's top defense officials to prepare "a range of options." "Mr. President, if you can't come up with a strategy, at least tell us what the goal is regarding ISIL," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, said ISIS must be stopped. "We must use every tool at our disposal, short of introducing ground forces in combat roles, to put an end to the threat they pose to our national security," she said. Opinion: Foley is a reminder why freelance reporting is so dangerous . | "Stay tuned" for plans to combat ISIS, a State Department official says .
A video has emerged showing the 31-year-old journalist being beheaded .
Footage threatens the life of another man .
ISIS beheaded journalist James Foley; in that video, the terrorist group threatened to kill Sotloff . |
23,124 | 4199a43c90b9ea93bc562cf45f4f4beddcffe9b1 | By . Graham Smith . Last updated at 4:35 PM on 3rd February 2012 . A police community support officer who raped a 12-year-old schoolgirl was today jailed for ten years. Michael Yardley, 35, had a seven-month affair with the child before his shocked wife Stephanie caught them kissing and cuddling on the sofa in the living room of the marital home. The PCSO, employed by Lincolnshire Police, was caught out after getting up early to tell his wife he was going for a run, according to Andrew Scott, prosecuting. Instead he went downstairs and let the girl into the house. His wife later went downstairs and caught them kissing on the sofa. Jailed for raping a schoolgirl: PSCO Michael Yardley, 35, had a seven-month affair with the 12-year-old . The couple separated and Yardley's wife later raised her suspicions with his employers, sparking an investigation. Both Yardley and the girl, who was by then 13, admitted having sex with each other on several occasions both . at Yardley's home and in his car. The girl, who cannot be named for . legal reasons, told police they had agreed between them that they would . set up home together when she reached 18. Mr Scott said: 'He befriended this . girl and took advantage of her. Her parents trusted him and did not . consider for one moment that anything untoward was happening.' 'Disgraceful': Yardley was today sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Lincoln Crown Court (pictured) Yardley had previously laughed off . suggestions that the girl had a crush on him and even managed to . convince her father that nothing was wrong, despite the fact that he . discovered she had sent 200 text messages to him. Yardley, of Morton, Lincolnshire, . admitted raping the girl on October 27, 2010 when she was 12 and four . charges of sexual activity with a young girl between November 2010 and . April this year. He was jailed for ten years and placed on the sex offenders' register for life. Yardley quit his role as a PCSO after the offences came to light. Recorder John Philpotts told him: 'These offences are extremely grave because of her age and the difference in age between you. 'Her parents thought their child was safe in your care. They were mistaken. 'You used the fact that her parents trusted you to take care of her. You used that to abuse her in the most disgraceful fashion. 'Your behaviour was persistent and it was prolonged. This has devastated the victim's family. The long-term emotional and psychological effects on the victim can only be guessed. I have no doubt they will be serious and considerable.' Alison Summers, defending, said Yardley developed a friendship with the girl after becoming unhappy in his marriage. She said: 'He realised he shouldn't have married. He felt his life was out of control. It was against that background of personal crisis that it would appear that his judgement was lost. 'I can only relate his remorse and his shame.' Detective Inspector Guy Leach said described Yardley as 'a very dangerous person to young girls' He said: 'Yardley has taken advantage and abused the trust of friends and a young girl. As a consequence of his conduct,the childhood and adolescence of this young girl has been stolen.' | Michael Yardley, 35, and schoolgirl 'made plans' to move in together when she turned 18 .
He told his wife he was going for an early morning run. When she got up she found him kissing girl downstairs . |
32,318 | 5be6d0d708305e16949b622fbd4150193aba4f1c | (CNN) -- Australia's government is considering spending cuts and a special tax to help offset the massive economic impact of recent widespread flooding, the country's prime minister said. "There will certainly be spending cuts ... and there may also be a levy," Prime Minister Julia Gillard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Thursday, according to a transcript of the interview released by her office. "I'm not in a position tonight to detail to you the areas. I am working on that now," she added. Are you cleaning up from the floods? Share your photos, videos and stories . Official damage estimates for flooding are still being calculated. Earlier this month, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said rebuilding after the floods would have a "multi-billion dollar price tag." Floodwaters also inundated homes and devastated thousands of acres of crops in the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria. "We don't have the total damage bill yet, but I want to be very blunt with Australians. We have a lot of flood damage to repair in Queensland. There will be some economic effects on GDP growth, a short-term effect on inflation with food prices and the like, but our economy is strong and we will get through this by pulling together," Gillard said. On Wednesday, Victoria state Premier Ted Baillieu said flooding in southern Australia and other parts of the country would have a significant economic impact nationwide. "It is going to take some time. There is going to be a whack on our economy," said Baillieu. "And it will be that effect right across Australia from Queensland in the north to Victoria in the south." Floods in Queensland state, which started more than a month ago, have killed at least 20 people, police said. The biggest impact to the economy is Australia's burgeoning coal industry, which -- like other of the nation's commodities -- helped buoy the nation's economy through the Great Recession. Growth in Australia contracted during the financial crisis, but the economy escaped recession. Australia is the world's largest supplier of coking coal, essential in steel-making, and is the second largest supplier of thermal coal used in power plants. Earlier this month the floods caused world coal prices to hit a two-year high. The Queensland region also is a major exporter of sugar, cotton and wheat. CNN's John Raedler and Kevin Voigt contributed to this report. | In a television interview, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she is pinpointing possible spending cuts .
"I want to be very blunt with Australians. We have a lot of flood damage to repair," she says .
Official damage estimates for flooding are still being calculated .
Queensland state's premier has said rebuilding will have a "multi-billion dollar price tag" |
54,554 | 9a83b99a344726a7ffe64f0fb1f10db15d60773e | CLICK HERE to read Sam Peters' full match report from Twickenham . England’s players showed solidarity with their cash-strapped opponents at the final whistle as they gathered for a silent prayer on the Twickenham turf. Captain Chris Robshaw and his team-mates formed a circle with Samoa — who had threatened to boycott the game in a row over pay and governance with their union. ‘That is the brilliant thing about the rugby community,’ said Robshaw. ‘You support each other. They could have pulled out, so we’re extremely grateful they honoured the game.’ England and Samoa players united after the game to show their solidarity at Twickenham . Chris Robshaw led players in a show of appreciation to Samoa for allowing the game to go ahead . The Samoa team had threatened to strike ahead of the game after problems with their governing body . 'We want to thank all the Samoan guys for the way they played, we know they've got a lot of issues at the moment and all the England guys are really appreciative of the spirit and the way the game was played today,' he told Sky Sports 2. 'I think it was a great spectacle, even if it was a bit loose at times, but all the English team are very grateful.' Another thing the English players will be grateful for is the win after a torrid run of five defeats on the bounce was finally brought to an end. Bath's George Ford (centre) impressed on his full international debut at fly-half . Jonny May uses his blistering pace to open the scoring for England in the first half . All of those defeats, of course, came against the two top ranked teams in the world in New Zealand and South Africa, but Robshaw admitted it was great to just get back to winning ways. 'It was great to get a win. It's a results business and we know there was a few errors out there and we were a little bit loose with the ball, but it was great to play a game here at night and the crowd were absolutely fantastic,' he added. Despite looking disjointed at times England still managed to run in three tries, with Jonny May dotting down twice and Mike Brown crossing over after a delightful offload from Anthony Watson. Mike Brown (centre) crosses over to get England back to winning ways after a dismal recent run . May crosses the line to score his second try in England's 28-9 defeat of Samoa . One of the biggest positives was the performance of new fly-half George Ford, who played a key role in May's first try with a loop around Owen Farrell and then set up Brown's touch down with a well-worked cross-field kick to Bath team-mate Watson. Speaking in front of the Sky cameras after his first senior start for England, the 21-year-old, who also kicked over 13 points, said: 'I think we got there in the end. The start was very scrappy. Obviously, Samoa are a very physical team and they came flying at us. 'We probably didn't adapt to that quickly enough I suppose and with the rain coming down we should have gone for field position. But we addressed that at half-time, came out and started the second half well.' | England defeated Samoa 28-9 in Autumn International Test at Twickenham .
Captain Chris Robshaw led players in gesture of support after the game .
Robshaw thanked Samoan players for going ahead with the game despite threats to strike over problems in their camp . |
201,724 | 912a345dbee364488a2b01c66e1dafb8b82bf7d7 | A ten-year-old Norwegian boy who drove his parents’ car into a snowy ditch offered an inventive excuse to police: he was a dwarf who had forgotten his driver’s license. The boy – who lives near Dokka, a town 110kms (68 miles) north of Oslo – put his 18-month old sister into the car sometime before 6am, while his parents were still sleeping and set off to visit his grandparents in Valdres, about 60 kilometres away. He drove more than 10 kilometres before veering off the road, where he was found by a snowplow driver who alerted police. Good excuse: A boy drove off a snowy road in Norway, after he stole his parents car. When police found him he told them he was a dwarf who forgot his driver's licence . ‘The parents woke up and discovered that the children were missing and that someone had taken off with their car. They were pretty upset, as you can imagine,’ said Baard Christiansen, a spokesman for the Vest Oppland police district. ‘The boy told the snowplow driver that he was a dwarf and that he had forgotten his driver's licence at home.’ Police said the children were not injured and the car was not damaged, and that no charges would be filed. ‘We have talked to them, and I'm pretty sure they're going to pay very close attention both to their children and to their car keys in the future,’ Christiansen said. Returned safely: The town of Dokka, north of Oslo, where the 10-year-old boy is from . | Boy, 10, put his 18-month old sister in car and drove to visit grandparents .
Made it 10kms before veering off the snowy Norwegian road .
Told police he was a dwarf who forgot his driver's licence .
The children were uninjured and the car was undamaged . |
31,569 | 59c95f120045a816807d683638044c10dc27312e | Editor's note: Watch the full interview with Serena Williams on "Your $$$$$" Saturday at 1 p.m. ET and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on CNN. Serena Williams says she believes she apologized for her actions promptly and completely. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Serena Williams just wants to move on. But the controversy around her obscenity-laced tirade at a line judge at the U.S. Open continues. Williams, 27, said she was "in the moment" and doesn't really remember her now-famous outburst at a line judge who had called a foot fault. It was a 12-second verbal attack that has played over and over for three days. "It was a really tough point in the match and it was really close and got a really tough call that wasn't the correct call, and, you know, things got a little heated and I had a conversation with the line judge that didn't go so well," Williams said. Williams, ranked No. 2 in the world by the Women's Tennis Association, said she does not recall moments of Saturday's incident but believes she apologized for her actions promptly and completely. Watch Williams talk about call » . "I couldn't apologize any sooner, and then also I learned from my mistakes ... I was talking to [former Giants defensive end] Michael Strahan earlier today and he said how, when he's out there you're so intense. Obviously, when you get a bad call, it's like 'What's going on?' So when you're in the moment, you are just there. You don't really quite remember exactly what's going on," Williams said. Williams found herself explaining her outburst while promoting her recently published memoir, "On the Line," in which she details growing up the youngest of five sisters, her struggles on the court and off, and her positive messages of inspiration, especially to her younger fans. "Those kids probably just need to know it's great to be a competitor, how passionate someone is, and just making the right decisions at the right time -- realizing that, hey, everyone falls, 'Wow, she's human, she made a bad decision, a bad choice.' " Williams added, "I am not a robot. I have a heart and I bleed." In the aftermath of Saturday's match, tournament officials fined Williams $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $500 for smashing a racket during the same event. So far, no suspensions have been served, but the United States Tennis Association has said that it has launched an investigation into the incident. | Tennis star's obscenity-laced tirade at the U.S. Open stays in the spotlight .
She's fielding questions about it as she promotes new book .
Williams says she was "in the moment" and doesn't remember all that was said .
Her young fans can now see "she's human, she made a bad decision," she says . |
164,931 | 61458212d0790f2eedfeda4a9d5427b25d758694 | (CNN) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich pledged Thursday to make his country "a bridge between East and West" after being sworn into office in Kiev. Yanukovich, who was ousted from office in 2004 in the pro-West "Orange Revolution," beat Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in a bitterly fought election earlier this month that has left the country deeply divided. Yanukovich enjoys support among the Russian-speaking people living in eastern Ukraine, while Tymoshenko is mainly supported by the Ukrainian speakers in the western part of the country. There is concern Yanukovich will move the former Soviet state more closely into Moscow's orbit and many fear further political turmoil. But in his inaugural address, Yanukovich said it was in Ukraine's interest to build close relations with Russia, the European Union and the U.S. "Being a bridge between East and West, an integral part of Europe and the former Soviet Union at the same time, Ukraine will choose a foreign policy that will allow our country to get the most out of the development of equal and mutually beneficial relations with Russia, the European Union, the United States and other countries that influence development in the world," he said. Yanukovich also said he would put Ukraine on a "path of accelerated development" to save Ukraine from socio-economic collapse and called for cooperation between president, parliament and government. In one of his first action as presidents, Yanukovich said he had reduced the costs of maintaining a presidential administration by 20 percent. The money saved would go to the fifth of Ukrainians living in poverty, according to a statement from his office. Yanukovich was declared the winner of the presidential election in 2004, but the legitimacy of the vote was questioned and he faced accusations of stealing the race. Yanukovich's win was annulled following the Orange Revolution uprising, with former President Victor Yushchenko winning the revote. Tymoshenko stood alongside Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution, but later political infighting broke down their alliance. In a recent interview with CNN, Yanukovich attributed his dramatic comeback to the current economic situation, saying people voted for him because they believe he can improve the economy. "I want to tell the people of Ukraine ... we will repay the arrears of wages and pensions, what the current government never managed to do," he said Thursday. "Given the dire situation in public finances, we will do this by reducing the costs of (the) bureaucratic system. We will start with ourselves." | Yanukovich pledges to make country "a bridge between East and West"
Yanukovich won bitterly contested presidential election earlier this month .
President returns to power after being ousted in 2004 Orange Revolution .
