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173,427 | 6c6ffcd86827f217ff5bfc066f4c6edbb13f33cb | Clive Palmer has hit out at a journalist who dared ask a question about the fraud allegations against him, telling him to ‘think’ for himself. Mr Palmer attacked Courier-Mail correspondent Steven Scott while speaking at a Press Club lunch in Canberra after Scott tried to quiz him about a ‘fraudulent and dishonest payments’ court case he is embroiled in. The 60-year-old businessman is accused of misusing $12 million from two Chinese-owned companies and the case is currently before the Supreme Court of Queensland. Mr Palmer refused to allow Mr Scott to ask questions shouting ‘no,no,no’. ‘Why don’t you try to be an independent journalist?,’ he blasted. Scroll down for video . Clive Palmer attacked a journalist during a Press Club lunch in Canberra . ‘I'm not going to let him get his question out. I'm not going to take that rubbish,’ he fumed. 'Have some guts to Rupert, don’t do what he tells you from New York... Stand up and be a journalist. Don’t read off that, think off your own brain and think of a question,' he raged. The PUP Leader attacked the Courier-Mail newspaper and its cartoons as a ‘national disgrace to journalism’. A journalist at The Saturday Paper, Sophie Morris, stuck up for Scott and fired back: 'Mr Palmer are you so convinced that Rupert Murdoch controls the views of all his journalists because you as a billionaire control the views of all your remaining senators?' Mr Palmer did not back down and replied: 'I don't control anyone’s views. Individual citizens can think how they wish but certainly Rupert Murdoch it would seem does, as he's sacked so many people in this country.’ The PUP Leader attacked the Courier-Mail newspaper and its cartoons . Palmer's tirade did not stop when another journalist stuck up for Scott . The mining giant went on: '500 people have been sacked from News Corporation in Queensland over the last three years, if you go to the annual reports of News Limited and have a look at that. The Australian hasn't made a profit for over 50 years so you've got to ask what its economic rationale for being there. ‘The editor of the Sydney paper was sacked last election, we had News Limited editors coming from New York telling them what they could write and we had the cartoons of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard and people being demeaned as individuals rather than attacking their policies. ‘As I said it makes no sense to attack individuals we need to attack the ideas to get the right policies for the country.' Mr Palmer became irate after he was asked about his fraud case . Morris responded: 'Why are you attacking journalists doing their job? This is a journalist club he was asking a question.' Mr Palmer said he could not answer Scott’s question because it was about an active court case. 'I can't answer questions on that because the matter is before the court and it would be contempt of court. Now that's an answer and to persist with questions once you know that is really a disrespect for the court and fairness, and that's what it's about. ‘He raised serious allegations which are just allegations which have been raised before for six months by News Limited papers and lead nowhere.’ | Clive Palmer attacked journalist Steven Scott .
Scott tried to ask him about the fraud allegations against him .
'Why don’t you try to be an independent journalist?,' Palmer blasted . |
189,513 | 81687bcbc087bcbd31dda40d2bb9d76923706737 | By . Chris Waugh for MailOnline . Follow @@ChrisDHWaugh . Alan Pardew's future as Newcastle United manager appears to be hanging by a thread after he refused to speak to the written press following his side's embarrassing 4-0 defeat against Southampton. Magpies owner Mike Ashley watched from the stands as Newcastle were thoroughly out-played from the very first minute by Saints - meaning they have won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches. Travelling Newcastle fans unveiled banners with the messages 'Pardew out' and 'Pardew is a muppet' as goals from Jack Cork, Morgan Schneiderlin and a brace from Graziano Pelle condemned Newcastle to defeat. VIDEO Scroll down for Ronald Koeman: Pardew's future and pressures of being a manager . Alan Pardew (right) is under pressure as Newcastle United manager following 4-0 defeat at Southampton . Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew refused to speak to the written press after embarrassing defeat . Newcastle United fans unveiled a banner saying 'Pardew Out' in the away end at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday . Newcastle United fans also held a banner saying 'Pardew is a muppet' during the 4-0 defeat at St Mary's . Speaking on Sky Sports News having refused to attend his press conference, Pardew said: '‘The early goals put us on the back foot. We made individual mistakes that we couldn’t absorb. We have to take that as a team. ‘We had a great chance at 2-0 and half a chance after that. We have played OK at the start of the season and really got caught out today. ‘We didn’t have long to prepare after the internationals but there’s no excuse really. The players tried everything at 2-0. We just caught at the start.' Pardew's men have yet to win a match this season and have slipped to the bottom of the Premier League table on goal difference having conceded seven goals in their last two matches. Newcastle United's Fabricio Coloccini (left), Cheick Tiote (centre) and Jack Colback (right) look dejected . Newcastle United fans hold up a campaign banner with the website 'SackPardew.com' displayed upon it . Mike Ashley, Newcastle United's owner, watches on as his side are humiliated 4-0 at St Mary's Stadium . And when asked if the supporters' calls for him to be removed were fair, Pardew responded: ‘The criticism from the fans is fair. You can’t get beaten 4-0 as Newcastle manager - I’ve had a few of those at the club. It’s not easy to digest but it isn’t easy for the players who have to play in these circumstances. ‘We have to be strong and tough it out. We have to put ourselves on the line and be brave. We have more quality than we showed today.’ Newcastle face Hull City at St James' Park on Saturday in what must be viewed as a must-win game, whether Pardew remains in charge or not. Southampton striker Graziano Pelle (second left) puts Southampton 2-0 at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday . Newcastle United fans show their anger and frustration during their side's 4-0 loss against Southampton . | Alan Pardew refused to speak to written press following Newcastle's 4-0 loss .
He spoke to Sky Sports News and says 'there's no excuse' for the result .
Goals from Jack Cork, Morgan Schneiderlin and a brace from Pelle for Saints .
Newcastle boss Mike Ashley watched the humiliating defeat from the stands .
Magpies yet to win a match this season and are bottom of Premier League .
Newcastle fans held banners with 'Pardew out' and 'Pardew is a muppet'
The Magpies have won just once in their last 12 Premier League matches . |
185,796 | 7ca4e4d756d940bada5d79b39f4dba197f2402bc | Baghdad (CNN) -- The U.S. military has handed over five condemned members of Saddam Hussein's regime, including two of the former dictator's half-brothers, to Iraqi authorities, a Justice Ministry spokesman said Friday. All five members were tried and sentenced to death and are expected to be executed within a month, said the spokesman, Haider al-Saadi. The United States handed over Watban Ibrahim Hassan and Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Hussein's half-brothers, as well as former Defense Minister Sultan Hashem Ahmad and former Gens. Hussein Rashid and Aziz Saleh al-Tuman, al-Saadi said. The five were among the last 206 Iraqis the United States was holding at Camp Cropper, a detention facility near the Baghdad airport that was transferred to the Iraqis in July, 2010. Saddam Hussein spent three years jailed at Camp Cropper before his execution in December 2006. The transfer of the detainees represents the final steps of the U.S. military relinquishing control of Camp Cropper, part of the drawdown in Iraq. "As the Iraqi government gains the ability to hold prisoners requiring higher security standards, they are taking physical custody," said U.S. military spokesman Col. Barry Johnson. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | The detainees include two of Saddam Hussein's half-brothers .
They were all tried and condemned to die .
The transfer is the last step in the United States relinquishing control of Camp Cropper . |
171,267 | 69aa712ae3a4866a94645a187e0f9126f9bfc404 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 09:37 EST, 8 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:10 EST, 8 September 2013 . University is supposed to be the time when a young-adult enters into a voyage of self-discovery and growth. But for some parents and their children, this daunting change has proven to be a lot harder than expected. So Huangzhong Normal University in Wuhan, Central China, have helped with the transition, by letting families sleep together in their gymnasium for one final night. Sleep: Parents roll out mats and blankets in the gym at Huangzhong Normal University, Central China, so they can spend one final night with their sons and daughters before they begin university . Crowded: More than 600 parents spent the night in the gym on Saturday before first year students began their studies . Sweet dreams: Three people try to shield their eyes from the bright lights of the gym. Some only have a mat and a small pillow to sleep on . The university opened its gym overnight on Saturday to allow 600 parents of freshmen students to sleep on mats laid out on the floor. The parents were accompanying their children on their first day of school. It is not clear how thrilled the children were to have their over-bearing families with them. Gym: Three men sleep next to a cage of Basketballs and rolled up sports maps. One man (pictured left) cradles around his bag while fully clothed . Wrapped-up: Two people in this photo have managed to get a blanket each to try and make their night more comfortable . Popular: The event, which has become an annual traditional, is hugely popular, with almost double the amount of participants since the same night in 2008 . The university held the same event in 2008, when 350 parents took the opportunity to bed down with their children. But since then, it has grown in popularity with nearly double the number of families sleeping on the floor of the gym this time around. Empty nest syndrome is said to be the grief and loneliness guardians feel when their children leave home for the first time. Even though it evidently affects a huge number of families, it is not said to be a clinical condition. Improvised pillows: A man and a woman use their bags as head rests against the hardwood floor of the gymnasium . Awake: A father looks into the lights of the sports hall as other parents try to sleep around him . Heart-to-heart: A mother sits up talking with her son has he prepares to embark on his journey away from home and into higher education . Tired: One man looks sound asleep as he sleeps with his head on folded sheets and has himself wrapped up in a green blanket . Inside: Chinese flag hangs above 600 parents and their children who try and overcome 'empty nest' syndrome by spending one final night together . | Huangzhong Normal University in Wuhan let more than 600 worried mothers and fathers sleep in the sports hall .
Families roll out mats and sleeping bags so they can rest together for one last evening .
Aim is to help them beat 'empty nest' syndrome as their young ones begin higher education .
Has become an annual event as families find it increasingly hard to let go of their offspring . |
51,256 | 911597eecfe5d00d39de94f17c2a8400fcb4b994 | By . Sophie Borland and Emine Sinmaz . PUBLISHED: . 14:25 EST, 3 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:54 EST, 4 January 2013 . Victim: Della Callagher, 46, started to feel ill on the evening of Christmas Day after the meal at the Railway Hotel in Hornchurch, Essex. She died two days later . A woman who died from food poisoning two days after eating a pub Christmas Day lunch had been sent home from hospital and told to lie down. Della Callagher, 46, was one of 30 diners to fall ill after eating a £39.95 four-course meal at the Railway Hotel in Hornchurch, Essex. But while the others started to recover, her condition deteriorated and on Boxing Day her husband John took her to the nearest accident and emergency unit. Despite the fact she was obviously very unwell, Mr Callagher claims that doctors merely gave her an anti-sickness injection and told her to ‘go home and lie down’. Her condition worsened, and that evening he called an ambulance fearing she barely had a pulse. She died the following day at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, less than 24 hours after being sent home by doctors in the casualty unit. Mr Callagher, 51, chief executive of a recruitment firm, said the hospital had ‘turned my wife away’ rather than trying to save her life. ‘They sent her home and she just lay in my arms, basically she was dying. We called an ambulance and went back to the hospital but she barely had a pulse. It was disgusting the way she was dealt with.’ Last autumn the hospital’s A&E unit was heavily criticised by the official watchdog which warned that at times the standards of care were ‘collapsing’. Suspected: Della Callagher was one of 30 diners to fall ill after eating a four-course meal at the Railway Hotel in Homechurch, Essex . The Care Quality Commission also found half of patients were having to wait more than an hour to be seen by a doctor or nurse. Speaking from his home in Hornchurch, . Mr Callagher said: ‘If she was rolling around on the floor they would . have admitted her – but because she was dignified she wasn’t. ‘Della was so fit and healthy, I . can’t believe it. This is devastating.We were about to celebrate our . 25th wedding anniversary.’ Mr Callagher, who has a 14-year-old . daughter, said he planned to sue Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust, . which runs Queen’s Hospital, and the Railway Hotel where they had the . meal. Officials from the Health Protection . Agency have since confirmed that Mrs Callagher, whose funeral will take . place today, had contracted Clostridium perfringens, a common form of . food poisoning that strikes around 90,000 Britons a year. Investigation: The Health Protection Authority has launched an investigation with Havering Council to establish whether there are links between the outbreak of food poisoning and food eaten at the Railway Hotel . It is not usually fatal and only one . in around 10,000 victims die – mainly the elderly, babies or those with . an underlying illness. Symptoms include stomach cramps and diarrhoea which usually resolve themselves without treatment within 24 hours. It is caused by eating turkey, chicken or red meat that has been contaminated by Clostridium perfringens bacteria. If food is left outside a fridge for a . long period of time the bacteria multiply. It is not clear whether this . outbreak was caused by infected turkey or cold meat starters that had . been served beforehand. Treatment: Mrs Callagher was initially seen at Queen's Hospital in Romford, pictured . One guest at the pub who was among the 30 to have been struck down said he had ‘never felt so ill in his life.’ John Rowe, who lives in Hornchurch . said: ‘It ruined my Christmas and New Year, but luckily I survived it. I’m very sad to hear that a lady has died.’ A spokesman for Ember Inns, which . runs the Railway Tavern said: ‘The local authority is investigating an . alleged food poisoning outbreak at the Railway. ‘We are fully co-operating. Until the investigation is complete we can’t speculate about a possible cause or source.’ The hospital has apologised to the family although it insisted its staff gave ‘appropriate’ treatment. Dr Mike Gill, medical director of the trust, promised to ‘fully review’ the case. The trust is currently facing severe financial difficulties having amassed debts of £50million. The bacterium Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the environment and food. It is the third most common cause of food poisoning in the UK. If spores of the bacteria survive cooking, they can germinate to form growing cells. Spores cannot grow in a refrigerator or freezer but thrive at room temperature. In optimal growing conditions, the organism has a generation time of 10 to 12 minutes. When a large number of the vegetative cells are consumed this will more-likely-than-not lead to gastroenteritis. Nasty: The bacterium Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the environment and food . Food poisoning from the bacteria most often occurs when foodstuffs, usually red meat or poultry, is prepared in advance and kept warm for several hours before serving. The illness, with diarrhoea and abdominal pain the main symptoms, generally lasts for less than 24 hours but elderly people may be more seriously affected. The bacteria is also responsible for 80-95 per cent of gas gangrene cases, a rare but severe form of gangrene. | Della Callagher, 46, fell ill hours after Christmas dinner .
She had eaten the meal at the Railway Hotel in Hornchurch, Essex .
Furious husband said hospital sent her home despite poor condition .
He is now planning legal action against .
both the hospital and the pub .
Health Protection Authority said 30 diners fell ill after dinner at venue .
Hotel spokesman said it's 'wrong to speculate' until after investigation . |
269,161 | e8a81ad88c110a38832f8b4615dc2fbf65aba45b | Gerard Pique was left out of the starting line-up for the second successive game amid reports that Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have submitted offers for the Barcelona defender. Inexperienced Marc Bartra was asked to partner Javier Mascherano in the centre of defence for Wednesday's Champions League tie against Ajax. And the decision by Barca boss Luis Enrique to leave Pique on the bench during Wednesday's 2-0 victory prompted Spanish newspaper AS to question whether he had a future at the Nou Camp. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique during a training session in Amsterdam on Tuesday . It followed Pique being left in the stands for Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat against Celta Vigo in La Liga after TV images showed him using his telephone on the bench in the second half of the Catalan Super Cup final, a penalty shootout win over Espanyol last week. Since the start of the season Pique has been left in little doubt that his place in the first team is anything but assured with Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu, signed from Valencia for £19million in the summer, preferred by Enrique. Mathieu has been ruled out for up to three weeks by a leg injury but Pique appears to be out of favour which has alerted former club Manchester United, Man City and Chelsea. Pique was left in the stands for the team's last match against Celta Vigo on Saturday . Pique was spotted using his telephone on the bench during the second half of the Catalan Super Cup final . Pique's singer girlfriend, Colombian pop singer, Shakira is pregnant with their second child . Barcelona-based Sport claim that Chelsea and both Manchester teams have submitted offers ranging from £20m to £24m for the Spain star. The newspaper say that Jose Mourinho is hoping to replace John Terry, and believes he can bring the Spaniard to London in the same way he lured Cesc Fabregas this summer. Manchester City, meanwhile, are desperate to sign the Barca defender as early as January, Spanish newspaper Sport claim, having missed out on his signature last summer. Pique (centre) joined Manchester United in 2004 but returned to Barcelona four years later . Pique celebrates scoring for United against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League in 2007 . | Gerard Pique left on the bench for Champions League tie against Ajax .
Inexperienced Marc Bartra preferred to Spanish international .
Premier League clubs have submitted bids, according to reports in Spain .
Barcelona won the game 2-0, with both goals coming from Lionel Messi . |
55,166 | 9c431f2889504eaf2aa904720e82cb299f9e0b5f | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 02:31 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:15 EST, 23 April 2013 . Historic county names that date back nearly 1,000 years will be brought back to life as part of an effort to champion the 'local history that makes us who we are'. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has pledged to formally recognise 'abolished' county names such as Cumberland, Huntingdonshire and Westmorland. The names disappeared during Edward Heath's government in 1972, but could be seen across the country again if councils erect signs bearing their names. Communities Minister Eric Pickles has pledged to bring back historic county names that date back nearly 1,000 years . The move is being seen as a symbolic gesture to celebrate St George’s Day. Mr Pickles wants residents and local authorities to start using the historic names as much as possible to remind ourselves of the 'tapestry' of England. As part of the initiative, the Government has now set up an online map to allow people to see the layout of the historic counties. Mr Pickles said: 'No Westminster officials or European bureaucrats can remove people’s loyalty to the country they were born in. 'From Cumberland to Huntingdonshire . or Middlesex to Westmorland, our local history makes us who we are and . do what we do. It’s all part of being English. The tapestry of England’s counties binds our nation together.' Lost over time: A map of the historic counties of England which shows where the abolished ones of Cumberland, Westmorland, Huntingdonshire and Middlesex used to be located . How they are now: This image shows the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties map which came into existence after the reforms under the Local Government Act 1972 . He said the current government has . 'binned the arbitrary Government Office Euro-Regions' and was instead . 'championing England’s traditional local identities which continue to . run deep'. He added: 'Administrative restructuring by previous governments has sought to suppress and undermine such local identities. 'Today, . on St George's Day, we commemorate our patron saint and formally . acknowledge the continuing role of our traditional counties in England’s . public and cultural life.' Rupert Barnes, the vice-chairman of the Association of British Counties, welcomed the move, saying: 'The counties are the basic tapestry on which countless generations have made their lives. The move is being seen as a symbolic gesture to celebrate St George¿s Day . 'They have shaped our identities and our view of ourselves and have remained a constant throughout centuries of change to become a vital part of British culture, geography and heritage. 'The counties predate any transient lines drawn for convenience or administration and predate the kingdom itself, rooted in history and cultural identity, so that the ancient counties are of the people not of the state. 'Statutes on administration have respectfully left the ancient counties alone. 'This pattern of the counties brought down to us through the centuries then is the pattern around which the nation has grown and grown great, and worthy of celebration.' WESTMORLAND . The Normans conquered this county in 1092 and created the baronies of Kendal and Westmorland, which were then formed into the single county of Westmorland in 1226. It formed an administrative county in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 until 1974, after which it became part of the county of Cumbria. But there is still the Westmorland Gazette or the Westmorland Shopping Centre in Kendal.MIDDLESEX . The county ceased as an administrative council in 1965. The former area now corresponds too much of Greater London and parts of Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Surrey. Middlesex is still used in the names of organisations based in the area, such as Middlesex County Cricket Club and Middlesex University.CUMBERLAND . This is an historic county of North West England that had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. The first record of 'Cumberland' was in 945. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the council was abolished and combined with parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire to form part of the new county of Cumbria. But the name continues today most famously as in Cumberland sausage, the HMS Cumberland, nicknamed 'the fighting sausage', the Cumberland County Cricket Club, and as the local newspaper The Cumberland News.HUNTINGDONSHIRE . This former area covers Huntingdon, St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots, and Ramsey and formed an administrative county between 1889 and 1965. Under the Local Government Act 1972, Huntingdon and Peterborough merged to form the new non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire. Huntingdonshire still has its own cricket board. | Eric Pickles pledges to formally recognise 'abolished' county names .
Names disappeared during Edward Heath's government in 1972 .
Move is being seen as a symbolic gesture to celebrate St George’s Day . |
53,499 | 97c289461aace68b258e378f9a26d6e2ccfc14fc | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 05:03 EST, 6 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:34 EST, 6 December 2012 . Twinkling city lights, raging wildfires and colorful auroras are lit up in new dazzling nighttime views of the Earth. They show Britain's major cities bathed in light, with London and it's sprawling suburbs clearly visible. They incredible images were taken from a newly-launched NASA-NOAA satellite that's equipped with a sensor to observe the planet at night. Scroll down for video . The incredible images from Nasa show the UK on the night of March 27, 2012. The image was made possible by the new satellite's 'day-night band' which can spot lighting more accurately than ever before . Nasa's Suomi NPP camera uses a new technique to capture night images. Unlike a normal camera that captures a . picture in one exposure, the day-night band produces an image by . repeatedly scanning a scene and resolving it as millions of individual . pixels. Then, the day-night band reviews the . amount of light in each pixel. If it is very bright, a low-gain mode . prevents the pixel from oversaturating. If the pixel is very dark, the . signal is amplified. This allows the instrument to capture images on . nights with or without moonlight, producing crisp views of Earth's . atmosphere, land and ocean surfaces. The satellite, Suomi NPP, was launched on October 28, 2011. It's latest images show the Nile River bathed in city lights, while a map of the United States shows the heavily populated East Coast illuminated. Light from fishing boats can also be pinpointed. 'For all the reasons that we need to . see Earth during the day, we also need to see Earth at night,' Steve . Miller, a researcher at NOAA's Colorado State University Cooperative . Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, said in a NASA statement. 'Unlike humans, the Earth never sleeps.' Miller added: 'It's like having three simultaneous . low-light cameras operating at once and we pick the best of various . cameras, depending on where we're looking in the scene.' Unlike a camera that captures a . picture in one exposure, the day-night band produces an image by . repeatedly scanning a scene and resolving it as millions of individual . pixels. Then, the day-night band reviews the . amount of light in each pixel. If it is very bright, a low-gain mode . prevents the pixel from oversaturating. If the pixel is very dark, the . signal is amplified. The instrument can capture images on . nights with or without moonlight, producing crisp views of Earth's . atmosphere, land and ocean surfaces. Illuminated: Lights across the earth are pictured in this NASA handout satellite image . The light fantastic: The Nile River is pictured left with a night time view of Auroras over Canada, right . 'The night is nowhere as dark as we might think,' Miller said. And with the VIIRS day-night band helping scientists to tease out information from human and natural sources of nighttime light, "we don't have to be in the dark anymore, either.' 'The remarkable day-night band images from Suomi NPP have impressed the scientific community and exceeded our pre-launch expectations," said James Gleason, Suomi NPP project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Going global: This image obtained from NASA shows the entire Earth assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite . Hurricane: Superstorm Sandy can be seen as it gained strength before it pummeled the East Coast in October . Fire light: This image captures a night time view of the Mustang Complex wildfires in Idaho in this August 29, 2012 satellite image from NASA . 'The instrument can capture images on . nights with or without moonlight, producing crisp views of Earth's . atmosphere, land and ocean surfaces. The satellite also captured the glow from natural sources including moonlight, northern lights and naturally-occurring fires. After Superstorm Sandy made landfall in late October, hard-hit New Jersey, lower Manhattan and the Rockaways appeared dark in the satellite images compared with surrounding areas - the result of widespread power outages that plagued the region for days and weeks following the storm. Mitch Goldberg, program scientist for NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System, said: 'NOAA's National Weather Service is continuing to explore the use of the day-night band. The very high resolution from VIIRS data will take forecasting weather events at night to a much higher level.' Lit up: This image provided by NASA shows the East Coast of the U.S. brightened by lights in this night images taken from space . What's up with the north? The Korean Peninsula is seen at night from a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite. Where South Korea is gleaming with city lights, North Korea has hardly any lights at all . | Pictures came from NASA-NOAA satellite, Suomi NPP, which was launched on October 28, 2011 .
Images providing breathtaking views of the Earth, including the Nile River and America's East Coast . |
86,194 | f487487c164a3bb752d09b7f8af31d9bf4d134c5 | Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has wasted no time in accepting her Ice Bucket nomination as she joined the worldwide phenomenon in aid of ALS. Didier Drogba nominated Carneiro for the challenge, with the latter taking it on with minimum fuss. In a short video posted on her YouTube she went on to pick Branislav Ivanovic as one of her nominations, telling him to stop being a chicken and get some ice over his head. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Dr Eva Carneiro take on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge . Before: Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro gets ready for a soaking in aid of ALS disease . During: Carneiro seems quite content despite getting a bucket of ice cold water over her head . Drenched: Carneiro feels the full force of the ice cold water . Aftermath: Carneiro is all smiles after completing the ALS challenge . Well-respected: Carneiro helps an injured Petr Cech off the field in the Champions League semi-final last year . She also pledged her support to Macmillan Cancer before doing the challenge, which like ALS is an organisation where she has had first-hand experience of overseeing the work they do. The Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon continues to go viral on social media worldwide with the ultimate aim of raising awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease. As well as Carneiro a number of other people connected to the west London side have undertaken the challenge, including the likes of Drogba, Cesc Fabregas, skipper John Terry, and manager Jose Mourinho. | Carneiro was nominated by Chelsea forward Didier Drogba .
The Chelsea doctor challenged Branislav Ivanovic to take it on next .
She also pledged her support to Macmillan Cancer as well as ALS . |
138,378 | 3ef7b2662977e08c0d9b276e0d23325069853f80 | By . Chris Cutmore for MailOnline . Follow @@Chris_Cutmore . Slaven Bilic has warned Arsenal that his Besiktas side will not be starstruck in their Champions League qualifying tie and are fully focused on ruining Arsene Wenger's European dream. The Gunners are bidding to reach the group stages of the continent's premier club competition for the 17th consecutive year but must get past the Turks over two legs, starting with Tuesday night's first game at the fearsome 76,000-capacity Ataturk Stadium. Wenger's men kicked off their Premier League season with victory against Crystal Palace and boast some world-famous players in their ranks, but Besiktas boss Bilic said that Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Co hold no fear for his players. VIDEO Scroll down for Besiktas Manager Slaven Bilic: We're not here for a jolly up . Familiar face: Alexis Sanchez is the leading star in Arsenal's squad playing in Istanbul on Tuesday . 'We are not here to take selfies with Arsenal on the pitch, we are here to battle to the end,' Bilic said at his pre-match press conference. 'Don't expect our players to take selfies with Alexis Sanchez, (Olivier) Giroud and (Mikel) Arteta or be in a hurry to swap shirts at half time, we believe we can qualify and will do everything we can to make it happen. 'We know who we are playing very well, Arsenal may be favourites however, this doesn't mean we are going to lay down and roll over. Up for the challenge: Arsene Wenger (left) is aiming to lead Arsenal into the Champions League once again . 'Look at the Champions League logo behind me, they say a picture tells a thousand words, well look at that logo, that is where we want to be, that is our plan, that is our dream and we will do everything we can to get there.' Bilic may have to beat Arsenal without defender Atiba Hutchinson and attacking midfielder Gokhan Tore, who are both injury doubts for the game. 'Tore may not be ready we will decide tomorrow,' Bilic said. 'Atiba isn't 100 per cent yet either, both players will be a game time decision.' Fighting talk: Ersan Gulum (centre) is among the Besiktas players hoping to spoil Arsenal's party . | Besiktas host Arsenal in final Champions League qualifying tie .
First leg is in Istanbul's Ataturk Stadium on Tuesday night .
Besiktas boss Slaven Bilic says his team do not fear Alexis Sanchez and Co .
