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150,470 | 4e8a57f0eb8cd2bc6de433b69d8dbb3f93acdfb0 | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 13:37 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:30 EST, 30 October 2013 . It would be heartening to think that friends, family and workmates are truthful all the time. Human nature, sadly, is not like that – but you can boost the chance of straight answers by asking questions in the morning. A study found that it is easier for people to lie in the afternoon as the self-control which normally stops them cheating breaks down as they get tired. A study by Harvard University found that men and women find it easier fib and deceive in the afternoon when they are tired, than in the morning . Researchers added that the more . fundamentally honest someone is, the more likely they are to succumb to . the ‘morning morality effect’. They said: ‘Our findings suggest that the mere time of day can lead to a systematic failure of good people to act morally.’ Are you more likely to lie in the afternoon than the morning? The conclusion came from experiments at Harvard University in Massachusetts, US. In . one, a group of young men and women were shown a pattern of dots on a . computer and asked to say if there were more on the right or left of the . screen. In some cases, it was hard to tell but in others the correct answer was clear. The . volunteers were given cash for every round they played. However, the . payments were not given for answering correctly. Instead, the . participants were given ten times as much for choosing the right side of . the screen rather than the left, which encouraged fibbing. Those . who played the game in the afternoon were more likely to say the dots . were on the right when they were clearly on the left, reported the . journal Psychological Science. Are there benefits to lying? The U.S. researchers said that people who lie with ease on a regular basis are less affected by the stress and strains of everyday life . A . second experiment tested if respondents were more aware of ethics in . the morning than in the afternoon. Men and women were given words with . missing letters and asked to complete them. Those . taking part in the morning were more likely to see E_ _ _ C _ _ and _ . _ RAL and think of the words ‘ethical’ and ‘moral’. But those doing the test in the afternoon tended to form the words ‘effects’ and ‘coral.’ Two . further experiments confirmed that people become more flexible with . the truth as they day went on. The study also showed that those who . prided themselves on being honest were more susceptible to the effect. Three experiments showed the more honest someone is, the more likely they are to lie when they are tired and their willpower wanes . It is thought that tiredness makes it harder for them to exercise the self-control needed to resist the temptation to cheat. In . contrast, those who lie with ease have less self-control to begin with . and so are less affected by the strains of everyday life. The researchers said: ‘We found that people are vulnerable to a gradual depletion of self-regulatory processes as a result of unremarkable daily activities. ‘This depletion can, in turn, lead them to act in ethically questionable ways. ‘Unfortunately, it might be that the most honest people are most susceptible to the negative consequences associated with the morning mortality effect. ‘In other words, our findings suggest that the mere time of day can lead to a systematic failure of good people to act morally.’ | U.S. researchers found the self-control needed to prevent us from lying breaks down as we get tired .
The Harvard University study said the more fundamentally honest someone is, the more likely they are to succumb to the 'morning morality effect'
Three experiments showed that people become more flexible with the truth as the day goes on . |
142,131 | 43cb535449a580e637af7736cf1aa94fe52e9673 | By . Valerie Elliott . PUBLISHED: . 21:14 EST, 27 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:14 EST, 27 October 2012 . The happy farmer label was drawn by Mr Scheckter's now 19-year-old son when he was four . Supermarkets are being told to stop selling bottles of beer featuring a child’s drawing of a farmer – because alcohol watchdogs fear the label could encourage youngsters to drink it. The precaution has been slammed as ‘political correctness gone mad’ by the man who makes the beer – 1979 F1 world champion Jody Scheckter. He is particularly attached to the logo because the smiling farmer is meant to be him, and was drawn with crayons by his son Freddie when he was four. He is now 19 and at Oxford University. Mr Scheckter, 62, who has been . producing organic food and drinks at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire . for ten years, said: ‘I am going to fight this. The decision is . ridiculous. ‘I can’t . think of any teenager, even a ten-year-old, who’d think the labels are . cool. We don’t sell anything to children. I can’t see how anyone in . their right mind thinks this image encourages under-age drinkers. This . could cost me a lot of business.’ The . farmer beams from labels on beef, lamb and chicken, and cartons of . ice-cream, fudge and apple juice. For five years the character has also . been used on 170,000 bottles of £1.95 organic ale and lager sold by . Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado. But . earlier this year a complaint was made to industry-funded watchdog the . Portman Group on the basis that the child’s drawing on the label of . Laverstoke’s alcoholic products was the same image used on its labels . for apple juice. Portman says this breaches marketing rules because it could appeal to children. Portman . Group rulings carry huge weight. High street chains notified that a . product is in breach of the code have three months to clear the item . from shelves. If they fail to do so, they may face legal action by . trading standards and could lose their alcohol trading licences. A spokesman for the Campaign for Real Ale, which accredits the organic real ale, said: ‘We aren’t aware of any complaints.’ Former F1 racing world champion Jody Scheckter slammed the decision as 'ridiculous' | Beer is made by 1979 F1 world champion Jody Scheckter .
The logo features a picture of him drawn by his now 19-year-old son as a four-year-old .
Alcohol watchdogs fear the label could encourage youngsters to drink the beer . |
7,398 | 14f42d116b19157349d07a9bc31e30eec28a56e7 | An incredibly offensive selection of costumes offers men the chance to dress up as 'fat women' this Halloween. The costume collections, which are available through a variety of online retailers, including Amazon.com, feature designs such as 'Tinker Belly', 'sexy fat cheerleader' and 'fat fairy' - there's even a 'fat lap dancer'. Many of the outfits are designed and sold by online costume retailer Fun World, who proudly feature the costumes in the 'humorous' category of their website. Fun or offensive? Two of the fat women costumes available include a 'sexy fat cheerleader' or a 'plus size Miss Oktoberfest' Bad-taste Baywatch: Many of the costumes, including this take on popular TV show Baywatch, are sold on Amazon.com . Other brands such as Smiffy's, Rubie's Costume Company and Forum Novelties, all offer their own takes on the offensive costume trend. Lisa Wade, professor of sociology at Occidental College, expressed her outrage at the outfits in a piece on The Huffington Post. 'An excellent piece of evidence that femininity is hilarious or ridiculous in U.S. culture, or even frightening or disgusting, is the fact that men use the category "woman" as a Halloween costume,' she wrote. 'Many costume manufacturers (or homemade costume makers, for that matter) add fat hatred to the mix. Because there is nothing more disgusting and hilarious, we are told, than a fat woman. 'Except, perhaps, a fat woman who fails to be properly humiliated.' Earlier this week, Walmart came under fire after describing its plus size women's Halloween range as 'Fat Girl Costumes'. It is believed that an employee working for the store, which later apologized for the incident, posted the offensive description on its website in error. Hardly kid-friendly: This Tinker Belly costume is unlikely to prove a hit with fans of the original Disney character . Bad taste: Many of the outfits, including this stripper costume (left), are designed and sold by online costume retailer Fun World, who proudly feature the costumes in the 'humorous' category of their website . 'This never should have been on our site,' a spokesperson for Walmart told MailOnline. 'It is unacceptable, and we apologize. 'We worked to remove it as soon as possible and we will ensure this never happens again.' Wonder Woman, The Queen of Hearts, a witch and a female vampire were among the costumes in the section. The retailer removed the rude category after it sparked an outcry on social media. 'Stay classy Walmart,' wrote Autumn Mochi, while Dave Jones commented: '... and that's how you get fired as a Walmart web developer.' Fat girl costumes: Earlier this week Walmart came under fire for describing their plus size women's costumes as 'Fat Girl Costumes' | Available outfits include a 'sexy fat cheerleader' and 'Tinker Belly'
The disrespectful dress-up items can be bought from a number of popular online retailers including Amazon.com . |
199,013 | 8da4a20ea48553af5dd9706dc2a9f59b4580e2e5 | This is the horrifying moment 11 passengers found themselves trapped inside a London Underground station after striking workers locked up before the last train dropped them off. The commuters were locked inside South Ruislip station in freezing conditions for almost an hour until a station employee returned to free them at 1am on Thursday morning. Passengers called out for help after getting off a Chiltern Railways train at around midnight to discover the gates had been closed and locked. Passengers called out for help after getting off a Chiltern Railways train at around midnight to discover the gates had been closed and locked . Some of the passengers stranded at South Ruislip station were forced to climb over barbed railings to escape . The station, which provides mainline train services as well as Metropolitan Line underground connections, closed earlier than usual at 11pm due to the strikes. Passenger Beren Reid, 22, said: 'The tunnel that goes under the mainline tracks and onto the station concourse had been shut off and padlocked at the point where it joins the underground passageway. 'From there we could see that the exits at the front of the building had also been shut off, and we tried calling out and rattling the gate to get the attention of tube staff but nobody came.' On realising they were stuck, passengers called British Transport Police, who told them that an officer would be sent but could take up to 90 minutes. Taking matters into their own hands one passenger hopped the fence and scavenged car parts from a nearby garage to build a makeshift ladder to help six of the ten other passengers get out. Mr Reid added: 'One person managed to climb over the railing on the Southbound platform of the mainline station, and came round to the front to shout through the gates to inform us of an escape route. 'We were all weary, freezing, and angry that we would have to wait 30 minutes or more for help. 'The first person had to resort to parts of cars found near the car repair company based in the dark and dinghy service road adjacent to the station, to give the six other people daring enough to scale the fence a stepladder to get over. 'Once over the railing, they found themselves atop large commercial waste bins with flimsy lids that were six feet off the ground, but thankfully they all managed to get over safely.' A dozen passengers were trapped for almost an hour at South Ruislip station in north west London on Thursday morning . The 48-hour London Underground strike ended yesterday evening but many still reported disruption across the network. During the 48 hour strike there was no service on the Waterloo and City, Circle or Bakerloo lines. The Picadilly and Central lines didn't operate through central London but services continued through some outlying stations. The Jubilee and Victoria lines continued operating trains every five minutes throughout the strike but over a reduced distance. The District and Metropolitan lines operated a severely reduced service with some station closures and trains ran on the whole of the Northern Line but 17 stations were closed. When contacted today, Transport for London (TfL) claimed the mistake was nothing to do with them and was instead the fault of Chiltern Railways for dropping off the customers. Chiltern Railways' Operations Director Andrew Munden said: 'We are incredibly sorry that our passengers were affected in this way, particularly on a day when travel in London was significantly disrupted. Passengers called out for help after getting off a Chiltern Railways train from at around midnight to discover the gates had been closed and locked . 'We are unique in that over half our stations in London are owned and staffed by London Underground. 'Serving these stations during a strike is a challenging and complex logistical exercise, as we are dependent on London Underground for many services including, on part of our route, signalling of trains. 'Despite these challenges, we took the decision to operate our full train service and allow passengers to travel, rather than cancel trains and inconvenience hundreds of customers. We had no indication that South Ruislip would be locked and, in fact, it had been open the night before with no issue. 'We hugely regret that our passengers were inconvenienced in this way, and will be reviewing our procedures with London Underground for future strikes. 'The reason this happened, however, was a direct consequence of us working hard to ensure we could provide a service to London Underground owned stations that would otherwise have gone without.' A Transport for London spokesman said: 'The Chiltern Railways train dropped them off after the station closed. 'It was nothing to do with us other than our staff let them out.' Central Line Operations Director Peter McNaught said: 'After South Ruislip Underground station had been closed for the evening, we were made aware that around 15 customers of Chiltern Trains, which also serves the station, had mistakenly got off at the station. 'We immediately sent a member of staff to open up our gates so that the customers could make their way home.' Transport for London had earlier . warned that services would still be disrupted after 9pm yesterday, and . had urged people not to 'leave it too late to travel'. Commuters wait to board a limited service Tube train during the strikes . TfL said almost three out of four Tube stations were open, with services running on nine out of 11 lines, although many commuters were forced to find other ways of getting to work . London Underground services returned . to normal this morning after huge delays and disruption caused by the . strike over ticket office closures. Fresh talks will be held today to try to resolve the bitter dispute which sparked the strike. The . walkout by members of the RMT and TSSA unions officially ended at 9pm . last night, but a further 48-hour stoppage is planned from next Tuesday . evening if there is no deal at the talks. Journeys on the capital's Barclays bicycle hire scheme were up by 50 per cent for the second day, although wet and windy weather persuaded many people to work from home. Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground, who had urged the unions to bring forward the meeting, said he was grateful for the ‘patience’ shown by passengers. The unions have been urging London mayor Boris Johnson to meet them to discuss the closures, which will see the loss of 950 jobs. London Underground said eight of 11 lines were running trains, keeping London "open for business", but unions said the company had under-estimated the impact of the 48-hour walkout . LU said more trains ran to more destinations and more stations yesterday than on Wednesday, but passengers still faced disruption to Tube services, and long queues at bus stations and on roads . The mayor has refused to meet the . unions unless they call off the industrial action. RMT leader Bob Crow . said: ‘Our negotiators are geared up and ready to enter the exploratory . talks.’ TfL . said almost three out of four Tube stations were open yesterday, with . services running on nine out of 11 lines, although trains were not . stopping at some stations. Mr . Johnson said: ‘I understand how frustrating this has been for many . Londoners and I'd like to thank them for their patience and stoicism . during this completely unnecessary strike. RMT leader Bob Crow has said: 'Our negotiators are geared up and ready to enter the exploratory talks' London Mayor Boris Johnson has refused to meet the unions unless they call off the industrial action . ‘I am grateful to the London Underground staff who rejected this pointless action and worked, and to the hundreds of volunteers who are helping passengers through the day. ‘I'm pleased that having failed repeatedly to engage in constructive talks around TfL's modernisation plans, the unions have agreed to sit down with TfL at Acas. ‘Rather than hurting hard-working Londoners and hard-pressed small businesses, they should have been talking to TfL this week. That the unions won't negotiate until after the strike is over tomorrow says a lot about their failure to engage. ‘If, as they claimed yesterday, Mr Crow and Mr Cortes are happy to embrace modernisation, new technology and change, then what on earth are they doing on strike when these changes do just that and involve no compulsory redundancies?’ | Commuters trapped inside South Ruislip station in north west London .
TfL official: 'It was nothing to do with us other than our staff let them out.'
Passengers called out and rattled gates but no station staff were present .
Some were forced to climb over barbed wire-topped fences to escape .
One passenger built a makeshift ladder from car parts to help others out .
48-hour strike ended yesterday evening but disruption reportedly ongoing . |
21,903 | 3e43ecdf7adc1704e005b45b94e36193b49dc212 | (CNN)F-16 fighter jets escorted two passenger planes into Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Saturday after a bomb threat made on Twitter was deemed credible, according to military officials. Southwest Airlines Flight 2492 and Delta Flight 1156 landed safely at the airport and were searched by bomb disposal units, according to airline officials. Nothing out of the ordinary was found, officials said. One runway was closed temporarily, causing delays for other flights as passengers on the two flights were questioned and their luggage was searched by bomb-sniffing dogs, officials said. Delta spokesman Morgan Durant said, "It was a Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia, flight. Delta is supporting the sweeping process carried out by authorities." The Southwest flight was coming from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The F-16 fighter jets were from McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina and returned to the base after the passenger planes landed. "What you see is a very hefty response," said CNN Aviation Correspondent Rene Marsh. Due to the current world wide terror threats "no one wants to take the risk," she said. Normal operations returned to Atlanta's airport after nothing suspicious was discovered during the searches. | Both flights landed safely, nothing out of the ordinary was found on the planes .
Two F-16 fighters returned to their base in South Carolina after accompanying the planes to the Atlanta airport . |
126,154 | 2f0f6c1f7e9cfcebe4740706e90969a05d64d4c3 | By . Neil Ashton . Follow @@neilashton_ . Mauricio Pochettino is ready to walk away from Southampton in the summer after hiring a team of lawyers to study the fine print in his contract. Pochettino was talked into staying at the club until the end of the season during an emotional meeting with the club’s former executive chairman, Nicola Cortese, on Wednesday evening. The highly regarded Southampton manager, who is trying to prepare for Saturday’s clash at Sunderland, admitted he will make a decision on his future at the end of the season. Brief encounter? Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino greets a member of staff before his press conference . On his way out? Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino leaving St Mary's stadium after crisis talks . Rising stars: Southampton, who are 9th in the Premier League, boast the likes of (left-right) Steven Davis, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Luke Shaw . Read Matt Le Tissier's verdict on the current goings on at St Mary's . Southampton’s owner Katharina Liebherr, now non-executive chairman at St Mary’s, met Pochettino for five minutes after training. She is considering whether to promote Les Reed from football development director to the prominent first-team position of sporting director. Cortese, who intends to return to St Mary’s as chairman of another Barclays Premier League club, faces a massive compensation battle with Liebherr. Although, technically, he resigned, the Liebherr family are still negotiating a settlement. Short and sweet: Katharina Liebherr spent just five minutes in Pochettino's company at St Mary's . Pastures new: Nicola Cortese left Southampton after four-and-a-half years with the south coast club . Pochettino, who has less than 18 months left on the deal he signed in January 2013, said: ‘I am a loyal person and a legal person. ‘I thought about many things and I did not sleep well. I am 100 per cent decided to stay here until the end of the season. ‘We will see what happens at the end of the season and not before. Then we will assess the situation and decide whether I am up to staying here for another season. ‘It is difficult. When you become manager, you have a big commitment to the club, the fans, the players, the staff. It is a huge responsibility.’ Crisis talks: Pochettino and his staff walk into the reception at St Mary's as he decides on his future with the club . Relationship: Skipper Lallana talking with Pochettino on the training ground last week . Pochettino insisted none of his players had asked to leave in the wake of Cortese’s departure. Luke Shaw, the left back valued at £30million by Southampton, may demand to go as Manchester City and Chelsea prepare to fight it out for him. Pochettino said: ‘Luke Shaw has a contract and that is a question for the new chairman.’ Gutted: Shaw, pictured arriving for training on Thursday, was upset at Cortese's departure . Hello and goodbye? Rickie Lambert (left) is a £7m target for West Ham . The club were in talks with West Ham over the £7miilion sale of Rickie Lambert, but that move stalled when Cortese resigned. Pochettino said no player would leave unless he decided it would benefit the club. He is deeply upset by what has happened. He said: ‘I want to show my complete gratitude to Nicola Cortese. He believed in me and my staff and our families are full of gratitude. ‘Eight months ago when we were speaking about things I said there would be no sense for me to stay but it is a different situation now. Nicola knows about my decision to stay.’ | Mauricio Pochettino will make a decision at the end of the season .
The Argentine has employed a team of lawyers to look over his contract .
‘I am a loyal person and a legal person,' he said.
Saints owner Katharina Liebherr met Pochettino for just five minutes .
The departed Nicola Cortese faces a compensation battle with the Liebherr family .
Chelsea and Manchester City are circling for Luke Shaw, rated at £30m . |
192,920 | 85c150b034750c5f2d78d2f023c9fc149d3e9858 | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 11:28 EST, 17 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:11 EST, 23 October 2012 . A former cub scout who was molested as a nine-year-old by Jimmy Savile has said he blamed himself for the 36 years that he kept it a secret. Kevin Cook, now 45, appeared on Jim'll Fix It with the TV star in 1976 after members of his cub pack wrote in to the show. Mr Cook, the presenter's youngest alleged victim, said he was lured to a dressing room with the promise of receiving a coveted badge for appearing on the programme. Scroll down for video . Kevin Cook is pictured on the show, circled, before he was abused by Savile backstage in a dressing room . Predatory paedophile Savile ties a red ribbon around the cubs . But while in the room, Savile asked him whether he was ready to 'earn your badge' before molesting him then getting him to touch him through his trousers. He originally spoke out about the ordeal on Sunday after telling his wife about the abuse - the first person he had ever told - last Thursday. Speaking today, he said he was motivated by the courage of others who have come forward in the wake of the scandal. He told This Morning: 'All these years I have had it with me I thought I was the only one. I blamed myself for what had happened.' Mr Cook appeared on the show with members of the 44th Newham East cub pack. Savile touches the nine-year-old boy's face as he ties a red ribbon around them moments before he undid Kevin's trousers . The back of Mr Cook's head on the show this morning as he doesn't want to reveal his full identity . After filming for the show, the married father-of-two said he was on stage with the others cubs when Savile approached him to thank him for giving him a tie which his mother had passed on as a present. 'We were all on the stage. That's when Jimmy came up to me and thanked me for the tie and asked me if I would like my own badge, which of course I agreed to', he said. Mr Cook was led off down a corridor in to a 'dingy' dressing room where Savile pulled out a chair, asked him to sit down and then touched him. At one point he said a man walked in to the room, saw what was happening, said 'Oops', and then closed the door shut. He said: 'After I’d done my shorts up Jimmy warned me not to tell anyone. He said “Don’t even tell your mates. We know where you live. Nobody would believe you anyway – I’m King Jimmy”.’ Mr Cook, who now lives in an Essex coastal town said the threat had always haunted him. Mr Cook, now a married father, is pictured circled, on the show back in 1976 . He added: 'The threat was always there and when you finally read and you hear about it and there's other people, it makes it easier to tell.' When asked if he regretted not speaking about it before, he said: 'I wish (I had). That's the regret because obviously he's passed away and nothing can be done. 'But I wish I came forward years ago.' He said he was close to telling his cub leader a few months after the incident in the 70s but in the end decided not to. Asked how he felt about Savile now, he responded: 'I hate the man, nothing but anger towards him, and bitter that he died and he can't face the music. 'But I also think that all the work that he's done, all the charity work, i just think that was a sham and the disguise to hide what he's been up to and he's got away with it.' He said 'I feel a different person now' after telling his family and police about the sexual abuse. Meanwhile another photograph emerged today of Savile nearby a Jersey care home where 192 youngsters allegedly suffered abuse. The star is pictured grinning as he holds on tightly to two youngsters to take them for a private walk. Television presenter and ChildLine . founder Esther Rantzen denied again today that she ignored allegations . about Savile from an anti-child abuse campaigner. Ms Rantzen, who fronted the BBC . programme That's Life, told This Morning that she had only ever heard . 'rumours' about Savile, whose alleged crimes were revealed in an ITV . documentary. She said: 'As Ian Hislop said so . brilliantly last week, knowledge means that you hear from the person it . happened to or a witness and that’s what the ITV documentary showed me. 'Up until then, I’ve heard rumours . about the royal family, politicians, about TV presenters and my view . about rumours is the vast majority of the rumours are untrue. So I . didn’t know anything.' Ms Rantzen said she had 'no memory' of being contacted by campaigner Shy Keenan who said she told her about Savile. The presenter added: 'Now the lady . who says that she told me 18 years ago - I’ve gone back through the . records of that year to see if we ever did an item about child abuse in . that series of That’s Life...she says she met me then. 'I have no memory of her at all. And . we did one item about child abuse in that series and it was about . criminal compensation...the other members of That’s Life staff have no . memory of her.' Jimmy Savile is captured for the first time in the room of his flat at Stoke Mandeville hospital where it is alleged he took nurses before and after he abused patients on the wards. He began volunteering as a porter there . in the 1970s and had free use of a flat on site while he helped to raise . £40 million for its spinal injuries centre. A former patient at the hospital, Rebecca Owen, had previously told of how nurses at the hospital knew about his behaviour and were apprehensive about his visits. Savile is pictured getting dressed in his Stoke Mandeville Hospital flat, in July 1982 . Ms Owen said she heard a conversation between nurses. 'It was an air of resignation that you had to put up with,' she said. 'There was some sort of ironic chatter between the nurses about who would be the lucky one to go off to his room. 'And then, as one of the nurses was leaving or passing by my bed, she leant over and said the best thing you can do is stay in bed until he’s gone and pretend to be asleep.' VIDEO: Warning upsetting content. Savile's youngest victim describes the alleged abuse . | 'He's passed away and nothing can be done...I'm angry that he died and can't face the music', says Kevin Cook, now 45, who was abused on show .
Photographs released of Savile's room at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where it is alleged he took nurses before and after abusing patients on wards . |
919 | 029bc476dd93f81bf355f8e8717b7943704e0162 | Rio Ferdinand has lifted the lid on Wayne Rooney’s temper tantrums, telling how his former Manchester United team-mate used to 'smash up mobile phones in frustration'. Ferdinand and Rooney played alongside each other for 10 years at Old Trafford until the former left the club during the summer. And the QPR defender has shed new light on the current United captain's temper - although he admitted the England striker has now calmed down. Wayne Rooney had a temper in his younger days, reveals former team-mate Rio Ferdinand . The United striker used to 'fly into a rage about the smallest things,' says Ferdinand . Ferdinand acknowledges Rooney has calmed down a bit - although he's still prone to the odd outburst . Possibly Rooney's most famous outburst, against West Ham in 2011 when he swore into a camera . Ferdinand says Rooney would often be arguing on his phone outside the United training ground . In The Sun’s serialisation of his autobiography #2sides, Ferdinand said: ‘Wayne Rooney always struck me as a very angry young man, always arguing with people outside the training ground, especially on the phone. ‘He seemed to fly into a rage about the smallest things and went through mobile phones like they were sweets. He’d smash phones up in frustration, throwing them on the concrete. ‘I don’t know what happened but he did calm down.’ Ferdinand says Rooney (right) struck him as an angry young man, always arguing with people . Ferdinand writes in his autobiography, #2sides, that Rooney went through phones 'like they were sweets' VIDEO Ferdinand book criticises Moyes and Terry . | Rio Ferdinand writes about Wayne Rooney's temper in his new book .
Ferdinand says Rooney struck him as an angry young man .
He said his former Manchester United team-mate would often smash phones on the concrete outside their training ground .
Rooney has calmed down now though, Ferdinand says . |
212,699 | 9f6a739d7726ef54daaa1ee2f352a86730cfb78e | Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- A series of explosions that killed 15 people when they erupted Thursday morning in a cafe in the city of Marrakech was an act of terrorism, Morocco's interior minister said. "We will investigate this act of terrorism and find those responsible ... and their nationality," Taib Cherqaoui told reporters about the attack, in which at least 22 others were wounded. "We condemn it as a criminal act." In an address on state-run television, Cherqaoui and King Mohamed VI said the fatalities included six French nationals, five Moroccans, and four others whose nationalities were not divulged. CNN has learned that, of the four remaining fatalities, two were Russian and one was British. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. at Cafe Argana in Marrakech's old city, which is designated by the United Nation's cultural arm as a World Heritage Site. Tourists flock to it in high numbers this time of the year and it is usually packed with stalls, story-tellers and snake-charmers. World leaders moved quickly to condemn the incident. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "appalled," according to a statement from his office. "He reiterates his firm rejection of the use of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians and maintains that no political objective justifies or is served by such heinous acts." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States "condemns in the strongest terms today's terrorist attack," adding, "Acts of terrorism must not be tolerated wherever and whenever they occur." French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned what he called a "barbarian terrorist attack, which nothing can justify." "Such an awful act can only bring indignation and unreserved condemnation. All light must be shed on this revolting crime, officials prosecuted, tried and punished," said Juppe, who said French authorities will provide assistance to French nationals in Marrakech. "We were walking around the souks, right around the corner from Cafe Argana," said a German tourist who was about 50 meters from the blast when it occurred. "We heard a gigantic boom, and everyone immediately starting running towards the square to see what happened." The woman, who didn't want her name used, told CNN the top floor and terrace of the cafe were "ripped apart" by the blast, which caused hundreds of people to run from the area. It was not immediately known whether the attack was linked to unrest across the Arab world or militant activity, although there have been protests in Morocco lately. The blast comes four days after thousands of Moroccans held a peaceful demonstration nationwide, calling Sunday for a radical overhaul of the country's governance before a new constitution is unveiled in June by King Mohammed VI. The march was organized by the Facebook youth movement Fevrier 20. The group said its members would not accept the draft constitution because it was written by the king's own people. It denounced his decision to refer the new constitution to a committee he appointed. King Mohammed announced last month he would give up some of his wide-scale powers and make the judiciary independent -- the latter a particularly hot subject in Morocco. Calls for an end to political detention and questions about the king's personal business activities were also on protesters' banners. There was visible resentment at the royal family's business operations, controlled by its holding company SNI. There were also groups protesting about the prices of basic household items. Since the Casablanca attacks of 2003, in which 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers were killed, the Moroccan government has impressed international officials for breaking up Islamic terrorist cells. For example, the Madrid train bombings in 2004, in which 191 people died, were assisted by a Moroccan group of terrorists -- 19 of whom are serving sentences in Moroccan prisons. CNN's Mitra Mobasherat and Journalist Martin Jay contributed to this report . | NEW: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "appalled," his spokesperson says .
"We will ... find those responsible," interior minister says .
A tourist heard a loud boom and saw the damaged terrace .
The explosion happened in central Marrakech, popular among tourists . |
69,391 | c4bf25b65e3ee4594ee4b6c1fc3684f89d704f2e | (RollingStone.com) -- John Lennon would be turning 70 years old on October 9. At first, Yoko Ono herself didn't realize the significance of that date. "I don't think about age so much," she tells "Rolling Stone". "But I was getting messages from all corners of the world: 'We're celebrating John's birthday as a tribute to him.' I said, 'What is going on here?' It seems like with 70, there's an explosion [of sentiment]." Over the next two months, Lennon's birthday will be commemorated with tribute concerts, reissues, a new documentary, the annual lighting of Ono's Imagine Peace light tower, even an Ono-Lady Gaga summit. Why is all this happening now? "The reason has to do with the social climate, with wanting some of John's energy, power and conviction," says Ono. Here are some of the highlights. Documentary on the New York Years . "LENNONYC," which premiered at the New York Film Festival September 25 and will debut on PBS November 22, focuses exclusively on the last decade of Lennon's life, from the time he and Ono moved to New York in 1971 until his death in 1980. "New York offered him a chance to disconnect from the shackles of the Beatles," says director Michael Epstein. "It allowed him to be John Lennon and not Beatle John. It offered simple freedoms, like going to Burger King and buying a Whopper, which he liked to do." The film explores Lennon's immersion in the city's downtown arts scene and his raucous rock & roll work with Elephant's Memory, as well as the depression that followed the critical drubbing of his "Some Time in New York City" album and 1972 Madison Square Garden concert (which is seen here in newly restored footage). It also covers his "lost weekend" in Los Angeles, reconciliation with Ono and the creation of "Double Fantasy". Epstein says Ono had to stop and start several times while talking about Lennon's death, but she gave her blessing to the film nonetheless. "It's 'Gimme Some Truth,' as John put it, so it's fine," Ono says. "Let it all hang out there." Photos: John & Yoko: A New York love story . Ono, Gaga, and Others to Play Los Angeles . On October 1 and 2, Ono will revive the Plastic Ono Band, the avant-garde outfit she and Lennon started in 1969, at the Orpheum Theater in L.A. Joining her for renditions of classic POB material will be Iggy Pop, Perry Farrell, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and Lady Gaga -- who signed up after recently meeting Sean Lennon in Japan. "Lady Gaga and I speak the same language," Ono says. "I respect her. I saw her show, and it was incredible. Everyone was mesmerized. John would've loved it. He's like me -- he went for wild things. And she's wild." "John Lennon Signature Box" As with last year's Beatle reissues, Lennon's solo catalog -- "Plastic Ono Band," "Imagine," "Sometime in New York City," "Mind Games," and "Walls and Bridges,"along with two albums with Yoko Ono, "Double Fantasy" and "Milk and Honey" -- has been remastered, and will be re-released on October 5. Ono was heavily involved, according to Paul Hicks, a former Abbey Road engineer who worked on the project: "She knows everything about the songs, and she knows exactly how John's vocals should sound." For Ono, though, the experience was unexpectedly difficult. "I thought it was going to be fine --listening to John's songs has been a routine thing for me for the last 30 years," she says. "But this time, maybe because I listened to all of them, it was very hard, emotionally hard. 'I'm Losing You' -- that really hit me." "Double Fantasy" will also be packaged with a special "Stripped Down" edition, featuring bare-boned versions of the original tracks. "John's voice is right up there, and it's so beautiful," Ono says. "His diction was very unique. It's like listening to a Shakespearean actor. It choked me up. I wanted to tell him but he wasn't here, and that really upset me." For fans, a box set, "Gimme Some Truth", will be particularly enticing; a bonus disc includes previously unreleased home recordings of songs from 1970's volcanic "Plastic Ono Band" ("God," "I Found Out," "Mother," "Love") along with other tracks from his subsequent records. Top ten Beatles songs of all time . "Nowhere Boy film" This independently-made U.K. movie takes an unexpected focus: It's a biopic concerned solely with Lennon's teenage years in Liverpool. The film, which is based on a memoir by Lennon's half sister Julia, hinges on the relationship between the future Beatle; his guardian, Aunt Mimi; and his free-spirited mother, Julia, who abandoned Lennon at four and then reappeared when he was 15. "It's a love triangle that happens to be about John Lennon," says director Sam Taylor-Wood. "There were two strong women then -- and that [dynamic] played out throughout his life." Ono's Iceland Celebrations . On October 9, Ono will preside over the annual lighting of the Imagine Peace Tower -- 15 searchlights pointed skyward -- on an island off ReykjavÌk, Iceland. She'll also present LennonOno Grant for Peace awards to four recipients -- authors Michael Pollan and Alice Walker, public health advocate Barbara Kowalcyk, and documentary filmmaker Josh Fox -- whose work is "based on their courage and commitment to peace, truth, and human rights." To cap it off, she'll give a special Plastic Ono Band performance with a lineup that will include her son Sean along with Cornelius, Yuka Honda, and other members of the current POB. The show will be dedicated to Lennon, who once asked Ono to turn her conceptual idea for a light tower (from her book "Grapefruit") into an actual sculpture. "John invited me over and said, 'I want this in my backyard,'" she recalls. "And I said, 'This is just an idea.' But for him, it was real. He was the first person who picked up on that concept." Rockers Cover Lennon in Concert . Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann, and Shelby Lynne will be among the musicians participating in a Lennon tribute concert on November 12 at New York's Beacon Theatre. The proceeds will benefit the Playing for Change Foundation, which brings music education programs to impoverished communities around the world. The show will feature covers of songs from throughout Lennon's entire career -- "It'll be all John," says organizer Mark Johnson. Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone. | John Lennon would be turning 70 years old on October 9 .
Celebrations will include a documentary on his years in New York .
Lady Gaga will be performing with Yoko Ono at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles . |
151,327 | 4fa8e0c5683f1ea70915eb707ba1b1608fb64146 | (CNN) -- They've been spotted and spotted again, those objects in the southern Indian Ocean. Every time a report comes out that something has been seen that may be related to missing Malaysia Flight 370, hopes have risen. And then, they have fallen. It's seemed like a daily exercise. For instance, images taken by a Thai satellite and released Thursday showed about 300 objects ranging in size from 6 feet (2 meters) to 50 feet (15 meters). When photographed Monday, they were about 125 miles (201 kilometers) away from the spot where a French satellite captured images of a floating group of objects Sunday. Could it be? Knowing for sure is a waiting game. It will be at least Friday before planes can try to find the materials because bad weather in the remote spot has again hampered searching. Here's a rundown of how many times we've been through this: . On March 9, Vietnam's navy spotted a floating object about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Vietnam's Tho Chu Island, which is off the country's southwest coast in the Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee spokesman Hung Nguyen told CNN. Vietnamese navy rescue aircraft spotted the object in the evening hours local time. Because of the dark, the navy aircraft could not get close enough to identify the floating object and was recalled to base. Three search and rescue boats were deployed to that location. Several days later, a Chinese satellite had a sighting that captured a lot of interest but it was later retracted as a mistake. It was not in the southern Indian ocean. China said it captured a "suspected floating object" on March 18. The object the Chinese photographed was 22.5 meters long and 13 meters wide (74 feet by 43 feet), officials said. Around March 19, it was reported that witnesses on the ground claimed they saw Flight 370. A man from New Zealand working on an oil rig off Vietnam claimed he saw a burning object in the sky on the morning of March 8, hours after the plane had taken off from Kuala Lumpur on its way to Beijing. Then came reports that had many believing "This is it!" and headlines carried the news. But it turned out to be nothing. On March 20, CNN quoted Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as saying that authorities had spotted two objects in the Indian Ocean that were possibly related to the search for missing Flight 370. Those objects have not been found. During a March 22 search, a civil aircraft reported that it had spotted some small objects floating, including a wooden pallet, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said. These objects were within a radius of about three miles. A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3 Orion was sent to the area, but only reported seeing bunches of seaweed, AMSA said. On March 24, Australian officials said they saw two objects in the southern Indian Ocean that could be related to the flight. One object was "a gray or green circular object," and the other was "an orange rectangular object,"according to AMSA. Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation, appeared on CNN to explain why those objects seemed intriguing. Read her comments . "The gray/green is the color of the inside of the aircraft," she said. "A great number of pieces of metal and other things in the aircraft are of gray/green color, everything from the metal in the fuselage and pieces of the mechanical parts..." Orange and bright yellow "are the color of the emergency escape slides, the life rafts inside the plane," she said. "The life vests, but they wouldn't be that big. So there are many things that are those colors that could be a signal that it's not something that has fallen off a ship but rather that it's something from out of a plane." The Australian naval ship HMAS Success didn't turn up the objects when it searched Monday night, AMSA said. There is no word yet if those objects have been found or what they are. Also on Monday, a Chinese military plane said it had seen "suspicious objects" in the same area.A U.S. surveillance plane sent to follow up was unable to find them. On Wednesday, a French defense firm provided new satellite images that showed 122 objects floating in the southern Indian Ocean, not far from other satellite sightings that could be related to Flight 370, Malaysia's acting Transportation Minister Hishammuddin Bin Hussein said. The objects were scattered over 154 square miles (400 square kilometers), he said. Hishammuddin said he wasn't sure if Australian authorities coordinating the search for the plane Wednesday had been able to follow up on the new satellite images, which came from Airbus Defence and Space. Read: China treads carefully amid the anger and grief of MH370 relatives . | Malaysia Flight 370 went down in the southern Indian Ocean, officials say .
There have been hundreds of objects seen but nothing has been the real deal .
Latest sighting? 300 objects spotted by a Thai satellite . |
144,445 | 46cdb0b4549774efdc57d4892a5930c7c5caa5e9 | Northampton stunned Saracens 31-24 at rain-soaked Allianz Park to go top of the Aviva Premiership. Exeter had briefly held top spot for 24 hours after their 31-15 win over Wasps - but Jim Mallinder's men regain their place at the summit after Sunday's win in London. Tries from James Wilson (two) and Phil Dowson secured the victory while fly half Stephen Myler kicked 16 points. James Wilson slides over for Northampton's first try as they defeated Saracens 31-24 at Allianz Park . Phil Dowson, who also scored for the Saints, is tackled by Saracens' Jamie George . Northampton's Stephen Myler kicked 16 points to guide them to victory in north London . Saracens (8) 24 Northampton (25) 31 . Saracens . Tries: Wray, Wyles 2 Penalties: Hodgson 3 . Team: Goode, Ashton, Tompkins, Wyles, Strettle, Hodgson, Spencer, Gill, George, Figallo, Hamilton, Hargreaves, Wray, Fraser, B. Vunipola. Replacements: de Kock for Hodgson (70), Johnston for Figallo (40). Not Used: Sharman, Barrington, Itoje, Burger, Joubert, Ransom . Northampton . Tries: Wilson 2, Dowson . Conversions: Myler 2 Penalties: Myler 4 . Team: Foden, Elliott, Stephenson, Burrell, Wilson, Myler, L. Dickson, A. Waller, Haywood, Ma'afu, Craig, C. Day, Clark, Dowson, Manoa . Replacements: Waldouck for Burrell (78), E. Waller for Haywood (78), Nutley for Craig (74). Not Used: McMillian, Denman, Harrison, Hodgson, Packman. Jackson Wray and Chris Wyles (two) crossed the line for Saracens while Charlie Hodgson added nine points from the boot. Saracens were able to call upon the services of England number eight Billy Vunipola after the powerful backrower was left out of Stuart Lancaster's squad for the clash with Samoa on Saturday night. Northampton, despite missing a host of stars away on international duty including Tom Wood, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and George North, were able to name a powerful starting line-up including England centre Luther Burrell and Samu Manoa at number eight. Burrell made his presence felt immediately when he burst onto Myler's perfectly timed pass and sent winger Wilson into the corner for a stunning opening try. Myler fired over the touchline conversion to cap off a dream start after just two minutes of play. Saints winger Jamie Elliott struggled to deal with Alex Goode's grubber kick and when Manoa pounced on the loose ball from an offside position, referee Matthew Carley awarded Sarries a penalty. Hodgson duly obliged to get his team on the board. Myler increased Northampton's lead when lock Alistair Hargreaves was penalised for not rolling away at ruck time. Saints were causing the Saracens pack all kinds of trouble around the fringes, with the backrow trio of Calum Clark, Dowson and Manoa proving a handful with ball in hand. Wilson got in for his second try in the 14th minute when the Kiwi raced onto Lee Dickson's perfectly judged kick to touch down in the same corner. Myler again converted from the touchline as Saints raced out to a 17-3 lead. Samu Manoa of Northampton chases the loose ball during the contest at Allianz Park . Tom Stephenson of Northampton tries to get a hold of Saracens' Billy Vunipola . Ben Spencer boots the ball forward during the Aviva Premiership contest . Saints prop Salesi Ma'afu was causing loosehead Rhys Gill big problems at scrum time and when the Saracens pack buckled under pressure, scrum-half Ben Spencer fumbled under pressure from Dickson and Dowson was on hand to pick up and crash over for Northampton's third try of the half. Although Myler was unable to make it a hat-trick of touchline conversions, it mattered little as Saints increased their lead to 18 points . Another Myler three-pointer moved Saints out to 25-3 after another huge scrum from the dominant Saints pack. James Wilson (No 11) tries to bring down Billy Vunipola as the Saracens man tries to get through . Jamie Elliott of Northampton collects a high ball surrounded by Saracens players . After a first half dominated completely by Jim Mallinder's men, Wray gave Saracens a glimmer of hope when he crashed over from a surging Sarries maul just before the break. Huge carries from Vunipola and Gill forced another Saracens penalty and Hodgson made no mistake from the tee to make it 25-11 in the 50th minute. Myler's third penalty of the afternoon kept the Saints out of reach before Wyles crashed over after Saints prop Alex Waller had been sent to the sin bin. Wyles crossed again with 10 minutes remaining as the home side's second half resurgence continued. Myler kicked a penalty in the 76th minute to make the result safe before Hodgson landed a last-minute penalty to salvage a bonus point. | Northampton top the Aviva Premiership after 31-24 win at Saracens .
James Wilson (two) and Phil Dowson scored tries for the Saints .
Fly-half Stephen Myler kicked 16 points to ensure victory .