Yanukovich pledges to put Ukraine on "path of accelerated development" |
197,462 | 8b96bfda955756f26f19c824deb8f57bdcf7d9f7 | By . Sara Malm . The elderly alpha male of the only brown bear colony in the Pyrenees is facing castration after officials discover he has been breeding with his own offspring for the past two decades. Pyros the bear's 'sexual domination' of the colony of 30-odd bears living near Val d'Aran, Spain, has seen him end up the father, grandfather and great-grandfather to every cub born in the colony for the past 20 years. Spanish officials are now facing the difficult decision of either castrating or capturing 26-year-old Pyros in order to stop the dangerous level of inbreeding which is risking the species' survival in the European mountain range. Still going strong: Pyros the alpha is risking castration after officials discover he has fathered all the cubs born in the Pyrenean brown bear colony in the past 20 years (file photo) The bear’s sexual dominance came to light after Spanish officials discovered that Pyros was both father and grandfather to a recent cub. At 26, Pyros’ ‘vigour’ should have slowed down in his late teens, however, Pyros remains as active as ever, resulting in dangerous levels of inbreeding in the colony. The colony of 30-odd bears include four other males, but only one is not an offspring of Pyros’ and none of them have fathered any cubs, officials found. As a result, Spanish officials say they have to choose between castrating Pyros and segregating him from the group in order to secure the species’ survival in the Pyrenees. Inbreeding: Pyros' sexual appetite and dominance in the group has to be stopped as the limited gene pool is risking the survival of the bear population of the Pyrenees . ‘If he keeps up this sexual vigour and dominant attitude for a few more years, the other males in the mountains have no chance of mating with any of the females,’ Val d’Aran environmental councillor José Enrique Arró, told La Vanguardia, according to The Guardian. If Pyros is not castrated he would have to be moved, however, due to his old age, sedating and moving him to a new area – wild or in captivity – could cause fatal stress and other risks to his health. A representative from the Catalan regional government told the paper that even if Pyros is sterilised and left with the colony, his dominant sexual behaviour could continue, making it difficult for the other males to mate with the females of the group. Mr Arró said he hopes that the introduction of a new bear to the colony could help, but it is also possible that Pyros’ family jewels can be saved if his biological clock finally begins to tick and he starts to act his age. Local authorities have long fought to save the brown bear population of the Pyrenees by transferring brown bears over from Slovenia. The last indigenous female brown bear in the mountain range, which forms the natural border between France and Spain, was shot by a hunter in 2004. | Pyros the alpha bear may have to be castrated to save the species .
Despite his old age, his sexual dominance in the Pyrenees is not fading .
Pyros is father, grandfather and great-grandfather to nearly all cubs . |
191,802 | 845bb32015925e39da31b0154314413b0102e97f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . McDonald’s is offering an avocado-topped beef burger in select U.S. cities to test its potential popularity. Locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Denver, Colorado are trialling the guacamole burger alongside a guacamole grilled chicken sandwich and guacamole crispy chicken sandwich. All three sandwiches include guacamole, pico de gallo, white cheddar cheese, and lettuce. Mexican-inspired: The new McDonald's guacamole burger sees the traditional beef patty topped with avocado, pico de gallo, white cheddar cheese, and lettuce . According to The Daily Meal, the guacamole burger is available for $4.79 - which is noticeably more expensive than many of McDonald’s dollar offerings. Locations in Denver are also offering guacamole as an add-on or dip for an additional 89 cents. It is understood that McDonald’s is testing the item as a ‘healthy’ alternative to its less nutritious options like barbeque sauce. It is unclear what ingredients the company may have added to the avocado in its guacamole recipe. It is also unknown if and when the guacamole may become a permanent menu option nationwide. New offerings: Guacamole is being offered on three sandwiches - a beef burger, a crispy chicken sandwich and a grilled chicken sandwich . This is not the first time that McDonald’s has offered avocado on its menu. In 2010, the fast food chain introduced chicken flatbreads with an avocado topping but quickly removed the item from its menus. McDonald’s is not the first fast-food chain to recently add avocado to its menu. In 2013, Subway added pureed avocado to its sandwich board as a topping option. | Guacamole is being tested on menus in the Carolinas and in Denver, Colorado .
The topping is being offered on burgers and chicken sandwiches . |
137,680 | 3e0e8f08b5cdc5374807f23b80d8b6edc42cf4a5 | Koala populations face a new threat - from a zip line thrill ride which is being proposed to attract more visitors to a Queensland national park if it goes ahead. Trees in Obi Obi Gorge that will to be used to hold up the high-flying attraction located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland's Kondalilla National Park are koala habitats, environmentalists say. National Parks Association of Queensland executive coordinator Paul Donatiu said the steel platforms needed to hold up the adventure ride and clearing vegetation to make way for the cables would hurt the habitat and rare bird species. Koala populations could be threatened by a proposed zip line in the Sunshine Coast hinterland's Kondalilla National Park in Queensland . 'This government is ignoring its duty of care to conserve rare species in our national parks, including koalas, in the name of adrenaline tourism,' he said. The warning comes after Queensland's tourism minister, Jann Stuckey, named Australian Zip Line Canopy Tours as the project's preferred proponent. 'The hinterland business community recognises that a zipline attraction would draw more visitors and revitalise the region, which would have flow on economic benefits to the broader community,' she said. Sunshine Coast tourism operators have welcomed the proposal. Hinterland tourism president Christine Kardash said the zip line attract more people to the park. The zip line will be located in Kondalilla National Park. The route at the park's Obi Obi Gorge is mapped out on the right. According to Sunshine Coast Destinations Limited, the zip line would create 50 full-time jobs and generate more than $3 million a year for the area. It has been reported the zip-line would affect less than 0.3% of the Kondalilla National Park. 'I do think the opportunity to pass through the forest at a new "level" without actually touching the ground will be a huge drawcard,' Mr Kardash told the Hinterland Times in March. But Mr Donatiu said the zipline, which would be a first for any Australian national park, would attract the wrong kind of visitor. 'A key aspect of ecotourism is that the tourism activity leads or adds to the conservation of the ecosystem in which it operates,' he said. 'The inclusion of an environmental educational component in the proposed zip line will do little for the national park itself, particularly as research overseas shows a strong indication that tour guests are impatient for the thrill of the ride.' Australian Zip Line Canopy Tours have been invited to submit a more detailed proposal to show environmental checks have been incorporated into the planning, design and operation of the project and explain its financial benefits. Koalas live mostly on the east coast of Australia, where eucalypt varieties they eat are more common . The zip line is expected to create more than 50 full-time jobs and provide $3 million a year for the area . | Trees used to support zip line are habitats of koalas and rare bird species .
Project is planned to go in Kondalilla National Park on Sunshine Coast .
Tourism operators say it will attract more people to the area .
Reports say the adventure ride would affect less than 0.3% of the park . |
92,293 | 02b63d923de1c7a9388be62a206c96b35e8e2e59 | A formerly obese teenager has told how cruel taunts from bullies inspired her to get fit and become a beauty pageant queen. Keli Kryfko, 23 - the current Miss South Texas titleholder - weighed more than 200lbs when she was at middle school and wore a U.S. dress size 24. But at the age of 14 she decided to get in shape after hearing another student refer to her as 'the fat girl' when she failed a P.E. fitness test. Scroll down for video . Transformation: Keli Kryfko, 23, weighed more than 200lbs when she was at middle school (left) but now she is the current Miss South Texas titleholder after cruel taunts inspired her to lose weight (right) 'I knew that that’s not what I wanted my definition to be anymore,' Miss Kryfko told CBS News. In a bid to battle the bulge, one of the first things the Houston native did was ditch sugary sodas for water. 'I decided that I needed to make a change . and I started by kicking out Dr Pepper which I always say was my . toughest break-up to date.' From there, Miss Kryfko started making other small changes to her diet. 'I just used logic,' she recalled. 'I thought, well I . probably need to eat less fried foods and maybe I can eat the burger . without the cheese.' Celebratory moment: Miss Kryfko holding an old pair of jeans from her closet - she used to be a U.S. size 24 . Where it all began: The Houston native decided to get in shape at the age of 14 after hearing another student refer to her as 'the fat girl' when she failed a P.E. fitness test . Video Source YouTube . In a year-and-a-half she managed to lose around 70lbs and 100lbs in total. The natural brunette's transformation was complete with the addition of platinum blonde hair. With a newfound sense of confidence, Miss Kryfko decided to explore the world of beauty pageants and witnessed quick success. Her biggest wins so far include Miss Allen 2012, Miss Limestone 2013 and Miss South Texas 2014. 'It's really important to . make time to love yourself and to compliment yourself' She is now vying for the title of Miss Texas, with the contest set to take place in July. Although she is half the size she used to be, Miss Kryfko says she's still curvier than the average pageant contestant. 'I like to think that it gives me an advantage,' she added. Along with watching what she eats, the Texas Tech University graduate also fits exercise into her schedule. Justin . Murphy, a fitness trainer who is getting Miss Kryfko in shape for the . Miss Texas contest, said weight loss is 80per cent diet and 20per cent . exercise. Pageant queen: The blonde's biggest wins to date include Miss Allen 2012, Miss Limestone 2013 and Miss South Texas 2014 - she is now vying for the title of Miss Texas . Spreading the word: Miss Kryfko says her ultimate dream is to be a motivational speaker and she offers words of inspiration to others via her blog, High Heels and Treadmills . 'You want to . lose one pound a week, that’s a healthy range,' he said. 'Shoot . for six small meals a day. Focus on getting protein in every meal.' Miss Kryfko says her ultimate dream is to be a motivational speaker and she offers words of inspiration to others via her blog, High Heels and Treadmills. Putting forward her favorite tip, she concluded: 'It's really important to . make time to love yourself and to compliment yourself. 'Giving yourself permission to feel good in your skin, where you are.' | Keli Kryfko, 23, weighed more than 200lbs at age 14 .
She ditched soda and cutback on junk food after bullies called her 'fat'
The svelte blonde is now vying for the title of Miss Texas . |
198,595 | 8d0f9e13d39e32ea7deacc3de6c149f2d3bca81e | Privacy row: Google are being sued over the way they harvest users' personal information to target them with adverts . A group of Apple iPhone and iPad users will sue Google for secretly tracking their browsing habits so they can bombard them with targeted adverts. Judith Vidal-Hall, Robert Hann and Marc . Bradshaw, who all use Apple's Safari browser, today won the right for the High Court to hear their claim. Google argued that the High Court in London did not have jurisdiction to hear the case and said it should instead be heard in California. The claimants, known as Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking, accuse Google of bypassing security settings in order to track their online browsing and target them with adverts. Today Mr Justice Tugendhat, sitting in the High Court, ruled that the courts were the 'appropriate jurisdiction' to try their claims. A group spokesman said: 'The Google argument that any trial should take place in California has not been accepted by the judge.' They say Google's 'clandestine' tracking and collation of internet usage between summer 2011 and spring 2012 has led to distress and embarrassment among UK users. They argued in court that Google's bid to block a trial was 'misconceived' and the company should 'answer to British justice'. They are accusing Google of misuse of private information, breach of confidence and breaking data protection laws. Google provides services including email and search facilities to web users for free, Mr Justice Tugendhat said. 'It . can do this because it collects information from the users of its . services which it then processes in such a way that it can sell to . suppliers what appears as space on the users' screens. 'This . can be used by them for advertisements which are targeted at the . apparent interests of the users of devices who access the internet', the . judge said. Privacy case: Google argued that the case should not go before the High Court and should instead be heard in California instead. They lost the battle and it will now go to trial . 'What each of . the claimants claims in the present case is that they have suffered . acute distress and anxiety. None of them claims any financial or special . damage.' Anthony White QC, for Google, had argued the information was not in fact private. 'It . is anonymous. The aggregation of such information sent to separate . websites and advertising services cannot make it private information. Court battle: The trio of internet users taking action against Google were all users of Apple's Safari broswer on iPad or iPhone . 'One . hundred times zero is zero, so one hundred pieces of non-private . information cannot become private information when collected together.' But the judge said: 'I find this a surprising submission to be made on behalf of Google Inc. 'It would not collect and collate the information unless doing so enabled it to produce something of value. 'The . value it produces is the facility for targeted advertising of which the . claimants complain, and which yields the spectacular revenues for which . Google Inc is famous', the judge said. 'I am satisfied that there is a serious issue to be tried in each of the claimants' claims for misuse of private information.' A Google spokeswoman said: 'A case almost identical to this one was dismissed in its entirety three months ago in the US. 'We still don't think that this case meets the standards required in the UK for it to go to trial, and we'll be appealing today's ruling.' Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said: 'It's absolutely right people are able to access justice in Britain when the issue concerns a company that has a significant presence here and offers services to millions of British people. 'This is an important case for privacy regulation, as it involved users making a specific choice about sharing data and being tracked that was not respected by Google. 'It is an important principle that people are able to control who collects their information and how it is used and this case has the potential to enhance consumer protection and strengthen privacy in a number of areas. It is critical that companies respect the choices we make as consumers and this case could be a significant deterrent in future.' No date has yet been set for the full hearing. | Trio are suing Google for using adverts tailored to browsing history .
Judith Vidal-Hall, Robert Hann and Marc Bradshaw claim the policy is a breach of privacy .
Judge rules their case can go to trial in London after Google argue the case should be heard in California .