Arsenal bidding to reach Champions League for 17th successive year . |
246,012 | ca6c38a5a686be6ead5e2c02947296af8c04e993 | (CNN) -- Whether or not we reform our nation's immigration laws may all come down to cantaloupes versus cojones. Last year, Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King attacked undocumented immigrant children in America, saying, "for every one who is a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they have calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert." Colorful though it might have been, that characterization is not only insulting but completely incorrect. Still, it reflects the underlying sentiment of many Americans who oppose immigration reform not just on rational grounds, but based on a deeper, emotional bias. Then you have everyone else — in fact, the strong majority of Americans — who support comprehensive immigration reform, including a workable path to citizenship. This crowd certainly includes President Obama and Democrats, who have reiterated that passing immigration reform is one of their key legislative priorities. And it presumably includes leaders in the Republican Party, who want to curry favor with business interests and Latino voters who support fixing our nation's broken immigration system. So the question is: Do Republicans have the cojones to ignore the "cantaloupe caucus" and do the right thing? As a refresher, here's where things stood before the election: In 2013, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed bipartisan legislation that would create a workable path to citizenship for America's undocumented immigrants while at the same time ensuring our immigration system and borders works as they're supposed to for the future. Although Republicans controlled the House of Representatives, the measure reportedly had enough support from individual Republicans, as well as Democrats, to pass. But House Speaker John Boehner wouldn't allow the measure to come up for a vote. And so it stalled. In the wake of Republicans failing to take leadership, President Obama said he would consider executive action to do what he could on his own, under his constitutional authority, to provide relief to millions of undocumented immigrants. The President held off such action before the election. Now, if Republicans again fail to act, executive action is back on the table. At a press conference following this year's midterm elections, President Obama said: "I feel obliged to do everything I can lawfully with my executive authority to make sure that we don't keep on making the system worse, but that whatever executive actions that I take will be replaced and supplanted by action by Congress. You send me a bill that I can sign, and those executive actions go away." If Congress won't show leadership, the President will. In other words, the ball is in Republicans' court. We should take a moment to remember that in 2005, it was Republicans who championed immigration reform. Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham were instrumental in co-sponsoring and advocating for immigration reform and such efforts were enthusiastically backed by President George W. Bush. By the same token, in 2013, four Senate Republicans — John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake and Marco Rubio — joined four Senate Democrats to craft and pass the currently immigration reform bill. Rubio eventually explicitly opposed his own bill — and last week, Rubio, McCain and Graham sent a letter to President Obama implicitly criticizing the bill suggesting there should be no path to citizenship until border security demands are met (whereas the pending legislation addresses both simultaneously). Meanwhile, Republicans have used border security as a constantly-retreating goalpost to stall meaningful immigration reform. If President Obama uses his constitutional authority to take limited action on immigration relief, it will not be without legal or political precedent. In 2012, President Obama directed his administration to focus his immigration enforcement away from so-called Dreamers brought to the United States as children. But Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush also used executive action to protect the spouses and children of immigrants who were granted legal status under 986 immigration reform — arguably using their executive authority to extend the law beyond Congressional action. The Republican base may now retroactively condemn their hero Ronald Reagan for "amnesty," but they don't condemn him as a domineering tyrant. Yet while President Obama has issued fewer executive orders than his predecessors, Republicans regularly smear Obama for acting like a "king" — repeated just this week by Sen. Rand Paul. Speaker John Boehner has said if President Obama acts on his own to give relief to our nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants, he will in effect "poison the well" for any compromise legislation. And yet it is Boehner who already poisoned the political landscape, failing to wrangle a Republican caucus that has continually proven itself ungovernable and yet now has the full responsibility to govern. It doesn't seem to matter what principles or ideals Republicans embraced in the past. Their essential ideology right now is anti-Obama. Remember, these are the same "leaders" who shut down our federal government, at an economic cost of $24 billion, basically out of spite. President Obama has shown plenty of good faith effort to compromise with Republicans in general and around immigration reform in particular. As the President said in his post-midterms press briefing: . "The Senate on a bipartisan basis passed a good bill. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was a sound, smart piece of legislation that really would greatly improve not just our immigration system but our economy and would improve business conditions here in the United States and make sure that American-born workers aren't undercut by workers who are undocumented and aren't always paid a fair wage and as a consequence, employers who are breaking the rules are able to undercut folks who are doing the right thing." That's what governing looks like — working together on compromise legislation for the good of the country, not political posturing. Indeed, Republicans have the most to gain from supporting immigration reform. After the 2012 elections, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus led an "autopsy" arguing that, among other moves, Republicans must show leadership on immigration reform or risk permanently alienating the growing percentage of Latino voters. But now, after the midterms? Priebus tried to blame Obama for inaction on immigration reform. For added measure, Priebus all but called the President of the United States of America a liar: "I don't believe a thing he says," Priebus told CNN. Leadership is more than name-calling. Leadership is more than flip flopping on principles. Leadership is more than being against whatever the other side is for. Leadership is working together to solve problems. It's time Republicans finally step up, grow some cojones and lead on immigration reform. And if they fail to do so — again — then President Obama will be right to take action on his own and show leadership. After all, someone has to. | Sally Kohn says Republicans are now on the spot about immigration .
While some leaders have favored reform, GOP activists have fought a deal .
Senate passed a major overhaul of immigration but House wouldn't bring it to vote .
She says current climate tests whether GOP is serious about governing . |
286,189 | fed880c0779ddf9dbd405d93554ba7aa857fa6b7 | British jihadists make up the largest foreign contingent of one of the most violent terrorist groups in Syria, now infamous for beheading, crucifying and stoning to death enemies. Syrian rebel commander Brigadier-General Abdulellah al-Basheer has urged the UK to send weapons to help fight Sunni Islamist group The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Almost two out of three of ISIS' fighters are foreign-born and have chosen to join a group bent on creating an Islamic state in the war-torn country and Iraq. The group is so extreme that it has even been denounced by Al Qaeda. Terrifying: A man believed to have been crucified by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa . Dangerous: Security forces battle with ISIS members, a group where two out of three fighters are foreign and the largest contingent are from Britain, it has emerged . Earlier this month the Foreign Office said it was investigating into reports that two British nationals died fighting for ISIS. Hundreds of British jihadists have travelled to Syria to fight. Last week Mashudur Choudhury, 31, right, became . the first person in the UK to be convicted of terrorist offences in . connection with the Syria conflict. The UK’s police counter-terrorism chief Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball has admitted authorities are powerless to stop young Muslims heading to the war-torn state. The Scotland Yard chief said the battle against the Assad regime acts like a ‘magnet’ – and fighters now number in the ‘mid’ rather than ‘low’ hundreds. There is speculation the figure could be as high as 700 as the authorities admit they are struggling to monitor those who are in the Middle East. A national campaign has been launched to urge women to stop their loved ones going to Syria. The mothers, wives and sisters of potential jihadists were asked to contact the police so that officers can intervene. More than 40 people have been arrested for crimes linked to Syria in the first three months of this year, compared to 25 in the whole of 2013.+ . In April prospective Brighton University student Abdullah Deghayes, 18, was killed in a gunfight in Kassab in Latakia. His two brothers, Jaffar, 16, and Amer, 20, remain in Syria. Around 400 Britons are believed to have gone to Syria over the last two years to fight, with an estimated 20 having died. Last week Mashudur Choudhury, 31, became the first person in the UK to be convicted of terrorist offences in connection with the Syria conflict after he went to the Middle Eastern country with the intention of joining a terrorist training camp last October. In a letter to The Times, General al-Basheer, chief of staff of the supreme military council, the commanding body of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), which opposes the regime of President Assad, said the 'majority' of ISIS fighters were from the UK, with others from France, Germany and Belgium. He said: 'We, the Syrian people now experience beheadings, crucifixions, beatings, murders, outdated methods of treating women, an obsolete approach to governing society. Many who participate in these activities are British.' The general also called for the British government to send weapons to help deal with ISIS, warning that a failure to act would increase the threat of terrorism in Britain. He said: 'If ISIS is allowed to expand, these terrorists, having put their skills to the test in my country, will return to their homelands, perhaps to the UK, and continue on their pernicious path of destruction... 'We are at a critical juncture in our fight against violent extremism and hope that the UK and US can shrug off their fear of supporting us. A failure to actively support the FSA now will lead to ISIS' successes internationally.' He added: 'The FSA can only go so far with the little we have. The UK and US governments must support us to defeat terrorism in Syria and prevent it from being exported to Europe and the US.' Protests: Mourners chant slogans against the Al Qaeda breakaway group ISIS while carrying a flag-draped coffin of Ahmed Marzouk an Iraqi officer who was killed by them last week . Britain provides non-lethal and technical support such as body armour and communications to moderate Syrian rebels, The Times said, but has ruled out handing over weapons for fear of the falling into the hands of extremists. Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has called for a new debate on policy over Syria, saying: 'It's high time that we revisited the issue of Syria in the House of Commons.' An Iraqi policeman inspects the site of a suicide attack carried out by ISIS . ISIS (or ISIL) is a pro-Al Qaeda jihadist group that many feared was taking an iron grip over parts of Syria. The group was formed in April 2013 and grew out of Al Qaeda's affiliate organisation in Iraq. It has since become one of the main jihadist groups fighting government forces in Syria. The final letter in the acronym ISIS stems from the Arabic word 'al-Sham'. This can mean the Levant, Syria or even Damascus but in the context of the global jihad it refers to the Levant. Its precise size is unknown, but it is thought to include thousands of fighters, including many foreign jihadists. Analysts say non-Syrians constitute a majority of ISIS's elite fighter corps and are disproportionately represented in its leadership. It took over the city of Al-Reqqa after rebels overran the city in March 2013. It was the first provincial capital to fall under rebel control. It also has a presence in a number of towns close to the Turkish border in the north of the country, and has gained a reputation for brutal rule in the areas that it controls. The group has been operating independently of other jihadist groups such as the Nusra Front and has had a tense relationship with other rebels in Syria. Al Qaeda refuse to deal with them. In July, a commander of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) was reportedly shot dead by ISIS fighters in the coastal province of Lattakia. There were also reports of deadly clashes between the two groups in the north-western province of Idlib. ISIS also seized the northern town of Azaz from the FSA on 18 September. There has also been friction with other Islamists. In November 2013, ISIS was accused of killing a prominent member of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham. | Two out three people fighting for an extreme Sunni group are foreign .
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) known for beheadings and crucifixions .
Group considered so extreme it has even been condemned by Al Qaeda .
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . |
25,625 | 488ff72faf49b00a20cd8a66150d0e2b26e2e7a1 | By . Amanda Williams . Leyton Orient football player Billy Lobjoit outside St Albans Crown Court in Hertfordshire. He used his own car as a getaway vehicle . A promising young footballer used his own Smart Car as a getaway vehicle after his friend carried out armed robberies. Billy Lobjoit, a striker with League one side Leyton Orient, drove his friend away from the scene of two armed holdups and shops. After the second police had a description that the robbers were using a distinctive white Smart Car. As a result police responding to a 999 call quickly discovered the vehicle and Lobjoyt was arrested. At St Albans crown court Lobjoit, 19, was given a suspended sentence when he appeared in the dock to admit two offences of robbery. But judge John Plumstead also told him that for the next six months he would not be allowed to go into licensed premises on Fridays and Saturday after 7pm. The judge said it meant he would not be able to go drinking with team mates after a match. In addition Lobjoit was handed an 18 month jail sentence which was suspended for two years, disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay compensation of £395 to victims of the robberies. His co defendant and friend Sam Rothery 19 who had actually gone into the shops with his face disguised behind a mask and wearing a beanie hat was jailed for 29 months and 27 days. Judge Plumstead passed the sentence after being told Rothery wanted to rejoin the army and there was a chance he would be accepted if he received a sentence under 30 months. Rothery of Borehamwood admitted four charges of robbery and two of possessing a bladed article. The court heard it was on the 12th of November when on his own he carried out a knife point robbery at the Co-op store in Bishops Rise, Hatfield. He was on his own and after jumping over the counter snatched £429 from the till and 12 packs of tobacco worth £50. Then on November 15 he carried out a second lone robbery on the Co-op store in Organ Hall Road, Borehamwood, Herts . On this occasion he took a bottle of champagne and more cigarettes. Twenty minutes later and having enlisted the help of his friend Lobjoyt he staged another robbery at the Londis Store in High Street, Elstree. It was just after 8pm and on this occasion he took a bottle of Bells whiskey and more packets of cigarettes. As he left the store he was seen to get into a white Smart Car driven by Lobjoit of Park Street, St Albans. Then at 9.15pm that same evening Rothery staged another robbery at the Co-op store in park Street St Albans and took £450 from the till. Billy Lobjoit's Smartcar which was used in the robbery (on the right, white car) from Facebook. The court heard Lobjoit had not known initially that his friend would be committing robberies armed with a knife . Lobjoit was handed an 18 month jail sentence which was suspended for two years, disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay compensation of £395 to victims of the robberies . Lobjoit's (pictured in action) co defendant and friend Sam Rothery (not pictured) was jailed for 29 months and 27 days . Once more Lobjoit was outside in the Smart car which was registered to him. Witnesses saw Rothery free from the shop and jump into the vehicle. For six months he is banned from licensed premises on Fridays and Saturday after 7pm. Judge said it meant he would 'not be able to go drinking with team mates' Details of the vehicle were given to police and it wasn't long afterwards that officers saw the car in Chippendale Lane St Albans and stopped it. Rothery ran off from the scene, but gave himself up a few days later.Lobjoit was arrested saying his friend had given him £90 to drive him that night. The court was told that Rothery had been a promising young soldier but had left the army to look after his mum who was suffering from severe depression. But unable to find work he had fallen into the wrong crowd and as a result found himself in debt to serious criminals. It was because of that he had committed the robberies as a way of paying them off. Sentencing the pair Judge Plumstead told Rothery he hoped that by sending him to prison for a day short of thirty months, it might help him get back into the army. He told Lobjoit that when Rothery had approached him for help that evening, he hadn't known initially that he would be committing robberies armed with a knife. 'You drove your own car and this wasn't thought through and this wasn't sophisticated.' He told them people in stores and shops late at night performed a vital role in the community and were vulnerable and deserved the protection of the courts. | Billy Lobjoit is a striker with League one side Leyton Orient .
He drove his friend away from the scene of two armed holdups .
Lobjoit was given a suspended sentence after admitting two offences .
Judge said it meant he would 'not be able to go drinking with team mates' |
218,842 | a7456c56e1ab11e920009dcc5ebbc64ee37fd9b1 | It’s a lesson women the world over have had to learn the hard way. Wear the wrong pair of high heels, and that fierce strut could be transformed into a weak hobble within a matter of hours. Now one Barcelona-born artist has come up with a solution that could prevent women from kicking off their heels in frustration. Scroll down for video . London-based Silvia Fado Moreno has developed something known as ‘hydraulic heels’ which use springs, pneumatics, and rubber balls to help cushion each step . London-based Silvia Fado Moreno has developed something known as ‘hydraulic heels’ which use springs, pneumatics, and rubber balls to help cushion each step. The graduate took a look at impact absorption, studying traction, durability and shoe weight, before adding different springs, rubber components, pneumatic hydraulics and metal rings. As the wearer takes a step, each of these components works together under their body weight to create a natural balance in movement. The London College of Fashion graduate developed her designs as part of the Kinetic Traces collection. ‘I wanted to create pieces of art based in a functional concept, using high technology processes and handcrafting,’ she told MailOnline. The London College of Fashion graduate developed her designs as part of the Kinetic Traces collection. ‘I wanted to create pieces of art based in a functional concept, using high technology processes and handcrafting,’ she told MailOnline . ‘Technically, the challenges were to achieve the quantity the movement required according the body weight without losing stability,' she said . The graduate took a look at impact absorption, studying traction, durability and shoe weight, before adding different springs, rubber components, pneumatic hydraulics and metal rings. A design featuring pneumatics and springs is pictured here . ‘Technically, the challenges were to achieve the quantity the movement required according the body weight without losing stability.’ The graduate took a look at impact absorption, studying traction, durability and shoe weight, before adding different springs, rubber components, pneumatic hydraulics and metal rings. As the wearer takes a step, each of these components works together under their body weight to create a natural balance in movement. ‘The [is a new system developed for the industrial partner that I worked with, allowing regulation of the absorption effect depending on body weight,’ said Ms Moreno. As the wearer takes a step, each of these components works together under their body weight to create a natural balance in their movement . The engineering components were developed alongside an unnamed industrial partner, allowing regulation of the absorption effect to be changed depending on body weight. Each design is handmade . Ms Moreno’s designs aren’t subtle, and she didn’t intend them to be. ‘The principal functions of footwear are often sacrificed in fashion,' she said. ‘The mechanism can be bespoke according to bodyweight. The final outcomes are a representation of introducing mechanical concepts to traditional footwear.’ The artist made the shoes by hand using traditional tools such as machine cutting and leather work, alongside modern technology including laser cutting and 3D printing. Ms Moreno’s designs aren’t subtle, and she didn’t intend them to be. ‘The principal functions of footwear are often sacrificed in fashion,' she said. ‘This project brings sports footwear fundamentals to high-end fashion as sports footwear are based on function and wearability.’ While the designs are currently part of an art project, Ms Moreno hopes they may inspire a commercial product in the future. The artist made the shoes by hand using traditional techniques such as machine tools and leather work, alongside modern technology such as laser cutting and 3D printing . ‘This project brings sports footwear fundamentals to high-end fashion as sports footwear are based on function and wearability,' said Ms Moreno. On the left is a recent white and green model, while on the right a close up of the rubber component of a heel is shown . While the designs are currently part of an art project, Ms Moreno hopes they may inspire a commercial product in the future . | Hydraulic heels were created by London-based artist Silvia Fado Moreno .
She studied impact absorption, alongside weight, traction and durability .
Heels include springs, rubber balls, pneumatic hydraulics and metal rings .
As the wearer takes a step, each of these different components work together under wearer's body weight to create a balance in movement .
While the designs are currently part of an art project, Ms Moreno hopes they may inspire a commercial product in the future . |
237,797 | bfcd0b7a7ac80d662d4f13c6a57db024a87363c4 | (CNN) -- "You've got to save your best leadership for home." These are the words of retired U.S. Army Commander Lt. General Russel L. Honore at a recent speaking event on leadership in the 21st century. Two nights ago, I found my two most active roles in life -- family man and journalist -- intersecting in a crisis. It was 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon when my wife alerted me. I was enjoying my afternoon off, comfortable in the warmth of our home, watching the snow from a rare winter storm blanket our deck and backyard. My wife, who is a fifth-grade school teacher in Fulton County, Georgia, received word that her school was shutting down because of the inclement weather. "Honey I've got the kids. I'm on my way home," she said after school was dismissed early, and parents were rushing to get their children. As a journalist, I recognized that a news story was breaking before me. My wife's normal 20-minute daily commute was about to turn into an ordeal that would last nearly 24 hours. And I soon discovered that skills honed over years in the newsroom, were my best tools for assisting my wife and children. More than three hours later, she still hadn't moved very far. We stayed in constant contact as she inched along the 6-mile stretch of state highway leading her home. From the news, I soon realized this was no ordinary traffic jam. My family was stuck in gridlocked traffic caused by a one-two-punch of bad weather and poor government planning. Midnight approached and my wife told me she hadn't been able to move the car at all since 10 p.m. The half-tank of gas she started with that afternoon had dwindled, and temperatures were well-below freezing. The kids hadn't eaten. There was no restroom in sight. I felt hopeless and helpless. I called Georgia State Patrol and explained to them that my wife and kids were stranded in a vehicle among hundreds of other vehicles. I wanted to know how my family was going to be helped. They told me, "We don't know sir. We're trying, but we are out-manned now." Filled with adrenalin, I just couldn't sit idle with my family stranded. I called local authorities and was told the same thing. By this time, I was so angry, I couldn't think straight. I texted a friend who suggested prayer and texted me a bible verse to read, Philippians 4:1-14. I took to social media to help me cope with the situation and people reacted with posts of support. I stayed in touch with my wife a minimum of once per hour and at times twice per hour. On Facebook, I posted: "More than 14 and a half hours, my wife and kids remain stranded in car stuck in traffic because of snow. Situation is desperate now. Been on phone w/ State police repeatedly who agree w/ me. All prayers are welcome as I'm praying for the safe return of many of my friends in similar situations too." My wife later told me she cried only once, around 5 a.m., not knowing when she was going to be able to get the children home. She imagined having to wait for days, maybe until the snow and ice melted. It was so, so cold and she couldn't keep the engine running all night for fear of running out of gas. That's also about when I lost it, I told her -- about 5 a.m. At one point an act of kindness gave her hope: A truck driver knocked on the window in the middle of the night offering water and a blanket. She huddled the girls together in the front seat to keep them warm. "I didn't let the girls see me cry," she said. I felt so guilty about it all. Why didn't I fill up the car with gas? Why didn't I get the oil changed? How could I drop the ball on my family? I thought about Gen. Honore, who I have come to admire even more since hearing him talk about leadership and life lessons. I decided it was time to take action. I called the Georgia State Patrol and local authorities one more time. They could offer me very little. I told them if police couldn't get my family , it was time for me to try. The state patrol dispatcher advised me to stay off the roads. It was now 20 hours into the ordeal. At day-break, I told my wife, "I am coming to get you." She said she didn't think I could get to her. I said, "Don't worry about that. Against advice of the local and state authorities, I'm going to try." I posted a message on Facebook letting folks know what I was going to do and asked for prayers. The reaction came pouring in. I called my neighbor Kenneth Rucker, retired military and current investigator with a local district attorney's office. Taking me in his four-wheel -drive truck, Rucker expertly traversed the thick ice on bridges passing hundreds of stranded vehicles along the way. I was laser focused on the mission: Find my wife and kids and extricate them. I trudged up an ice-covered northbound lane of highway, as Ken's pickup made a zig-zag between hundreds of stranded vehicles to get to a safe stop. I grabbed each of my daughters, and carried them one by one across the median strip to the warmth of Ken's truck. Then I escorted my wife into Ken's vehicle. I moved my wife's car into the median and left it there not knowing or caring when the traffic would start to move. I was leading my family home. | Rick Martin is both father and CNN journalist .
He was frustrated when his wife and daughters were trapped in snow-bound traffic .
Using journalist training and inspiration from heroe, he took to the roads to rescue family . |
182,990 | 78fe043701478e9058681313b4edfb025af1ee4c | By . Rob Preece . PUBLISHED: . 12:01 EST, 19 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:07 EST, 19 July 2012 . Spending two weeks in a storage box isn't most holidaymakers' idea of a relaxing break. But guests may be surprised when they visit a new and unusual Chinese hotel, which has been built from shipping containers. Thirty-five recycled containers of different sizes were used to make the quirky 21-room venue in China's Shanxi province. Wish you were here? The unusual hotel in China's Shanxi province has been built from shipping containers . Quirky: Thirty-five recycled containers of different sizes were used to make the 21-room hotel . Judging by these pictures, it could be a welcome retreat for cleaners at the Olympics in London, who have complained that their temporary accommodation is shabby and uncomfortable. Covering an area of 5,000 square metres in an attractive country location, the hotel has courtyard rooms, deluxe suites, a lobby and restaurants. Rooms have double beds positioned behind stylish double doors and access to patio areas so guests can sit outside and relax. The hotel, created by Beijing-based firm Tonghe Shanzi Landscape Design, took three months to design and transport and is expected to open in August. Relax: Rooms have beds positioned behind stylish double doors and access to patio areas . Innovation: The hotel took three months to design and transport and is expected to open in August . Facilities: Covering an area of 5,000 square metres in an attractive country location, the hotel has courtyard rooms, deluxe suites, a lobby and restaurants . Cleaners at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, might be in need of a rest by then. Earlier this week the Daily Mail revealed that the cleaners were being housed ten to a room at a huge temporary compound. The campsite in East London, hidden from public view, has 25 people sharing each toilet and 75 to each shower. They sleep in portable cabins, some of which have been leaking in the rain. Spanish student Andrea Murnoz, 21, came to the UK for a job but changed her mind when she saw the conditions, which she said reminded her of a 'prison camp'. Craig Lovett, of Spotless International Services which runs the camp, defended its facilities. He said the number of toilets and showers per person exceeded requirements for temporary accommodation and that there were internet, medical and entertainment facilities on-site. Uninviting: The campsite for Olympics cleaners has 25 people sharing each toilet and 75 to each shower . Cramped: Cleaners at the Olympic Park are being housed ten to a room in temporary accommodation . | Hotel in China's Shanxi province built from 35 containers of different sizes .
It has courtyard rooms, deluxe suites, a lobby and restaurants . |
237,795 | bfcce4549a0faf3f3b62fb42ca4e0e8e81dea606 | By . Bianca London and Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 08:57 EST, 3 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:22 EST, 3 October 2013 . It seems that women will place their faith in all manner of weird and wonderful beauty lotions, potions and gadgets in their quest for youth. But one store in Japan is taking age-defying gadgets to a whole new level. Japan Trend Shop are selling a 'face bra' that promises to help fight the smile lines that grow more prominently with age. Would YOU use this to beat wrinkles? The Hourei Lift Bra claims to help banish smile lines . The Hourei Lift Bra is a band that slides over the back of your head . and then the frame fits easily onto your nose. Its soft silicone rubber . curves have been designed to feel comfortable on your skin while the 'wire' design promises to place only gentle pressure on your cheeks. 'If you worry about your smile or laugh . lines (nasolabial folds), then a simple but effective device like this . that you can wear daily is your ticket to combating the signs of ageing,' say producers. The makers also suggest doing mouth exercises while wearing the £25 frame. Pressure is on: The Hourei Lift Bra is a band that slides over the back of your head and then the frame fits easily onto your nose, applying gently pressure to your cheeks . Mouth exercises to do while wearing the face bra . An American 'sleep expert' has created the first wrinkle-busting pillow. The £55 memory foam cushion features cut out sides to prevent you squishing your face as you sleep and supposedly preventing puffiness and lines. 'I went to my doctor and asked him why I have more wrinkles on one side of my face than the other,' says Patty Colman, creator of the Wrinkle Prevention Pillow. Her GP told her that sleeping in certain positions night after night leads to sleep lines or . wrinkles that become etched into the surface of the skin. The wrinkle prevention pillow allows you to sleep without your face or eyes touching the sides . So, to ease the stress of ageing, she created the product to allow women to continue their beauty sleep with full faith. The Pillow supports and cradles sleeper's head so face never touches pillow. She claims it also works wonders for anyone with eyelash extensions. Patty Colman talks about the genius Wrinkle Prevention Pillow, here seen in a girly pink shade . The Japanese Trend Shop also sell the wrinkle-busting balaclava and The Faceweaver Exercise Mask, which they describe as 'a new face stretcher from Japan that promises to give users a . more youthful and energetic look'. The stretchy accessory wraps around your . face and claims to help exercise different muscles while you make all . kinds of bizarre facial expressions. Other unusual products sold on the . website include the £80 Eye Slack Haruka, which is aimed at combating . sagging skin around the eyes with battery-powered vibrating pads, and . the £70 Beauty Lift High Nose, which applies vibrations to help push the . nose higher and make it firmer. For those looking to emulate the plumped-up lips of Katie Price, the rather cartoonish Face Slimmer Exercise Mouthpiece slips over . the wearer's own mouth, with the ultimate goal of boosting the lips to a . more prominent pout. It all started with this: The Face Trainer works . to reduce the signs of aging by toning the underlying muscles through a . series of exercises . Frightening tightening: The Facewaver Exercise Mask from Japan promises to give users a more youthful and energetic look . Cartoonish: The Face Slimmer Exercise Mouthpiece . slips over the wearers natural lips and claims to enhance the natural . pout without the need for injections . | The Hourei Lift Bra puts gentle pressure on cheeks .
Its 'wire' band promises to reduce smile lines .
Sold on Japanese Trend Store, which also sells wrinkle-busting balaclava . |
169,805 | 67c3496c2da58b8209164ab16f0a278fe371c4d9 | By . Chris Kitching for MailOnline . Two United Airlines flights were forced to make emergency landings this week in separate incidents in the US. On Thursday night, pilots had to abort a flight and land at Indianapolis International Airport after they reported smoke in the cockpit. Passengers were evacuated from the plane once it safely touched down, and they were taken to the terminal aboard buses. Emergency in the skies: In a strange twist, both United Airlines flights originated in Columbus, Ohio . The regional jet had 48 people on board and was flying from Columbus, Ohio to Chicago, Indianapolis television station FOX 59 reported. The incident remains under investigation. In another incident, a United Airlines flight made an emergency landing Wednesday morning after a crack was discovered in the plane’s windscreen. The Houston-bound flight – also originating in Columbus, Ohio – was diverted to Nashville International Airport, where it landed safely. The plane’s 74 passengers were rebooked on a different flight, according to a report in Texas’ Longview News-Journal. Hazard: A flight from Columbus to Chicago was aborted because pilots reported smoke in the cockpit . | Pilots reported smoke in the cockpit while flying to Chicago .
Passengers were evacuated from the plane once it made a safe landing .