Chris Wyles (two) and Jackson Wray went over for Sarries . |
207,321 | 986d3663b2b39ecab247093c94ae8fb71a5ed49e | The mixed martial arts fighter known as 'War Machine' pleaded 'not guilty' today to 32 felony charges including attempted murder during his first appearance in a Las Vegas courtroom. Prosecutors, who originally charged Jonathan Koppenhaven with nine felony counts in connection with the beating of his ex-girlfriend, added about two dozen more charges that stretch back to May 2013. The new charges include allegations of burglary, first-degree kidnapping, coercion and sexual assault. Scroll down for video . Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver, a mixed martial arts fighter known as War Machine, appeared in court Wednesday in Las Vegas. Koppenhaver was scheduled for arraignment on battery, lewdness, assault and coercion charges in the August 8 attack on adult film actress Christy Mack and her male friend at a Las Vegas home, but prosecutors charged him with additional felonies including kidnapping and assault and accused him of attacking Mack multiple times over 15 months . Ms Mack, 23, says that attack left her with 18 broken bones around her eyes, a nose broken in two places, and hair sawed off by a knife . Justice of the Peace Melanie Tobiasson ordered Koppenhaven held without bail, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The 32-year-old MMA fighter was arrested in a hotel room in a Los Angeles suburb on August 15, one week after allegedly beating his former girlfriend, Christy Mack, so severely she feared for her life. Ms Mack, 23, told police that the 'War Machine' on August 8 showed up unannounced at her house where she and friend, Corey Thomas, were sleeping. She said Koppenhaver began beating Thomas, before sending him away with the threat that he would have friends kill him if he reported the assault. Ms Mack, seen here in a self portrait she posted on Instagram, told police she had no idea how many times she was hit . Ms Mack told Las Vegas police that the fighter then turned his attention to her and started attacking her, as he scrolled through her text messages. According to police reports, Koppenhaver punched and kicked Mack and she was treated for extensive facial bruises, fractures, lost teeth and internal injuries, including a lacerated liver. Ms Mack said she escaped, naked, out of a back door when the fighter went to the kitchen, where she thought he was fetching a knife. She later posted a statement online that she feared for her life when Koppenhaver allegedly sawed off her hair with a dull knife. She wrote: 'About 2 a.m. Friday morning (August 8), Jon Koppenhaver arrived unannounced to my home in Las Vegas, NV, after he broke up with me in May he moved out of my house and back to San Diego. 'When he arrived, he found myself and one other fully clothed and unarmed in the house. Without a single word spoken, he began beating my friend; once he was finished, he sent my friend away and turned his attention to me. 'He made me undress and shower in front of him, then dragged me out and beat my face. I have no recollection of how many times I was hit, I just know my injuries that resulted from my beating. 'My injuries include 18 broken bones around my eyes, my nose is broken in two places, I am missing teeth and several more are broken.' Ms Mack went on to write that she was unable to see from her left eye or chew or speak clearly because of her damaged teeth. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Koppenhaver after Ms Mack posted the graphic photos of her injuries online on August 11 . She also said she could not walk on her own, and had a fractured rib and ruptured liver from a kick to her side. 'I also attained several lesions from a knife he got from my kitchen,' she wrote. 'He pushed the knife into me in some areas such as my hand, ear, and head. He also sawed much of my hair off with this dull knife. 'After some time, the knife broke off of the handle and continued to threaten me with the blade. I believed I was going to die. 'He has beaten me many times before, but never this badly. He took my phone and cancelled all of my plans for the following week to make sure no one would worry about my whereabouts.'Ms Mack also alleged her ex-boyfriend threatened to rape her. 'He told me he was going to rape me, but was disappointed in himself when he could not get hard. Koppenhaver, who pleaded not guilty, was ordered held without bail during his initial appearance in court Wednesday . 'After another hit or two, he left me on the floor bleeding and shaking, holding my side from the pain of my rib.' Mack writes that she made her escape when Koppenhaver went into her kitchen where she assumed he was searching for a new knife. 'I ran out my back door, shutting it behind me so the dogs didn't run inside to tip him off. I hoped the fence to the golf course behind my house and ran to a neighboring house. 'Naked and afraid he would catch me, I kept running through the neighborhood knocking on doors. Finally one answered and I was brought to the hospital and treated for my injuries.' Mack concluded that she had been living in fear of Koppenhaver for months, and that the pair had an abusive relationship in which she dealt with beatings and infidelity in the past. After she put the graphic images online on August 11, the authorities issued a warrant for Koppenhaver and he became the subject of a manhunt. The welterweight fighter made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in 2007. He legally changed his name in 2008. He lost his only pay-per-view bout that same year. He fought out of San Diego for a variety of promotions and had a 14-5 record as a welterweight. He lost his last fight, in Iowa, last October. | Jonathan Koppenhaven made the plea during his first appearance in a Las Vegas courtoom since his arrest for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend, Christy Mack, and her friend .
Prosecutors added about two dozen more felony charges that stretch back to May 2013 to the nine originally filed following Koppenhaven's arrest on August 15 .
The judge ordered the 32-year-old martial arts fighter held without bail . |
271,916 | ec398d79d1a0d7a32c06f0cdb4b68d81a7ca34d5 | Mordovia, Russia (CNN) -- It takes a seven-hour drive east from Moscow to get to the prison camps of Mordovia. Convicted criminals fear the place. It is grim, decaying and intimidating. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian punk rock collective Pussy Riot, was sent to Mordovia last year for her part in a performance of a "punk prayer" critical of Vladimir Putin -- then the prime minister, now the president -- at a Russian Orthodox cathedral. Found guilty of hooliganism, Tolokonnikova, 23, was sentenced to two years in the penal colony. She has less than six months left on her sentence. But on September 23, she declared the conditions at the prison to be intolerable and began a hunger strike. 'Slave labor' In a lengthy letter to the news site Lenta (a translated version was published in London's The Guardian), Tolokonnikova described "slave labor" and unsanitary conditions in which women work through sickness and injury up to 17 hours a day and are beaten -- or worse -- for failing to complete their duties. After several days without water, she became so weak that doctors ordered that she be placed in the penal colony's medical ward on Friday. Four days later, she ended the hunger strike, said Pyotr Verzilov, her husband. But Tolokonnikova will resume her protest if conditions at the prison camp don't improve, he said. She had started developing complications because of the length of the hunger strike, Verzilov said. Prison authorities have denied Tolokonnikova's allegations about the situation at the penal colony, accusing her of lying. A similar experience . But Svetlana Bakhmina believes every word because she says she lived through a similar experience. Bakhmina was convicted of embezzlement and served three years in a Mordovia prison camp. "It's like torture," she said. "The system between the administration and the convicts is not just based on subordination, but humiliation, fear, intimidation and physical force." Bakhmina said she also went on a hunger strike after authorities said she could no longer phone her children. She said the psychological pressure applied to make her quit was harder than the hunger. Maria Alyokhina, another convicted member of Pussy Riot, went on a hunger strike earlier this year, protesting conditions in a different remote prison camp. She drew attention and won concessions. Tolokonnikova is waiting to discover if she has done the same. | Tolokonnikova began her hunger strike to protest prison conditions .
Her condition deteriorated, and she was hospitalized last week .
She has suspended the hunger strike, her husband says .
But she will resume it if conditions at the penal colony don't improve . |
105,851 | 14866db2e060b154e9596970d7a22bbef5f57124 | (CNN)Ohio is changing the drugs used in lethal injections, a move that will delay at least one execution scheduled for next month, the Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Thursday. The state will stop using the two-drug regimen of midazolam and hydromorphone, the department said in a press release. The drug combination was last used in January 2014 on convicted murderer Dennis McGuire. Witnesses said he convulsed and gasped about 10 minutes before he died. The McGuire execution was closely watched because midazolam, a sedative, and hydromorphone, a painkiller, had never been used in a U.S. execution. Ohio, like many states, was forced to find new execution drugs after European-based manufacturers banned U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions -- among them, Danish-based Lundbeck, which manufactures pentobarbital. Ohio will add thiopental sodium, a drug the state used for lethal injections from 1999-2011, the department said. Thiopental sodium and pentobarbital will be the only drugs used. JoEllen Smith, spokesman for the corrections department, confirmed that Ohio has 40 vials of midazolam set to expire April 1. The release said the the February 11 execution of Ronald Phillips, and possibly others, will be postponed while Ohio secures a supply of pentobarbital and thiopental sodium. CNN is trying to reach Ohio officials for details about their decision. McGuire was convicted in 1994 of the rape and murder of 22-year-old Joy Stewart, who was seven months pregnant. CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report. | Ohio will stop using midazolam and hydromorphone and start using thiopental sodium .
The drugs were used in January 2014 on an inmate who gasped and convulsed before death . |
72,591 | cdcfe11f1f65bbd66cf63e7cc3e83c938ae3b3f6 | (CNN)When Jaime FlorCruz, CNN's Beijing bureau chief, arrived in China on August 21, 1971, he says it was akin to visiting North Korea today. The country was midway through the turmoil of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Universities and schools were just re-opening and students brandishing little red books toiled in factories or on farms. FlorCruz, then a firebrand student leader from the Philippines on a study tour, found himself stuck in China after his name was placed on a blacklist by then Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos. Fearing arrest as martial law was declared in his home country in September 1972, he stayed on along with four others from the study tour. A year later his passport expired, leaving him temporarily stateless. "The idea was to come for three weeks and see what was going on," he says. "I'm an accidental tourist." He ended up staying for more than four decades and launching a career as a journalist just as China began opening up to the world. On his day of retirement from CNN, he reflects on his "ring side ticket" to China's rise: . What was life like under Mao? When it became clear we were staying in China, we wanted to study but universities weren't ready to enroll foreign students, so we asked to work. Our hosts didn't make us, but we insisted. I worked on a state farm in Hunan province. Initially, I found it a romantic idea but it didn't take long for the romance to wear off. At the end of the day, we carved out two hours to learn Chinese. Our interpreter was our teacher and by the end of those few months on the farm I could converse in Chinese. From late 1972, I worked on a fishing boat for two years. We'd go out on the high seas for five or six days at a time on two trawler ships pulling a huge net. It was a spartan life, very simple. It was sometimes bleak but often also exciting because of the political campaigns that were going on. We would only watch from the sidelines -- see posters and in private discussions with Chinese friends. We were told not to get involved. Tell us about some of your memories of university and your circle of classmates. I was in the class of 1977 -- the first class when college students were enrolled through a nationwide entrance examination. Among my cohorts was current Premier Li Keqiang; he studied law. Also among them was Bo Xilai, once one of the most powerful politicians in China, now disgraced and sentenced to life in prison for corruption and abuse of power. He was in my world history class. We would stand in the cafeteria holding our bowls of food -- there were no chairs to sit on -- and he dared to come close to foreign students like me. He knew enough English to chat with me and even then was quite charismatic and opinionated. A lot of that batch of fellow students are now in important roles in the government bureaucracy. Some are top professors, scientists and entrepreneurs. I've kept friends with many of them. They've been good sounding boards. You've witnessed the trial of the Gang of Four, the Tiananmen Massacre and the Olympics. What else stands out? I covered Wham's concert, the first Western pop group to perform in China. It was attended by thousands of Beijing residents, most of whom just looked perplexed. Police looked on sternly if anyone stood up to cheer and dance. I remember when Coca Cola went on sale for the first time -- people thought it tasted like a Chinese medicine concoction. Later on, it was a big treat to interview Yao Ming when he chosen as the number one NBA draft. I'm a huge basketball fan and Yao turned out to be a humble and affable guy although I got a sore neck. When I was at TIME, my big scoop was breaking the news of Jiang Qing's (Mao's widow who went on trial as part of the Gang of Four) suicide several days before it was reported by Xinhua. But to be honest scoops like that were rare and perhaps less important than providing accurate and fair reports and analysis day after day, week after week. You're the longest-serving foreign correspondent in China. How has covering the country changed? It's easier than it used to be in the 1980s. There was a then 10-day rule that required us to give notice if we wanted to leave Beijing. Technically, except for Tibet, we can now go anywhere as long as someone invited us. In recent years though, there have been signs of tightening. Many colleagues, including our own crew, have had brushes with authorities -- the hand in front of the camera. CNN comes under heavy scrutiny because it's so closely associated with the United States and we have been accused of biased reporting on China. I've had to explain to officials here that we're not an extension of U.S. government; we are independent. We report it as we see it. China is a much wealthier place than when you first arrived. Have all the changes you've seen since the 1970s been for the better? I echo what my Chinese friends would say. They enjoy much more personal freedom -- the freedom to travel, to choose where to live, to marry whoever they wish, to take a job or quit a job. Freedom of speech and expression has it limits but most people know where the red line lies. Of course, there are problems. Many are the unintended consequences of the reform that started 30 years ago like environmental pollution and degradation -- and the lack of a spiritual anchor for most Chinese. I see a nation of 1.3 billion seemingly rudderless, looking for direction and meaning in their lives, even those who are rich. It's not a big secret. I think the government acknowledges this crisis of faith. You've lived in China for 40 years and raised a family here. How do you feel about it? I've lived here 43 years, I've seen where it came from. I appreciate all the quotidian changes. I tend to look at China as a glass half full rather than half empty because I've seen it virtually empty. It was my refuge and later my training and battle ground as journalist. I feel bittersweet to be ending my time here as a foreign correspondent. It's been a rewarding experience and not really the end. I'll still be involved in China watching, in China, or wherever my next projects and adventures take me. In the next few months, my wife Ana and I will stay on in Beijing, where she is gainfully employed. For a change, I will be the "trailing spouse" but later I hope to do a bit of writing and speechifying. Should you leave China, what will you miss about it? China's been my second home, although it will never replace the Philippines as my homeland. I'll definitely not miss the Beijing smog, but will certainly miss the quaint, old neighborhood nearby, including the men who belt out visceral shouts early in the morning, their way of exercise, my wake-up call. I'll miss the guttural accent of the Beijing taxi drivers and their unsolicited opinions. I'll miss the food --jianbing, zhajiangmian, Peking duck -- and, yes, my periodic foot massage. Of course, I'll miss my friends, who've accepted me as a virtual Beijing Ren (Beijinger). What's your advice for journalists in China? The best stories are often of ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds. Keep up the good fight for fair, honest and nuanced reporting. China has changed dramatically. I feel fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to have witnessed these changes up close. For better or worse, China now is a major player in the world. I never imagined China could be so prosperous, powerful and proud. Whatever China does, or does not do, has impact on global affairs and our lives. For our sake, and China's too, I hope China will emerge as a peace-loving global power. CNN's Katie Hunt in Hong Kong contributed to this report . | Jaime FlorCruz, CNN's Beijing bureau chief, has lived in China for four decades .
On his last day with CNN, he reflects on his "ring side ticket" to China's rise .
The changes he's witnessed have been mainly positive but problems remain .
FlorCruz: I see a nation of 1.3 billion seemingly rudderless, looking for direction and meaning in their lives . |
72,619 | cde1a9a1293af0913085cd264711bd97d4e247ac | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 13:23 EST, 11 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:11 EST, 11 March 2013 . A judge has set aside an elderly woman’s will because of pressure applied by her ‘forceful’ son. Two years before she died aged 98, Jessica Schrader, changed her will from leaving her house to her two sons to leaving it just to one of them. The will she wrote in 2006 superseded one she had written in 1990, in which she left her Essex farmhouse to be shared equally between her sons Nick Schrader, now 62, and Bill Schrader, now 60. Nick Schrader, left, was ordered to share his late mother's Essex farm with his younger brother Bill, right . Today, a judge at London's High Court pronounced in favour of the 1990 will, saying that the 'violent' and 'irrational' older brother had used 'undue influence' on his mother to get her to make the second will in which she left the whole house to him. Farmer's son Bill Schrader, 60, had challenged the new will on the basis that his mother did not have proper capacity, did not know what she was doing and was improperly influenced to leave Southend Farm House, near Billericay, to his older brother. After a four-day hearing, Mr Justice Mann pronounced in favour of the 1990 will, restoring the younger brother’s half-share of the value of the house - worth about £160,000. He also ordered Nick Schrader to pay the costs of the 'regrettable' action, estimated at around £110,000. Today, the judge said that the brothers were at such loggerheads that Nick Schrader felt 'hatred' towards Bill Schrader, who ran a car-breaking business on land next to the house. He said that he younger did not seem to feel quite as strongly. The court heard that part of the explanation might be Nick Schrader's view - denied by his younger brother - that Bill Schrader had an affair with his brother’s first wife and behaved inappropriately, stopping short of a full affair, with his second. Southend Farm in Essex, seen here next to Bill Schrader's car-breaking business, will now be sold . The judge said: 'He [Nick Schrader] is, in my view, somewhat obsessed with his feelings towards his brother and a feeling that they were treated unequally by their parents throughout their lives. 'As far as I can see this perception of inequality is unjustified. 'What has happened is that Nick has made different life choices and different choices towards the acquisition of cash as opposed to land.' Nick Schrader was also a man 'of violent character' who received a prison sentence for assaulting the partner of his former wife at a wedding in 2004, said the judge. He had also shoved shears through an open car window towards his brother’s head or neck, though he did not make contact, and been verbally abusive to customers visiting Bill Schrader’s vehicle repair business. 'His behaviour was bad verging on the irrational on a very significant number of occasions,' the judge added. The judge said that Jessica Schrader was remarkably alert and active until becoming frail after a fall in May 2005. But she still understood the world, and the people around her, and clearly had testamentary capacity and understood the will. However, undue influence on the part of Nick Schrader, who gave up his job to move in to look after his mother, was established, he added. In pronouncing against the 2006 will and in favour of the 1990 version, Nick Schrader’s personality was an important factor, said the judge. 'He was a forceful man with a forceful physical presence. I repeat that I find there was no question of physical abuse, or even of real emotional abuse. 'I am sure that he will have experienced frustrations in looking after his elderly mother which many less volatile personalities will experience. However, the fact is he was a powerful personality and his mother was much more vulnerable. 'Nick’s keenly felt view that he had not been treated equally with his brother is an important point. 'He would be more inclined to try to even things up. I think that he did so, by way of suggestion to his mother. 'He had clear views about his entitlement to his "inheritance".' The judge also said that Nick Schrader was instrumental in sowing in his mother’s mind the desirability of his having the house, and in doing so he took advantage of her vulnerability. He added: 'It is not possible to determine any more than that the precise form of the pressure, or its occasion or occasions, but it is not necessary to do so. 'I am satisfied that this will results from some form of undue influence.' The farmhouse will now be sold and the older brother's share is expected to be swallowed up in the costs of the legal action. | Jessica Schrader died in 2008, leaving Essex farmhouse to older son Nick .
Younger son Bill, now 60, said earlier will had shared it between them .
High Court judge says earlier will should apply as Nick, 62, was 'forceful' |
93,072 | 03bb618de889e301b1304d066e19d17d4ad7334c | By . Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 15:11 EST, 4 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:51 EST, 4 October 2013 . Guilty: City Analyst David Reynolds was fined £3,000 for an attack that left a bouncer with a broken nose . A City analyst who broke a bouncer’s nose in a row over a £500 bar bill at a five-star hotel after claiming he was related to the Queen was spared jail today. Instead David Reynolds, 31, was fined more than £3,000 for his attack on Arza Daery during a row at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, central London, last December following a three-hour drinking binge. The financier launched into a barely comprehensible rant against staff then punched the bouncer after his credit card was declined, City of London Magistrates’ Court heard. Reynolds, of Highbury in North London, had claimed staff had ‘grossly over-reacted’ and that he ‘absolutely did not’ hit the bouncer. But he was convicted of assault after magistrates rejected his version of events. Sentencing Reynolds, chair of the bench, Dr Pete Galloway said: ‘You will not have been the first and you will not be the last person to have been so fuelled by alcohol seven days before Christmas Day that you take a course of action that with hindsight you regret. ‘We have looked very closely at everything that has been said about you. ‘We know that you regret not walking away as would have been highly advisable.’ Dr Galloway said that they had considered all Reynolds' character references, his savings, expenses and his salary. He ordered Reynolds to pay a fine of £1,500 and compensation to the victim of £1,000. Victim: Bouncer Araz Draey (left) had his nose broken by Reynolds. Cleuber Martins (right), Mr Draey's colleague, who gave evidence at the trial, leaves City of London Magistrates' Court . Reynolds must also pay £600 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. On hearing the ruling, Reynolds, dressed smartly in a blue suit and tie, said: 'Thank you very much, your Honour'. Prosecutor Jonathan Swain said: ‘Mr Reynolds was very drunk and as a result, he was asked to leave by management. Grateful: Reynolds thanked the chair of the bench for sparing him jail . ‘He was escorted from the premises by Mr Daery. ‘While outside, there was an unprovoked assault by Mr Reynolds. He punched Mr Daery in the face. ‘There was no threat of violence by either individual and as a result, a struggle ensued. ‘He was held by two door staff until the police arrived’, Mr Swain added. Giving evidence, Mr Daery said: ‘I was called to the bar and found two gentlemen who were unable to pay for their drinks. ‘I tried to communicate with them, but he [Reynolds] was not responding. He added: 'I was a couple of feet away and Reynolds kept coming back and forth calling the doormen names and calling me a c*** - all kinds of swear words. 'He kept telling me I was going to regret it, calling me a c***. My hands were behind my back and then he hit me. 'It was a punch, he punched me in the face in my nose with a closed fist. It was hard enough to break my nose - I got several fractures.' Cleuber Martins, the second bouncer, told the court Reynolds claimed royal descent. ‘The defendant was talking in French. ‘He was shouting some bad swear words, calling everyone a c***, claiming to be related to the Royal family, saying we were all going to lose our jobs. ‘He kept saying “you deserve it, you’re all c***s, I’m related to the Queen”.’ Reynolds has 21 days to pay the costs. Trial: Reynolds was sentenced here at City of London Magistrates' Court today . | David Reynolds had been unable to pay his bar bill after three-hour binge .
When he was asked to leave he punched Arza Daery breaking his nose .
Barely comprehensible, the City worker shouted and swore at his victim .
He claimed to be a relative of the Queen and started speaking French . |
91,138 | 013878a1b1deffc484595aa3e8acc34c58ec3d2e | Claims: Scotland Yard has reportedly interviewed the wife of a soldier that said Princess Diana was assassinated by the SAS . Prince Charles and Mohamed Al Fayed are being contacted by police as they assess claims that the SAS murdered Princess Diana. Scotland Yard said they are also getting in touch with Lord Justice Scott Baker, the judge who presided over the inquest into her death. Diana, 36, Mr Al Fayed's son Dodi, 42, and chauffeur Henri Paul, 41, all died in a crash in Paris in August 1997. Police are currently carrying out a 'scoping exercise' as they look into claims that the trio were murdered by a member of the British Military. They have not launched a full investigation. Royal . bodyguards and MPs have brushed off accusations that the Princess of . Wales' death 16 years ago was carried out by British special . forces who then 'covered it up'. The sensational allegation surfaced in the second court martial of Sergeant . Danny Nightingale, the SAS sniper convicted of illegally stashing a . pistol and 338 bullets in his bedroom. The claim was contained in a letter from the parents-in-law of Soldier N, Sgt Nightingale's former housemate, which was sent to the SAS's commanding officer in September 2011. Scotland Yard confirmed in a brief statement this morning that they will be contacting members of the Royal family to inform them about the new developments. 'We are in the process of notifying Princess Diana's family, the family of Dodi Al Fayed and Lord Justice Scott Baker,' a spokesman said. Contacted: Police will be getting in touch with Prince Charles (left) and Mohamed Al Fayed (right) to inform them about the 'scoping exercise' they are carrying out into claims Diana was murdered . Princess Diana and with Dodi Fayed (pictured together on the night they died) were killed alongside Henri Paul when the car crashed in a Paris tunnel . Scotland Yard routinely contact relevant parties to keep them informed about what is going on when there are new developments in a historic case. The . eight-page correspondence claims Soldier N boasted it was the SAS that . had ‘arranged Princess Diana’s death’ and that it had been ‘covered up’. The families of Henri Paul and Dodi al Fayed (pictured with Princess Diana) have always believed there was a murder plot . Sergeant . Nightingale, 38, was found guilty last month of illegally possessing a . pistol and ammunition at a Hereford house he shared with Soldier N. Soldier . N, who is serving a custodial sentence for possessing firearms at the . same address, was originally reported to the police by his wife, from . whom he is now separated. The letter was sent to Soldier N’s . commanding officer in September 2011 and passed to the Service . Prosecuting Authority before the start of the Nightingale trial. All references to the SAS were removed by the SPA. The . paragraph referring to the death of Diana says: ‘He also told her (his . wife) that it was the XXX who arranged Princess Diana’s death and that . has been covered up.’ The . letter says Soldier N told his wife there is a ‘box which members of . his unit use for private jobs’. ‘They put in the box the name, address . and details of what they want done and then one of them who wants to . earn extra money does that job.’ When . Soldier N was challenged by his mother-in-law, he is accused of saying: . ‘Let me stop you right there – I kill women and I kill children.’ As well as hiding weapons in his . house, in a 'reign of terror' on his family Soldier N allegedly attacked . his son after mistaking him for the Taliban. The jury in the 2008 inquest concluded its verdict as 'unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes', the Met said . His . children were also allegedly driven around in the boot of his Land . Rover and he had hung his son 30ft above the ground in a tree. An inquest in 2008 found that Princess . Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were unlawfully killed due to the ‘gross . negligence’ of driver Henri Paul, a security manager at the Paris Ritz Hotel, who . had been drinking. Henri Paul's mother Gisele . said she believed her son was murdered together with Diana and Mr Al . Fayed when the Mercedes he was driving crashed in an underpass. Mrs Paul, 83, said: ‘We believe there was a plot to kill the Princess that terrible night in August 1997. ‘We know in our hearts that our son was murdered and we still live with the hope that one day the truth will be known.’ The . new information was also welcomed by Dodi’s father, former Harrods . owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who also insists the couple were murdered. He . said he trusted the Metropolitan Police would investigate the new claims . ‘with vigour’. A Royal spokesman said there would be no comment from the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry or Clarence House. Scotland Yard confirmed officers from its specialist crime and operations command are assessing information handed to it by the Royal Military Police. Pictured: The couple at the Ritz Hotel before they both died . | Police launched a 'scoping exercise' into claims Diana was murdered .
Letter from parents-in-law of former SAS soldier claim Princess was murdered by the British military .
Royal bodyguards and MPs have dismissed the allegations . |
215,012 | a258203aeb00d4439dcee56e07f7cc53d4e094c9 | Brains and beauty is quite the enviable package, and now one 24-year-old student has proven she has both in droves. Last night, Carina Tyrrell, who is in her fifth year of medicine at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, beat 60 other contestants to take the title of Miss England. Next, the 24-year-old Miss Cambridgeshire, who only finished her university exams last week, will compete in Miss World. Scroll down for video . Carina Tyrrell, 24, was crowned Miss England in Torquay, Devon last night . Carina strutting her stuff during the grand final For Miss England 2014 . at Riviera International Centre (left) and last year's winner Kirsty . Heslewood crowning her Miss England 2014 (right) Carina, who hopes to become a global health doctor at Addenbrooke’s Hospital when she graduates, took part in a four-day final, which culminated in a catwalk show in Torquay in Devon last night. 'I’m thrilled to have won,' said Carina, from Cambridge, who won the beach beauty round of the contest two weeks ago by modelling beachwear. She has also competed in interview rounds, sports rounds and eco rounds. The doctor-to-be says most of her peers were very supportive, but admits, 'a few were a bit perplexed'. Feeling patriotic? Carina gets into the World Cup spirit after winning . Big heart: Carina says that people will always be attracted to beautiful things but she wants to use her beauty for a good cause, such as raising money for charity . Selfless: Carina hopes that by winning Miss England she will be able to give more back to the world . Carina still has one more year to go at Cambridge and is determined not to let her studies slip . Defending her decision to take part she told The Telegraph newspaper, 'You’re never going to get away from the . fact that people are attracted to beautiful things. I think that can be . used to the advantage of other things such as charity. Let’s use beauty . and do something with it.' 'It’s saying to women, be charitable, . think of others, be healthy and sporty, if you’re talented at something, . great, and if you want to represent your country, take on a leadership . role, do it,' she added. Carina said that despite the surprise of a few peers she has had a lot of support from fellow pupils and her boyfriend. 'Most of my fellow doctors are really supportive and my boyfriend is really excited.' Proud moment: Carina pictured in her moment of glory accompanied by her runners up . Carina poses on the 777 yacht in Torquay Harbour where the competition was held . It was Carina's victory in the swimwear sections that took her directly through to Miss England finals . Carina is president of the Global Health Society at the university, which has just started a project to help the homeless in Cambridge . Carina has one more year left at Cambridge University and currently juggles lectures with shifts at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the city. She is also president of the Global Health Society at the university, which has just started a project to help the homeless in Cambridge. 'It is going to be such an honour . representing my beautiful country. Miss England is all about inner . beauty as well as outer beauty and I want to be a role model to the . youth, and with my medical background I want to bring awareness and aid . to people suffering in the world,' she says. All-rounder: Carina says that being Miss England is a case of inner beauty as well as outer beauty and she has used her modelling talents to help raise money at charity catwalks . Carina is in her fifth year of medicine at Murray Edwards College in Cambridge . Carina, who is the only member of her family to go into medicine, has always been interested in fashion too and took part in a charity catwalk show when she was at school. 'When I was younger I made a range of dresses and then modelled them at a catwalk show to raise money for charity,' she says. 'In my first three years at university I had to hold back on the modelling as I had so much studying to do, but last year I did some photo shoots and I also won the under 21 category in the Cambridge Model Search competition.' Carina poses during the red carpet walk in the eco wear round at the Miss England final . Other hopefuls take to the catwalk for the eco wear round of the competition . Picture perfect: The Cambridge student modelling in front of her university . Carina, . whose mum was a secretary and dad was a physicist before they retired, . said the Miss England competition was something she always wanted to do. Carina . adds, 'Cambridge means so much to me I really want to give something . back. Hopefully winning Miss England will mean I'm able to do that. 'My desire to help those in need is very . strong and this is reflected in my training to become a doctor. 'As student doctor, you meet new people . every day and you are constantly in the public eye. Being comfortable in . this setting I believe helps in a beauty contest.' Carina after winning Miss Cambridgeshire in April (left) and modelling swimwear (right) 'Being a Miss is not just about physical attributes, you have to be beautiful on the inside and have a caring heart too and be well-rounded. Miss England is a beautiful ambassador for the country. 'I am very caring and always try to help people as much as I can. I think winning the competition will enable me to help people in a new way.' Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, said the fact Miss England is attracting girls of Carina's caliber shows the pageant is not all about just having a pretty face. She said: 'I'm delighted to say the Miss England competition is attracting a new breed of girls from all walks of life. Our . message is Beauty with a Purpose - the ethos of Miss World.' Carina says that the ethos of Miss World is 'beauty with a purpose' Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, said the fact Miss England is attracting girls of Carina's caliber shows the pageant is not all about just having a pretty face . | Last night, 24-year-old Carina Tyrrell won Miss England in a catwalk show in Torquay in Devon .
The new Miss England is a fifth year medical student at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge .
She beat 60 other contestants to take the title . |
195,066 | 8880d13b11de025af325ab2dddfebe84ca905f8e | Williams Gallas has announced his retirement from football. The former Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and France defender calls time on a glittering career which saw him win two Premier League titles. 'It is not an easy thing to announce,' the 37-year-old said. 'You always tell yourself that you can keep going, but, I think today I cannot go on any longer.' VIDEO Scroll down to watch Gallas stars as Perth Glory draw 1-1 with Adelaide United . William Gallas celebrates scoring against Manchester United as Chelsea secured the Premier League title . Gallas sits dejected on the turf following his famous meltdown at Birmingham in 2008 . The frustrated Arsenal captain walks off with manager Arsene Wenger after finally getting up . Gallas (right) tries to split up an altercation between Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner . Gallas (centre right, holding trophy) celebrates Chelsea winning the Premier League title in 2006 . Gallas (left) watches on and eventually scores after Thierry Henry's handball against Ireland in 2009 . Age: 37 . Clubs: Caen, Marseille, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Perth Glory. France 84 caps, five goals . GOOD GALLAS . An injury-time winner against Tottenham in 2006 saw Chelsea win 2-1. Jose Mourinho's men went on to win the Premier League. Scoring in the fifth minute against Manchester United in a 3-0 win that saw Chelsea crowned Premier League champions in 2006. Being named Arsenal captain in 2007 ahead of Gilberto Silva after one season. BAD GALLAS . After controversially signing for Arsenal, Chelsea claimed Gallas threatened to deliberately score own goals if he was not allowed to leave Stamford Bridge. Gallas, Arsenal's captain at the time, held a sit-down protest after drawing 2-2 against Birmingham put a dent in their title hopes. Being stripped of his captaincy in 2008 after publicly criticising Arsenal players and saying the younger members should show courage. Gallas, who started his professional career at Caen in 1995, won 84 caps for France and scored five goals, including the controversial strike in their 2-1 play-off win against Ireland that earned the side a 2010 World Cup berth. Gallas poked the home from close range after being set up by Thierry Henry, who had clearly handled the ball to prevent it from going out of play. He also played the 2006 World Cup final which France lost on penalties to Italy. After playing for Marseille from 1997-2001, Gallas left for England, joining Chelsea, where he won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 and popped up with some important goals. He moved to Arsenal in 2006 as part of the deal which took Ashley Cole to Stamford Bridge. Possibly his most famous moment in a red shirt came at Birmingham in 2008 when he had a tantrum and held a solitary sit-down protest in the centre circle after the Gunners conceded a late goal to draw a match they should have won. It ultimately derailed their title bid. Never one for the quiet life, he joined Tottenham in 2010. Last October, Gallas signed a one-year deal with Perth Glory in Australia's A-League, where veteran stars such as Alessandro Del Piero plied their trade. Gallas celebrates scoring the only goal of the game for Marseille against Manchester United in 1999 . The France defender, here evading the challenge of Joe Cole in 2002, joined Chelsea from Marseille . Gallas (right) and Didier Drogba celebrate winning Chelsea's first title for 50 years at Bolton in 2005 . The Arsenal centre half rises above Tal Ben Haim to score past his former club Chelsea in 2007-08 . Gallas was made Arsenal captain after one season at the club and here celebrates beating AC Milan in 2008 . After Arsenal, Gallas moved across north London to Tottenham and he stops Robin van Persie in 2012 . Gallas (centre) challenging for the ball while playing for his final club, Perth Glory, in Australia . | Gallas has said he 'cannot go on any longer' after announcing retirement .
The 37-year-old enjoyed 12 seasons in Premier League playing for Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham .
The France star won the league twice in 2004-05 and 2005-06 with Chelsea . |
32,541 | 5c841029531ec8b96b6da91c8012f55c65e3acdf | A police officer is in hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. The officer was hurt when his gun went off inside a police building in Putney, south west London, at around 9am on Monday. There are no suspicious circumstances, and nobody else was present at the time. Putney police station, near the police building where the accident happened . The officer was taken to a hospital in south London where he is in a stable condition, Scotland Yard said. The . force’s health and safety branch is helping with the investigation into . what happened, and watchdog the Independent Police Complaints . Commission has been told, as is standard. The investigation into the accident remains with the MPS . Directorate of Professional Standards. The . policeman, reported to be in his 30s, works for the Flying Squad - . known as Specialist Crime and Operations Directorate or SC&O7 - which investigates crimes including armed . robberies. The Flying Squad is a branch of the Specialist Crime & Operations section, within London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Squad's purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime. One of the best known operations of the Flying squad was their foiling of the Millennium Dome raid, the world's biggest attempted diamond robbery. A police operation resulted in the arrest and charge of nine people. | Accident happened inside a police building in Putney .
The policeman, in his 30s, is currently in hospital in south London .
MPS .
Directorate of Professional Standards is investigating . |
177,181 | 715d683180b4639b313937afade9c57d977a66bf | Suella Fernandes came third in a hustings to replace Greg Barker as MP for Bexhill and Battle in rural Sussex . A high-flying Tory candidate was not selected partly because of the ‘double whammy of being brown and a woman’, a Conservative councillor has claimed. Suella Fernandes came third in a hustings to replace Greg Barker as MP for Bexhill and Battle in rural Sussex. John Barnes, a 77-year-old local councillor and president of the local association, said Ms Fernandes had put in a ‘wowzer performance on the night’. But he added that her gender and race had been a ‘handicap’ in such a strong field. Mr Barnes said: ‘The double whammy of being brown and a woman probably handicaps her still. ‘I think if Suella was up against less strong opposition, it wouldn’t have been held against her but when you are battling three good men. Party members in the constituency selected Huw Merriman, a local lawyer and councillor instead. A Tory party spokesman said Mr Barnes’ comments were ‘unacceptable’. He added: ‘They neither reflect the views of the Conservative party nor the reality, which is that people from all backgrounds are being selected to be candidates for the party.’ The remarks, to the Financial Times, expose the Tory party’s struggle to elect more ethnic minority and female candidates. The party had just 11 black or Asian MPs — up from two in 2005 — and 48 women out of 303 Tory MPs. Labour has 16 MPs from ethnic backgrounds and 86 women out if its 257 MPs. David Cameron introduced a panel of controversial A-list candidates ahead of the 2010 election in a bid to push through more ethnic minority and female candidates. But the party has dropped the scheme after an outcry from local associations. Mr Barnes said Mr Cameron’s bid to change attitudes to women had been successful. David Cameron, pictured at an awards ceremony last night, has attempted to increase the number of women and ethnic minority Tory MPs . He said: ‘It really is unthinkable if a woman is the best on the night, you wouldn’t pick her. That is coming with ethnicity but it is more likely to come in urban seats than rural seats. ‘And it is partly not about ethnicity, it is almost by definition [the case that] they know very little about countryside issues.’ The Tory party said that in the 28 constituencies where a sitting Conservative MP is retiring — typically the safest seats — nearly a third of the candidates selected are women and 18 per cent are from an ethnic minority. | Suella Fernandes came third in a hustings to replace Greg Barker as MP .
Tory association president said Ms Fernandes put in 'wowzer performance'
But he added gender and race had been a 'handicap' in such a strong field . |
36,407 | 6730ac24654f0187b3eb4b80f4009f62a68c5c36 | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 08:34 EST, 10 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:07 EST, 10 January 2013 . This creepy robot-spider dress has responds to strangers who stray to close by protectively drawing its legs up against the wearer's body . The garment is by Netherlands-based designer Anouk Wipprecht, a rising star in the field of wearable design, whose work explores the interaction between fashion and technology. Like a real spider, the unsettling dress responds to external stimuli by coyly dancing around the wearer's body. Creepy: The Spider Dress by Anouk Wipprecht and Daniel Schatzmayr responds to strangers who stray too close by protectively drawing its legs against the wearer's body . Unsettling: The dress has sensors which move its limbs in response to what is happening around it . Ms Wipprecht, whose techno-couture garments have been worn by Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, told fashioningtech.com the dress deals with themes of 'personal space' and raises questions of control and privacy. Created in collaboration with with Viennese software engineer and hacker Daniel Schatzmayr, the garment's robotic component uses sensors to move its limbs in response to what is happening around it. The pair say the dress was created with the aim of giving more power and 'pyschological thrills' to the 'sugar-sweet character' of many fashion tech garments. It was presented during VIVE LE ROBOTS / Cafe Neue Romance in Prague during the EU Robotics week last November and prototyped during TEDX Vienna in collaboration with the 'Metalab' - Vienna's famous hackerspace. Moody: The dress deals with themes of 'personal space' and raises questions of control and privacy . 'Playful exploration': Ms Wipprecht's work studies the increasing interaction between humans and machines . In an interview with fashiontech.com, she said her work was a 'playful exploration' of the ever-more intimate relationship between humans and machines which is making electronics an extension of the self. 'Technology combined with fashion creates new ways of communication between people, a new relationship between interface and the body, and a new connection of the body with technology,' she said. 'For me it is a playful exploration, where the body is the platform of interaction and expression. The position that technology has in our society (i.e. to 'please' us) will get more and more intimate, and as technology crawls closer to the skin we will need to start to rethink and recreate the relation that we have towards technology. Risque: Ms Wipprecht's Intimacy dress, which is made from materials which turn from opaque to transparent in response to the wearer's level of arousal, as measured by her heart rate . 'In a way, communication-wise, techno enhanced fashion has the potential to mediate a human in more ways than a human can mediate itself. Therefore, amongst other reasons, I am interested in how emotional, social and psychological processes can be influenced using electronics as an extension of the self.' Ms Wipprecht's previous works include a dress which emits a 'smoke screen' of dry ice to camouflage its wearer when someone approaches, and another which turns see through based on its wearer's 'personal interactions'. That latter dress, dubbed Intimacy, is constructed from smart e-foils which change from opaque to transparent in response to the wearer's level of arousal, as measured by her heart rate. | Anouk Wipprecht's Spider Dress responds to external stimuli by coyly dancing around its wearer's body .
She says the design deals with themes of 'personal space' and raises questions of control and privacy .
Her previous works include a dress which turns from opaque to transparent depending on its wearer's state of arousal . |
21,330 | 3c885605d7b070e379e942dda641135a2fe437ed | The concept of glorious defeat finds no favour with international footballers. And properly so, since anything less than victory equals failure. So the young men of England will take no consolation from this heart-wrenching result. And yet there was glory aplenty to be found in a genuinely memorable performance Saturday night. This was not one of those sleeves -up, show-your-passion, play-for-the shirt displays beloved of so many earlier England teams. Rather, it was enormously skilful, marvelously heartening and authentically inspired. It took a shrewd, capable and massively experienced Italy team to their mental and physical limits. And it vividly demonstrated the wealth of emerging talent on which the country may now call. Head boy: Mario Balotelli climbs above Gary Cahill to put Italy 2-1 up . Match winner: Mario Balotelli's goal proved the difference between England and Italy . Centre of attention: Mario Balotelli gestures at full time as Italy celebrate victory over England . England have not figured prominently in Brazil’s World Cup calculations. When waiters, taxi-drivers and bartenders — all the usual oracles — have offered their forecasts, they have naturally tended to cite the home team, along with Argentina, Germany and Italy. If England were ever mentioned, we sensed that politeness rather than confidence was the motive. As for English players, Wayne Rooney won the odd glimmer of recognition, but the most popular by far was a non-combatant, D Beckham. And England favoured this relative anonymity. After the wasted years of the so-called ‘golden generation’, this is a quite different camp. By common consent, the preparations were ideal; young men with reputations still to win submerging their egos and eagerly subscribing to the team ethic. Up in arms: Wayne Rooney protests to refereee Bjorn Kuipers as decision goes against England . Smothered: Italy keeper Salvatore Sirigu and Antonio Candreva manage to stop Wayne Rooney scoring . Equally impressive was the approach of . Roy Hodgson. Lazily categorised as a cautiously defensive coach, for . this, the most important match his nation have played in four years, . Hodgson sent out the most adventurous England team in more than a . decade. Only three of the England starting XI had experience of the World Cup finals. On the one hand, it spoke of naivety. On the other, it ensured that the majority had been spared the extended calamity of South Africa in 2010. Back home, it seems, some of the old optimism had finally emerged. It remains one of sport’s most perplexing phenomena, the ability of the English football fan to obliterate past experience and dream of the end of the rainbow. Mercifully, it has been relatively restrained these past months, but it was simply biding its time. Brazilian television chose to illustrate this by visiting a pub in London’s Kentish Town. ‘Who’s going to win, lads,’ inquired the Brazilian Paxman. ‘Ing-er- land!!’ bawled the drinkers, with much fist -pumping. Young guns: Raheem Sterling was one of a number of players playing their first World Cup game for England . Danger man: Sterling (right) was a constant threat through the middle for England . Brave: Jordan Henderson shoots at goal under pressure from Italy striker Mario Balotelli . But while the game began with . appropriate discretion in the Amazonian heat, the chief obstacle to . English ambitions began to assert himself. Andrea Pirlo is elegantly . professorial, treating the game as if it were a series of problems . awaiting solution. He padded stealthily through the heart of midfield, . shaping a pass here, throwing a feint there, generally organising . affairs to his own satisfaction. It was one such deception which allowed Claudio Marchisio a low drive through a crowd to defeat Joe Hart after 35 minutes. England could consider themselves rather harshly done by at that stage, but the spirit engendered over the past months would not be subdued. The equaliser was a small masterpiece, from Rooney’s exquisite chipped cross to Daniel Sturridge’s thunderous finish. One imagines it went down rather well in Kentish Town. England were fortunate to escape reprisal for the remainder of the half, but the young men never stopped believing, working, earning the right to play. Midfield maestro: Andrea Pirlo (centre) again pulled the strings for Italy in midfield in Manaus . Tormentor: Andrea Pirlo skips past Glen Johnson as Italy start to control the game . It may not have been football to distract the Saturday-night neutrals on Copacabana, but it was honest and thoughtful and utterly compelling. All the more reason, then, to curse the sublime goal which Mario Balotelli, formerly of the Manchester parish, put away in 50 minutes. Mario once revealed his celebrated persecution complex with a plaintive T-shirt slogan: ‘Why Always Me?’. Because, when his mind is on his game, he is capable of goals like this. The more the game progressed, the more we recognised that the selection of Raheem Sterling was no gamble but a piece of irrefutable logic. In years to come, England followers will speak of the torrid evening in Amazonas State as the night the boy came of age. A dashing, . darting, impish presence, he sought responsibility and used it . admirably. The heart lifted in thrilling expectation each time he found . himself on the ball. Whatever the rest of this World Cup has in store . for England, Sterling will surely emerge as a major international . talent. Head boy: Daniel Sturridge (left) scores for England to make it 1-1 against Italy and celebrates (below) Ultimately, the collective effort proved in vain. A couple of chances from Rooney might have gone in on a kinder occasion, as might Leighton Baines’s free-kick; wickedly struck and urgently saved. But Italy had worked themselves unsparingly, and their reserves of top-class experience finally prevailed. Indeed, in added time, Professor Pirlo actually found the energy to bounce a free-kick off the England bar. A two-goal advantage would have been cruelly misleading. Things are not over, not by a long way. There is work to be done, important football to be played. But the England youngsters have made their mark on this tournament. Brazil will ignore them no longer. For they know that the boys can play … as Kentish Town could have told them. | Balotelli scores winning goal with brilliant header as Italy triumph 2-1 .