Google provide email and search for free and make money through adverts . |
106,984 | 15fe2c24f0de707be5e684f7b400ef2d5a1c61d2 | By . Louise Boyle and Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 17:58 EST, 25 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:49 EST, 25 February 2013 . Comments (8) Share . DM.has('shareLink', 'shareLinks', { . 'id': '2284336', . 'title': 'Jodi Arias \'sent coded messages to her friend while she was in prison telling him to change his testimony before an interview because he contradicted her story\' of how she killed her ex boyfriend Travis Alexander', . 'url': 'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2284336/Jodi-Arias-murder-trial-She-sent-coded-messages-friend-saying-contradicted-story-killed-ex-boyfriend-Travis-Alexander.html', . 'eTwitterStatus': 'Jodi%20Arias%20murder%20trial:%20She%20\'sent%20coded%20messages%20to%20her%20friend%20saying%20he%20contradicted%20her%20story\'...%20http:\/\/bit.ly\/XXcjsi%20via%20@MailOnline' }); . New evidence in the Jodi Arias trial shows that she may have been trying to influence the testimony of her friend by slipping out coded messages while she was in jail for her ex-boyfriend's murder. The Phoenix courtroom was shown a picture of the bottom of a page of one of the magazines that she handed a visitor who it is thought was meant to pass it along to another person who was going to testify on Arias' behalf. The picture shows numbers written at the bottom of a page in her copy of Star Magazine, that were intended to match messages that she had written on the corresponding page numbers from the second magazine, Digital Photo Pro. 'You f***ed up what you told my attorney the next day / directly contradicts what I've been saying for over a year / get down here ASAP and see me before you talk to them again and before / you testify so / we can fix this / interview was excellent! Must talk ASAP!' the message read when pieced together. Scroll down for video . Grilling: Jodi Arias, pictured on the stand on Monday, gave testimony for the tenth day where she was harshly questioned by the prosecution over her various versions of events . The evidence is intended to show that . she tried to manipulate one of the few people who could theoretically . corroborate her story about being abused by Alexander. The date of the magazine incident and . the interviews scheduled around that time point to the prospect of the . recipient being her friend and former boyfriend Matt McCartney. When presented with the magazine codes on Thursday, Arias denied trying to sway McCartney. 'You tried to get someone to lie at that hearing, didn't you?' prosecutor Juan Martinez said. 'No, she responded. Her trust and the veracity of McCartney's knowledge was brought up again when the trial picked back up on Monday. His name was mentioned when she said that she showed bruises that she sustained from one of her fights with Alexander. 'I saw (McCartney) a few days later and he called me out on all the bruises that were on me,' she said in court. One-on-one: Prosecutor Juan Martinez (left) aggressively questioned Jodi Arias (right) last Thursday as cross-examination began . After going back and forth with . Martinez over the specific timing and driving directions that she went . through during this supposed trip- when she traveled from Alexander's . house in Mesa, Arizona to McCartney's house in Seaside, California, it . was eventually determined that he would not have been able to see the . bruising. Though the prosecutor asserts that it . was because of the timeline of the trip, she said that she also applied . multiple coats of makeup to avoid any questioning. The 32-year-old eventually admitted . that there is no physical evidence, documentary or anecdotal evidence . that Alexander hurt her. Martinez also questioned her motive in . moving to Mesa after she and Arias had officially broken up. She went . on to say that Alexander was very 'persuasive' and convinced her to . still move even though they were no longer together. Arias' grueling tenth day on the stand was part of criminal proceedings that have been going on since early January. Arias, 32, lost a bid last week aimed . at getting a reprieve from a potential death sentence if convicted of . first-degree murder after the Arizona Supreme Court swiftly denied her . motion that claimed a detective committed perjury in the case. Her . attorneys have filed multiple motions for mistrials, all of which have . been denied. Negotiations: The prosecution and defense have fought bitter battles over evidence and approached the judge's bench on several occasions on Monday . Earlier in Monday's testimony, Arias . was grilled about her decision to send Alexander's grieving grandmother . flowers following his murder. The court viewed a tape of Arias' 48 . Hours interview where she said that she had sent the flowers to . Alexander's grandmother 'because iris was one of Travis' 'favorite baby . names'. She went on to send an 18-page note to his siblings. In the note, she said that they . 'deserved to know' who killed their brother by shooting him and stabbing . him 27 times. She left out any mention of her involvement- which she . has now admitted to in court. The prosecutor asked why she lied to . Detective Flores when she denied being in Arizona on June 4, 2008. Arias . said she had lied because she was ashamed of things that she and . Alexander had done in the past that she wanted to keep secret. Martinez kept at Arias over her . motives for lying. He picked apart her often contradictory responses and . questioned her memory of events, even opening his examination on the . tenth day of the trial by asking: 'Ma'am, you have a problem with . telling the truth, don't you?' The lawyer then picked apart each of the versions of events that Arias had told to friends following Mr Alexander's murder. Previous stories: Jodi Arias sat down for multiple interviews with 48 Hours Mystery shortly after being arrested but her version of event has changed dramatically since then . Her former self: The clips have been played for the court and Arias had to answer for her previous responses . Smiling: Arias, pictured in her mugshot center, was asked why she chose to smile in her booking photo and in the 48 Hours interview she said it was because she thought it is what Alexander would have done . Arias was grilled on her conflicting . testimony on Monday where she both appeared to say that she knew and . didn't know Alexander was dead when she left his Mesa home on June 4. She told the jury that her 'mind . wasn't right' as to why she had could not remember clearly the events or . why she had been covered in blood when she drove from Arizona to Utah . to visit a romantic interest, Ryan Burns. Martinez said: 'And to continue this litany of lies, it isn't restricted to Utah. You also lied to people in Arizona.' She responded: 'I lied to everyone.' When Arias was told by friend Daniel . Freeman that her former boyfriend had been murdered, she pretended she . knew nothing about it. She then called a spiritual adviser . Bishop Leighton to find out what he knew about Alexander's death, a move . that Martinez claimed was 'to see if someone was on to you'. The murder suspect then added that she could not remember much from that day of June 4. Referring to the fateful day at . Alexander's house Martinez asked: 'You remembered the confrontation, you . remembered that you didn't call 911, so why did you need to know . second-hand knowledge? Last week, prosecutor Martinez . hammered Arias with intense questioning about her inability to recall . crucial details in the case, yet noted it was puzzling that she can . remember 'what kind of coffee you bought at Starbucks sometime back in . 2008'. Despondent: It was another day under close scrutiny for the murder suspect in the Arizona courtroom . Damning words: Pages for Arias' own diary were used by the prosecution to contradict claims that Alexander had been physically violent towards her during their relationship . Arias smirked at times while Martinez . stammered in frustration, and the judge admonished both to stop talking . over each other as the questioning grew heated and the two traded barbs. Arias first told authorities she knew . nothing about Alexander's death, then later blamed it on masked . intruders before eventually settling on self-defense. She said she was scared of being . arrested, had been contemplating suicide and didn't want to sully . Alexander's name with accounts of his violent behavior and lurid details . of their sexual relationship, given his public persona as a devout . Mormon who was saving himself for marriage. Of the day she killed Alexander, Arias . says she remembers him in a rage, body slamming her and chasing her . around his home. She said she grabbed a gun from his closet, and fired . it as they tussled, but didn't know if she hit him. Doomed: Jodi Arias is accused of murdering her on-off lover Travis Alexander which she claims was in self-defense while the prosecution says she flew into a jealous rage . She had no explanation for the 27 stab . and slash wounds he suffered, or his slit throat, or how his body ended . up stuffed in his shower. According to court records, however, . she previously told police before her trial began that Alexander was . unconscious after she shot him, but then 'crawled around and was . stabbed'. She says she remembers putting a knife . in the dishwasher and disposing of the gun in the desert as she drove . from Arizona on her way to Utah. She immediately began planning an . alibi. Arias' grandparents reported a .25 . caliber handgun stolen from their Northern California house about a week . before the killing - the same caliber used to shoot Alexander - but . Arias claims to know nothing about the burglary. She says she brought no . weapons to Alexander's home on the day she killed him, undercutting the . prosecution's theory of premeditation. | Tried to pass messages along to her friend and former flame Matt McCartney after he 'f***** up' by telling investigators a statement that contradicted her claims .
Prosecutor Juan Martinez asked why Arias posted Travis Alexander's siblings an 18-page letter following his death saying that they 'deserved to know' who killed him, but didn't say that she was the one who killed him .
During cross-examination in the Phoenix courtroom, Martinez asks: 'Can you imagine how much it must have hurt Mr Alexander when you stuck that knife right into his chest?' |
211,790 | 9e42585cfe7f22df791b23ba6b72d958b3ffdfaa | No, God didn't reveal himself to this Chinese man in a vision. But it seems Lu Zhenghai has been reading about the Mayan prophecy that predicts the end of the world on December 21. He is so afraid of the rumours he has spent his whole life savings trying to build his very own apocalypse-proof 'Noah's Ark'. Race for survival: One Chinese man is so convinced the world will end next month he is building his very own Noah's Ark (pictured) The vessel, which has cost him ¥1million (£100,000), measures 21.2m long, 15.5m wide, 5.6m high and displaces about 140 tons of water. Lu, from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, admits it's not much to look at, but is confident it will serve its purpose. Scientists and researchers are going out of their way to assure people that December 21, 2012, the so-called Mayan end-date, will not bring about the end of the world. But that hasn't stopped some from ploughing on with their own safety measures regardless. Faith: Lu has spent his whole life savings of £100,000 on the boat, which he believes will save him from an impending global disaster . Not quite biblical proportions: The vessel measures 21.2m long, 15.5m wide, 5.6m high and displaces about 140 tons of water . Work in progress: Lu, from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, admits it's not much to look at, but is confident it will serve its purpose . In France, the authorities have been . forced to ban access to a sacred mountain, rumoured to be a haven from . the apocalypse, because hordes of believers have been flocking to the . region in recent weeks. Legend . has it that the Pic de Bugarach in south-west France will burst open on . that day revealing an alien spaceship which will carry nearby humans to . safety. A hundred police . and firefighters will also control approaches to the tiny village of the . same name at the foot of the mountain, and if too many people turn up, . they will block access there, too. Doomsday refuge: The Pic de Bugarach, south-west France, where some believe an alien spacecraft will burst out taking humans away from an apocalypse . Expectations: With the Aztec Mayan calendar, pictured, ending on or around December 21 some fear it means the people believed it to be the end of the world . The significance of December 21, 2012, stems from interpretations of the Maya Long Count calendar, which is made up of 394-year periods called baktuns. Experts estimate the system starts counting at 3114 BC and will have run through 13 baktuns, or 5,125 years, around that day. However, experts say that while 13 was a significant number for the Maya, the end of that cycle would be a milestone — but not an end. Geoffrey Braswell, an anthropologist at the University of California at San Diego, said: 'The Maya long count system is like a car odometer. 'My first car (odometer) only had six wheels so it went up to 99,999.9 miles. 'That didn't mean the car would explode after reaching 100,000 miles.' As the clock winds down to December 21, experts on the Maya calendar have been racing to convince people that the Maya didn't predict an apocalypse for the end of this year. Some experts are now saying the Maya may indeed have made prophecies, just not about the end of the world. Archaeologists, anthropologists and other experts met in September in the southern Mexico city of Merida to discuss the implications of the Maya Long Count calendar, which some interpret as signalling the end of the world on December 21. Meanwhile, only a couple of references to the 2012 date equivalency have been found carved in stone at Maya sites and neither refers to an apocalypse, experts say. Such apocalyptic visions have been common for more than 1,000 years in Western, Christian thinking, and are not native to Maya thought. Experts stressed that the ancient Maya, whose 'classic' culture of writing, astronomy and temple complexes flourished from the year 300AD to 900AD, were extremely interested in future events, far beyond December 21. | Lu Zhenghai splashes out £100,000 on disaster-proof vessel .
Some believe Mayans predicted end of world on Dec 21, 2012 . |
58,021 | a46ef0e29cebef044944d161cfc8f2aa529d3fd0 | By . Sam Greenhill . With his handsome chestnut plumage and rapacious sexual appetite, the ruddy duck has long been designated a ruddy pest. Every year, the promiscuous male of the British species flies south to Spain where he ravishes females of the rare white-headed duck. Such is the ruddy duck’s success with the ladies in Spain – to the humiliating detriment of the cuckolded male white-heads there – that Madrid complained of the threat to its native bird’s survival. The Spanish Government fears the British-bred ruddy duck is putting their country's species at risk . Not satisfied with one partner, the blue-billed British birds with snow-white cheeks have let their fancies take flight. They . fathered so many cross-breed ‘Euro ducklings’ that the precious line of . white-heads was in danger of being bred out of existence, causing all . manner of a flutter in diplomatic corridors. And so, to appease the Spanish, British ministers have spent ten years and £4million trying to slaughter the ruddy duck. Yesterday . it emerged they have found a further £120,000 of taxpayers’ money to . fully exterminate the British species, even though it causes no harm in . the UK. An estimated 100 – . or even as few as 20 – remain, hiding among the reeds in remote watery . corners of England, Wales and Scotland. Now . there is a £2,500 bounty on each coppery head, and one day the final . ruddy duck will peer above the rushes and stare down the barrel of a . hunting rifle. The massacre . of the ruddy duck was ordered in 2003 by the Department for the . Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following a series of protests from . Madrid. The massacre of the ruddy duck was ordered in 2003 by Defra (the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), following a series of government-level protests from Madrid . So far the cull has claimed some 5,500 ruddy ducks, causing anger among British conservationists, bird lovers and landowners. The RSPB has taken the Government’s side, leaving some of its members incensed. One, . Roger Barlow, 69, of Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, told the Daily Mail: ‘If . the Spanish government or environmentalists do not like the idea of the . ruddy duck mating with their white-head ducks, then they should cull . them when they arrive in Spain. 'It’s . what ducks do, and why should we foot the bill? The Canada goose is . becoming a problem in Britain, but any culling will quite rightly be . paid for by the British taxpayer. ‘Tell . Spain to leave well alone or do its own dirty business, and send them a . bill for costs incurred to date.’ The ruddy duck is native to North and . South America, where its population is around 700,000. It . was introduced to Britain from the US more than 50 years ago by Sir . Peter Scott, and since then has slowly established itself across Europe. Brian Ankers, chairman of . Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve in Cheshire, told the Sunday Telegraph: . ‘They are beautiful things. It’s very sad and I can’t make sense of it. ‘They’ve . never been a nuisance here and it seems a ridiculous amount of . Government money to spend on getting rid of them.’ Lee Evans, of the . British Birding Association, said: ‘The whole thing is a fiasco. ‘It’s . a total waste of public money, and all that will happen when the cull . stops is that new ducks will fly over from the Continent, and we’ll be . back to square one.’ There . are still relatively large populations of ruddy duck in France and . Netherlands, meaning that even if the British effort is successful, the . tragic loneliness of male white-head ducks in Spain may continue. Defra . said the Government’s action was ‘in line with the commitment of other . European countries to eradicate ruddy ducks elsewhere by 2015’. | Promiscuous males fly to mainland Europe where it ravishes females .
Officials in Madrid feared their native species was at risk as a result .
Ministers have found a further £120,000 to fully cull the birds .
More than 5,500 killed so far, and only around 20 are left in the UK . |
8,804 | 18d0407f9fcbfe670ac7b76cdb6dcbd0ef5ff524 | She shot to fame as Hugo Taylor's petite model girlfriend on Made In Chelsea and while she was a lot more reserved than the rest of the E4 cast, Natalie Joel is making headlines now. Natalie has designed a brand new swimwear collection called Joel Swimwear - and showcases her incredibly toned body as she models a selection of pieces. The range is described by the professional model and designer as a premium beachwear label dedicated to sexy, elegant and feminine bikinis. Scroll down for video . New range: Natalie Joel, who shot to fame as Hugo Taylor's girlfriend on Made In Chelsea, has unveiled her debut swimwear collection . Speaking to MailOnline about her new range, the petite star said: 'Swimwear has always been a huge part of my life. I have been an avid collector since my early teens and having had a career as a swimwear and lingerie model has given me such a passion and enthusiasm for design in this field. 'I have always enjoyed the feminine form and feel very privileged that I can help women express themselves on the beach and by the pool. I am also very proud to say Joel Swimwear is a British brand. We are very lucky to have our garments produced in England and also having the campaign shot on an English beach.' Natalie, 23, has drawn on her cultural heritage and says that she's infused the glamour and richness of the Mediterranean with her British passion for the highest possible design craft. 'I have countless sources of inspiration: inspiring people, art, architecture, literature, history, travel, London - I try and put as much of that into my work as I can,' she said. 'Joel is about been elegant and sexy. I love the challenge. It is such a tiny piece of fabric that you have to make an impact; creativity is key.' Professional poser: Natalie works as a model, which is obvious from her latest beach-themed bikini shoot . The debut collection, which is priced at around £140 per two-piece, has seven different colourways and she hopes the 'effortlessly sexy' shape of her designs will become iconic. The designer, who knows how to accentuate her assets, has made sure her bikini bottoms have been cut in a Brazilian style to emphasise the female form, she explains. Natalie says her range is all about supporting a healthy and positive feminine mind and body. 'Strong and confident girls run the world now! I love Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman. They are both fearless and inspirational. If you can dream it do it. It's this attitude that I bring to my design and my own life,' she said. Desribing her own style and how it has matured since her Made In Chelsea days, Natalie said: 'I feel that my own style is a combination of elegance and sexiness. I am not afraid to express myself. Having said that I adore comfortable and well made clothes so I am just as happy in a Balmain dress as I am in well fitted jeans and chunky knitwear. 'I am only 5’2 so I must always be careful to dress correctly so suit my proportions. I am more adventurous now. I was so shy when I was filming MIC and I naturally wore a lot of black. Nowadays I love expressing myself as my confidence has grown.' Research: Natalie says that she analysed hundreds of different colour combinations to find the correct balance to suit a wide variety of skin tones ensuring that clients feel 'happy and effortlessly beautiful at all times' Enviable curves: Natalie showcases her honed physique as she reclines on a beach in the steamy shoot . The star showcases an enviably toned physique in the campaign imagery, so what's her secret? 'I love going to work out classes with my girlfriends and cousins,' she revealed. 'We like to act silly and enjoy our workout in a happy way. I think that’s the best way. Funky Bums, Tums and thighs is a personal favourite. Food wise, I try to eat little and often. My diet focuses on fresh and seasonal produce. I am slightly panicking though as I recently discovered Cronuts. Avoiding them is a real show of restraint. If you have ever tried one, girls, you will know what I mean! 'I try not to deprive myself of anything I am craving though, I think it's important to treat yourself on occasion.' Natalie joined the show in series three as 26-year-old Hugo's girlfriend. The pair broke up in June but were seen a few weeks later kissing outside trendy hotspot, The Chiltern Firehouse. Speaking about the Taylor Morris sunglasses designer, she said: 'He adores my range. We have a little bet on to see which will be the best seller. As usual, he always thinks he is correct.' So will the young designer be gracing our screens again any time soon? 'Right now I am so content with life. I have been given a wonderful opportunity to express my creativity and also demonstrate my business skill. 'If MIC came back around I would never say never but having a fashion start up takes a lot of time and focus.' Out and about: Natalie, pictured with Hugo Taylor and friends Joseph Sherratt and Denny Knowles this summer . | Natalie shot to fame as Hugo Taylor's girlfriend on Made In Chelsea .