Both flights originated in Columbus, Ohio . |
153,910 | 52ed0a050954dd036cf8c79b027b40795668e829 | By . Laura Cox . UPDATED: . 13:41 EST, 29 February 2012 . A team of amputee war heroes are in the spotlight this season after their unbeatable softball skills saw them steam ahead of top able-bodied teams. The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team is made up of 15 war veterans, all of whom suffered horrific injuries out in Iraq or Afghanistan serving their country. Each man on the team has lost one or . more limbs in battle. Some have lost an arms, others feet or legs, . amputated either above or below the knee. Between them they have over $2 . million worth of prosthetics. Scroll down for video . Success: The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team regularly plays and beats able-bodied police, military and fire department teams . Skill: Most team members were high level softball players before joining the military. This player lost his right leg while serving for the US military. Shortstop Matt Kinsey told Sport . Illustrated: ‘Whatever part of your body you lost, you're not going to . grow it back. So we don't really sit around feeling bad about what . happened to us. We choose to just get on with it.’ Before joining the military, most . team members played softball at a competitive level. They say they take . nothing for granted anymore and are thriving off their triumph on the . softball pitch. War: Each team member has lost at least one limb in horrific battlefield injuries. This player lost his hand. Success: The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team regularly plays and beats able-bodied police, military and fire department teams. This man only has one leg. Unbeatable: The Warriors beat an FBI team 35-10 in their first game. This man lost both his legs on the battlefield. The Warriors will play around 75 games . this year, all across the USA. Last September they played at Nationals . Park and they will return on April 3. Games are held against police, fire . department and military sides and the team have been training at the . same facilities as the Washington Nationals. In . their first match in May last year, the Warriors thrashed an FBI team . 35-10, earning themselves the description of ‘flawless’ and paving the . way for a long line of successful games. Coach David Van Sleet told Fox News: ‘We . don’t always win. We have a winning record but we don’t always win. But . we have won because they’re living the life, they’ve survived. Champions: Two players celebrate a victory. The man on the right only has one arm. Tough: The players have all served and been injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. This man lost his left leg. Inspirational: The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team's slogan . 'They didn’t know if they would survive, walk, more or less play a sport. But now that they’ve gone through extensive rehabilitation these guys want more and more.’ Amazingly some of the players have remained in the military and continue to serve their country. Others have gone to college or found work. But for all of them it is the passion of softball that has turned their lives around. Catcher Brian Urruela said: ‘I went through limb salvage for two years. I still had my leg but I couldn’t really do anything with it. 'So being out here is definitely, I never thought it would be possible. I never thought having an amputation would make my life better but it has.’ Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Thriving on the Field Across The Country: MyFoxDC.com . | They have all lost a limb in Iraq or Afghanistan .
Between them they wear $2m worth of prosthetic limbs .
They play able-bodied teams from across the US . |
200,861 | 90091dd44045556f17e2f6fc2460a047bd5098aa | Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- In Ireland it took years to weed out the details of systemic sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy. In Australia, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has put no time limit on what will be the most wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse in the nation's history -- one that will not be confined to the Catholic Church. As she announced the establishment of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to instances and allegations of child sex abuse, Gillard said the inquiry would not target any one church but would encompass all religious institutions, state institutions, schools and not-for-profit groups like scouts and sports clubs. "There have been too many revelations of adults who have averted their eyes from this evil," she said. The evil of which she speaks is said by the mother of one victim to be endemic. Pat Feenan's son, Daniel, is now 36 years old. "Every morning he opens his eyes, he walks with that pain," she told CNN. Daniel was an 11-year-old altar boy at St Patrick's Church in Maitland in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, when the abuse began at the hands of Father James Patrick Fletcher, who died in prison after being found guilty of child abuse -- including that of Daniel. The family were devout Catholics when Fletcher was assigned to the parish and to the Feenan family, who opened their home to him. Soon after, the grooming began, and in time, the family says, so did the abuse. According to court evidence, throughout Daniel's high school years Fletcher forced him into violent oral and anal sex, often in open spaces and always under threat. Fletcher would tell Daniel their "special time" together should be kept secret lest Fletcher hurt one of Daniel's brothers. The abuse ended when Daniel was 17. Seven years later he went to the police. Though he was later contrite, the archbishop of the diocese tipped off the abuser, moving him to another parish, according to a police investigation. "I am ready and willing to help the Royal Commission in any way I can," Pat Feenan told CNN. "And so is my courageous son. He's brave. He was the first in the Maitland Archdiocese who had to testify in court. My Daniel had to go through the pain of the inquisition and the media and the reporting of the horrible details. "He knows he has played a part in this, and he knows I fought really hard for this Royal Commission and for justice. He feels vindicated," she added. Vindication is not something the Royal Commission can deliver Chrissy and Anthony Foster of Victoria. "Our girls were assaulted at school by the local Catholic priest," Anthony Foster told CNN. "They were five years old and up, raped multiple times over many years. It went on for several years -- we think about five years with Emma and with Katie probably about three or four years," he said. When Emma was 14, parish priest Kevin O'Donnell, now deceased, was convicted of the sexual assault of 13 others. During his trial, testimony was offered that he had abused consistently from 1946 until he was brought before the courts. When Emma heard news of his conviction, she began to harm herself, the family says. "We saw her with blood pouring out of her wrists," said Foster, "taking heroin to dull the pain." When she was 26, Emma killed herself. Katie's story is equally tragic. When she 14, her parents found a suicide note she had written along with her diary in which she had detailed how O'Donnell had abused her. The Fosters were alarmed when they saw their daughter had begun to binge drink. A year later, just before her 16th birthday, tragedy struck. "She was at a friend's house," Foster told CNN. "She was drunk, crossed the road and was hit by a car. She has severe brain injuries," he said. "She has pre-accident memory. But she can't run her life. She has a five-minute window on life," added Foster. Katie and Emma Foster's abuser is buried in the Catholic Church crypt at Melbourne Cemetery. Prime Minister Gillard insists the inquiry -- with the power to compel witnesses, offer indemnities and seize documents -- is not aimed at the Catholic Church. "This is a Royal Commission which will be looking across religious organizations as well as state-based care and the not-for-profit sector. It is not targeted at any one section or religion," she said. However, the only religious leader Gillard consulted after she decided on the Royal Commission was the Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell. A divisive figure, Cardinal Pell defended himself and his church against claims last week of systemic cover-ups by the church hierarchy. As calls for a national inquiry grew louder in the wake of explosive claims by a senior police officer that the church was complicit in the crimes by moving offending priests and destroying crucial evidence to stymie prosecutions, Cardinal Pell said the Catholic Church was being disproportionately targeted. "We have to answer up for what we've done," Cardinal Pell told his congregation on the weekend. "But any suggestion that we are the only culprit or only community producing culprits is entirely misleading," he preached. But others disagree. "This is really an inquiry into the Catholic Church and the cover-up," Foster told CNN. "It's all the revelations of abuse in the church that brought this to a head. We know there is other sexual abuse, but this has come about because of rampant sexual abuse by Catholic Church clergy," he said. For Pat Feenan and her son Daniel, the Royal Commission is most certainly about the sins of the Catholic Church and what he sees as the lack of compassion shown to its victims. "We went through the whole trial with no support from the church," she told CNN. "The priests supported Fletcher, to see how he was, to pray with him. We were in the same courthouse, and no one came near us. The church community were not encouraged to be mindful of the victim. There were prayers for the priests and not for the victim. That's not fair," she said. As for the police officer who blew the whistle on both fellow officers and the church for covering up the abuse, the announcement represents an opportunity. "Now we're going to start listening to the victims and start listening to their families," said Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox. "And we're going to start doing something about the problem. The big problem is denial, when you're not prepared to sit down and actually start to acknowledge that there's a problem and look at ways of fixing it," he said. Gillard said her government will consult with victims' support groups, religious organizations and state and territory governments to determine the Royal Commission's terms of reference. | Australia to investigate institutional responses to allegations of child sex abuse .
Country's Catholic Church facing claims of systemic cover-ups by church hierarchy .
Senior police officer: Church complicit by moving offending priests, destroying evidence .
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the inquiry will not be limited to the Catholic Church . |
163,767 | 5fcb46728940193fbc2e03c505420e1f80f56fe5 | By . Kieran Corcoran . Passengers all around the world were left without their bags yesterday after a technical fault at Heathrow Terminal 5 left bags piled up in the departure lounge. Staff struggled to deal with the huge backlog by hand as disgruntled fliers bombarded British Airways - the only airline which uses the terminal - with complaints. Fliers were stranded without clothes and equipment as far away as Africa and the U.S., with BA still unable to say how many were affected or how long they will be without - but admitting thousands of bags were likely to be caught up in the blunder. Pictures from the terminal yesterday show hundreds upon hundreds of bags lined up in the terminal after the 30 miles of conveyor belts which usually move 12,000 bags a day for the airline were put out of action by an IT fault. Chaos: Thousands of passengers have been left without their bags thanks to an IT fault at Heathrow's Terminal 5, which left the complicated bag processing system out of order. Fliers landed in Africa and the U.S. without luggage after 30 miles of conveyor belts which usually move 12,000 bags a day were put out of action . By hand: Struggling BA staff carted thousands of bags through the airport to cover the breakdown, which left some planes departing without all the right luggage . Today airport bosses admitted that some of the baggage had failed to make it through - despite efforts to move it all by hand - and promised to get the bags back to their owners as soon as possible. Rachel Memory said: 'No baggage on board flight from Heathrow to Vancouver. YVR [Vancouver airport] gave us no reference number - shambles' Ted King, of Bishops Stortford, Essex,said: 'Well done @British_Airways for leaving all our luggage in England, now in Uganda without any clothes.' Kathryn Sharples said: 'Please advise where bags from yesterday's BA0778 [to Stockholm, Sweden] are. No answers from Menzies or BA CS phone lines. Poor.' A British Airways spokesman told MailOnline: 'On Thursday morning, the baggage system in Terminal 5 suffered an IT problem which affected how many bags could be accepted for each flight. 'We are very sorry for the difficulties . this has caused and we have been working hard with the airport to make . sure we reunite all of our customers with their luggage as quickly as . possible.' Queues: Disgruntled fliers have been left all over the world with no bags. So many have gone astray that the usual lost luggage tracking system is not working properly . Anger: Fliers to destinations all over the world voiced their disgruntlement on Twitter. One told how there had been no baggage on a London to Vancouver flight . No fans: This unlucky passenger touched down in Uganda with no luggage and no medical equipment after the technical fault, which affected conveyer belts . No reply: Many of the usual sources of information for tracking lost bags have been put out of order because the system is so overloaded with frantic passengers . The airline was left apologising to customers who took them to task over Twitter. They declined to explain how many bags went missing, or how long it will take to move the baggage to their rightful homes. Guidance issued online says that so many bags have gone missing that the usual lost luggage system will be unable to trace it properly. Passengers have been told that they can purchase essential items which BA will later reimburse. A Heathrow spokesman said: 'Yesterday Terminal 5’s baggage system experienced an IT issue which meant that bags were processed manually for a period. We are sorry to any passengers who were affected and we are working with airlines to reunite passengers with any bags that missed their flight.’ The baggage blunder comes just weeks after Heathrow opened its brand new Terminal 2 - the opening of which managed to avoid any disasters, helped in part by running the terminal at only one tenth of its full capacity. The difficulties are a reminder of Terminal 5's ill-fated opening six years ago, where technical faults led to almost 30,000 bags being lost. | Hundreds of bags were left piling up as struggling airport staff dealt with a huge backlog by hand .
Passengers bombarded British Airways with complaints as they landed in Africa and America with no bags .
BA has admitted it does not know how long it will take for passengers to get their possessions back . |
123,275 | 2b5d5648b6a70e6a0797eecae70191167c9c79bc | By . Patrick Collins . Shortly after being appointed chairman of the Football Association last summer, Greg Dyke declared that one of his main targets was to see England win the World Cup in the desert heat of Qatar in 2022. He said he was aware that such a target could create pressure on players but he was undeterred. ‘Top players must be able to handle pressure if they want to be winners. We want to be winners,’ he boomed. The ensuing derision was deafening. A few months on, at the draw for the World Cup finals, the cameras caught Dyke making a flamboyant cut-throat gesture as England’s opening match in Manaus was announced. There was an eruption of derision for his public display of despair. Big idea: FA Chairman Greg Dyke reveals the idea for Premier League B Teams . On Thursday, as the centrepiece of his grandiose FA Commission, Dyke announced a plan to introduce Premier League B teams into the Football League by the year 2016-17. The details of this dismantling of a 100-year-old ‘pyramid’ are still evolving but the clamorous derision it provoked was encapsulated in one sublime tweet from Accrington Stanley: ‘In 2016-17 we can achieve our dream… We’ll finally be able to play Stoke City Reserves in the Football League.’ Alan Pardew has a meeting this week with Mike Ashley. With his job on the line, the Newcastle manager will attempt to persuade the club owner that 50,000 Geordies can be wrong. At such times, Pardew likes to quote a piece of cod philosophy. ‘Life is a rocky road,’ he says. ‘And when it gets rocky, you have to stay strong and focused.’ The voice of the great David Brent floats back down the years: ‘If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain. Do you know which “philosopher” said that? Dolly Parton. And people say she’s just a big pair of tits.’ I sense a pattern emerging here, and its thread is the personality of chairman Dyke. As his brilliant career in media and commerce would suggest, this is a man of enormous ability, with bubbling self-confidence and a tumbling stream of ideas. But, as his experience at the FA vividly demonstrates, those virtues are occasionally accompanied by a curiously naive desire to make an extravagant impact, to pose at the centre of events. The World Cup ‘target’ was the kind of thing which might have been spouted by a third-rate politician, while the ‘cut-throat’ affair smacked of simple showing-off. But the latest episode is more complicated and a good deal more troubling. For the fact is that Dyke’s Commission have illuminated some long-standing problems and have come up with some thoughtful solutions. The fact that only 32 per cent of players who started Premier League matches in the 2012-13 season were qualified to play for England is a disturbing statistic. In Spain, the starting figure for Spanish players was 59 per cent, while in Germany and Italy almost 50 per cent were qualified for the national teams. To cite such statistics is not to promote some crass, Ukipian fear of Johnny Foreigner; rather, it is to illustrate the scope of the problem which faces the England manager, Roy Hodgson. Bad move: Dyke mimics cutting his throat after England's group for the World Cup is announced . Raise your game: Danny Mills claims lower league players will raise their game against reserve sides . Dyke’s Commission propose that the number of home-grown players required in a Premier League squad of 25 should be increased from eight to 13 and, in a smaller Football League squad, from six to 12. They also demand drastic reform of the flawed process by which clubs can sign players who do not hold a European Union passport and believe there should be a cap of two non-EU players in any Premier League squad. Both of which address the way in which a stream of low-priced mediocrities infiltrate the English game. Come the autumn, there will be potentially valuable reports on our gross under-investment in coaching and the embarrassing neglect of grassroots facilities. But such measures do not make a headline or lead a television news bulletin. They are not what Dyke sees as a Big Idea. And so we were treated to the B teams notion, a palpable nonsense which distorts a decent competition, demeans a host of small, proud clubs and offers little but worthless confusion to ambitious players parachuted in from the Premier League. Danny Mills, once an agricultural full-back and now a member of Dyke’s Commission, attempted to sell the dubious fantasy to a still more dubious public. ‘I guarantee that every single player that plays against them (the cossetted tyros of the Premier League) will raise their game,’ he said. ‘There will be a pride, there will be an ego and it’ll be, “We do not want these little upstarts with loads of money to come and beat us”.’ What a pretty picture that paints and . what an appealing prospect it opens up! Fear and loathing in League . Three; who could resist it? It was the same Mills, incidentally, who . reflected: ‘If England were to win the World Cup, it would be the . exception rather than the rule.’ Small wonder that Dyke was so anxious . to have the sage on board. Man with a plan: Dyke and his report has attracted plenty of publicity . Opposition to the proposal is growing by the day, beginning with the Premier and Football Leagues and continuing through the Conference and the unconsulted masses of football fans. There must be a real chance that the entire project will be swept away in the storm of protest and derision. Given the work which has gone into the saner parts of the scheme, that would be a great shame. Yet if it should happen, then Dyke will have only himself to blame. As a reforming chairman of the FA, he has much to offer the national game. But as a frustrated song and dance man, courting the spotlight and remorselessly seeking the next Big Idea, he is betraying a rare and valuable talent. Hodgson can only go with what he’s got . After his remarkable playing career, the late Alan Ball found football management rather more difficult. He toiled at the trade but the bad days outnumbered the good. On one such day, as he sat cursing in the dugout, he decided to make a substitution. ‘Who would you like to bring on, boss?’, asked his assistant. Ball smiled. ‘Well, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore for starters,’ he said. ‘But I reckon I’ll have to make do with what I’ve got’. Decision time: Roy Hodgson names his squad for the World Cup this week . Roy Hodgson will recognise the feeling. When he announces his World Cup squad on Monday, Hodgson will strike an optimistic tone. Yet he will surely experience pangs of apprehension. Essentially, his chosen 23 selects itself because there are few alternatives to whom he can turn. For what it’s worth, my own version would be: . Goalkeepers: Hart (Man City), Foster (WBA), Forster (Celtic). Defenders: Johnson (Liverpool), Cahill (Chelsea), Jagielka (Everton), Caulker (Cardiff), Jones (Man Utd), Baines (Everton), Cole (Chelsea), Shaw (Southampton). Midfielders: Gerrard (Liverpool), Lallana (Southampton), Sterling (Liverpool), Wilshere (Arsenal), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Milner (Man City), Henderson (Liverpool), Barkley (Everton). Strikers: Rooney (Man Utd), Welbeck (Man Utd), Sturridge (Liverpool), Lambert (Southampton). No go: Andy Carroll looks unlikely to be included in the World Cup squad . Young star: Southampton's Luke Shaw is a possible contender for the England squad . Astonishingly, there has been some support for Andy Carroll, the primitive striker who has scored twice in 14 appearances for West Ham this season. Equally bizarre is the campaign to include the 35-year-old Frank Lampard, on the grounds that he is an affable fellow who will spread good cheer. If England really need to accommodate an amiable midfielder whose best days are far behind him, then Sir Trevor Brooking must be in with a shout. Far better, I suggest, to risk overloading the quota of full-backs and offer the experience to Luke Shaw, whose professional future seems thrillingly predictable. So there it is; scarcely a collection to terrify Argentina, Germany, Spain or Belgium, far less Brazil. But, in the absence of a Charlton, Hurst or Moore, then Roy Hodgson must make do with what he’s got. | FA chairman Dyke keen to introduce Premier League B Teams .
B Team proposal overshadows other good points made in the report .
Hodgson has limited options ahead of World Cup squad announcement . |
65,142 | b8f6e92ea28d096a2bd2398dc25014bcaab9a8cc | A Mexican couple have been accused of beating a four-year-old boy to death because he couldn't count. The child, named by police as Raúl Antonio, was allegedly beaten in by his aunt and uncle till he showed no signs of life, in Ecatepec, in the suburbs of Mexico City, on Tuesday. MarÌa Guadalupe Tovar Hernández, 33, and Guillermo Delgadillo Becerra, 43, confessed to killing Raúl and dumping his tiny dead body on waste ground, a statement from Ecatepec police said. Confession: MarÌa Guadalupe Tovar Hernández, 33, (left) and Guillermo Delgadillo Becerra, 43, (right) have admitted killing four-year-old Raúl Antonio by violently beating him as punishment for not being able to count to 10 . The young boy had been abandoned by his . mother and was then raised by his aunt and uncle -- his two legal . guardians. According to his aunt, the boy had been living with them in the Guadalupe La Venta colony in Ecatepec, Mexico and she claimed that Raul had left the home and had not returned. The couple originally reported Raúl Antonio as missing. Officials began investigating the couple when their original statements contained details that did not match. The aunt and uncle on Wednesday admitted that Raúl Antonio was beaten the day before, as punishment for not knowing how to count to 10. They revealed in their confession that they were beating him to discipline him. When Raúl failed to show signs of life, they realised he had died. They then moved the body to an abandoned lot in Chapultepec, a neighboring town to Ecatepec. Police in Ecatepec City investigated the location described by the couple where they found the lifeless body of Raúl Antonio, reports El Universal. María Guadalupe Tovar Hernández and Guillermo Delgadillo Becerra have been detained by the authorities of Ecatepec and murder charges have been filed. Physical punishment as a means to discipline children has become increasingly frowned upon by the international community. The United Nations Committee on the rights of the Child called for ending physical punishment in 2006 stating that it "legalized violence against children" and it should be eliminated via "legislative, administrative, social and educational measures." | Four-year-old Raúl Antonio beaten to death for not being able to count .
The boy's aunt and uncle confessed to beating him and dumping his body . |
246,982 | cb9e5abab3aaefd3439615988c81fd6a6a8a2a72 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 23:42 EST, 2 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:10 EST, 3 January 2013 . Pride: Catherine Zeta Jones has donated money for the lost palace of Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great . Hollywood star Catherine Zeta Jones has given a boost to efforts to preserve the site of the 'lost palace' of ancient Welsh princes. Catherine, 43, made a 'substantial' donation to a trust bidding to buy up farmland thought to be the site where the last independent rulers of Wales had their royal residence. The 700-year-old lost palace of Llywelyn the Great and his grandson Llywelyn the Last is believed to have stood in what is now mostly fields. And now the Garth Celyn Trust plans to erect a public monument to the Welsh princes at the farmland in Bangor, North Wales. Trustee Paul Martin Remfry said: 'The home of the Welsh princes of Wales, has been ignored for far too long. 'The trustees are delighted that Catherine Zeta-Jones is taking a personal interest in the work of the trust. 'Her involvement will undoubtedly help to raise the profile of this Welsh project internationally. He added: 'The historical and . archaeological evidence is overwhelming and we want to ensure its . guaranteed preservation for the benefit of present and future . generations.' Former Monty Python star Terry Jones is also keen on backing efforts to buy the 29 acres of land from the current owners. The ancient palace was, according to legend, situated at the place where an mansion called Pen-y-Bryn - dating back to 1624 itself - now stands. While the stories told locally were sometimes doubted by historians, a number of archaeological digs were carried out over the past few years suggesting that there was indeed a large complex of buildings on the site, including an impressive great hall, supporting the idea that Garth Celyn was indeed the location of a palace. It seems to have been one of the final strongholds of the independent princes of Wales, as Llywelyn the Last spent time there before his death at the decisive Battle of Orewin Bridge in 1282, which handed control of the country to England's King Edward I. The mansion's current occupier Kathryn Gibson said: 'The locals have always called the house . Llewelyn's Tower and it seems this local lore has been handed down over . the centuries. 'It's great that Catherine Zeta Jones is showing an interest.' Majestic: Pen-y-Bryn, which dates back to 1624 and is known locally as Llewelyn's Tower . The landscape of Garth Celyn in north Wales is now the site of a Tudor manor house - but in the medieval period, it is believed to have been home to the last independent princes of Wales. One of the princes to have maintained a palace there was Llywelyn the Great (pictured right on his deathbed in 1240), probably the most powerful ruler in Wales's history, who successfully resisted efforts by King John and Henry III to expand their English kingdom into Wales during the early 13th century. His grandson, known as Llywelyn the Last, is recorded as sending letters from Garth Celyn, which appears to have been one of the final strongholds of his vanishing lands. However, Llywelyn was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge in 1282, leading to the takeover of Wales by Edward I and its subsequent absorption into the English kingdom. The conquest of Wales brought an end to the royal connections of Garth Celyn, and historians have since doubted that it was in fact the spot where Llywelyn the Great held court - but recent archaeological digs proved that a great hall once stood on the site, bolstering its claims to palatial status. | Star donates undisclosed sum to buy land for monument to Llywelyn princes .
Site is believed to have been location of family's royal palace .
Former Monty Python star Terry Jones is also backing efforts to buy land . |
158,029 | 5850ffb8340c7dfde19a5970e7421e013875188d | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 19:11 EST, 5 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:03 EST, 6 August 2012 . The first details about the tragic victims of the massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin earlier today are starting to emerge. Six people were shot dead by an unknown attacker, and three more critically wounded, before the gunman was killed engaging the police. At least two of the victims at the Oak Creek temple were priests, who had gathered to tend to the needs of worshippers at the Sunday morning ceremony. Another was a police officer, who was left fighting for his life in hospital after receiving multiple gunshot wounds to the face and abdomen. Dead: The president of the temple, Satwant Kaleka, was shot by the gunman after fighting back . Prayer: Mr Kadeka's son Amardeep kneels in a parking lot near the site of the massacre . The identity of the shooter is currently unknown, but he is believed to have been a white man in his 30s, a former soldier with a skinhead and possibly a member of a white supremacist race hate group. Most of the victims have not yet been identified, but the stories of some of those caught in the horrific shooting spree have been revealed. One of the priests who died in the massacre was identified by a temple-goer as priest Parkash Singh, a 30-something father of two. Worshipper Manminder Sethi told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Mr Singh was 'a good guy, a noble soul'. He added that the priest's wife, son and daughter had only recently moved from India to join him in Oak Creek, where Mr Singh had been living for several years. Family: Relatives of the temple president look for more information on the victims' condition . Protection: Heavily armored police officers . patrol the entrance to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, the scene of . multiple shootings in Oak Creek . The temple's president, 65-year-old Satwant Kaleka, was shot dead by the attacker after trying to fight back. His son Amardeep said that the community leader had attempted to 'knife and tackle the shooter', but was unsuccessful and died of his wounds while trying to hide in the temple. Mr Kaleka's nephew Gurmit Kaleka told the Journal Sentinel that the victim was a father of two who had presided over the religious community since 1996. Another nephew, Jatin Der Mangat, spoke of his grief at hearing of the shooting. 'It was like the heart just sat down,' he said. 'This shouldn't happen anywhere.' Terrified: Crowds of friends and relatives gathered outside the temple desperate for more information . Horrific: At least six victims have been killed . in the shootings. Witnesses describe a chaotic situation with an unknown . number of victims, suspects and possible hostages . Another victim sent to hospital by the gunman was a police officer, a 20-year veteran who was ambushed by the attacker and was shot multiple times. He is undergoing surgery for his injuries, but is expected to survive. Police are treating the incident as an act of 'domestic terrorism' - partly based on tattoos sported by the gunman. It is the second mass shooting to hit the U.S. in less than three weeks, after James Holmes opened fire on a packed movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58. | Temple president Satwant Singh killed after trying to fight off attacker .
Priest Parkash Singh shot dead; recently brought family to live with him .
Police officer shot multiple times after being ambushed by gunman .
Motive unknown for massacre which killed six and injured three more . |
99,367 | 0bf94c5822d01df068e4d8cc68837db299a1c8d8 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 03:41 EST, 4 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:42 EST, 4 December 2012 . Britain is losing more from VAT loopholes on the sale of digital services than it cost to put on the Olympic Games, new research shows. The study by a leading telecoms and digital consultancy reveals the HMRC is losing over £1.6billion a year in . VAT on digital services bought by British consumers from overseas-based suppliers such . as Amazon. Greenwich Consulting estimates the UK will lose £10billion between 2008 and 2014. Ministers say the London Games cost taxpayers £9billion. Read all about it: Amazon charges publishers 20 per cent VAT when it only pays 3 per cent in tax . It comes as more pressure is being . heaped on Chancellor George Osborne to close tax loopholes enjoyed by . multinational companies in Wednesday's autumn statement. The . chancellor is expected to find more cash in the autumn statement to . fund a drive by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to raise an additional . £10billion in tax revenues. But . the revelation that Britain is losing so much revenue through tax . loopholes will intensify demands at Westminster and beyond for tougher . action on multinationals, such as Google and Starbucks, paying small . amounts of tax. The anti-tax . avoidance pressure group Uncut said that it was planning protests in . Starbucks cafes this Saturday, involving 'creative civil disobedience'. It follows stinging criticism of tax avoidance MPs on the public . accounts committee who accused the coffee chain, Google and Amazon of . 'immoral' use of secretive jurisdictions, royalties and complex company . structures to avoid paying tax on British profits. Margaret Hodge, the committee's chair, said she had already stopped buying coffee at Starbucks and ceased using Amazon. 'Name and shame': The Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge called on ministers to reveal firms that were not paying their fair share and suggested that the Government should back boycotts . 'I . think actually the government can do things like … we buy a lot of . stuff, we can say we won't buy from companies. I think it's good . citizenship,' she told The Guardian. The Prime Minister's official . spokesman said: 'The issue for government is how we tackle that tax . avoidance. 'What we have to do in government is make sure we are . tackling that kind of aggressive tax avoidance. We are doing that in a . number of ways. We are bringing in a general anti-avoidance rule, we are . working with other countries.' The question of a boycott was 'an issue for individuals', said the spokesman. Under . the EU's VAT rules, digital supplies to non-business customers – such . as ebooks, music downloads and online apps – are classified as services . rather than products. 'This is yet another example of . industrial scale tax avoidance by foreign owned multinational . corporations. Their behaviour is irresponsible, unethical and . unacceptable.' Charlie Elphicke MP . VAT . on electronic services is imposed at the rate applying to the country in . which a company is headquartered rather than the rate applied by the . country in which it is bought. Amazon, for example, is based in Luxembourg and therefore charges its customers 3 per cent VAT for ebooks, compared with the 20 per cent levied in the UK. Charlie Elphicke, a Conservative MP and a former tax lawyer, believes that the EU should accelerate plans to change the way VAT is charged on digital services, which is due to be phased in between 2015 and 2019. 'This is yet another example of industrial scale tax avoidance by foreign owned multinational corporations. Their behaviour is irresponsible, unethical and unacceptable,' he said. The Greenwich report was commissioned by Philippe Marini, chairman of the French senate's finance committee and was prepared for a private meeting of pan-European politicians, civil servants and tax specialists in Brussels. Mr Marini supports an earlier date for bringing into line with other goods the rules for charging EU VAT on digital services. 'At the European level we need to renegotiate the schedule for implementing the VAT directive on electronic services in order to bring its application deadline nearer than 2015 or 2019, the term of the transition phase,' he said. An HMRC spokesman told The Guardian: 'It is a natural consequence of the VAT rules rather than any lack of compliance that a business in say, Germany, supplying such services to UK customers will account for VAT in Germany and not in the UK. 'Businesses have the freedom to establish themselves in whichever member state they wish. 'However, some UK businesses claimed to have moved their operations to other member states in order to benefit from lower VAT rates where in reality the supplies were still made from the UK. HMRC has successfully challenged such arrangements.' | Study reveals HMRC loses over £1.6bn a year in .