Nineteen-year-old Sterling starts game and shows great maturity .
Andrea Pirlo again shows his class and pulls strings from midfield . |
180,773 | 7602cf9fb871c4fd5807b76c12edd6c393b292ae | Amid the violence and political upheaval in Ukraine, a young female protester has told how she fell in love with a police officer after a stand-off in the capital Kiev. Lidia Pankiv, 24, said she had been one of the protesters out on the streets campaigning against corruption and demanding a change the day she met police officer Andrei. The journalist had been one of a group of women acting as a human shield and standing between the police officers and a group of protesters hoping that by their presence there they would stop the violence. Scroll down for video . A young Ukrainian woman protester who fell in love with a police officer after she and a group of female friends faced him unarmed in the capital Kiev . Journalist Lidia Pankiv, 24, had been one of the protesters out on the streets campaigning against corruption and demanding a change the day she met police officer Andrei . She said: 'We were up close to the police officers and I got a call from a friend, the officers were only just in front of us and she was asking me to help find a friend of hers that had been arrested. 'She wanted me to write something. I told her to call me, and I gave her the number she should call. I told her it twice as it was loud and there was shouting.' Instead of the call she was expecting, however, she got a text and it was not from a protester, it was from one of the police officers who had been standing in the police line opposite her. Andrei did not want to reveal his full name for fear of losing his job, but told her he wanted to marry her. He said that when he had seen her standing there defenceless and putting herself between armed men and those that she was trying to protect, he had been smitten. Andrei had been even more impressed when the police line had actually turned round and moved away. The short message said: 'Despite all the commotion I remembered your phone number when you gave it to your friend. I don't even know your name. 'I was standing in the night with a shield in front of you. When you stopped us from advancing, I realised that I want to marry you. Andrei.' Lidia Pankiv, 24, was one of a group of women acting as a human shield and standing between the police officers and a group of protesters hoping that by their presence there they would stop the violence . Human shield: Pankiv received a text from one of the police officers who had been standing in the police line opposite her . Independence Square in Kiev today, where people people flocked to protest against President Viktor Yanukovych before he stepped down . The first meeting was in front of the barricades on Maidan square, where surrounded by the wreckage of the battles they had their first date. She said: 'I was really surprised that the message and don't know why I agreed to meet him, I thought perhaps it might be possible to convince him that the side he was on was wrong and I certainly didn't expect to find myself falling in love with him. But when I saw him when I started to speak to him - that is what happened.' But the young woman's standing went even further when she was invited onto a local television station called Inter to talk about her love affair with the police officer from the other side. A demonstrator holds up a chain and a riot police shield as protestors clash with police in the centre of Kiev on January 22 . A portrait of Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is seen during a rally on Independence Square in downtown of Kiev today . When she found out that the broadcast was live she agreed, but left the host speechless after, instead of talking about her love for the police officer, she slammed the TV station for its coverage prior to the collapse of the government and for spreading lies about the protesters. She got a standing ovation from the audience, and said: 'You probably want to hear a story from me about how with my bare hands I restrained a whole riot unit, and how one of the officers fell in love with me, and I fell in love with him. 'It is true that I fell in love with the policeman that I met, but I'm going to tell you another story. I did use my bare hands when I met them, but it was not to fight them, it was so I could drag the bodies of those killed the day before and the day before that of the streets. It is about how two of my best friends killed peacefully protesting.' Referring to Ukraine's former president, she said: 'I can tell you how I hate Yanukovych and all those who carry out their criminal orders. 'I came here today only because I found out that this is a live broadcast. I want to say that I also despise Inter because for three months it deceived viewers and spread enmity among citizens of this country. And now you are calling for peace and unity. 'Yes, you have the right to try to clear your conscience, but I think if you really want to show how sorry you are you should run this program on your knees. 'I've brought these photos here for you, so that you see my dead friends in your dreams and understand that you also took part in that. And now, I'm sorry, I don't have time. I'm going to Maidan. Glory to Ukraine.' She then showed the pictures live on television before getting up and walking out - leaving the host speechless and the audience cheering and clapping. The young woman's story was first reported in December but was not excessively covered by local media which was still under the control of the government and where the policeman was in danger were his name to be made public. The only pictures of the couple together include his face pixelated and his surname has still not been made public. But the woman's story became front-page news after her television appearance where she turned the tables on her host. | Opposition protester Lidia Pankiv, 24, confronted riot police in Kiev .
But she got a text surprise message saying: 'I want to marry you, Andrei'
It turned out to be from an officer impressed by her bravery .
The unlikely pair later met up for a first date and fell in love .
She went on TV to talk about it but he did not want to be identified . |
245,837 | ca30d250b68cbfa789910c3f5817c6d3ba732c36 | By . Emily Anne Epstein . PUBLISHED: . 09:26 EST, 19 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:56 EST, 19 August 2012 . Doreen Giuliano believes her son was wrongly found guilty of murder and she has made it her quest to prove not only that he is innocent, but that one of the jurors that convicted him should never have been on the case. Mrs Giuliano, then 46, launched her own investigation into juror Jason Allo, then 31, donning short shorts and a recording device and spending hours recording their conversations, resulting in what she thought was explosive testimony, sure to earn John Giuca a mistrial. However, the Brooklyn District Attorney did not believe her, saying that Giuca did in fact order 19-year-old Mark Fisher to be gunned down in cold blood to raise the profile of his 'Ghetto Mafia' gang and that all her efforts worked against her, saying every bit of evidence she uncovered was tainted and she was nothing more than a vigilante. Undeterred, she's now demanding that the New York State Governor look at her son's case, as well as her own, and offer him a retrial. Scroll down for video . Mistrial? Doreen Giuliano, then 46, right, launched her own investigation into juror Jason Allo, then 31, left, donning short shorts and a recording device, spending hours recording their conversations . Conviction: The Brooklyn District Attorney did not believe her, saying that her son John Giuca, right, did in fact order 19-year-old Mark Fisher, left, to be gunned down to raise the profile of his 'Ghetto Mafia' gang . In October of 2003, Mark Fisher, 19, a football star from New Jersey, was gunned down in Prospect Park South after a night of bar-hopping. Found wrapped in a blanket on the street, he was shot five times in the face and chest. Police accused John Giuca of ordering Mr Fisher's death, saying that he told Antonio Russo to shoot him in order to get street cred for their 'Ghetto Mafia' gang. In 2005, they were convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years to life for what was called the 'grid kid' slaying. But that's when Mrs Giuliano went from the weeping mother at her son's trial to a buxom Brooklyn blonde. Changing her name from Doreen to Dee, Mrs Giuliano began her quest to prove that Jason Allo, a Bensonhurst contractor, was not only a dishonest juror, but one that sought out to convict her son of the heinous crime because of a personal vendetta. More than just dying her hair, 'Dee' rented an apartment near Mr Allo's home, joined a gym, got a new cell phone number and assumed a new identity. She rode her bicycle around and around the block hoping to gain his attention - and she did. 'Every time I went to his neighborhood I would have to wear makeup, have my hair done, wear fake eyelashes,' she told ABC. 'I was prepared to do anything within the law.' For more than a year, Dee plied Mr Allo with wine and weed, discussing the trial and all the reasons, she says, he should never have been on the case. Transformation: More than just dying her hair, Mrs Giuliano, left, became 'Dee', right, renting an apartment near Mr Allo's home, joining a gym, changing her number and assuming a new identity . 'They tried to make him out to be like the Tony Soprano, but he was a f***ing clown,' Mr Allo said in the recordings. 'He's a tall, skinny Jewish kid with glasses.' He later told her, 'I hate Jews.' Prejudice aside, the most damning evidence Mrs Giuliano obtained was that Mr Allo knew several of the witnesses - even her son - and disliked them. 'I shouldn't have even been in that jury.'Jason Allo . 'Technically, by law, if I knew that s*** I shouldn't have even been in that jury,' he said on the tape. 'By law, you're not supposed to be. Because they ask you in the beginning when you go to jury duty if … they read you a list of all the witnesses.' Her sting operation was not without its difficulties. Her husband, Frank, would stay up until late when she returned from her sessions with Mr Allo. 'Even when I was home, I wasn’t home,' she told the New York Post. 'Husbands are always second when you have kids. So when you say you’d do anything for your kid, you mean it. If I’m gonna lose Frank over my son, so be it. You could always get another husband.' Home: For more than a year, 'Dee' plied Mr Allo with wine and weed, discussing the trial and all the reasons, she says, he should never have been on the case. Her faux apartment is pictured . In 2010, she filed an appeal with her attorney, alleging juror misconduct and demanded that her son be re-tried. '[T]he defendant’s motion reveals extraordinary misconduct,' the judge's ruling read, 'not by a juror, but by the woman who generated the motion — the defendant’s mother.' The judge ruled that the tapes of evidence were 'selectively recorded' and there was no way of knowing whether they had been manipulated. Her allegations fell on deaf ears, the judge saying that her own deceits made her an unreliable source, not to mention her obvious bias. Mrs Giuliano still hasn't given up. Fueled by the judge's rejection, she has now appealed to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, demanding that he hold a new trial outside of Brooklyn so that hopefully, justice will finally prevail. | In 2003, Mark Fisher, 19, was found dead after a night of partying with John Giuco .
In 2005, Giuco and an accomplice were found guilty of murder .
Convinced her son was innocent, Doreen Giuliano launched her own investigation into juror Jason Allo .
Recording their conversations, she thought she found evidence of juror misconduct .
In 2010, she demanded an appeal, but was rebuffed .
Now she wants the governor to overturn the guilty verdict and give her son another day in court . |
156,998 | 57009acbc6539ffed0161b94736fd96b37ce7c16 | Mikko Ilonen became the first Finnish player to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship on Sunday after a hard-fought victory over top seed Henrik Stenson at The London Club. Ilonen carded four birdies and no bogeys despite the windy conditions to win 3&1 and secure the first prize of €650,000 (£515,000), almost double his previous biggest payday from winning the Irish Open in June. Stenson, who had not led at any stage of his morning semi-final against George Coetzee before making a birdie on the 18th to win, claimed an early lead in the final with a birdie on the fourth. Mikko Ilonen has won the Volvo World Match Play Championship after defeating Henrik Stenson . However, the world number five then bogeyed the fifth and hit his tee shot into the water on the eighth, before birdies on the 10th and 12th took Ilonen three up. Stenson, still seeking his first win since the DP World Tour Championship in November last year which meant he became the first man to win the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same season, refused to throw in the towel and birdied the 13th to reduce his deficit. But after almost holing his chip from the back of the 14th green, the Swede could only look on as Ilonen holed from 12 feet for birdie to move three ahead again, this time with just four holes remaining. Stenson fought back once more with a two-putt birdie on the par-five 15th, but was unable to birdie either of the next two holes as Ilonen - who had beaten Joost Luiten 2&1 in the semi-finals - secured the biggest win of his career. Stenson hits his tee-shot while Ilonen watches on during the all-Nordic final at the London Club in Kent . Ilonen, winner of the Irish Open in June, won arguably the biggest prize of his career on Sunday . | Mikko Ilonen has won the Volvo World Match Play Championship .
The Finn beat Henrik Stenson in an all-Nordic final .
Ilonen has had a successful year after winning the Irish Open in June . |
113,084 | 1df8bbd7464b47ad8535122f8cdd305123cf55a6 | It was a "Lucky" night for Daft Punk. The robot-headed duo won record of the year for the hit "Get Lucky" and album of the year for "Random Access Memories" at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night. Daft Punk was typically silent, but singer-songwriter Paul Williams accepted the album of the year award with a generous speech. Williams, who's written such songs as "We've Only Just Begun" and "Evergreen," had struggled to overcome substance abuse problems over the years. "Then I get sober and two robots asked me to make an album," he said. Pharrell Williams, who sang on "Get Lucky," accepted the award for record of the year. Five things we loved about the awards . The Grammys also often manage to single out rising artists, and this year that meant Lorde, Kacey Musgraves and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Lorde earned the third of the big three awards, song of the year, for "Royals." The honor is a songwriters' award. "Thank you to everyone who has let the song explode," she said, also paying tribute to co-writer Joel Little. She also won a Grammy for best pop solo performance. Musgraves won for best country album. Macklemore & Lewis, who were nominated for seven awards, won four at Grammy Awards. "I want to thank our fans, the people that got us on this stage," said Macklemore in accepting the award for best new artist. The pair also took home rap album ("The Heist"), rap performance and rap song (both for "Thrift Shop"). Macklemore & Lewis beat out some tough competition in the rap categories. Their album was up against offerings from Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and "Thrift Shop" defeated songs by Jay Z and Kanye West. The winners' list: Did you pick them? Jay Z, who led all artists with nine nominations, did win best rap/sung collaboration for "Holy Grail," a collaboration with Justin Timberlake. Addressing his daughter Blue, Jay Z said, "Daddy just got a gold sippy cup for you." Macklemore & Lewis' "Same Love," a song written in support of same-sex marriage, was performed on a set resembling a church. Macklemore's rap was followed by a mass wedding featuring 33 couples taking the stage of Los Angeles' Staples Center. Queen Latifah officiated, and Madonna served as maid of honor, following Latifah's exhortions with "Open Your Heart." The crowd roared its approval as the couples made their way back up the aisle. Trent Reznor, Macklemore tell us how they really feel . The show was full of such notable performances. A highlight was a performance of "Get Lucky" featuring Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers and song originators Daft Punk, who lurked in a "control room" in their robot helmets. "Get Lucky" won a Grammy for pop duo/group performance, and Daft Punk won two early Grammys for its album "Random Access Memories," one for its engineering, the other in the dance electronic category. Daft Punk won five Grammys, total. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award for their work with the Beatles, both played. Starr did his "Photograph" with musicians including Peter Frampton and Kenny Aronoff, and McCartney did his new song "Queenie Eye" with a group that included Starr. Most awards were given out before the show. Stars rock all-white ensembles . Adele, a big winner two years ago, won yet another Grammy, this time for her "Skyfall" theme song. Other winners include Ziggy Marley (reggae album); Stephen Colbert (spoken word); and Terri Lyne Carrington (jazz instrumental album). Gold and black dominated the gowns on the red carpet, though Paris Hilton -- in a side-baring white number -- was among the most showy. Producer and vocalist Pharrell Williams, who showed up wearing an oversized forest ranger-style hat, earned plenty of fashion attention on Twitter. In fact, @PharrellHat had more than 5,000 followers and @PharrellsHat had more than 400 within an hour of the show starting. Perhaps someone will not start an account for "robot heads." Grammys 2014: Pharrell's hat gets life -- and Twitter -- of its own . | Daft Punk wins album and record of the year .
Lorde takes song of the year for "Royals"
Rap duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have four . |
66,703 | bd2b4d416087721687606b86213a0a715c9f45b8 | John McEnroe fanned suggestions that a late-night rumpus with Stan Wawrinka may have contributed to Roger Federer’s late withdrawal from the Barclays ATP World Finals on Sunday night. The world No 2 disappointed more than 17,000 fans at the O2 Arena by pulling out of the final against Novak Djokovic, citing a back injury sustained in his evening semi-final against Wawrinka. But McEnroe also said a post-match spat between the two players, stemming from something Wawrinka said to his opponent’s support bench, would not have helped matters. According to courtside photographers his words were directed either at Federer’s wife Mirka, his father Robbie, or perhaps both. Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka (right) argued during and after their semi-final match on Saturday . A weary Federer is congratulated by compatriot Wawrinka on Saturday but they argued later on . French TV reported that it had picked up Wawrinka saying: ‘She did the same thing at Wimbledon.’ McEnroe told viewers on ESPN: ‘Afterwards something went on in the locker room, there was a long talk between the players that went on well into the night and the stress of that - I can’t confirm all of this - I don’t think that helped the situation.’ When asked about what happened during the apparent altercation in an unusually feisty third set, Wawrinka replied: ‘Not much, nothing special. Tense match, it’s never easy.’ Roger Federer takes to the court to explain why he couldn't take on Novak Djokovic in the O2 final . ATP executive chairman and president Chris Kermode (right) with Federer as the bad news was delivered . Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was part of the crowd at the )2 Arena on Sunday . Federer declined to speak to the media on Sunday night after his withdrawal, but apologised to the crowd in person. On Monday Federer and Wawrinka are due to travel to Lille where, starting on Friday, they will make up the Switzerland team that tackles France in the Davis Cup. That is the only major prize in tennis that the Swiss master has not won, and that will incentivise him to quickly smooth things over with his compatriot. Wawrinka’s team were eager to write the tiff off as just one of those things that happen in the heat of battle, while sources in the Federer camp were emphasising that he pulled out of Sunday’s final purely due to the parlous state of his back. Federer looks at his shoes as Wawrinka (right) walks past and off the court on Saturday night . It can only be speculation how much the stress of Saturday’s unexpectedly fractious semi-final contributed to the situation. He and the famously genial Wawrinka have always got on well, although the dynamic in their relationship has changed somewhat this year through the latter’s surge into the elite. He even rated at Swiss No 1 for a time this year before Federer’s excellent run of results. The 17-time Grand Slam winner told the O2 crowd that something pulled in his back during the decisive tiebreak. ‘I have tried treatment on it, medication, tried to turn it round as quickly as possible but I didn’t really feel that much of an improvement,’ said Federer, who does not know how it will affect his chances next weekend. ‘I can’t compete at this level with Novak, it would be too risky at my age to do this right now.’ It was typical Federer class to front up before the disappointed crowd, and in his whole career it is only the third time he has pulled out of a match. Novak Djokovic holds his Tour Finals trophy after a presentation before his exhibition match . VIDEO Djokovic surprised by Federer withdrawal to hand him title . He only gave up the struggle an hour before the final, and by then Chris Kermode, the ATP’s executive chairman, had gone into crisis management mode. He called Andy Murray at his Surrey home at 2pm to ask him to play a replacement exhibition singles against Djokovic, and a lighthearted doubles with Tim Henman, John McEnroe and Pat Cash. ‘He instantly offered to help, he didn’t ask for a fee and wasn’t offered one,’ revealed Kermode, adding that the others had also volunteered to entertain the crowd, which included the likes of Jose Mourinho and Hugh Grant, for free. Given that the doubles final (won by the Bryan brothers) took place along with the exhibitions, Kermode said there would be a partial refund and priority booking next year for ticket holders, who had paid up to £110 for their seats. As this event makes around £10million profit, it is only right. Federer won a taxing semi-final against Stan Wawrinka in a tie-break after two hours and 48 minutes . Overall a good job was done in managing Federer’s non-appearance, although Murray, who lost 6-0, 6-1 to the Swiss earlier in the week, could see the funny side. ‘I have to apologise because clearly I pushed Roger so hard on Thursday,’ the Scot quipped. However, questions might again be asked about how fair it is for one semi-final to be played on Saturday afternoon and another on Saturday night, which happens at many ATP events. It all capped what has been an unfortunate week, which saw so many one-sided matches - not a vintage year. At the end of it all Djokovic was left champion for the third year running, and is very much the man to beat next season. US duo Bob and Mike Bryan celebrate a point on their way to victory in the doubles final at the O2 . | Roger Federer pulled out of Barclays ATP World Finals on Sunday night .
Swiss star said his back injury had been inflamed by long semi-final .
But Federer and Stan Wawrinka argued during and after match .
John McEnroe believes the spat may have contributed to withdrawal .
Federer and Wawrinka are due to play in Davis Cup final next weekend . |
267,224 | e617492bcff561e17851668a4c56dbafc0b6acbf | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 19:00 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:45 EST, 11 March 2014 . Breast cancer patients are routinely being let down by the NHS due to the insensitivity of doctors and nurses, a report warns today . Breast cancer patients are routinely being let down by the NHS due to the insensitivity of doctors and nurses, a report warns today. Many of those surveyed say staff were uncaring or casual when breaking the devastating news that they had the disease. Other women are being made to drive a 60-mile round trip for exhausting radiotherapy, having been told by staff to make their own way there. Sufferers also say they are not treated like human beings and, at times, are not given enough emotional support to help deal with the pain, side-effects and sometimes the prospect of death. Breast Cancer Campaign, which compiled the report, also alleges that the NHS is failing to provide enough help for the thousands of women with secondary tumours – which are often terminal. Many are not put in touch with specialist nurses who provide pain relief, end of life care and also help women make crucial decisions about refusing treatment and where to die. A report by the charity today says one in eight women with breast cancer said doctors were insensitive when giving them the heartbreaking diagnosis. Another 17 per cent were not given enough information about the illness and 15 per cent were not properly told about the surgery. Nearly 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Britain every year and it leads to 11,500 deaths. Around 570,000 are living with breast cancer, including 36,000 with secondary tumours that have spread to other organs and are incurable. Although the NHS has made huge advances in treatment, screening and early diagnosis, campaigners say women are being failed by a lack of care and emotional support. Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Campaign, said efforts to monitor the standards of care within the NHS were ‘virtually non-existent’. ‘It’s not enough to pay lip service to standards of care and consider that job done,’ she said. ‘Women living with breast cancer face many challenges, but poor-quality care should not be one of them. Caroline Brook, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 . Caroline Brook, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, says she was made to feel like a tumour rather than a human being. The 44-year-old businesswoman from Stotfold, Bedfordshire, faced a two-hour drive for radiotherapy because the hospital said she was well enough to make her own way there and had to wait an hour and a half for the results of the final scan which told her she was in the clear. At one point she got lost in the system and staff failed to book her mammogram. ‘The hospital departments don’t speak to each other. To them I was just a breast person, a chemotherapy person, a radiotherapy person,’ she said. ‘You just feel like you are one of their little boxes.’ ‘We have a group of women who are really gravely ill who are just being lost in the numbers.’ Ciaran Devane, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘Whilst most of the NHS delivers fantastic care every day, we know that cancer patients are still being let down when they are at their most vulnerable.’ The report looked at the care of 13,916 women who took part in the NHS’s annual cancer patient experience survey last year. Twelve per cent said they should have been told about their cancer more sensitively and 17 per cent were not given any written information about the illness. Another 22 per cent said they weren’t given enough information about side-effects and 40 per cent weren’t warned about long-term repercussions of treatment. And 40 per cent – many of them terminally ill – said their family were not given enough support to help care for them at home. Sean Duffy, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: ‘We want world-class cancer services for all patients and all cancers. What we know is that although we have made great strides over recent years, quality varies between cancers and across the country.’ | Many told by staff to 'make own way' on 60 mile round radiotherapy trips .
Sufferers say they're not treated like humans or given enough support .
Survey by Breast Cancer Campaign says NHS failing thousands of women . |
60,249 | ab3b983aec43643056b735ba1d2d354342fc63f5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:57 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:48 EST, 7 November 2013 . Miami Dolphins player Jonathan Martin was best friends both on and off the field with his alleged tormentor-in-chief Richie Incognito, claims the team's quarterback. Martin walked out on the Dolphins last week after reportedly suffering a catalogue of abuse, including a racist voice mail message, from guard Incognito, who has been suspended. But according to quaterback Ryan Tannehill, far from being enemies, the pair were in fact close friends who would 'hang out' together off the field. Scroll down for video . 'Best friends': Richie Incognito, left, and Jonathan Martin, right, were close friends claims Dolphins' Quaterback Ryan Tannehill . Incognito, told a local TV reporter that he was 'just trying to weather the storm right now' as reports have emerged that he may have been under orders to 'toughen up' Jonathan Martin . Tannehill said: 'If you had asked Jon Martin a week before who his best friend on the team was, he would have said Richie Incognito. 'The . first guy to stand up for Jonathan when anything went down on the . field, any kind of tussle, Richie was the first guy there. Support: Dolphins' quarterback Ryan Tannehill said Incognito and Martin would 'hang out' off the field . 'When they wanted to hang out outside of football, who was together? Richie and Jonathan.' After leaving the team last week, Martin briefly checked himself into a South Florida hospital to be treated for emotional distress. The Dolphins's management arranged for his parents to travel to South Florida from their home in California where he is now staying. His father Gus told omg! Insider: 'He's a strong man. He's doing fine.' According to one source, who did not wish to be named, Martin . had considered giving up the sport because he was mistreated by other . offensive linemen. The source added Martin, who sought counseling for emotional issues, now plans to continue playing. Incognito . was reportedly told by coaches to 'toughen up' Martin when he subjected . his teammate to abusive voice mail and texts messages. It . has been revealed that after Martin missed two days of organized team . activities (OTAs) last spring, coaches encouraged Incognito, the . offensive line's undisputed leader, to 'get [Martin] into the fold.' Just . days later Incognito left a threatening, and racially offensive voice . mail in which he called Martin, who is bi-racial, a ‘half n*****,’ threatened to slap his mother across the face and uttered the words . ‘I'll kill you.’ Last week, . Martin's agent said the second-year player from Stanford was harassed . almost daily by teammates in his rookie year and the hazing continued . into this season. That . prompted an NFL investigation, and the Dolphins suspended Incognito, who . sources said sent Martin threatening and racist messages during the . offseason. The Dolphins suspended Incognito late Sunday for misconduct related to the alleged harassment of Martin, who abruptly left the team a week ago to receive help for emotional issues . Rant: An obscenity-laced video of Richie Incognito has emerged in which he uses the N-word when greeting a teammate . Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed a New York lawyer with experience in sports cases to investigate the case. The . controversy attracted more than 100 reporters and cameramen to the . Dolphins' complex Wednesday, and when the throng entered the locker room . after practice, a player pushed the button on a boom box sitting at . Incognito's stall and Circus music began to play. Dolphins' players have rallied passionately defended Incognito and insisting they . didn't see the blowup coming. Most said Martin and Incognito were . friends. 'I don't know why . he's doing this," offensive tackle Tyson Clabo said. "And the only . person who knows why, his name is Jonathan Martin.' Guard John Jerry said he never heard Incognito use the racist term included in one voicemail and wouldn't have objected anyway. 'I . would have just laughed it off,' Jerry said. 'I know the type of person . he is, and I know he doesn't mean it that way. Everybody's got friends . that when you're out, they say those type of things. It's never made a . big deal.' Was Incognito under orders? It isn't clear whether the instructions to 'toughen up' Martin came from head coach Joe Philbin, pictured, or another coach . The 30-year-old . Incognito was kicked off his team at Nebraska, and has long had a . reputation as one of the NFL's dirtiest players. But he has been . universally praised by his teammates this week. 'Does he like to give guys a hard time? Yes. Does he like to pester guys and have fun? Yes,' Tannehill said. 'But . he brought a lot of laughter to this locker room, he brought a lot of . cohesiveness to this locker room and he was the best teammate that I . could ask for.' For Martin, . the final straw was a lunchroom prank at the team complex, and he then . left the squad. Tannehill and Jerry said the same prank has been pulled . on many other players. Hijinks are especially common among the offensive linemen, Clabo said. 'We . have a system of basically it's just a big joke, basically,' he said. 'It helps camaraderie. It keeps things light in the room. Everyone . participates. No one is exempt and so I don't see how ... we would all . be guilty of bullying.' Leave: Miami Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin, 24, pictured, has taken a personal leave of absence from the team which has been blamed on the persistent teasing of his teammates . The 24-year-old Martin was briefly hospitalized after he left the team and is now with his family in California. Tannehill said he was shocked when Martin departed. He . added: 'The whole thing, it's kind of mind-blowing to me. It's kind of . mind-blowing to most of the guys on our team right now. 'It's tough for me, because you can't help a situation that you didn't know existed - that no one on this team knew existed. 'We . have a bunch of good guys in this locker room. To be put in a situation . where everyone's attacking the locker room saying it's such a bad . place, such a bad culture, no leadership to stand up and stop the . situation - no one knew there was a situation to be stopped.' Reporter Adam Schefter tweeted on Monday some of Incognito's alleged messages to Martin . Jeff Darlington from NFL.com reported the suspension on Twitter . Jay Glazer from Fox Sports confirmed Darlington's report after allegedly talking with Incognito . Mike Garafalo of Fox Sports 1 gives the official reason for Incognito's suspension . | Richie Incognito, 30, was carrying out coaches' orders when he sent threatening messages to Jonathan Martin, claim sources within the team .
Incognito was suspended indefinitely on Monday morning over allegations that he bullied teammate Martin, 24 .
The linesman is alleged to have sent Martin a series of racist and threatening text messages and voice mails .
Martin took a shock leave of absence from the team .
last week citing bullying as the reason . |
88,303 | faa86156cd56ef92790ba11ad286ea1fc9a36f68 | Buried among nearly 10,000 pages of documents made public Friday by the Clinton Presidential Library is an email that shows a future Supreme Court Justice dropping an F-bomb in official correspondence with her boss. Elena Kagan, then assistant White House counsel, emailed an apology to her boss in May 1996 for chatting up a CNN host about an on-air debate that would be embarrassing to the president – while her colleague was actively trying to get the broadcast segment cancelled. 'I realize now that I may have really f**ked up,' she wrote to White House counsel Jack Quinn, adding: 'God, do I feel like an idiot.' Kagan, who would get a spot on the nation's highest court from President Barack Obama in 2010, served in the Clinton administration when its sex-related legal brush fires were their hottest. Kagan, shown at left helping Clinton prepare for a State of the Union address, apologized in 1996 for torpedoing an attempt to cancel an embarrassing TV debate about Paula Jones' sex-harassment allegations . 'I may have really f**cked up': Elena Kagan, a future U.S. Supreme Court justice, demonstrated her human side with a casual F-bomb in a White House office email . Sixteen years later: President Barack Obama congratulated Kagan in 2010 after her confirmation as the fourth female Supreme Court justice . One of those episodes, which White House insiders called 'bimbo eruptions,' involved Paula Jones, an Arkansas woman who accused Clinton of luring her to a suite at the Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock while he was the state's governor. During their short encounter, she claimed, Clinton had touched her inappropriately, tried to kiss her, dropped his trousers and asked her for oral sex. Clinton denied ever having met Jones and a federal judge dropped criminal charges, calling the alleged behavior 'boorish.' But a civil lawsuit dredged up the matter a second time. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a siting president wasn't allowed to duck it, but a federal judge threw out the case. Jones vowed to appeal; Clinton ultimately paid an $850,000 settlement in 1998 to make the suit go away, just as Jones' lawyers surfaced a witness to testify on her behalf. The Jones scandal inspired t-shirts, magazine features, song parodies – including take-offs on Grammy winner Billy Paul's 'Me And Mrs Jones' – and endless televised talking-head debates. As the lawsuit wore on, CNN's 'Crossfire' wanted in on the action, asking former Clinton White House Counsel Abner Mikva to appear in a debate against then-Republican Colorado Senator Hank Brown. 'Bimbo eruptions': As early as 1992, before he was president, Clinton sat with his wife Hillary for media interviews to dispel the idea that he was a serial sexual harasser . Settled for $850,000: Paula Jones, an Arkansas secretary, sued then-Governor Bill Clinton for sex harassment after she claimed he lured her to a hotel room and asked for oral sex . Kagan and her boss Quinn had been talking with Crossfire host Bill Press about Mikva's segment, not understanding that Clinton Special Counsel Jane Sherburne was working back-channels with a CNN producer to have the entire thing called off. Citing what she called a 'right-hand-left-hand' problem, Sherburne told Kagan she was unable to scotch the debate. And the future justice acknowledged in her note to Quinn that when Sherburne had called her that morning with strategic questions about where the interview plan stood, she missed cues about what the special counsel was up to. 'I am really really sorry about not telling you about this,' Kagan wrote. 'Frankly, it just didn't occur to me as at all important until this recent right-hand-left-hand conversation. God, do I feel like an idiot.' | Kagan was assistant White House counsel in the Clinton administration .
She unwittingly undermined an attempt to cancel a CNN segment about Paula Jones' sex-harassment accusations against the president .
Kagan had been chatting up 'Crossfire' host Bill Press about a debate segment featuring a former White House counsel .
But Clinton's special counsel was simultaneously trying to kill the entire interview, something Kagan failed to figure out .
'I may have really f**ked up ... God, do I feel like an idiot,' Kagan wrote her boss . |
43,178 | 79c34fabb09a609bdd439ed6d5016d660c7f99b6 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 11:57 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 2 October 2013 . A senior consultant killed a patient who went into private hospital for a routine knee operation by giving ‘exceptionally bad’ care, a court heard today. David Sellu, 66, of Hillingdon, west London, ignored concerns that James Hughes, 66, was in excruciating pain following a simple procedure to replace the joint, the Old Bailey was told. Mr Hughes, a retired builder from County Armagh, Northern Ireland, sustained an unexplained tear to his bowel during his stay at the BMI Healthcare-run Churchill Clementine Hospital in Harrow, London. Prosecutor Bobbie Cheema QC told the jury he was in so much pain he called a doctor friend from his private hospital bed because he could not explain to the Hungarian doctor on duty the agony he was in. James Hughes (left) was in excruciating pain, the Old Bailey heard. Although Dr David Sellu (right) knew his patient had a perforated bowel, he failed to operate for 40 hours, the jury was told . He was given paracetamol and the pain started to ease. But by 3.15pm his pain rating was ‘nine out of 10’ and there was a ‘sudden spike’ in his temperature, jurors were told. This serious condition quickly led to blood poisoning and Mr Hughes suffered a fatal heart attack on February 14, 2010. Although Sellu knew his patient had a perforated bowel, he failed to operate for 40 hours, the jury was told. The surgeon went on to lie to Coroner Andrew Walker, claiming to have viewed the 66-year-old’s scans much earlier than hospital records showed, it is alleged. Opening the case, Ms Cheema said: ‘This is a fairly common procedure and his consultant operated on him that day. ‘The operation went well and he was due to leave the hospital on Monday, February 16. ‘However... after the operation, while he was still in hospital, he developed abdominal pain.’ Sellu, a general surgeon with a specialism in colorectal conditions, was asked to treat Mr Hughes, the jury was told. ‘The defendant agreed to do so and he saw Mr Hughes that evening’, Miss Cheema said. The Old Bailey heard that Mr Hughes was in so much pain he called a doctor friend from his private hospital bed because he could not explain to the Hungarian doctor on duty the agony he was experiencing . Sellu quickly concluded Mr Hughes was suffering from a ruptured bowel, the court heard. ‘This is a serious and life-threatening condition and it requires an operation. ‘However, Mr Sellu did not agree for an operation to be performed immediately. ‘Instead he decided to have a CT scan performed the next day. ‘However, again the defendant failed to carry out urgent surgery, even after being told the result of the CT scan. ‘He did not treat Mr Hughes’ case as an urgent case’, Miss Cheema said. By the time Mr Hughes was brought into theatre, he ‘had been in pain for over 40 hours and was in a critical condition’. ‘The defendant did what he could to repair the damage, operating into the early hours of that Saturday morning. ‘Sadly, these efforts were all too late. He died the following day. ‘That death was avoidable. ‘Had Mr Sellu simply operated the night before, or even early during the day of the February 12, Mr Hughes would have had a very good chance of survival. ‘There was a series of missed opportunities and serious errors of judgment in his care of this patient and they combined to cause Mr Hughes’ premature death and the standard of care was exceptionally bad.’ The ‘catalogue of breaches of duty’ amounted to manslaughter by gross negligence, Miss Cheema said. ‘During the Coroner’s inquest into Mr Hughes’ death, this defendant was called to give evidence and before that he had supplied two statements for the purpose of the inquest. ‘The coroner asked him when had he first seen the results of the CT scan which he had delayed...he said it was around lunchtime. ‘The inquest was adjourned without reaching any verdict, but when the defendant’s evidence on that point was examined against electronic records that are held at the hospital. ‘These records demonstrated - without doubt - that Mr Sellu had first looked to see the records no earlier than 9pm, not around lunch as he had said. ‘The prosecution case is that in giving that evidence, which was untrue, this defendant deliberately sought to mislead the Coroner.’ Sennu was a senior lecturer in surgery at Imperial College from 1993 to 2000 and is an associate professor at a Florida University. The trial is expected to last between three and four weeks. Sellu denies manslaughter and perjury. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | James Hughes died from cardiac arrest following a ruptured bowel .
Dr David Sellu alleged to have ignored the seriousness of the situation .
The court heard that Dr Sellu also lied about scan results .
Mr Hughes 'could not explain the agony he was in to Hungarian doctor' |
155,138 | 547f46c8b8a804c1195dea5e81b9bd3958fc21e7 | A schoolboy says he was punched by a teacher after he joked about his favorite football team. 12-year-old Reginald Wells says he was hit at the Willie Ray Smith Middle School in Beaumont, Texas, in an exclusive interview with 12News Sunday. 'The last person's voice I heard was some girl saying that I should call my mom, and then he like hit me, and I blacked out,' the 7th grade pupil said. Scroll down for video . Hit: Reginald, who is 4ft 11 tall and weighs 80 pounds, pushed the teacher's shoulder and then he claims the adult punched him in the face and knocked him out . Punched: Reginald Wells claims he was punched by the teacher after joking about his football team . Reginald says he stopped in the hallway to speak to a teacher. He said he made fun of the teacher's favourite team and that was when he was hit. 'All of a sudden he just hit me, in my shoulder... And I looked at him like "what the heck?"' Reginald, who is 4ft 11 tall and weighs 80 pounds, pushed the teacher's shoulder and then he claims the adult punched him in the face and knocked him out. Reginald said he woke up a few seconds later. He said: 'The left side of my face was numb, my lip hurt, my head was hurt, like it had been shaken.' Reginald's mother Adrianne says the principal told her what happened, based on what another teacher says he saw. '(The principal) said Reginald was punched, in the shoulder, and then hit two times and uppercut, and then slid across the floor,' Adrianne said. 'It weighed heavy on my heart, because I've never put my hands on my son.' Close up: Reginald said he suffered a cut lip after he was punched to the face . Reginald's mother Adrianne (pictured) says the principal told her what happened, based on what another teacher says he saw . Adrianne says the teacher was fired and escorted off the premises immediately. Reginald said the teacher spoke to him afterwards saying: 'I can't apologize for what I did, I was just having a bad day and I just snapped.' Adrianne says she cannot believe the teacher was not arrested. 'For you to just let a teacher do that to him and just walk off, I can't accept that.' she said. Adrianne filed a report with Beaumont Independent School District Police Department and wants to press charges, but says no one with the school district has contacted her since Friday. She says she is now seeking legal representation. She said: 'I'm just not understanding. I know there's a lot going on with BISD, but first priority is to protect the kids.' 12 News have approached the school district for a comment but they have not yet responded. School: Adrianne says the teacher was fired and escorted off the premises immediately . | 12-year-old Reginald Wells says he was punched in the face .
The 7th grade pupil says he was knocked out .
School says teacher was fired on the spot . |
132,825 | 37c0ecc9b7fc37b445e860d83fadcdf4418fd154 | Louis van Gaal may not want to rake over his difficult relationship with Ronald Koeman ahead of Manchester United’s game at Southampton on Monday night, but he’s only too happy to lavish praise on his former player Graziano Pelle and compare him to Robin van Persie. Van Gaal signed Pelle – who has taken the Premier League by storm with 10 goals already this season - as a raw 21-year-old for AZ Alkmaar in 2007. Two years later, the 6ft4ins Italian striker was part of the LVG’s team that shocked traditional superpowers Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV to win the Dutch title. VIDEOS Scroll down to watch . Graziano Pelle has had praised lavished upon him by Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal . 29-year-old Pelle in action for Southampton during their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night . Van Gaal (right) compared the Saints forward to his Manchester United striker Robin van Persie . Pelle joined Southampton for £9million in the summer and that already looks like a major bargain. Van Gaal knows if in-form United are to win their fifth game in a row, they’ll need to stop him. ‘I am not surprised by Pelle because I knew when I bought him at AZ, he was an attacking (focal) point for the team,’ said van Gaal. ‘I’ve said about Robin van Persie that I like strikers who are an attacking point, not only a striker who scores goals. Pelle also scores goals but Van Persie also scores goals. Attacking point is very important. ‘He is also very creative. He is always seeing the third man. Van Persie is also always seeing the third man. Those kind of strikers are the ones I like. It may be a surprise that he scored 10 goals – that is a lot – but he can do it. I knew that. ‘I bought him after he played for the (Italy) under-21s in the European Championships that were in the Netherlands. I visited the matches and saw him, and he came to AZ. ‘We had Shota Arveladze, one of the best strikers I have trained in my career, and he had to compete with him. I have trained a lot of strikers but he was one of the best and he had to compete with him which was not easy. But later on he came in the squad and showed his capacity. ‘Then Koeman bought him – because he was also manager of AZ – he took him with him to Feyenoord and he explodes. It is fantastic for him.’ Van Gaal will face off against Southampton boss Ronald Koeman on Monday night at St Mary's . Koeman was assistant coach to Van Gaal during his time as coach of Barcelona . It is the only time van Gaal voluntarily mentions Koeman. The pair have a notoriously frosty relationship dating back to their time at Ajax a decade ago when Koeman was manager and van Gaal technical director. Van Gaal insists he will shake Koeman’s hand before and after the game without any problem, but won’t have time to engage in social niceties after the match as he will be too busy, pointing out he didn’t have a chance to chat with Mark Hughes after Tuesday night’s win against Stoke City. Apart from that, any attempt to elicit words about his relationship with Koeman failed. ‘You don’t listen, it is private,’ glared the United boss. Van Gaal will be keen to keep United’s recent momentum going. Wayne Rooney will be back after a minor knee injury to skipper the side and van Persie is likely to be his partner with James Wilson and Falcao on the bench. The Colombian, whose loan period at Old Trafford has been dogged by injuries, can expect to be asked by van Gaal to play with the under-21 side at some stage to build his match sharpness. A top-four place remains United’s over-riding ambition this season. ‘We are going the right way,’ said van Gaal, who stopped short of guaranteeing fans Champions League football next season. James Wilson is set to return to the bench after starting in the 2-1 victory against Stoke in midweek . Radamel Falcao is also set to be on the bench again on Monday night as he continues his return from injury . | Louis van Gaal happy to lavish praise on his former player Graziano Pelle .