Model, 23, has unveiled debut swimwear collection .
Says it's inspired by her Mediterranean heritage . |
13,342 | 25ebd263f83319beaea8cf8aec17b54eb2ff6f5f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . It could be Britain’s first billion-pound divorce – if the combatants can agree on their respective wealth. Financier Sir Chris Hohn is one of Britain’s top philanthropists, having handed more than £1billion to children’s charities. But his American wife, Jamie Cooper-Hohn, claims he is not being as generous when it comes to her settlement. Financier Sir Chris Hohn (left) is one of Britain’s top philanthropists but his wife Jamie Cooper-Hohn (right) says he is not being generous enough when it comes to her settlement . Sir Chris, 47, says Mrs Cooper-Hohn, 49, is entitled to just 25 per cent of a family fortune. She is asking for an equal split. The couple married in 1985 and had four children, including triplets, before she petitioned for divorce in March 2012. A . battle has broken out over the value of The Children’s Investment Fund . (TCI), which he founded, with the Surrey-born billionaire threatening to . walk away and leave it effectively worthless. A grab from the website of The Children's Investment Fund Foundation, a charity the estranged couple both support . Sir . Chris puts a value of only £64million on the company’s net assets, . while his wife claims his shares are worth more than £872million. Yesterday Mrs Cooper-Hohn lost her bid to produce expert evidence about . the value of his hedge fund management companies. Earlier . this year, a High Court judge said the proposed evidence was . speculative and of no material value in the consideration of her . financial claim against Sir Chris. Mrs Cooper-Hohn’s counsel, Martin . Pointer QC, told the Court of Appeal it was necessary to have an . independent assessment of the TCI Group entities for the purpose of . resolving the financial dispute at a trial due to start on June 30. Forbes listed Sir Chris as one of the world's highest-earning hedge fund managers and traders last year, estimating his annual earnings at around £225million. The Surrey-born hedge fund manager set up the Children's Investment Fund (TCI) in 2003 with most of the company's huge profits being channelled to the foundation managed by his wife, who he met at Harvard University. It is estimated the charity made around £1.2billion out of the arrangement, including around £800million in 2007 and 2008, which made Sir Chris one of Britain's most generous men. He came to public attention last year when it emerged his investment fund had snapped up five per cent of shares in Royal Mail. The revelation increased pressure on ministers at the time over whether the firm was undervalued before its sale. Mr Hohn was once described as a ‘locust’ after helping to remove the boss of Deutsche Börse, a German firm that was trying to buy the London Stock Exchange. The couple married in 1985 and had four children, including triplets, before she petitioned for divorce in March 2012 . Mr Hohn, pictured centre, became one of the UK's leading philanthropists after giving an estimated £800m to children's charities since 2003 . He . said the judge had erroneously adopted the husband’s valuation, . accepting without question that the business was wholly dependent upon . him and he was never going to sell it. ‘The . notion that the husband is really the only person who matters for the . purposes of valuing the business is over-stating it,’ Mr Pointer said. The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) aims to improve the lives of children in developing countries, mainly India and Africa, by achieving. A statement on the company's website says: 'We believe that every child deserves to survive, thrive and mature into adulthood in a supportive and safe environment'. The key areas the charity focuses on are neonatal survival, prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, education, combating malnutrition, deworming and climate change. Earlier this month CIFF announced it is investing £14.6million in HPV vaccination, which offers the best protection against cervical cancer for women living in developing countries. Both Sir Chris Hohn and Mrs Cooper-Hohn are listed as trustees of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation. He added that it was not credible that Sir Chris would just walk away . from the business: ‘He has generated wealth of $5.7billion . (£3.3billion). 'It is not in his character simply to walk away if there . is significant value in the hedge fund management companies that he . could realise.’ For Sir Chris, Lewis Marks QC said the judge was entitled to reach the opinion that the evidence was not necessary. ‘The . evidence before him was that the husband was the sole decision-maker in . this enterprise, makes all the investment decisions and is the . regulated person as far as the Financial Services Authority is . concerned. 'Without him, there is no business.’ Dismissing Mrs . Cooper-Hohn’s appeal, Lord Justice Ryder said the expert report could be . only hypothetical and would be neither relevant nor necessary. The . court heard that the couple’s assets comprised of investments in TCI of . £680million, the disputed TCI entities, other investments (£17million), . pensions (£50million) and properties (£21million). | Chris Hohn's hedge fund used to give chunk of profits to foundation .
But seven-figure donations stopped after couple divorced last year .
Reported today that company is instead giving huge bonuses to staff .
Source says charity is now big enough not to need the fund's cash . |
138,197 | 3eb92209777dc3cbf00096f121c86e405568f606 | (CNN) -- Al Qaeda militants seized control of a military base and two checkpoints during raids in southern Yemen on Monday in which at least 30 people died, security officials and residents said. Hours of firefights erupted after the militants hit an army barracks in the Loder district of Abyan province in an assault that included heavy artillery, according to the officials. The dead included 17 militants, 11 soldiers and two members of pro-government tribes, they said. This is the second militant attempt to take over Loder this year. The first was in early January. Last week, Yemen poured thousands of troops into the country's south to battle al Qaeda fighters and tighten security, officials said. Yemeni warplanes bombarded al Qaeda hideouts all week in a series of U.S.-supported airstrikes in Abyan and Lahj provinces. The offensive came after militants killed dozens of troops and seized large quantities of weapons when they raided a military zone. Numerous other Yemeni soldiers were taken hostage, officials said. Yemen's al Qaeda movement has expanded its control over parts of the country in the past year, leading politicians to consider the option of dialogue with the militant network. | Militants hit an army barracks in Abyan province, officials say .
Al Qaeda has expanded its control over parts of Yemen .
Government warplanes bombed al Qaeda positions last week .
At least 17 suspected al Qaeda militants die in Monday's fighting . |
85,709 | f3184f2f52f69d06759fe402c0fb6c605dfba083 | (CNN) -- Three men accused of starting an illegal campfire that grew into a wildfire last week in California have been charged in federal court. The Colby Wildfire, as it is called, was 95% contained Tuesday. It's so far scorched close to 2,000 acres of foothills in Los Angeles County near Glendora. The three men were identified as Jonathan Carl Jerrell, 24; Clifford Eugene Henry Jr., 22; and Steven Robert Aguirre, 21, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. They were charged with unlawfully setting timber afire, a felony offense that carries a possible sentence of five years in prison. Embers from the campfire are believed to have set dry grass adjacent to the ring afire. Winds and drought conditions took it from there. They three men were taken into custody Thursday, the day the Colby Fire started. The fire has destroyed five residences, damaged 17 other structures, and resulted in injuries to one civilian and two firefighters, the statement said. On Friday, California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the state, saying it is facing "perhaps the worst drought that California has ever seen since records (began) about 100 years ago." Police: Campfire leads to L.A.-area fire that destroys 2 homes . | If found guilty, the three men could face up to five years in prison .
The Colby Wildfire, which has burned close to 2,000 acres, is 95% contained .
It has destroyed five homes and resulted in injuries . |
101 | 0055114867593ed8c267876b2d4bf0d2f5a97b88 | They say lightning doesn't strike twice but among some gullible Chelsea fans that phrase doesn't appear to apply. A year ago talkSPORT, managed to dupe some Blues supporters into believing that their club was linked with various players during the January transfer window - only for those names to be made up.And 12 months on, the radio station has been at it again outside Stamford Bridge - with the theme being of Star Wars characters this time around dubbed as 'Transfer Wars'. VIDEO Scroll down to see Chelsea fans fooled in Star Wars transfer target prank . Chelsea fans were duped into believing that players based on Star Wars characters were transfer targets . TalkSPORT dubbed the video 'Transfer Wars' in relation to the sci-fi franchise theme . Keen to prove their unrelenting passion for the club though, fans claim to have seen 'trio' JJ Binks (Jar Jar Binks), Artur Detur (R2-D2) and Stew Bacca (Chewbacca) - with all three reported welcome additions to Jose Mourinho's squad. Binks, a centre back or a left winger from the MLS, is described by one fan as the 'new John Terry,' while another says he will be a good signing on the flanks. Bacca is mentioned to play in the similar mould of his older 'brother' Carlos - the Sevilla and Colombia international striker. Unlike his 28-year-old 'sibling' though, Bacca's main 'attributes' are his ability to play as a target man. The 6ft 5in forward would be a welcome addition according to the Blues faithful and is seen as an ideal replacement for club legend Didier Drogba. 'Stew Bacca' was seen by fans as an ideal replacement for club legend Didier Drogba . 'Artur Detur' like JJ Binks is another young prospect who can play both as a centre back or as a left winger . Detur, like Binks, has the rare tactical flexibility to play in the heart of defence and or on the left flank - a trait that Chelsea supporters clearly feel would be a bonus commodity. The France star's potential arrival is one relished by the west London faithful, although one fan believes he needs another season before he can make a real impact at the club. Although the force is not with all Chelsea supporters, two were switched on to the prank. Upon hearing of Binks a male duo state that they have 'never heard of him,' before querying that the MLS prospect 'sounds like something out of Star Wars.' The duo's suspicions are confirmed upon hearing Detur's name but alas if only their fellow supporters were as clued up. The prank didn't fool these two Chelsea fans (centre and right) though who were wise to the made-up names . Luckily for them though there's no pulling the wool the eyes over Mourinho's side at present it seems, as the Blues continue to fight on all four fronts for silverware this season. Saturday's 2-0 win at home to Newcastle saw the Blues move two points clear of title rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea travel to Swansea next on Saturday evening looking for their 16th win in 22 league games. Oscar (centre) scored Chelsea's opener as they beat Newcastle 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday . | Jar Jar Binks, Chewbacca and R2-D2 are all Star Wars characters .
Trio were called JJ Binks, Stew Bacca and Artur Detur in talkSPORT prank .
Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-0 at home in the Premier League on Saturday .
Blues travel to Swansea City in their next league fixture on January 17 . |
96,208 | 07b783132508eca9243e1c0923fcdbc3774f1ce3 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 12:30 EST, 8 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:52 EST, 8 January 2014 . A Super Puma that crashed into the North Sea killing 16 men was declared fit for service the day before the tragedy, an inquiry has heard. The helicopter plunged into the water off the Aberdeenshire coast while returning from the BP Miller platform in 2009. A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is being held before a sheriff in Aberdeen almost five years after the accident. Victims: (Top row, from the left) James Costello, Vernon Elrick, Brian Barkley, Raymond Doyle, Warren Mitchell (middle row, from left) Gareth Hughes, David Rae, Nairn Ferrier, Stuart Wood and Richard Menzies, (bottom row, from left) James Edwards, Alex Dallas, Leslie Taylor, Nolan Carl Goble and Paul Burnham who were 15 of the 16 people killed when a helicopter crashed into the North Sea . Fourteen oil workers and two crew were killed when the aircraft hit the sea on April 1. Many of them worked for KCA Deutag Drilling and were returning from BP’s Miller platform when the crash happened. An investigation into the crash has found the aircraft suffered a 'catastrophic failure' of its main rotor gearbox. James Gilmour, former engineering director at Bond Offshore Helicopters, gave evidence on the third day of the inquiry before Sheriff Principal Derek Pyle. Technical logs for the helicopter were shown to the inquiry demonstrating that licensed engineers carried out scheduled maintenance the day before the fatal accident. This included inspections of both engines and the personal locator beacons on the helicopter. After-flight inspections were also carried out that day, the inquiry was told. A hearse carrying the bodies of victims of the helicopter crash drives away from a support vessel, the Caledonian Victory, in Aberdeen harbour, on April 2, 2009 . Mr Gilmour, who now works as an aviation consultant, said: 'There were no defects during the flights for that day.' Referring to the technical record of the work completed by the engineers, he said: 'It has been signed off at the bottom saying the aircraft is fit for service.' Mr Gilmour told the inquiry there was an additional recurrent inspection (ARI) put in place for the helicopter gearbox on March 25 after the aircraft’s chip detector picked up a magnetic particle. 'It has been signed off at the bottom saying the aircraft is fit for service' - James Gilmour, former engineering director at Bond Offshore Helicopters, referring to the technical record of the work completed by the engineers . The ARI ordered that the magnetic chip plugs of the gearbox be inspected at every shutdown of the aircraft for the next 25 flight hours. The checks were carried out and signed off, according to documents shown to the inquiry. Mr Gilmour said: 'Nothing was found during all these inspections. There were no chips found and the ARI was closed.' Fiscal depute Geoffrey Main, for the Crown, asked if Mr Gilmour was aware of the ARI at the time. He said: 'No, this is day-to-day work carried out in the hangar. I don’t get involved down to that level.' He said he was not made aware of the discovery of the particle on March 25 until after the crash. Mr Gilmour said he would not necessarily expect to have been told about the particle, stating it was 'not that uncommon'. The BP Miller gas platform in the North Sea. The helicopter was flying from here to the mainland when it crashed . He said that in the hours and days after the accident, as investigators worked to discover its cause, the particle 'wasn’t high on my radar at that time'. A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found the gearbox failure caused the main rotor on the AS332-L2 model to break away and its 'tail boom' got severed from the fuselage. The inquiry at the Town House in Aberdeen is expected to last about six weeks and will examine the circumstances of the crash in order to prevent any future tragedy. Captain and co-pilot Paul Burnham, 31, from Methlick in Aberdeenshire, and Richard Menzies, 24, from Droitwich Spa in Worcestershire, were killed with 14 oil industry workers. Five men from Aberdeen died: Alex Dallas, 62, James Costello, 24, Stuart Wood, 27, Vernon Elrick, 41, and Brian Barkley, 30. Two workers were from Aberdeenshire: Leslie Taylor, 41, from Kintore, and Warren Mitchell, 38, from Oldmeldrum. The other victims were Raymond Doyle, 57, from Cumbernauld; David Rae, 63, from Dumfries; Gareth Hughes, 53, from Angus; Nairn Ferrier, 40, from Dundee; James Edwards, 33, from Liverpool; Nolan Goble, 34, from Norwich; and Mihails Zuravskis, 39, from Latvia. Some of the victims’ families have expressed anger that there has been no criminal prosecution following the crash. There have also been calls for a full public inquiry into helicopter safety to be held. Documents shown to the inquiry indicated that the ARI was signed off by an engineer shortly after 6am on the morning of the crash. Mr Gilmour agreed that the helicopter could not have flown on that day unless all related work orders for the aircraft had been completed and closed. He is expected to continue his evidence to the inquiry tomorrow. The fatal crash happened just six weeks after a Super Puma EC225 ditched as it approached a production platform owned by BP. All 18 people on board survived this accident. In May 2012 the same model of helicopter, destined for an oil platform, went down about 30 miles off the coast of Aberdeen and its 14 passengers and crew had to be rescued. Five months later another EC225 carrying an oil crew from Aberdeen to a rig 86 miles north-west of Shetland was forced to ditch. The 17 passengers and two crew were rescued from life rafts by a passing boat. New advice on checks for the EC225 model were issued following the accidents. Four oil workers were killed when their Super Puma L2 plunged into the sea off Shetland on August 23 last year. Fourteen people survived . | Technical logs shown to inquiry into fatal crash off Aberdeenshire coast .