VAT on digital services .
Estimates suggest UK will lose £10bn in lost tax between 2008 and 2014 .
Ministers say the London Games cost taxpayers £9bn to put on . |
217,908 | a620ba818355caa66683022677d8fe4cbcc772a2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Actor John Nettles has criticised the BBC for cancelling re-runs of Bergerac . John Nettles criticised the BBC yesterday for cancelling re-runs of Bergerac – because they feature a children's home linked to Jimmy Savile. The 1980s detective series used Haut de la Garenne – dubbed the Jersey House of Horrors – as police HQ. A child abuse investigation found that former residents had been molested. Savile visited the home and it is feared he abused youngsters there. BBC2 said it had postponed re-runs of the show because of 'the sensitive nature of the public hearing into incidents at Haut de la Garenne'. Nettles fumed: 'It seems to be a little bizarre that exterior Haut de la Garenne shots can't be used. It means you can't photograph or film anywhere where there is a suspicion that a crime has been committed. 'It just shows how far the BBC is bending over backwards to apologise for the Jimmy Savile scandal. 'How it can be connected by viewers with Jimmy Savile and the Yewtree inquiry is beyond belief. It's just unfortunate that viewers have to suffer for it.' The Haut de la Garenne home, which was unoccupied at the time, featured as a police station in six of the show's nine series. BBC2 bosses had planned to re-run the entire back catalogue of Bergerac, which ran from 1981 to 1991 and made Nestles, who played Jim Bergerac, a household name. But after running the first three series, corporation chiefs have 'postponed' the remaining six, which all feature Haut de la Garenne as the fictional HQ. A fresh inquiry looking at allegations of abuse in children's homes and fostering services in Jersey from 1960 to the present day is due to start this year. The former Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey has been the subject of a major child abuse investigation. It was used as a police HQ in Bergerac . A spokesman for the BBC said: 'Due to the sensitive nature of the public hearing into incidents at Haut de la Garenne and out of respect for the victims, the BBC has decided, for the moment, to postpone episodes of Bergerac.' Haut de la Garenne began in 1867 as an industrial school for 'young people of the lower classes of society and neglected children'. It closed in 1986 and was the centre of a huge police inquiry in 2008 which revealed numerous instances of child abuse against past residents. It led to the conviction of a former resident and a former member of staff. | Series used Haut de la Garenne on Jersey as a police HQ .
The building has since been dubbed the Jersey House of Horrors .
It follows allegations that child abuse took place there .
Savile visited the home and it is feared he abused youngsters there . |
84,898 | f0d4fe449d59551e5ba2bfe0f7096f8b7e1fcaf0 | By . Jack Crone . A defiant and unyielding forearm emerges from the rubble - this is the amazing photo of the buried worker who survived a building collapse that killed three people in Thailand today. The man was helping to build a six-storey block of student flats in Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok, when the unfinished structure came crashing down at 4.30pm local time. Using his free right arm, the desperate construction employee was able to signal for help and was eventually pulled from the heap of twisted metal and concrete. Scroll down for video . The will to live: Worker desperately signals for help after being buried by the heap of twisted metal and broken concrete in the building collapse in Pathum Thani province, situated just north of Bangkok . He was then stretchered away by rescue workers and taken to hospital. Thai police say there were 30 construction workers in the area of the building at the time that it came down. At least seven other trapped labourers have been rescued from the rubble, with the cause of the collapse yet to be identified. It is believed that 15 injured employees have been taken to hospital while 14 others could still be trapped underneath the debris, the Bangkok Post reports. It has also been reported that cries for help could be heard coming from the building at 7pm local time. In recent years, Thailand has seen a building boom but labor groups have raised concerns over relaxed safety standards and low wages. Rescue workers carry the man from the rubble after seeing his hand emerging from the debris . Police and rescue workers search through the rubble of the building which collapsed today at 4.30pm local time in Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok . Hundreds of people gather at the site of the collapsed building, where a desperate rescue operation is taking place . | Structure collapsed at 4.30pm in Pathum Thani province, near Bangkok .
Three confirmed dead and at least 15 others thought to be injured .
Man saved after signalling rescuers with free hand while buried below rubble . |
119,175 | 25ec106f6253cafaa5db72c82786af521befe9fc | (CNN)Twenty-five year old Lujain al-Hathloul -- a Saudi holding a valid UAE driver's license -- drives from Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia's border and attempts to cross on November 30 as a form of protest at Saudi Arabia's driving ban for women. Saudi authorities hold the activist in her car overnight, confiscate her passport, and then jail her on the morning of December 1. She remains in prison, according to Human Rights Watch. According to some reports, the accusations against al-Hathloul are focused on her social media activity rather than her driving. A prominent Shiite cleric calls for peaceful rallies against what he calls systemic discrimination against the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia. The Gulf state sentences Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr to death in October for "breaking allegiance with the ruler," "inciting sectarian strife," and supporting violence, Saudi officials tell CNN. Nimr's family accused the court of a politically motivated decision and continue to appeal the verdict. A blogger starts the "Free Saudi Liberals" forum in 2008 to encourage discussion about Islam and particularly the intrusion of the religious police in personal lives. A Jeddah court convicts Raif al-Badawi of "insulting Islam" and hands down a 10-year prison term and 1,000 lashes. Prison for female driving, death for dissent, lashes for liberalism - these are some of the punishments, human rights groups say, Saudi Arabia has handed down in recent months. A key ally in the U.S. led coalition against ISIS -- a terror group known to behead, flog, and crucify its victims -- Saudi Arabia faces accusations of hypocrisy for institutionalizing what some consider similar acts of barbarity. Under the country's Sharia or Islamic law system, these practices are acceptable ways to penalize criminals convicted by the Saudi judiciary. The country's friends in the West are also under fire for meek condemnations after Badawi endured the first of 20 consecutive weekly floggings in Jeddah. "Canada is deeply concerned by the public flogging of Raif Badawi. This punishment is a violation of human dignity and freedom of expression, and we call for clemency in this case," Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister said in a statement. While Mr. Badawi is not a Canadian citizen, we will continue to make our position known, both publicly and through diplomatic channels." The U.S. State Department described the sentence as "inhumane." In a statement it said: "The United States Government calls on Saudi authorities to cancel this brutal punishment and to review Badawi's case and sentence. The United States strongly opposes laws, including apostasy laws, that restrict the exercise of these freedoms, and urges all countries to uphold these rights in practice." Madawi al-Rasheed, a Professor at the Middle East Center of the London School of Economics, told CNN's Becky Anderson this week: "None of those countries are willing to challenge Saudi Arabia as they challenge other countries deemed as opposed to the West." Al-Rasheed said: "The United States adopts double standards when it deals with a country like Saudi Arabia because of the importance of Saudi Arabia for U.S. interests and for European interest." The defiant Gulf State says its judiciary is independent and impartial and bases its sentencing on Islamic law, a system freely and willingly chosen by the sovereign state. "The Kingdom is proud and cherishes Islamic law and its constitutional curriculum, where justice and the preservation of rights is ensured for all beings made by the Almighty Creator," Mohammed al-Muadi, of the government backed Saudi Human Rights Commission told CNN. The Riyadh government drew the ire of the international community when a video surfaced last year purporting to show a beheading by sword, the predominate form of execution. The country executed 87 people in 2014 most by decapitation, Human Rights Watch told CNN. "The Kingdom will not back down on the issue of justice, the issue of applying the rules of God, particularly in capital cases. And no sentence is carried out without providing the full legal right to the defendant," said al-Muadi. Under Saudi interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence charges of murder fall under a system of retribution which allows the family of the victim to choose the fate of the perpetrator. Relatives may accept "diyya" meaning blood money instead of the death penalty. "We emphasize respect for the right to life as one of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the law. It should not make us forget the rights of other parties violated by the perpetrators, which has to be seen with the same degree of respect, "al-Muadi said when asked specifically about the practice of beheadings. Last month, Saudi executioners cut off Filipino worker Carlito Lana's head for killing his employer in 2010, a CNN affiliate in the Philippines reported. The Lana family said the father of three acted in self-defense. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines says that the family of the victim opted for the death penalty, rather than accept any money from Lana and initially tried to raise funds to pay the Saudi relatives. "This is a dark day for migrant Filipinos, especially for those on death row abroad," a statement by the group Migrante International, which defends the rights of workers abroad, said. The statement added that the case highlighted the "vulnerability of migrant laborers." The scheduled flogging of Raif Badawi -- for blogging about the discussion of faith -- has begun. Every Friday, he will be flogged 50 times, until his sentence of 1,000 lashings is complete. In the unverified video of the public act, a man in uniform can be seen striking a shackled prisoner with a cane as a crowd gathers around. Men in the crowd whispered "he spoke about God and his Prophet" shortly before the flogging. Badawi's wife, Ensaf Haidar, said the video was difficult to watch. "It's a scene I cannot describe. It was horrible," she said from Canada. "Every lash killed me," she told CNN. The flogging again shines the spotlight on the nation that analysts say effectively manipulates its justice system to silence dissent and create strife among opposition on both sides of the aisle. U.S. officials have also called on Saudi officials to withdraw the sentence and review Badawi's case. But Saudi Arabia maintains its right to carry out their laws. "Raif Badawi and others with charges against them are afforded all legal rights including the right to attorney," said Saudi Arabia's Mohammed al-Muadi. But analysts say it's as much about the internal conflict within the country. "The case of Raif al Badawi tells us a great deal about the polarization in Saudi society between the Islamists and the liberals," Professor Madawi al-Rasheed explained. "The Saudi regime tries to appease both by showing as if it is equal in punishing both groups that endorse discourse or opposition." | The Flogging of liberal blogger Raif Badawi has placed a spotlight on Saudi Arabia's justice system .
Lashes for liberalism, prison for female driving, death for dissent are among recent punishments, rights groups say .
The Saudi government says its judiciary is independent and sentencing based on Islamic law . |
92,014 | 0259b82f0c878253a149c89cbb049233e956f607 | A star footballer is to go on trial accused of torturing and killing his mistress, then feeding her dismembered body parts to his pet dogs. Married Bruno Fernandes de Souza, 27, a goalkeeper once tipped to play for Brazil, is alleged to have turned model Eliza Samudio 'into a human sacrifice' to preserve his reputation after she gave birth to his love child. He is already serving a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being convicted of assaulting and abducting Ms Samudio, 25, but will be tried for her murder later this year. On trial: Footballer Bruno Fernandes de Souza, pictured in red shortly after his arrest in 2010, is alleged to have fed model Eliza Samudio's remains to his dogs to avoid paying child support after she had his love child . 'Killed': Brazilian model Eliza Samudio went missing months after she posed for these photographs to show the early signs of her pregnancy. Prosecutors at Bruno's trial will allege that part of her dismembered body was fed to the footballer's pet rottweilers . Prosecutors allege that Bruno planned Ms Samudio's kidnap and murder with eight others, including his wife Dayane, a teenage cousin and former detective Luiz Santos, all of whom have been charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and kidnapping. The goalkeeper, who played for Brazilian club Flamengo, is said to have watched as Santos committed 'barbaric tortures' on Ms Samudio before helping the former detective dismember her body. Parts of the woman's body are alleged to have been fed to Bruno's dogs while the rest was buried in concrete. Bruno is accused of ordering his wife to tell people that his love child, who was four months old at the time of the killing, had been adopted by them from a poor relative. Model: Eliza Samudio is believed to have met Bruno at a party held by another footballer. She later presented a report (right) to police against the footballer, claiming he had made her pregnant . It is also claimed that Bruno told police Ms Samudio was 'a whore who will not be missed by anyone'. A Brazilian newspaper has reported that the prosecution at the trial will allege that Bruno attacked a supporter, smoked cannabis and attended orgies with fellow players. Edson Moreira, a detective who investigated the case, told the Sunday Express: 'An idol like Bruno, from such a major team, has turned out to be a monster. 'We have witnesses who will testify that he turned this girl into a human sacrifice merely to try to protect his reputation.' The trial is expected to hear that Bruno met Ms Samudio at a party held by a teammate. 'Unfortunately for her, they slept together that night and she later discovered she was pregnant,' Mr Moreira said. 'When she approached de Souza and told him he was the father, he became enraged.' Claims: Prosecutors will allege that Bruno organised the abduction and murder of Ms Samudio with eight others . Prosecutors will allege that Bruno planned Ms Samudio's murder after she told him she would take legal action to prove he was the father of her child. In a statement to police, his cousin claimed that, led by Santos, they kidnapped Ms Samudio from a hotel in Rio de Janeiro on June 4, 2010. He said they drove her some 220 miles to a property in Belo Horizonte which the footballer and his wife used occasionally as a weekend retreat, where Ms Samudio was tortured. It is claimed that Santos played loud music on the stereo to drown out the woman's screams. Bruno, whose contract with Flamengo has been suspended, also faces charges of kidnapping, hiding a body and forming a criminal gang with intent to murder. He has maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he has a 'clear conscience'. Organising a defence: The Brazilian goalkeeper has maintained his innocence throughout the case, claiming he has a 'clear conscience' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Brazilian goalkeeper Bruno is accused of murdering mistress Eliza Samudio .
Prosecutors to allege that he planned to kill the 25-year-old after she claimed her baby was his .
Loud music was played to drown out model's screams as she was tortured, court will hear .
He planned to bring up the child, aged four months when his mother died, with his wife and pretend it was the son of a poor relative . |
60,132 | aad5f3575648705b3b09c2ca7503fee6a6ae5f7c | Extremists holding Briton Alan Henning tormented his wife yesterday by sending her a message of him begging for his life. After months of having her desperate pleas for his release ignored, Barbara Henning was sent an audio file – apparently in response to US attacks on Islamic State forces yesterday. The 47-year-old father of two was captured by the group’s fanatics last December while delivering aid in Syria. They have threatened to behead him. The message is thought to be the first time Mrs Henning has heard her taxi driver husband’s voice in almost nine months. Horrific: Barbara Henning released a statement calling on the terrorists to free her husband after receiving the recording . His wife said: 'We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the facts surrounding Alan's imprisonment and why they continue to threaten his life' No precise details of the message were released and it was not known if the digital file was recorded before or after the air strikes began. In a statement, Mrs Henning revealed her husband had been tried by a sharia court in Syria and found ‘innocent’ of spying and to be no threat to Islamic State. The file is assumed to have been sent to her by email and a statement confirming its existence was released to the media by the Foreign Office. It emerged as: . Mr Henning has been the subject of an increasingly high profile campaign for his release from captivity. Last week 100 Muslim leaders based in the UK condemned his continued captivity. Over the weekend a string of radical preachers called for his release. ISIS is threatening to murder the 47-year-old former taxi driver from Manchester (left) Mrs Henning said last night: ‘An audio file of Alan pleading for his life has just been received by me. I and people representing me continue to reach out to those holding Alan. Islamic State continue to ignore our pleas to open dialogue. ‘I have seen Muslims across the globe question Islamic State over Alan’s fate. The voices of the people have spoken out loud and clear. ‘He was working with Muslims to help the most vulnerable within Syria. Nothing has changed. He went to Syria to help his Muslim friends deliver much needed aid.’ In a statement released by the Foreign Office, she said: ‘We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the facts surrounding Alan’s imprisonment and why they continue to threaten his life. Mr Henning had just arrived in Syria in December 2013 when he was kidnapped by ISIS terrorists . ‘I have been told that he has been to a Sharia court and found innocent of being a spy and declared to be no threat. I implore Islamic State to abide by the decisions of their own justice system. Please release Alan.’ His plight was revealed in an IS video showing the murder of a fellow British hostage, David Haines. The extremist group has previously released footage showing the killing of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. Mr Henning and other hostages were thought to be held in a network of tunnels under the IS stronghold of Raqqa, but his brother-in-law Colin Livesey said the US strikes could have forced his captors on the run. Mr Livesey told ITV News: ‘It scares me. They’ll just run away, they’ll take him with them, and no one knows where he is again.’ Asked if he thought the air campaign had put Mr Henning at greater risk, he said: ‘Yes. I don’t like saying that because it’ll feel like I’m losing faith.’ He added: ‘He’s a loving husband and a loving father to two beautiful kids… he’s just an amazing guy. To miss his own family’s Christmas to do what he’s done, speaks volumes to what kind of man he is.’ British captive David Haines was seen being murdered by an ISIS executioner in a video released last week . U.S President Barack Obama makes a statement on recent U.S. and allied airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria from the White House South Lawn today . Pinpoint: An ISIS vehicle storage area near Abu Kamel in Syria is destroyed by satellite guided munitions in the this video released by the Pentagon . Attack: The U.S. has released footage of Tomahawk missiles being fired from the USS Arleigh Burke - a guided missile destroyer stationed in the Red Sea . Residents inspect damaged buildings in what activists say was a U.S. strike, in Kfredrian, Idlib province . Meanwhile, ISIS has released forty nine hostages who were seized by Islamic militants in Iraq have been freed and safely returned to Turkey, . Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the hostages had been returned to Turkey following intense negotiations. The hostages were seized from the Turkish Consulate in Mosul, Iraq on June 11, when ISIS overran the city in its surge to seize large swathes of Iraq and Syria. Their release contrasts with the recent beheadings of two US journalists and a British aid worker by the Islamic State group, but it wasn't immediately clear what Turkey had done to secure the safe release of the hostages. The U.S. and Arab began air strikes on militant targets in Syria overnight. Bombarded: Syrian children hold up debris as they check a damaged house, reportedly hit by US-led coalition air strikes, in the village of Kfar Derian in the western Aleppo province . The airstrikes - which employed U.S. Tomahawk missiles, B1 bombers, F16, F18 and F22 strike fighters and drones - was backed by support from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and the UAE - a coalition of nations that has agreed to assist with the destruction of ISIS. There was also a separate U.S. attack on a different band of Islamist militants in Syria - the mysterious Al Qaeda-affiliated Khorasan Group, who are said to have been planning an 'imminent attack' on a Western target. None of Washington's usual Western allies has so far joined the campaign in Syria. Britain, which joined the United States in war in Iraq and Afghanistan last decade, has said it was still considering its options. | ISIS is threatening to murder British aid worker Alan Henning .
Now the kidnappers have sent his wife a recording of him pleading for his life .
Barbara Henning replied with an emotional plea to ISIS calling for his release .
Mr Henning was kidnapped hours after arriving in Syria in December 2013 .
The father of two was driving an ambulance packed with humanitarian aid .
America – backed by Arab nations – launched a series of dramatic bombing raids on IS strongholds in Syria; .
The Pentagon revealed an ‘imminent’ terror atrocity targeting airports and planes to rival 9/11 in Europe or the U.S. was also a trigger for the wave of air strikes; .
David Cameron warned Britain was in a fight to the death against Islamic extremists; .
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon likened the fight against Islamists on home soil to the ‘Battle of Britain’; .
IS released a second propagada tape of another British hostage, John Cantlie; .
Mr Henning’s brother-in-law said he feared the air strikes in Syria had put the hostage’s life in greater danger. |
51,320 | 9149c0a2a7357583c5c1bde2205f08c0586d5b81 | Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes may have found it difficult to sit through the team's Sept. 6 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies, by a score of 35 - 21, but there was one very bright spot for the home team -- the Ohio State marching band. In a stunning tribute to television, performed during halftime, the band not only played the music of nearly a dozen popular television shows, but also somehow managed to choreograph themselves to perfectly create each program's iconic image. Scroll down for video . Impressive feat: The Ohio State marching band played tribute to classic television shows, like The Simpsons, seen here with Bart riding on his skateboard . Bring me my dragons: Daenerys Targaryen would have loved the band's tribute to Game of Thrones . Among the shows included in the act were Batman, The Simpsons, Dragnet, The Addams Family, The Lone Ranger, The Brady Bunch, The Office, Hawaii Five-0, and Game of Thrones, to name just a few. The band has previously wowed crowds with tributes to Michael Jackson, Pirates of the Caribbean, and even Abraham Lincoln. This weekend also marked the first time the band performed since the firing of band director Jonathan Waters for ignoring a culture of sexualized rituals and hazing among members of the band, including students being pressured to march in their underwear and participate in sexually themed stunts. Get moving: The Batmobile takes off down the field . Giddyup: A horse took shape as the band played the theme from The Lone Ranger . Some thought the band would not be able to keep up the high quality of their performances with him gone, but that is clearly not the case. In fact, thanks to the band, this may be the one stadium in America that has attendees desperately trying to get tickets as far away from the field as possible. | The Ohio State marching band performed a tribute to TV during their team's Sept. 6 football game .
Among the shows referenced were Batman, The Simpsons, Dragnet, The Addams Family, and The Lone Ranger .
This was the first time they had performed since band leader Jonathan Waters was fired last year for ignoring a culture of sexual hazing among some of the students . |
217,139 | a5231e7e1c451e6a27029be138b64356d7c255ae | (CareerBuilder) -- College majors are a funny thing. Some students know exactly what they want to major in before they even start the school year. Others don't declare until a year or so down the road. Some choose one knowing they could potentially earn a lot of money. Others follow in their parents' footsteps. The list goes on. Our advice has always been to earn a degree in something that will lend itself to a career path that you can be passionate about. It can be uncommon, broad, challenging. As long as you love it, and can find some type of career doing it, go for it. We took a look at the most popular college degrees, defined here as the number of degrees conferred in any given major. Business was the most popular degree in 2007-2008, according to the 2010 Digest of Education Statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. Of the 1,601,368 bachelor's degrees awarded by degree-granting institutions, 346,972 were for degree in business, management, marketing and related support services. Here's how other popular degrees broke down: . Social sciences: 133,789 . Health professions and related clinical sciences: 120,488 . Education: 101,708 . Visual and performing arts: 89,140 . Engineering and engineering technologies: 84,636 . Communication and communication technologies: 83,109 . Biological and biomedical sciences: 80,956 . If you're thinking about earning your bachelor's degree in any of the above fields, here are some possible careers that line up with market demands: . Business . Career: Market researcher A bachelor's degree is often adequate for entry-level jobs, but you may need a higher degree for advancement and more technical positions. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 28 percent from 2008-2018 . Career: Human resources analyst A lot of schools don't offer specific programs for human resources, so many employers look for college graduates with a technical or business background or a well-rounded liberal arts education. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 22 percent from 2008-2018. Biology . Career: Forester A bachelor's degree in forestry, biology, natural resource management, environmental sciences, or a related field is the minimum educational requirement for a forestry career. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 12 percent from 2008-2018. Career: Zoologist A bachelor's degree in biology is generally sufficient for a career in zoology. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 13 percent from 2008-2018. Social Science . Career: Social worker A bachelor's degree in social work is most common to get a job in social work, but majors in psychology, sociology or a related social science may qualify for some entry-level jobs. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 16 percent from 2008-2018. Career: Urban and regional planner Graduates with a bachelor's degree in urban planning qualify for some entry-level positions, but they will most likely need a higher degree to advance. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 19 percent from 2008-2018. Visual and Performing Arts . Career: Graphic designer An associate or bachelor's degree is needed for entry-level positions in interior design. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 19 percent from 2008-2018. Career: Interior designer A bachelor's degree in graphic design is often required for most graphic design positions. Bachelor's degree programs in fine arts or graphic design are offered at many colleges, universities and private design schools. Job prospects: Employment is expected to increase approximately 13 percent from 2008-2018. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2010) Digest of Education Statistics, 2009 (NCES 2010-013. © CareerBuilder.com 2011. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority. | College students may pick a major that that line up with market demands .
Social Sciences majors are the most popular, followed by health professions .
Biology majors can expect zoologist and forester careers to be on the rise .
Market research is a viable career option for current business majors . |
182,996 | 7901375dad443d02b34cd5abc04ff54af592c166 | (CNN) -- The more familiar something looks, the less threatening it seems. This is why images of funny-looking college students marching up Broadway or shirtless boys banging on drums comprise the bulk of the imagery we see of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Stockbrokers look on, police man the barricades and what appears to be a traditional protest movement carries on another day, week or month. But Occupy is anything but a protest movement. That's why it has been so hard for news agencies to express or even discern the "demands" of the growing legions of Occupy participants around the nation, and even the world. Just like pretty much everyone else on the planet, occupiers may want many things to happen and other things to stop, but the occupation is not about making demands. They don't want anything from you, and there is nothing you can do to make them stop. That's what makes Occupy so very scary and so very promising. It is not a protest, but a prototype for a new way of living. Now don't get me wrong. The occupiers are not proposing a world in which we all live outside on pavement and sleep under tarps. Most of us do not have the courage, stamina or fortitude to work as hard as these people are working, anyway. (Yes, they work hard.) The urban survival camps they are setting up around the world are a bit more like showpieces, congresses and "beta" tests of ideas and behaviors the rest of us may soon be implementing in our communities, and in our own ways. The occupiers are actually forging a robust micro-society of working groups, each one developing new approaches -- or reviving old approaches -- to long-running problems. In just one example, Occupy's General Assembly is a new, highly flexible approach to group discussion and consensus building. Unlike parliamentary rules that promote debate, difference and decision, the General Assembly forges consensus by "stacking" ideas and objections much in the fashion that computer programmers "stack" features. The whole thing is orchestrated through simple hand gestures (think commodities exchange). Elements in the stack are prioritized, and everyone gets a chance to speak. Even after votes, exceptions and objections are incorporated as amendments. This is just one reason why occupiers seem incompatible with current ideas about policy demands or right vs. left. They are not interested in debate (or what Enlightenment philosophers called "dialectic") but consensus. They are working to upgrade that binary, winner-takes-all, 13th century political operating system. And like any software developer, they are learning to "release early and release often." Likewise, occupiers have embraced the Internet access solutions of the Free Network Foundation, who have erected "Freedom Towers" at the Occupy sites in New York, Austin and elsewhere through which people can access free, uncensored, authenticated Wi-Fi. As this technology scales to our own communities, what happens to corporate Internet service providers is anyone's guess. The occupiers have formed working groups to take on myriad social and economic issues, and their many occupation sites serve to test the approaches they come up with. One group is developing a complementary currency for use, initially, within the network of Occupy communities. Its efficacy will be tested and strengthened by occupiers providing one another with goods and services before it is rolled out to the world at large. Another working group is pushing to have people withdraw their money from large corporate banks on November 5 and move it instead to local banks or cooperatively owned credit unions. Whether or not we agree that anything at all in modern society needs to be changed, we must at least come to understand that the occupiers are not just another political movement, nor are they simply lazy kids looking for an excuse not to work. Rather, they see the futility of attempting to use the tools of a competitive, winner-takes-all society for purposes that might better be served through the tools of mutual aid. This is not a game that someone wins, but rather a form of play that is successful the more people get to play, and the longer the game is kept going. They will succeed to the extent that the various models they are prototyping out on the pavement trickle up to those of us working on solutions from the comfort of our heated homes and offices. For as we come to embrace or even consider options such as local production and commerce, credit unions, unfettered access to communications technology and consensus-based democracy, we become occupiers ourselves. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Douglas Rushkoff. | Douglas Rushkoff : Occupy Wall Street not protest as much as protoype for new way of living .
He says Occupy's camps are hardworking congresses with consensus-building approach .
He says they can beta test ideas on issues such as a complementary currency .