Pelle was signed by Van Gaal as a 21-year-old at AZ Alkmaar in 2007 .
Italian forward compared to Robin van Persie by Louis van Gaal .
Manchester United travel south to face Southampton on Monday night . |
228,282 | b397b2bfa53917520f83d5db82eca82c7f88d896 | Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- Nine mine employees were hurt Monday when Anglo American Platinum security guards shot rubber bullets to break up a confrontation between rival union groups at a mine in northwest South Africa, the company said in a statement. The incident occurred at the company's Siphumelele mine in the Rustenburg area and involved members of the Workers Committee and shop stewards for the National Union of Mineworkers. "As they were attempting to evacuate the NUM shop stewards who were trapped in their offices, three security personnel sustained minor injuries during this incident," the statement said. All 12 injured employees received medical attention; none of the injuries was life-threatening, it added. Police spokesman Brig. Thulani Ngubane said those hurt were taken to Bleskop Hospital. The shootings did not involve police, he said. "Workers committee members are contesting NUM's legitimacy at the mine and demanding that NUM vacate its offices," the company statement said. The company said it is trying to validate union membership at Rustenburg and the mines north of the Pilanesberg National Park. Anglo American Platinum Limited, a member of the Anglo American plc Group, describes itself as the world's leading primary producer of platinum group metals, accounting for 40% of the world's newly mined platinum. Its mining, smelting and refining operations are based in South Africa. Last fall, several major South African mining companies, including Anglo American, were involved in labor disputes with their miners that erupted in violence. In October, police repeatedly clashed with protesters near one of Anglo American's mines, and the company fired about 12,000 striking workers who refused to attend disciplinary hearings. The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CNN's Kim Norgaard reported on this story from Johannesburg, and Tom Watkins wrote it in Atlanta. | Nine employees were shot with rubber bullets, the company says .
Three security personnel sustained minor injuries, it adds .
Workers Committee members are contesting the legitimacy of the National Union of Mineworkers . |
222,694 | ac4a1e3d969d3a65903c2c056453f9a6cf6a33c0 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- After huffing and puffing up 354 steps to the newly reopened Lady Liberty crown, Aaron Weisinger figured it was time to pop the question to his girlfriend, Erica Breder. Aaron Weisinger proposes to Erica Breder on July Fourth inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty. "The Fourth of July has always been a favorite holiday, so that was part of it, " Weisinger said. The couple flew to New York from San Francisco, California, after managing to be among the first 240 people to snag the tickets to the Statue of Liberty crown for its reopening after September 11, 2001. Weisinger got down on one knee inside the narrow, 8-foot-long deck inside the Statue of Liberty's crown, asked Breder to be his wife and offered her a sizeable diamond ring. "I believe I was silent for several minutes. I was so excited," Breder said. Then she said "yes." Both said their families came to the United States via Ellis Island. "My great-grandparents immigrated [from Russia and Hungary]," Weisinger said. His fiance's relatives arrived from Hungary. "The thoughts behind the statue and freedom and liberty allowed our parents and great-grandparents before us to have the wonderful lives that we do," Weisinger added. Breder said she was thrilled to make the long climb up a steep spiral staircase to stand inside Lady Liberty's crown. "It was fantastic, much smaller than we had anticipated. The view's fantastic," the newly engaged Breder said. New safety measures include double handrails, glass stairwell partitions and careful crowd control, according to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Now, only three groups of 10 visitors per hour are guided up to the crown by a National Park Service ranger. That means only about 87,000 will be able to visit each year. In the past, it took visitors at least an hour and a half to climb from the base to the crown. Now, it takes only about 15 to 20 minutes. A new engineering study showed that there had to be changes to make it easier to exit the crowded staircase. Crown tickets can now be reserved online up to a year in advance, but the statue will close again in two years for additional renovations. | Aaron Weisinger proposed to Erica Breder on July 4 inside the Statue of Liberty .
Couple among first people to see statue's crown since reopening after 9/11 .
"I believe I was silent for several minutes. I was so excited," Breder said .
New safety measures include double handrails, stairwell partitions, crowd control . |
20,692 | 3ab8d5fa479afd0256fbaeecbeb01ed343a1ef05 | Former Boston funeral director Joseph O'Donnell, 56, is accused of improperly storing a dozen bodies, stealing almost $150,000 in pre-payments and working without a license for five years . A former Boston funeral director improperly stored a dozen bodies, stole almost $150,000 in funeral pre-payments and worked without a license on more than 200 funerals and cremations, prosecutors alleged on Wednesday. The Suffolk County district attorney announced a 278-count indictment against Joseph O'Donnell, 56, who has been in custody since he pleaded not guilty in April to stealing $12,000 in funeral prepayments from an elderly couple. The new charges include improper disposal of human remains, embezzlement, larceny, forgery, falsifying official documents and acting as a funeral director without a license. Prosecutors said O'Donnell's license expired in 2009 but he continued doing business until the foreclosure of his funeral home in 2013. Investigators found the 12 decomposed bodies, along with 32 sets of cremated remains, in July in a self-storage facility O'Donnell rented in Weymouth. Prosecutors said in August that 11 of the bodies were identified and their investigation was continuing. Prosecutors said on Wednesday that the 11 bodies were those of people who died when O'Donnell was operating illegally, and the families of eight of them had been given the cremated remains of other people. Prosecutors said six sets of those ashes were recovered but two sets already were scattered. Prosecutors said they are still trying to identify the remains of the 12th body, an adult woman. At another storage facility O'Donnell rented in Somerville, investigators found 45 sets of cremated remains, which they said were believed to be unclaimed remains from his funeral home. O'Donnell is due in court Thursday for an administrative hearing on his original case. His arraignment on the new charges hasn't been scheduled. Prosecutors said O'Donnell's license expired in 2009 but he continued doing business until the foreclosure of his funeral home in 2013 . Investigators found the 12 decomposed bodies, along with 32 sets of cremated remains, in July in a self-storage facility O'Donnell rented in Weymouth . | Former Boston funeral director Joseph O'Donnell, 56, pleaded not guilty in April to stealing $12,000 in funeral prepayments from an elderly couple .
On Wednesday announced a 278-count indictment against him .
He is accused of improperly storing a dozen bodies, stealing almost $150,000 in pre-payments and working without a license on over 200 funerals .
Investigators found 12 decomposed bodies and 32 sets of cremated remains at a self-storage facility in July . |
167,748 | 64f6a581029f87d997ef2a2276d2c69a3ecbf192 | Raven-Symoné has blasted rumours that she was sexually assaulted by co-star Bill Cosby during their years on The Cosby Show. 'I was NOT taking advantage of by Mr. Cosby when I was on the Cosby Show! [sic]' the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. 'I was practically a baby on that show and this is truly a disgusting rumor that I want no part of!,' she added. 'Everyone on that show treated me with nothing but kindness. Now keep me out of this!' Scroll down for video . 'Keep me out of this!' Raven-Symoné (pictured earlier this month) has blasted rumours that she was sexually assaulted by co-star Bill Cosby (pictured on Monday) during their years on The Cosby Show . Symone was referencing a report posted earlier this week on fake news site Hip-Hop Hangover, claiming the actress had filed molestation charges against Cosby when they acted together on the hit sitcom. The website, which calls itself 'a gossip parody and satirical publication', alleged the assault took place after the series finale in 1992, when she was around six years old. Symone starred as Cosby's step-granddaughter Olivia from 1989 till 1992 (the show started airing in 1984). Former co-stars: Symone starred as Cosby's step-granddaughter Olivia from 1989 till 1992 . Symone is the first star from the show to be brought into the current sexual abuse scandal surrounding the beloved star. Lachele Covington, who played a waitress on the CBS sitcom, filed a police report in 2000 alleging that Cosby 'put her hand under his T-shirt and guided it south toward his sweatpants.' However, the actor reportedly was never questioned or charged. So young: Symone said she was 'practically a baby' when she was on the show . Five women recently have come forward and accused Cosby of sexual assault. Supermodel Janice Dickinson is the latest to go public, alleging he drugged and raped her. Dickinson gave a TV interview on Tuesday in which she alleged Cosby invited her to dinner to discuss a role on The Cosby Show, offering her a glass of wine and a pill she thought was for her cramps. Serious allegations: Supermodel Janice Dickinson is the latest to go public, claiming he drugged and raped her, pictured on Wednesday in LA . That is one of the last things she remembers of the evening. 'The next morning I woke up, and I wasn't wearing my pajamas, and I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man,' she told Entertainment Tonight. 'I remember waking up with my pajamas off and there was semen in between my legs.' Coming out: Dickinson gave a TV interview on Tuesday in which she alleged Cosby invited her to dinner to discuss a role on The Cosby Show . Bad guy: Dickinson says after Cosby allegedly gave her the pill, the next thing she remembers is 'waking up with her pajamas off and semen between her legs' Dickinson says her last memory of the night was of Cosby taking off his robe and climbing on top of her, and that the next morning she remembers 'a lot of pain.' The supermodel claims the incident occurred in Lake Tahoe, California in 1982. However, Cosby's attorney, Marty Singer, branded the allegation a 'complete lie.' She also claims that she had included details of the assault in her 2002 autobiography, No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel, but that Cosby and his lawyer successfully pressured her and the publisher to remove the details. But Singer also flatly rejected this claim, saying: 'You can confirm with Harper Collins that she never claimed that Mr Cosby raped her, that no attorney representing Bill Cosby tried to kill the story... and no one tried to prevent anything she wanted to say about Bill Cosby in her book.' In a statement, reported by NBC News, he added: 'There is documentary proof that Janice Dickinson is fabricating and lying about Bill Cosby.' Dickinson did, however, detail some of her evening in Lake Tahoe with Cosby in the book, though telling a very different story. She said she was drinking with Cosby at dinner and after being invited back to his room told him she was tired, at which point he slammed his door in her face. The aforementioned legal claims may however be why she decided not to print her current side of the story. She says she is coming forward now though because she believes the other victims who have spoken publicly, and that it is the 'right thing to do.' As for what she would say to Cosby if she saw him, Dickinson does not mince words. 'How dare you,' she says. 'Go f*ck yourself. How dare you take advantage of me. And I hope you rot.' Bombshell: At the time of the alleged rape, Dickinson (pictured in the 1980s) was one of the biggest models in the world . This comes as a third women, Joan Tarshis, came forward and alleged that she was drugged and raped twice by Cosby in Los Angeles back in 1969. She called him a 'very, very sick man who needs help.' Another of Cosby's accusers, Barbara Bowman, told MailOnline she was just 17 when he 'brainwashed me into viewing him as a father figure, and then assaulted me multiple times.' Cosby, who refuses to comment on the allegations, did settle a civil suit in 2006 with another woman over an alleged incident two years prior. His lawyer John P. Schmitt has said the fact that the allegations are being repeated 'does not make them true.' | Symone is the first star from The Cosby Show to be brought into the sexual abuse scandal .
Janice Dickinson claimed that she was drugged and raped by Bill Cosby .
Two other women have recently come forward to say they were raped and drugged by Cosby .
Cosby has yet to respond to any of these allegations .
But his attorney, Marty Singer, has branded the allegations a 'complete lie' |
242,805 | c6434d8020431d21e5139ae130877cb04fced657 | Hong Kong, China (CNN) -- Air pollution at or near record levels in Hong Kong on Monday was caused by a sandstorm from northern China, environmental officials said. The Environmental Protection Department urged people, especially those with breathing or heart problems, to stay indoors and limit physical exertion. Schools had been ordered to cancel sports activities, said Environment Secretary Edward Yau, according to Radio Television Hong Kong, a public television station. Hong Kong's air pollution has grown progressively worse during the past two decades, as pollution from mainland China has blended with pollution generated by Hong Kong. Watch video of sandstorm blanketing Beijing . Over the years, poor air quality has even affected the view across Victoria Harbor, which separates Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula by less than 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) at the narrowest point. On days with heavy pollution, the vibrant lights and skyscrapers on either side of the harbor cannot be seen from the other side. | Air pollution reaches near-record levels, Hong Kong government says .
Officials: Sandstorm in mainland China causing the pollution . |
42,127 | 76e7ac5320daebbf4f60e11b80448913564348df | An off-duty US navy sailor wrestled a bus driver to the ground and beat him into submission after he attempted to rape her at knife point, a court heard yesterday. Prosecutors said that she knocked the knife from his hand, broke it in two, bit him in the hand, forced him to the ground and locked him between her thighs. The woman, 28, was on 24-hour shore leave in Dubai and was attacked as she returned to the port where she was based after a day shopping. The off-duty navy sailor was attacked at knife point as she returned to the port in Dubai (STOCK IMAGE) She had been attempting to hail a taxi after visiting shopping centre, Mall of the Emirates and a supermarket when a bus pulled up next to her . After climbing aboard she became suspicious of the drivers route. She said: ‘I noticed he did not take the main road and when I asked him he told me not to worry.’ He then drove for a further 10 minutes before stopping in an area where other buses were parked and attempting to kiss her. When she refused him he pulled the knife and threatened to rape her but she was able to subdue him. Following the attack, which occurred on . January 19 of this year, she left the bus and reported it to her . commander at Port Khalid. She had spent a day shopping at the massive shopping centre Mall of the Emirates in Dubai . The court heard that the woman quickly returned to Port Khalid to report the incident to her commander . The driver, named as K S, from Pakistan, was arrested the next day at his home and the attending police officer said that he was intoxicated at the time. The court ordered that the 21-year-old be examined to establish his age after he did not produce a birth certificate. He has been charged with attempted rape, threatening to kill, assault and consuming alcohol illegally.Having confessed to the alcohol charge, the driver claims to have been too drunk to remember what happened. Traces of the woman’s hair and blood were found on his bus. The case was adjourned to May 1. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Sailor, 28, was attacked as she was on 24-hour shore leave in Dubai .
Was on a bus when it took a different route and stopped .
Driver attempted to rape her at knife point when she refused to kiss him .
She knocked the knife from his hand and .
broke it in two, bit him in the hand, forced him to the ground and .
locked him between her thighs . |
256,129 | d78c04b75686758d9d3fc71f32d1f1d2e08cd1fa | By . Andrew Levy Education Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:23 EST, 2 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:30 EST, 3 December 2013 . Textbooks are dying out in classrooms because teachers see them as 'regimented and old-fashioned', Elizabeth Truss said yesterday. The Education Minister said rampant ideology in schools that teaching should be 'unstructured and free-flow' meant just one in ten ten-year-olds are issued with them now. Among 14-year-olds studying science the figure falls to an astonishing eight per cent - one in 12. Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said children's education is being harmed as teachers are making up their own materials instead of using textbooks . The 'anti-textbook orthodoxy' is damaging children's education as they are coming home with 'dog-eared worksheets' that give them no sense of the context of what they are learning. Some teachers of 'essentially writing their own materials' by collecting vast amounts of 'different worksheets and bits and pieces of paper', she added. Ms Truss was reacting to figures which showed the UK had the lowest use of textbooks out of 50 nations in a survey . Unions dismissed the claims yesterday, saying constant 'meddling' in education meant schools were reluctant to invest in books. But education experts said the practice was driven by Left-wing ideology which allowed teachers to pursue their own agenda. The data was buried in a report last year by the Amsterdam-based International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement showed England has the lowest use of textbooks among the 50 nations that were surveyed. They are used by 99 per cent of teachers in South Korea, 86 per cent in Germany and 78 per cent in Poland - all of which outperform England academically. 'This country has fallen out of love with the textbook. They are perhaps seen as regimented and old-fashioned,' she said in a speech to the British Educational Suppliers Association. 'I know many frustrated parents who have found bits of worksheets covered in orange juice at the bottom of their child's school bag. 'Why not have a good textbook that can help lead the parent and the child through the learning of the course?' She added: 'I think it's partly down to issues of ideology and education philosophy... child-centred learning. The idea that there is not a best way to teach something, that actually it should be unstructured and free-flow.' Official textbooks give pupils 'a sense of ownership over what they are studying' and allow them to 'catch up or read ahead or study core concepts on their own', she argued. And the failure to provide children with a book that acts as a 'map or guide' is creating a 'free-for-all' that is handing an advantage to England's international rivals. 'High-performing countries are creating great textbooks and make sure children flourish only if they understand essential concepts and knowledge,' Miss Truss said. 'In Shanghai, textbooks are a given. In [South] Korea they've got a programme where they're introducing digital books. South Korea, Poland and Germany all used more textbooks and rank above England academically . They use multimedia content, animations, virtual reality - all of which can be altered to fit each student's ability level. But the actual material is the same. 'The principle of a good textbook is as important as ever - a structured progression through essential knowledge.' Chris Keates, the general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, claimed other countries benefited from 'stability' in their education systems. 'They can invest in textbooks and plan for the future with confidence. Schools in England suffer constant change, meddling and interference in the curriculum,' she said. But Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: 'Textbooks give structure to learning but if you have an alternative agenda they are not always the best vehicle for that. 'The decline in textbooks has been pretty disastrous. Children are suffering from death by a thousand worksheets.' | England had lowest use of textbooks in 50 nations surveyed .
Minister Elizabeth Truss claims children aren't being taught properly .
Unions say meddling with curriculum means schools aren't buying books . |
109,734 | 1971768c736ffa4983dd46eb159055a433de6711 | The 3,650-year old skeleton of King Senebkay has revealed the pharaoh died a violent death. Senebkay lived at a time when rulers battled for power before the rise of Egypt’s New Kingdom in 1,550 BC and his skeleton shows 18 injuries caused by axes. Injuries to his skull, lower back and ankles, suggest he was attacked while on his horse and hacked at with the deadly weapon - dying from blows to the head. The 3,650-year old skeleton of King Senebkay (pictured right) has revealed the pharaoh died a violent death from blows to the head with axes. Archaeologists uncovered the tomb, complete with paintings, last year . The tomb of Senebkay was unearthed at the Abydos archaeological site, near the city of Sohag, Egypt last year and was identified by an inscription on the wall of this burial chamber. It was the first time that any trace of the pharaoh was found, who was only previously known about by fragments of his name on an ancient list of Egyptian rulers. Now, archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania, who came across the tomb, have revealed how the pharaoh probably died. Injuries to the skull, as well as vertical cuts on the ankles, feet and lower back, suggest the king was killed in a battle and was aged between 35 and 49 when he died, Luxor Times Magazine reported. Archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and the University of Pennsylvania identified the tomb of Senebkay by drawings on the wall of his burial chamber (pictured), which was unearthed in the Abydos archaeological site last year . Until this discovery, the pharaoh called Senebkay was largely unknown to historians. He ruled over a forgotten Abydos dynasty around 1,650BC. His tomb, together with an ancient cataloguing of Egyptian rulers called the Turin King List, suggests that Senebkay was the first or second of a series of approximately 20 as-yet-undiscovered pharaohs that ruled over a small kingdom. He was killed by axe blows to the head, his skeletal remains reveal. It’s thought he was between the ages of 35 and 49 when he died. The angle and direction of the lacerations show he must have been higher up than his attackers when the struck him with axes. It is likely that the king was on horseback and blows to his back and legs caused him to fall to the ground, where his enemies brutally struck his head until he died, far from his home. Josef Wegner of the university, who led the dig, said the injuries suggest that the king died a violent death. He was a ruler of Abydos for just four and a half years, at a time when dominant families battled for control of land. The angle and direction of the lacerations show he must have been higher up than his attackers when they cut him with axes. It is likely that the king was on horseback and blows to his back and legs caused him to fall to the ground, where his enemies brutally struck his head until he died, far from his home. King Senebkay’s body is believed to have been mummified a long time after his death. Historical sources suggest that Egyptians were skilful horsemen during the Second Intermediate Period, even though horses were not commonly used in battle. Dr Youssef Khalifa, head of Ancient Egypt department, said the king’s pelvic and leg bones suggest he was used to riding horses regularly. ‘It is not clear yet if Senebkay died in a battle against the Hyksos, who were occupying Lower Egypt at that time, or not,’ he said. ‘If future studies proved it so this will make him the first warrior king who fought for liberation even before Senakhtenre’ the founder of 17th Dynasty and the grandfather of Ahmos who defeated the Hyksos.’ The lost tomb (pictured) was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania, who came across it while excavating the tomb of pharaoh Sobekhotep I, who was buried nearby . The tomb was discovered at the Abydos site (pictured) near Sohag in Egypt and could lead to more royal tombs being unearthed. Archaeologists came across the tomb while excavating the final resting place of pharaoh Sobekhotep I, who was buried nearby . Archaeologists came across the tomb while excavating the final resting place of pharaoh Sobekhotep I, who was buried nearby. Senebkay’s final resting place appears to have been plundered because the skeleton is pulled apart, but it’s estimated he was five ft 10 inches (1.78metres) tall. Dr Wegner believes the find could lead to the discovery of more pharaohs and could help piece together the gaps in knowledge about the rulers of Ancient Egypt. ‘We discovered an unknown king plus a lost dynasty. It looks likely that all of the 16 kings are all buried there,’ he said. ‘We now have the tomb for first or second king of this dynasty. There should be a whole series of the others.’ The same team of archaeologists discovered a vast 3,800-year-old quartzite sarcophagus, which belongs to a little-known 13th dynasty king, Sobekhotep I. It was discovered by an international team of researchers who deciphered inscriptions to link it to its owner . Describing the moment the archaeologists came across the tomb, he explained that they found the entrance first, which led them down to the burial chamber, made of limestone and painted with cartouches of the pharaoh. ‘In Abydos there is lots of sand and everything is deeply buried. You can dig day after day, and then this….We were standing there looking dumbfounded at the colourful wall decoration,’ he said. While robbers had stripped the tomb, a re-used burial chest had the engraving of the ruler’s name on the wood. The experts said the re-use of materials suggests a lack of stability and wealth at a time when the kingdom was fragmented. A year before King Sebekay's tomb was found, a huge pink 3,800-year-old quartzite sarcophagus was unearthed. It belongs to a little-known 13th Dynasty king called Sobekhotep I, according to the Egyptian government. The 60 tonne sarcophagus was discovered by the same team of archaeologists at the Abydos site. A team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry deciphered stone pieces inscribed with the pharaoh’s name, which also show him sitting on a throne, to link the tomb to its owner. ‘He is likely the first who ruled Egypt at the start of the 13th Dynasty during the second intermediate period,’ the minister said. King Sobekhotep I is thought to have ruled the 13th Dynasty but little is known about him and his kingdom or even when the dynasty began exactly, which makes the discovery particularly important. Historians believe that it began sometime between 1803BC and 1781BC but they are keen to establish a precise date. He is thought to have ruled for almost five years, which was ‘the longest rule at this time’ according to ministry official Ayman El-Damarani. Archaeologists discovered a connection between the tombs of Sobekhotep I and Sebebkay. A chest made of cedar wood that contained Senebkay’s organs, was excavated by Kevin Cahail, a PhD student in Egyptology at the university. The box had been gilded, but ancient tomb robbers had removed the gold, uncovering an inscription of a king’s name. But the name was Sobekhotep’s, not Senebkay’s. Dr Wegner and Mr Cahail realised that objects from Sobekhotep’s tomb had been repurposed to bury Senebkay. | The 3,650-year old skeleton of King Senebkay revealed 18 injuries by axes .
Include blows to the skull and vertical cuts on the ankles and lower back .
Pharaoh ruled the 13th Dynasty but little was known about him .
It's thought he came off his horse after the attack began and killed by brutal blows to his head, dying far from his home .
His tomb was found at the Abydos archaeological site, near Sohag, Egypt . |
273,093 | edbe66a0d82a571b71ca70f327242cf58e5572f3 | (CNN) -- In nearly nine hours in detention at London's Heathrow Airport, David Miranda -- the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald -- said he didn't trust the British authorities questioning him, fearing they'd follow through on threats to throw him in jail, if not worse. "I have seen many stories that people are picked up in different countries ... and they are vanished, nobody sees them," Miranda said Tuesday in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. "In that moment, I was really afraid what would happen to me." The Brazilian national said he didn't know what he might have done wrong, why the UK government's anti-terrorism laws applied to him, or why he couldn't have a lawyer of his choosing present. But he did understand why his partner might be a target. Greenwald has been at the forefront of high-profile reports exposing secrets in U.S. intelligence programs, stories that have made him a thorn in the side of Washington and some of its allies. Greenwald, with the cooperation of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, broke the story of the existence of a U.S. National Security Agency program that is thought to have collected large amounts of phone and Internet data. Miranda's detention ended only after a lawyer from Greenwald's news organization, the British-based Guardian, got the chance to talk to him after about eight hours. After that, the 28-year-old was released, without materials he'd been carrying on behalf of Greenwald, to pass onto a filmmaker in Berlin. He said officials also confiscated his laptop, phone and USB sticks. Miranda ultimately returned to Brazil, where he lives with Greenwald. Sitting alongside his partner, Greenwald said the detention gave the British government "a huge black eye in the world, (made) them look thuggish and authoritarian (for) interfering in the journalism process (and created) international incidents with the government of Brazil, which is indignant about this." The action has prompted a lawsuit asking British courts to declare what happened to Miranda illegal because his detention was unrelated to terrorism, Greenwald said. The journalist added the lawsuit also demands that all the items taken from Miranda be returned to him, and that the British government can't first use or share them with anyone else. "To start detaining people who they think they are reporting on what they're doing under terrorism laws, that is as dangerous and oppressive as it gets," Greenwald said. White House knew Miranda would be detained . Britain's Home Office on Tuesday defended Miranda's questioning, saying the government and police "have a duty to protect the public and our national security." "If the police believe that an individual is in possession of highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism, then they should act and the law provides them with a framework to do that," it said. "Those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning." Questioning was under Terrorism Act 2000 . The British government and Miranda say he was questioned on Sunday under Schedule 7 of Terrorism Act 2000, which gives authorities more powers to investigate and combat terrorism, though not without some controversy. In a statement that didn't name Miranda but referred to his detention, London's Metropolitan Police called what happened "legally and procedurally sound" and said it came after "a detailed decision-making process." The statement describes the law under which Miranda was detained as "a key part of our national security capability which is used regularly and carefully by the Metropolitan Police Service to help keep the public safe." But that's not how Miranda and Greenwald view the law, or at least how it was applied in this case. Said Miranda, for whom English is a second language and who didn't have an interpreter on hand throughout the ordeal: "They didn't ask me anything about terrorism, not one question." "They were just telling me: 'If you don't answer this, you are going to jail,' " he added. Greenwald said he learned three hours into the incident that his partner was being detained, and he added that concerned Brazilian diplomats and Guardian lawyers were shut out of the process for hours. Greenwald: UK authorities trying to intimidate journalists . The entire episode, Greenwald speculated, was designed to intimidate him and other investigative journalists from using classified information and digging into stories critical of the British and allied governments. His newspaper's editor, Alan Rusbridger, detailed in an editorial published late Monday meetings with UK government officials and "shadowy Whitehall figures" in connection with Greenwald's reporting. "The demand was the same: Hand the Snowden material back or destroy it," he said. Otherwise, the government would pursue legal action to force its surrender, he said he was told. These efforts, including Miranda's detention, are a threat not just to the Guardian, but all journalists, Greenwald said. "What you're essentially doing is saying that journalism is not only a crime, but now it's actually terrorism," he said. "It's an extremely dangerous precedent. They clearly abused their own law." As to how what happened will affect his own work, Greenwald said he's more committed than ever to expose governments' abuse of their powers. "We are absolutely going to continue to publish and, if anything, this has emboldened me," he said. CNN's Bryony Jones and Caroline Paterson contributed to this report. Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here. | David Miranda was detained for hours at Heathrow without interpreter, lawyer, he says .
Miranda says he was never asked about anything related to terrorism .
His partner, journalist Glenn Greenwald, calls it a ploy to intimidate journalists .
The British government defends the questioning as legal . |
221,248 | aa66f55fe14c4530fe949dc5efa574ec9558952d | The British diplomat who fell to his death from the top floor of a Romanian hotel left a note saying that he was depressed about not starting a family, it was claimed yesterday. The diplomat has been identified as Ian Saunders, 47, who was working as a regional attache to the British Embassy in Bucharest. Saunders killed himself during a bout with depression, sources close the investigation told the Actualmm.com news service in Romania. Ian Saunders, 47, a British diplomat working from the UK embassy in Romania, died after falling from the top floor of the Mara Hotel in Baia Mare, Romania . The diplomat is reported to have 'balanced on a rail', before jumping from the top floor balcony of the Mara Hotel . Saunders checked in to the Hotel Mara in Baia Mare on January 14 at 10pm, and asked hotel staff to give him a room on the top floor, according to local news reports. He was due to leave on Thursday, but instead asked to extend his stay by another day. Reports say that onlookers saw him balanced a railing outside his hotel room, and that after they called emergency services, he jumped from the seventh floor balcony. Emergency services arrived at the scene and attempted to resuscitate him, but they were unsuccessful. In a statement, a spokesman from the embassy said: 'We are aware of the information that appeared in the media. At this point we can not confirm or deny that information.' Ian Saunders began his career as a diplomat in 2001, and since 8 January 2010 worked as a regional attache to the British Embassy in Bucharest. Saunders had taken trips to places in and around eastern Europe, posting holiday pictures on Facebook of him visiting Hungarian cities like Budapest and Esztergom. Saunders previously set his profile picture to one of skydiver Felix Baumgartner, who broke the world record for highest parachute jump after falling 39 kilometers, during his world record attempt. Other pictures, like one from September 2012, showed him swimming with penguins in the ocean, while another showed he was at the Sziget festival, one of the largest music festivals in eastern Europe, in 2011. The Mara Hotel is a three star hotel in the city of Baja Mare in Romania, over seven hours drive from Bucharest, where Saunders was working as an attache to the British Embassy . The reports began yesterday when Realitatea TV broadcast that a diplomat at the British embassy had he jumped from the seventh floor of the Mara Hotel, showing images of a body in a white sheet being put into a vehicle. Videos showed police swarming outside of the hotel to cordon off the area, covering the body in a white sheet to shield it from the public's view. Realitatea TV then broadcast footage of the body being lifted up from the pavement, carried to a van, and placed in the back of it. The British foreign office commented on the TV footage, saying: 'We are aware of reports and looking into them.' Police spokeswoman Dumitrita Rus said at the time that an investigation was underway, but she declined to provide further information . | Ian Saunders, 47, fell from the top floor of a hotel in Baia Mare .
The British national had been working as diplomat since 2001 .
Had been working as a regional attache to Bucharest embassy .
Local media reports that he committed suicide in bout of depression .
Briton posted pictures of record breaking skydiver on Facebook .
Embassy is aware of reports but can neither confirm nor deny . |
101,285 | 0e8c5ec83ba2203f51f63b47d54a939dce01dccf | Los Angeles (CNN) -- A fifth man has filed a lawsuit alleging sex abuse by Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who gave Sesame Street's Elmo his voice. The allegations that Kevin Kiadii, 25, made against Clash, 52, are similar to those made by four other men who said they were courted and seduced by Clash when they were underage teenagers. The lawyer defending Clash called the other suits "meritless and barred by the statute of limitations," but he did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the newest filing. "Mr. Clash continues to deny any wrongdoing, and we intend to defend this case forcefully," attorney Michael Berger said when the fourth suit was filed. Clash was suspended from Sesame Street and eventually resigned after the first allegations surfaced in November. Kiadii's suit, filed in a federal court in New York, said he was 16 when Clash contacted him on a gay chat telephone line and invited him to his Manhattan apartment in 2004. Voice of Elmo quits after underage sex lawsuit filed . The suit said Clash sent a luxury car service to pick the teen up in Brooklyn and drive him to Clash's apartment. Clash "gave Kiadii alcohol and groomed him with attention and affection," it said. Clash and Kiadii engaged in sexual contact, which was "Kiadii's first sexual experience with an adult male," the suit said. The lawsuit, which was written by the same lawyer handling the other four complaints, said Kiaddi "did not become aware that he had suffered adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash's sexual acts and conduct until 2012." Sheldon Stephens, now 24, filed a lawsuit in March alleging Clash threw a crystal meth sex party for him in 2004, when he was 16. Stephens was the fourth man to sue Clash, but he was the first to publicly claim he had a sexual relationship with him as a teen. Stephens called it an "adult consensual relationship" in November, . Clash, who had provided the high-pitched voice of the iconic furry red Elmo since 1984, acknowledged a relationship between "two consenting adults" when Stephens' story emerged, but he said it otherwise was a "false and defamatory allegation." Second suit claims sexual contact . "I am a gay man," Clash, 52, said in a statement in November. "I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it, but felt it was a personal and private matter." Three other men soon emerged with federal lawsuits, filed in November and December, accusing Clash of befriending them as teenagers then engaging in sex with them. They are all represented by Florida lawyer Jeff Herman, who also filed Kiadii's lawsuit on Monday. Clash's lawyer has asked a judge to dismiss the three other suits based on his argument that the men waited too long to sue. The federal statute of limitations on such civil cases is six years, while their allegations involve relationships that ended more than 10 years ago, Berger said in a court filing last month. Each lawsuit contends that the men only realized in the last year or so that they suffered psychological and emotional damage from their encounters with Clash. "Clash was an adult male living a prominent public life centered around the entertainment of toddlers, while at the same time he was, in secret, preying on teenage boys to satisfy his depraved sexual interests," the Stephens and Kiadii suits alleged. While the allegations in each suit mirror what the other men contend, Stephens' complaint is the only one to allege drug use by Clash. Suit accuses Elmo puppeteer of crystal meth sex party . "Clash smoked crystal meth while engaging in sexual activity with Sheldon," the lawsuit said. "Clash also gave Sheldon 'poppers' as a sexual aide. While Clash had sexual contact with Sheldon, the chauffeur watched and masturbated." "Poppers" generally refers to alkyl nitrites in capsule form that produce a physical rush when broken and inhaled: crystal meth refers to crystal methamphetamine. Stephens was 16 when he met Clash in New York "at a social networking event for models and actors," the suit said. "Clash told Sheldon he would help Sheldon with his acting career," it said. In November, Clash said in a written statement: "I am resigning from Sesame Workshop with a very heavy heart. I have loved every day of my 28 years working for this exceptional organization. Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work Sesame Street is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately." CNN's Carolyn Sung contributed to this report. | Kevin Kiadii's allegations are similar to those of 4 others suing Kevin Clash .
All 5 federal suits allege Clash courted and seduced underage teens .
Clash's lawyer has called suits "meritless and barred by the statute of limitations"
Clash quit his Sesame Street job amid first allegations in November . |
87,636 | f8a5ddc4c86e29e6bec9612c5b6ee74c2054525b | (CNN) -- More than six weeks after Flight 370 disappeared, Malaysia's prime minister says his government is still not prepared to declare it -- and the 239 people on board -- lost. "At some point in time I would be, but right now I think I need to take into account the feelings of the next of kin -- and some of them have said publicly that they aren't willing to accept it until they find hard evidence," Najib Razak told CNN's Richard Quest in an exclusive TV interview. Still, he said, it is "hard to imagine otherwise." Najib also announced that his government will release a preliminary report next week on the plane's disappearance. The report has already been submitted to the United Nations. A month ago, Najib announced that, based on satellite data from Inmarsat, investigators had determined the plane's "last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth. This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean." That same day, Malaysia Airlines sent a text to relatives of the passengers saying "we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those onboard survived." In the interview Thursday with CNN, Najib called it "a bizarre scenario which none of us could have contemplated." How could a plane that was supposed to head toward Beijing end up "half-way toward Antarctica?" he said. Najib said he repeatedly asked the investigators whether they were sure, "and their answer to me was, 'We are as sure as we can possibly be.'" Some relatives of those on board and analysts have criticized Malaysia's handling of the investigation, accusing the government of hiding or poorly communicating information. Asked whether his country had bungled the search, Najib stressed that authorities had faced an "unprecedented" situation that would have been a struggle for any country to handle. "Some of the things, we did well. We were very focused on searching for the plane. We didn't get our communications right, absolutely right, to begin with. But I think toward the later part, we got our act together," Najib said. "So I'm prepared to say that there are things we did well and things that we didn't do too well." That's one thing an investigation team will look at, he said. "We're prepared to look into it," he said, "and we're prepared for this investigation team to do its objective assessment." The night of the flight's disappearance, a military radar picked up a plane traveling across the Malaysian Peninsula. Najib said he believes there was someone monitoring the radar, "but the interpretation was done after the event." It was not known whether the plane was MH370, he said, and no planes were sent up to investigate "because it was deemed not to be hostile." It "behaved like a commercial airline, following a normal flight path," he said. The vanishing of Flight 370 is "very, very different" from the 1997 crash of a SilkAir flight and the 2009 loss of an Air France flight, Najib added. "This is totally unprecedented." There have been only "pings" and "handshakes" to go by, he said. "That we have analyzed. That is all we have." Families' next step: Demanding answers from Boeing . More than 45 days into the search, here come the lawyers . Flight 370 -- Families turn grief into action . CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | NEW: Malaysian Prime Minister: "There are things we did well and things that we didn't do too well"
"I need to take into account the feelings of the next of kin," PM Najib Razak says .
Investigators assured him of their conclusion, Najib says .
Najib believes someone monitored a military radar the night of the flight's disappearance . |
244,160 | c7fe34221a6ac449d44fe2e34e566d58aa3b74fd | Michael Schumacher has a team of 15 medical experts treating him at a special clinic built in the grounds of his mansion home in Switzerland, with wage bills and medical equipment rental costing more than an estimated £100,000 a week. The Lausanne rehabilitation clinic which Schumacher, 45, left two weeks ago to return home - 254 days after suffering catastrophic head injuries during a ski holiday - confirmed it has trained-up the experts now attempting to get the seven-times world champion to live a normal life. A spokesman for the clinic confirmed: 'A large part of the team that cares for Michael now was trained by our specialists. We are following his treatment and are still a point of contact and entirely at his disposal.' Scroll down for video . Michael Schumacher has a team of 15 medical experts treating him at a special clinic built in the grounds of his mansion home in Switzerland . Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm said last week he was not moving home because his medical condition had significantly changed. It is understood he remains mute and immobile with only periodic movements of his eyes. Experts call this the 'minimal consciousness' phase of a coma awakening. Schumacher was placed in an artificial coma on December 29 last year after smashing his head onto rocks while skiing at the French Alpine resort of Meribel. He remained in the coma for 159 days and was moved to Lausanne from the University Hospital of Grenoble just weeks ago. Manfred Spitzer, medical director at a specialist brain hospital in Germany, told the country's BILD newspaper: 'I do not know the condition of Michael Schumacher, but if it is stable, then the familiar surroundings of his home can certainly help for now. An aerial view of the property 'La Reserve', home of former German Formula One driver Michael Schumacher . The entrance of Schumacher's home, where a media scrum formed last week . 'Such emotional stimulation is very important for patients who have suffered a severe brain trauma.' Schumacher's father Rolf is moving from his home in Germany at the end of the year to live in a house built in the grounds of the £35million Gland mansion to be near his son. The Formula 1 legend's children Mick, 15, and Gina-Maria, 17, are said to spend hours every day at his bedside. There were so many journalists camped outside Schumacher's house on the shores of Lake Geneva last week that Swiss police were forced to move in and shield the property. A Russian TV crew was even reportedly trying to broadcast live from outside the house. The family has its own private security teams who patrol the house 24-hours a day, but the police intervened when some journalists strayed on to the grounds in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the former Formula One ace. Seven-times Formula One world champion Schumacher has not been home for almost nine months since embarking on a skiing holiday with his family in the French resort of Meribel. Seven-times Formula One world champion Schumacher pictured with his wife, Corinna . | Schumacher is recovering at his Lake Geneva home after a skiing accident .
He suffered a severe head injury while skiing in the French resort of Meribel .
He has spent much of the time since in a coma, following major operations .
Swiss police were forced to shield the property from journalists last week . |
286,640 | ff63d6c1119c32619abc458072bc681ffe84dffc | By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 02:14 EST, 14 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:15 EST, 14 December 2013 . Firefighters have not yet found what caused the tragic house fire in Orrick, Missouri that killed two small boys after their mother left them alone in the house while their father was sleeping. Roger Garrison, 3, and his brother Ashton Garrison, only 21-months, were trapped inside of their burning home just 35 miles Northeast of Kansas City. Randy Garrison awoke to hear his sons screaming at 11:30 am and the boys mother, Tammy Willis, was not home, he told Fox 4. A house in Orrick, Missouri burned to the ground on Tuesday killing two young children and injuring their father . Ashton Garrison was only 21-months when he died on Tuesday in a tragic fire of which the cause is still unknown . Roger Garrison,3, also died in the fire and was coincidentally named after his father's brother who died in a fire years ago . Garrison arrived home from work on Tuesday at 6 a.m. after working a 24-hour shift and went directly to bed. He saw the boys mother asleep with them on the couch. 'I Woke up hearing them screaming at the top of their lungs,' he said. 'Flames in my bedroom and flames in the hallway, flames through the whole house.' When Garrison smelled smoke he tried to burst through his bedroom hall and when he couldn't he ran into the hallway and tripped. Something may have been holding the door to his children's bedroom shut. 'I fell over a bungee cord or something that was holding their bedroom door shut,' he said. 'I ran out the back door around to the front, started ripping the sheeting off the house and trying to punch through that way and I couldn’t.' The Ray County Sheriffs Office asked for help from the patrol's drug and crime unit to investigate the case. They could not say whether or not something had been holding the door shut. Tammy Willis (left) and Randy Garrison(right) were not married but had two children together and lived together for the sake of their children . The home that burned down on Tuesday is entirely decimated and the cause of the fire in still unknown . Tammy's mother Marjorie Long claims that her daughter (right) pictured with her son Ashton, loved her children and would 'starve for them' Garrison was hospitalized for burns and blisters and was never able to make it through the fire to save his boys. Garrison claims he didn't know that the boy's mother was leaving. The couple were not married but lived together for the sake of the children. 'The mother was in the house whenever I went to sleep this morning,' he said. 'And I woke up to her not being here, but my kids were here. You’d think a parent would either wake up another adult in the house or take the kids with her.' Willis' mother Marjorie Long claims that the daughter woke Garrison. Long told Fox 4 that her daughter is in the hospital on heavy medication and deeply mourns the loss of her children. 'She was quite clearly upset,' Long said to KCTV. 'Several of the . firemen, police were holding her back because she was wanting to run . into the still burning remains of the house to get them,' she continued. Randy Garrison (right) picture with his two children is absolutely devastated that he was unable to save them from the flames . Even though Ashton's (pictured) and Roger's parents have identified their bodies, police are still running DNA to confirm the children's identities . The cause of death remains a mystery and so does the cause of the fire but Garrison thinks arson may have been involved in the death of his two sons . 'She is very loving, very caring. She puts her kids before anything else,' Long said. 'She would starve herself to make sure that the kids had food, to go without things she needed to make sure that they got what they needed,' Long continued. Long told reporters that their daughter is bi-polar. Garrison told reporters that his children were very important to him. 'They were my rock, everything I had in life,' Garrison said. 'The only reason I woke up everyday was for my boys.' 'What would go through your mind after hearing your kids scream bloody murder and basically watching them die in front of you?' he asked KCTV5. Investigators don't know what started the fire but Garrison told reporters, 'I'm still wondering if it's not arson.' Coincidentally, Garrison named one of . his sons Roger after his brother who died in a fire a few years ago. Mail Online spoke with Sgt. Collin Stosberg, a spokesperson for the Highway Patrol, who said that the case is still under investigation. Even though the parents have identified their children, officials will need to identify the boys DNA to confirm their identities. They are not releasing more information at this time but will issue a statement once they know more about the cause of the fire and the cause of death. | Roger Garrison, 3, and his brother Ashton Garrison, 21 months, died in a house fire on Tuesday while their farther Randy Garrison was sleeping and their mother was nowhere to be found .