Helicopter plunged into the water while returning from platform in 2009 .
Fourteen oil workers and two crew killed when aircraft hit the sea .
Helicopter had been declared fit for service day before accident . |
12,439 | 2340e5e6fc8118da5c752f9c9a207bd91d240989 | They sound like horrific chemicals you'd find in processed food. But aspartic acid, isoleucine and ethyl butanoate are in fact found in a banana. Likewise - did you know that when you eat an egg, you're eating glutamic acid, E160e and even formaldehyde? Chemical world: One of the posters made by chemistry teachers James Kennedy to dispel the fear that has become associated with the word 'chemicals' Mr Kennedy said: 'I wanted to show that chemistry isn't artificial and dangerous; but that chemistry is natural and everywhere' The images below and their list of ingredients were made by James Kennedy, a high school chemistry teacher from Melbourne, Australia. He says the aim of the project was to dispel the fear that has become associated with the word 'chemicals'. He told MailOnline: 'As a high-school chemistry teacher, I made these posters for my students . as a visual introduction to our Organic Chemistry course. 'I wanted to erode the fear that many people have of ‘chemicals’, and demonstrate that nature evolves compounds, mechanisms and structures far more complicated and unpredictable than anything we can produce in the lab. 'These posters aim to show that . chemistry isn't artificial and dangerous; but that chemistry is natural . and everywhere. Lack of knowledge: Mr Kennedy and his students trawled medical literature to compile the lists of ingredients . 'The chemistry of fun, friendly, everyday objects like . bananas is more complicated and more fascinating than that of, say, a . bomb.' He added that chemistry has suffered in recent . years from a negative image. 'Pesticides, poisons, drugs and explosives . seem to dominate the public's perceptions of Chemistry while the other . sciences bask in a much more positive light. Mr Kennedy added: 'These posters prove that nature evolves compounds, mechanisms and structures far more complicated and unpredictable than anything we can produce in the lab' 'Mostly, this is because chemistry lacks a charismatic, public teacher . like David Attenborough or Brian Cox, who currently inspire students . into Biology and Physics, respectively. Chemistry only has Walter White . from Breaking Bad, and he's done the industry a great disservice". He added that all of the information was from reputable sources. 'The constituent ingredients were found on a nutritional analysis website; the color and preservative components were from old botany books; and the flavor compounds were found in published, peer-reviewed gas spectroscopy analyses of the volatile aromatic compounds in each fruit. | Posters were made by Australian chemistry teacher James Kennedy .
He wanted to erode the fear that many people have of ‘chemicals'
He said: 'These posters aim to show that .
chemistry isn't artificial and dangerous; but that chemistry is natural .
and everywhere' |
92,314 | 02bd117b7365203918ae4be82177f60af419d6c2 | Washington (CNN) -- Authorities in Yemen questioned people at a mosque and a school in the capital of Sanaa because the facilities were attended by attempted bombing suspect Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, the spokesman for Yemen's Embassy to the United States said Tuesday. Mohammed al-Basha told CNN's "The Situation Room" that conversations with AbdulMutallab's former acquaintances have not yet turned up links to the local al Qaeda group, which has claimed responsibility for AbdulMutallab's attempt to bring down a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day. "According to the questionings carried on today by his classmates and administrative officials of the school, [Umar] was a friendly person and did not ring any alarm bells," he said. "We knew he attended school in Yemen, and one of the mosques he was visiting in Sanaa we've been surveilling and questioning some of the people there to see whether he has links or not," he said. Al-Basha also said a claim by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that the attempt was in retaliation for airstrikes against them was "most likely" propaganda, but left open the possibility links could be found later. "I think the al Qaeda statement that came out recently saying that this is an attack in retaliation for what happened the 17th and 24th of December is unfounded, because we know that he bought the ticket a few days before that, so there's no link for the time being," al-Basha said. See key dates in the failed bombing attempt . AbdulMutallab bought his ticket to travel from Lagos, Nigeria, to Detroit, Michigan, via Amsterdam the day before the first attack, according to Nigerian officials. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula issued an Internet statement claiming responsibility for AbdulMuttalab's failed attempt to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253, calling it retaliation for what it said were U.S. airstrikes on Yemeni soil. Al-Basha said airstrikes against AQAP on December 17 and December 24 were launched entirely by the Yemeni government, but acknowledged that the United States has provided the country with some assistance since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. "The United States has been supporting Yemen since 9/11, training our forces," he said. "We have a strong intelligence cooperation, but again the last operations and all the operations this year were carried out by Yemeni forces." U.S. officials privately acknowledge they have provided secret intelligence on several al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula targets to Yemen's government, but won't say whether U.S. aircraft or drones took part in the strikes. Al Basha rejected suggestions that Yemen has not been strong enough in its fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but noted the nation has "a serious problem." "We've been addressing this problem way before it became a global issue," he said. "Since 1992, we've been fighting. I call it the long war. Al Qaeda, we've been conducting strikes against them since that day." | Talks with acquaintances have not yet revealed links to local al Qaeda group .
Local al Qaeda group says attempted bombing was in retaliation for airstrikes .
Yemeni spokesman says claim unlikely because suspect bought ticket before airstrikes .
Al-Basha says Yemen launched strikes but acknowledged U.S. involvement in Yemen . |
252,477 | d2c5356a8336568442613e194a486ef99ac1f665 | Amir Khan, having done everything humanly possible to prove he is worthy of that mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather, may be denied the chance forever by the public demand for the Money man to meet the PacMan in the richest boxing match of all time. It could be May or nothing for Khan. But the prospect of riding his brilliant Saturday night victory over Devon Alexander into the opposite corner for Mayweather’s next fight is threatened by Floyd Jnr’s announcement that he is finally ready and willing to meet Manny Pacquiao in the spring. There is one fight left after that on Mayweather’s $300 million dollar contract with the Showtime pay-per-view cable network. VIDEO Scroll down for Amir Khan: I want to fight Mayweather but I might not get a chance . Amir Khan is aiming high for his next bout after dominating Devon Alexander in Las Vegas . Khan has set his sights on five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jnr . That is scheduled for September and would be a natural fall back for Khan – except that it would clash with the Muslim fasting for Ramadan, which he strictly observes and which would rule him out on that date. And that will be the last of those half-dozen Showtime fights after which Mayweather, now 38, is threatening to retire. Oscar De La Hoya, Khan’s Golden Boy promoter, concedes: ‘It will be perfectly reasonable if Floyd and Manny get it on. This is not only the fight the world has been waiting to see but one which boxing needs to happen. But Mayweather is instead trying to make a long-awaited fight happen with Manny Pacquiao . Marcos Maidana (right) was the 46th and 47th victim in Mayweather's so far unbeaten career . ‘I still don’t think it will take place but if it does we will need Plan B for Amir.’ The alternatives include a Battle of Britain with Sheffield’s new – albeit stabbing victim – world welterweight champion Kell Brook. Eddie Hearn, Brook’s promoter, was at ringside in Las Vegas on Saturday night talking up that fight as a Wembley Stadium follow up to his spectacular staging there of Carl Froch’s stunning KO of George Groves. Khan would also like to set the record straight in a revenge match with Danny Garcia, who temporarily derailed his career with a knock out. But Mayweather is the dream and after proving so splendidly against Alexander that he deserves that chance Khan will be mortified if it does not become reality. The Briton celebrates his victory over Alexander at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on early Sunday morning . Khan with Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya after victory early on Sunday . VIDEO Mayweather calls out Pacquiao for 2015 fight . | Amir Khan beat Devon Alexander on points in Las Vegas .
Khan has set his sights on a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jnr .
But Mayweather looks set to fight Manny Pacquiao next .
The next chance for Khan would be immediately after Ramadan . |
172,773 | 6b9c02ac30e72f0659413c7a368d73d621f94756 | (CNN) -- For those who didn't know much about Shirley Temple, her passing this week revealed two surprises. First, that her post-Hollywood career was dominated by public service. She ran (unsuccessfully) for Congress in 1967, served as a representative to the United Nations and was ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. And second, she was a Republican. She was that rarest of things nowadays: a Hollywood star who admitted to voting for the GOP. Today, Hollywood appears uniformly liberal. But once upon a time, things were different. While researching my forthcoming book on Hollywood and politics, I was surprised to discover how many vocal conservatives there were in Hollywood well into the 1970s - and that many of them enjoyed the company of Richard Nixon. John Wayne narrated a Nixon biographical documentary at the 1972 GOP convention, where Clint Eastwood was a highly visible guest. Bob Hope toured the country with Jack Benny and country pop star Glenn Campbell to drum up support for the troops in Vietnam. Hope closed his 1970 Christmas TV special with a plea for viewers to get behind the President. James Stewart once told reporters, "All you have to do is go to Vietnam to see that the kids are still patriotic," and suggested that antiwar Hollywood actors were just eaten up with bitterness at Nixon's popularity. Yet in 21st century America, the only public Hollywood support Republicans can get (look at Romney's pitiful donations) tends to come from faded action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris. Yes, Eastwood is still a fan of the GOP, as is Jon Voight, and Vince Vaughn is close to the Paul family. But the acting contingent of conservatism has shrunk. The reason is recent political dynamics. Hollywood has moved to the left; the Republicans have moved to the right. When Shirley Temple Black was a child star, Hollywood was dominated by powerful Republican moguls. The movies she tap danced and sang through for Fox might have earned the praise of Franklin D Roosevelt (he once said, "It is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles"), but the industry that produced them was anti-union, anti-communist, and typically anti-Democrat. There was, for example, near unanimity between the otherwise inharmonious studio chiefs in opposing Upton Sinclair's 1934 ultra-liberal campaign for governor of California. (Sinclair wanted to introduce a graduated income tax.) The moguls actually made their staff donate a week's salary to Sinclair's Republican opponent. But the moguls lost their power when the studios were undone by trust-busting and TV. In the 1960s, a new generation of stars defined themselves artistically by their revolt against the studio machine and "square" middle-American culture. These were the beautiful people like Jane Fonda, Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine. They began as political outsiders, but their activism slowly professionalized and grew into PACs that raised millions of dollars for almost exclusively Democrat campaigns. Men like Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen became the new kingmakers. In one month of the 2012 election season, Spielberg and Katzenberg each gave $1 million to President Obama's super PAC Priorities USA. Hollywood money is an indispensable part of the modern Democrat machine. Of course, movie makers might consider themselves socially progressive, but, as their disposable income attests, they are still ambitious capitalists -- ones that might have remained more open to the Republican Party if it had only stuck to its old theme of limited, small tax government. But the GOP viscerally repelled the new Hollywood with its social conservatism. The actor Ronald Reagan's election as president ought to have represented the pinnacle of Hollywood conservatism, but, ironically, it actually represented the beginning of its post-Nixon decline. Reagan's willingness to reach out to the religious right meant that while he was certainly a product of the movie industry, he had effectively divorced himself from its libertine culture. Throughout his time in office, his Hollywood support base whittled down to the last surviving members of the Shirley Temple generation. When the Gipper threw a televised charity function in 1985, the guests were Frank Sinatra, Charlton Heston and Dean Martin. The only real contemporary 80s star was Burt Reynolds. In other words, as Hollywood moved left and the Republicans moved right, they passed each other on the political spectrum. One wonders whether Shirley Temple would have felt as comfortable identifying herself with the GOP today as she did in the 1960s and 1970s. My guess is yes. After all, her Republicanism persisted (she was still campaigning for George H.W. Bush in 1992) and, as a child rather than an adult star, she had nothing to lose in terms of Hollywood clout by going public with her conservatism. For all those moderate Republicans (and, yes, they really do exist) out there in Hollywood, things are a lot harder. If they come out as conservative, they risk never getting invited to any forthcoming benefits George Clooney might be throwing to liberate the Elgin Marbles. That's a serious problem, because Hollywood is a business in which who you know is as important as what you know. Therefore, if stars admit their Republicanism, they risk losing friends, parts and a steady income. No wonder so few do it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Timothy Stanley. | Tim Stanley: Shirley Temple was American's sweetheart and a committed conservative .
Conservatism in Hollywood today is a rarity today .
Reagan, as president, wooed religious right; Hollywood conservatism declined, he says .