Rushkoff: When we begin to considers Occupy's ideas, we become "occupiers" ourselves . |
235,218 | bc7f15e763b7ec0611a1cb0e015f89b0e04fa043 | Athens (CNN) -- A Jewish group in Greece has condemned the leader of the extreme-right Golden Dawn party over comments he made about the Holocaust in a TV interview. Nikos Michaloliakos told Greece's Mega TV channel in an interview shown Sunday that "there were no gas chambers and ovens [crematoria] in Auschwitz," said the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, or KIS. The politician's remarks come amid growing concern about the apparent rise of the far right in Greece. Golden Dawn won 21 seats in the country's May 6 parliamentary elections, after winning almost 7% of the vote. Two years ago, it commanded only 0.28% support. Some members of the ultranationalist party, which proposes harsh measures to combat illegal immigration, have been linked with street violence and neo-Nazism. In a statement, KIS urged the Greek government to "condemn and isolate the forces seeking the revival of the darkest ideology of the European history," saying Michaloliakos' position was an affront to the Greek people. "It is an insult to the historical memory, the memory of the 6 million Jews, our brethren, amongst whom there where 70,000 Greek Jews, who perished in the death camps of Auschwitz, Dachau, Treblinka and the other sites of the extermination factory founded by Adolf Hitler," KIS said in a statement. "It is an insult toward the survivors, who are still alive to bear witness of this atrocity. It is an insult toward all those who fought against the Nazis. It is an insult to the history of Greece, the sacrifices of the Greek people and the struggle to defend the principles of freedom, democracy and humanism." Greek government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis condemned Michaloliakos' remarks in a statement Monday as "a distortion of history and a fierce insult to the memory of the millions of Holocaust victims." Greece has been in a state of political turmoil since the elections, which saw voters fleeing the moderate parties blamed for backing harsh austerity measures for parties to the far left and far right of the political spectrum. The country faces fresh elections after repeated attempts to form a coalition government ended in failure Tuesday. The political instability has raised the possibility that Greece will fail to make debt payments as early as next month, potentially forcing the country out of the euro, the currency used by 17 European Union countries. Matthew Feldman, director of the Radicalism and New Media Research Group at the University of Northampton, in Britain, says far-right groups are seeing a resurgence in parts of Europe. Instead of open racial attacks, they play up a threat to national identity and criticize multiculturalism, particularly as it relates to Islam, he said. However, while Golden Dawn gained strength in the May 6 election, another far-right party, LAOS, lost its small presence in Greece's 300-seat parliament as voters punished it for its support of Greece's austerity program. | Nikos Michaloliakos said on a Greek TV channel: "There were no gas chambers" in Auschwitz .
The government and a Greek Jewish group condemn the far-right leader's remarks .
Golden Dawn won almost 7% of the vote in parliamentary elections this month . |
262,044 | df6613e090b2e84442c83a7da0f9de70ffb28edf | By . Daily Mail Reporter . If Californians thought they had it rough dealing with the drought plaguing the state they now have a new concern. The dry spell is causing a higher number of skunks to come out of the woods and into residential areas as they look for food and water. The problem is particularly bad in El Dorado County, an area east of the capital, Sacramento, in the famous Gold Country. Jennifer Hamburg of the El Dorado Animal Control Division told CBS Saramento that in a typical year, the department gets between five and seven reports of skunk sightings. But in the last two months alone, she has received word of 7 sightings. And alarmingly, many of the sightings are in residential areas. Rabid skunks are on the rise in some parts of California as the drought there is causing more skunks to come out to search for food and water . While skunks are usually harmless as long as you keep your distance from them, Hamburg said the drought is causing some skunks to become more hostile. “They’re dangerous in the fact that the calls that we have received so . far seem to be they are a little bit more aggressive complaints,' she said. 'They are charging after people’s dogs.' Rabid skunks can be spotted as they tend to have trouble walking or drinking water. And if your pet spends time outside, it's best to have them vaccinated against rabies as well. Unfortunately, the drought situation doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Residents say some of the skunks seen have been aggressive even charging at their dogs . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday released its seasonal outlook. The agency found that California just had its warmest and third driest winter on record. However, NOAA added that the drought is expected to persist or intensify. And if that wasn't enough of a concern, a good portion of the state is under an above average wildfire threat for the spring. | Lack of water and food is causing more skunks to appear in residential areas .
Some of the skunks have been aggressive and have charged after people's dogs .
The NOAA predicts the drought will continue through the spring, increasing the threat of wildfires . |
143,906 | 461ca3458013e949cd87c15a2db9918ab9848e49 | It may look like an optical illusion, but there's no need to think twice. A Latvian thrill-seeker really has joined two car fronts together in order to perform epic 360 degree turns. What's more, the freezing weather in his hometown of Sigulda provides the optimum conditions to take this baby out for a spin. Artūrs Bondars created the extraordinary hybrid car - half red, half blue - with two engines and no rear end. By fusing the fronts of a pair of VW Passats together he has ensured that he’s able to pull off perfect multiple spins - with the added bonus of freaking out passersby. The car features two drivers seats placed next to one another in the middle of the vehicle, but facing opposite ends. As seen in a video, which demonstrates all the fun that this wacky creation is capable of, Artūrs and a friend are utterly fearless as they let loose. Double trouble: Artūrs Bondars from Latvia has fused together the front ends of two Volkswagen Passats . To add to the apparent danger of the situation, one door is left wide open and there is a brick wall looming behind. But the daredevils don't seem to care as they slam down on the gas pedal. The automobile skids through the slush resulting in one of the greatest adrenalin rushes imaginable. The toy consists of one 1.8 litre engine and a 2.0 litre engine; it makes for a unique take on four–wheeled drive. Let's pray the motorists have fastened their a seat-belts. Snow fear whatsoever! He is filmed spinning around manically in the personalised car with a friend in very dangerous conditions . Ultimate thrill: The two drivers sit next to each other, but face opposite ends as it spins . | A blue and red car is fused together to maximize spin potential .
Gas pedal is pushed down... on slushy and snowy road in Latvia .
Car makes epic 360 degree turns and skids toward brick wall . |
246,902 | cb84c702b1b5467bbff9bb44f9ffb5730b493cf8 | Virginia lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle want state delegate Joe Morrissey to resign but he may commute to work soon from jail as part of a work-release program. Morrissey began serving a six-month jail sentence on Friday after accepting a plea deal in a criminal case that could have sent him to prison for 41 years. Prosecutors said he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female office assistant, who is now pregnant, and sent a naked photo of her to a friend. Part of the evidence against him, which he read to reporters on the courthouse steps in July, was a text allegedly from his young paramour to a third-party, reading: 'OMG, I just f***ed my boss.' He claimed the photo and the text messages were planted by a 24-year-old female named Brittany McKinney who grew jealous after the now-18-year-old college freshman rejected her lesbian advances. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . HANDS UP, DON'T JUDGE: Joe Morrissey, a Democratic state lawmaker in Virginia, said Sunday that he doesn't know it he will resign or commute from jail during his sentence related to an alleged sexual relationship with an underage girl . MUG SHOT: Morrissey has been in and out of jail for decades, in between suspensions and revocations of his law license . No one seems to want Morrissey to stick around in state government, but he's been politically battered by scandals of his own making before. The 57-year-old has seen his law license suspended and revoked, has paid a $500,000 judgment to a man he brutally beat in 1999, lost a job teaching law in Australia for hiding his disbarment, and earned his nickname – 'Fightin' Joe' – for engaging in a courtroom fistfight while he was a prosecutor in 1991. And the noted gun-control advocate brandished an AK-47 rifle during a 2013 debate in the Richmond, Virginia statehouse. That brought back memories of a 1994 incident when police recovered an Uzi submachine gun in from a heroin dealer – a gun that police had loaned Morrissey, then a prosecutor, for use as a prop when he spoke at schools about drugs and violence. All that was before he police found him and a teenage girl at his townhouse. Special prosecutor William Neely told the Richmond Times-Dispatch at the time that Morrissey 'had sex with her twice in his law office and texted someone about it.' Morrissey, who has three daughters including a toddler with three different women, faced grand jury indictments on charges including taking indecent liberties with a minor, possession of pornographic images of an underage female, and solicitation to obtain the images. The young woman, now 18 and pregnant, has been identified publicly by Morrissey only as 'Kayla.' She had been on the job as an assistant in Morrissey's office for less than two weeks, court records show, when he began taking her with him to official events. Both Morrissey and the younger girl denied engaging in sex, and her mother and grandmother both backed her up. At the time he was charged with the felonies, Morrissey vowed that there was 'not a snowball’s chance in hell' that he would resign his House of Delegates seat. That hasn't changed, even though he sits in a county jail. Morrissey entered what's known as an Alford plea on Friday, acknowledging that the government had sufficient evidence to convict him of a single misdemeanor charge. He did not admit any specific wrongdoing. His 6-month sentence will likely be over in just 90 days if he maintains good behavior behind bars. And a judge has approved a work-release arrangement that would allow him to leave the jail with an ankle-monitor in order to perform his official duties for 10 hours each day. Some of Morrissey's colleagues are howling. Republican Delegate Gregory Habeeb tweeted on Friday that 'Joe Morrissey should IMMEDIATELY resign his seat in the House of Delegates and disappear. FOREVER!' Democrats in the state legislature are more guarded, with one telling the Times-Dispatch that they might pressure him to quit. Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe, however, wants no part of him. On Saturday he called for Morrissey's 'immediate resignation.' On Sunday the embattled lawmaker said he's asked his lawyer to examine the Virginia Constitution to see what his options are. He's also planning to sue his accusers, including Special Prosecutor William Neely, who persuaded a Grand Jury to indict him in 2013. Neely unsuccessfully opposed the reinstatement of Morrissey's law license in 2011, claiming he 'completely lacks any moral compass' and engaged in 'notoriously unethical practices.' That opinion came with a litany of evidence. He landed two fists on the face of a flamboyant defense attorney during the 1991 courtroom brawl, landing in jail. In 1993 the Virginia State Bar Association yanked his license to practice law after he was indicted on a bribery charge. That case concerned his decision to dismiss a rape charge against a defendant whose father allegedly paid his victim $25,000 to get himself off the hook, and another $25,000 to a list of charities Morrissey chose. Charges against Morrissey in that case were later dismissed. NOT SHOOTING STRAIGHT: Morrissey brandished an AK-47 during a floor debate about gun rights, but had earlier admitted losing track of an Uzi that law enforcement officers had loaned him for use as a prop during speeches . Five years later, his license was suspended a second time after a 90-day stint in jail for contempt of court, for tainting a drug prosecution by leaking information to reporters. A judge in that proceeding banned him from arguing cases in court for two years. In 1999 Morrissey was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after physically assaulting a home contractor. According to a legal brief filed by the home contractor's attorneys, Morrissey shouted, 'I'm going to kill you. I'm going to beat your head in,' before beating the victim and 'smash(ing) his head into the corner of a brick wall.' In 2002 the victim won a judgment against him in civil court, which he paid off with a $500,000 check in 2007, The Daily Caller reported. But Morrissey wasn't as diligent with his community-service sentence: A court found he tried submitted phony documentation showing how many hours he had worked off, and sent him to jail for another 90 days. The bar association 'disbarred' him for that offense, tearing up his law license permanently – but relented a decade later and reinstated him in 2012. But meanwhile, Morrissey made headlines for losing his job teaching law in Australia when authorities there learned of his disbarment in the U.S. | Joseph Morrissey's decades-long legal career includes a disbarment that he hid from clients – and from an Australian university where he taught .
Last year he was arrested for allegedly sleeping with a 17-year-old office assistant and sending a naked picture of the now-pregnant girl to a friend .
Both denied a sexual relationship despite mounting evidence of time they spent together; he claimed a hacker planted photos and texts on his phone .
One text, allegedly from the young girl, read: 'OMG, I just f***ed my boss.'
'Fightin' Joe' Morrissey got his nickname from a 1991 courtroom fistfight during his years as a prosecutor .
In 2007 Morrissey paid a man $500,000 to settle a court judgment against him for a separate 1999 physical assault . |
170,519 | 68bb583861a0b48b36f712ac5bb924d7ed643a8c | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 02:51 EST, 31 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:29 EST, 31 December 2013 . Major talks aimed at resolving some of the most divisive issues hindering peace in Northern Ireland have broken down. David Cameron said it was ‘disappointing’ that Ulster’s main political parties could not end bitter rows over parades, flags and the legacy of the Troubles. But the Prime Minister insisted it was vital they ‘keep going’ to achieve a crucial breakthrough. Stalemate: David Cameron (left) said it was 'disappointing' Ulster's main political parties could not resolve issues hindering peace in Northern Ireland. Right, ex-US diplomat Dr Richard Haass, who chaired the talks . He said: ‘There is a shared commitment to making progress on these very difficult issues that continue to be a focus for tension and division.’ Former US diplomat Dr Richard Haass, who chaired the talks, emerged from a marathon 17 hours of negotiations to announce he had not secured consensus before his end-of-year deadline. He said: ‘All the parties support significant parts of the agreement. At the same time, all have some concerns.’ He said a working group made up of representatives of the five parties in Stormont's power-sharing executive would now be set up to try and find another way to build on 'significant progress' that had been achieved. Divisive: Loyalist protesters holding a flag walk past a burning car in the Centre of Belfast in August after trouble flared during a republican anti-internment parade . Negotiators from Sinn Fein, the . largest nationalist party in the Executive, said they were prepared to . recommend the proposals to its ruling executive, but unionists would not . sign up to the document by tonight. 'Yes . it would have been nice to come out here tonight and say we have got . all five parties completely signed on to the text, we are not there,' Dr . Haass said. Dr Haass, who was commissioned by . Peter Robinson, the Democratic Unionist First Minister, and Martin . McGuinness, the Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister, to chair the six-month . process, said he believed there was a prospect that all the parties . would either endorse all, or significant parts of his document in the . future. The DUP and Ulster . Unionists said they would consult within their parties before making a . final judgment on the proposals but both indicated they had major . difficulties with elements of the text. The . Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said it would also be . conducting a consultation, but party leader Alasdair McDonnell said he . would be recommending a general endorsement of the proposals. Dr . Haass urged Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness to make the details of the . final document public so people could make up their own minds. He denied the process had been a failure. Message: Mr Adams took to Twitter to say Sinn Fein were ready to accept a deal but the DUP and Ulster Unionists would not today . 'Success should not be measured by . what we report to you tonight or what the party leaders report tonight - . I would ask you to judge the success in six months, in a year, 18 . months, in two years, that would give a much more realistic definition . or yardstick of what constitutes success,' he said. 'What I believe what we have done is laid down solid enough foundations stones.' Dr Haass and talks vice-chairman Dr Meghan O'Sullivan, a U.S. foreign affairs expert, said their role in any future political process would be limited, but both insisted they were not washing their hands of the process. Naomi Long, the Alliance party deputy leader, who along with colleagues was mandated to make a final call on behalf of the party, said she was willing to endorse proposals on the past, but not on flags and parades. Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein's president, signalled his party's willingness to strike a full deal. He said the proposals presented by Dr Haass represented a 'compromise position' and provided the basis for agreement. 'They aren't perfect, we have had to stretch ourselves to embrace them,' he said. Mr Adams insisted talks could not continue forever and at some point parties had to 'call it'. 'The paper produced by Dr Haass does in the view of our negotiating team provide the basis for agreement,' he said. He said if there was no progress from this point he would be seeking an urgent meeting with the British and Irish governments to call for the production of a road map towards resolution. DUP negotiator Jeffrey Donaldson said progress had been made but said a number of difficulties remained. Leadership: Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein (left), with the party President Gerry Adams (right), arrive at the talks . 'We do not have an agreement this . evening but we are committed to continuing this work beyond now in . dialogue with others to try and resolve the outstandiing issues that . need to be addressed,' he said. 'We . owe that to the people of Northern Ireland, especially to the innocent . victims of terrorism who have suffered so much over the decades.' The Haass process was set up in July to deal with what have become three of the primary obstacles to meaningful reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Tensions over contentious parades regularly erupt into street violence while disputes over the flying of flags - both on public buildings and in loyalist and republican neighbourhoods - continue to be a source of community conflict. Reaction: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said this morning the terms 'aren't perfect, we have had to stretch ourselves to embrace them' But arguably the most complex issue has been how Northern Ireland deals with the legacy of a 30-year-conflict where opposing sides retain competing narratives of what happened and victims still demand both truth and justice regarding thousands of unsolved murders. Dr Haass had initially hoped to strike a comprehensive settlement dealing with all three elements in full, but it became clear from the outset of the intensive negotiation phase earlier this month that was going to be highly unlikely. The last day of negotiations began around 10am yesterday and effectively carried straight through to around 5am this morning. There was little or no progress made on flags with a proposal to set up a commission to examine the issues over a longer term. It is understood the document also proposes the replacement of the Government-appointed Parades Commission with another set of structures to adjudicate on contentious marches. Hopeful: Richard Haass and o-chair Meghan O'Sullivan (left) had hoped that the deal would have been done by today . The text also envisaged a new mechanism to oversee dealing with the legacy of the past - with a truth recovery body that would potentially offer limited immunity from prosecution to those who co-operate. Unionists have indicated concerns with some of the language used and claimed too much focus has been placed on killings perpetrated by state forces. Mike Nesbitt, the UUP leader, said he had an opinion on the document but would not make it public until his party had the chance to examine the proposals. 'We will have an honest debate and hopefully form a final opinion at the end of that debate,' he said. Mr McDonnell said 'bigger and better solutions' were needed on some aspects, but said he would be recommending that his party give a general endorsement to what had been proposed. While Mrs Long criticised proposals on parades and flags, she said great work had been done in the past. 'We have seen a huge sea change in the level of political agreement which has exceeded public expectation, particularly in delivering for the victims and the reconciliation process,' said the East Belfast MP. Through the night: Figures like Sean Murray . (left) and Gerry Kelly (right) from the Sinn Fein negotiation team . inside the Stormont hotel in Belfast during the Haass talks into the . early hours . Having been given an end-of-year deadline to report, Dr Haass had aimed to strike a deal before Christmas but had to return to the US on Christmas Eve empty-handed after a marathon session of all-night negotiations last week. Cutting short his seasonal break, he returned to the region on Saturday in a last-ditch bid to secure agreement. Dr Haass is the president of US think tank the Council on Foreign Relations, based in New York, and was US president George W Bush's special envoy to Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2003. Theresa Villiers, Northern Ireland Secretary, said she was disappointed, but the failure to reach a comprehensive agreement should not be seen as the end of the road in seeking to find a way forward on difficult and divisive issues. She said: 'I welcome the suggestion by Dr Haass that the parties should now lose no time in getting together to see how they can most constructively take things forward. I would encourage them to maintain the momentum that their efforts, working with the Haass team, has created. For our part, the UK Government will look at how we can best facilitate this.' Eamon Gilmore, the Republic's Deputy Prime Minister, said he too was disappointed. But he insisted: 'This is not a step back but rather a step not yet taken. That step forward will have to be taken because it is right and necessary and because people across society are demanding it.' | Talks between Ulster's main parties ended without success at 5am .
Conflict remains over flying of flags and contentious street parades .
U.S. chairman Richard Haass hoped that deal would be signed today .
David Cameron said it was 'disappointing' that conflict was not resolved .
But he urged political parties to 'keep going' to achieve breakthrough .
The DUP and Ulster Unionists say they must go away to speak to members . |
281,047 | f8137e64372961ad3a1a7b1262d6769792bd4d09 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Patricia Shipp . Rosie O'Donnell's return to The View has today been confirmed. ABC made the announcement on its Twitter page, with the message: 'It's official! ABC confirms Rosie O'Donnell returns as co-host of The View with moderator Whoopi Goldberg for Season 18'. Scroll down for video... She's back: Rosie O'Donnell will return to The View . Rumours have been swirling this week that O'Donnell would rejoin the struggling daytime chat show, which only recently ousted Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd. O'Donnell will co-host the show with Goldberg, who replaced the controversial star as moderator when she left on a bad note after just eight months on April 30, 2007. The brunette replaced Meredith Vieira as a moderator on The View in September 2006. She returns as The View's longtime executive producer and co-creator Bill Geddie leaves. It was no secret that Rosie and Bill were often at loggerheads - a situation that only intensified after Rosie's 2007 explosive on-air row with former View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck over the Iraq war. Geddie egged on the right-wing Hasselbeck via her earpiece, and cut to a cable news-type split-screen of the duo going head to head. A source told MailOnline that more producers have also been fired as the show plans a revamp - adding: 'Everyone thinks the reason that Bill's going is because ABC wanted to bring Rosie back and they hate each other so much, there is no way they could work together.' And it's also claimed that Sherri Sheperd quit The View after learning Jenny was being fired - and Bill was going. Meanwhile, the source said that Whoopi Goldberg, the show's moderator, has a three year 'pay or play' deal - and while unhappy at the show's many changes, would lose $12 million if she walked away. Today, Whoopi addressed many of the rumors surrounding the show on air, saying: 'I just have something on my mind. You know there is a lot of speculation about a lot of stuff going on here. Yes, I'm here. We don't know who's coming in, but I will tell you this: The respect that I have for the people who work here will not change. 'I will do my best to respect the audience, to make sure that we bring you The View that Barbara Walters wanted you to have, which is women talking about issues. We are not little kids, we are grown a** women. And so, I'm just tired of people saying, 'oh, you know if this one comes in, or if this one comes in,' I don't argue with people, we have spirited discussions.' She continued, "I don't fight with people, that's not my way. Quit trying to make me into something I'm not. I'm not a little girl with cat claws. I am not a cat, I am a human being. I am a girl with a fist. And so, I'm just telling y'all, The View is going to evolve as it always has. Quit trying to make something happen and let whatever's going to happen, happen, and we hope you will join us when we come back." A rousing welcome: O'Donnell, who got a . standing ovation when she appeared on The View in February for the first . time since quitting the show in 2007, allegedly drove a hard bargain to secure her 'one-year, seven-figure deal' O'Donnell allegedly drove a hard bargain to secure her 'one-year, seven-figure deal', according to Page Six. The . star allegedly demanded a say on who will take a seat at The View table . next season, and she does not want any reality stars on the cast. O'Donnell hasn't officially commented on the news. But she tweeted a picture on Thursday morning showing her holding her baby daughter Dakota and joined by her son Blake as she enjoys a swim at a Florida beach. 'Nothing like Florida - pure joy,' she wrote in the caption. Says it all: O'Donnell hasn't yet commented on the news, but she tweeted this photo on Thursday morning showing her taking a swim in the ocean in Florida . O'Donnell's short tenure on The View resulted in several controversies, including an on-air dispute regarding the Iraq War, resulting in a mutual agreement to cancel her contract. However, she is credited with making the show more news-focused and increasing viewership. Despite an overall downward trend for most daytime broadcast shows, ratings rose by 27% during O'Donnell's first year on The View, according to Variety in 2007. Also linked to join O'Donnell is Meghan McCain, the daughter of former Presidential candidate Senator John McCain, who will co-host The View next week. According to The Wrap, McCain, the co-host of Pivot's TakePart Live, would provide a conservative voice to the ABC show, taking on the role previously held by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The 29-year-old blonde 'presents herself as a progressive Republican who doesn't always agree with her party on social issues, such as gay marriage'. However, she is under contract on TakePart Live, and it is unclear whether she could join The View full-time. Revamp: Rosie, . pictured getting a special Tony award for her work with kids theatre, . will join Whoopi Goldberg on the show after co-hosts Sherri Shepherd and . Jenni McCarthy were dumped . Trial? Meghan McCain will guest host on The View next week . Favourite: Senator John McCain's daughter Meghan McCain is said to be in talks to join the ABC show . Meanwhile, rumours that O'Donnell would re-join the cast did not sit well with her one-time co-host and arch nemesis Elizabeth Hasselbeck, who did not mince words when addressing the possible comeback this week. O'Donnell infamously clashed with conservative pundit Hasselbeck, who took umbrage with some of O’Donnell’s statements about the Iraq War. Hasslebeck, 37, hosted The View for a decade before joining Fox and Friends last year. On Wednesday, Hasselback, who is currently on vacation, called into her show to weigh in on O'Donnell's potential comeback, expressing nothing but contempt for her former colleague.'What could ruin a vacation more than to hear news like this?' the Fox presenter quipped before launching into a tirade that resurrected the specter of her past on-air battles with O'Donnell. 'Talks about not securing the border,' the conservative commentator ranted. 'Here in comes to The View the very . woman who spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own . network... coming back with a bunch of control ready to regain a seat . at The View table.’ Clenched teeth: On Wednesday, Hasselbeck accused O'Donnell of spiting in the face of the military and ABC Network . On-screen battles: O'Donnell exited from The . View in 2007 after only eights months marked by fiery clashes with . Hasselbeck over the Iraq War . But O'Donnell's other former The View co-host Joy Behar criticised Hasselbeck's 'hate-filled' remarks. 'I thought that was really kind of below-the-belt, to say she spits in the face of the military. I would like Elisabeth to explain herself," she told CNN's Don Lemon on Wednesday night, mentioning that O'Donnell's eldest son is in military school. 'What does she mean by that? And isn't it kind of a nasty thing to say about somebody who basically is a good person? That's a dangerous thing to say about somebody. I think it's a hate-filled remark.' Standing by her: O'Donnell's former The View co-host Joy Behar came to her defense, calling Hasselbeck's remarks 'hate-filled' and 'dangerous' O'Donnell, meanwhile, responded to Hasselbeck's comments via Twitter. One fan wrote to her: '@Rosie, @etnow @ehasselbeck way to spin words by saying you spit in faces of our servicemen - she's becoming a great FAUX News anchor.' O'Donnell replied:' @MatPat82 - think she has donated any money to the armed services???? Hmmmmm.' Outspoken: O'Donnell responded to Hasselbeck's comments via Twitter . The claws are out: O'Donnell also criticised Hasselbeck's behaviour during the taping of Barbara Walter's farewell show earlier this year . ABC explained the recent changes to the show in a statement on Friday saying: ‘The View will be moving in an exciting new direction next season, and ABC has made decisions to evolve the show creatively.' Both McCarthy and Shepherd broke the news that they would be leaving last Thursday on Twitter. At first the Scary Movie star suggested she was leaving in support of Shepherd's dumping. The model turned actress wrote: 'If Sherri goes . . . I go too,” adding “#sisters.' She then later wrote: 'My View will be changing too. As will with many hard working folks. Thanks to everyone at the show for your dedication and an amazing year.' Not the only one: Co-star Sherri Shepherd's contract was not renewed after seven years with the talk show . Showing the close bond she and Shepherd had, McCarthy posted an image of the pair with two other members of The View production team saying, 'These are my Avengers and we will be back!' However, it has been reported that the blonde had been dumped from the role, which she had held since just September, as she did not appeal to daytime audiences. It is not known why her 47-year-old co-star's contract was not renewed. Confirming her exit, Shepherd released a statement to Deadline.com earlier on Thursday. She said: 'It’s been seven wonderful years on The View and after careful consideration it is time for me to move on. 'I am extremely grateful to Barbara Walters and Bill Gedde for giving me the opportunity.' She added: 'I look forward to the business opportunities that lay ahead for me and I am incredibly grateful to my View family and my fans for supporting me on this journey.' On their own terms: Both Jenny and Sherri broke . the news that they would be leaving the ABC show on Thursday night via . posts on Twitter . Not giving up: Showing the close bond she and Shepherd had, McCarthy posted an image of the pair with two other members of . The View production team saying, 'These are my Avengers and we will be . back!' Big changes: Whoopi Goldberg, pictured with the . ladies and guest host Star Jones, will stay but ABC says it is now . looking to 'evolve' the show . | Sources tell MailOnline The View's long-time exec producer and co-creator Bill Geddie was let go as ABC were desperate to get Rosie back on air .
Meghan McCain to co-host next week as rumors abound about her joining the show .