The boys' mother is currently in the hospital on heavy medication but told her mother Marjorie Long that she woke the children's father before leaving the house .
Firefighters and investigators still do not know the cause of fire and even though the children's parents have identified the bodies, investigators will perform DNA testing .
Garrison says that he tried to get to his children's bedroom but that the door seemed to be propped shut with bungee cord .
'I'm still wondering if it's not arson,' Garrison told Kmbc.com .
Officers held Tammy back as she tried to go through the charred remains to find her dead children . |
73,104 | cf4f4d57ef4f6b83a2090e52c2556d9092d946a3 | The mansion of music industry guru Graham Hutchinson, has been sold for $8.2 million to a Chinese buyer years after it was first listed. The two acre Maryland avenue property at Carrara, on the Gold Coast in Queensland is a spectacular waterfront property, equip with seven bedrooms and six bathrooms. Offered as two lots, listed to buy both or one, the property includes a pool, pontoon, helipad and tennis court. 30-32 Maryland avenue, Carrara, owned by music industry guru Graham Hutchinson, sold for $8.2 million to a Chinese buyer . The prestigious property has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms and absolute water views . The ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring Australia and were in Queensland including Elton John and Fleetwood Mac . Critton Astras at Realty Special Projects confirmed it was sold to Prosper Holdings Pty Ltd, which is associated with Stanley Chan and while quoted as been sold for $7.16, he said it actually went for $8.2 million. He says the ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring Australia and were in Queensland. 'For the last 20 years, he's had Russian acts like the Russian ballet stay there, had celebrities like Fleetwood Mac, Elton John,' he said. 'It was known as the celebrity estate.' Mr Critton says the property, which was listed with a number of real estate agencies, has been on the market for around three years and has been kept in immaculate condition. The views are stunning at the Carrara property on the Gold Coast, and the property includes a pontoon, pool and even a helipad . Critton Astras at Realty Special Projects confirmed it was sold to Prosper Holdings Pty Ltd, which is associated with Stanley Chan . 'He kept it in show style and as the market picked up in the last 18 months, Graham was looking for the right buyer for his property which he believed was very unique,' he said. 'He was a very educated owner, he has a lot more knowledge than a lot of real estate agents in Queensland.' He believes the sale of property could be the second highest for 2014 behind 60 Admiralty Drive, Paradise Waters, which sold for $8.7 million, reported by the Gold Coast Bulletin. Mr Critton says about eight years ago, Graham purchased the run down property and in the last couple of years spent over $1 million redeveloping it. 'Graham moved to the Sunshine coast, he has two boys, family, grandchildren and he wanted to spend time with them,' he said. The Carrara property owned by music industry guru Graham Hutchinson had absolute water views . The ex national music promoter used the property primarily to house famous celebrities while they were touring Australia and were in Queensland including Elton John and Fleetwood Mac . The two acre property had a whopping seven bedrooms and six bathrooms as well as a pool, tennis court and pontoon out the back . 'Chinese buyers have been looking at properties in this area because it's close to amenities, safe, central, on the water and is large parcels of land.' 'The Chinese have a good eye and look at the value of the property and compare, they definitely know their markets in Sydney and Melbourne and also Brisbane.' It's believed there has suddenly been some movement in prestige properties in the area after several years of the market staying stagnant. The real estate agent says another Chinese buyer has just signed a contract for a $4.5 million property on similar acreage but on a smaller block in the area, but the house will most likely be knocked down and redeveloped. The Carrara property sold for $8.2 million to a Chinese investor has seven bedrooms . Critton Astras at Realty Special Projects says the Chinese have a good eye and look at the value of the property . Mr Critton says in the last two weeks he has also been contracted to sell a variety of villas, studios and eco cabins at the popular Couran Cove resort, on Stradbroke Island. The development by an American billionaire, which cost $150 million went into receivership two years ago and Brisbane businessman, Craig Dowling picked up the resort for a steal of less than $10 million. The last couple of years have been spent redeveloping the resort and a number of residences are now up for sale. 'Villas are from $200,000,' said Mr Critton, 'on the water, overlooking the marina.' 'You can only get there by boat but I've been contracted to market and sell them, which for that price you wouldn't be able to get land almost anywhere.' | Mansion of music industry guru Graham Hutchinson has sold for $8.2 million to a Chinese buyer .
The Carrara, Gold Coast property, has seven bedrooms, a pool, pontoon and helipad .
It was primarily used as a celebrity guest house, including the likes of Elton John and Fleetwood Mac .
Mr Hutchinson spent over $1 million redeveloping the property to immaculate condition . |
240,000 | c2b43758abec0a6fc1cab4c1218deed27b00040b | These images capture the breath-taking beauty of the British countryside enveloped in the early morning mist. From the rolling hills of Dorset to the eerily beautiful Exmoor in Somerset, sales manager Bob Small's series of photographs highlights the picturesque nature of the English country as the sun rises over endless hills and fields. And all it takes is a breath of fog over Somerset's Glastonbury Tor for it to transform into the legendary Isle of Avalon associated with King Arthur. Scroll down for video . Legendary: Glastonbury Tor, in Somerset, is topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower, and mentioned in many myths linked to King Arthur . Foggy: Photographer Bob Small says his pictures of a misty Glastonbury Tor bring the spirit of King Arthur's legend back to life . Misty: A cloud of fog and mist all but obsure the hills and fields leaving only the outline of Glastonbury Tor visible on the skyline . Dusk: At sunset, an orange sky and fog in the horizon highlight the silhouette of Glastonbury Tor, making it seem more like the Isle of Avalon . Picturesque: Fog blankets the Mendip Hills in Somerset, but in the foreground, a few settlements can be seen . Quiet: A cloud of dense mist covers a large stretch of the Mendip Hills in Exmoor, but a a large cluster of houses remains visible . Inspiring: Fog blankets haunting Exmoor in Somerset, which was the inspiration for novels including Lorna Doone by RD Blackmore . Beautiful: As the sun rises, streaks of sunlight fall over the rolling hills in Dorset creating a picture perfect for a postcard . Romantic: Slices of the British countryside, including worked fields can be seen between streaks of fog in the Mendip Hills in Exmoor . Dramatic: Gloomy skies and the rich greenery of the Mendip Hills scattered with dense trees captures the British countryside in all its glory . | From rolling hills of Dorset to beautiful Exmoor, Bob Small's photographs capture countryside in all its glory .
He says his pictures of Glastonbury Tor enveloped in fog bring the spirit of King Arthur's Isle of Avalon to life .
Avalon became associated with Glastonbury around 1190 when monks claimed to have discovered the body of the legendary king and his queen . |
118,387 | 24dbf2c19ee7cc859600a785c045aad3cc808c6d | (CNN) -- Pushpa Basnet, a Nepalese woman who supports children so they don't have to live behind bars with their incarcerated parents, was named the 2012 CNN Hero of the Year on Sunday night. Nepal is one of the poorest countries, and space is very limited in the few group homes affiliated with the government. So when a parent is incarcerated and no other guardian can be found, children have little choice but to live in prison as well. Basnet, 29, is determined to give these children another option. She started a home in Kathmandu where children can receive education, food, medical care and a chance to live a more normal life. She also runs a day care program for children who are too young to be separated from their parent. "These children have done nothing wrong. They are simply caught in something they do not understand," Basnet said during "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," which took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and honored her and the other top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012. "We want to work with the government to bring them all out from of prison. And they deserve a better future." Since 2005, Basnet has helped more than 140 children through her nonprofit, the Early Childhood Development Center. Basnet was chosen as Hero of the Year through a nine-week public vote held on CNN.com. For being named CNN Hero of the Year, she receives $250,000 to continue her work. That is in addition to the $50,000 that each of the top 10 Heroes are receiving. See the full story on Basnet here: . A lifeline for kids growing up in Nepal's prisons . | Pushpa Basnet supports kids in Nepal so they don't have to live behind bars with their parents .
Basnet was revealed Sunday night as the 2012 CNN Hero of the Year .
Catch the show again Saturday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET . |
98,732 | 0b26466380898156b3e1a252e42c4c73c95f84c8 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 06:19 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:00 EST, 2 October 2013 . Retired headmaster: Andrew Allen, 60, siphoned off the money from the bank accounts of his victim . A retired headmaster has been jailed for three and a half years after stealing £215,000 from an elderly woman who trusted him with her money. Andrew Allen, of Birstall, West Yorkshire, siphoned off the money from the bank accounts of victim Kathleen Steele, who was a life-long friend he knew through his local church. The 60-year-old Christian was granted power of attorney over her financial affairs in 2007 and began to abuse the trust placed in him, Leeds Crown Court was told yesterday. Over three years, Allen - who was headmaster of a primary school - made around 250 illegal transactions which included cash withdrawals, transferring money into his own account and making payments to loan companies. During the period of offending, married father-of-two Allen - who lived in a £240,000 house and was a senior steward and property secretary at Birstall Methodist Church - had also retired from teaching, receiving a lump sum pension payment of £60,000. His crimes came to light a month after Mrs Steele died in a nursing home in August 2010, aged 83. The solicitor responsible for her will's . execution went to police after he had a meeting with Allen and was . ‘astonished’ at how he had behaved. Allen pleaded guilty to three counts . of fraud. Christian: Andrew Allen was a senior steward and property secretary at Birstall Methodist Church (pictured) Prosecutor Sam Andrews told the court that investigators were unable to trace where the money went. The court heard a £400,000 High Court civil judgement had already been made against him. James Keeley, defending, said Allen’s offending was a result of ‘financial mismanagement’, adding: ‘There is no evidence of him having a champagne lifestyle. He is deeply ashamed of himself.’ Judge Christopher Batty said: ‘What I can’t understand is where it has all gone. Mismanagement doesn’t deal with it. It was spent. But spent on what? Certainly the public will never know.’ Home: During the period of offending, Andrew Allen, who lived on this road in Birstall, West Yorkshire in a £240,000 house, had also retired from teaching, receiving a lump sum pension payment of £60,000 . In a letter to the judge, Allen said: 'I have betrayed the trust of a woman who had only shown me kindness and love and I have earned my punishment.' 'I have betrayed the trust of a woman who had only shown me kindness and love and I have earned my punishment' Andrew Allen . Following his sentencing, a spokesman for Birstall Methodist Church told MailOnline: ‘Andrew Allen has pleaded guilty to a serious breach of trust concerning the financial affairs of a vulnerable elderly person and he must now accept the consequences of his actions. ‘When this matter first came to light, he resigned from his positions in the church. We have continued to give pastoral support to all those affected by this. We ask that people respect the privacy of all involved.' | Andrew Allen siphoned off money from Kathleen Steele's bank accounts .
She was life-long friend 60-year-old Christian knew through local church .
He made about 250 illegal transactions which included cash withdrawals .
Offences came to light after she died in a nursing home in 2010 aged 83 . |
10,731 | 1e7dcf42c8c89f655f16fff40e58a8025227680a | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 06:13 EST, 30 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:37 EST, 30 July 2013 . When it comes to incentivising weight loss and encouraging a healthy population, one apartment building in Asia thinks it has the answer. The Lady Share House B&D, an all-female residential facility in Osaka, Japan, have established a tenancy agreement whereby rent is set based on a person's fluctuating weight: the more weight you lose, the less rent you pay. And the reverse applies, too. Landlords now deduct 1,000 yen (£6.50) from rent for every 2.2lbs lost at the building's regular three-month weigh-ins... or add the same amount if the weight has been gained. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Weigh less, pay less: An all-female block of flats in Japan is incentivising weight loss by charging less rent to people who weigh less . This development comes in spite of 30 per cent of women in their twenties in Japan being underweight. Base rent at the Lady Share House B&D is determined by multiplying the renter's weight in kilograms by 1,000 yen, in addition to a 38,000 yen floor price, according to the Japanese news website Otaku Kokka. More... ICE CREAM for breakfast? Carl's Jr. launches Pop-Tart and vanilla scoop sandwich - containing half of daily sugar intake . Rise of the trophy HUSBAND: The high-flying women paying for their partners to get surgery - so that they will look better on their arm . Obese mother, 31, crippled by shyness, loses FIVE stone for the sake of her children - and then lands prize in bikini contest . The building has also opened an exercise studio equipped fitness equipments in order to help renters control and lose their weight. They also offer discounted beauty products, snacks and free lectures on weight management. Mari Kataoka, the enterprise administrator, told Associated Press the original goal was to create a supportive environment for overweight women looking to lose weight, but has attracted women with 'normal' body shapes who wish to be incentivised to stay in shape, according to the Huffington Post. Japan living: The building in Osaka has also opened an exercise studio equipped fitness equipments in order to help renters control and lose their weight (note: picture is stock photo of Japanese apartment block) 'Since the rent is lower if you lose weight, we thought overweight people would be coming to live here. Instead, we found that people who already have a great body come here and their goal is to maintain that physique,' she said. Speaking of why the two-dozen tenants are provided with unlimited snacks and sugary soft drinks, Ms Kataoka said it was not a scam to increase rents. She said: 'By having snacks at their disposal, we hope they will become more resistant to temptation. In this share house the residents have the same goals to lose weight, so it's easier not to give up.' | The Lady Share House B&D is a women-only residence in Osaka, Japan .
Rent lowered/raised by 1000 yen (£6.50) for every 2.2lb dropped/gained .
Residents are weighed every three months . |
226,320 | b10f5dcd7693dd6b140f8fbe7e5e42fd41e732f4 | The family of a blind woman who killed her healthy guide dog so it could be buried alongside her have suffered a hate campaign and received death threats, it was revealed today. Shelia Stadler, 68, from Terre Haute, Indiana, died of cancer with her five-year-old guide dog Toffee by her side last month. A few days later later her son Andy had the healthy dog put down so it could placed in Mrs Stadler's coffin to fulfil her dying wish. But the controversial decision to destroy the dog has provoked a huge backlash in the town with Mrs Stadler's son receiving death threats - and even suffering abuse from members of his own family. Heartbroken: Sheila Stadle apparently couldn't bear to part with her guide dog when she died . Faithful companion: Healthy five-year old Toffee was apparently put to sleep and buried at the request of his owner (file picture) 'How could they do it?' Gregory Reilly from the Honey Creek Animal Hospital was wrongly implicated as having put the dog down, and believes the decision to do so was questionable . Gregory Reilly, a veterinary assistant with the local Honey Creek Animal Hospital, said: 'It got totally out of control. The neighborhood was really angry. People were saying they should burn in hell. Terrible things were said. 'Mr Stadler told me he had received death threats and a member of his own family wrote on a Facebook page that she could not believe he had done it.' Mr Reilly was also caught up in the furore after being blamed wrongly for putting Toffee down. He said: 'We would never euthanise a dog - we simply find them a new home. All I did was try to find out whether what the Stadler's did was legal. 'It seems very morbid to me but unfortunately as the dog was their property, it was perfectly legal.' Mrs Stadler died on March 8, and had expressed a wish to her family that she should be buried with her beloved labrador Toffee. Her son Andrew, a tax accountant, then carried out her instructions after saying the dog had shown signs of mourning and 'wandered aimlessly' in the days after Mrs Stadler died. It is not known when Toffee was euthanized but the story first emerged on WTHITV, which stated: 'Shelia Stadler, 68, of Brazil, died March 8 at home with her service animal, Toffee, at her side. 'Days later, the Stadler family had Toffee, a perfectly healthy 5-year-old dog, euthanized, displayed in the coffin at Shelia’s visitation, and buried with her in Summit Lawn Cemetery right outside Brazil.' In mourning: DeBaun Funeral Homes and Crematory's obituary said that Toffee had been Sheila's 'constant companion for five years' It cited an obituary saying: 'She loved Toffee, her seeing-eye dog and constant companion for five years.' But when the report provoked a storm of criticism against Mrs Stadler's family, station boss Todd Webber withdrew the story from the website and refused to comment on the reasons why. Mr Reilly said: 'The family and the station have taken a lot of heat on this. There was a Facebook page with so much criticism on that they had to take it down.' The Dogs Trust said: 'There is never any reason to put a . healthy dog to sleep when it could be happily rehomed. 'We hope that . this sad story could never be repeated in the UK. Guide Dogs UK also made it . clear that this case was unacceptable. Oliver Barton, regional director, said: 'We would never condone this. Whatever happens, we would make sure that the dog was happy and cared for' Paying tribute to Mrs Stadler, the . DeBaun Funeral Home refused to comment on its involvement in displaying the euthanized dog but said that she had been a 'dedicated homemaker' whose . favourite book was the Bible. Mrs Stadler is not the only owner to request such a burial in recent years. NBC reported that Tom Tom, a healthy 2-year-old Yorkshire terrier was put down so that he could be buried with his owner, Donald Ellis from Arkansas. His sister said that she had 'a lot of grief for doing this, but it’s what my brother wanted.' Emily Kinney from Dallas, Texas told NBC that her grandmother asked for her Shih-tzu Sam to be buried in her coffin. She said that 'she wanted her best friend with her'. | Sheila Stadler requested healthy five-year-old Toffee be put down .
The guide dog was displayed in her coffin at the funeral viewing .
Family then receives death threats for destroying a health dog .
Funeral home said Toffee had been Stadler's 'constant companion' |
58,863 | a6f7ca18b13e1037bc11f539484a86920375020c | Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been dealt a blow in their chase for Sami Khedira's signature after the German World Cup winner revealed he is hoping to sign a new contract at Real Madrid. Khedira's current contract at the Champions League holders expires in the summer and clubs outside of Spain are free to offer him a deal from January 1 under the Bosman ruling. Khedira (left) playing against Cruz Azul last week and in training with Luka Modric and Gareth Bale (right) Khedira celebrates Germany's World Cup triumph after playing a pivotal role for . With the prospect of losing Khedira for nothing in the summer, Real have considered cashing in in January but the midfielder has told German newspaper Stuttgarter Nachrichten that he is hopeful of staying in Madrid. Asked if he wanted to stay at Real, Khedira said: 'If we can reach a solution, I’ll be very happy.' Khedira has struggled with injuries over the past season and a half and now has Luka Modric and Germany team-mate Toni Kroos ahead of him in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu. Khedira and real team-mate Toni Kroos celebrate after the latter scored in Germany's 7-1 demolition of Brazil . With Spanish youngsters Isco and Asier Illarramendi highly thought of by Real Khedira knows he has a fight on to get a game, but he says he is relishing the challenge. Khedira added: 'I’m confident that soon I will get more of a chance to play. There are other players in my position but that competition is healthy.' | Sami Khedira's Real Madrid contract expires next summer .
Khedira is free to talk to clubs outside of Spain from January 1 .
Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all interested .
German midfielder says he would be happy to sign new Real Madrid deal . |
27,924 | 4f21f09a4474db6548471d0a00af25b0e5aeec3d | By . Wills Robinson . A former Scotland Yard detective says the man wanted in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann wore a rare long-sleeve t-shirt designed by a beer company. Peter Bleksley, 54, a founding member of the Metropolitan Police's undercover unit, believes the 'pot-bellied' suspect had a shirt with a logo from the Portuguese drinks company Super Bock. The revelation comes a week before the seven anniversary of her disappearance from a Praia de Luz in the Algarve. He is said to have worn the distinctive burgundy shirt on two occasions in Vale . de Parra and Praia da Gale, with one witness saying the clothing had a white circle on it. Revelation: A former Scotland Yard detective believes he has discovered more details of the burgundy shirt (mock image right) that was said to be worn by a suspect linked with Madeleine's disappearance . The suspect has been linked with attacks on another five British girls and is said to have targeted 12 families in the region between 2004 and 2010. The victims – including a . ten-year-old molested in Praia da Luz – were sexually assaulted and . there was one ‘near miss’ when the intruder was disturbed in . neighbouring resorts. Police have received more than 500 calls about attacks that could be linked to the unidentified man, but the detail of the shirt's design could be a significant development in the search for the girl, who would now be 10-years old. The circular logo has the manufacturer's name on a maroon background and can be seen in bars and pubs around Portugal. Mr Bleksley told the Sunday Express: 'Some people have suggested it bore resemblance to a strip once worn by the Arsenal football team. Possible locations: A number of claims concering alleged attacks have been made along the southern coast of Algarve, many of them in resorts popular with British tourists . Struggle: Kate and Gerry McCann will mark the seventh anniversary of Maddie's disappearance this week . 'However, I think a more likely explanation could be that the man was wearing one of these Super Bock promotional t-shirts. Revelation: The Met previously released an image of the shirt which witnesses said the suspect could have been wearing . 'Therefore . it would be possible to check back on all the designs and the years . they were produced and see which one bears most similarity to that . witnessed by families. The suspect, who is said to have broken into the apartments of . five young girls to assault them believe he may be a local binman described as ‘smelly and pot-bellied’. The tanned, dark-haired man is suspected . of breaking into holiday properties where British families were staying . and sexually abusing five white British girls aged between seven and . 10, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said last month. The mystery man is also said to have ‘a vile interest in young, white, female children’. Since launching an appeal into other alleged attacks, six other British . families have come forward to report that their children aged six to 12 . fell victim to the offender over the same period. Scotland Yard are hoping to begin ‘operational activity’ on the . ground in Portugal, raising hopes that arrests could be imminent. The McCann family will mark the seventh anniversary of her disappearance this week. Her mother, Kate, will relive her heartache on Thursday during an interview with Lorraine Kelly. Madeleine would be ten-years-old, but her mother still believes she will be found. Hopes: Madeleine would now be ten-years-old and the increase in operational activity from Scotland Yard could lead to more arrests . A source close to Kate told The Daily Star on Sunday: 'She wants to speak from the heart to thank the public for their continued support over these seven difficult years and to viewers she still hopes Madeleine will be found. The couple's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said yesterday: 'There is lots of information that still needs to be checked and Kate and Gerry . Madeleine disappeared from her family’s . holiday apartment on May 3, 2007, as her parents Kate and Gerry dined at . a nearby restaurant. Scotland Yard declined to comment on the new allegations, but said anyone with information should call police on 020 7321 9251 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Police would not reveal what the operations will involve. Pictured, a street in Praia Da Luz where an Irish holiday maker and his wife claim they saw a mystery person with a child about the same time as Madeleine McCann disappeared in May 2007 . | Revelation comes a week before seventh anniversary of her disappearance .
Man was said to be wearing distinctive shirt on two occasions in Algarve .
Peter Bleksley believes burgundy shirt is designed with a Super Bock logo .
Suspect is also believed to be 'pot-bellied' and smells of alcohol .
Mystery man has been linked to attacks on five girls in the holiday resort . |
169,280 | 6705b86af8e12f967386c7301dc18ed790a319f0 | David Cameron and the Queen will not attend the inauguration of Pope Francis. There were suggestions that the move might be seen as a snub after Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner revealed that she had asked the pontiff to intervene in her country’s dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands. But a Downing Street spokesman said last night that the Prime Minister’s decision to send Cabinet ministers Baroness Warsi and Kenneth Clarke to the inauguration ‘is absolutely nothing to do with the Falklands’. Scroll down for video . Neither David Cameron (left) nor the Queen (centre) will make it to the inauguration of Pope Francis I (right . The Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner and Pope Francis I have been at odds before, most notably over the issue of gay marriage . The most senior British royal to attend will be the Duke of Gloucester. Miss Kirchner became the first . foreign head of state to meet the new Pope, formerly Archbishop of . Buenos Aires, at the Vatican City yesterday. Afterwards, she said: ‘I asked for . his intervention to avoid problems that could emerge from the . militarisation of Great Britain in the south Atlantic.’ The Vatican refused to comment, saying the meeting was ‘private and informal’. Miss Kirchner’s relationship with . Jorge Mario Bergoglio before he was elected Pope was toxic, as the pair . clashed over her government’s socially liberal policies. But after they exchanged . gifts, she said: ‘I was so happy he invited me to meet him and that I . got to eat his last lunch with him before he becomes Pope. And never . before has a Pope kissed me.’ After the Pope thanked Ms Kirchner for her presents, she exclaimed 'Never in my life has a Pope kissed me' A gift from home: Ms Kirchner presented the Pope with a traditional mate gourd and straw to drink tea from . Ms Kircnher also told reporters: 'I asked for his intervention on the question of the Malvinas. 'We want a dialogue and that's why we asked the Pope to intervene so that the dialogue is successful.' Earlier this month, the islanders . voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory. It is now . known how the Pope responded to Ms Kirchner, but before he was Pope he . has been quoted as saying that Britain had 'usurped' the islands from . Argentina. Ms Kirchner also presented the Pope with a mate gourd - a sort of traditional tea urn - and a straw, from . which he could drink his favourite Argentinian tea. Afterwards the Argentinian leader said the Pope had kissed her to thank her for the gift form his native country. Tomorrow world leaders will gather in . Rome to attend his installation Mass in St Peter's Square. A total of 130 delegations are due to . attend the Pope’s inaugural mass today, including one led by the . Zimbabwean despot Robert Mugabe. The feisty Argentinian premier arrived bearing gifts for the Pope, before asking for his help over the Falklands . The 76-year-old Pontiff, who was born in Buenos Aires, has previously clashed with the Argentinian premier over her socially liberal policies and with what he has called her government's 'totalitarianism'. Ms Kirchner and her predecessor and late husband, Nestor Kirchner, defied church teaching to push through sex education in schools, free contraception, and the right for transsexuals to change their official identities. In 2010 Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalise gay marriage, when the now-Pope was then Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. According to his biographer, he knew the church wouldn't win a fight against it, so he urged his bishops to lobby for gay civil unions instead. Seized her chance: The Argentinian President asked the Pope for help on the eve of his inauguration Mass in Rome . Cristina Kirchner, left, with the Pope, and US vice president Joe Biden, on the left with Italian PM Mario Monti . Banned from travelling in Europe in . protests at the human rights record in his southern African nation, the . 89-year-old is exempted for trips to the Vatican. In 2005, Mugabe joined world leaders at the funeral of Pope John II. US . vice president Joe Biden has also flown to Rome for tomorrow's Mass, . where he will represent the American delegation. Today he was . photographed reviewing the guard of honour at the Palazzo Chigi with the . outgoing Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti. After today's meeting between Francis I and Ms Kirchner, the two . Argentinians had lunch together - a meal that might have been awkward, . given their long history of disagreements. But when the bishops shot down his proposal, the Cardinal declared what gay activists called a 'war of God' on the measure, and the church lost the issue altogether. The chilly relations between the pair . became apparent a few years ago when Ms Kirchner and her late husband . stopped attending the church's annual Te Deum address challenging . society to do better. Souvenir makers have been busy as more than a million visitors are expected to see the new Pope in Rome . In last year's address, Bergoglio said . Argentina was being harmed by demagoguery, totalitarianism, corruption . and efforts to secure unlimited power: a strong message to a country . whose president has ruled by decree and left scandals unpunished. More recently, a degree of silence was noted on Ms Kirchner's normally-chatty Twitter account when the Argentinian was elected Pope last week. She posted just one Tweet all day, saying 'To your Holiness Francis I' and linking to her letter of congratulations, which wasn't even signed. Vatican-watchers said the choice of venue for today's meeting was unusual, given Francis has technically taken possession of the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, where such formal audiences are usually held. However he has conducted all of his audiences in the hotel to date, including with one with the Vatican secretary of state earlier today. Rows of chairs have been laid out ahead of tomorrow's Mass where Pope Francis I will be formally installed as leader of the Roman Catholic church . The Vatican said it planned no statement, describing the meeting as private and informal. The meeting with Ms Kirchner is just a warm-up for the new Pope, given the number of world heads descending on Rome for his installation Mass tomorrow. More than 120 official delegations will witness Francis I's formal installation as the 266th leader of the 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church. Italian media say Rome civil protection authorities are expecting more than a million people to attend the Mass, numbers not seen since the beatification of Pope John Paul II in 2011 which drew 1.5 million to St. Peter's and the surrounding streets. One significant VIP is the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. The new Pope's low-key style has been evident from the start: Here he waded into the crowd to meet people . His presence at the installation is the first from the Istanbud-based Patriarchate since the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches split in the Great Schism nearly 1,000 years ago. Also arriving in Rome today was Taiwanese President President Ma Ying-jeou, in what is a rare European foray for the head of the diplomatically isolated island that underscores the tricky nature of its relations with China and the Vatican. As he arrived in Italy he said: 'We want to have much better relations with the Vatican and I think we will.' The Taiwanese President said the new Pope was a 'wonderful person', adding: 'I think he'll do a very good job.' Taiwan has full diplomatic relations with only 23 countries, most of them in Latin America, Africa, and the south Pacific. Its only diplomatic ally in Europe is the Vatican, though even that tie remains tenuous. The Vatican has long expressed a willingness to transfer its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, though it has made that conditional on China allowing its Catholics to worship freely, without Communist Party restrictions. China has congratulated the new pope on his election, but said that establishing formal relations would depend on the Vatican cutting ties with Taipei and ceasing activities Beijing considers interference in its internal affairs. Pope Francis' informal style got the better of him when he telephoned a Vatican receptionist directly and was told: 'And I'm Napoleon.' The new pope, according to Croatian religious website Bitno.net, had announced himself when he called a Jesuit residence in Rome on Friday and got through to the switchboard. He had been trying to contact Adolfo Nicolas, the superior general of the Pope's old Jesuit order. But the baffled receptionist - identified only as Andreas - thought someone was playing a trick on him and quipped back: 'Oh yes? And I'm Napoleon.' His holiness eventually got through, after managing to convince the receptionist he was genuine saying: 'I really am Pope Francis.' One Vatican expert explained: 'You can't really blame the poor man. No other pope would have picked up a telephone to make their own calls. An official usually calls a secretary who places the call. 'The receptionist is extremely distraught but I think the new pope has a good sense of humour and will laugh it off,' they added. | David Cameron and the Queen won't attend the installation Mass .
Seen as a snub after Kirchner approached the Pope about the Falklands .
Request came at Pope Francis' first meeting with head of state today .
He and Cristina Kirchner have history of spats over her liberal policies .
Also arriving in Rome today was Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, 89 .
World leaders arriving for tomorrow's formal installation Mass of new Pope . |
195,974 | 899feafa707844e05ee0d096d1dba4c6e5b18cff | It is still seen as a carefree time of innovation, peace, fashion and great music. So it is no surprise that the Sixties has been chosen as the best decade in history. One third of Britons say they would rather be living in the Swinging Sixties than in today’s trouble-torn world, saying it was an ‘age of change for the better’. Carnaby Street, 1968: One third of Britons say they would rather be living in the Swinging Sixties . Ironically, though, the majority of the 2,000 people aged 18 to 60 who were polled are far too young to remember the era. Two thirds said there was ‘greater optimism’ in the Sixties than today, despite the Cold War tensions of the time. Only 17 per cent said they would prefer to be living in the Seventies and 10 per cent chose the Fifties. The Sixties topped the poll in every category, from memorable events to music and films. Asked to pick their top three ‘defining moments’ of the decade, 63 per cent chose Neil Armstrong becoming the first man on the moon in 1969 followed by the assassination of President John F Kennedy in 1963 and the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King. The events, all of which occurred in the US, beat England winning the World Cup in 1966, chosen by 47 per cent, and The Beatles cutting their first single in 1962. When it came to naming the best Sixties record, The Beatles took four of the top five places with She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love, I Want To Hold Your Hand and We Can Work It Out, with Elvis Presley’s It’s Now Or Never at number four. The best movie was Mary Poppins, beating The Sound Of Music, Psycho, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid and Doctor Zhivago. Marilyn Monroe was voted the decade’s greatest female icon, with Elvis Presley greatest male icon. The poll was conducted to mark the start of a ten-part documentary series, The Sixties, on the Yesterday TV channel tonight. Adrian Wills, general manager of Yesterday, said: ‘Regardless of whether we were around in the 1960s or not, Brits tend to have a real sense of nostalgia when it comes to the music and the history surrounding that era. 'Few decades have had the breadth of impact. The events of that period transformed the world.’ | Two thirds said there was ‘greater optimism’ in the Sixties than today .
Only 17 per cent said they would prefer to be living in the Seventies .
Ironically, majority of respondents were far too young to remember the era . |
150,766 | 4eec206f5bd0785068305a8da2e5c81cedde301b | (CNN) -- It looks like New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady underestimated Buffalo when he took a jab at the upstate New York city's hotels Wednesday. The insult came as Brady was praising his father, Tom Brady Sr., for his dedication to his son's career. The elder Brady travels all over the country to watch his son play. "I don't know if any of you guys have ever been to the hotels in Buffalo, but they're not the nicest places in the world," the younger Brady said. Brady has apologized for insulting the area's lodging options during a pre-Super Bowl press conference, according to The Buffalo News. But not before the city's hotels and tourism officials went on the offensive. "Tom Brady comes to Buffalo once a year, and to pass judgment like that I think is just irresponsible at best," Bryan Drew, general manager of Embassy Suites, told CNN affiliate WIVB. "We've got some great hotels, especially here downtown." The local tourism organization, Visit Buffalo Niagara, also took issue with Brady's slam. "Buffalo Niagara is filled with excellent hotel options to meet the needs of the most refined travelers," said Ed Healy, vice president of marketing. "P.S. - go Giants!" Healy mentioned the historic Roycroft Inn in East Aurora and The Mansion on Delaware Avenue as examples of the area's upscale properties. The Mansion's owner, Geno Principe, offered Brady and his family a free night at the hotel in response to the dig at Buffalo. Buffalo News sports columnist Jerry Sullivan spoke with Brady about the offer from the elite hotel. "I appreciate that," Brady responded, then said, "I apologize for saying that." The offer of a free night wasn't the most popular move among some of the posters on The Mansion's Facebook page. "Tom Brady, a free night? Why? He's an insulting, pompous (fill in the blank)," wrote Kathy Dembek-Licata. The Mansion said on its Facebook page that it's "having a bit of fun" with the incident, using it to promote the Buffalo area. "Tom Brady is an exceptional athlete and, much like the Patriots, The Mansion also strives for excellence!" | Tom Brady said Buffalo hotels "not the nicest places in the world"
"I apologize for saying that," Brady told local sports columnist .
Hotels and tourism officials spoke out in defense of the city's lodging options . |
40,838 | 732a4432cf1f1d6b0cb7a1e1779680f4318fbcfd | Everton expect to formally announce the signing of Christian Atsu from Chelsea on loan on Monday but their discussions with Anderlecht over teenage forward David Henen have hit an impasse. Henen tweeted: 'I hope I can announce some good news later this week but if there's no agreement I wont sign for EFC'. Henen has been training with Everton ahead of a proposed £2m transfer. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Roberto Martinez: Everton need to sign a few players . Toffee: Everton have agreed a season loan with Chelsea for Christian Atsu . No agreement: Talks have stalled between Everton and Anderlecht over Belgian striker David Henen . Atsu meanwhile could be the winger Roberto Martinez has craved this summer. Gerard Deulofeu was a hit on loan last season but has returned to Barcelona, and Atsu's performances at the World Cup with Ghana suggest he could shine at Goodison Park. The 22-year-old impressed on loan at Vitesse last year following his move to Chelsea from Porto. | Everton have promised Atsu game-time at Goodison Park .
Ghanian impressed at World Cup and with Vitesse last year .
Henen tweets that if there's no agreement he won't sign for Everton . |
67,795 | c04f18b40c23188a27e8202758c7cad4da26fda8 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:17 EST, 1 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:17 EST, 1 November 2012 . A mother is facing a desperate wait for a heart to become available for her baby girl who will die without a transplant. Miley Turbitt is at the top of the European transplant list after being diagnosed with the most severe form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is a condition rarely seen in babies, which has caused her heart muscle to thicken and prevent it pumping blood around the body. The 12-week-old is currently fighting for survival at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle while mother Sharon Eckert keeps watch by her bedside. Waiting: Sharon with her desperately ill daughter Miley. She hopes every day for a call to say an organ has been found . She is being kept alive with the help of a life-support machine, which carries out the functions that her heart should. If a donor is not found soon, medics at the Freeman fear she will die.Sharon and father Joseph Turbit, are living in hope that they will receive the call from anywhere across the continent to inform them that a donor has been found. Full-time mother Sharon, 38, said: 'We all feel totally helpless. I am here every day and there is nothing I can do to help her and it is worst feeling in the world. 'Every day we are hoping and praying we will get the phone call we want to let us know that a heart has been found for her. This is the only thing that is going to help her now. 'It is really hard for all of us, especially Joseph, as he has had to return to work, but we are all just trying to stay positive for her.' Miley Turbitt was diagnosed with a condition which has caused her heart muscle to thicken and prevent it pumping blood around the body . Mr Turbitt, 52, an electrician, is working away, but phones the hospital every day to check on his daughter’s progress. Doctors first discovered something was wrong when Sharon attended for her 34-week pregnancy scan. When Miley was born at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Hospital, she was transferred straight to the Freeman, where she was monitored for two weeks before being allowed home. Mother-of-three Sharon, of South Shields, South Tyneside, also has five-year-old son, Cole, and 19-year-old daughter Yasmin. She added: 'Because the condition is so rare in babies, no one quite knew what was going to happen. 'But when she was born, she did the opposite of everything doctors thought would happen. 'She was eventually allowed home and she was doing really well. 'But then she was brought back to the hospital a few times, as she was not gaining weight or feeding properly, then things started to get worse. 'I was having to wake her up for feeds and she was sleeping more and more, and she wasn’t looking a healthy colour.' For the past month, Miley has been wired up to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to provide cardiac and respiratory support. Sharon said: 'This time when I brought her in, they decided to keep her in and she underwent an operation to remove some of the muscle from around the heart, but her heart went into failure, and she has been on life support ever since. 'It will be four weeks today she was placed on the machine, and all we can do is sit and wait, and pray a donor will be found in time.' Dr Richard Kirk, a consultant paediatric cardiologist and transplant physician at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, said: 'This is a condition that is very rare in babies. 'It is so rare, I have only come across a case of this severity once before in my life. 'Miley is being kept alive by an ECMO machine, which has taken over the function of her heart. All we can do now is wait for a donor to come forward. 'But if we do not get one in time, she will not make it.' Miley is at the top of the European transplant list . Dr Kirk told how the hospital receives two to three offers of a heart per year and has sent out the alert across the continent in the bid to save Miley’s life. He added: 'We know when a child dies, it is extremely difficult for parents, and it is even more difficult to ask a parent to then donate their children’s organise. 'But cases like Miley show how vital it is for families to seriously consider organ donation and for people to sign up to the donor register.' Sharon has made a plea for families to sign up to the donor register and help save a life. She said: 'I will be honest, until we have found ourselves in this position, I hadn’t thought too much about organ donation. 'It is such a hard thing to think about for a parent when your child has died, but now we are on the receiving end, we see how important this is. 'It is a really hard situation for us to be in, as we are so desperate for a heart to be found for Miley - but we know for a heart to be found, a baby has died.' Dr Kirk echoed her message saying: 'I would encourage everyone to speak to their families about organ donation, so that everyone knows their wishes.' | Miley suffers from a rare heart condition that stops it pumping blood around the body properly .
If a donor isn't found soon she will die .
Her mother has made a plea for families to sign up to the donor register and help save a life . |
161,056 | 5c3400755f16644a511a550a9cf8c9f65855ca14 | Be your best you: Louise Roe, pictured at a Golden Globes afterparty, says many of the women she made over on Style By Jury had lost confidence . I’ve always been fascinated by the power of a first impression. When you walk into an interview, a meeting, to a first date, or even just down the street – statistically you’re judged by others within eight seconds. Eight seconds. That’s fast, and brutal. It would be great if those around us didn’t make assumptions based on appearance, but the harsh reality is, almost everyone does. So, it’s important to give yourself the best chance: to give your outfit some thought and make that first impression count. Clothes and make-up are certainly not as important as what’s on the inside, but I believe they should at least reflect a person’s best qualities. Many of the women I made over on Style By Jury were selling themselves short. They were funny, intelligent, kind and generous, but they had lost their way and their confidence, and it showed in the way they projected themselves – dressing like they’d given up and couldn’t care less. It’s not about spending a fortune on new clothes or having your hair blown out every day, but making small changes – figuring out the silhouette that flatters your figure best; wearing brighter color to express your personality; trying a little makeup to give your skin a glow; having fun with accessories. Preston [Konrad, Louise's co-host] and I are all about giving tips to help women watching the show find their very own style, to make the very best first impression possible. And we had fun doing it! Take Sloane, for example, the lovely lady you see in this video clip. She's a dedicated mom, sparky, hilarious and full of life. The kind of woman that, after five minutes chatting with her, you want to open a bottle of wine with and laugh all night. Her story is like so many other women: after years running around after her kids, with a full time job, she multi-tasks from dawn til dusk and puts herself at the end of a very long priority list. Sloane just didn't see herself as important enough to shine anymore, or to turn heads when she walked into a room. Emotional: Sloane sheds a tear when she hears what the jury has to say about her appearance . The comments our secret jury made about her when she first walked into the room, were honest and raw, and of course, upsetting. It was a horrible moment for Sloane to hear strangers' first impressions, but it was also a defining, pivotal moment that lead her to make a big change. Preston and I taught Sloane about body shape, how to wear print, how to wear comfy heels (yes I promise they exist!) and how to fix her hair so it didn't look like a messy mushroom (her words, not mine). Turning point: Louise says it was a horrible moment for Sloane to hear strangers' first impressions, but it was also a defining, pivotal moment that lead her to make a big change . Brutal: Louise's co-host Preston Konrad (far left) seen with the jury shortly before they deliver their verdicts . When her daughter and best friend saw the final result, well I won't ruin the surprise, but let's just say there was a new person, inside and out, standing before them. Making a good first impression is a mindset just as much as an outfit. If you feel confident on the inside, it radiates on the outside. Top that off with a well-fitting, attention-grabbing look, and I'm not exaggerating when I say the world is your oyster. Style By Jury premiers February 20th on TLC. For more fashion tips and advice from Louise Roe, follow her on Instagram. | Louise Roe and Preston Konrad are the hosts of new TV show Style By Jury, which premiers on TLC on February 20th .