He says studios' political kingmakers now come from the left . |
46,093 | 81d67bed054b3266632bc6106b30b709992f9618 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:14 EST, 25 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:45 EST, 25 September 2012 . A terminally-ill cancer patient has decided to spend the rest of his life helping others. Simon Mitchell, of Blackpool, drew up a bucket list to assist others achieve their dreams after he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the blood, which has left him with only two years to live. The 41-year-old former PR man now uses the contacts and expertise he built up through his old career to arrange meetings between seriously ill children and their idols . Dream come true: Brain tumour sufferer Daniel Wilkinson, 17, left, meets the Stig courtesy of reverse bucket list man Simon Mitchell, right . Meeting the stars: Daniel, right, of Bingley, meets Top gear presenter Richard Hammond after Simon, centre, hears of his wish . The wishes he has already granted . include meeting Katie Price and the Stig, and arranging exotic holidays . for injured soldiers. One of those who have had their dream come true is 17-year-old Daniel Wilkinson, of Bingley, West Yorkshire, who has between one and five years left to live because of a brain tumour. Simon arranged for him to meet his idols, Top Gear presenters including Richard Hammond and the Stig, after he was contacted with Daniel’s story by brain tumour charity Andrea’s Gift. Simon said: 'I got in touch with one of the producers and they arranged for him to go to their track near Guildford. 'He went three times around with the Stig and met Richard, Jeremy, and James, who all chatted with him.” Simon, who is married to Kerrie, 28, said: 'If I manage this list and I die with a smile on my face, with . people remembering me and with my wife proud of me, then it will all . have been worth it. 'It might all make my condition worse but it’s a chance I’m willing to take. 'I’ll only stop when my body tells me to stop.' The former PR man was forced to quit his job with phone . company Orange following his diagnosis, but now uses his contacts and . expertise in his bid to help others. Star turn: Simon has enlisted the help of Katie Price, who met with cancer sufferer Gabriella Davidson after he got in touch . He has in fact built up a . relationship with former glamour model Katie Price, who agreed to meet fan and . cancer-sufferer Gabriella Davidson, four, at a book signing. Top of his bucket list however is to help 60 injured soldiers - something he has already started with the help of Lancashire-based charity, A Ray of Sunshine. The organisation has a villa near Cadiz, Spain, which is free for deserving people. Simon worked with the charity to arrange special trips abroad for soldiers Terry Mair, of Blackpool, and Steven Robinson, of Leyland, Lancashire, and their families. The charity arranged the holidays while Simon used his PR contacts to get free flights, car hire, entertainment and petrol. Former SAS man Terry, 44, who was left wheelchair-bound after being wrongly diagnosed with a nervous disorder, said: “The holiday was just fantastic. 'It was great to get away and forget about a few things. I can’t thank Simon or A Ray Of Sunshine enough. 'I think he is an outstanding man, it is nice there are people out there like him.' Simon said: 'A lot of the general public forget that we’re still at war and some armed forces personnel are forgotten about when they return to the UK. 'Families can only be supportive so far, my aim is to try to make them forget, if only for a few days, what’s happened to them.' Happiest day: Terminally-ill Simon Mitchell on his wedding day to Kerrie . Simon is also working with forces charity . Band of Brothers by arranging holidays, concert visits, and celebrity . meet-ups for 30 soldiers a year. He has raised £60,000 for seven charities since 2010 and even completed a 200ft bungee-jump only weeks after chemotherapy. 'It was just three weeks after I completed a course of chemo,' he said. 'I was sick. My wife shouted at me. But I know it was only because she cares.' Simon, who had half of his right lung removed soon after diagnosis, wants to raise a total of £100,000 for charity before he dies, through acts such as a sponsored climb of Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, and driving to the North Pole. He said: 'How many people have climbed Mont Blanc with half of their right lung removed? I’m sure I have the strength in me to do it.' Challenge: Mont Blanc, Chamonix, which Simon aims to climb despite having half of his right lung removed . Prime Minister David Cameron, who praised Simon after he helped capture a robber armed with a knife . Amazingly, Simon has also won praise from David Cameron - after he helped capture a knife-wielding robber just a few months after diagnosis. He bravely pursued a knifeman after spotting him threaten a woman and then guided police to his location. Simon said: 'He was a bit quicker than me because of my treatment but I could still run. 'Being diagnosed with a terminal illness takes the fear away from situations like that. 'The Prime Minister wrote to commend me for my bravery.' Amy Wolsthenholme, a two-year-old meningitis victim who lost a leg to the disease, enjoyed a holiday in Spain thanks to Simon. He helped organise the villa through A Ray Of Sunshine and also sorted out flights - including a seat in the cockpit. Simon said his own wish was a simple one - 'to live'. He said: 'I want to be able to buy myself enough time for more research into the treatment of my illness. 'If I were to survive it I’d start a charitable foundation of my own.' | Simon Mitchell has only two years to live but has devoted his life to helping others .
Former PR man uses his contacts and experience in his big-hearted bid .
Hopes to raise £100,000 for charity and help 300 sick children .
Arranges meetings with celebrities and holidays for injured soldiers . |
35,474 | 64d1cf9cb4d3a9c7a83f80b43a9820056bef987a | A driver caught travelling at nearly 100mph yesterday told police he was late... for his speed awareness course. The man was stopped by officers conducting speed checks on the M6 Toll between Lichfield and Burntwood in Staffordshire. A police spokesman said: ‘At around 3.30pm officers were conducting a routine speed check on the stretch between northbound T5 and T6 of the M6 Toll, when they recorded a driver of a Nissan Pathfinder driving at a speed of nearly 95mph. Scroll down for video . Caught: The driver told officers he was speeding 'because he was late for a speed course'. File image . 'A man in his 50s, from Sale, gave the excuse that he was late for a speed awareness course. He has now been reported for summons.' Officers stopped another driver who was clocking up nearly 128mph. Speed awareness courses are offered as an alternative to a speeding fine and penalty points. The course, usually of four hours duration, aims to help drivers to gain a fuller understanding of why people drive above the speed limit and the potential consequences of speeding. Yesterday, a motorist was jailed for 14 months after he drove his BMW around the M25 for nine miles in the wrong direction. Spotted: The man was stopped by officers conducting speed checks on the M6 Toll between Lichfield and Burntwood in Staffordshire, pictured . Mitchell Locke, 20, was caught on CCTV cameras speeding down the wrong way between junctions four and two of the busy M25 through Kent and onto the A2 road, weaving through oncoming traffic. The apprentice electrician from Kenley, south London, has now been jailed for 14 months and banned from getting behind the wheel for three years after he admitted dangerous driving at Dartford and Gravesham Magistrates' Court. Highways Agency CCTV operatives had spotted Locke driving down the hard shoulder in his black BMW 120d anti-clockwise on the clockwise carriageway close to junction four at Sevenoaks. | Man was stopped by officers conducting checks on M6 toll in Staffordshire .
The driver, in his 50s, gave police the excuse that he was late for course .
Officers stopped another driver who was clocking up nearly 128mph . |
29,780 | 54bb1d4ea080cc45f405fa544fbe95c0107df489 | By . Rob Waugh . PUBLISHED: . 03:12 EST, 11 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:54 EST, 11 May 2012 . A 'hidden planet' outside our solar system has been detected by looking for 'bumps' in the orbits of its neighbours - a technique first used by astronomers 150 years ago. The method, developed by French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier, was used to predict the existence of Neptune. This is the first time it's been used outside the solar system. As with Neptune, although the Saturn-sized planet around star KOI-872-0 is invisible, scientists realised it must be there because of tiny effects which could only be caused by its gravity. A 'hidden planet' outside our solar system has been detected by looking for 'bumps' in the orbits of its neighbours - a technique first used by astronomers 150 years ago . More than 150 years ago Le Verrier predicted Neptune's existence based on small deviations in the motion of Uranus . More than 150 years ago Le Verrier predicted Neptune's existence based on small deviations in the motion of Uranus. Dr David Nesvorny, of the Southwest Research Institute, used the same 'gravitational perturbation theory' using NASA's Kepler telescope and was rewarded by the discovery of a distant planet. Writing in journal Science he said: ‘Today's telescopes are detecting planets around distant stars, and NASA's Kepler Telescope, launched in 2009, is a champion among them.’ The telescope works by monitoring the brightness of 150,000 stars, which appear slightly dimmer when a planet passes, or transits, in front fo them. Such a transit should adhere to strict unchanging laws and a 'Keplerian orbit' around the star - unless its gravity is being effected by an unknown object. Dr Nesvorny said: ‘It quickly became apparent to us that a large hidden object must be pulling on the transiting planet. ‘A . hidden planet has been discovered outside the solar system for the . first time by scientists who detected its gravitational pull using a 150 . year old technique. Neptune and its moon Triton from Voyager 2: The method, eveloped by French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier, was used to predict the existence of Neptune . Deviations of the orbit of a known planet in front of the star have shown there is another, previously undetected, planet there . Dr Nesvorny's team were studying a the Sun-like star - as KOI-872 0 - and noted that it showed transits with remarkable time variations over two hours. Co author Dr David Kipping said: ‘For a planet following a strictly Keplerian orbit around its host star, the spacing, timing and other properties of the observed transit light curve should be unchanging in time. ‘Several effects, however, can produce deviations from the Keplerian case so that the spacing of the transits is not strictly periodic.’ It is the first time the method, developed by French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier, has been used to find a planet so far away. Although the Saturn-sized planet is invisible, scientists realised it must be there because of tiny effects which could only be caused by its gravity. More than 150 years ago Le Verrier predicted Neptune's existence based on small deviations in the motion of Uranus. Dr David Nesvorny, of the Southwest Research Institute, used the same 'gravitational perturbation theory' using NASA's Kepler telescope and was rewarded by the discovery of a distant planet. Writing in journal Science he said: ‘Today's telescopes are detecting planets around distant stars, and NASA's Kepler Telescope, launched in 2009, is a champion among them.’ The telescope works by monitoring the brightness of 150,000 stars, which appear slightly dimmer when a planet passes, or transits, in front fo them. Such a transit should adhere to strict unchanging laws and a 'Keplerian orbit' around the star - unless its gravity is being effected by an unknown object. Dr Nesvorny's team were studying a the Sun-like star - as KOI-872 0 - and noted exceptional it showed transits with remarkable time variations over two hours. Co author Dr David Kipping said: ‘For a planet following a strictly Keplerian orbit around its host star, the spacing, timing and other properties of the observed transit light curve should be unchanging in time. ‘Several effects, however, can produce deviations from the Keplerian case so that the spacing of the transits is not strictly periodic.’ Dr Nesvorny said: ‘It quickly became apparent to us that a large hidden object must be pulling on the transiting planet. ‘To put this in context, if a bullet train arrives in a station two hours late, there must be a very good reason for that. The trick was to find what it is.’ By using Le Verrier's theory to speed up calculations of configurations of planetary orbits, the team showed that the variations could be best explained by an unseen planet about the mass of Saturn that orbits the host star every 57 days. Dr Kipping said: ‘Whilst the principal goal of the HEK project will continue to focus on searching for moons, this first planetary system discovered by HEK demonstrates the unexpected discoveries possible with transit analysis.’To put this in context, if a bullet train arrives in a station two hours late, there must be a very good reason for that. The trick was to find what it is.’ By using Le Verrier's theory to speed up calculations of configurations of planetary orbits, the team showed that the variations could be best explained by an unseen planet about the mass of Saturn that orbits the host star every 57 days. Dr Kipping said: ‘Whilst the principal goal of the HEK project will continue to focus on searching for moons, this first planetary system discovered by HEK demonstrates the unexpected discoveries possible with transit analysis.’ | Saturn-sized planet around star KOI-872-0 is 'invisible' but detectable through 'bumps' in orbit of nearby star .
Same technique used by Urbain le Verrier to predict existence of Neptune .
First time technique has been used outside solar system . |
85,797 | f34e10713afb9b24b92c85ab25c9bff52733847d | (CNN) -- The battle for control of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama began with a bold move by some of the crew to jump the pirates, crew members say. The crew of the Maersk Alabama exchange some words with media after the ship docked in Mombasa, Kenya. A scuffle ensued, and one of the sailors stabbed a pirate in the hand in the battle to retake the container ship, one of the sailors told CNN. Snippets of information are starting to emerge about how the Alabama's crew managed to retake the ship after it was hijacked by pirates Wednesday about 350 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean. The Alabama docked Saturday night in Mombasa, Kenya. Its captain, Richard Phillips, is being held by pirates in the ship's lifeboat in the Indian Ocean. Crew members smiled broadly as they stood on the ship's deck under the watchful eyes of security teams. Although they were kept away from the media, CNN's Stan Grant got close enough to ask them what happened after the pirates climbed aboard the ship. A crew member said he recalled being awakened around 7 a.m. as the hijacking began. View a timeline of the attack and its aftermath » . "I was scared," Grant quoted the man as saying. Some of the crew managed to hide in a secure part of the Alabama as the pirates stormed the ship, the sailor said. As the men described the clash, a crew member pointed to one shipmate and said, "This guy is a hero. He and the chief engineer, they took down the pirate. ... He led him down there to the engine room and then they jumped him." The shipmate added that he stabbed the pirate in the hand and tied him up. Another crew member shouted, "Captain Phillips is a hero." The father of first mate Shane Murphy on Saturday offered thanks for the "tremendous outpouring" of support his family has received from the public and government officials, including U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. Capt. Joseph Murphy told reporters the safe arrival of his son in Kenya is "the best Easter present." Joseph Murphy, an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, said he had spoken to his son but that he didn't have details on the standoff. "He said, 'Dad, this has been unbelievable.' He said the facts will be known very soon. He said he couldn't speak about anything," Joseph Murphy said. "I said this is going to be a tough sea story to overcome. He's got a great sea story here." Joseph Murphy said Saturday that he and the Alabama crew's primary concern was for the ship's captain. "He's made a tremendous sacrifice for his crew. Just incredible courage. We're very, very thankful. He's done everything he could possibly do and he has saved our son," he said at a news conference. "We believe that Captain Phillips will survive the situation. We want him to know he has the support of all of us -- the American people and people around the world." Phillips became a captive sometime during the hijacking Wednesday. Since then, the destroyer USS Bainbridge has arrived on the scene to try to free Phillips with the help of the FBI. An attempt by Phillips to escape from the 28-foot covered lifeboat was thwarted by a pirate who dove into the Indian Ocean after him. Phillips' captors appear to have tied him up afterward, Pentagon officials said. The Alabama resumed its course on Thursday for Mombasa, its original destination, carrying food aid and an armed 18-person security detail. Maersk president and CEO John Reinhart told reporters Saturday that the crew will stay on board in Mombasa while the FBI conducts an investigation. The agency will look into the hijacking and hostage-taking, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The probe will be led by the FBI's New York field office, which has responsibility for looking into cases involving U.S. citizens in the African region. Reinhart said the crew has reported being in good health and that the entire crew has "showed the professionalism of a true mariner." "We will make sure they're safe," he said. "We know what food they want -- we'll get the food to them." He said the crew has asked the company to do everything it can to get Phillips home safely -- an effort he said Maersk is working on with the Navy. "That means don't make a mistake, folks," Reinhart said. "We have to be perfect in our execution." CNN's Stan Grant, Susan Candiotti, Stephanie Elam, Mohammed Jamjoom and Barbara Starr contributed to this report. | Crew member stabbed pirate in the hand to retake Maersk Alabama, sailor says .
Another sailor recalls being awakened at 7 a.m. as pirates stormed ship .
Crew shares snippets of their stories after docking in Mombasa, Kenya, on Saturday .