Whoopi Goldberg insists: 'We are not little kids, we are grown a** women...I don't argue with people, we have spirited discussions' |
208,241 | 99987ad2fe16f121251cb2e37590d4295daf405c | SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A pathologist hired by the family of one of two women whose mysterious deaths in Thailand drew worldwide attention says her "lungs were 100 percent congested," Jill St. Onge's fiancee and brother said. Jill St. Onge died while vacationing with her fiance at a Thailand resort. "He said her lung tissue was gone," said her brother, Robert St. Onge. The pathologist has not determined what caused her lungs to fail, he said, and a final report on her May 2 death may still be weeks away. But members of St. Onge's family said they feel the pathologist's findings, though preliminary, are enough to contradict public statements made by Thai investigators that St. Onge was the victim of food poisoning. "I am 99.9 percent sure she did not die of food poisoning," said Ryan Kells, St. Onge's fiancee, who was with her when she died. "She suffocated to death. I am not a doctor, but I know when someone can't breathe." Kells and St. Onge, both artists from Seattle, were on a three-month vacation through Southeast Asia when they arrived on Thailand's Phi Phi Island. They had gotten engaged while on the trip and were keeping friends and family up to date with their adventures. "Having a blast," Jill St. Onge, 27, wrote about the surroundings in a blog dedicated to the couple's travels. "Food, drink, sun and warm waters ... what else do ya need?" The couple's vacation ended tragically when Kells found his fiancee in their hotel room vomiting and unable to breathe. He rushed her to a hospital where she died. St. Onge was healthy and there was no obvious explanation for her sudden death, her brother said. Just hours after St. Onge fell ill, Julie Bergheim, a Norwegian tourist who was staying in a room next to St. Onge's at the Laleena Guesthouse, came down with similar symptoms. She also died. According to Thai media reports, police there are focusing on food poisoning as the cause of the women's deaths. On Monday, the Phuket Gazette quoted a police commander as saying blood samples from both women indicated possible food poisoning from seafood. Still, the commander said, those results were only preliminary. "I don't know when the official results will be released," Maj. Gen. Pasin Nokasul told the newspaper. "The lab work [is being] expedited because the embassies of the two tourists want to know the cause of death as soon as possible." Kells response to Nokasul's statement was harsh. "That she died of food poisoning is a ridiculous statement to make," he said, adding it is unlikely they would have been "the only ones affected." Dr. William Hurley, medical director for the Washington Poison Center, is also skeptical that food poisoning could have been responsible. In food poisoning cases, he said, "usually what kills you is the dehydration, not the toxin." He added, "Food poisoning is not something that typically kills someone this quickly. It takes days." Ingestion of a variety of chemicals could have caused Onge and Bergheim's sudden deaths, Hurley said, and could be consistent with the condition of Onge's lungs. But without further information, he said, it is impossible to say what killed the two women. Kells said he thinks something in the hotel where they were where staying made Jill sick. He remembers a "chemical smell" in the room and thinks he avoided becoming ill because he spent less time in the room. On Saturday, the Phuket Wan newspaper reported that investigators visited the Laleena Guesthouse, taking samples and removing filters from the air conditioning units in the rooms where both victims had stayed. Rat Chuped, the owner of the hotel, told the newspaper her property was not to blame. "There is no problem with my guesthouse," she said. | Seattle woman is one of 2 tourists who died of unknown causes .
Family says pathologist says her "lungs were 100 percent congested"
Thai officials have been focusing on food poisoning as cause of death . |
37,500 | 6a391afa3c7eb6dbc6dc5c22b639916e6aa8ab3a | LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Airways is asking thousands of its staff to work for free for up to four weeks, spokeswoman Kirsten Millard said Tuesday. British Airways plans to reduce capacity by 4 percent next winter by parking up to 16 aircraft. In an e-mail to all its staff, the airline offered workers between one and four weeks of unpaid leave -- but with the option to work during this period. British Airways employs just more than 40,000 people in the United Kingdom. Last month, the company posted a record annual loss of £400 million ($656 million). Its chief executive declared at the time there were "absolutely no signs of recovery" in the industry. "In 30 years in this business and I've never seen anything like this. This is by far the biggest crisis the industry has ever faced," said Willie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive. Watch more about BA's request » . A spokesman for one of Britain's biggest unions said its workers could not afford to work for free for a month. "It's all well and good for Willie Walsh to say he's prepared to work for free when he earns four times in a month what they do in a year," said Ciaran Naidoo, a spokesman for Unite. He pointed out that the airline was not ordering staff to work without pay. "It's a request -- you can take unpaid leave or you can work for free, and the chances of people working for free are very unlikely, but there might be some people who want to take unpaid leave." Demand for the airline's passenger seats and cargo holds fell during the last financial year, while its fuel bill rocketed to almost £3 billion ($4.7 billion). Walsh said British Airways' woes were inextricably linked to the downturn in the global economy and that there had been no sign of any "green shoots" of recovery. Like its premium-class competitors, British Airways is losing customers to cheaper rivals. The airline's premium passenger numbers fell 13 percent in the second half of last year, in line with the industry average. Total traffic fell 3.4 percent and while the airline carried 33.1 million passengers last year, it was a drop of 4.3 percent from the previous year. The dip in demand for British Airways' flights has forced a switch in strategy at the airline. From the end of last year, it has been trying to tempt passengers with lower fares, sacrificing profit per seat for "bums on seats." It plans to reduce capacity by 4 percent next winter by parking up to 16 aircraft. CNN's Alysen Miller contributed to this report. | Union spokesman: Workers could not afford to work for free for a month .
British Airways employs just more than 40,000 people in the United Kingdom .
Airline's CEO: There are "absolutely no signs of recovery" in the industry .
Last month, the company posted a record annual loss $656 million . |
260,869 | ddd9afea19197581609d4c0c130fa3c6c7ca4196 | (CNN) -- It's official: The weather has been a bit weird this winter. The nation's climate agency says so -- and, in part, explains why. There is method to the meteorological madness. And it has served to spread the weirdness around the world, from the American West all the way to Russia, a climate expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The drought parching California; those two snowpocalypses in the South; the unrelenting New England snow; the sopping soaking of the UK; short sleeves on Sochi's snow-hungry slopes. One single weather event has a hand in all of them, said NOAA environmentalist Bill Lapenta. "They are associated with that long-wave pattern, so they are connected in that sense," he said. That "long-wave pattern" is like a whip that got swung in California and has cracked in all the other places. A big, sturdy ridge of high pressure air has blustered rain clouds away from California, and at the same time, it has pushed the jet-stream way up into Canada. What goes up... In reaction to that, the jet-stream has swung back deeper into the South than usual, carrying Canadian cold with it. Voila. Snow and ice from Louisiana to the Carolinas. Then it has whipped back up, helping big storms dump snow over the Northeast. From there, the same jet-stream has crossed the Atlantic and brought weather that flooded Great Britain in the wettest January there in two and a half centuries. Down the road a bit, at the Winter Olympics, it's practically springtime in Sochi, and it's that same jet-stream dragging in warmth that's boosting temperatures well above freezing. But it gets even worse. The jet-stream is moving slower than in past years, which means that all that ugly weather is hovering over places for longer periods, plaguing them with more of its nastiness than usual. It has weather-beaten people in many parts of the world groaning the same moan: "I've never seen weather like this before." Are they exaggerating? Maybe not. Let's have a look at the season's weather, starting with the whip's handle -- in California -- and follow the jet-stream's lash from there. Cali-dehydration . The dryness in California is making its mark in the history books. The state grows more than the lion's share of the tomatoes used in U.S. processed foods, farmer Mark Borba brags. This year? Zero, he said. For the first time in its history, the California Water Project - a system of canals and reservoirs that provide water to two thirds of the people in the state's Central Valley -- set its allocation for all of them to zero. This pertains to people in the country and in cities alike. Borba blames it in part on bureaucratic tangles between state and local authorities who decide over the water's release. But that doesn't negate the fact that there is a water shortage. His farm gets its water from reservoirs 500 miles to his north. This year, they are running on bare minimum. Further down the jet-stream, there's been precipitation to spare. Winter blunderland . If you haven't been living under a rock, you've heard about or felt the winter ills that have walloped the nation's Southeast. About two weeks ago, less than three inches of snow turned the region's largest city into a gridlocked parking lot, where thousands of motorists sat for as much as 20 hours in their cars, while lows dipped into the teens. Not being able to deal with snow is no surprise for a region that usually gets iced over every ten years or so -- although the last such shellacking came three years ago. Then this week, a second winter storm polished a path of white from Alabama all the way up to Maine. Not that the Northeast is not used to snow, after all it's winter, and it's normal there. But the frequency of heavy snows has had leaders in the region huffing for a break. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio greeted reporters covering the storm with the line: "Welcome to winter storm six of the last six weeks." And as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said before the worst of the storm hit: "This has just been a brutal winter where it never really has gotten warmer. And so the natural melting away of snow and ice is not happening." Exaggeration or winter storm exhaustion? It may have been a long-planned vacation, but after the last storm passed, Christie took off with his family for the warmer latitudes of Puerto Rico. A previous recent snow-thumping wrecked much of his inauguration celebration -- along with that bridge scandal. Add to that increased frequency of snowfall a quick CNN weather factoid: Over the last week, was snow on the ground in 49 of 50 states. Oh, Britannia . Following the jet-stream across the North Atlantic, things get warmer, but also, much, much wetter. London is used to rain, but this? The River Thames has burst its banks. What British meteorologists say makes it sound like they may have already heard NOAA's Lapenta mention of hovering, long-lasting storms. The Met Office, the UK's national weather service, said the recent series of winter storms "has been exceptional in its duration, and has led to the wettest December to January period in the UK since records began." Some communities in low-lying areas in southwest England are looking more like the water-bound city of Venice, Italy. They have been under water since December. And there's no letup in sight just yet. Authorities have warned communities along the Thames that more flooding is on its way, as the river reaches its highest level in 60 years. A powerful Atlantic storm that is blowing in on Friday will add to people's woes. Where's that coming from? It's what's left of a storm that plastered the United States with snow and ice. Let it snow! Photos of Olympic cross-country skiers striding for miles in the snow in short sleeves were all the rage this week. They illustrate how warm it has been in Sochi, Russia, at the Winter Games. Low temperatures have been well above freezing, and daytime highs have hit the 50's, NOAA says. Spectators may find it pleasant to walk around in light jackets -- or amusing to sit in the sun in shorts and t-shirts. But for the organizers, the warm weather, which Lapenta says is strongly influenced by that same jet-stream, has been no laughing matter. They've had to crank up snow machines to keep some pistes white. Sochi has been one of the warmest cities to host the winter Games, NOAA says on its website. But that's not really shocking, the climate agency says. "Sochi sits in a marginally wintry zone along the Black Sea coast near the Caucasus Mountains," it says. But with the current jet-stream pattern, marginally wintry does not seem to be enough to hold back balmier air. Luckily, many events are being held indoors or at higher, colder elevations. Blasts of warm weather at Winter Olympic Games is nothing new, and it has been worse before. "In 2010, Vancouver, Canada experienced its warmest January ever recorded," NOAA says. Snow machines were powerless against it, so organizers had to ship in snow by truck and helicopter. NOAA advises that the Olympic Committee should consider awarding the Games to cities in solidly cold regions -- as global warming increases. That leads to a pertinent question that is often on people's minds when the weather goes haywire these days. Yes or No . Can we chalk this wacko winter up to climate change? Lapenta would like to know, too. Cracking that code will be very complicated. But there is something else that baffles his team. Why has the jet-stream gotten to be so slow this year? "That's an area of research that we're currently investigating. We don't have a clear-cut answer to that question," he said. If climate scientists can make that connection, it will allow them to better predict weather craziness as much as a month or two ahead of time, Lapenta said. So we'll all know what we've got coming. CNN's Miguel Marquez, Laura Smith-Spark and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report. | Yep, this is unusual; NOAA says so -- and, in part, why .
The odd weather pattern stretches from California to Russia .
It includes the Southwest's drought, the recent blasts of snow, UK flooding .
And it's warming the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi . |
86,976 | f6d902f13390d576899d144c77db4513319247a0 | (CNN) -- When the sun went down, their voices did not. Riot police on the street in Tehran on Monday. "Allah O Akbar!" the crowds on the tops of building chanted over and over. Cell phone footage shows the nighttime scene in Tehran, Iran, which was sent to CNN's iReport. As the camera pans with a jerk from building to building, protesters whistle and shout loudly while cars are heard honking in support. The phrase, which means, "God is great" has become a rallying cry for protesting Iranians who have risked their lives and clashed with riot police because they believe the nation's recent presidential election was rigged. Watch iReport video of the protest chorus . CNN spoke with the man who shot the footage. He didn't want to give his name. Doing so might jeopardize his impending escape from Iran and entry into Belgium, he said. He was reached by phone while driving in Tehran Sunday at 10 p.m. ET after he sent the video to iReport's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. See iReporter's cell phone photos taken Monday in Iran . He described seeing candles across the city which had been lit around 7 p.m. in Iran. Many were placed on rooftops in the memory of a woman known to the world as "Neda." A widely circulated video of the young woman shows her apparently in the middle of protests over the weekend with an older man, believed to be her father. It looks as though she is shot in the chest and drops to the ground. Blood runs from the side of her mouth as a few people, including the older man, press on her chest and shout her name. One pleads, "Do not to be afraid." The camera closes in on her face as her eyes roll back and are still. She appears to die on camera. Another shocking video sent to CNN's iReport was also filmed from a rooftop, this time looking down at what seems to be an extremely violent scene on the roof of a shorter building. A group of men in black, members of the nation's Basij militia, the iReporter says, appear to gang up on one man and beat him with batons. The footage shows him lying motionless as the men in black walk away. Riot police and Basij militia tried to keep large crowds from congregating in Haft-e Tir Square and on Monday arrested at least eight people, witnesses said. CNN's international desk producers monitor official Web sites of the Iranian government. There has been no reaction to the violence posted on those sites, but the Iranian government has previously said that it does not approve of street protests. Internet posts on Twitter and Facebook continue to be come from across the globe. Hundreds for Neda. "More helicopters flying over Tehran today than any previous day" someone from inside Iran tweeted Monday. | Iranians chant their protest cry "Allah O Akbar" from rooftops .
iReporter says Iranians leaving candles on roofs in memory of woman killed .
Death of the woman, known as Neda, was captured on video and broadcast globally . |
192,862 | 85afc2ced7691a11cbd62ab79a039dd78497b2da | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Jyoti is the Hindi word for light. It's something Pranav Mehta has never had to live without. And he is lucky. Near where he lives in Gujarat, one of the most prosperous states in India, thousands of rural villages lack electricity or struggle with an intermittent supply at best. Massive solar satellites would beam power back to ground-based receivers on Earth. "We need to empower these villages, and for empowerment, energy is a must," Mehta said. "Rural India is suffering a lot because of a lack of energy." By 2030, India's Planning Commission estimates that the country will have to generate at least 700,000 megawatts of additional power to meet the demands of its expanding economy and growing population. Much of that electricity will come from coal-fired power plants, like the $4 billion so-called ultra mega complex scheduled to be built south of Tunda Wand, a tiny village near the Gulf of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian Sea on India's west coast. Dozens of other such projects are already or soon will be under way. Yet Mehta has another solution for India's chronic electricity shortage, one that does not involve power plants on the ground but instead massive sun-gathering satellites in geosynchronous orbits 22,000 miles in the sky. The satellites would electromagnetically beam gigawatts of solar energy back to ground-based receivers, where it would then be converted to electricity and transferred to power grids. And because in high Earth orbit, satellites are unaffected by the earth's shadow virtually 365 days a year, the floating power plants could provide round-the-clock clean, renewable electricity. "This will be kind of a leap frog action instead of just crawling," said Mehta, who is the director of India operations for Space Island Group, a California-based company working to develop solar satellites. "It is a win-win situation." American scientist Peter Glaser introduced the idea of space solar power in 1968. NASA and the United States Department of Energy studied the concept throughout the 1970s, concluding that although the technology was feasible, the price of putting it all together and sending it to outer space was not. "The estimated cost of all of the infrastructure to build them in space was about $1 trillion," said John Mankins, a former NASA technologist and president of the Space Power Association. "It was an unimaginable amount of money." NASA revisited space solar power with a so-called "Fresh Look" study in the mid-90s but the research lost momentum when the space agency decided it did not want to further pursue the technology, Mankins told CNN. By around 2002 the project was indefinitely shelved -- or so it seemed. "The conditions are ripe for something to happen on space solar power," said Charles Miller, a director of the Space Frontier Foundation, a group promoting public access to space. "The environment is perfect for a new start." Skyrocketing oil prices, a heightened awareness of climate change and worries about natural resource depletion have recently prompted a renewed interest in beaming extraterrestrial energy back to Earth, Miller explained. And so has a 2007 report released by the Pentagon's National Security Space Office, encouraging the U.S. government to spearhead the development of space power systems. "A single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today," the report said. The study also concluded that solar energy from satellites could provide power for global U.S. military operations and deliver energy to disaster areas and developing nations. "The country that takes the lead on space solar power will be the energy-exporting country for the entire planet for the next few hundred years," Miller said. Russia, China, the European Union and India, according to the Pentagon report, are interested in the concept. And Japan, which has been pouring millions of dollars into space power studies for decades, is working toward testing a small-scale demonstration in the near future. But a number of obstacles still remain before solar satellites actually get off the ground, said Jeff Keuter, president of the George C. Marshall Institute, a Washington-based research organization. "Like any activity in space, there are enormous engineering challenges," he said. One major barrier is a lack of cheap and reliable access to space, a necessity for launching hundreds of components to build what will be miles-long platforms. Developing robotic technology to piece the structures together high above Earth will also be a challenge. Then there is the issue of finding someone to foot what will be at least a billion-dollar bill. "It will take a great deal of effort, a great deal of thought and unfortunately a great deal of money," Keutersaid. "But it is certainly possible." And Miller, of the Space Frontier Foundation, said he thinks it will be possible in the next 10 years. "We could see the first operational power satellite in about the 2020 time frame if we act now," he said. ........................... Do you think beaming solar power down from space is feasible? Who should be responsible developing the technology? Why has it not been done before? Leave your views and comments in the Sound Off box below and we'll publish the best. | Concept to beam solar power from satellites gains new global momentum .
Massive satellites would beam solar energy back to ground-based receivers .
Pentagon study says could be used for military operations, developing nations . |
60,864 | acef277f5d0e6bb010a54885d94f83c41240514c | By . Elliott Bretland . Follow @@EllBretland . Representing your country at the World Cup is one of the greatest honours a footballer can receive but it seems the pride of playing at this summer's tournament is making players emotional. After Neymar was spotted crying as Brazil's national anthem played ahead of their 0-0 draw with Mexico on Monday, Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die is the latest player to have broken down in tears ahead of kick-off. Die and his team-mates stood full of . pride as the Ivory Coast national anthem began to play ahead of his . side's Group C clash with Colombia on Thursday evening but the 29-year-old soon burst into tears. Emotional: Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die bust into to tears during his country's national anthem . All too much: Serge Aurier, Cheick Tiote and Didier Zokora all had to console the midfielder before kick-off . Proud moment: Die's World Cup appearance comes just a year after making his international debut . Sporting a blond mohawk, Die tried to keep a stiff upper lip in an attempt to belt out the words but just couldn't control his pride at representing his country at such a huge occasion. Defender Serge Aurier and former Tottenham man Didier Zokora were quick to console Die before the match got underway while Newcastle star Cheick Tiote put an arm around him. Die revealed the reasons for his tears on Instagram and said: ‘It was just the emotions of pride . to be Ivorian and serve my country that have made me cry because I [never] . thought [for] a day [I would] be at that level.’ However, having dried his eyes and taken to the field, Die was again the centre of attention during the first half. In action: Die gets stuck in to make a challenge on Colombia's Juan Cuadrado early on in the first half . After Colombia were awarded a free-kick by referee Howard Webb following Die's tussle with Juan Camilo Zuniga, the Ivory Coast man swiftly fell to the floor with his hands over his face before letting out a roar of frustration. BBC's World Cup host Gary Lineker tweeted: 'May well have just seen one of the worst and oddest dives in World Cup history from Die Serey. Have a look at halftime.' The midfield man, who has spent the last six years playing in Switzerland for FC Sion and Basel, only made his international debut in March 2013. Ivory Coast went on to lose the match against Colombia courtesy of goals from James Rodriguez and Juan Quintero while Gervinho scored a consolation late on. Letting all out: Die bizarrely fell to the ground after Howard Webb awarded a free-kick against the midfielder . Frustrated figure: Die lets his emotions show on the field of play during Ivory Coast's match with Colombia . Bizarre: BBC World Cup host Gary Lineker claimed Die's dive was one of the worst in World Cup history . | Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die breaks down in tears during national anthem .
Basel man revealed he was overcome with emotion representing his country .
Later produced a fall Gary Lineker described as one of the oddest dives in World Cup history .
The Elephants went onto lose the game against Colombia 2-1 . |
167,435 | 648d0fdee3e40d61f713d437a6c69ed3c7c70656 | By . Tamara Cohen . and Ben Spencer . PUBLISHED: . 19:06 EST, 8 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:19 EST, 8 January 2014 . Sir David King, the former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government, has issued a warning about the future of fracking . Britain would have to drill up to 2,000 shale wells a year to achieve a substantial drop in energy costs, according to experts. Sir David King, the government's former chief scientist, suggested cost benefits from fracking may only be achieved with major disruption to the landscape. He expressed support for firms drilling to explore the size of the UK's reserves which could reduce reliance on imported gas from Russia and Qatar. But he warned those expecting gas . prices to plummet as in the United States, that the far higher . concentration of people and resulting planning issues in Britain would . make it very difficult to do it 'on anything like the same scale' and . raise problems with 'social acceptance.' David . Cameron has embraced fracking - horizontal drilling to extract natural . gas from shale rocks thousands of feet underground. The . prime minister said last year: 'I think we would be making a big . mistake as a nation if we did not think hard about how to encourage . fracking and cheaper prices right here in the UK. 'If . you look at what's happening in America with the advent of shale gas . and fracking, their energy costs in business and their gas prices are . half the level of ours' But . Sir David, who is William Hague's special representative on climate . change, said: 'If we were looking at an expectancy of a thousand or two . thousand wells a year - which would have an impact on our economics - it . would be very difficult to foresee how that could happen in Britain.' He added: 'I'm all for exploring shale gas in the UK, I think there is a potential there. 'I see it as a relatively medium term . potential, I don't think it's going to continue well into the future - . but I think there is an economic advantage from being able to produce a . primary energy source within the British Isles, obviating the need to . import. 'But I would . caution the extent to which this can have a dent on our economics, . simply because I don't think that we can frack on anything like the . scale that is taking place in the United States.' He . told a House of Lords committee that in the US, where up to 30,000 . wells are drilled per year 'there has been quite an outcry among the . population' in built-up areas. In Balcombe in Sussex, drilling by the . firm Cuadrilla was ground to a halt by protestors last year. Quadrilla drilling site where protestors took action at the fracking site in Balcombe in West Sussex . German-owned energy giant Npower has snubbed a Government call to give a £50 price cut to all customers. Five . weeks ago, the Chancellor announced a change in Green and Eco levies . that were designed to cut the bills of all families struggling to pay . for heat and light by £50. However, . Npower, which is Britain's most expensive energy firm, said . yesterday(thrs) that some 500,000 customers on fixed rate deals will . only get a reduction of £12. At . the same time, 54,000 households who only get their gas for central . heating and hot water from Npower will not get any reduction at all. The . full £50 reduction is being reserved for dual fuel customers on a . variable tariff who suffered an average price rise of 10.4per cent in . December. The two biggest . suppliers, British Gas and SSE, are giving a £50 cut to all customers, . however, EDF, Eon, Scottish Power and now Npower, say they will not. Each well requires tons of sand and water delivered in lorries used to crack open the rocks, he said, which causes damage to roads and problems with 'social acceptance'. And the gas produced from each well drops by around 70pc after the first year, he said. 'If you want to keep up production you need to keep up fracking.' Professor David MacKay, Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, told peers that the UK's shale gas reserves are estimated to be around a third of the size of those in the North Sea. But he said how much could be extracted, and the impact on energy prices, would remain 'extremely uncertain' until the first 20 to 40 wells are drilled in the coming years. The UK will remain heavily dependent on gas, which currently produces around a third of our energy, 'for many decades' for industry and heating systems'. Hence, he said: 'We must have an energy policy that adds up...it seems a reasonable thing to do to try and source our gas domestically. The alternative will be an increasing dependence on other countries such as Qatar and Norway and Russia for gas.' Both experts played down concerns that fracking could lead to water contamination or earthquakes saying UK regulations were strong enough to guard against it. Green groups are against fracking, saying it will make it difficult to meet the legally binding target to cut carbon emissions by 80pc by 2050 - and urge investment in wind and solar farms instead. But the government's independent climate advisor, former Tory minister Lord Deben, said campaigners with a 'theological objection' to fracking are 'just factually wrong'. He told MPs at another energy committee yesterday that gas has a valuable part to play in the economy. | Sir David King issues warned to those expecting gas prices to plummet .
Government's former chief scientist however does support fracking . |
150,084 | 4e0bb445011d9050a4f02f46388ac8ff9d208179 | (CNN) -- His long hair has been shaved off, he has to wear a Marine's uniform and is given orders like a soldier, but Udi Segal is not in the military -- he has in fact refused to join the Israel Defense Forces. He may have refused to join then, but he's still forced to look like a soldier in prison. The 19-year-old has been in prison for 20 days. He's a "refuser" -- the name given to conscientious objectors who refuse to join the Israeli military on political and ethical grounds. We drove from Jerusalem to Carmel Prison, near Altit, at 6 a.m. -- Udi was due to be released for the weekend and we were meeting his parents at the gates as they were expecting his release anytime between 8 and 9:30 a.m. As we wait, I witness an impatient mother anxious to see her son, pacing. He is her "baby," the youngest of three boys. But this mother has found herself at the heart of a divide in Israeli thinking, a society sometimes split between patriotic, isolationist thought and inclusion. Hevda Livnat has two other sons serving in the military, one of whom is in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. The boys in the military didn't want to appear on camera or talk to us. When I ask Hevda about her feelings about the differences amid her family, she shrugs and says simply, as only a mother can: "They're all my boys." His father Davidi Segal at first seems uncomfortable with not only our presence, but his son's choices. But that all slipped away pretty fast when they saw Udi. The teenager is questioned before release, and finally emerges at 10:30 a.m. The father hugs him and cheers. They are "happy to see his smile" says Udi's mother and "relieved" says his father. But he's only out for the weekend and must return -- it's only then he'll be told how long he's back in for -- possibly another 20 days. This process can go on for months. First stop for the teenager -- a plate of hummus -- and then time, to sit down with me to discuss his carefully considered political and ethical views. I learn that the family lives in a "Kibbutz" or Jewish commune in the north of Israel and Udi's views were formed at an early age in a joint Arab-Israeli (or Muslim-Jewish) school. "I understood that Arabs can be my friends, Arabs are not at all my enemies, they are my neighbors." Why not join the army for the sake of military service, I ask him. "If I wouldn't be a fighter and I'd just sit in an office, someone else would fight, someone else will kill people, someone else will occupy and also I would occupy -- I will support a system that occupies." But does Udi really think being a refuser can change anything? He is after all in a minority. "I know my step won't stop the occupation but what I hope to do is that people will see I refuse and will think twice before they join the army; if they're now in the army they'll think twice before they're pushing the button and killing people in Gaza," he explains. At this point I ask him about his brother, who is in the IDF and has been serving in Gaza. "There is debate ... but there is still brotherhood," he replies. Udi's mother has accepted her sons' choices. She hopes her sons in the military can be at peace with their actions but respects their choice to do their duty. And Udi's decision, she says, didn't come as a surprise, she has watched him develop his political thought. She says the family has learned from it. "We need these people, as a mother of course I ask why my son, but we need these voices to be heard. We shouldn't be afraid. Nothing will happen to Israel if 400 people say we're not going to Gaza." In fact she likes the idea of citizens challenging politicians. She tells me she doesn't want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to feel too comfortable sitting in his seat of power while this conflict continues. In an interesting take Udi tells me, even as an Israeli citizen, he too feels "occupied," a concept I hadn't considered. "The basic freedom that people don't get in Gaza, also in West Bank, also here in Israel, is because of the occupation. Because of the occupation, I live in a military society, in a violent society, a chauvinistic society." The Israel Defense Force wouldn't tell CNN how many teenagers are enlisted into military service every year for, they say, security reasons. Neither would they share the number of refusers. Udi's parents, Hevda and Davidi, both served in the military. While they're proud to have children making independent decisions, there is a mixture of confusion and concern amid their openness. His father, who at first I thought was against his son's decision, is not so much opposed to it, as concerned. He is not sure Udi understands the complex situation, which he says he hates. Neither side is right or entirely to blame, he explains: "Hamas is wrong and Israel is no angel." He however, sees a combined military and political solution to the situation. But he wants to be able to debate with his son who has ended the discussion and made up his mind. Udi's mother has accepted his path but is concerned his decision may have repercussions. Are you scared of the backlash? I ask Udi. "I get messages in my Facebook and email -- that people want to kill me, I'm a traitor... But I'm fine, I'm not scared." Udi is clear, he doesn't support Hamas -- he doesn't believe they're helping the Palestinian cause at all. They are also not helping their own people. But neither does he support Israel's response to Hamas's rockets. But what would he say to people who say he's not being patriotic or respectful of his country? He is forceful. Confident and without thinking twice responds. "I don't want to respect my country, I don't want to be patriotic, I want to respect people, not countries." Military service is compulsory by law in Israel. Men must serve three years; women must serve two. Everywhere we go in Israel we see teenagers in military fatigues carrying their guns, a badge of honor, a reminder this country considers itself under threat and has the right to self defense. To stand out from such a strong national narrative isn't easy. But Udi is clear, he's no hero, it's not about courage or even about him. "This is also one of the problems that people look at me that I'm brave, [but] I don't want them to look at me that I'm brave, I want them to look at the occupation. The Israeli military points out that not all are conscientious objectors like Udi. But some Israeli teenagers do say no. Udi is not alone, he is one of 130 young Israelis who wrote to Netanyahu -- not only refusing to serve but criticizing Israeli politics, policy and accusing the state of war crimes -- an allegation the state rejects. Later in the evening, on his first of just two days out, he takes time to meet his friends ... and other refusers who have held a party for him. The group call themselves the "Conscientious Objectors against the Occupation" and operate through word of mouth and Facebook. They are Israeli boys and girls who feel their voice too should be heard. They posted their letter on Facebook and invite people to sign it. I meet several of them that evening who signed the letter to the PM. These are incredibly politicized young people who want to break free from the national narrative -- articulate teenage activists. Bar Levy, who is 16 and still at school, says: "I don't agree with what the army does. I think it's immoral and it's only hurting us and the Palestinians." Daniel Elsohn is an 18-year-old social volunteer for Windows for Peace. "I think the army plays a big role in getting our society militarized and getting our society very much concentrated around violence and repression and it is not something I want to take part in." he says. Danielle Yaor, aged 19, says: "As a citizen ... I live because of the suffering of Palestinians and because of that I chose to be against the occupation." Though not huge in number, their opinions and actions are adding to the debate inside Israel - a discourse these young Israelis hope will lead to a more open society. Yet the operations and conflict continue. Victoria Eastwood contributed to this report. | A "refuser" has decided against joining the Israeli military on political and ethical grounds .