A clip from the first episode shows one woman, Sloane, breaking down in tears as she hears the jury's verdict on her appearance . |
167,472 | 64997d0e297b656916afd0f1a456d23918a942ae | Formula milk needs to be reformulated – for boys and girls. Researcher Katie Hinde said just as we produce different deodorants for men and women, we should consider making gender-specific formula milk. Dr Hinde also said that as breast milk varies so much from woman to woman, in some cases supplementing with formula may be better for the baby. Formula milk should be reformulated to be gender-specific, says Dr Katie Hinde, from Harvard University . She spoke out after showing that nursing monkeys make different milk for boys and girls. Milk for male babies is fattier and higher in protein and the milk made for the firstborn male is particularly rich. In contrast, the milk for female babies is less rich but there is more of it. It is also higher in bone-building calcium. The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference also heard that the few humans studies carried out have had mixed results. But some have also hinted at sex-specific differences. There are also differences in the way the sexes respond to breast milk. Dr Hinde, of Harvard University in the U.S., has shown male and female monkeys respond to the stress hormone cortisol in different ways. And work on human babies found that girls, but not boys, get more fractious if their mother’s milk is high in cortisol. Dr Hinde says some women produce such poor quality breast milk their babies would be better off with formula milk. As a result, she says it's important women are not made to feel guilty if they don't breastfeed . However, in rat studies at least, this has long term benefits, with the animals actually better at coping with stressful situations than others. Research also shows that the quality of breast milk varies greatly from woman to woman, with different amounts of vitamins, minerals, sugars, fats and other nutrients. In some cases, the quality is so low that formula may be better. However, women are made to feel guilty if they don’t breastfeed, said Dr Hinde. Calling for more research on sex-specific formula milk, she said: ‘Public health would be aided if greater attention was paid to this. ‘We have good reasons to be sceptical of a one-size-fits-all formula milk.’ | Dr Katie Hinde, from Harvard, says formula milk could be gender-specific .
She says monkeys produce milk that is fattier and higher in protein for male infant monkeys and milk that is higher in calcium for females . |
222,384 | abdd284ee6b6d3a76caa2cc4e80a3a40d5ea373e | Angel di Maria scored on his Manchester United home debut as Louis van Gaal's side thrashed QPR 4-0 at Old Trafford. First-half goals from Di Maria, as well as Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney put the hosts in the ascendancy before Juan Mata added gloss to the scoreline in the second half. Radamel Falcao also came off the bench to make his debut for the Red Devils as they romped to victory over Harry Redknapp's side. Here, Sportsmail's Chris Wheeler gives his verdict on the performance of both sets of players. Angel Di Maria's free-kick flies into the bottom right corner as Manchester United take the lead against QPR . Manchester United (4-4-2) DAVID DE GEA – First-half mistake nearly proved costly but the Spaniard made amends with a couple of smart saves 6. RAFAEL – The Brazilian looked fired up and determined to prove a point following speculation that he could be on his way 6.5. JONNY EVANS – Far more comfortable in a four-man defence and produced a fantastic block to deny Phillips an open goal in the first half 6.5. TYLER BLACKETT – Amid the big-money arrivals at United, the homegrown youngster continues to blend in comfortably and capable 6.5. MARCOS ROJO – Quieter debut at left back than United’s other new boys but dealt with everything that came his way. There will be sterner tests than this 6. Marcos Rojo takes control of the ball for Manchester United during their 4-0 win against QPR . DALEY BLIND – He prefers a midfield holding role to left back and showed why. Looked comfortable from the start. No fuss, no problem for the Dutchman 7. Daley Blind looks to get Manchester United on the attack during their thrashing of QPR . ANDER HERRERA – Poor distribution early on but grew into the game and excelled after that, scoring the second and having a hand in the third. 7. Ander Herrera's precise drive doubled Manchester United's lead against QPR . Ander Herrera is understandably delighted after scoring his first Manchester United goal to put them 1-0 up . JUAN MATA – Some questioned whether he would have a place in the new order, but played well behind the two strikers and weighed in with a goal. 6.5. Juan Mata finishes brilliantly from close range to put Manchester United further ahead . Juan Mata turns away to celebrate after making it 4-0 to Manchester United . ANGEL DI MARIA – Has there been a better home debut at Old Trafford than this since Rooney’s hat-trick against Fenerbahce in 2004? Scored one, had a hand in three more. Outstanding 8.5. Angel di Maria celebrates scoring his first goal for Manchester United on his home debut against QPR . Angel di Maria produced a classy performance on his Manchester United debut against QPR . WAYNE ROONEY – He’s no longer the lone star at United but still showed his worth with a well-taken strike to make it 3-0 and put the game beyond QPR 7. Wayne Rooney fires home emphatically to put Manchester United 3-0 up before half-time . Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring Manchester United's third goal of the game . ROBIN VAN PERSIE – Still not at the top of his game amid concerns that he might still be hampered by old knee problems. Booked for a poor challenge 5.5 . SUBS: Shaw, Falcao (for Mata 67, 5.5), Januzaj (for Di Maria 82), Lindegaard, Fletcher, Valencia (for Rafael 67, 6), Pereira. SUBS NOT USED: Shaw, Lindegaard, Fletcher, Pereira. SCORERS: Di Maria 24, Herrera 36, Rooney 44, Mata 58 . Falcao made his first appearance for Manchester United when coming off the bench in place of Juan Mata . QPR (4-3-3) ROB GREEN – Could possibly have done better with the first goal but couldn’t be faulted for the others and kept the score down 6.5 . MAURICIO ISLA – Had the misfortune to come up against Di Maria on a day when the most expensive player in the history of British football was simply on fire 5 . STEVEN CAULKER – Tried to stem the tide but wasn’t nearly tight enough on Rooney when he fired in the third goal from the edge of the box 5.5 . RIO FERDINAND – Probably cursing his luck that his return to United didn’t come a couple of weeks earlier. He’s been on the other side of these results enough times at Old Trafford 5.5. Rio Ferdinand endured an unhappy return back at Old Trafford as his QPR side were thrashed . CLINT HILL – Looked to be struggling in the first half in every sense, and was subbed at the interval 5. SANDRO – Worked hard in a holding role in front of the back four, but there could have been four of him and they would still have struggled to contain United 6. Sandro had a frustrating debut for QPR as they were thrashed at Manchester United . Sandro's afternoon went from bad to worse as he went off injured on his QPR debut . MATT PHILLIPS – Had the best chance to equalise after De Gea’s error in the first half but didn’t take it and there was only going to be one result after that 6. LEROY FER – Worked hard in the centre of midfield in very difficult circumstances. They won’t come any harder than this 5.5. NIKO KRANJCAR – Had a chance to pull a goal back early in the second half but his effort was well saved by De Gea 6. Niko Kranjcar, seen holding off Ander Herrera, made his first appearance of the season for QPR . JUNIOR HOILETT – Starved of possession and had very little opportunity to make an impact on the game 5.5. CHARLIE AUSTIN – Thankless task ploughing that lone furrow up front and the former Burnley man was finally given a breather 14 minutes after half-time 6. Charlie Austin struggled to make an impact for QPR in the lone role upfront . VIDEO We were unlucky - Redknapp . SUBS: McCarthy, Traore (for Hill 46, 6), Onuoha, Henry (for Sandro 74, 6), Vargas (for Austin 59, 5.5), Zamora, Taarabt . SUBS NOT USED: McCarthy, Onuoha, Zamora, Taarabt. STAR MAN: Angel di Maria . REFEREE: Phil Dowd . ATTENDANCE: 75,355 . You can like our Manchester United dedicated Facebook page by clicking here . | Angel di Maria scored on his Manchester United Old Trafford debut .
Ander Herrera, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata were also on target .
Radamel Falcao made his debut for Manchester United .
QPR were beaten 4-0 for the second consecutive away league game .
Sandro made his debut for the R's but went off injured in the second half .
Eduardo Vargas also made his first appearance for QPR as a substitute . |
24,385 | 45343d7088a7be7d927c301fd7fde24fafc107d6 | Police have taken cadaver dogs to search sand hills on the NSW Central Coast after they received fresh leads on a man who disappeared 18 years ago in mysterious circumstances, . Ronald Penn, a 61-year-old railway worker, vanished from his Bateau Bay house on October 12, 1995, a short time before he was due to give evidence in court on a violence case. Two weeks after his disappearance, Mr Penn's white Mazda van was found burnt-out in nearby bushland. 18 year old mystery: Ronald Penn, 61, disappeared from his Bateau Bay home on the NSW Central Coast in 1995 and although police believed he was murdered his body has never been found . Fresh clues: After receiving a new lead police took a cadaver dog to the sandhills at Tuggerah Lakes to search for the body of railway worker Ronald Penn who vanished shortly before he was due to give evidence in a violence case . Sighting: A witness has come forward and told police that two indigenous men and a a Caucasian man were seen leaving the site of a burning Mazda van in the bushland area where missing Ronald Penn's burnt out vehicle was found 18 years ago . After receiving fresh information last month, police began a search of sand hills in the Tuggerah Lakes area. Detectives from Strike Force Rankmore, which was formed to investigate Mr Penn’s disappearance, have interviewed a witness who said three men may have been in the near vicinity of Mr Penn’s car shortly after it was set alight around 10pm on October 27, 1995. The witness described two of the men as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander appearance, and a third man as Caucasian. All three were seen leaving the scene of the burning Mazda van in a red Ford Laser hatchback. Detectives also received information suggesting Mr Penn’s body may be buried in the sand hills where they commenced their search with a cadaver dog. Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command crime manager, Detective Inspector David Waddell, said his detectives would continue their inquiries in the ensuing days and weeks. 'We are absolutely committed to solving this case and putting those responsible for Mr Penn’s death behind bars,' Inspector Waddell said. 'Mr Penn’s family and friends have suffered for far too long; they need to know what happened to Ron. 'The information and support we have received from members of the community has been invaluable, and we are very grateful for the help they have provided. 'If there is anyone else out there who can assist detectives, please do get in touch. We don’t need to know who you are; all we need is the information you have to hand. You can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously and your call will be treated in the strictest of confidence.' Investigations have revealed Mr Penn had his clothes and personal belongings with him when he vanished. None of his bank accounts have been accessed and his driver’s licence has not been renewed since he went missing. In a separate case, police divers in central Queensland are preparing to search for the remains of a couple who have been missing, believed murdered, for more than a year. Acting on a public tip-off, the divers will search Lake Awoonga near Gladstone for the remains of Chantal Barnett and Robert Martinez. Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Moon says the Rockhampton couple were last seen in late February or early March last year. Police believe they were murdered. Detective Moon called for anyone with information about the whereabouts of Ms Barnett and Mr Martinez to come forward. 'We are very confident that people residing in Rockhampton know what happened to Robert and Chantal,' he said in a statement. 'Regardless of how trivial you think the information might be, please come forward and speak with police.' | Police cadaver dogs have searched for body of missing Ronald Penn .
The 61-year-old disappeared in mysterious circumstances 18 years ago .
Police now acting on fresh clues three men murdered the railway worker .
Witness saw the men leaving Penn's burning Mazda van in 1995 .
Penn had been due in court to give evidence in a violence case . |
149,125 | 4cd2962130c5cf8c915bbf2c4ec98cacb7fc7f37 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:11 EST, 10 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:58 EST, 10 September 2012 . A sister is testing the bounds of sibling sacrifice - she is a surrogate for her brother and sister-in-law by carrying their twin sons. Tiffany Burke volunteered to give birth to children for her brother after his wife had to undergo an emergency hysterectomy. Mrs Burke's sister-in-law Natalie Lucich, who is married to Mrs Burke's brother James, had to have her uterus removed immediately after giving birth to her son Hunter. Modern family: Tiffany Burke (center left) is the sister of James Lucich (right) and she told her sister-in-law Natalie (center right) that she would serve as a surrogate. Tiffany's husband Sean (left) signed off as well . Growing: Natalie (right) had an emergency hysterectomy while giving birth to her son Hunter (center right) and afterwards Tiffany (center left) offered to serve as the couple's surrogate when they wanted to have more children . After Hunter's delivery, doctors could not stem the bleeding and had to remove the womb. In the weeks immediately following the operation, Natalie told CNN that she was increasingly saddened - though understanding that the life-saving move had to be done - that she would not be able to fulfil her dream of having three children naturally. When she voiced these complaints to her sister-in-law, who herself was a mother of two, Natalie said that perhaps they would use a surrogate. 'Honestly, I was pissed!' Tiffany wrote on her blog that she used to chronicle the family's unusual story. 'What if the surrogate drank, or smoked, or threw herself down the stairs! How do you trust someone like that with your baby! No way, no WAY!' Without a moment's hesitation, she offered to serve as the surrogate for her brother and sister-in-law, and after several months of discussions between the Lucichs and Burke and her husband, all of the parties agreed and began the biological and legal processes associated with surrogacy. The Washington-based relatives used fertility center Seattle Reproductive Medicine to help them take Natalie's conveniently frozen eggs and her husband's sperm to create two embryos. Supportive: Tiffany, who has two sons of her own including her youngest named Blake (right), said that her family has all signed off . Controversial choice: Even though James and Tiffany were both adopted, the Lucichs (pictured) did not feel comfortable doing so when they wanted to expand their family . Two rounds with two embryos apiece resulted in Tiffany eventually being impregnated with the twins. By documenting their journey explicitly on their blog and speaking to CNN, the group have tried to dispel common questions about the increasingly popular practice. Given the fact that Tiffany and James are siblings, the question of incest comes up frequently but that is one that they are quick to shoot down. 'This is in no way shape or form incest. Tiffany's eggs are dormant during inception, and not used in this process. The embryos are already embryos - the start of life - before even being put in Tiffany. They are 100% James and Natalie's. Tiffany is truly just the carrier, the oven if you will,' she wrote on the blog. 'As an interesting side note, our situation is even more different since James and Tiffany were both adopted at birth, from different birth parents. They are not even blood related although it would not matter if they were. Tiffany would have done this for her biological brother as well. This is no different than a sister carrying for a sister.' Another question that bothers Tiffany is why the couple went through the process of having another child if they already had a healthy baby boy, and on top of that, why not adopt? 'Our family is very pro adoption since James, Tiffany and another one of their siblings, Jonathan, are all adopted. The process for adoption is similar to surrogacy, long and hard and expensive,' she wrote. 'When my husband and I told everyone we wanted to have another baby, no one said, "You already have a child, you should be grateful for that." We conceived naturally and no one batted an eye, our second son was welcome with open arms and no judgement. So why is this any different?' | Tiffany Burke, mother of two, offered to be the surrogate for her sister-in-law Natalie Lucich, who is married to Burke's brother James .
Natalie had to have emergency hysterectomy after giving birth to her son .
By having her uterus removed, she could no longer have children naturally .
James' sperm and Natalie's egg were used in conceiving the twins . |
75,287 | d57852339ee1ef0c1dc690835af8f0c94256651d | By . Jessica Jerreat . PUBLISHED: . 18:25 EST, 11 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:39 EST, 12 September 2013 . Wanted: Police are trying to identify this man, believed to be linked to the disappearance of Brittany . Massachusetts police are urgently searching for a man believed to be linked to the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl. Brittany Thompson, who is developmentally delayed, was last seen leaving a library on Monday afternoon with the man pictured below. It is believed Brittany could be in danger after disappearing with the stranger, who was wearing a 'Fear the Reaper' T-Shirt. In an emotional appeal, her mother, . Maureen Thompson, said: 'Whoever you are, could you please just bring . her home to us today. I want her to sleep in her own bed tonight.' The . 5ft 6in teenager, who has learning difficulties that make it hard for her to make safe decisions, was last seen wearing a red sleeveless . top, blue jeans and flip flops, NECN reported. Her parents said the teenager often studied at the Medfield library where she was last seen, and does not have a cell phone. Mrs . Thompson described Brittany as being 'not emotionally a teenager', . adding that she had trouble making friends and often found it easier to . contact people on the internet, according to Boston.com. Currently, her disappearance is not being treated as an abduction, and police Chief Meaney said they suspect Brittany met the man online. 'Both of them appeared to know each other,' he said, adding that she appeared to leave the library voluntarily with him at 4.25pm on Monday. Missing: Brittany, 17, was last seen in a Massachusetts library where she studies, on Monday afternoon . Brittany's father, Michael, pleaded with his daughter to get in touch, adding: 'Our daughter Brittany is a very loving, caring, trusting 17-year-old girl. She loves music, she loves kittens, she loves eating out.' The man she was last seen with is described as being white, heavy set and with slicked back hair. He was last seen wearing a Sons of Anarchy T-Shirt with the words Fear the Reaper on it. Anyone with information is asked to call Massachusetts State Police on (508) 820-2121. | Parents plea for 17-year-old to return home after disappearing at library .
Brittany Thompson described as being developmentally delayed . |
192,975 | 85da2e91bfa3132a65eda78c4b1744e6835be581 | By . Ted Thornhill . The family of a known sleepwalker found injured and freezing to death on a hotel roof criticised colleagues for not raising the alarm sooner, an inquest heard today. Rob Williams, 27, wearing just a shirt and suit trousers was knocked unconscious and spent hours freezing to death on a rain-soaked roof after falling 13ft. He was only found the next afternoon following a work's Christmas drinks around Waltham Abbey, Essex. After he died his girlfriend later discovered she was pregnant with his child. The surveyor at construction firm BR Hodgson had been booked to stay elsewhere, but returned to the De Vere hotel with two colleagues and they fell asleep in the second-floor hotel room. Tragedy: Rob Williams, pictured with his girlfriend Carla, died from hypothermia on Christmas Day 2013 . In love: Mr Williams and his girlfriend Carla, pictured in November 2013 . However the next morning colleagues David Mellis and Bill Andrews woke to find Mr Williams not there, although his coat and shoes were still there and the window was open. Thinking nothing of it they went for breakfast and took his belongings with them back to the office. Both men claimed to have drunk so much they could not remember anything about their return to the hotel or the evening's events. It was not until lunchtime later that day that the firm's secretary was told to ring around local hospitals to track down their missing employee, Hertfordshire Coroner's Court heard. His father, Jestyn Williams, fought back tears as he criticised the men for not raising the alarm when they awoke to find the window open and Mr Williams' belongings still in the room. He said: 'Didn't alarm bells ring when you got up Rob's coat and shoes were there, thinking where in the hotel is he? 'You didn't raise the alarm and search for him. That's the thing we can't come to terms with. 'You remember what you did in the morning. You went to breakfast while he was lying above you and I hope you feel very bad about it.' Inquest: Hertfordshire Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Williams (pictured with his nephew) was prone to sleepwalking, especially after he'd had a lot to drink . The firm eventually contacted Mr Williams' partner, Carla Hilton, who called Essex police to report him missing around 1pm, who rated him as 'low risk'. Mr Williams said to the court: 'I have learned one thing today - if you are "low risk" don't bother calling the police.' Ms Hilton appeared alongside her dead boyfriend's father where she was equally critical of the firm's decision not to contact them first to see if he had gone home to sleep off his hangover. She said: 'If I had known that he hadn't turned up for work the next morning, I would have been worried because it was highly unlike him.' Coroner Edward Thomas said that a different course of action by colleagues the morning afterwards could have saved him. He said: 'What concerns me is at what stage do you get worried that he had not turned up for work. 'What we don't know is if calling him at 10 would have meant he survived.' Agony: Father-to-be Mr Williams was found 'groaning' on the flat roof of the four-star De Vere Theobalds Park in Hertfordshire . Sporty: Mr Williams loved keeping active and is pictured here on a snowboarding holiday . The inquest heard it was not until the following afternoon that a workman in a first-floor room raised the alarm after spotting him lying unconscious. At the hospital doctors attempted to warm him back up while bypassing his heart in an effort to avoid any cardiac arrests as he stabilised but he had been cold for so long that his internal organs, including his brain, had been irreversibly damaged. A blood sample taken on his arrival at hospital showed a blood alcohol level of around 110mg, well over the 80mg drink drive limit. But pathologist Dr Nathaniel Carey calculated that with the reading taken at 5pm the day after the works do, his peak level could have been around 300mg. Mr Thomas said: 'Dr Carey tells me that the cause of death, that I accepted, is complications arising from severe hypothermia. 'It was December, it was getting light at around 7.30 in the morning, this fall would have occurred well before that so that even if they were called at 10 or 11 he would have been out for a significant time in the cold. 'But we don't know because it was 2pm until he was found by the ambulance workers who found him profoundly hypothermic at 14.35. 'I have people die from 300mg, it causes coronary and respiratory failure, people have choked on their own vomit lying in bed.' Earlier in the inquest Mr Williams' family said he had a history of sleep walking. However the coroner added: 'People were quite excited about the sleep walking situation, but there is no evidence that. 'That's all speculation, there is no CCTV evidence, there is no forensic evidence, there is only the evidence of where he was found.' He said the failure for his drunk colleagues to remember anything about the night made it 'extremely difficult'. Recording death by misadventure he told the family: 'If concerns were escalated earlier it may have been a different story, but we don't know. 'I suspect this will always be with you and I just feel so sad for you, so sad.' Outside court Mr Williams' family and relatives declined to comment. The inquest continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Father-to-be Rob Williams, 27, died of fatal hypothermia on Christmas Day .
He was found 'groaning' five days previously on the roof of a luxury hotel .
Mr Williams had a history of sleepwalking, according to his family .
When paramedics found him his body temperature had dropped by a third .
His girlfriend discovered she was pregnant shortly after his death . |
246,771 | cb5cac667ff2216b842508274e25e44b9b2b9835 | (CNN) -- A single braid down the back, a light hunting jacket, a pair of sturdy leather shoes and a small golden pin; not exactly a culmination of things you would call fashionable. But these are the key accessories to one of the hottest new characters to hit the big screen: Katniss Everdeen. Katniss, the arrow-slinging, tribute-hunting teenager from the upcoming movie "The Hunger Games," based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling book, has made a huge style splash on the Web. Dozens of "how-to-dress like Katniss" web pages, blog posts and articles are being bookmarked and pinned up by girls of all ages. But when did hunting gear and cotton dresses become so fashionable? For the same reason the little black dress from Audrey Hepburn's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is still a staple today: It's not just the look that audiences are responding to, but what that character represents, explains Teen Vogue's News Fashion Editor, Jane Keltner de Valle. In the case of Katniss, "Hunger Games" costume designer Judianna Makovsky kept in mind that the character's style had to tell the story of a distinctively strong young woman who doesn't yet know her own strength. After all, Makovsky says, Katniss is a character who's "just trying to survive." So when she created those costumes, she looked to the past for inspiration, creating items for Katniss' home of District Twelve by incorporating themes from the Great Depression. As a result, "Katniss has practical clothes -- it has to make sense where she got them," Makovsky says. "District 12 is American work wear, and that is what she would wear while she hunted." Katniss isn't the only recent movie character to rev up the fashion scene. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's" Lisbeth Salander enthralled viewers with her distinctive punk style, and even "Twilight's" Bella Swan gained fashion popularity with her simple wedding dress seen in "Breaking Dawn" and Northern Pacific coast fashion. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's" dark urban look was recreated for consumers by Swedish retailer H&M, which released a limited edition Lisbeth Salander-inspired line, featuring key leather pieces, torn and worn shirts and hoodies, all tied together with an industrial color scheme. One Los Angeles store sold out of the line in 10 minutes after the line went on sale, according to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's" costume designer, Trish Summerville, who worked in conjunction with H&M to create the line. Teen Vogue's Keltner de Valle also notes how that theme resonated on the runway during the fall fashion season in 2011. "For so long, designers were collaborating with mass retailers, [but] a new trend could be costume designers collaborating with mass retailers to create [a] character-inspired wardrobe. It almost seems like a no-brainer." And yet, while Summerville created a character-inspired line with Lisbeth Salander, Makovsky said that's currently not her intention. "I didn't want the fashion to take over, [because] that is not what the movie is about," she said. "The movie is about a girl's journey. That is what a costume designer does, we tell the character's story." Whether the clothing ends up being crafted specifically for fans or not, it's always that story told through a character's costume that the consumers cling to. To dress like Katniss, in some regard, is to adopt her trademark characteristics, and the popularity of her clothing points to a characterization that's hit home. "There was a time when being powerful and being pretty were mutually exclusive, and these strong female archetypes are becoming really popular and girls are really responding to that," says Keltner de Valle. InStyle.com entertainment editor Bronwyn Barnes agrees, positing out that the look and feel of characters like Katniss and Lisbeth are so appealing to audiences because these characters are in charge of their own destinies. "I think these characters struck the right time in pop culture," Barnes said. "People are looking for the modern day heroine." And to dress like one, too. | Katniss Everdeen of "Hunger Games" has made a huge style splash on the web .
An InStyle editor says that the popularity of Katniss' style stems from its adaptability .
The movie costume designer says one of the key aspects to Katniss' look is the practicality . |
252,721 | d30ddb2ebaee9325c53fb29728b3d715a80c114e | By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 09:51 EST, 23 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:21 EST, 23 July 2012 . A prisoner sent a frightening letter to a woman saying she had to give him £50 - or he would get someone to rape her grandchildren. Joseph Harry Brown pretended to be another Durham Prison inmate when he wrote the letter to avoid checks on his outgoing mail. Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, told Durham Crown Court how Brown said he knew people who were leaving prison all the time who would 'enjoy raping the woman's grandchildren'. A grandmother received a terrifying letter from Joseph Harry Brown, posing as another prisoner, which threatened to rape her grandchildren unless she sent him £50. (Posed by model) This letter was one of many unpleasant threats made by 41-year-old Brown, who is serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP). He had committed a series of offences since being refused parole - just some of the 113 offences on Brown's criminal record, which include arson assault and robbery. Brown once took another prisoner hostage by tying him up, assaulting him and setting fire to his cell. He set fire to another cell after being transferred to Preston Prison.Brown, of no fixed abode, admitted the charges of false imprisonment, making threats to kill, assault by beating, blackmail and two charges of arson. These charges took place between January and March this year.Brown did not attempt to defend the charges against him. Milena Bennett, defending, said: 'Unusually, my client instructs me he does not wish me to put forward on his behalf any matters in relation to the offences. HMP Preston: Brown will be detained indefinitely and will serve at least seven-and-a-half years. He will not be released until he is considered to no longer pose a danger to the general public . 'He accepts he committed these offences and knows he faces a lengthy sentence.' Judge Michael Cartlidge handed Brown another IPP and said the prisoner would not be considered for parole until he has served another seven-and-a-half years in jail. He said: 'It seems you think your life is hopeless after your parole was refused. 'That is a tragedy in itself. 'It also seems you are determined to spend the rest of your life in prison. 'You remain a danger to the public, and were I passing a determinate sentence it would have been 15 years.' | Joseph Harry Brown avoided checks on his mail by pretending to be another Durham Prison inmate .
Brown, 41, has 113 offences on his criminal record . |
198,353 | 8cc1e2d6ec252b69f7a4ad54f688bf0fa84cb357 | If the soggy start to autumn is getting you down, spare a thought for these poor souls living in the WETTEST place on Earth. Torrents of water turn the streets of Mawsynram in north east India into waterfalls and the constant deluge leaves families plugging leaking homes. Power lines topple under the weight of the cascading rivers, animals seek shelter where they can and locals have learned never to leave home without a brolly. Downpours: Mawsynram in north east India is the wettest place in the world. Villagers have created turtle shell-like covers to protect them from the deluge while they work in the fields . Wettest place on Earth: The village, which lies close to the border with Bangladesh, is battered by an average of 11,871mm, nearly 12metres, of rain a year . Drenched: Locals in the village have learned never to leave home without an umbrella . In a bid to shelter from the downpours villagers have even created specially made reed-turtle shell-like baskets to protect them as they work in the fields. But no-one in the mountainous village, close to the border with Bangladesh, is heard complaining as the monsoons bring a welcome boost as tourists flock to the area and the dry season leaves many facing a desperate hunt for water. While the UK has suffered a wash out in the last week, the hapless villagers in Mawsynram cope with the chaos caused by 11metres or 467ins of rain each year - more than 20 times the average rainfall in London. And neighbouring Cherrapunji - dubbed the second wettest place on earth - does not escape the violent weather. Waterfalls: Torrents of water immerse the village's streets . Boost: The severe downpours do provide locals with a welcome income boost as tourists flock to the area to witness the spectacle . Monsoon: While India's wet season runs from June to September, northern areas like Mawsynram experience an extended monsoon period . In June 1995 the village was hit by the greatest rainful in a 24-hour period when more than 5ft of rain fell. Photographer Johnny Haglund, 47, explained how the villages live under these extreme conditions. 'For the last few years, the streams of tourist to visit Cherrapunji and Mawsynram have increased,' he said. 'They come here to see the rain during the wet season which gives the inhabitants a well needed extra income. 'The locals told me that the dry season is worse than the wet in many ways, because they actually have problems to find water for drinking and washing.' The area of north east India is so wet . because rainclouds, which form in the summer, are trapped from escaping . north into Tibet by the world's highest mountain range, the Himalayas. No complaints: Locals say the dry season, from December to February, is worse, leaving many struggling to find water . Chaos: The violent downpours cause chaos, pulling down power lines and creating treacherous conditions on the roads . India's . main monsoon season runs from June to September, but Mawsynram . experiences a longer rainy season that other parts of the country. It seldom gets hot in the region with average monthly temperatures ranging from 10C in January to just over 20C in August. The noticeably drier months run from December through to February, where monthly precipitation reaches a meager 60mm. 'I always try to catch the daily life as it is when I am not there. I like to show people how a place looks like and how people who live there go by,' Mr Haglund added. 'I try to be a 'fly on the wall', because people often change their behavior when they have guests and know they are being photographer. 'People find these photographs very interesting, we love talking about how bad the weather is here in England, but here we see how people actually cope with extreme weather.' The driest place on Earth, South America's Atacana desert, fails to see even half-an-inch of rainfall each year and some parts of the desert have not seen a rain shower in the last 500 years. How London compares - 558mm . | Himalayas prevent heavy rainclouds escaping north into Tibet .
Deluge gives villagers a boost as tourists flock to see the spectacle .
Dry season is worse say locals who struggle to find water .
An average of 12m of water falls on the village each year . |
282,918 | fa7908bd4a70898099bc1a8de576912dbd5bcf74 | A boyfriend told his partner he would 'teach her a lesson' during a drunken row before dousing her in petrol, setting her alight and locking her in a burning flat, a court has heard. Rebecca Major, 32, survived by throwing a table through a window and jumping through from the upstairs flat but suffered 40 per cent burns and a fractured skull and sternum in the fall, Teesside Crown Court was told. Her partner Edward McArthur, 40, from Darlington, denies attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. Rebecca Major, 32, suffered 40 per cent burns and a fractured skull and sternum when she jumped out of a flat . Christine Egerton, for the prosecution, said the couple, who had been together for more than a year, were staying at McArthur's mother's flat. On August 4 last year, they had both been drinking and when a row broke out McArthur lost his temper. He left the room and came back with a container of petrol which he poured over his girlfriend's head, the jury heard. Miss Egerton said: 'As he poured it over her, she felt it on her skin, she felt it in her eyes and it stung her. 'At that stage she thought that was all he was going to do. She thought he was doing that, pouring that caustic substance on her, to shock her and that would be it. 'However, the next thing he did was to light it. He ran out of the door and locked her in the flat. 'She shouted after him thinking that he would come back and help her. He didn't.' Ms Major used a wet towel and put it on her face as fire gripped the flat, then made her escape by smashing the window and falling to the ground. Edward McArthur, 40, from Darlington, denies attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life . The prosecution said McArthur 'hung around' after starting the fire and he told a police officer someone had thrown petrol into the flat. He said he had gone downstairs, heard an explosion and seen someone running away. After he was arrested he did not answer the police questions, the jury heard. He will claim in his defence he poured petrol over Ms Major 'to frighten her, not to injure her' and had then lit a cigarette which accidentally started the fire. He will say he helped Ms Major escape by kicking the window through, Miss Egerton said. The prosecution said: 'Anyone who pours petrol over another person, as he did, and then sets fire to them, as he did, must have only one intention. That intention must be to kill that other person. 'Anyone who distributes a flammable liquid around a flat when somebody is in that flat must have an intention to endanger the life of another as a consequence of the fire starting.' Ms Major was still in a hospital gown, with thick bandages on her hands and an oxygen mask on when she was first videoed giving an interview to police. In the recording played to the court, she said: 'He basically told me to shut up. I was trying to calm him down. He went, 'I will teach you a lesson, you silly b****'. 'He went out of the room, came back in and poured petrol over me. 'I didn't think for one second he would light it. He lit the petrol and ran out of the door and locked it. I shouted 'Eddy, "please". 'The flat was on fire, it went up really quick. I panicked a bit and then I ran and got a cloth, wet it and put it over my face. 'I couldn't see because of the flames.' She said the next thing she remembered after smashing the window and jumping was waking up in hospital. She required skin grafts from her legs which were transferred to her arms. Ms Major guessed McArthur's motivation to kill her was because he might have another woman, the court heard. 'He always said to me, "I will never let you have another one after me"', she said in the video. A court heard how the couple were staying at McArthur's mother's flat in Darlington (pictured) when a drunken row broke out and McArthur lost his temper. He poured petrol over his girlfriend's head, the jury heard . In a second interview some weeks later, also filmed at the Burns Unit of the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, she recalled McArthur telling her 'You will pay for this' before he fetched the petrol. Still requiring oxygen, Ms Major remembered that some days before the attack, she found him with an axe and a petrol container in the flat. But she never thought he would use it on her. She told detectives: 'I didn't know what I had done to deserve this. I'd not cheated on him. Nothing. 'It was horrible, I just thought, this is it, I've had it.' She told the officers interviewing her in September she was in agony, and taking many painkillers. Crying, she said: 'I am angry. He has ruined me because I will never be what I was.' She said they had argued before and their relationship was 'up and down'. She told police: 'Normally when we argued he didn't raise his hand to me. From not doing anything to setting me on fire, it's crazy.' McArthur, of Darlington, denies attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Court heard how Rebecca Major, 32 was doused in petrol and set alight .
Survived by throwing table through window and jumping from the flat .
Court heard she felt petrol 'on her skin, felt it in her eyes and it stung her'
She told court her boyfriend said 'I will teach you a lesson, you silly b****'
Partner Edward McArthur, 40, from Darlington denies attempted murder . |
279,500 | f61419613938fad37b60eb4b6a71254ad3a31674 | By . Kieran Corcoran . The richest people in Britain had a bumper year as their wealth surged to a combined total of £518billion. Between them the thousand richest Britons now have assets worth as much as a third of the entire UK's annual output - up from £450billion this time last year. The huge total is further proof that Britain is the capital of the world for the super-rich, with more billionaires per head than anywhere else on earth. Glamorous figures such as Emma Watson and the Queen rubbed shoulders in the rankings with the business elite and aspirant tech millionaires. Glam: Emma Watson, left, was ranked on the Young Rich List with a £30million fortune, while the Queen ranked 285 with a £330million fortune . Success story: The man behind comparethemarket.com, with its ubiqutious meerkat adverts, featured in the list . Meerkat moolah: Douw Steyn was ranked 170, with a £600million fortune . The identities of the richest men and . women in the country were revealed in today's Sunday Times Rich List, . which ranks the 1,000 richest Britons every year. To qualify this year a . minimum fortune of £85million was necessary. As well stalwart figureheads of affluence including Richard Branson, the Barclay Brothers and the Queen, the list also pointed out a number of internet successes, including the man behind insurance site comparethemarket.com. South African insurance tycoon Douw . Steyn, who funded the ubiquitous Compare the Meerkat adverts, saw his wealth go up by £50 million . to a total of £600 million, ranked 170. He was joined by the creators of the addictive Candy Crush smartphone app, as well as the brother behind the violent Grand Theft Auto videogame series. Four . members of King Digital Entertainment, which publishers Candy Crush, joined the list. They include entrepreneur Mel Morris, who came in at 238 with a £430 million . fortune, and King's chief executive Riccardo Zacconi, ranked 271 with . £354 million. Sam and Dan Houser, whose fortune stems from Rockstar Games, which publishes the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto titles, were new entries at 947 with a . joint fortune of £90 million. Sweet reward: Candy Crush entrepreneur Mel Morris was a new entrant with a £430million fortune . Addictive: Candy Crush has millions of users, many of whom pay to play the game . Nevertheless, the firm's founders are still in line for a monumental windfall. To get into the top 500, the rich need £190 million - double the £80 million required in 2004 and up £30million from the £160million cut off point for last year's list. Philip Beresford, who has compiled the ranking since 1989, said: 'I've never seen such a phenomenal rise in personal wealth as the growth in the fortunes of Britain's 1,000 richest people over the past year. 'The richest people in Britain have had an astonishing year. 'While some may criticise them, many of these people are at the heart of the economy and their success brings more jobs and more wealth for the country.' Most distinguished among the old money names, the Queen had a sterling year as she added £10 million to her personal fortune and is now ranked 285 with £330 million. Name and ranking Worth Source of Wealth . 1 Sri and Gopi Hinduja £11,900m Industry, Finance . 2 Alisher Usmanov £10,650m Mining, Investment . 3 Lakshmi Mittal and family £10,250m Steel . 4 Len Blavatnik £10,000m Investment, Music, Media . 5 Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli £9,750m Pharmaceuticals . 6 John Fredriksen and family £9,250m Shipping, Oil services . 7 David and Simon Reuben £9,000m Property, Internet . 8 Kirsten and Jorn Rausing £8,800m Inheritance, Investment . 9 Roman Abramovich £8,520m Industry, Oil . 10 The Duke of Westminster £8,500m Property . Play . it your way: The heist levels perhaps best represent just how far . gameplay has come since its predecessor - allowing you to complete the . objectives in different ways, be that stealth or all-out assault . Aiming high: Rockstar have called it the most ambitious in the series and nearly all of their ideas have paid off . Well-established . Rich List millionaires such as Jamie and wife Jools Oliver saw their . worth go up by £90 million to £240 million, ranking them at 396, as the . celebrity chef's restaurant chain, TV appearances, cookbook sales and . Jool's childrenswear range continued to pay dividends. Former . Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy, who stepped down at the supermarket chain . in 2011, was among the new entrants with a worth of £100 million, . ranking at 863. Meanwhile, . American film producer Harvey Weinstein and his British former model . turned designer wife Georgina Chapman also made the grade for the first . time with a joint fortune of £115 million, ranked 788. New too: Sir Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco, entered the list at 863 with £1million . Entertainers featured heavily in the 50 Young Rich list for those aged 30 and under. Former . Harry Potter star Emma Watson, 24, is now estimated to be worth £30 . million, up £3 million on last year, as she builds a career for herself . as a Hollywood leading lady. Husband . and wife Marcus Mumford 27, and Carey Mulligan, 28, joined the young . list for the first time with a joint fortune of £13million from their . music and films. Last week it was announced that the list's compilers had found that the number of billionaires living in Britain has risen to more than 100 for the first time. Some 104 billionaires are now based in the UK - more than triple the number from a decade ago - with a combined wealth of more than £301 billion. It means Britain has more billionaires per head of population than any other country, while London's total of 72 sterling billionaires is more than any other city in the world . The 26th annual Sunday Times Rich List will be released tomorrow with profiles of the 1,000 richest individuals and families in the UK and the wealthiest 250 in Ireland. It is based on 'identifiable wealth' - including land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. It does not include money held in bank accounts. | Between them the richest Britons got £68billion richer in just one year .
Britain has more billionaires per head than anywhere else in the world .
Details of the super-wealthy appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List .
Glamorous figures like Emma Watson were listed alongside big businessmen .
The Queen featured in the top 300, and tech entrepreneurs shot to wealth .
Candy Crush app, Grand Theft Auto videogames and even adverts for comparethemarket.com emerged as a source of huge revenues for owners . |
32,112 | 5b666c2cb24180b9c53abbc425fe365feec6e42b | (CNN) -- For better or worse, Iraq and the United States have been attached at the hip for decades. From the 1991 Gulf War to the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein to subsequent years marred by violence and instability, there's no doubting the deep connection between the two nations. That's largely thanks to policies crafted out of Washington, be they intended to contain or eliminate Hussein or to stabilize and build up the fragile nation that remained in his wake. So it is no surprise that, with militants overrunning much of Iraq and threatening its capital, people are turning to the United States. What can it do? What will it do? Among Obama's options: . Option No. 1: Send in American troops . As of Monday, the Pentagon says it has only about 170 troops in Baghdad and 100 in undisclosed locations around the region. Their job is to protect the U.S. Embassy and other American interests, the Pentagon said. That's far from the troop levels of past Iraq engagements. U.S. troops didn't stay in Iraq for long after driving Hussein's military out of Kuwait in 1991, but they did hunker down 12 years later after toppling the Baathist regime. The responsibility that comes with rebuilding a country from over 6,000 miles away was one factor, but so was the continued violence. American troop levels in Iraq peaked at 166,300 in October 2007, according to the U.S. Defense Department. Critics derided the withdrawal of U.S. troops by the end of 2011. Among them was Sen. John McCain, who last week reiterated his disgust at that decision and called for the firing of Obama's national security team in part over what's happened in Iraq. "Could all this have been avoided?" the Arizona Republican said about the current state of Iraq, though he didn't outright call for fresh military action. "And the answer is: Absolutely yes." The biggest, simplest way to make an impact in Iraq: Send American troops back into the country. But it won't happen again. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told CNN on Thursday that no one is calling for "American troops into Iraq." And of all options now on the table, it's the only one that the Obama administration has explicitly nixed. "We are not contemplating ground troops," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said last week. "I want to be clear about that." Option No. 2: U.S. airstrikes . Still, while the U.S. military might not have a role fighting on the ground in Iraq, it could have a role over it. On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged to Yahoo! News that airstrikes on Iraqi targets are under consideration. The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and five other warships are now in the Persian Gulf. More than 500 Marines and dozens of helicopters are on standby. In the past, Iraqis have been very public about their desire to limit the involvement of the American military. Yet, a U.S. official said the Iraqi government had indicated a willingness for the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes targeting members of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other militants. American air power has proven effective before in campaigns such as Kosovo or Libya. Yet it's not foolproof. Last week, Carney deflected a question about whether Obama might consult Congress before sending warplanes into Iraq -- saying it's too early to give an answer because the President hasn't decided the best course of action yet. Attacking sites from the air comes with a host of limitations and challenges -- the risk of U.S. casualties or capture should warplanes be shot down; the unlikelihood of wiping out an insurgency from above; the likelihood militants will blend into the civilian population and cause death and injury to the innocent. Option No. 3: Provide more military aid . Unlike the first two options, the U.S. government has already taken this course and has signaled it may do more. A Defense Department official says that about $15 billion in equipment, training and other services already have gone to Iraq. Carney reeled off some of the many items that have made their way east of late: millions of rounds of small arms fire, thousands of rounds of tank ammunition, hundreds of Hellfire missiles, grenades, assault rifles, helicopters and much more. And that tally doesn't include an additional $1 billion in arms -- including up to 200 Humvees -- that are now in a 30-day review period in Congress. But U.S. officials -- calling the current situation "extremely urgent" -- acknowledge that what's already in Iraq and what's coming may not be enough. Chief among those officials is Obama himself, who said last week: "Iraq is going to need more help from us, and it's going to need more help from the international community." At the same time, it's not like the billions of dollars worth of firepower proved all that effective against ISIS fighters in places like Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. Witnesses reported seeing Iraqi security forces drop their weapons, even shed their uniforms, then run to safety. James Jeffrey, U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2010 to 2012 and now a fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, characterized Iraq's military as "ill-trained, badly led and not particularly competent." "They clearly cannot fire and maneuver," said Jeffrey, a U.S. Army veteran. And it's not just a matter of making sure that whatever resources sent to Iraq are used effectively and not wasted. Already, militants have been able to pick up weaponry, vehicles and other goods on its swift, vast sweep of Iraq -- some of it supplied by the United States. "We are not surprised," a defense official told CNN. "It was a question of when, not if, something like this would happen." Option No. 4: Effect change politically in Iraq . Beating back ISIS by retaking Mosul and other cities would be a huge victory for Iraq's government. But it wouldn't be a complete, conclusive win unless the country can get its house in order. And doing that, according to experts and U.S. officials, requires addressing what CNN's Nic Robertson has referred to as Iraq's "political dysfunction." One silver lining to the turmoil is Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government seems to be coordinating with the semiautonomous Kurdish government, American officials said. It appears Iraqi forces will team up with Kurdish fighters, known as the Peshmerga, to combat ISIS. Addressing the divisions between Shiites and Sunnis, the two dominant Muslim sects, in Iraq is another matter. Al-Maliki's government, as well as the military, is dominated by Shiites -- leaving Sunnis not only left out but also bitter, so much so that some of them may not see ISIS as a worse option. "Over the last several years, we have not seen the kind of trust and cooperation develop between moderate Sunni and Shia leaders inside of Iraq," Obama said. "That accounts in part for some of the weakness of the state, and that carries over into the military." Vice President Joe Biden has been talking regularly with al-Maliki to try to effect political change, including possibly through a new unity government that gives Sunnis a prominent, hands-on role. Still, words -- as opposed to, say, troops on the ground -- are sometimes only so effective. And it's not like al-Maliki has heeded U.S. officials' call for sectarian reconciliation and unity in the past. Yet Washington's misgivings about the Prime Minister don't change the fact that they support him, generally. The question is still how, exactly, they will support him. "There's more that Prime Minister Maliki should have done, could have done, over the course of time," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. "That's a message we've conveyed publicly and privately to him. "But the enemy here is (ISIS). We need to work together and present a united front." Interactive: Where is Iraq's oil? ISIS: The first terror group to build an Islamic state? The siege of Mosul: What's happening? Recording: ISIS promises more fighting in more Iraqi cities . CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report. | The U.S. has a long history in Iraq, including the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 invasion .