Ship, crew will remain in Kenya while FBI investigates standoff in Indian Ocean . |
112,395 | 1cfc11e0c2705b20db07e3384476c0b1ef3d22a2 | He was on the road to international success. But on Wednesday singer Ariel Camacho had his life cut short when he died at the age of 22 in a car accident in Sinaloa, Mexico, according to Billboard. The El Karma hit maker grew up in a nearby town. Scroll down for video . Gone too soon: Ariel Camacho had his life cut short on Wednesday when he died at the age of 22 in a car accident in Sinaloa, Mexico, according to Billboard . He was with the band Los Plebes del Rancho and was on the label DEL Records. Sony distributed his music in the US. The musician - who also played the guitar - was on tour promoting his latest album. Camacho had just performed at the 2015 Carnival Mocorito concert. There were reportedly two other people in the car with him, but they survived. This is the second time in the past year that Camacho was involved in a car accident. In both crashes, speeding has been cited as the cause, according to Heavy.com. His death was confirmed by DEL. 'My heart is broken by the loss of Ariel Camacho,' Angel Del Villar, DEL Record's president and founder said in a statement. 'I knew he was going to transform the genre in Mexico and the United States. Millions of people would have become fans and would have gotten to know the man I did.' Camacho was just beginning to gain a following in North America. 'The singer-songwriter, born Jose Ariel Camacho Barraza, was known for his guitar skills and soft-edged vocals on acoustic songs that reflected the lives of his Mexican music fans,' Billboard wrote in a tribute. 'The young artist had gained a following through his live shows and videos on YouTube.' His bandmates were Cesar Sanchez and Omar Burgos. They performed in the Mexican genre of Sierreno, which has three members - an acoustic guitar player, a bass player and an accordion player. Ariel's passing echoes the death Tejano singer Selena was only 23-years-old when she was shot and killed in 1995. Jennifer Lopez played her in a 1997 movie. Latin roots: Selena was only 23-years-old when she was shot and killed in 1995; Jennifer Lopez played the hit maker in a 1997 film (here Lopez, 45, is pictured on Sunday at the Oscars) | The singer and guitar player was only 22 and from Sinaloa, Mexico .
He was on his way home from the 2015 Carnival Mocorito concert .
Was with the band Los Plebes del Rancho and was on DEL Records .
There were two other people in the car and they both survived with injuries .
Was gaining a big following in the US and had tour stop in Pomona, CA .
This is the second time in the past year Camacho was involved in a car accident .
Echoes death of Tejano singer Selena who died in 1995 at the age of 23 . |
185,252 | 7bf5af9a9303b93117c0b7ece7cc274bd58c3145 | By . Sunni Upal . Follow @@RSUpal . The Guinness International Champions Cup heads towards a conclusion this weekend as the eight teams involved play their last group fixtures. Louis van Gaal's Manchester United take on Real Madrid in Michigan while Group A's other fixture sees Italian rivals Inter Milan and Roma go head to head in Philadelphia. Over in Group B, leaders Liverpool face AC Milan in North Carolina in a repeat of the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals in North Carolina, while Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City take on Olympiacos in Minnesota. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Louis van Gaal closely supervising United training . On tour: Louis van Gaal's Manchester United are one win from the Guinness International Champions Cup final . On the march: United are top of Group A after beating Inter Milan on penalties at FedEx Field . All four games take place on Saturday and the winners of each group will meet in the final at Miami's Sun Life Stadium on Monday. Despite the television coverage around the world, large crowds in big stadiums and the tournament format, this competition is just a part of new-season preparations for the eight European teams involved. And while the prospect of a Liverpool-United showdown or a Manchester derby in Miami looms, new Old Trafford boss Van Gaal wouldn't mind a defeat by Real Madrid at 'The Big House' in Ann Arbor. Rivals: Either Liverpool or Manchester City could face United in the final in Miami on Monday . VIDEO Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City (Liverpool win 3-1 on penalties) Setting: The tournament has been played at some of America's best venues - including Yankee Stadium . Should United beat the Champions League winners, they will top Group A, face another long flight from the north America to the south east for the final, be forced to stay Stateside for a few more days, and play another match on this pre-season tour which Van Gaal has dismissed as a 'commercial activity'. After two games, United sit top of Group A with five points. They were awarded three for their 3-2 win over Roma in Denver, and two for a penalty shoot-out victory against Inter at FedExField. A draw will probably be good enough to see United into the final, but either Roma or Inter could still pip them to top spot in Group A. Both Italian teams have three points, Roma through more conventional football methods with one win, 1-0 over Real Madrid, and one defeat, 3-2 by Manchester United. Inter, meanwhile, picked up two points after beating Real in a shootout, and one for a loss on penalties against United. Showdown: AC Milan's Mario Balotelli (left) and City's Scott Sinclair (right) during their Pittsburgh clash . Historic: The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas during the game between Roma and Real Madrid . Effectively, United need two points to be certain of their place in the final, which means they could afford a draw against Real Madrid in Michigan so long as they win the penalty shootout. Meanwhile, in Group B, only AC Milan are out of the running for a place in the final as Liverpool and Manchester City sit best placed to make the final. Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side are top of the group with five points, three for their 1-0 win over Olympiacos in Chicago and two for their shootout win over City at Yankee Stadium. But with City just one point behind with a much better goal difference, Liverpool need a win to guarantee themselves a place in the final. (Top team qualifies for final on Monday, August 4 in Miami) (3 points for a win, 2 points for a win on penalties, 1 point for a loss on penalties) July 26: Manchester United 3-2 Roma - Denver, Colorado . July 26: Real Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan - Berkeley, California (Inter won shootout) July 29: Manchester United 0-0 Inter Milan - Landover, Maryland (United won shootout) July 29: Real Madrid 0-1 Roma - Dallas, Texas . August 2: Inter Milan vs Roma - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . August 2: Manchester United vs Real Madrid - Ann Arbor, Michigan . (Top team qualifies for final on Monday, August 4 in Miami) (3 points for a win, 2 points for a win on penalties, 1 point for a loss on penalties) July 24: Olympiacos 3-0 AC Milan - Toronto, Canada . July 27: AC Milan 1-5 Manchester City - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . July 27: Liverpool 1-0 Olympiacos - Chicago, Illinois . July 30: Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool - New York City, New York (Liverpool won shootout) August 2: Olympiacos v Manchester City - Minneapolis, Minnesota . August 2: Milan v Liverpool - Charlotte, North Carolina . | United top of Group A going into final game vs Real Madrid in Michigan .
Louis van Gaal's side could face Liverpool or Manchester City in final .
Dutch boss has dismissed North American tour as a 'commercial activity'
Guinness International Champions Cup features eight teams split into two groups with winners meeting in final at Miami's Sun Life Stadium .
Liverpool in pole position to win Group B with Man City close behind . |
150,781 | 4ef15ec72497f958bfc279feb5ffef0cf11cd7e5 | December 8, 2014 . Afghanistan, Philippines, low-earth orbit: These are a few of the places we visit on CNN Student News this Monday. Go inside a government command center whose job is to prevent cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure. Understand what makes diet sodas sweet, and hear why some health officials are concerned about them. And see an owl as you've never seen it before! On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News! | This page includes the show Transcript .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call. |
134,984 | 3a9d0803825b07472d0c57d2f2c6d158dd84a744 | Beijing (CNN) -- Chinese authorities have made a concerted effort to censor images and online accounts of a jeep that plowed into crowds in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, killing five and injuring 38, amid suggestions police are looking for suspects from the restive western region of Xinjiang. While the cause or motive for Monday's crash remains unclear, one manager at a five-star hotel in Beijing, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case, told CNN that the city's hotels had received a notice from local police requesting assistance in the investigation of a "major incident" late on Monday. It listed four people with names that suggested they belonged to the Uighur ethnic group that comes from Xinjiang Province, where tensions between Han Chinese and the largely Muslim Uighurs have sometimes turned violent. The notice also listed four vehicles -- including two cars and a motorcycle -- with license plate numbers from Xinjiang and asked hotels to keep a look out for suspicious guests that may have stayed in the capital from October 1. A spokesman for the World Uyghur Congress, a diaspora group, said it was too early to blame Uighurs and the group was concerned over the the lack of transparency surrounding the incident. "Every time something like this happens, authorities usually point fingers at Uighurs," Alim Seytoff said. "The notice should not be taken as the evidence of Uighur involvement in the incident." Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Center for China Studies, said the incident, taking place in China's most important and sensitive public space, would be considered a major loss of face for Beijing's leadership, especially if it turned out to be related to Uighur separatism. "It was close to the Zhongnanhai party headquarters and, in terms of timing, it's on the eve of the plenary session of the Chinese Communist Party so they don't want these rumors and speculation," he said. "According to eye witness reports I've read online, the jeep was driving at people. It appears to be a deliberate attempt to create havoc and a number of casualties," he said. Earlier this month, Chinese police said they had arrested 139 people in Xinjiang for spreading religious extremism online. The arrests came in the wake of riots that left 35 people dead. While a number of Chinese media outlets reported Monday's incident, their accounts stuck to the bare-bones details published by the official Xinhua news agency. No footage was shown on CCTV, China's state broadcaster, and the images that appeared immediately after the incident on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, showing black smoke and a vehicle engulfed in flames, were largely deleted. Searches combining the words Tiananmen, terrorism and car crash were also blocked. CNN broadcasts about the incident were blacked out inside China. Lam said Chinese media outlets had likely received an official order to stick to Xinhua's version of events. However, the English-language Global Times, which is state-run but not regarded as an official mouthpiece, reported that police were looking for two suspects from Xinjiang in connection with the jeep, which was described as light colored with Xinjiang plates. Of the five people killed, three were the vehicle's driver and two passengers and the other two were tourists; a woman from the Philippines and a Chinese man. Authorities moved quickly to tackle the blaze and clear up the scene on Monday. On Tuesday, the square was back to normal. CNN's David McKenzie and Feng Ke in Beijing contributed to this report . | China censors images of jeep that plowed into Tiananmen Square, killing 5 .
Police are looking for suspects from the restive western region of Xinjiang, source says .
NEW: Uighur diaspora group says it's too early to assign blame .
Analyst: Incident could be considered a major loss of face for Beijing . |
109,902 | 19a71bb6849fc1c079692ea985bfa68cb1b09bd5 | The immaculate uniform, trench maps and belongings of a First World War officer have been discovered in his 'time capsule' trunk nearly 100 years after they were last folded away. The set of items includes the neatly folded uniform of Lieutenant Howard Hands, his officer's cap, belts, cigarette case, photographs, newspapers and even his bedpan. His own trench maps showing a network of secret tunnels and mine galleries that ran under enemy positions on the Western Front were also found in the stash. Scroll down for video . Lieutenant Howard Hands (second from left, seated) was a signals officer in the Royal Engineers . The time capsule of Lt Hands (pictured) was discovered in storage at a school's history department . Included in the stash was Lt Hands' (left) perfectly preserved and folded First World War uniform (right) Lt Hands was a signals officer in the Royal Engineers and spent much of the war operating underground, helping with the laying of communication cables and mines. The 2.5ft wide metal trunk has recently been found in storage in the history department at the Highfield School in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, the town where Lt Hands was from. Although it's a mystery as to how it got there, it is believed it was donated to the school by a member of Lt Hands' family, probably a grandchild, over 30 years ago. The trunk is now the focus of a history project at the school and will go on display at the Herts at War exhibition - a Lottery-funded project to tell untold stories relating to the First World War. Lt Hands fought throughout the First World War and served in every major theatre including Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and the Western Front. He collected copies of newspapers from each country he served in, including a rare edition of the Balkan News, a satirical paper for British troops similar to the Wipers Times but not as well known. As a commanding officer he oversaw the laying of communication cables, mine galleries and maintaining vital communications links with the Front line trenches. He was awarded the coveted Military Cross in the New Year's honours list in 1919 for his gallant conduct over a sustained period of time during the war. Other items found in the trunk included pocket manuals, newspapers and a satchel . Lt Hands also collected newspapers (pictured) from every theatre of war he fought in, including Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and the Western Front . Maps found in the container showed trench lines and tunnels that ran under enemy territory . A rare copy of the Balkan News (pictured) was found in the trunk. The publication was a satirical newspaper for British troops . Dan Hill, of Herts at War, said: 'The items in the collection relating to the Lieutenant Hands offer a fascinating glimpse into the life of a man who rose from the ranks to become an officer and whose entire military career and personal artefacts are contained within the trunk. 'To find something of this nature is now very rare and to see these items in such good condition almost a century on really brings the history to life. 'Howard's war was incredibly varied; he saw service in every major theatre and the newspapers, hand-marked trench maps and personal effects that he chose to preserve form a poignant time-capsule of one man's life in The Great War. ' 'Howard's wartime experiences and his movements are a great reminder of the fact that the First World War was not only fought in the muddy fields of Flanders but also in the deserts and mountains in locations across the globe'. John Grant, head of history at the secondary school, uncovered the trunk. He said: 'We do not know how Lieutenant Hands' artefacts came to us and for what purpose, but we are very pleased to think that this collection can now form part of a display helping to educate the public about the impact of the Great War at home. Lt Hands' Field Service Pocket Book (pictured) details everyday military conduct for officers in the field . The rare stash of items is now the focus of a history project at The Highfield School in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, and will go on display at the Herts at War exhibition . 'Recently we have been able to share this incredible time-capsule with students when teaching about The Great War and for them to be able to interact with artefacts from a man who experienced the war first-hand, yet called the same town home, has been a hugely beneficial experience. 'We hope that Howard himself would have been pleased that his possessions would go on to teach others.' After leaving the army, Lt Hands worked as a designer for the aircraft industry and then set up the oilfield engineering company Hands-England. He died while on holiday in Zimbabwe in the 1950s at the age of 69. | First World War officer's time capsule found stored at Letchworth school .
Lieutenant Howard Hands' uniform, cigarette case and photographs found .
He also left trench maps, cap, newspapers and field service pocket book .
It's believed the items were given to the school by a relative decades ago .