Israel is sometimes split between patriotic, isolationist thought and inclusion .
Udi Segal, 19, is one of 130 young Israelis who wrote to their PM refusing to serve .
Though not huge in number, their opinions and actions are adding to the debate inside Israel . |
286,799 | ff9a7a603d12438b0b884dd46cb197b8075e5265 | By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 07:26 EST, 8 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:38 EST, 8 May 2012 . Evil: Clappison, pictured outside Hull Crown Court today, was said by a judge to have 'blighted the lives of her children' A mother who abused her two children and kept them locked in bedrooms that were so cold her son caught frostbite was jailed for 18 months yesterday. Over a five-year period they were beaten, starved, forced to do manual labour instead of going to school, given cold baths and shut up in the dark. Both children had to sleep in their underwear without bedding or a mattress in an unheated room, Hull Crown Court was told during Linda Clappison’s cruelty trial. However, the 46-year-old mother managed to fool social workers by getting out toys and snacks during a visit, and ‘made it look like happy families’. Son Andrew Clappison told the court he endured the living hell between the ages of ten and 16 and even attempted suicide. The daughter, who is now 13 and who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered similar treatment between the ages of six and 11. She also had her head shaved five times by her mother and was ordered to lie about it being her own idea ‘because she wanted to look like Britney Spears’. Mother-of-four Clappison, of Keyingham, East Yorkshire, was convicted of child cruelty last month. The treatment came to light when the girl went to school and told teachers she did not want to go home to her mother. Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Michael Mettyear paid tribute to the young victims, who he described as ‘the sort of children that any parent would admire’. He told Clappison: ‘Custody is inevitable. You have blighted the lives of these children.’ Andrew, 18, told the court he was ten when his mother changed after his father left home because she had had an affair. His elder brother and sister also left when the abuse started. He was kept off school half of the time but, when he did go, as soon as he returned home he was locked in his dark bedroom. Andrew said his mother punched, slapped and kicked him, beat him with a leather belt and banged his head against a wall for no reason. House of hell: The semi-detached house in Keyingham, East Yorkshire . where Linda Clappison subjected her children to a 'living hell' The worst punishment, he said, was being given a cold bath and dunked under the water. He said: ‘I was scared of her. I had to have my tea in my room. She would not let me come downstairs. I was treated like a dog.' Abused: Andrew Clappison, now 18, was beaten and starved by his mother from the age of 10 to 16, and even attempted suicide. In January 2010, Clappison removed his mattress when she caught him trying to keep warm under it. Toys and the lightbulb were also taken out. He said: ‘I was sleeping in the cold all the time. The boiler was working but I had no radiator. ‘I used to wake up with blue feet. My feet got frostbite.’ Andrew was treated for frostbite on . all his toes on one foot and the big toe on the other. He was told to . lie and say it was from playing outside. The only time a social worker visited the house she was fooled into believing the children were being cared for properly. Andrew recalled: ‘She got my toys out. ‘She made me come downstairs, put biscuits out and made it look like happy families.’ He told the court he became weak and . thin from a diet of chocolate spread sandwiches – while his mother . cooked hot meals for herself. He said: ‘It was so unhealthy it was stupid. ‘At one point I was sick until she gave me something to eat. I got to starving point. I was shaking. I wished I was dead.’ His sister endured similar punishments. She said: ‘Some days she would not give us anything to eat.’ Andrew said that when his mother . befriended a gipsy fortune teller he was then forced to work unpaid with . travellers on a market stall and at a fair, sometimes until midnight. His sister also had to work on the stall, cleaning dogs and sweeping up. Before Clappison was jailed for . cruelty, the court was told that, according to her probation report, she . had no wish to be reconciled with her children. Mother-of-four Clappison was jailed at Hull Crown Court after being convicted of child cruelty last month . | Linda Clappison, 46, abused two of her four children and made their lives a 'living hell'
Clappison had claimed her behaviour changed when she fell under the spell of a fortune teller .
She shaved the head of her young daughter to 'stop her looking pretty'
Mother also 'treated children like dogs' during abuse . |
11,972 | 21fa408d1facdbfdbb855fb8e72298478bc36ed2 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 14:25 EST, 11 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:47 EST, 11 April 2013 . A grocery store worker is lucky to be alive after being caught in the middle of a shooting where a stray bullet hit his belt buckle. Bienvenido Reynoso, 38, was at work inside the 8 Brother's Supermarket in Grays Ferry, Philadelphia when he heard gunshots ring out around 4pm on Wednesday. Mr Reynoso can be seen on shop surveillance footage throwing himself on the floor as shots hit the shelving above him. He frantically pats down his body to work out if he has been hit. Scroll down for videos . Miraculous: Bienvenido Reynoso, 38, displays his belt buckle where he was hit by a stray bullet at a grocery store in Philadelphia . 'Born again': The grocery store worker said that he thanked God for saving him from harm . It was only after the shooting that Mr Reynoso found the bullet embedded in his slim belt. He told ABC he had been 'born again' following the experience. On the security tape, a piece of cake can be seen falling on the grocery store worker's head after it was hit by a bullet - where he had been standing seconds earlier. However Mr Reynoso said that he would now be looking for a new job because he did not want to tempt fate. The owner of the grocery store Joselito Vinas also told the TV station that around the time of the shooting he had planned to hand out free shaved ices to local children. Routine: The grocery store works is about to grab his hand cart around 4pm on Wednesday . Split-second decision: Mr Reynoso hits the ground as shots are fired... a decision which likely saved his life . Terror on the streets: A gunman on a bike fires randomly in a public street in the middle of the afternoon in Philadelphia . He had been ten minutes late arriving at his store, a coincidence which likely saved many lives. A 24-year-old man Edward Lyons was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being shot in the stomach outside the deli. Lyons is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, police said. | Bullets fired mid-afternoon on Wednesday in Philadelphia .
Employee Bienvenido Reynoso said he was 'born again' after his lucky escape . |
45,869 | 8145844216fc78f619299625fcc8b4d18009caa9 | A 17-year-old Delaware boy has been accused of shooting his father dead with a crossbow because he was caught skipping school. Seth Ramsey has been charged with the first degree murder of Todd, 41, who was found dead in a bedroom of the family home in Harrington. According to law enforcement, the younger Ramsey said his father had been in his bedroom and knew he had skipped classes at Lake Forest High School in Harrington, Delaware. Detained: Seth Ramsey, 17, has been accused of killing his father with a crossbow while he had skipped school. He allegedly thought he would be mad that he had stayed home . Fearing he would be mad, he shot him with the weapon as he entered the room. According to the police affidavit obtained by ABC 6, the teen told police he missed school on Tuesday. Authorities were first alerted by the victim's co-workers visited who said he had not been at work for work for a couple of days. They then arrived at his house where one of them supposedly spoke to the youngster who claimed he had killed his father. It read: 'He said that his father was in his bedroom from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Seth said that he knew when his father came out he would be mad so he shot him.' He is being held at a juvenile detention facility without bail. Ramsey was also charged with weapon possession during commission of a felony. During an official statement, Master Cpl. Gary E. Fournier said that no motive had been established for the deaths. On Facebook, the father and son shared photos of them playing baseball together. It is unclear who they lived with at the address and whether anyone else was in the house at the time. Warning signs: Authorities were first alerted by the victim's co-workers visited who said he had not been at work for work for a couple of days. Todd, 41, (pictured) was then found dead in his home . | Seth Ramsey allegedly told police he killed his father Todd, 41 .
Authorities say he had skipped classes at Lake Forest High on Tuesday .
Knowing his father would be mad, he then allegedly killed him .
Officers found his body in a bedroom of the family home in Harrington . |
65,959 | bb3423deab968d600211c3194c17db42c188ded6 | Tuesday night was the most shocked I have ever been in a football stadium. And I was not alone. All the Brazil fans near our BBC commentary position were stunned, too. There was not much anger — I think that will follow in the coming days — just quiet horror. Everywhere I’ve gone in the past few weeks I’ve felt the locals’ obsession with this World Cup. And as a visitor to the country, I’ve bought into it. VIDEO Scroll down for 'Six minutes of nightmares' - Scolari . Misplaced emotion: Brazil let their tributes to their injured star get in the way of their concentration . Passion: Despite all their commitment during the national anthem David Luiz and his team never started playing . You felt you were on a journey with them and waiting for a coronation. Now it is over. On Tuesday, it seemed that the emotion of winning the World Cup for the people and the furore surrounding Neymar’s injury was all too much for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side. When you walk around cities in Brazil you are just a couple of blocks from a favela, from seeing people sleeping and living in the streets, some of them missing limbs. The players were acutely aware of that. They felt they were playing for the people and there is so much emotion attached to that. Rudderless: David Luiz was captain on the night but he showed no leadership skills as Brazil collapsed . Off target: Luiz resorted to trying to hurt his opponents as his side's gameplan fell apart in Belo Horizonte . David Luiz really meant it when he said he felt he’d let his country down. But sport is not about raw emotion, it is about being professional, about concentrating on the job in hand. Yes, the crowd can be a 12th man, but, in Brazil’s case, the weight of the 12th man was too much to bear. There was no structure to their system and when you have a bad performance, you need to fall back on your system to avoid disaster. For Brazil, it was like they had pulled the plug out of the bath. Opposites: Germany celebrate but David Luiz is unable to lift his teammates as the scoreline worsens . No way back: Oscar and Fred stand in the centre circle - something they did all too frequently on Tuesday night . As if the emotion surrounding the tournament wasn’t enough, the team had whipped themselves up into even more of a frenzy over Neymar and Thiago Silva’s absence. They wore Neymar hats, left an empty hanger in the dressing room in Silva’s honour and clung on to a Neymar shirt during the national anthem. But you shouldn’t have to work yourself up for big games — if anything, you need to calm yourself down. The Germans are masters of that. It’s fine to play for an absent player but not to the extent Brazil did. Their focus was in the wrong place. You’re out there to play football and you must not think about the scale of it all until the game is over. Too little, too late: Oscar scored a consolation for the host nation in the dying minutes but it was pointless . The signs were there against Colombia in the quarter-final. As a kid I remember booting the ball into touch and getting told off: ‘Brazil would never do that,’ my coach told me. Well, they did against Colombia and the crowd were applauding it. They were headless, unable to cope with the mass hysteria. And on top of that, the squad was simply not good enough. They are a million miles off the 2002 squad of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo. But the fans and media still believed — they turned Luiz into their new hero and it backfired. The fans wanted to win the World Cup so much but I got the feeling they just wanted to be champions without having to endure the matches. Support: Luiz was keen to back his injured teammate but not so ready to do his job on the pitch . They didn’t want to go the hard miles and every match just became an emotional ordeal. Scolari must take a lot of the blame, too. Last year, his team beat Spain to win the Confederations Cup. They have gone downhill since. I’m all for loyalty with your players but why did he keep playing Paulinho after an average season at Tottenham and Fred, when the rest of the world can see he is not good enough? Scolari would have been better off experimenting more last summer so he knew how to handle things when the injuries and suspensions came. And he was wrong to leave Kaka out of the squad. He needed someone to calm the young players, to teach them how to behave. Mentally shot: Brazil were unable to cope with the emotions of the occasion as their World Cup dream died . VIDEO 'Six minutes of nightmares' - Scolari . There weren’t many yellow shirts out in Brazil on Wednesday. Football is what Brazil is most proud of. They have more than 800 professional clubs, export their players to the top leagues in Europe and yet they couldn’t get an XI together to win the trophy on home soil. They are in a similar boat to England now — they have to rebuild and look at the good things that countries like Germany and Holland are doing. What a sorry end to their World Cup. | Hosts let themselves get swept up in the emotion of the occasion .
David Luiz really meant it when he said he'd let his country down .
Professionals need to keep their heads - Brazil didn't .
Poor Brazil side had no system to fall back on, only passion . |
119,985 | 27139bb6b94d2cf7b4e57a05717e7bb76d40e71d | (CNN) -- Travel can be a nightmare. Christmas can be a nightmare. Logic dictates that putting these two negatives together should make a positive. And so it proves. Plan wisely, packing your bags while everyone else is stuffing their stockings, and you can steer clear of the orgy of soulless materialism that some say Christmas has become. Just don't expect to get any presents. Or be surprised when your traveling companion introduces himself as "Mr. Scrooge." 1. Go to New Zealand . These days, one of the best ways to take a few hours out from modern life is to fly. With in-flight cellphone reception and free Wi-Fi still relatively rare on commercial flights, it's a rare chance to escape daily stresses. International aviation schedules keep going even over Christmas, so if you really want to spend December 25 out of the festive loop, there are few better ways than ascending to 30,000 feet. Because the pre-Christmas panic is over, tickets often become considerably cheaper -- and the cheaper the fare, the longer the travel time. Admittedly, you'll be dependent on your fellow passengers not trying to celebrate at altitude, but airline food will sap the festive spirit from even the most hardened traveler. New Zealand, thanks to its remote (for most of us) Southern Hemisphere location, makes an ideal destination as it's so far from everywhere else it'll probably take you 24 hours to get there. Unless you live in New Zealand. In which case head to Spain. More: 7 tips for successful solo travel . 2. Go to a non-Christian country . Since Christmas is Christianity's biggest annual shindig -- albeit one hijacked by commercialism in many countries -- another option is to head where both Christians and the pervasive forces of global commerce are confined to the sidelines. Morocco is a perennial favorite for Christmas avoiders, particularly as it also offers a warm escape from the plunging temperatures that merely serve to compound the misery of those who hate the holidays. Daytime temperatures can reach a pleasant 24C/75F. You could head to the ancient imperial city of Marrakech, with its lively Djemaa el Fna square filled with musicians, dancers, apothecaries and snake charmers. After checking into a luxury riad townhouse hotel (Riad Farnatchi, Rue Souk el Fassisi; +212 5 24 38 49 10), you can shop in the souk and sample street food such as chicken tagine with caramelized pumpkin. The evening calls to prayer should drown out the sound of sleigh bells. 3. Go to a communist country . Same deal as before, although by communist country we essentially mean Laos. You could try Cuba, but since Fidel Castro relented on a Christmas ban in 1998, Havana is no longer a safe haven. France's colonial past has left its festive footprint on Vietnam, and North Korea isn't anyone's idea of a fun getaway. You aren't entirely safe even in China, where two decades of economic reform have inspired giddy enthusiasm for Christmas's till-ringing commercialism. More: Giant blowup Santa poses as Marilyn Monroe in China . Expect trees, Santas and lights in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, and ersatz Christmas dinners in rural tourist spots such as Yangshuo. However, on the Venn diagram where absence of Christianity and communism form two overlapping circles, Laos lies dead center. Here, centuries of Buddhist traditions largely kept French influence at bay and have both survived civil war and the onset of Marxist socialism. Unlike everywhere else at Christmas, it's relatively cheap. You can enjoy a Noel-free night before Christmas in Luang Prabang, where nothing stirs, except maybe the gently flowing Mekong River. The Mekong Riverview hotel (+856 71 25 49 00) makes the most of its location. 4. Retreat . If you're avoiding Christmas to spare your soul rather than your wallet from bankruptcy, perhaps the place for you is a retreat. By immersing yourself in the spiritually enriching possibilities of an intensive yoga course (Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, Kerala, India; +91 471 227 3093) you'll not only skip the bingeing season, you'll get a head start on the January detox. Or you could try a monastery for silent meditation (such as the Wat Suan Mokkh, in Chaiya, Thailand; no telephone for obvious reasons). Absence of carol singers guaranteed. 5. Go to a party town . This might seem counter-intuitive, but a good way to avoid the season of excess is to head somewhere it happens on a daily basis. Although December 25 is certainly celebrated in world-class party towns like New Orleans, if anything it's slightly more low key than the rest of the year. New Orleans' boozy scene takes it considerably easier over Christmas, making it one of the best times to visit. In the Icelandic capital, Rejkjavik, where Nordic appetites for nightlife can leave visitors whimpering for mercy, very little happens over the Christmas holidays, making it a magically peaceful time to contemplate marvels such as the Northern Lights. More: Best places to see the Northern Lights . In New Orleans, one place to seek sanctuary is Loft 523 (523 Gravier Street; +1 504 200 6523). Near Reykjavik, the upscale Ion Hotel has its own Northern Lights Bar (Nesjavollum vid Thingvallavatn, 801 Selfoss; +354 482 34 15). More: World's 7 most dangerous and remote islands . 6. Work . More soul-cleansing, this time via the creditable route of voluntary work -- which, in a way, combines the giving spirit of Christmas with the best of Christmas avoidance. Not only will you be donating your time and labor, you'll be too busy building schools, teaching kids or saving rainforests to think about anything else. Organizations such as Elevate Destinations or Global Vision International are good places to start. 7. Get lost . If you find a remote spot where no one, not even Santa, can track you down, then giving Christmas the slip should be as easy as mince pie. Lundy, a windswept but beautiful island in the waters of Britain's Bristol Channel, isn't too far from civilization, but there are no televisions or Internet connections, you're unlikely to get a mobile phone signal and the only way on or off is by helicopter. You might have to avoid the island's solitary pub, the Marisco Tavern, on Christmas Day, but the prospect of sitting in front of a blazing fire in the splendid isolation of your very own lighthouse (Old Light Tower, Lundy Island; +44 1628 825 925), will be worth it. It's the perfect place to start plotting next year's Christmas escape. | Not everyone is a Noel fan .
Morocco is a perennial favorite for Christmas avoiders .
Icelandic appetites for nightlife can leave visitors whimpering for mercy .
Just don't expect to get any presents . |
181,527 | 77048406b1f1e5bff09b8eb4d2a52e6ee0308279 | By . Jennifer Smith . A six-year-old girl was knocked over and killed by a Land Rover as she crossed the road with her mother. The pair were struck by the black 4x4 yesterday afternoon as they walked in Lyng Lane in West Bromwich. The child was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital but later died of her injuries. Her mother was treated for back injuries though they are not thought to be serious. The girl and her mother were crossing the road at Lyng Lane in West Bromwich when they were hit by the Land Rover . The driver of the vehicle stopped at the scene and is assisting West Midlands Police with their investigation. Sergeant Paul Hughes, of the Collision Investigation Unit, said: 'We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have witnessed the collision.' 'This is a tragic event and we are currently following up a number of enquiries. 'It is important that we piece together the events leading up to the collision and I would appeal directly to anyone with any information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact myself or any member of my team. 'The mother continues to be treated for her injuries which are not believed to be serious.' The child was treated by paramedics and then taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital but later died of her injuries . The Land Rover's driver stopped at the scene and is assisting West Midlands police with their investigation . An ambulance was called to the scene shortly after 5.15pm where paramedics treated the mother and daughter. The Land Rover's Driver did not require medical treatment. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'Upon arrival crews found two pedestrians, a woman and a girl, who had been involved in a collision with a car. 'The girl sustained serious injuries and crews worked as a team to administer emergency pre-hospital care at the roadside. 'The girl was immobilised with a neck collar and spinal board and given drug therapy before being taken by land ambulance to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment.' | Child was crossing road with her mother when the 4x4 appeared .
Was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital but died of injuries .
Mother was treated for back injuries but is in stable condition .
The driver is assisting with West Midlands Police investigation . |
209,582 | 9b667fdc4f01d6dc0e3a804558bd3a38607120e9 | (CNN) -- Cleanup and rebuilding from the epic Colorado floods will take years, but there are ways to help organizations making a difference now. The American Red Cross . The American Red Cross is providing food, shelter and relief supplies to thousands of people forced from their homes. More than 250 trained Red Cross disaster workers are on the ground providing support. The organization is encouraging evacuees to register on Safe and Well to let friends and family know they're safe. You can also search for people on the site. You can register online or call 1-800-Red-Cross (1-800-733-2767). To make a monetary donation, visit the Colorado chapter website or you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. The Salvation Army . The Salvation Army has called in disaster services personnel from areas of California, Utah and Wyoming to meet the growing need for assistance. In three days the organization has provided first responders and evacuees with more than 10,000 meals. Thanks to partnerships with King Soopers and Pepsi, close to 70,000 bottles of water have also been donated. To prepare for the recovery process, The Salvation Army has ordered more than 2,000 flood cleanup kits. To help with their efforts, visit www.imsalvationarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) and designate "Colorado Floods." You may also text GIVEHOPEIM to 80888 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army. Save the Children . Over the weekend, Save the Children opened a child-friendly space in one of the largest evacuation centers, Lifebridge Church in Longmont, to give children a safe place to play, express themselves and find a sense of normalcy amid the chaos. School will be closed until at least Thursday. Save the Children is also a partner of the Red Cross in opening additional child-friendly spaces in shelters. To donate to the U.S. Emergencies Fund, click here. The United Way . Three funds for specific Colorado counties have been set up in conjunction with the local United Way offices to support long-term recovery efforts like transitional housing and health needs: . Boulder and Broomfield counties—Foothills Flood Relief Fund . Weld County--Weld County Flood Relief Fund . Larimer County--Larimer County Floods: Long-Term Recovery Fund . Helping Pets . The Boulder Valley Humane society has accepted more than 60 animals from displaced families and donations will allow the shelter to continue to care for them. Click here to help. | Rescue efforts still underway in Colorado flooding aftermath .
Food and water running low in some communities, officials say .
Charities are on the ground, donations needed . |
178,669 | 7350d3f0e94fa2078079ee645c72ecd9f0ec7ea8 | By . Katy Winter . A staple in the royal calendar for generations, the Chelsea Flower show has been attended by countless members of Britain's leading family over the years. The event, dedicated to celebrating all things floral, has taken place almost every year since 1913 following the success of an . international horticultural exhibition organised by the Royal . Horticultural Society (RHS) in 1912. Held in the beautiful grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, it is an annual event (with the . exception of some years during the First and Second World Wars) and . takes place in late May. As patron of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the Queen has attended almost every year since she came to the throne in 1953. She attends the opening of the show, which begins . with Press Day on the Monday, and is then given two private views along with RHS . members. She is often accompanied by other members of the Royal . Family. The aim of the exhibitions is to . celebrate all things floral and encourage amateur gardeners of all standards to try to achieve similar . displays at home and as a keen gardener the Queen is often seen at her most relaxed as she tours the extravagant displays amongst some of the world's most talented green fingers. Here FEMAIL opens the Queen's Chelsea Flower Show photo album ... 2013: Prince Harry gives his grandmother the Queen a tour of the garden he helped design on behalf of his charity Sentebale . 2013: Queen Elizabeth II visits the Chelsea Flower Show in London with her husband Prince Philip and grandson Prince Harry . The Queen seemed delighted at the special preparations that had been made to mark her Diamond Jubilee at the show when she attended last year . Queen Elizabeth, seen here visiting the gardens at the 2010 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is often at her most relaxed and happy at the event . Queen Elizabeth is a patron of the Royal Horticultural Society which hosts the flower show, and is well known for her love of the outdoors . The Queen presents Prince Charles with a Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour during her visit to Chelsea Flower Show in 2009 . The Queen expresses her joy at an amusing garden at the 2004 show, though it is not known what she thought of the inclusion of gnomes and other 'brightly colored mythical creatures' in this years show . There is no sign of the Queen's enthusiasm for the show waning as she ages, here pictured enjoying the exhibitions in 2001 (right) and 2002 (left) The Queen admires one of the 700 exhibits on display at the 1993 (left) and 1995 (right) Chelsea Flower Show . The Queen at the 1984 show, in the year she became a grandmother for the fourth time upon the birth of Prince Harry, who this year took part in the show himself . This year marked the centennial of the show and Queen Elizabeth’s presence was particularly poignant as her own grandson was involved. Prince Harry worked with his charity Sentebale, which hopes its African-inspired garden will highlight its work aids orphans in the impoverished kingdom of Lesotho. The Queen seemed delighted as her grandson showed her the garden, and her enthusiasm didn’t wane as the she took in the rest of the show, alongside many other members of the royal family. Miss Blom, who has been working on the design since last August with Harry, said afterwards: 'The Queen liked it. The Prince of Wales would like the plants in the middle to go to the stumpery at Highgrove. The Queen thinks it needs it – it needs some greenery. So we are going to send them down.' She added: 'She has been coming here (to Chelsea) for nearly 60 years. She said she thought it might be her sixtieth year.' The Queen used to attend the show often with Princess Margaret (left, in 1981) but clearly enjoys the day which ever members of her family are present . In 1980 Her Majesty opted for playful striped skirt and matching jacket in honour of the occasion . The Queen looking at Silver Jubilee- a hybrid tea rose named in commemoration of her Silver Jubilee in 1977 . The Queen has attended almost every year since she came to the throne. Seen here testing a strawberry at the 1977 show . The Queen being shown the displays at the 1974 Chelsea Flower Show by the 3rd Lord Aberconway and Donald Farthing. She has only missed five shows since becoming Queen in 1952 . HM flew back from a weekend at Sandringham to Buckingham Palace and gave an audience to the Prime Minister before visiting the Flower Show in 1970 . The Queen admiring the blooms as she walks around the 1960 show (left) and the 1955 Chelsea Flower Show accompanied by Hon. David Bowes-Lyons (right) A young Queen visits the Chelsea Flower Show with The Marquise De Casa Valdes in 1952, just a year after she became Queen following the tragic death of her father King George, and before her coronation in 1953 . Usually demure and conservative in her style choices, the Queen often chooses to wear unusual headgear to the shows as a pragmatic guard against the windy conditions. Attending the show for the 48th time last year during her Diamond Jubilee, the 86-year-old opted for a rather different choice of head wear, striking for it's simplicity: a decorated hairnet. The tulle hair piece was first designed by the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly. It is made of a fine black netting which kept Her Majesty's hair in place while she wandered the grounds. Quite unlike the Queen’s usual headgear, it is not clear why she so often chooses to don the netting for the show, but for Chelsea Flower Show aficionados, Elizabeth’s fun fashion has become as much a staple of the show as her infectious smile. While the current Queen's love for the Royal Horticultural Society's annual event is obvious she is by no means the only member of the family who enjoys the show. It has become almost a tradition that the female members in particular attend regularly, perhaps stemming from the Queen Mother's Passion for gardening and the show itself. This year saw Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend, along with the Queen's grand daughters Princesses Beatrice and Zara Phillips, following the long tradition of Royal support of the show. 2013: Getting the party started: The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips cuts the cake as the Chelsea Flower show celebrates its 100th birthday . 2013: The affection between the Prince of Wales and his father the Duke of Edinburgh is obvious as they share an air kiss in the Forget-Me-Not Garden . 1969: Looking very young in her floral hat, it was strawberry time for the Queen Mother in the grounds of the Royal Hospital . 1950: The Queen Mother wearing a dramatic two-tiered hat and fur stole when touring the show with the King . 2000: Princess Margaret didn't let ill health stop her attending the show . 1987: Sarah Duchess of York joined her Majesty at the event before her marriage to Prince Andrew ended . It is certainly not something usually seen on the royal head, but for many years now Queen Elizabeth has chosen to wear a decorative hairnet when she attends her beloved flower show. Opinion varies on why she continually chooses the slightly bizarre covering, but many believe it is to prevent her hair from blowing into her face, as much of the show is held outside in the gardens of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. However since it is presumably no more blustery than the countless other outdoor engagements, it seems the choice may be more a nod to the fun horticultural spirit of the day. Whether adorned with tiny bows or flowers, or topped with a fascinator hat, the Queen's hairnet has delighted and amused for years. 2012 . 1981 . 1987 . 1977 . 1993 . 2011 . | The Queen has attended every Chelsea Flower Show, bar five, since she came to the throne in 1952 .