As Iraq battles radical Islamist militants, U.S. officials have promised more help .
Air strikes and additional weaponry and aid are among the options being mulled .
But ground troops have been ruled out, according to a White House spokesman . |
193,229 | 8629a6b70cd6ca5c2345b2a315050a181d2fb0fd | By . Jessica Jerreat . A large swath of the U.S. is on storm alert as downpours, strong winds and hail hammer several states from Illinois to Texas. With predictions of flooding on roads and hail the size of golf balls, motorists have been warned to be careful and, if possible, to just leave their cars in a garage. Texas has already experienced part of the deluge, when winds and rain damaged buildings and roads in Dallas on Thursday. Wash out: A severe storm warning is in place across a wide stretch of the U.S. for Friday . Fierce: Dallas has already felt the full force of the weather front, with trees being uprooted and buildings damaged on Thursday . On Friday, the storm is anticipated to be at its worst from late morning to early afternoon, before becoming more severe as it moves over the Great Plains at the weekend. In all, the wet and wild spring weather is forecast to affect about 14 million people over the coming days. The Weather Channel's Michael Palmer warned those planning to drive in the next few days to use extra caution. 'If . you can leave your car in the garage that would be preferable,' he told NBC News. 'We are . going to see isolated storms with high winds and golf ball-sized hail . from Texas, up through Arkansas and the Mississippi Valley and into . Illinois and Indiana,' Palmer added. 'Heavy . downpours could cause water build-up on the roads and at the least . people need to slow down on their journeys throughout most of [Friday].' Wash out: There will be little respite from the storms, with heavy rain and wind forecast for large areas on Mother's Day . Rescue: FIve boys had to be saved from flash flooding after getting trapped in a drainage tunnel in Texas on Thursday . Wrecked: Associated pastor Keyven Lewis nails his church sign back into place after a storm damaged the Texas building . Fatal: Police stand next to a wrecked car on Thursday. A 19-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle, died when it crashed into a tree at about 9pm . Residents in Dallas have already felt the brunt of the storm, with 4in of rain falling and about 10,000 customers left without power after trees were blown on to lines. Flash flooding also led to the dramatic rescue of five boys who had skipped school and gathered in a drainage tunnel as the storm hit. The youngsters, aged 12 and 13, were forced to cling on to whatever they could as the sudden force of water threatened to wash them away. It took firefighters using specialized swift water equipment about two hours to rescue the terrified youngsters, who were taken to a nearby hospital. A 19-year-old woman was killed during the storms after the car she was in crashed into a tree at about 9pm. The 30-year-old driver was seriously injured in the crash. Threat: Menacing clouds gather as a tornado touches down in Colorado on Wednesday as the storm front started to gather pace . Blustery: A woman fights a losing battle with the high winds in Minnesota on Thursday, where three tornadoes touched down . Ray of hope: A rainbow breaks up the gloomy skies over Kansas as several states brace for heavy storms . Flooded: Streets filled with water as 4in of rain fell quickly across Dallas . A tornado warning was also in place in . Dallas County, prompting residents to run for cover as high winds . whipped up debris and knocked out power. 'You just heard this noise [like a train whistle] then it just shook the house. I ran in the bathroom and got in the bathtub,' one resident told CNN. Three tornadoes formed in Minnesota, and two in Colorado, and meteorologists have warned that more are expected in Texas and Oklahoma over the weekend. Stormy weather: The forecast for Saturday shows thunder storms for half the county . Unsettled: Strong winds will continue through Sunday along with a wide band of storms . | Warnings of tornadoes and flash flooding as extreme weather sweeps in .
Storm front is spread out from Illinois to Texas .
Five students had to be rescued from Dallas creek after flash flooding hit yesterday .
Wet and windy predictions set to continue through weekend . |
278,001 | f425a554d8e276d5790e281fd0d02768318b7401 | San Antonio, Texas (CNN) -- Melissa Coleman has amazing stories to tell and some family members still can't get enough of the harrowing tales of her 33 days as a prisoner of war during the first Gulf war. Even 20 years after the start of that war, Coleman can captivate an audience. She tells family friends or her daughters' classmates about American bombs that struck close to where she was held by her Iraqi captors. "That was the biggest fear for me, I didn't think the Iraqis were going to kill me, but I was afraid of one of our bombs," Coleman tells CNN. Or the story of how the Iraqi soldiers spared her the worst punishment because they were convinced she was an ignorant woman. She outsmarted them anyway. "I played along with it," Coleman says. "I really don't know anything. I'm just a woman." But 20 years after her 33 days as a POW, Coleman is fighting another battle: breast cancer. She was diagnosed five months ago and is preparing for a fourth round of chemotherapy. Coleman says being a POW "helped me keep a positive outlook because I know what I can withstand." "I know that I've survived something as dangerous, if not more dangerous, so I feel like I'm going to make it." Coleman says her doctors have removed all of the cancerous tumors for now and that she's been given a "good" prognosis. The former Army specialist says she rarely thinks about her days as POW, but during those 33 days, Coleman was one of the most visible faces of the war. Coleman was driving a truck on January 30, 1991, near the southern Iraq border. After a couple of confusing wrong turns, Coleman and another soldier riding alongside her found themselves in the middle of a firefight and surrounded by Iraqi soldiers. Her parents, Leo and Joan Rathbun, held vigil from their home outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was an excruciating and painful wait. Not knowing if she was still alive, the Rathbun's received a Valentine's Day card that she had mailed just hours before being captured. "When I first heard, I just sat by the TV and just cried the whole rest of the day. So, it was difficult," Leo Rathbun says. But then came the 3 a.m. phone call that sent an eruption of joy through the Rathbun's home. A CNN producer called and told the family to turn on their television. For the first time in 33 days, the Rathbun's saw their daughter safe and alive being turned over by the Iraqis to the International Red Cross. Looking back through the long lens of time, Coleman's parents say the POW experience changed their daughter in a fundamental way. "She's a lot more serious about life and relationships now than what she was before," Joan Rathbun says. "Everyone means more to her. Life means more to her now." Now she lives a quiet life in San Antonio with her husband and two teenage daughters. Her oldest daughter, Briana, wants to join the Army and that's sparked a minor tug-of-war in the family. Coleman isn't comfortable with the idea, but Briana isn't giving up. The Coast Guard might be an acceptable compromise. That's the kind of battle Coleman prefers these days, the struggles of raising teenagers and watching her girls prepare to venture out into the world. "I'd like to be remembered for being a good mom," Coleman says. "I'd rather be remembered for that than being a prisoner-of-war." | Melissa Coleman spent 33 days as a prisoner of war during the first Gulf war .
Now, Coleman faces another battle: breast cancer .
Coleman: Being POW "helped me keep a positive outlook" |
142,132 | 43cb5f56cb0c491ecf8c1490b3bec3b5b4015175 | By . Daniel Martin . Tragedies like the Mid Staffs scandal could be repeated unless there is a revolution in the way the public sector deals with complaints, MPs warned last night. A Commons committee found there was a culture of denial among managers in councils, schools and the health service – meaning they take little notice of criticism. Their failure to listen is so bad that aggrieved members of the public simply believe there is no point in making complaints, MPs found. Tragedies like the Mid Staffs scandal could be repeated unless lessons are learned by the public sector . The report from the Commons public administration select committee comes a week after England’s top health watchdog warned that tens of thousands of elderly people were ‘suffering in silence’ on NHS wards because they were too polite to ‘make a fuss’. In an article for the Daily Mail, Dame Julie Mellor, the health service ombudsman, called for a ‘significant cultural shift’ in the way complaints are handled. The MPs’ report also highlighted the failures that were exposed in the damning review by Robert Francis QC on Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where up to 1,200 died amid appalling neglect. Tens of thousands of elderly people are 'suffering in silence' on wards, according to a report. Stock image . It called on ministers to force a culture change across the public sector to prevent future tragedies. Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said: ‘There needs to be a revolution in the way public services are run, and how the public perceives government. Bernard Jenkin: 'There needs to be a revolution in the way public services are run' ‘As things are, most people believe there is no point in complaining. Unless and until we have a culture of leadership in public services that listens to, values and responds to complaints from service users and staff, there will always be the potential for tragedies like Mid Staffs.’ The committee recommended a minister for complaints should be introduced, along with a dedicated unit to deal with grievances about government agencies. Its report, More Complaints Please, found public sector managers viewed complaints as ‘hostile criticism’ rather than a chance to tackle problems. MPs called for a culture where complaints are valued and suggested the Cabinet Office work with high performing private sector companies to find the best ways of dealing with the issue. The committee also attacked the public sector for using euphemistic words such as ‘feedback’ instead of ‘complaint’, saying they give the impression that concerns are not being taken on board. Last night Dame Julie said: ‘The findings present an opportunity for organisations to deal more effectively with complaints and develop ways to learn from those mistakes. ‘Good complaint handling has to start from the top, and strong leaders will recognise the valuable opportunities complaints provide to really improve.’ Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: ‘It’s essential for better public services that the Government makes it easier and more effective for people to complain. ‘Giving people a single point of contact and having a minister who is responsible should give people more confidence that complaints do count.’ Write caption here . | Lessons must be learned from Mid Staffs scandal, MPs warned .
Commons committee claims there is a culture of denial in NHS .
Warning comes on the back of report revealing thousands of elderly are 'suffering in silence' on hospital wards . |
207,456 | 989ebd21a9f98af640c518e193e9f7194edd067e | British No 1 and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is engaged to Kim Sears, his girlfriend of more than nine years. Murray's representatives have confirmed the engagement of 27-year-old Murray and Sears, aged 26, but have not released any details or where the proposal took place. Sussex-born Miss Sears, who has an English Literature degree, met Murray at the US Open in 2005. Her father is player-turned-coach Nigel Sears. Andy Murray poses with the Wimbledon trophy along with his fiancee Kim Sears . Murray was on his way to the Philippines on Wednesday to play in the International Premier Tennis League. But he gave no indication of his big news, instead tweeting: 'Off to the Philippines for the first time today, should be a fun trip... Anyone got some suggestions for first time tourists in Manila?' The couple met in 2005 at the US Open when Kim was travelling with her dad Nigel, who is a tennis coach. Their meeting came long before he acquired fame and fortune. She was only 17 at the time and Andy was her first serious boyfriend. He said: 'I'm lucky. I know she isn't with me because I'm in the spotlight.' The couple briefly split for six months in 2009 but they now share a multi-million pound mansion in Oxshott, Surrey with their dogs Maggie and Rusty. Sears in tears (left) following Murray's 2012 final defeat to Rodger Federer and overjoyed (right) after he became Wimbledon champion . Murray climbs into his player's box to celebrate with friends, family and members after beating Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final . In the past Murray has been notoriously reluctant to answer questions about his relationship with Sears but earlier this year he was forced to deny that he planned to marry her after joking about his love life on Twitter. Asked when he plans to marry Miss Sears during a Twitter Q&A with fans in January, Murray responded: 'We're getting married just after Wimbledon, should be a great day.' But just hours later, Murray was forced to issue another tweet explaining that his words were said with his tongue firmly in cheek after the original message went viral. He tweeted: '3 things.. I don't smoke grass, I'm not getting married(yet) and I don't want to kill rafael Nadal.. [sic]' Murray flies the flag aloft following his 2012 Olympic triumph over Roger Federer . Teenage Murray, right, kisses Kim Sears after beating Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in the final match at the SAP Open in 2006 . Andy Murray's mother, Judy (L), Kim Sears and her father Nigel cheer on Murray at Stella Artois Championships in 2006 . In June it was reported that bookies believed the Scot had asked Sears to marry him - after a flurry of betting on him popping the question at Wimbledon. Tennis fans bet heavily on the champion to both retain his 2013 title and get engaged at 8/1 with bookmaker William Hill, which eventually stopped taking bets on it. Murray may have caught the love bug on Saturday when he was best man at Ross Hutchins’ wedding, his former doubles partner who has battled back from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Murray and Sears in the crowd at boxing match between Amir Khan and Gairy St Clair at ExCeL Arena, London in 2008 . Murray and Sears at Wimbledon in 2007, the Scot had been ruled out of the tournament by injury . The couple share a multi-million pound mansion in Oxshott, Surrey with their dogs Maggie and Rusty . Murray and Sears at Buckingham Palace as the British No 1 arrived to collect his OBE in 2013 . The announcement followed Murray dispensing with the services of his longstanding assistant coach Dani Vallverdu and physical trainer Jez Green. The two have been working with him for five and seven years respectively, and were key members of his team when Ivan Lendl became head coach and Murray enjoyed success including a U.S. Open title, Olympic gold medal and his historic Wimbledon triumph. In releasing a statement on Wednesday, he reaffirmed his commitment to working with Amelie Mauresmo next year, with whom he teamed up at the start of this summer's grass court season. | Andy Murray's representatives have confirmed engagement to Kim Sears .
The couple have been together for nine years after meeting at the US Open in 2005 .
Murray earlier split with long-standing assistant coach Dani Vallverdu and physical trainer Jez Green . |
94,593 | 058fee748d183ae9705c43291b93f23296fc3464 | On or off duty? Justice Sir Mark Hedley admitted to making a life-or-death decision over the phone while at the zoo . Judges are making life-or-death . decisions about vulnerable people based on casual phone consultations . with council lawyers, it was revealed last night. The . secretive Court of Protection has an out-of-hours service which is . being routinely used by local authorities wishing to ‘rush through’ decisions. In many cases, . judgments are handed out over the phone with the family not being . consulted and proper evidence not being made available. One . judge – who was on a trip to a zoo – has even admitted to giving a . decision on his mobile phone about whether a Jehovah’s Witness with . learning difficulties should get life-saving treatment. In . another case, a judge allowed an Asian woman with learning difficulties . to be forcibly removed from her home on the grounds of ‘flimsy’ evidence that she was going to be forced into marriage. After . a few weeks in care, the woman was returned home but the family sued . and were paid thousands of pounds in compensation by the local council. Out-of-hours rulings, a system meant to be used only in urgent cases, . are being routinely abused, an investigation has revealed. Instead . of being subject to open court, judges on call between 4pm and 9am are . consulted over the phone by a single barrister often without the . involvement of families. Written evidence is rarely used out-of-hours and the proceedings are not always recorded. One legal expert told the Independent newspaper: ‘There is no real investigation out-of-hours over whether [an action] would be appropriate. It’s just the local authority ringing the judge up, the parents are not part of the proceedings, so it’s on full trust that the barrister gives their side. ‘We can see from the transcripts that judges don’t ask enough questions and the barristers don’t tell them the other side of the story.’ In the dark: Wanda Maddocks was jailed 'in secret' for trying to remove their father John Maddocks from a care home . The Daily Mail has led calls for the reform of the Court of Protection which is shielded from the scrutiny of the public and the Press. John Hemming, chairman of the Parliamentary Group on Family Law and the Court of Protection, will today call for an inquiry into the out-of-hours service by the Justice Select Committee. He described the system as an ‘appalling’ one in which ‘the family are not told about it, but the judge is called to rubber-stamp a decision.’ He said: ‘I was shocked when I found out this was going on. ‘The court is there to protect people, . but it seems more concerned about protecting local authorities and . their incomes. I’ve been to see ministers several times and they’re just . not interested in looking at individual cases. ‘They turn a blind eye to the problem – it’s a disgrace.’ A . retired High Court judge has also attacked the system which does not . publish the results of its hearings, making appeals nearly impossible. Sir Mark Hedley said: ‘There are very few cases which can’t wait until Monday morning. For example, any cases involving turning off of machines can wait.’ In another case he said he was asked to make a decision while on a family outing to Chester Zoo. He said: ‘The transplant case was made in the back of a car outside Chester Zoo, my wife said it was the only time she’d heard me making judgments.’ Sir Mark claims the procedure causes a problem for transparency because rulings are often not recorded so transcripts are not available. He added: ‘There’s a duty to keep a note [of hearings] I’ve kept them but I’ve never been asked for them.’ Last month the Mail highlighted the case of Wanda Maddocks, 50, who was secretly jailed for five months for attempting to move her 80-year-old father from a care home where she believed he was at risk. Secrecy rules forbade anyone to name Miss Maddocks , her father, the Stoke-on-Trent councillor who asked for her to be locked up or the social worker who gave evidence against her. She served six weeks before finally being released. | Judges make crucial decisions based on casual phone consultations .
Justice Hedley admitted to giving life-saving decision while at the zoo . |
170,348 | 687ec28cf5193bc28c5a0a15da6d0ec3c06335e1 | Tracked down: A new documentary has heard from FBI agents who have revealed how Boston mobster James 'Whitey' Bulger was finally captured thanks to a stray cat and a boob job . For 14 years, America's most-wanted criminal James 'Whitey' Bulger and his moll Catherine Greig evaded capture by posing as any other elderly couple in a low-key suburb of LA. Now the FBI has revealed for the first time how the pair were finally tracked down when two vastly different pieces of the jigsaw came together to out them - her love of a stray cat and her vanity as a younger woman when she opted for a boob job. Bulger, a notorious Boston underworld kingpin was jailed for life earlier this month after a 40-year career of murder, extortion, money-laundering, arms trafficking and drug dealing. The 84-year-old was arrested in 2011 after years on the run at the apartment he shared with Greig in Santa Monica, where residents told how the couple blended in like all the other retired couples. Speaking to 60 Minutes on CBS News, neighbour Barbara Gluck remembered how Greig always fed a stray cat after its owner had died. She said: 'She would pet it, you know, and be sweet to it and she put a plate of food like out here. She loved the cat.' Bulger had been a great source of . embarrassment for the FBI after he had infiltrated the Boston office of . the bureau and bought off agents who protected him. They gave him the tip that allowed Bulger to flee just days before he was to be indicted in 1995. Some feared he would never been caught. The film heard from FBI agents who told how they had struggled to find a workable lead for ten years - nor did they have any good photographs of the pair. They were aware of the couple's love of animals, but appeals to veterinarians proved unsuccessful. There had also been reports that Greig had once had breast implants and other plastic surgery in Boston before they fled the city, and, grasping at straws, they turned to cosmetics surgeons in the hope of a clue. Posing as any other retired couple: Whitey Bulger spent 16 years on the run with his . girlfriend Catherine Greig (pictured together . here in an undated photo) Spotted: Greig and Bulger were captured in 2011 in their then-apartment in Santa Monica, California . To their astonishment, one came from Dr Matthias Donelan, who not only found her file in storage - but crucially, photographs. Agent . Tommy MacDonald, who joined the Bulger taskforce in 2009, told the . programme called The Gaskos: 'I was trying to leave the office a little . early to catch one of my kids' ballgames. 'And I said, "Well, listen - I'm gonna swing by in the morning and pick those up." 'And . they said to me - "Do you want the photos too?" 'And I said "You have . photos?" And they said, "Yeah, we have photos." I said, "We'll be there . in 15 minutes."' Armed with . the picture, the FBI decided to switch strategy to focus on finding . Greig and created public service announcements on daytime talk shows . aimed at women. Then they got a call from a neighbour. Deputy U.S. Marshall Neil Sullivan, who took the lead, said: 'The tipster specifically . described that they were caring for this cat and their love for this . cat. 'So that was just . one piece of the puzzle on the tip that added up to saying "if this . isn’t them it’s something we better check out immediately because it . sure sounds like them."' Bulger disappeared in 1995 as law enforcement agencies were about to arrest him . When officers closed in, more . than $822,000 and 30 guns were found hidden in the walls of the . couple’s rent-controlled apartment, where they had been living there . under assumed identities with Grieg running errands, buying her aging . lover’s medication and paying bills. Bulger . was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for his murderous . reign of terror in the 1970s and '80s, bringing to a close a case that . exposed FBI corruption so deep that many people across the city thought . he would never be brought to justice. He . was defiant to the end, calling his trial on racketeering charges a . sham and refusing to testify or provide information to probation . officials preparing a sentencing report for the judge. The . jury convicted Bulger in 11 of the 19 killings he was charged with . participating in, but acquitted him of seven and could not reach a . conclusion on an eighth. Greig was sentenced separately to eight years for aiding and abetting him. | Boston crime lord tracked down in LA suburb after 16 years on the run .
Neighbours noticed how his moll Catherine Greig always fed an alley cat .
FBI contacted cosmetic surgeons after reports that she had implants .
One physician rang to say he had her file and, crucially, her photographs .
A public appeal focussing on Greig then yielded call from a neighbour .
Bulger jailed for life this month after 40-year career of murder, extortion and drug dealing . |
263,694 | e185402cd479678ea480a027cbab3b8a5c2acdcf | Russian cosmonauts could be living on the Moon by 2030 under leaked plans drawn up by the country's space agency. A draft government programme proposes a three-step plan to explore the Moon that would culminate in building a permanent Earth-monitoring observatory. The document stressed the urgency of getting there before other nations, saying 'leading space powers will expand and establish their rights to convenient lunar footholds' in the next 20 to 30 years. Red dawn? Russian cosmonauts could be living on the Moon by 2030 and use local resources to build Earth- and space-monitoring observatories, according to plans drawn up by the Kremlin and Russia's space agency . Moscow's plans, seen by Russian broadsheet Izvestia and reported in translation by the Moscow Times, call for a robotic craft to be sent to the Moon by 2016, with a manned mission by 2028. The final stage of the plan is for cosmonauts to use local resources to build an initial Moon base by 2030, followed by the construction of space- and Earth-monitoring observatories. With Nasa's sights apparently firmly set on Mars, despite struggling against years of funding cuts, Russia appears to have a relatively open field in the newest leg of the space race. The Kremlin has fired the starting pistol on its new space race less than three years after the U.S. was forced to start hitching flights on Russian rockets. Nasa ended its space shuttle programme in 2011 and has faced years of funding cuts. Just last month a Soyuz rocket carried two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut to the International Space Station (above), despite the crisis in Ukraine and tough talking on sanctions. China, Japan and India have all announced their intention to launch fresh missions to the Moon, which was last visited by humans in 1976. But Russia's space programme, which achieved the first manned space flight in 1961, is far ahead and is the only one to explicitly call for manned lunar missions. Just a fortnight ago, the Roscosmos announced plans for the massive new 'super-rockets' capable of lifting payloads of up to 120 tonnes into space. The latest report was prepared by by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Roscosmos federal space agency, Moscow State University and several space research institutes. It envisages international cooperation but stresses the 'independence of the national lunar programme must be ensured regardless of the conditions and extend of participation by foreign partners.' The document appears to be an . expansion on plans to first set out by Moscow last month, when deputy PM . Dmitry Rogozin dramatically announced: 'We are coming to the Moon . forever.' The final frontier: A Russian Soyuz rocket takes off for the International Space Station last month. The Kremlin has announced plans to build a super-heavy carrier rocket that could propel its cosmonauts to the Moon . In an article in the government's own newspaper headlined 'Russian Space', he spoke of targeting Mars and other 'space objects' as future priorities. 'Flights to Mars and asteroids in our view do not contradict exploration of the moon, but in many senses imply this process.' 'We are coming to the Moon forever': Russian deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin first outlined his country's plans for lunar exploration and colonisation last month . He wrote of 'colonisation of the moon and near-moon space'. In the next 50 years, manned flights are unlikely beyond 'the space between Venus and Mars'. But 'it is quite possible to speak about exploration of Mars, flights to asteroids and flights to Mars'. The essential first step as a base for research and experiments was the moon, said Mr Rogozin, who is in overall charge of Russia's space and defence industries, and was recently targeted for sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. 'The moon is not an intermediate point in the race,' he wrote in official daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta, conjuring an impression of a new space race with America. 'It is a separate, even a self-contained goal. 'It would hardly be rational to make some ten or 20 flights to the moon, and then wind it all up and fly to the Mars or some asteroids. 'This process has the beginning, but has no end. We are coming to the moon forever.' Russia was in the Soviet era behind many of the pioneering accomplishments in space flight, allowing them to claim an early lead in the space race. Early achievements included the first intercontinental ballistic missile, the first satellite and the first animal in space in 1957, the first human in space in 1961, the first space walk in 1965, the first unmanned moon landing in 1966 and the first space station in 1971. The U.S. soon caught up and put the first man on the surface of the moon, Neil Armstrong, in 1969. | Kremlin programme proposes Earth-monitoring observatory on the Moon .
It calls for urgency to beat other 'leading space powers' to the milestone .
Comes after deputy PM last month said: 'We are going to the moon forever' |
113,420 | 1e6447417f453cb6af171af39ad6e75b8933263b | By . Sam Marsden . and Arthur Martin . Missing: James Male, 23, with girlfriend Adele Miller . Relatives of four British sailors missing in the Atlantic Ocean pleaded yesterday for the search for their loved ones to be resumed. The US coastguard called off the hunt for the crew of 40ft yacht Cheeki Rafiki on Sunday after two days, saying the men were unlikely to have survived in the severe weather for more than 20 hours. But family and friends of the yachtsmen – who were sailing back to Britain from a Caribbean regatta when their boat capsized – believe they are still alive and awaiting rescue. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world, said it was 'very likely' the four experienced sailors had escaped into the boat's life-raft. Another theory is that they are surviving in an air pocket underneath the vessel's hull. Cheeki Rafiki captain Andrew Bridge, 22, and crew members James Male, 23, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, were around 620 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, when the yacht began taking on water last Thursday. They told their base in Southampton they were diverting to the Azores, but contact was lost in the early hours of Friday morning. Yesterday the family of Mr Warren, a project manager from Wincanton, Somerset, said they are convinced he is alive. His sister Kay Coombes, 46, said: 'We are grateful to the coastguards for what they have done so far, but it's stopped too soon. They are four strong-minded, physically strong sailors.' All smiles: The last picture of the crew of the Cheeki Rafiki shows the sailors enjoying an awards ceremony at the end of the Antigua Sailing Week 2014. Steve Warren is shown left, Paul Goslin, is second left, Andrew Bridge is seen second to right, and James Male is pictured right . She added: 'They knew they were in difficulties and had every opportunity to get into the life-raft, which would have had provisions for several days.' Last night more than 70,000 people had signed an online petition calling on the US to resume the search, with Olympic sailing champion Sir Ben Ainslie backing the campaign on Twitter. The Cheeki Rafiki had taken part in the Antigua Sailing Week regatta. A picture taken on the final day shows the four men relaxed and smiling, with Mr Male, of Southampton, clutching a trophy and a bottle of champagne. The father of Mr Bridge, a highly experienced yacht skipper despite his young age, also appealed to the US coastguard yesterday. 'We're going through hell': Kay Coombes, sister of missing yachtsman Stephen Warren, has been told 40 private boats are to search for the boat, which lost contact with land on Friday . David Bridge, 51, from Farnham in Surrey, said: 'Please keep looking. The longer they delay the less time there will be to find them.' He said Foreign Office diplomats were trying to 'exert pressure' on US officials, but could do little else. Cressida Goslin, 51, the wife of Mr Goslin, from West Camel, Somerset, told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: 'There are four British people on that boat... if we don't try to rescue them we are just going to leave them to starve to death.' US officials yesterday said air crews had scoured an area of more than 4,000 square miles without finding any trace of the missing sailors. Hull sighting: On Saturday, a cargo vessel, the MV Maersk Kure, spotted and photographed an overturned hull, pictured, which matched the description of the Cheeki Rafiki but reported no signs of people on board . US . and Canadian aircraft and merchant vessels looked for the crew . throughout Friday and Saturday but later called off the search. Stormforce director Doug Innes said he was 'devastated' the search had . been stoppedOn Saturday, a cargo ship crew spotted the overturned hull of a boat matching the description of the Cheeki Rafiki, but saw no signs of the men or a life-raft. Captain Anthony Popiel, of the US coastguard, said: 'Assuming best-case emergency equipment, the estimated survival time past the time of distress was approximately 20 hours. Crews searched for 53 hours.' Simon Boxall, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton, admitted finding the men was unlikely. He said the US coastguard is among the best in the world, and the search would not have been called off if officials 'genuinely thought there was hope'. Treacherous: Search teams battled 'treacherous' conditions - including winds in excess of 50 knots and 15 to 20 ft waves - to search for the missing yacht, pictured . | Coast Guard called off search after 53 hours. Estimated survival time is 20 .
But relatives of the four men say they were 'strong' and could be in life raft .
The petition has been backed by Olympic sailing champion Sir Ben Ainslie . |
94,494 | 057471ca260d9856c983b1b314792778f22ad553 | (CNN) -- Libya said Saturday it will seek extradition of its former spy chief who was arrested in Mauritania and is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Mauritanian security authorities arrested Abdullah al-Senussi, Libya's former chief of intelligence and one of the Gadhafi regime's most wanted men. Al-Senussi, the late Moammar Gadhafi's brother-in-law, was arrested Friday evening at Nouakchott airport, a Libyan transitional government spokesman said. He was carrying a fake passport from Mali at the time of his arrest. France is also in the process of requesting al-Senussi's extradition from Mauritania, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said. Al-Senussi is the subject of an international arrest warrant following his sentencing in absentia to life imprisonment for the September 19, 1989, terror attack on UTA flight 772, killing 170 people, including 54 French nationals, when the French airliner exploded over Niger. His arrest Friday was the result of joint efforts by the French and Mauritanian authorities, Sarkozy's office said. The Libyan authorities were kept informed, the statement added. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that if "Senussi is indeed apprehended, of course that would be good news all around." "We have a particular interest because of his role in the Lockerbie bombing situation, but it's really good news for the people of Libya." In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers and crew aboard in an attack that was later linked to Libya. Pelosi, who is leading a congressional delegation that traveled to Libya on Saturday, said al-Senussi's detainment could bring some form of "closure," which she described as "very important." Interpol had issued a Red Notice for al-Senussi's arrest for alleged crimes against humanity. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands to stand trial on those charges. Al-Senussi was detained at the airport along with a younger man believed to be his son, said Libyan interim government spokesman Nasser al-Manee. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Alex Felton contributed to this report. | NEW: U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is in Libya to lead a congressional delegation .
Al-Senussi was arrested at an airport in Mauritania on Friday, Libyan authorities said .
He was the intelligence chief for Libya's Moammar Gadhafi .
He is wanted by the International Criminal Court . |
225,132 | af8ac39d18291046a15db4e46b98cc3116a43924 | (CNN) -- Ali Abdul Razzaq's life in Iraq was still getting started when a bullet to the head killed the 9-year-old. Ahmad Rubaie was studying to become a doctor when his life ended. They were just two of a group of unarmed Iraqi civilians who died when four former Blackwater private security contractors opened fire at Nisur Square in Baghdad on September 16, 2007. Eighteen others were wounded in an incident that has been a controversial political and diplomatic case from the start and which still reverberates seven years later. On Tuesday, a District of Columbia jury began deliberations on whether the four guards -- Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard -- are guilty or acted in self-defense. Only Slatten is charged with first-degree murder; that's in the slaying of the driver of a white Kia sedan in the Baghdad traffic circle. Prosecutors argued Slatten, the team's sniper, lit the fuse of the entire incident when he fired on and killed the driver. The Justice Department alleges the other three men "unlawfully and intentionally, upon a sudden quarrel and heat of passion, did commit voluntary manslaughter" in the ensuing chaos when they opened fire. The defendants deny all charges and say they acted in self-defense after they were fired upon by militants. Witnesses dispute the claim. 'It was horror' Attorney Hasan Jaber was driving to work when he got trapped in traffic at the square. That's when the shooting started. Like many others, he tried to flee, but he was shot three times. "It was horror ... people were terrified," he said. "People running out of their cars were being shot at ... anything that moved in Nisur Square was shot. Women, children, young people, they shot everyone." Jaber testified in Washington and said he has faith in the American justice system. "I felt that there are people who care about this," he said. "I have trust that there will be justice." Long road to trial . A federal judge in 2008 dismissed the original case, finding the Justice Department withheld key evidence and violated the guards' rights. But a federal appeals court later reversed that decision, leading the government to seek a fresh indictment and trial. The incident prompted international outrage at the time, and the criminal prosecution in the United States has dragged on for years. The killings led Iraq's government to slap limits on security contractors hired by various firms, including Virginia-based Blackwater, which was sold by founder Eric Prince and is known as Academi. "The vast majority of the U.S. contractors who served in Iraq did so with honor and integrity, but, as alleged today, these defendants abused their power through a relentless attack on unarmed civilians that recklessly exceeded any possible justification," said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. "This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rule of law even in times of war and to bringing justice to the memories of those innocent men, women, and children who were gunned down in Baghdad more than six years ago," he said. Prosecutor: Defendants did not have 'a blank check' On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Anthony Asuncion told the jury of five men and seven women in his closing argument that the former contractors, "took something that didn't belong to them, the lives of 14 individuals." "People who could laugh and live were turned into bloody, bullet-ridden corpses by these men," Asuncion said, turning and pointing at the defendants. Prosecutors said the men fired at the Kia with machine guns and grenade launchers. Pictures of deceased and injured were displayed on a large board adjacent to the jury. "None of these people were armed. None of these people on this board posed a threat to these men," Asuncion said. "The fact this happened in a war-torn country did not give the defendants a blank check." The former private security guards were working for Blackwater handling diplomatic security for the State Department. Their attorneys argued that Nisur Square, close to the fortified Green Zone, was a hostile environment. They said the Blackwater teams in the area were under constant threat, specifically from car bombs targeting convoys such as the one in which they arrived. "Every civilian death in a war zone is a tragedy, but not every death is a crime," Brian Heberlig, a defense attorney for Slough, argued in his closings. The defense attorney said the guards were fired on by militants when they arrived in the traffic circle, a key point of disagreement between the defense and the prosecution. Heberlig said it was actually Slough, not Slatten, who fired first on the Kia at its engine block to try to stop the vehicle after the team perceived it to be a car bomb threat rapidly approaching their convoy. "We know now it was a medical student and his mother," Heberlig said of the occupants of the sedan, "but my client didn't know that at the time." "[Slough] did his job in Nisur Square and defended other Americans in an war zone." Judge Royce Lamberth thanked the jury for their service during this long trial, which stretched over 44 days in court. After reading the lengthy charging documents, he sent them to lunch and then on to decide the case. 2011: Blackwater founder enters video game business . CNN's Eric Marrapodi and Forrest Brown contributed to this report. | Case relates to shooting in 2007 that left more than a dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians dead .
Defendants have denied all charges, saying they acted in self-defense .
Incident prompted international outrage; U.S. prosecution has lasted for years . |
24,203 | 44aba41a45a504f37ff6e8fd3eb9d26282c6e5d9 | Michael Brown was unarmed when he was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9 . An elementary school teacher has been suspended after a Facebook post alleged that she instructed the students to re-enact the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. The Brantley Elementary School teacher, who has not been named, allegedly made 11 and 12-year-old white students play police officers and research the death of Mike Brown - who was shot dead on August 9, sparking race riots. Jessica Baughn, the mother of sixth grader Jimmy Griffin, who attends the school in Selma, Alabama, posted the complaint on Facebook on Tuesday. She wrote: 'I am absolutely shocked by what my 6th grade child come home telling me that [sic] happened in school (Brantley Elementary). 'His teacher made them reenact the two current shooting of the young black male's [sic]. 'The white students had to play the police officer. She even has them get on the internet and research how many times the young man was shot where [and] he was shot at.' Speaking to the Selma Times-Journal, Ms Baughn added: 'I don't think that it needs to be talked about at school at all, let alone reenacted. 'It scares me as a parent, because any one of those children could have picked up their aunt, uncle, grandma or whoever's gun and pointed it at another child and it went off accidentally.' Dallas County Schools superintendent of education Don Willingham said an instructor was teaching about current affairs when someone mentioned the shooting in Ferguson. He said the class conducted a 'skit' about the shooting, but declined to give further details of what happened or who suggested doing it. Mr Willingham said he had since interviewed the school's principal, Audrey Larkin Strong, the teacher involved, Ms Baughn and her son. Mr Willingham refused to identify the teacher involved until further interviews could be conducted, but has put the individual on paid leave. 'We wish the conversation didn't have to take place, but it's been reported to us and we're addressing it as quick as we can,' Mr Willingham said. Scroll down for video . 11 and 12-year-olds at Brantley Elementary School were allegedly made to act out the shooting of Brown . 'I did put the teacher on administrative leave with pay, because we wanted to do the investigation. It's standard procedure.' Mr Willingham said he would continue interview those involved again, as well as students who were present in the classroom. Mr Strong said the school did not teach violence to children. He said: 'Brantley's culture does not support division. 'We do recognize diversity, but we do not support division. Our culture is a strong culture.' Riots continue in Ferguson, Missouri, following the unarmed black teenager's killing on August 9 . Ten days and nights of street battles between protesters and police officers have followed Michael Brown's death, with tear gas and rubber bullets used by officers. Overnight curfews have been ignored and shops have been looted by Ferguson residents who are infuriated by the shooting of the unarmed blacked teenager. The identity of the police officer who shot Brown was hidden for days, but after intense pressure was revealed to be Darren Wilson, who has since gone into hiding for his own safety. Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday visited Ferguson to appeal for calm while he leads a 'fair' investigation. | Teacher in Selma, Alabama allegedly got pupils to act out Ferguson shooting .
White pupils 'played police officers and researched how Brown was killed'
Teacher placed on administrative leave while an investigation is carried out .
Riots continue in Ferguson, 12 days after unarmed black teenager was shot . |
163,929 | 5ffe93b16230952a9956694c0267ad425e8ee3aa | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 10:55 EST, 16 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:11 EST, 16 October 2012 . Girlfriend blacked out: Amateur rugby prop Benjamin Blake admitted causing actual harm to his girlfriend Tanya Trevelyn . An amateur rugby prop who beat his girlfriend so badly she blacked out had raised money for a domestic violence charity just days before his court case. Benjamin Blake, 20, allegedly tried to strangle Tanya Trevelyn, 40, and after admitting at Exeter Crown Court that he caused her so much pain she blacked out, a custodial sentence has been ‘demanded’ by the judge. The six-foot prop appeared in court just days after he played in a head-to-head charity match between police officers and fire fighters at the Tiverton Rugby Club, Devon where he signed up last month. The game was raising funds for Stop Abuse for Everyone, a charity dedicated to the fight against domestic violence. Recorder Brian Lett, QC, told Blake of Tiverton, Devon that even the parts of the assault which he had admitted to were so serious that an immediate jail sentence was inevitable. Blake admitted causing actual harm, common assault and criminal damage. Mr Lett said there was also a danger that pressure may be put on the victim, who is now due to give evidence, at a special hearing later this month. He said: ‘On the facts admitted a custodial sentence is demanded.’ Blake has been remanded in custody pending a hearing. David Bowen, prosecuting, said all the allegations arose from the same incident in which there was a prolonged and sustained assault. He said: ‘There is a list of injuries . and there were 17 different elements of the assault including biting . of the cheek and two instances of strangulation. Charity match: Just days before Blake appeared in court he played in a head-to-head charity match between police officers and fire fighters at the Tiverton Rugby Club (pictured) Jail inevitable: Recorder Brian Lett, QC, told Blake at Exeter Crown Court (pictured) that even what he admitted to 'demanded' a custodial sentence . ‘The most serious is an allegation which he denies of pulling her legs apart and kicking her between the legs. ‘We say the cumulative effect is to increase the gravity of the offence.’ Warren Robinson, defending, said Blake disputes aiming a deliberate kick to the groin and trying to strangle his partner, but accepts his assault caused her to lose consciousness. Nearly one million women experience at least one incident of domestic abuse each year according to the 2009/10 British Crime Survey. | Rugby prop Benjamin Blake admitted causing actual harm to his girlfriend .
Tanya Trevelyn suffered so much pain that she blacked out during the attack .
Days before the court case he played in a charity match raising money for a domestic violence charity .
The judge said a jail sentence was inevitable for Blake . |
105,125 | 139a132a7e485824ec546de6a60c1ef7dd5cf110 | It is a notoriously indulgent sweet treat that could never be classed as healthy. But Häagen-Dazs are attempting to repair ice cream's rather fattening reputation in Asia with two new low-fat vegetable flavours. The series, called Spoon Vege, features fusions of tomato and cherry, and carrot and orange, and will be available in Japan from May 12. The Spoon Vege series features fusions of Tomato Cherry and Carrot Orange and will be available in Japan . The line of unconventional ice creams come in 100ml (3.7oz) mini cups with a spoon, at 284 yen (£1.65) each. While the typical Häagen-Dazs indulgence consists of 12 to 14 per cent milk fat by composition, the Tomato-Cherry flavour, for example, is 20 . per cent fruit juice and just 8.5 per cent milk fat. The low-fat treat is made from a . combination of cherry juice and tomato paste. It is said to combine the 'natural sweetness of tomato with the fruity flavor of cherry', which works to accentuate the rich taste of the tomato. Meanwhile, Carrot-Orange features a blend of concentrated carrot juice, orange juice concentrate, orange pulp, and orange peel. It has the same 8.5 per cent milk fat but less concentrated juice at just 5 per cent, say RocketNews24. This flavour takes the gentle taste of carrot and adds to it the citrus zing and scent of . orange, giving the carrot a 'sophisticated and refreshing twist'. Tomato-Cherry flavour is 20 per cent fruit juice and just 8.5 per cent milk fat . Japanese ice cream fans will be able to get some of their five a day while they indulge in their favourite dessert . | Tomato-Cherry and Carrot-Orange flavours available in Japan from May .