All the possessions were left perfectly folded and in immaculate condition . |
166,799 | 63afb6b58e2c3322e737343800ec15c75fc75973 | From the recently expanded family enclosure at Newcastle United, a dad and lad can watch the biggest names in all 19 Barclays Premier League games at St James’ Park for £417. Granted, Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao, Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa will not be playing in the black and white stripes of Newcastle, but they are among the star attractions at this sporting cathedral. Newcastle’s family section has a capacity of 8,200 and is the biggest in the Premier League, possibly in Europe, too. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Pardew on the edge . Newcastle supporters are in revolt but the club are trying things to attempt to win them back . Behind the scenes the staff are proud of their relationship with the thriving generation of the club's supporters. A five-game package, starting this Saturday against Hull City and followed by Leicester, Liverpool, QPR and Chelsea, starts at £105 for adults, £25 for juniors. They are putting the fans first. Sadly Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United, has put newspaper groups and the reporters who work for them last, but we will come back to that. This Saturday, when the team bottom of the Premier League take on Steve Bruce’s Hull, the atmosphere inside St James’ Park threatens to be venomous. Everybody, it seems, is out for Ashley and his manager Alan Pardew. All is not well, that much is clear after a 4-0 defeat at Southampton (where they were beaten by the same score last season) led to one banner proclaiming ‘Pardew is a Muppet’. Since January 1, this team have won just five games in the Premier League (West Ham, Aston Villa, Hull, Crystal Palace and Cardiff). All of them were last season. Over the weekend, when Ashley spoke with Pardew following their thumping at St Mary’s, the owner told him he would not be judged on the four league games they have played this season.. In any event there is a penalty clause in the eight-year contract Pardew signed in September 2012 and he will be entitled to £5m in compensation should Ashley decide to sack him. Some statistics on Ashley’s regime: in the accounts published in February, Newcastle’s wage bill is down to 64 per cent of turnover (down from 91 per cent when he took over in May 2007). They paid £61.7m in salaries last season, falling into line with Financial Fair Play regulations. Ashley cannot be faulted for prudence and he won’t blow his brains out paying super-sized salaries when the club doesn’t have the income to sustain them. Newcastle fans made their feelings known during the 4-0 defeat at Southampton with this banner . The Newcastle supporters have reached the end of their tether with Pardew and most want him out . VIDEO Pardew on the edge . Newcastle's horrible 2014 so far... January 1 - West Brom (a) lost 1-0 . January 18 - West Ham (a) won 3-1 . January 28 - Norwich (a) drew 0-0 . February 1 - Sunderland (h) lost 3-0 . February 8 - Chelsea (a) lost 3- 0 . February 12 - Tottenham (h) lost 4-0 . February 23 - Aston Villa (h) won 1 - 0 . March 1 - Hull (a) won 4-1 . March 15 - Fulham (a) lost 1-0 . March 22 - C Palace (h) won 1 - 0 . March 25 - Everton (h) lost 3-0 . March 29 - Southampton (a) lost 4 - 0 . April 5 - Man Utd (h) lost 4-0 . April 12 - Stoke (a) lost 1-0 . April 19 - Swansea (h) lost 2-1 . April 28 - Arsenal (a) lost 3-0 . May 3 - Cardiff (h) won 3-0 . May 11 - Liverpool (a) lost 2-1 . 2014-15 . August 17 - Man City (h) lost 2-0 . August 23 - Aston Villa (a) drew 0-0 . August 30 - C Palace (h) drew 3-3 . September 13 - Southampton (a) lost 4 - 0 . An interest-free loan from the owner of £129m is still showing on the financial statement for the 2012-13 season. It is the only significant debt at the club. The days of PAs for the PAs are long gone in an era of financial restrictions and responsibilities at Newcastle. Back to Pardew. There is a hangover from last season, when seven defeats in the last eight games in the Premier League set the tone. After Yohan Cabaye, easily the club’s most influential player, was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for £19m on January 29, the team jacked it in for the season. Pardew’s shameful headbutt on David Meyler in March (leading to a £100,000 fine from the club, a formal warning and a touchline ban) affected his standing in the dressing room. Winning it back will not be easy. The manager's frustrations in the transfer market this summer, missing out on Bafetimbi Gomis (now at Swansea) and Toby Alderweireld (Southampton), are the life of a manager. You win some, you lose some. So far a clutch of new signings - Darryl Janmaat, Remy Cabella, Emmanuel Riviere and Ayoze Perez - have shown little so far. Still, it is early days for all of them. This is not a vintage Newcastle team by any stretch of the imagination, but new signings - particularly from overseas - deserve time to settle. For every Angel di Maria there is a Florin Raducioiu. Mike Ashley has been criticised by Newcastle United fans but has been prudent with the club's finances . Much has been made of Pardew’s failure to take the team beyond the fourth round of either the FA Cup or League Cup since his arrival in December 2010. Fair enough, but two years ago they played 14 matches in the Europa League before they were finally beaten by Benfica in the quarter-final. In isolation, 12th, fifth, 16th and 10th placed finishes in the Premier League doesn’t seem so bad. In terms of expectations, Newcastle fans demand the very best from the team, just like every other group of supporters. That is no crime. The manager is not popular, that much is clear with the various campaigns designed to unseat him from one of the most prestigious jobs in football. So what of Ashley? He’s taken to banning newspapers, which is a shame because he’s had bigger battles over the years than a few issues with the press. ‘Media froth’, as some communications directors at Premier League clubs have taken to calling the fascination with every day-to-day detail, is part of the game. The sparkle is missing at St James’ Park, something Pardew is acutely aware of as he approaches this weekend’s clash with Hull. After four years of fall-outs, the idea of a family get-together is a long way off. Pardew (right) shows the strain as his Newcastle side are given a thrashing at Southampton . | Newcastle supporters want rid of Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew .
Toon Army held up banners proclaiming 'Pardew is a Muppet'
Ashley has brought some financial prudence to St James' Park .
Newcastle are trying things to win back the supporters .
Club are offering cheap tickets to fans to see Premier League stars . |
85,439 | f254852aae0ef5696cc899007b1e3514adcd45da | I’ve lived and worked on Tyneside and I totally understand the frustrations of Newcastle United fans. Years ago, by day, I was a poorly paid young football reporter trying to make my way in the industry; by night I was the friendly barman making up my income, chatting about the Toon until the early hours on the Tuxedo Royale, a nightclub on a boat moored under the Tyne Bridge, with a revolving dancefloor and lots of scantily clad barmaids. I’m beginning to wonder why I ever left! Newcastle fans were vocal in their calls for manager Alan Pardew to be sacked at Southampton on Saturday . Alan Pardew clung on to his job despite Saturday's 4-0 thrashing but the pressure is growing by the week . Newcastle owner Mike Ashley seemed in high spirits despite the heavy defeat . Micky Quinn was the top dog back then – he used to come in regularly, I even served Gazza and his mates once. If I knew then what I know now I’d have refused for his own good. But Newcastle United was at the centre of everything for most of the punters in there – win, lose or draw that’s what they wanted to talk about. The lack of trophies was always a massive problem for Newcastle United fans, but even though that hurt they could still take pride in the goals of Quinn, the trickery of Ginola, the local pride of Shearer, the passion of Keegan. Right now there is nothing for the St James’ Park faithful to enjoy, and whilst they angrily vent their frustration at manager Alan Pardew, they also want answers from the owner Mike Ashley, answers he never ever looks likely to give. Newcastle miss players who show pride in the club and the city, like Alan Shearer . The days of brilliant players like David Ginola wearing the black and white seem an age ago . Pardew has shown some glimpses of brilliance in his managerial career – witness the incredible run he took Newcastle on last season – seven wins from nine games in November and December until Yohan Cabaye was sold and not replaced. But right now Pardew’s stock is lower than a snake’s belly. Managers come and go but an owner usually sticks around for much longer. So it’s always puzzled me why Newcastle United fans have never seized the initiative and bought the club. More than 50,000 go to watch home games regularly, there must be thousands more who don’t go, including many who love Newcastle United but have left the city and even the UK for work or family reasons. The commitment and passion of Newcastle's fans has never been in doubt - perhaps they should buy the club . There are surely enough fans, some of whom will be incredibly wealthy, who can put together a fans’ trust to launch a credible, effective takeover of this great club, and then they can run it they way the fans want it to be run. Why hasn’t this happened already? Geordie legends would be queuing up to be part of this, as figureheads or to even put their own money in. It’s a massive city, with one club in it. The fanbase is huge and more importantly they deserve so much more than they’re getting right now from Newcastle United, and far more than they have received from the club for many years. I’m at St James’ Park on Saturday for what many think could be Pardew’s final game in charge. It’s a place I love going back to, and a stadium where I spent many working hours cutting my teeth in this industry. It’s special. So here’s my question for the Toon Army – if you dislike Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew so much, why don’t you buy the club from him and fire the manager yourselves? | Newcastle United fans called for manager Alan Pardew to be sacked during Saturday's 4-0 loss at Southampton .
At the moment, there is absolutely nothing for them to look forward to .
Newcastle fans should seize the moment and buy the club from Mike Ashley .
It could prove to be the most straightforward way of removing Pardew . |
175,827 | 6f996a0977af8454df7982ce118719491f528c6c | By . Sara Malm . A man cut a tattoo of a former partner’s name off his own arm to prove to his girlfriend that he was faithful, a court has heard. Dominic Winner used a Stanley knife to remove the tattoo in front of his then girlfriend, whom he has been found guilty of subjecting to physical and emotional abuse. The 23-year-old from Hemlington, Middlesborough, was described as ‘violent, jealous, bullying and controlling’ to Teesside Crown Court on Friday. Violent: Dominic Winner, 23, subjected his then-girlfriend to physical and emotional abuse, Teesside Crown Court heard . Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt told the court how Winner’s then-girlfriend, who has not been named, suffered a perforated eardrum and had been threatened with a knife during the abusive relationship. According to Mr Soppitt, the pair got together last October, but just one month later, the arguments turned into physical abuse. Mr Soppit described how Winner had ‘pushed her around’, causing her pain and discomfort after blaming her when he missed a doctor’s appointment. He told the court the the couple's arguments got worse and he self-harmed in front of her, was jealous and controlling. Mr Soppitt said: ‘He took a Stanley knife and cut a tattoo of a former girlfriend’s name to prove he was faithful. ‘A few days later they argued about her use of her phone. He threatened to take her phone, her TV and clean out her bank account.’ Disturbing: Winner cut a tattoo of his former partner's name off his arm using a Stanley knife (file photo) As he swore and threatened her, Winner grabbed her right breast, and caused the skin to rip as he twisted it. She then fell and hit her head, suffering a perforated eardrum as a result. A few days after this incident, the woman told Winner would leave him, and he then pushed her against the bedroom wall and threw her on to the bed. Mr Soppitt added: ‘He was looking for his knife, and he told her that she deserved it.’ ‘He took a Stanley knife and cut a tattoo of a former girlfriend’s name to prove he was faithful' - Prosecutor Nigel Soppitt . After the third incident she finally report his assaults to the police and she was photographed covered with bruises. When Winner was interviewed by police he said: ‘She is making everything ten times worse.’ Winner has previous convictions for assaulting his mother in 2009 and for affray in 2010 when he approached a house in Hemlington with a knife. Mr Soppitt added: ‘The Crown say that the offences were in aggravated circumstances because they were repeated assaults on the same victim and, in the course of one assault, he said that he was looking for a knife,’ John Gillette, defending, said that Winner had been in custody for five months and he had re-established a relationship with the mother of his children, who had visited him in prison. He added: ‘There are still issues and attitudes to be addressed and he would very much appreciate assistance with that.’ The judge told Winner that because he had already served the equivalent of a ten-month sentence he would give him a suspended sentence which would allow him to be supervised. Winner was given a 16-month jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision and a Building Better Relationships programme after he pleaded guilty to two common assaults, an actual bodily harm assault and possession of a knife between November and January. The judge also imposed a restraining order for eight years banning Winner from contacting, causing harassment, alarm or distress to the girlfriend and two other women associated with her. | Dominic Winner subjected his partner to physical and emotional abuse .
The 23-year-old pushed the woman and threatened to 'get his knife'
He also cut a tattoo of his ex's name from his arm using a Stanley knife . |
230,866 | b6f25f41ba5b8dda25c5363d72ed0135a10806cd | (CNN) -- Players and ball boys fainting and accusations of "inhumane" treatment. If it's hot on court -- temperatures of 42.2 Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) were recorded Tuesday -- at the Australia Open, the mercury is also rising for tournament officials at Melbourne Park. Canadian Frank Dancevic fainted during his match with Frenchman Benoit Paire, before he got really hot under the collar over the conditions players had to contend with at the first tennis grand slam of 2014. "I think it's inhumane, I don't think it's fair to anybody, to the players, to the fans, to the sport, when you see players pulling out of matches, passing out," the world No. 122 told reporters. "I've played five set matches all my life and being out there for a set and a half and passing out with heat-stroke, it's not normal. "Having players with so many problems and complaining to the tournament that it's too hot to play, until somebody dies, they're just keep going on with it and putting matches on in this heat. "I personally don't think it's fair and I know a lot of players don't think it's fair." It wasn't just players who succumbed to the elements. One of the ball boys fainted during 11th seed Milos Raonic's four-set defeat of Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver. "Of course there were a few players who experienced heat-related illness or discomfort, but none required significant medical intervention after they had completed their match," chief medical officer Tim Wood told reporters, as organizers defended the decision to play in the heat. Caution urged . But with temperatures above 40 Celsius expected for most of the week, Briton Andy Murray urged caution. "Whether it's safe or not, I don't know. You've just got to be very careful these days," he said. "There's been some issues in other sports with, you know, players having heart attacks." In the women's draw, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki claimed the weather caused her drinks bottle to melt on court while second seed Victoria Azarenka described playing at the Rod Laver Arena as like "dancing in a frying pan." The tournament's "extreme heat" contingency was introduced for matches in the women's draw, allowing for an extended break between the second and third sets. Rather than solely using a temperature reading, organizers use a measurement which also considers humidity and wind to decide whether or not conditions have become unplayable. "We have to reach a minimum threshold and have a forecast that it will be sustained for a reasonable time," tournament referee Wayne McKewen said in a statement. "That didn't happen. While conditions were hot and uncomfortable, the relatively low level of humidity ensured play would continue." While some players wilted, Roger Federer was typically unflappable in the stifling heat. "Just deal with it, because it's the same for both (players)," said the 17-time grand slam winner, seeded sixth, after defeating spirited Australian James Duckworth 6-4 6-4 6-2. When asked if he thought organizers should close the retractable roof over the Rod Laver Arena to help lower the temperature on court, the 32-year-old Federer, who last won one of tennis' four majors at Wimbledon in 2012, replied: "No. I think it should always stay open, honestly." World No. 1 Rafael Nadal played in the last match to get under way in the Rod Laver Arena against Australian Bernard Tomic. Thirteen-time grand slam winner Nadal took the first set 6-4 before the 57th-ranked Tomic retired with a leg injury. Nadal will play Tomic's compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round. Murray made a strong start in his bid to finally capture Melbourne glory, beating Japan's Go Soeda 6-1 6-1 6-3. The world No. 4 has been runner-up at the season's first grand slam in three of the last four years, but enters this tournament short of match practice after undergoing back surgery. However the Scot looked sharp, taking just 87 minutes to dispatch his 112th-ranked opponent in punishing heat and set up a second round meeting with Frenchman Vincent Millot. U.S. No. 1 John Isner's tournament is over after he was forced to withdraw from his match with Slovakia's Martin Klizan due to a foot injury. Isner, the only American male seeded in the draw, has been battling ankle and shin problems during the offseason. The 28-year-old missed last year's tournament with a knee injury. Another American to fall at the first hurdle was Rhyne Williams who, despite winning the opening set, suffered a battling 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 loss against fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro. Argentina's Del Potro is looking to build on an encouraging 2013 season which saw him reach the last four of a grand slam, at Wimbledon, for the first time since 2009. But Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, struggled with intense heat. "You are thinking about a lot more things than the tennis match," said the 25-year-old, who plays Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut next. "You are trying to drink a lot and always thinking about your body, your physic, and not about the game. "I know tomorrow and after tomorrow it's going to be worst, so I will try to be ready for the weather conditions, too." Empty seats were prevalent as many fans stayed away in heat, but those that did go to Melbourne Park were treated to a gutsy performance from Australian stalwart Lleyton Hewitt in his five-set battle with 24th seed Andrea Seppi. The Italian took a two-set lead before former world No. 1 Hewitt rallied to draw level. To the disappointment most of those in the Rod Laver Arena, though, Hewitt's comeback was thwarted and Italy's Seppi eventually triumphed 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 5-7 5-7 7-5. Tenth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, beaten in the quarterfinals in 2013, beat Seppi's compatriot Filippo Volandri in straight sets. | Canada's Frank Dancevic faints during his opening match at the Australian Open .
Temperatures reached 107.96 degrees Fahrenheit in Melbourne .
Dancevic described the conditions as "inhumane"
Tournament organizers introduce "extreme weather" contingency in the women's draw . |
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