Contain less milk fat at just 8.5 per cent - with up to 20 per cent juice . |
116,554 | 226f74c7773bec3ad20b5117930af712bf5d4f95 | By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 06:52 EST, 15 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 15 January 2014 . The boss of this filthy sweet-shop which kitchen inspectors found engulfed with flies and filled with dirty pans caked in grease has been fined £4,000. Mohammed Akram, 53, owner of Aysha Sweet Centre - which claims to supply ‘the North’s most famous Pakistani sweets’ - pleaded guilty to eight food safety offences. Hygiene officials found food-pans caked in grease and dirty walls with peeling paint at the shop in Oldham, Greater Manchester during a routine visit last August, a court heard. Filthy: Hygiene officials found food-pans caked in grease and dirty walls with peeling paint at Aysha Sweetv Centre in Oldham, Greater Manchester during a routine visit, a court heard . Dirty: The half-built premises had a food preparation area full of flies - and there was no soap or hand-drying facilities at the kitchen sink . The half-built premises had a food preparation area full of flies - and there was no soap or hand-drying facilities at the kitchen sink. Oldham magistrates were told how staff at the eatery had not put food safety procedures - required by law - in place, and that no-one was checking food was being prepared safely. According to Aysha’s website, the shop specialises in Asian sweets including barfi, made of condensed milk and sugar, jalebi, deep-fried sweet pretzel-style snacks and nougat-style halwa. Stock: According to Aysha's website, the shop specialises in Asian sweets including barfi, made of condensed milk and sugar, jalebi, deep-fried sweet pretzel-style snacks and nougat-style halwa . Sentence: Akram, who pleaded guilty to eight breaches of food hygiene regulations, was ordered to pay a £2,400 fine and £1,575 costs awarded to the council - a total of £3,975 . Fined: Mr Akram said hygiene at his Oldham shop had now improved . The store also offers savoury snacks including samosas, chicken wings and savoury rice dishes. Akram, who pleaded guilty to eight breaches of food hygiene regulations, was ordered to pay a £2,400 fine and £1,575 costs awarded to the council - a total of £3,975. 'Members of the public should be able to consume food from any outlet with confidence that it is prepared using the highest of food hygiene practices,' said Jean Stretton of Oldham Council. 'Oldham council continuously and effectively monitors premises throughout the borough to ensure high standards are kept. 'But those who flout food hygiene laws will face severe punishment, like this takeaway has done. 'The safety of the public is paramount.' Mr Akram said: 'I have been here 17 or 18 years now, this is the first time I have been in trouble over hygiene. 'I have now taken more of an interest (in kitchen hygiene standards). 'Inspectors have been since August and I showed photos to the court, and matters have now improved 100 per cent.' | Pakistani sweet shop Aysha Sweet Centre was visited by hygiene officers .
Found pans caked in grease, dirty walls and a preparation area full of flies .
Shop owner Mohammed Akram admitted eight food safety offences .
Akran, 53, ordered to pay £2,400 fine and £1,575 costs to local council . |
248,496 | cd8539eb80862b190b993145b32e631153edccdf | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 07:07 EST, 23 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:08 EST, 23 July 2013 . As the heatwave engulfing Britain shows no signs of abating, it seems men are seeking new ways to stay cool in the office. Rather than sweating it out in a full suit, men are opting for smart, tailored shorts that can be teamed with a shirt and jacket. This Bermuda type look has become so popular that some shops are reporting over a 200 per cent rise in sales from last year. John Lewis have seen a risei n sales of over 200 per cent on last years figuresd. Pictured are the McAvoy twill shorts, £45 . As temperatures reached the mid-thirties last week, John Lewis reported their best ever week for short sales, with sales of smart shorts up a massive 226 per cent on last year (not entirely surprising, given the cool summer we endured), and 33 per cent higher than the previous bestselling week. The trend for above-the-knee shorts was a major look at Richard James, Junya . Watanabe and Raf Simons on the spring/summer 13 catwalks and, since then, tailored shorts have begun surfacing as officewear for overheated city dwellers, whether worn with a . casual polo shirt or as part of a smart suit. This trend sees a move away from the short-shorts craze that has been adopted by stars like Joey Essex. Last week high street sales data revealed that demand for men’s shorts that sit at the top of thighs, rather than knees had shot up by 156 per cent in the previous week alone. The tailored shorts evoke a slightly more sophisticated feel: more elegant post-work cocktails on the terrace than dodgy Wham throwback, and is the sort of look that will see British men looking cool yet chic in the workplace and beyond. The high street has quickly adapted to cater to this trend and wide ranges of tailored shorts are available at shops from Marks and Spencer to George at Asda. Chino Shorts £19.50, teamed with Blue Harbour Bomber £49.50, T-Shirt £12.50, and Blue Harbour Boat Shoes £49.50, all from Marks and Spencer . The current best-selling styles at John Lewis include the private label chino, belted cargo and linen short styles in reds, bright blues and greens – adding a real point of difference and to some, a controversial twist to the ‘office’ look. Nick Keyte, Head of Menswear Buying at John Lewis, says, ‘Last week alone, shorts sales rose by 52 per cent, week on week. ‘The tailored short offers our male customer a stylish sartorial solution and alternative to the traditional trouser that maintains a level of cool for summer. ‘Our customers are dressing up their shorts with brogues, desert boots and loafers for a more formal look in the office.’ Boston Crew Oxford Shorts, £14 George Asda . Ergonomic Bermuda Shorts with belt, £15.99-29.99 from Zara . Topshop Grey Cotton Chino Shorts Price: £24.00 . John Lewis Smart Linen Shorts , Khaki (£35) Maine New England casual twill shorts, 18, Debenhams . John Lewis Chino Shorts , Navy, £35 . | New trend for smart shorts to keep cool in the office .
John Lewis have seen sales over 200 per cent higher than last year .
Last weeks sales were 36 per cent higher than previous highest week .
More chic than the current trend for super short-shorts for men . |
18,538 | 346c170571d14e06a023e02f295db71898f99879 | Libyan authorities are trying to round up 1,200 inmates who spilled out of a Benghazi prison. The prisoners escaped the al-Kwyfah facility in Benghazi early Friday, but only 18 have been captured, city security spokesman Mohammed Hujazi told Libya News TV on Saturday. A few others have surrendered, Hujazi said. Residents living next to the prison stormed the facility because they didn't want a prison in their neighborhood, said Ali Zaidan, prime minister of Libya's transitional government. Authorities rushed to the scene, but were instructed "not to draw arms against citizens," Zaidan said. So the al-Kwyfah residents were able to open the floodgates for the prisoners. Zaidan said the country's border posts have lists of the escaped prisoners. He also ordered the closure of Libya's border with Egypt, to the east. "Nobody will be allowed to cross, but we will allow the goods only to enter in the month of Ramadan," Zaidan said. Hujazi, the city's security spokesman, said the security apparatus in Benghazi "suffers from the lack of manpower and equipment." | Of the 1,200 who escaped, 18 have been captured and a few have surrendered .
Prime minister: Residents stormed the prison because they didn't want it in their area .
Authorities couldn't draw their arms on the residents, allowing them to help the prisoners .
City official: Benghazi's security apparatus "suffers from the lack of manpower and equipment" |
197,602 | 8bc1d3a63204616dd25017a94ea6dab944e3cd66 | (CNN) -- Now that Mitt Romney has all but wrapped up the Republican nomination for president, the discussion has veered toward potential running mates. Who embodies the conservative credentials Romney is seen as lacking? Who can deliver a battleground state that will put Romney over the top? Who can generate the enthusiasm that will bring not only Republicans, but also independents, to the polls on Election Day? Presidential candidates -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- have always considered factors like these. What is notable about this year's early speculation, however, is the manner in which women have been incorporated into the conversation. We seem to have reached the point at which a woman is always included in a "veepstakes" list. The Washington Post named nine men and Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico as its top 10 picks. The Fiscal Times included Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina as one of its top seven names. And Fox News offered nine men and two women as plausible running mates. A few days ago, on ABC, Jonathan Karl laid out several categories of contenders. His "top tier" included Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rob Portman of Ohio, along with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Among the "second tier" possibilities were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. And then there were "the women." In a category all to themselves, Karl placed Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, as well as three governors: Haley, Martinez and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma. Politics: Rubio backs Jeb Bush for VP . Anyone can debate the pros and cons that each of these candidates would bring to the Republican ticket. What is not up for debate, however, is that Karl, and undoubtedly many others, consider certain potential candidates as women first and political professionals second. Before her election as governor in 2010, Fallin served two terms in the House of Representatives and 12 years as lieutenant governor. Her executive experience, therefore, is not very different from that of Daniels. Before winning a gubernatorial election two years ago, Martinez served as district attorney (a position to which she was first elected in 1996). Her political pedigree is similar to Christie's; he served as a federal prosecutor for six years before his election as governor in 2010. Ayotte was New Hampshire's attorney general when she was elected to the Senate last cycle. Rubio, who joined Ayotte as a member of the freshman class, had never before held statewide office, although he had served in the Florida legislature for 10 years. We do not mean to diminish the credentials of any of these men. In fact, that's our point. All of these names are credible and viable vice-presidential candidates. Karl doesn't say whether the women he lists are "top tier," "second tier" or even "wild cards" (another of his categories). They're just "women." Consumers of political news are denied a real analysis of these women's place in the informal pecking order. Of course, Karl is not the first to evaluate politicians as women first and politicians second. As scholars of gender politics, we are long familiar with the tendency among the media and those who practice politics to refer to a "woman governor" or "women candidates." We hear talk about the gender gap and the Republican Party's "woman problem" as if women are one large, undifferentiated group best identified by their sex. And we routinely see pundits, pollsters, and politicians refer to women running for office as "outsiders" (even when they're insiders) or "out-of-the-box choices" (even when they're quite conventional). This is, of course, because women are still woefully underrepresented at every level of American government. As long as women remain an anomaly in politics, their sex will continue to cause them to stand out. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kathleen Dolan and Jennifer L. Lawless. | Jennifer Lawless, Kathleen Dolan: Romney likely GOP pick; focus now on finding VP .
They say nowadays women usually at least included in list of potential VP candidates .
They say ABC's Karl made lists of potential candidates; gave women a separate list .
Writers: Women still woefully underrepresented in electoral politics; viewed as outsiders . |
15,275 | 2b733f837808a50b7f6346984c0b4c29acf0a610 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:20 EST, 1 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:12 EST, 2 October 2012 . A suicide bomber driving a motorcycle packed with explosives rammed his bike into a patrol of Afghan and international forces on Monday morning in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 14 people, including three NATO service members and their translator, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which came as relations between international forces and their Afghan partners have been pushed to the breaking point by a surge in insider attacks by Afghan allies. The attack comes as top Afghanistan official General John Allen blasted the rash of insider attacks, saying he was 'mad as hell' that terrorist forces were taking advantage of the United States' 'vulnerabilities' during the troop withdrawal and warned that the insider attack would be the 'signature' of the current stage. Scroll down for video . Blast: Afghan police inspect the site of a suicide bomb attack targeting a convoy of NATO's soldiers of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), in Khost, Afghanistan, 01 October 2012 . The bomber struck a group of Afghan police and international troops shortly after they got out of their vehicles to walk through a market area in Khost city, the capital of Khost province, said provincial government spokesman Baryalai Wakman. Six civilians and four police officers were killed in the blast, Wakman said. He said the police officers were part of a specialized quick-reaction force. Blood could be seen on the market road as Afghan police and soldiers tried to clean up the area after the blast. Slippers and bicycle parts were strewn about. 'I heard the explosion and came right to this area. I saw the dead bodies of policemen and of civilians right here,' said policeman Hashmat Khan, who ran to the site of the blast from his job as security for a nearby bank. Coalition spokesman Maj. Adam Wojack would only confirm that three NATO service members and their translator died in a bombing in the east on Monday, without giving an exact location or the nationalities of the dead. The international military alliance usually waits for individual nations to announce details on deaths. Security: Afghan Police check people on a roadside check point following a suicide bomb attack targeting a convoy of NATO's soldiers of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Khost, Afghanistan, 01 October 2012 . Wounded: An Afghan man is treated at a hospital after he was injured in a suicide bombing in Khost, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 . Most of the troops in the east and in Khost province are American. It was not immediately clear if the translator was an Afghan citizen or a foreigner, Wojack said. Dozens of Afghan civilians were also wounded in the bombing. The city's hospital alone was treating about 30 people injured in the explosion, said Dr. Amir Pacha, a physician working there. He added there could be other victims being treated at nearby private clinics. 'In Iraq, the signature weapon . system that we hadn't seen before was the IED. We had to adjust to . that. Here, I think the signature attack that we're beginning to see is . going to be the insider attack.' General John Allen . Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in text messages to media that the insurgent group was behind the attack. Joint patrols between NATO and Afghan forces have become more limited following a tide of attacks by Afghan soldiers and police on their international allies. Last month, the U.S. military issued . new orders that require units to get approval from higher-ups before . conducting operations with Afghans. Then, . two weeks later, U.S. officials said most missions were being conducted . with Afghans again, though the system of approvals has remained in . place. The close contact — coalition forces . working side by side with Afghan troops as advisers, mentors and . trainers — is a key part of the U.S. strategy for putting the Afghans in . the lead as the U.S. and other nations prepare to pull out their last . combat troops by the end of 2014. Conflict: US Army soldiers based at Zangabad patrol during a dawn operation at Naja-bien village on September 23, 2012. A total of 374 civilians were killed and 581 injured in August as a result of the war in Afghanistan, making it the second deadliest month for civilians since 2007 . Death: Air Force Pararescueman, or PJ, drapes an American flag over the remains of the first of two U.S. soldiers killed minutes earlier in an IED attack in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan on July 29, 2010. U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan have surpassed 2,000 . But the rising death toll for international troops has increased calls in the U.S. and other allies to get out as soon as possible. On Sunday, a U.S. official confirmed . that an American soldier was killed in a firefight that broke out . between Afghan and U.S. troops, sparked by either a premeditated attack . or confusion about the origins of an insurgent strike. Withdrawal: Instability and vulnerability precipitated by President Barack Obama's plan for troop withdrawal by 2014 has left an opening for insider attacks, a top general has said . General Allen spoke with 60 Minutes to discuss the disturbing trend of insider attacks. 'I'm mad as hell about them, to be honest with you,' General Allen said. 'We're going to get after this. It reverberates everywhere, across the United States. You know, we're willing to sacrifice a lot for this campaign. But we're not willing to be murdered for it.' President Barack Obama's plan for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan calls for the United States military to train Afghan's to defend their own country as the remaining 68,000 American troops will return home in 2014. 'The enemy recognizes this is a vulnerability,' General Allen said. Trend: COMISAF General John Allen, center, says that insider attacks are the 'signature' of the Afghan conflict . Collaboration: An Afghan soldier stands guard during a gathering in Gushta district of Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 . 'You know, in Iraq, the signature weapon system that we hadn't seen before was the IED. We had to adjust to that. Here, I think the signature attack that we're beginning to see is going to be the insider attack.' On Sunday, the Pentagon announced th death of the 2,000th servicemember. This year, 1 in 5 combat-related deaths of American or NATO-allied troops has been the result of Afghan insider attacks. | At least 14 people were killed this morning in an insider attack in Afghanistan .
The bomber was dressed as an Afghan police officer .
Top general says insider attacks are the 'signature' of the conflict .
Of the 2,000 U.S. deaths so far in the war, 1 in 5 has been caused by Afghan on American fire . |
76,774 | d9c8a635b2eeb8c426f83d75ece5c67c31eba215 | In case you missed it, a comet grazed the sun on Thanksgiving Day. Expectations had been high that Comet ISON would survive this close encounter, swing around the sun and put on a fantastic sky show. It was hoped it might even become a Great Comet, with massive tails visible to the naked eye. But something really bad happened and now it looks like ISON may be just dust in the solar wind (the sun was uninjured, FYI). Here's what we know now about ISON: . 1. Is ISON dead? Well, maybe. After the comet flew about 730,000 miles above the sun's surface, it started fading in images taken by NASA spacecraft. Things got so bad that Karl Battams, an astrophysicist with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and one of ISON's top fans, er -- chief observers -- wrote an obit for the comet. Despite the eulogy, Battams said we have to wait for the Hubble Space Telescope or other telescopes to confirm ISON's fate. "It seems unlikely at this stage that anything of significant size remains but Hubble observations would help clear that up," Battams told CNN in an e-mail. NASA also hinted there may be a bit of hope for ISON in its latest update posted online Wednesday. The agency said it will use space telescopes to monitor ISON for the next several weeks because it's possible that dust is hiding a new, smaller version of it. "Most agree that up to 90% of ISON was destroyed, leaving approximately 10% of the comet intact. If previous sungrazing comets are any guides, there may be a sizeable piece of comet nucleus left. At this point, though, scientists are waiting for a variety of telescopes to make observations before the status of Comet ISON can be confirmed." 2. What do we call ISON now? "I don't think there is an official term yet," Battams said. "I have been referring to it as a comet remnant, and that seems pretty appropriate." 3. ISON wasn't a flop. Okay, it won't be a "Great Comet" or the "Comet of the Century." But ISON did become a social media superstar and it gave scientists tons of data. "It's disappointing that we didn't get a spectacular naked-eye comet," Matthew Knight of Comet ISON Observing Campaign said in a NASA science article. "But in other ways I think Comet ISON was a huge success. The way people connected with Comet ISON via social media was phenomenal; our Comet ISON Observing Campaign website earned well over a million hits; and I had trouble downloading images near perihelion because NASA's servers were swamped. "So maybe ISON was the 'Comet of the New Century,'" he said. NASA deep-sixes Deep Impact comet hunter . 4. ISON won't be forgotten. ISON's fate has become a near obsession for a special Facebook group set up by physicist and astronomer Padma Yanamandra-Fisher with the Space Science Institute and the ISON observing campaign. More than 300 members have been tracking the comet and sharing amazing pictures. Many are still looking for ISON's remains and they aren't ready to declare it dead. "I think the evidence shows that something catastrophic happened to the comet, but I don't think anyone is 100% sure," said Yanamandra-Fisher. "Ground-based observations and orbiting telescopic observations, such as Hubble Space Telescope, later in December are important." 5. But wait, there's more! Believe it or not, ISON is not the only comet! "There are several comets to enjoy right now," Battams says. He likes Comet Lovejoy (discovered by Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy), Comet Encke and Comet LINEAR. "The bottom line is that there are several comets still visible, and even when the bright comets have gone, there will always be more. The night sky is full of wonderful things to observe, too, so people absolutely should get outside and explore the skies!" Battams said. If you're ready to go comet-hunting, here are some websites that ISON observers say might help: . | NASA telescopes are hunting ISON's remnants .
A chunk of the comet may have survived .
Comet-watchers are not giving up on ISON . |
75,126 | d4fe6772ef83314fe6dce7826c855573cac66b0a | In what’s been dubbed a cross between a GoPro and a quadcopter, physics researchers have designed the world's first wearable drone. Called Nixie, the drone folds up and attaches to a wrist strap. When the wearer wants it to start filming, they press a button and the drone unfolds and flies overhead, tracking their movements using motion sensors. Scroll down for video . The Nixie wearable drone was created by researchers at Stanford University and is a finalist in Intel’s annual Make It Wearable competition. Nixie is a drone, worn on the wrist (concept illustrated) and expands at the touch of a button. The team has created a prototype version and recently received $50,000 (£30,700) in funding . Last week, Polaroid and HTC both released details about handheld devices set to rival GoPro. The former is planning to release the Polaroid Cube - a tiny action camera with a square design. And a teaser video and leaked images reveal that HTC is planning to release a similar device of its own, in the shape of a toy periscope. The Polaroid Cube will be available for £89 ($99.99) from 1 October. HTC's camera is due to launch next month. The drone then returns to the wearer’s wrist, which could be controlled using a timer, or summoned using gestures. It was developed by Dr Christoph Kohstall, a physics researcher at Stanford University, with colleagues Jelena Jovanovic and Michael Niedermayr. And the concept is a finalist in Intel’s annual Make It Wearable competition. As a result, the team has been awarded $50,000 (£30,700) to help make it a reality. In addition to the prize money, all finalists are given mentorship and technical support from the Santa Clara-based tech giant. Dr Christoph Kohstall has also created an early prototype, which will be developed and is set to undergo further testing later this year. The winner of Intel’s competition will be announced on 3 November. It is unknown when the Nixie will go on sale, and how much it will retail for, but MailOnline has contacted the company for more information. When the wearer wants it to start filming, they press a button and the drone unfolds (illustrated) and flies overhead, tracking their movements using motion sensors. The drone then returns to the wearer’s wrist, which could be controlled using a timer, or summoned using gestures . The Nixie drone is a cross between a GoPro action camera (Hero4 pictured left) and a traditional quadcopter (stock image pictured right) Other finalists include the Vumbl sports and activity necklace, a wrist-worn air conditioning unit, and a production glove. Make It Wearable is a year-long contest, open to students over the age of 13, designers, engineers, and makers. Earlier this year, Helio Aerospace Industries unveiled the first 'pet' drone that automatically follows its owner - and could change the way sports are filmed. Stanford University and physics researcher Dr Christoph Kohstall has also created an early prototype, (pictured) which will be developed and is set to undergo further testing later this year. It is unknown when the Nixie will go on sale, and how much it will retail for, but MailOnline has contacted the firm for more information . In addition to the prize money, all finalists are given mentorship and technical support from the Santa Clara-based tech giant. The winner of Intel’s competition will be announced on 3 November. This illustration reveals where the camera on the Nixie drone is positioned . It is not wearable, like Nixie, but the Airdog drone can be fitted with a GoPro camera to capture high definition footage of extreme sports, tracking everything from skateboarders to BMX riders. AirDog tracks and follow users and their trajectory, and has a flight time of up to 15 minutes. It can also reach speeds of 40mph (64km/h). To use AirDog, a programmable remote is strapped to the wrist or helmet, and it is likely to retail for $995 (£612). Earlier today, GoPro unveiled its latest models. The Hero4 models are available in black for £369 ($499), and silver for £289 ($399) The black model includes 1080p120 video capture, and the silver model has a built-in touchscreen. GoPro also introduced an entry-level model, called Hero, for £99.99 ($129). The new line go on sale 5 October. | The Nixie wearable drone was created by researchers at Stanford University .
It is a finalist in Intel’s annual Make It Wearable competition .
Nixie is a drone, worn on the wrist and expands at the touch of a button .
It flies off, filming its owner using a camera, and tracking their movements .
Team has created a prototype and has received $50,000 (£30,700) in funding .
Winners of the Intel competition will be unveiled on 3 November . |
79,053 | e0127880a6d047cf7adf5b8ceca22873c7b4c86b | Heroin has been uncovered in the hotel room where an American TV producer was found next to his unconscious assistant. The lifeless body of 'Amazing Race' producer Jeff Rice was found on the balcony of the Serena hotel in Uganda, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. Next to him lay his unconscious assistant, Katheryne Fuller, who is recovering in hospital but is being held in Uganda until police determine if she has committed drugs offences. Scroll down for video . Survivor: Katheryne Fuller, who was found unconscious in a Ugandan hotel next to the lifeless body of 'Amazing Race' producer Jeff Rice, is recovering in hospital . An autopsy revealed that Rice died of a . cocaine overdose and had large quantities of the drug in his stomach, . according to Ugandan police. South African Fuller also tested positive for cocaine, police told ABC News. The presence of the drug in large quantities has fuelled speculation that the two were involved in a smuggling operation. Forensics have now determined that other drugs were also present at the scene. Dr Stephen Cina, a forensic pathology consultant, said. 'The bag of white powder that was found on scene is a mixture of a component of heroin and some Tylenol and some caffeine. 'So that certainly suggests that at least in that bag there's a mixture of several substances present.' The pair who were in Kampala, Uganda, to . film a documentary, were originally thought to have been poisoned. But . police have now ruled out this theory. Uganda Police Force spokesman Asuman Mugenyi told ABC News. 'This is a very wrong account,' However friends believe they were forced to ingest it after a failed shakedown. Others fear they were targeted because they were working on an investigative documentary, ABC News reported. But police insist the pair willingly ingested the substance. 'There was no struggle. These were two people in their room and there was not a single sign of a struggle. Not even a single bruise on Rice's body,' Mugenyi said. Poisoned or Overdose? Jeff Rice was found dead on his hotel balcony in Kampala, Uganda . Mystery: An autopsy revealed that Jeff Rice died of a cocaine overdose and had large quantities of the drug in his stomach . Fuller's father is in Kampala and wants to take her home to South Africa for medical treatment, but Mugenyi indicated this may not happen for some time. 'Ms. Fuller is slowly recovering, and when she is recovered enough we will be able to talk to her and find out more about what happened,' he told ABC News. 'Mr Rice, Jeffrey David was found dead at . the Hotel balcony seated in his chair head bending over the table while . bleeding through both mouth and the nose' - Ugandan police report . 'She is not able to speak. Although she is responding to the treatment, she is not yet available to explain what transpired.' Fuller's father Stuart Fuller said the family just want to get their daughter home. 'She is OK. We are trying to get her back to South Africa. She needs medical attention that they can't do here,' he said. To complicate her return home Fuller's wallet and passport are missing from the hotel room, a family friend told ABC News. Creative: His company website describes Rice as 'the ideas man' Rice's wife Sally Blackman told English language online Ugandan newspaper the Daily Monitor she would not speculate about her husband's death. She said: 'I would not like to speculate or even attempt to give my views on this as this may jeopardise the investigation going forward.' Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, an addiction specialist at Stony Brook University, told Fox News that the most likely reason for cocaine in the stomach would be from a bungled smuggling operation or forced ingestion. He said: 'If someone were to snort very large amounts of cocaine, there could have been some trace amounts from nasal drip into the stomach. But if the concentration was found in the stomach, that’s likely a result of smuggling or ingestion.' 'A typical overdose from the traditional methods of using cocaine is not going to be in the stomach. If it was found in his stomach, it could absolutely have been the result of poisoning if he was forced to ingest it.' Father-of-two Rice and his assistant were part of a team that helped create . challenges across Africa for the CBS show, The Amazing Race. They . were not working on the show at the time of their collapse . but they had helped with the current season, which hit screens on Sunday . Loss: Production facilitator Jeff Rice (left, pictured with his brother), who worked for TV show The Amazing Race, has died after he was poisoned in Uganda . Success: Rice, with Ghanaian footballer Asamoah Gyan, ran SB Productions . Rice, originally from the United States, . had worked in Los Angeles, California for five years before moving to . Durban in South Africa. He married Blackman in 2001 and they went on to have two children, now aged seven and one. He had planned to travel home this week to celebrate his daughter's second birthday. 'Jeff was a dedicated father who made the most of his time with his family when back home in South Africa,' his wife told FoxNews.com. 'He has left a huge void, not only in the film industry, but with his family he has left behind. We will miss his smiles and constant humor.' In 1999, Rice and Blackman founded SB Productions, . which produces and facilitates films, adverts, documentaries . and television shows. Grief: Adventurer and TV personality Josh Gates expressed his shock . Tragedy: Adventurer Josh Gates tweeted a picture of him and Rice. He wrote: 'A photo with Jeff Rice in Madagascar. I can't believe you're gone, buddy' Happy family: Rice had married Sally Blackman, pictured, in 2001 and they went on to have two children, now aged seven and one . Its website describes Rice as 'the ideas man... His mind is always churning'. 'Jeff has an incredible calm nature . and a wicked sense of humour,' it writes. 'Having played baseball as a . kid, he is always ready for the next curve ball. Jeff has the knack for . putting together great teams.' He also ran the production company Maverick Entertainment, which had employed the assistant. His wife said it had been his intention for the company to work throughout Africa. 'He loved the . African people and was driven to share in all the various cultures,' she said. Among other projects, Rice worked on Animal Planet's Whale Wars and the South African version of The Biggest Loser. As a facilitator, Rice would have been . hired by the production company to make arrangements with local . officials before teams arrived for filming. Friends of the late producer flocked to Twitter to express their shock at his untimely death. American TV personality and adventurer Josh Gates wrote: 'Floored by the loss of my dear friend and adventurer, Jeff Rice. You were, quite simply, the real deal. I'll never forget you.' Gates tweeted a picture of the two men, writing: 'A photo with Jeff Rice in Madagascar. I can't believe you're gone, buddy.' Work: Rice helped producers on The Amazing Race, which follows teams as they travel around the world for a prize of $1 million. He worked on its latest season . Rex Williams, from Syfy's Destination . Truth, wrote: 'Lost my great friend, Jeff Rice. I can't tell you how . saddened we are. He was a true adventurer.' The Amazing Race, which first aired in . 2001 and is in its 20th season, shows teams of two racing around the . world for a prize of $1 million. This . season of the show, which garners some of the network's biggest . ratings, features teams racing across five continents and 22 cities. ...Mr. Rice Jeffrey David was found dead at the Hotel balcony seated in his chair head bending over the table while bleeding through both mouth and the nose. Ms Fuller Kathryn was found in an unconscious state lying on the floor beside the left hand side of the deceased... They . had jetted into the country on February 15, 2012 as an advance party to . a larger team that were to film a documentary in Uganda in . collaboration with Hope Medical Clinics Uganda, affiliated to Starley . Hearing Foundation based in Minnesota- USA which offers free hearing . aids to hearing impaired victims. Toxicological results of the post mortem exhibits submitted to Government Analytical Laboratory Wandegeya reveals that major metabolites of cocaine were qualitatively detected. The whitish powder in a plastic bag . found at the scene contained Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Acetylcodein, . Diacetylmorphine and Papaverine which are opiates classified as drug of . abuse. Police is yet to interview the survivor Fuller Kathryn, but shall . do so upon her recovery. Watch the video . video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player . | Jeff Rice found dead in his hotel room in Uganda .
His assistant Katheryne Fuller was unconscious .
Ugandan police say the pair overdosed on cocaine, and found heroin at the scene .
Fuller may face drugs charges and cannot leave Uganda . |
148,385 | 4bde4e2422ae697eb206b71ab742fbd101049e3e | By . Associated Press . UPDATED: . 14:06 EST, 14 December 2011 . Alexander Graham Bell foresaw many things, including that people could someday talk over a telephone. But the inventor certainly never could have anticipated that his audio-recording experiments in a Washington, D.C., lab could be recovered 130 years later and played for a gathering of scientists, curators and journalists. 'To be or not to be...' a man's voice can be heard saying in one recording as it was played on a computer at the Library of Congress yesterday. The speaker from the 1880s recites a portion of Hamlet's Soliloquy as a green wax disc crackles to life from computer speakers. Matter of public record: Scientist Carl Haber shows the frequencies of the sound recorded in 1885 by Alexander Graham Bell at Volta Laboratory during a news conference at Library of Congress in Washington . Paving the way: Alexander Graham Bell's 1881 gramaphone, on which he recorded Hamlet's Soliloquy, a trill of the tongue and someone reciting numbers starting with 1-2-3 . The early audio recordings - which revealed recitations of Shakespeare, numbers and other familiar lines - had been packed away and deemed obsolete at the Smithsonian Institution for more than a century. But new technology has allowed them to be recovered and played. Brilliant mind: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, laid down his recordings in the 1880s when he was in fierce competition with the likes of Thomas Edison . The technology reads the sound from tiny grooves with light and a 3D camera. The recordings offer a glimpse into the dawn of the information age, when inventors were scrambling to make new discoveries and secure patents for the first telephones and phonographs, even early fiber optics. A second recording, on a copper negative disc, played back reveals a trill of the tongue and someone reciting the numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6. A third recording catches perhaps the first sound of disappointment as Bell's recording device seemed to hit a technical glitch. 'Mary had a little lamb and its fleece was white as snow,' a voice says. 'Everywhere that Mary went - Oh no!' On Novenmber 17, 1884, Bell's lab . recorded the word 'barometer' several times on a glass disc with a beam . of light. It and about 200 other experimental records were packed up and . given to the Smithsonian, seemingly never to be played again. The recordings date back to the . 1880s. Bell had moved from Boston, Massachusetts, to Washington after . obtaining a patent on March 10, 1876, for his invention of the . telephone, which occurred when his employee Thomas Watson heard him . shouting over a wire in the next room. He joined a growing group of . scientists who made the nation's capital a hotbed for innovations. Pride of place: Carlene Stephens shows some recordings by Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Emile Berliner at Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington . Brought to life: The recordings could not have been played up to ten years ago because the digital mapping technology wasn't available, scientists revealed . Bell partnered with his cousin Chichester Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter to create Volta Laboratory Associates in Washington in the early 1880s. During this time, Bell sent the first wireless telephone message on a beam of light from the roof of a downtown Washington building, a forerunner to modern fiber optics. He and other inventors also were scrambling to record sound on anything they could find, including glass, rubber and metal. One early sound record looks like a smashed soup can. Inventors at the time were in intense . competition. Bell, Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison, who invented the . phonograph to record sound on tin foil in 1877, each left objects and . documentation with the Smithsonian to help prove their innovations were . first. Bell went so far as to seal some . devices in tin boxes for safekeeping at the Smithsonian. Edison's . earliest recordings are thought to have been lost. 'This stuff makes the hair stand up . on the back of my neck,' said curator Carlene Stephens, of the National . Museum of American History, before Bell's recordings were played. 'It's . the past speaking directly to us in a way we haven't heard before.' The museum's collection of about 400 . of the earliest audio recordings, including 200 from Bell's lab, . probably will become an important resource for new research on . communications and early technology now that they can be played back, . Stephens said. 'These materials have been in a cupboard and virtually unknown for decades,' she said. 'The collection has been silent.' Safe keeping: Many of the scientists, who were in keen competition to invent new instruments, gave their findings to the Smithsonian so that one day they could be proved correc . Bright beginnings: A Thomas Edison tinfoil phonograph recording, from about 1878. Carl Haber says these artefacts form the start of the information age . The Library of Congress partnered with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, to offer the first listen of these early recordings. Scientists have spent the past 10 years and about $1million to develop the technology to create high-resolution digital scans of the sound discs. This year, scholars from the Library of Congress, the Berkeley Lab and the Smithsonian gathered in a new preservation lab at the Library of Congress and recovered sound from those early Bell recordings. A $600,000 three-year grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Sciences funded the pilot project, and the Smithsonian hopes to continue the work if future grants can be secured. Advances in computer technology made it possible to play back the recordings, Haber said, noting that 10 years ago specialists would have struggled with computer speeds and storage problems. The digital images that now can be processed into sound within minutes would have taken days to process a decade ago. Many of the recordings are fragile, and until recently it had not been possible to listen to them without damaging the discs or cylinders. So far, the sounds of six discs have been successfully recovered through the process, which creates a high-resolution digital map of the disc or cylinder. The map is processed to remove scratches and skips, and software reproduces the audio content to create a standard digital sound file. Carl Haber, senior scientist at the Berkeley Lab, said Bell's recordings and others in the fierce competition of the 1880s marked the start of the information age as we know it. 'The whole idea that you could capture the world as it exists' in a recording, he said, 'they got that in this period.' | Hamlet's soliloquoy crackles from computer speakers .
$1m investment in digital technology pays off .
'It's past speaking directly to us,' says thrilled researcher at Smithsonian .
Harks back to fierce competition among scientists of the 1880s . |
111,859 | 1c418a47eedffb64b36ee101cfc8a87b23784004 | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 04:27 EST, 28 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:04 EST, 28 August 2012 . Fewer than five per cent of executives appointed by top companies in the past two years have been female. While Britain’s biggest companies may have heeded calls to end the male dominance of boardrooms, there is a new glass ceiling in place which means women are not getting top executive positions. There are currently only 20 female executive directors employed by Britain's 100 biggest firms, new figures show. Glass ceiling: Women are not getting top executive positions despite Government moves to encourage companies to recruit more senior women . Despite moves by the Government to . encourage large companies to recruit more senior women, only four out of . the 87 chief executives appointed by FTSE 100 companies in the past two . years were female. According to data compiled by BoardWatch, which tracks the appointments of females to UK boards, none of the 18 executives who joined FTSE 100 boards this year has been a woman. The figures could prompt calls for Britain’s biggest companies to face quotas to recruit more women at senior management positions. Listed companies in the share index include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Vodafone Group, Aviva and Royal Bank of Scotland. Experts said the recent figures show companies are not doing enough to nurture women at an earlier stage of their careers. 6.5% of FTSE 100 executives are women (up from 5.5% in January 2011) 16.7% of FTSE 100 directors are women . 91 board seats needed to hit Lord Davies’ target . 4.6% of executives appointed by FTSE 100 companies in last two years female . 0% of executives who joined FTSE 100 boards this year were women . Jane Scott, UK head of the . Professional Boards Forum, which compiles the BoardWatch data, said the . lack of female executive appointments was ‘great cause for concern’. Ms Scott told The Times: ‘The pipeline in the executive world seems to be broken.' Only . 6.5 per cent of executive directors, such as chief executives and . finance directors, in the FTSE 100 are women, according to recruitment . consultancy Norman Broadbent. This drops to 4.5 per cent in the FTSE . 200, the next tier. The . number of FTSE 100 female executives has increased from 5.6 per cent, the . level before Lord Davies of Abersoch published his Women on Boards . report in February 2011. But while there has been a hike, experts say the increase has been slow. Inspirational: Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts made it to the top of the company. She is one of only four women to run one of Britain's 100 biggest companies . The . last woman appointed to a top management role at a FTSE 100 company was . Tracy Robbins, who was made human resources director of . Intercontinental Hotels Group in August last year, said Neil Holmes, . director at Norman Broadbent, to The Times. And of those companies in the FTSE 250, not a single woman executive has been appointed in the last three months. Lord Davies of Abersoch was appointed by ministers to investigate the lack of women in boardrooms. His report published last year called upon FTSE 100 companies to reach a minimum target of 25 per cent of female representation on the board by 2015. He rejected the option of setting quotas, which exist in countries such as Norway. The listed companies have stepped up their hiring of female non-executives. Since March, a year-on from the release of the report, 24 women have been appointed to FTSE 100 boards and only 20 men. As a result, the overall proportion . of female directors has risen from 12.5 per cent before the Davies report to . 16.7 per cent. Rare: The overall proportion of female directors has risen to 16.7 per cent but the number of female executives being appointed still has a long way to go . In 1999 just 6.9 per cent of directors in the FTSE index of Britain's 100 biggest firms were women. Experts believe that the report’s targets are on track to be met . ahead of the 2015 deadline. However, of nine executives appointed since March, all were male, according to . BoardWatch. Ms Scott told MailOnline: 'We are now seeing a brighter spotlight directed towards the challenge of growing the pipeline of women senior executives and Executive Directors in UK businesses. 'All the companies we talk to are developing strategies to increase the ranks of senior women in their top executive teams as well as looking for gender balance and diversity in the boardroom' Only four of Britain’s 100 biggest companies are run by women, including Angela Ahrendts at Burberry and Dame Marjorie Scardino at Pearson, the education and publishing group. Many companies are trying to address the problem, by introducing flexible working arrangements and insisting that shortlists of potential new appointments feature women candidates. Earlier this year a report by the School of Management at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, said firms are good at hiring young women to junior jobs, but few make it to the top. Fashion house: Only four of Britain's 100 biggest companies are run by women, including Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry . One female who has made it to the top is chief executive of Burberry, Angela Ahrendts. She is one of the best-rewarded female bosses in the UK thanks to the stellar performance of the luxury group. Burberry, famous for its distinctive red, black and beige check, has been one of the best performers in the FTSE 100 under her leadership. She received a total of £16million last year in pay, bonuses and long-term incentive schemes that bore fruit in 2011. Burberry said that under her leadership the company produced ‘exceptional returns’ for shareholders in a period of economic turbulence. Last year Burberry delivered record revenue and profit, along with job creation in the UK and abroad. | Only four out of 87 chief executives appointed by Britain's 100 biggest firms in past two years were female .
No woman appointed executive this year by FTSE 100 companies . |
7,244 | 148914e79066562195d92a4e72f02b326a896af7 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . and Reuters . Selfie fans, your life just got a little easier. A Swedish tech start-up has launched an app for Apple devices that lets people take photos of themselves without having to touch their screens. Using touchless technology, which it says is ideal for taking 'selfies' or 'groupies', Crunchfish's GoCam app lets users trigger photos or videos from a distance with just hand gestures. Scroll down for video . Using touchless technology which it says is ideal for taking 'selfies' or 'groupies', Crunchfish's GoCam app lets users trigger photos or videos from a distance with just hand gestures . Photos can be triggered from a distance of up to 10 ft (3 metres), the company claims. The company, based in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, says the free GoCam app is currently only available in Sweden and Australia. Over the past few years, gesture recognition has become more popular thanks to products such as Microsoft's Kinect for video games. However, power-hungry technology has yet to become mainstream in computers or mobile devices. Photos can be triggered from a distance of up to 10 feet (3 metres). The company, based in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, says the free GoCam app is currently only available in Sweden and Australia . The technology using something known as Touchless A3D software which detects and tracks different gestures. It does this using a video stream from the camera in the mobile phone, picking up on particular movements, such as a wave of a hand . 'Even though a number of handset vendors globally are integrating our touchless software for different features into their devices, we wanted to develop GoCam in order to show the capabilities of gesture interaction also in the iOS environment,' said Joakim Nydemark, chief executive of the group. The technology using something known as Touchless A3D software which detects and tracks different gestures. It does this using a video stream from the camera in the mobile phone, picking up on particular movements, such as a wave of a hand. 'Touchless A3D requires no hardware changes and runs on all major mobile operating systems, the company writes on its website. 'This makes it possible for the user to experience a new interaction paradigm in any mobile device.' Too lazy to get up to switch the kettle on? Soon you may be able to simply raise your hand or nod your head from another room, and you’ll be moments away from a fresh cup of tea. This is the hope of researchers at the University of Washington who have developed technology that will allow people to control household devices with simple gestures. The technology, named ‘WiSee’, is similar in concept to how Microsoft's Xbox Kinect sensor works by using cameras to recognise gestures. By adapting a Wi-Fi router and wireless household devices, the researchers developed a system that can detect specific movements without the need for sensors or cameras. They claim it is simpler and cheaper than similar gesture-recognition technologies . Out of the 900 gestures performed, WiSee accurately recognised 94 per cent of them. It was found that as many as five people can move simultaneously in the same room without confusing the receiver. | App tracks gestures via iPhone camera using its Touchless A3D software .
GoCam app can be triggered from a distance of up to 3 metres .
The app was created by Crunchfish, a start-up based Malmo, Sweden .
Free technology is currently only available in Sweden and Australia . |
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