She missed her first show as Monarch in 1953 due to preparation for her Coronation .
A well known nature lover the Queen clearly enjoys in the festival which celebrate 100 years this year .
Often pictured relaxed, smiling and laughing at the elaborate gardens on display .
Her grandson Harry took part himself this year with his charity Sentebale, much to Her Majesty's delight . |
214,914 | a23b3635f49c20c40ee3887f4c78cab422b90120 | Rome (CNN) -- Authorities have in custody 34 people and are seeking the arrest of seven more as part of another major crackdown on the 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate, a prosecutor said Tuesday. The operation, dubbed "Crime 2," follows a similar one in July 2010, appropriately named "The Crime." "Crime 2" seeks to apprehend 41 people in Italy, Germany, Canada and Australia on charges ranging from homicide and illegal weapons possession to drug smuggling and money laundering. Officials sought to arrest between 200 and 300 people during the 2010 operation. Of the 41 people sought, 34 are in custody, said Chief Prosecutor of Reggio Calabria Giuseppe Pignatone. "The main information that emerged from this investigation is that the structure of the mafia organization called 'Ndrangheta, is united. The basic territorial unit of the 'Ndrangheta is reproduced abroad. Each unit refers for the solution of problems and for any main decision with the mother house in Italy," he said. Reggio Calabria is located in Calabria. The 'Ndrangheta is prevalent in the Calabria region of southern Italy and is seen as similar to the Sicilian Mafia. But the group has stretched to many other countries. In 2004, authorities said they linked the 'Ndrangheta to an international drug trafficking network involving gangs in South America and Australia. Journalist Livia Borghese contributed to this report. | The suspects are wanted for crimes ranging from money laundering to murder .
They are located in Italy, Germany, Canada and Australia .
The operation follows a similar crackdown in July last year . |
201,516 | 90ebadae997af76a0624f1bd17c490a4f828fdc7 | More than 750 retail jobs are at risk after the UK stores of lingerie chain La Senza went into administration for the second time in just over two years. A corporate rescue team from PwC said it will listen to offers for the 55-store chain, which was rescued by the UK arm of an Arabian retail group in 2012. Marnixheath, which operates the La Senza stores in the UK as well as three Pinkberry frozen yoghurt outlets in London and the South East, employs 752 people across England, Wales and Scotland. Administration: A corporate rescue team from PwC said it will listen to offers for the 55-store lingerie chain, which employs 752 people in the UK. It was rescued by the UK arm of an Arabian retail group in 2012 . Robert Moran, who has been appointed joint administrator of Marnixheath, said: 'Like many other retailers, La Senza has been hit hard by the difficult economic environment and a slowdown in consumer spending.' PwC will continue to trade the businesses as normal whilst discussions take place with interested parties over a sale. The North American operations of La Senza and others worldwide are unaffected by the administration. Mr Moran added: 'There are no immediate plans to close any stores and the administrators shall continue to assess the trading strategy over the coming days and weeks.' Staff have been paid and will continue to be paid for their work, he added. Business as usual: PwC will continue to trade as normal whilst discussions take place with interested parties over a sale of the chain. Staff have been paid and will continue to be paid for their work . When La Senza collapsed into administration in 2012, there were 1,300 redundancies and the closure of more than 100 outlets. However, 1,100 jobs were saved when 60 of its stores were sold by KPMG to the UK arm of Kuwait-based Alshaya. The UK business changed its name to Marnixheath in January. | More than 750 retail jobs are at risk across the 55-store lingerie chain .
Business will continue and staff will be paid while talks take place over sale .
Troubled chain was rescued by the UK arm of an Arabian retail group in 2012 . |
157,375 | 577b33956471b2c9b43f965638a1646933df0efc | Drivers in a village in south Wales are bemused and confused after workmen painted double yellow lines - in a layby. The lines were painted on Friday in the village of Cwmffrwd on the outskirts of Carmarthen. One driver spoke to one of the workmen, who admitted he had never put double yellow lines in a lay-by before. Isn't that what a lay-by is for? The double yellow lines lines were painted on Friday in the village of Cwmffrwd on the outskirts of Carmarthen . The community council requested the double yellow lines, citing obstruction to the driveways . He told the South Wales Evening Post: 'I just don't understand it. It's a big lay-by. It's pathetic.' Carmarthenshire’s executive board member for transport services Colin Evans said: 'The double yellow lines have been laid following request from the community council as a result of persistent obstruction and blocking of driveways. 'The order was subject to consultation and no objections were received.' In April a council was accused of painting Britain’s most pointless double yellow lines which measure just 18in - too small to fit a single tyre. Residents were stunned when the lines appeared in Kingston, south west London, curved around a corner kerb at a three-way junction - but barely big enough for a toy car or a unicycle. Residents were stunned when the lines appeared in Kingston, south west London, curved around a corner kerb at a three-way junction - but barely big enough for a toy car or a unicycle. In 2012, double yellow lines measuring just 21in also appeared in Canterbury, Kent . Motorcyclist Oliver English, who spotted the lines, said: ‘I think it's stupid and a bit pointless. The way they've made the access road look pedestrian is very dangerous for pedestrians and motorcyclists . The shortest double lines in the UK were painted in August 2013 between a taxi rank and parking bays in Central London, measuring just over 9in. Westminster Council said it was a mistake made by a contractor, and would be corrected. Earlier last year, double yellow lines stretching for just 13in were discovered on a street in Cambridge. The shortest double lines in the UK were painted in August 2013 between a taxi rank and parking bays in Central London, measuring just over 9in . Baffled families slammed these barmy new yellow lines which measure just 21in . Cambridgeshire County Council described the lines as 'common practice'. A spokesman said: 'The yellow lines are at either end of a disabled parking bay and are there to prevent vehicles parked either side from encroaching on the disabled bay'. Council bosses also laid down 18in double yellow lines on parking bays in Highbury Crescent, north London, in 2007. In 2012, double yellow lines measuring just 21in also appeared in Canterbury, Kent. | Lines were painted Friday in the village of Cwmffrwd, south Wales .
One driver said: 'I just don't understand it. It's a big lay-by. It's pathetic'
But officials said the community council requested the double yellow lines . |
280,303 | f71cffec73b543f8e500b4d986f169b047257662 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:31 EST, 16 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:18 EST, 16 December 2012 . While the pain of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is felt across the nation, the sports world is no different - as several players took part in pregame ceremonies and honoring the victims in their own way. Miami Heat star LeBron James, who has two children about the same age as Newtown, Connecticut's youngest victims, felt the pain of the parents who lost their kids when gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into the school and began firing. James wrote 'Newtown, CT' in several places on his sneakers before the Heat took on the Washington Wizards in Miami last night. Tribute in shoes: Miami Heat's LeBron James remembers the victims of the mass shooting in Newtown with the name of the small community on his sneakers . The team also took part in a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, and some of the players - including James - brought their children onto the court with them. James and teammate Dwyane Wade came up with the idea. They said that if they were going to honor the victims of the shooting, then they wanted their own children to share in that solemn tribute. James said: 'Basketball, . this is nothing. These games are nothing compared to when you have a . tragedy like that. It sucks that sometimes you need a tragedy to put . things back in perspective, to appreciate what you have. 'But it does that to people. It's . unfortunate that you have to have something like that to understand . what's really important and some things that aren't important at all. Family is the No. 1 important thing in life.' James had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Heat never trailed on the way to handily defeating the Washington Wizards 102-72 on Saturday night. Memorial: The team also took part in a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, and some of the players - including James - brought their children onto the court with them . 'We were focused on the game,' teammate . Dwayne Wade said. "We had heavy hearts for the families that dealt with . the tragedy. But we had to play basketball, and... for our fans and our . family we had to come out here and do our job.' It was an emotional day in Miami, as . it has been at just about every U.S. sports venue since the school . shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday. Several . Heat players spoke about how the massacre that left 20 children and six . adults dead at an elementary school affected them, and before tip-off . on Saturday, Miami held a moment of silence. The players brought their children onto the court for that moment, with . During the pregame ceremony, Heat forward Chris Bosh held his son Jackson to his chest. Gesture: The New York Giants have adorned their helmets with 'S.H.E.S.' in honor the the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Receiver Victor Cruz paid tribute to one of his fans, Jack Pinto, right . 'I couldn't imagine being in the position some people are in right now,' Bosh said. 'It wasn't like they were dropping their kids off in a dangerous situation. It was school.' And the Miami Heat weren't alone, as several football teams will show their support for the small Connecticut community. New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz wrote a personal message to one of his biggest fans - six-year-old Jack Pinto, who was killed along with several classmates when Lanza burst into his classroom. Before the Giants took the field against the Atlanta Falcons, Cruz tweeted: 'Today's game is for you, Jack.' For his biggest fan: Before the Giants took the field against the Atlanta Falcons, Cruz tweeted: 'Today's game is for you, Jack' Accompanying the Twitter message were photos of his cleats, which had messages dedicated to the boy, like 'RIP' and 'my hero.' Both the Giants and New York Jets adorned their helmets with the letters 'S.H.E.S.' (Sandy Hook Elementary School). The New England Patriots will also take the field with a special decal on their helmets, according to NFL.com. The league has asked all home teams to observe a moment of silence before their games. | James wrote 'Newtown, CT' in several places on his shoes .
He and other players were joined by their children as they took part in a pre-game moment of silence . |
62,906 | b2c114b7af3a48a5ce03c377f909bdfb8c2313ca | Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard ended speculation about his future after agreeing an 18-month deal with LA Galaxy on Wednesday. The midfielder will move to the US in July when his contract at Anfield expires. Here's all you need to know about the MLS outfit. Steven Gerrard wants more silverware after sealing a move to Galaxy... but what can he expect in LA? WHAT’S THEIR HISTORY? The MLS was founded as part of the USA’s bid to host the 1994 World Cup and LA Galaxy were one of the 10 founding teams in its inaugural season in 1996. As for the name, that comes from the galaxy of stars in Hollywood and Los Angeles. David Beckham helped Galaxy to the MLS Cup in 2012 and poses with his kids and the trophy . ARE THEY ANY GOOD? They are the most decorated side in MLS history. They have won the MLS Cup — the play-off final between the eastern and western conferences — five times and are one of just two MLS sides to win the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup (now Champions League), the North and Central American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League. WHO’S PLAYED FOR THEM? David Beckham is their most famous player but they have not had many other stars. Robbie Keane is the club vice-captain while Carlo Cudicini, Juan Pablo Angel and Abel Xavier had brief stints. Landon Donovan is the most notable homegrown talent. Robbie Keane and Beckham have both worn Galaxy colours . Beckham was a sensation during his time in the MLS with Galaxy . WHO’S THE BOSS? Bruce Arena has been in charge since 2008 and was previously the US national team’s most successful coach, leading them to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002. Ruud Gullit was briefly Galaxy coach in 2007-08. Gerrard will be playing under former US coach Bruce Arena at Galaxy . WHAT’S THE GROUND LIKE? The StubHub Center is a 27,000 all-seat stadium just south of downtown LA. The American national team often play there and it hosts the US leg of the IRB Rugby Sevens World Series. The site also includes a velodrome, a tennis stadium and a track and field arena. Gerrard will be playing in front of the 27,000 capacity StubHub Center next season . | Steven Gerrard will leave Liverpool when his deal expires in the summer .
Midfielder has agreed 18-month contract with MLS outfit LA Galaxy .
Gerrard rejected a contract offer to extend his career at Anfield . |
119,479 | 265526811e9708608db16d587c3fbbd73005a51a | Istanbul (CNN) -- The latest ISIS advance in Syria has brought a swath of the country's north-central Kurdish region under siege, with Kurdish leaders warning of another humanitarian crisis without international intervention. The Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab in Arabic) is an island, surrounded by ISIS on three fronts and the Turkish border to the north. The town was already mostly blockaded by ISIS, but in the past three days some 60 nearby villages fell under ISIS control, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or "Islamic State," as the group calls itself, took 39 villages on Friday alone as Kurdish forces withdrew from their positions, the Observatory said. Clashes are constant around Kobani as Kurdish fighters attempt to hold off ISIS, which is armed with heavy artillery and tanks, Kurdish activist Mostafa Baly told CNN. "Mobilization of people in Kobani is not enough," said Redur Xelil, a spokesman for the Kurdish fighters. "The international community has to take action. If not, there will be a new (Sinjar) genocide, but this time in Kobani." Sinjar is the Iraqi city that came under ISIS attack last month, causing thousands to flee onto adjacent Mount Sinjar, where refugees became stranded and were starving before U.S. airstrikes helped pave a way for them to flee. The fighting around Kobani has been intense for four days, Xelil told CNN. Masoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdish Region in Iraq, called the ISIS attacks in northern Syria "barbaric" and described them as ethnic cleansing. "I ask the international community to take every measure as soon as possible to save Kobani and the people of Syrian Kurdistan from the terrorists," he said in a statement. "The ISIS terrorists perpetrate crimes and atrocities wherever they are, therefore they have to be hit and defeated wherever they are." As ISIS encroached on the nearby villages, residents fled toward Kobani, said Baly, the Kurdish activist. There were reports that ISIS kidnapped some of those fleeing to Kobani, including women, children and the elderly, Baly said. At least three rockets landed in Kobani, causing much panic, he said. "There is a great deal of fear, but people are insisting on standing up to ISIS and remaining steadfast in the face of their attack," he said. Turkey opens border . The fear of a humanitarian crisis in Kobani rose as displaced people sought refuge there but became trapped between the fighting and the Turkish border. An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Kurds fleeing the violence walked right up to the wire border fence with Turkey, where they initially were not allowed in. They just sat at the border as Turkish Kurds on the other side of the fence tried to persuade the Turkish guards to let them in. The situation on the border could be observed on a live feed from the border and from video footage aired on Turkish news outlets. The refugees also tried to force their way into Turkey, creating chaos as one woman stepped on a landmine. Turkey finally opened the border, relieving some of the mounting pressure in Kobani and allowing refugees to enter Sanliurfa province. "Four thousand of our siblings will be hosted in our country," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told state media. "Opening our arms to our Syrian brothers is our historic humanitarian responsibility." Hosting Syrian refugees is nothing new for Turkey and other neighboring nations. About 815,000 registered Syrian refugees were in Turkey as of last month, part of the 3 million total registered Syrian refugees that the U.N. has counted amid Syria's three-year civil war. A further 6.5 million people were believed to be displaced within Syria as of last month, according to the U.N. U.S. military on deck . The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve the arming of Syrian rebels as top U.S. military leadership approved a plan to strike ISIS in Syria. The House approved Obama's request Wednesday. The approval allows President Barack Obama to carry out part of his stated strategy to combat ISIS, though some political leaders remain divided on the way forward. With approval in hand to arm and train Syrian rebels to fight ISIS, Obama said Thursday the plan keeps with "the key principle" of U.S. strategy: No American combat troops on the ground. "The American troops deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission," he said in televised remarks from the White House. "Their mission is to advise and assist our partners on the ground. ... We can destroy ISIL without having our troops fight another ground war in the Middle East." Obama said more than 40 countries, including Arab nations, have offered assistance in the battle against ISIS. Long vetting and training process . National Security Adviser Susan Rice, speaking to reporters Friday, said that now that approval to arm moderate Syrian rebels has been given, a long process will start to vet and train those who will be benefit from the measure. U.S. military personnel will train the Syrian fighters outside of Syria, and the process of planning the training and vetting the participants will take months, she said. "This is a serious training program, and we are serious about vetting those we are training and equipping," she said. Rice stepped around questions about whether airstrikes against ISIS in Syria will require an additional thumbs-up from President Obama, repeating the President's own announcement that the United States is "prepared" to broaden its actions in the region into Syria. ISIS videos . The advance by ISIS in northern Syria comes as the Islamist group released a 55-minute English-language video warning America against "direct confrontation." The video describes the conflict as a fight between believers and nonbelievers, and praises its successes on the battlefield. Earlier this week, ISIS released another video showing a captive British journalist criticizing the American and British governments. Citing the Sunni terror group's brutality, from beheading civilians -- including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff -- to the mass execution of its opponents, Obama said the United States will not back down. "With their barbaric murder of two Americans, these terrorists thought they could frighten us or intimidate us or cause us to shrink from the world," Obama said. "But today, they are learning the same hard lesson of petty tyrants and terrorists who have gone before: As Americans, we do not give in to fear. When you harm our citizens, when you threaten the United States, when you threaten our allies, it doesn't frighten us. It unites us." The question now appears to be not if, but when, the United States will strike ISIS in its stronghold in northern Syria. The U.S. military has everything it needs to strike ISIS targets in Syria, a plan that officials told CNN is still waiting on Obama's signoff. ISIS, meanwhile, is modifying its behavior, from the way it communicates to the way it conceals itself, in response to potential U.S. airstrikes in Syria, U.S. military officials told CNN. The officials expressed confidence the airstrikes would be effective. Gul Tuysuz reported from Istanbul, and Mariano Castillo wrote and reported from Atlanta. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, Barbara Starr, Jason Hanna and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report. | NEW: Group says ISIS has taken over 60 Kurdish villages in three days .
U.S. official says it will take months to train and vet Syrian rebels who will take part .
Kurdish leaders warn of humanitarian crisis without international help .
Turkey opens border for Kurdish refugees in northern Syria . |
50,148 | 8dd31e4bc99444e7e9ab8bb6ea9ebf536a80c517 | Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has returned to full training, and has an outside chance of making his comeback against Liverpool on Sunday. The Arsenal forward made just two brief substitute appearances after recovering from a nine month lay-off due to a serious knee injury before sustaining the groin problem that has kept him on the sidelines for over a month. But the England international trained with the first-team on Thursday and manager Arsene Wenger is considering naming Walcott in the squad that travels to Anfield this weekend. VIDEO Scroll down for video of Arsene Wenger on Thierry Henry and our match preview . Theo Walcott has returned to full training and has an outside chance of making his comeback against Liverpool . Walcott made just two substitute appearances after recovering from a nine month lay-off due to a knee injury . Training has being intensified for Walcott as he nears full fitness ahead of the crucial Liverpool match . Walcott's return provides the Gunners' injury-hit squad with a major boost going into the hectic festive period. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain didn't train with the first team on Wednesday, but his omission is viewed as a precaution with the attacking midfielder expected to be passed fit for the clash against Liverpool after recovering from a groin injury sustained in Saturday's win over Newcastle. Likewise, Nacho Monreal has a chance of being available for the clash against Brendan Rodgers' side after recovering from an ankle injury. Wenger will be without Jack Wilshere (ankle), Mesut Ozil (knee), Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Mikel Arteta (calf), Laurent Koscielny (achilles) and Tomas Rosicky (thigh) for the trip to Merseyside. On one of Walcott's rare outings this season - an Under-21 encounter against Blackburn . Walcott taunted Tottenham fans while being stretchered off against Spurs in the FA Cup last Janaury . | Arsene Wenger confirmed Theo Walcott has resumed full training .
The Arsenal forward could make his comeback against Liverpool .
Nacho Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could also face Liverpool .
Liverpool take on Arsenal buoyed by their League Cup quarter-final win .
Wenger remains without Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, Laurent Koscielny and Tomas Rosicky . |
84,279 | ef0c2e48be797d14b2678971907722fa384ce20c | Three female lawyers have reportedly been executed by Islamic State militants as the UN warns that educated women in Iraq are especially at risk. Today, the UN human rights office condemned numerous executions of civilians in the country by ISIS and said the jihadist group is showing a 'monstrous disregard for human life'. ISIS, which controls large swathes of territory in Iraq and in neighbouring war-ravaged Syria, last week published pictures of the crucifixions of two men accused of being bandits, and of a woman being stoned to death, allegedly for adultery. Scroll down for video . Executions: The UN human rights office has condemned numerous executions of civilians in the country by Islamic State . Other women have also reportedly been executed recently in ISIS-controlled areas, including Mosul, UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said. 'Educated, professional women, particularly women who have run as candidates in elections for public office, seem to be particularly at risk,' she said. 'In just the first two weeks of this year, reports indicate that three female lawyers were executed.' A number of other groups are also targeted by the jihadists, Shamdasani said, referring to 'the ruthless murder of two men, who were thrown off the top of a building after having been accused of homosexual acts by a so-called court in Mosul'. ISIS released a video showing the two men being thrown off the top of a tower block in Raqqa, Syria, for being gay. A masked Islamic State fighter announced the charges against the accused using a small handheld radio, before declaring them guilty of engaging in homosexual activities. He said they should be punished by death, in accordance with Islamic State's radical interpretation of Sharia law. The men were then bound and blindfolded before being pushed off the 100ft tower block to their deaths. Shocking: ISIS militants bound and blindfolded men before throwing them off the top of a 100ft tower block for 'homosexual crimes' Back on the ground, men accused of banditry hung from the crosses in agony as their wrists were tightly bound with yellow and green ribbon . Down on the ground, two men accused of banditry have been tied to makeshift metal crosses. Strung up tightly with yellow and green ribbon around their wrists, the men were hanged from the crosses, wincing in agony’. And it's believed the ISIS militants killed three of at least 15 pigeon breeders in Iraq after deciding it is against Islamic religion to keep birds this week. The extremists also executed 13 teenage boys for watching the Asian Cup football match between Iraq and Jordan last week. The young football fans had been caught watching the game on television in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which is controlled by the Islamic State. The final images show a burqa-clad woman being read her charges for adultery before she is stoned to death . ISIS now controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq, having taken over a considerable amount since last year . The teenagers were rounded up and publicly executed by a firing squad using machine guns, according to anti-ISIS activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. The small activist group said the teenagers were rounded up by militants in the Al-Yarmouk district of Mosul after 'breaking religious laws' by watching football. Images also emerged of a woman, dressed in a black burqa, being stoned to death by a horde of ISIS militants. But minorities are not the only ones suffering, with the jihadists meting out 'cruel and inhuman punishments' to anyone accused of violating its 'extremist interpretations of Islamic Sharia law, or for suspected disloyalty,' Shamdasani said. Four doctors were recently killed in central Mosul, allegedly after refusing to treat ISIS fighters. The group also reportedly executed 15 civilians in front of a large crowd in Fallujah on January 1, on suspicion they had cooperated with Iraqi security forces, and 14 more in a public square in Dour, north of Tikrit, for refusing to pledge allegiance to ISIS, Shamdasani said. | UN warns educated, professional women are particularly at risk from ISIS .
Three female lawyers have been executed by the terrorist group this year .
Images also show crucifixions of two men accused of being bandits and of a woman being stoned to death, allegedly for adultery .
Two men were thrown from top of a tower block for being gay . |
70,234 | c7144be20f44fdd0f4192b290ec160d3703991b9 | Most of us are now familiar with the expressive features of Internet star Grumpy Cat. The crabby kitty has attracted 473,000 followers on Instagram and has a £60 million franchise which encompasses everything from t-shirts to Christmas cards, all emblazoned with those instantly recognisable feline features. However, it seems that there is a new sour puss sensation on the scene. Scroll down for video . Little P the Scottish Fold is racking up an impressive Instagram following thanks to her permanently miserable expression . Little P is the latest expressive feline to hit the Internet and her permanently moody face is proving vastly popular. The Scottish Fold, from Bangkok, Thailand, has already gained over 7,800 followers on Instagram despite her young age - she turns one on Thursday. Little P has unusually wide eyes which often make her appear shocked . Little P is being hailed as the new Grumpy Cat by her fans . Little P is often pictured wearing comedy accessories - this Mickey Mouse hood garnered her over 700 'likes' on Instagram . The cat's down-turned mouth and wide eyes make her look permanently angry, sad and upset in the majority of her pictures, even if she's in a good mood. Despite the cat's woebegone appearance her owners are always sure to keep her looking stylish, with her thousands of Instagram snaps featuring her wearing all sorts of fashion accessories. Competition: Grumpy Cat, the original miserable moggy has an empire worth £60 million . Grumpy Cat is the face of various business ventures, including a book called The Grumpy Cat Guide to Life . Why so glum? Little P looks permanently upset, even when she is at her happiest . Stylish feline: What Little P lacks in smiles she makes up for with a vast wardrobe . Little P's owner occasionally uses cartoon graphics to enhance the pictures of her moggy . Her extensive wardrobe includes tutus, bow ties, hoods and even kimonos, which are proving a big hit with her fans. One image of the miserable moggy dressed in a Mickey Mouse costume garnered her 742 'likes' on Instagram. Her humorous Instagram snaps are paired with amusing captions of what the sad kitty may be thinking as imagined by her owner, who runs the account. Although her moggy may seem miserable, Little P's owner is sure to be smiling with her Instagram following increasing by the day. Does YOUR cat have an even sadder face than Little P? Or perhaps your beloved moggy looks even more peeved than Grumpy Cat? Send your pictures to [email protected] and we'll publish the best ones. It could be the start of a lucrative new career! Little P's unusual appearance is completed with her flat ears and wide eyes . Fed-up feline: Little P poses for a snap under an umbrella . Little P's amusing expressions vary from sad to surprised to disgusted . The Scottish Fold lives in Thailand with her family . Many fans are dubbing Little P the Moody Kitty . Little P will turn one on Thursday 4 September . | Little P is the latest cat to join the Instagram trend for expressive animals .
The Scottish Fold is wide-eyed and droopy-mouthed making her look moody .
The breed has ears that point downwards, adding to the woebegone effect .
The feline has racked up almost 8000 Instagram followers .
Her competitor, Grumpy Cat, has an empire worth £60 million . |
132,563 | 376bc9d6b74065cee1a8b66f35a71b93a0a4e52a | (CNN) -- Rapper Lil Wayne was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas on Friday after authorities found marijuana on two of his tour buses. The marijuana on the buses was detected by a drug dog, said Agent Joe Trevino. The rapper, whose real name is DeWayne Michael Carter, Jr., was among a dozen being detained from his group. They were later released. Trevino said the buses were en route to Laredo, Texas, from a concert stop in Hidalgo. The case has been referred to the Brooks County Sheriff's Office. Calls to Carter's representatives were not immediately returned Friday. The Louisiana native was the 2008 best-selling artist, with 2.8 million records sold, and is signed to Cash Money Records. The rapper is scheduled to begin a prison sentence in February stemming from gun charges in New York. | Rapper Lil Wayne was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas on Friday .
A drug dog detected marijuana on two of his tour buses, an agent says .
Police: Buses were en route to Laredo after a concert stop in Hidalgo, Texas .
Prison sentence stemming from gun charges awaits rapper in New York . |
185,667 | 7c7eff52a491e62d237b46996dab84fee2090950 | By . Steph Cockroft . Tremayne Gaskell, 46, from Leeds, has been jailed for life for raping the pensioner and robbing her jewellery after meeting at a pub in the city . A sexual predator who tied up and raped a pensioner in her own home while threatening her at knifepoint has been jailed for life. Tremayne Gaskell, from Leeds, already had an 'atrocious' criminal record for violence against women when he targeted the 68-year-old at a pub in Leeds in February this year. The 46-year-old, who was described in court as 'dangerous', then went back to the woman's home where he locked the door, tied her up with tape and stole her jewellery. He then subjected her to horrific sex attacks in an ordeal which did not end until the next morning. At the time of the brutal attack, Gaskell was out of jail on licence after being locked up in September 2012 for stabbing another woman in the face and neck. In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had been so disturbed by the incident that she had moved out of her home and left behind most of her belongings 'that this man had touched'. Gaskell has now been jailed for life after a jury at Leeds Crown Court found him guilty of two offences of rape and one of robbery. The jury of nine women and three men rejected his claims during the trial that his victim had consented to sex. Gaskell, who was arrested two days after . the attack, was told he must serve a minimum of nine years in prison . before he can apply to the parole board for release. Judge James Spencer told him: 'It was cruel. It was nasty, and it shows you for what you are. 'In my judgement you are a dangerous man. Dangerous in the sense that if you are at large you are ever likely to commit offences of this kind and commit serious physical harm to another human being.' The court heard Gaskell armed himself with the knife before targeting the 'trusting and vulnerable' victim when they met during a night out. Prosecutors also told the jury how the defendant had a long criminal history of serious . violent offences. One attack involved a woman suffering an eye injury . when she was struck in the face with a pistol, while the attack for which he was on licence had led to a three-and-a-half year prison sentence. The court also heard that Gaskell had spent almost every day of his life in prison since 2002. The victim said: 'Since this man did this to me I haven’t been right. Leeds Crown Court heard that Gaskell was out of jail on licence for stabbing another woman in the face and neck when the brutal attack took place . 'I get upset and I end up crying and I can’t sleep at night and I’ve had to stay at my sister’s because I just can’t settle on my own at home. 'I can’t even say what it is that makes me cry but the things this man did to me ran through my mind and I am really frightened. 'In my judgement you are a dangerous man. If you are at large... you are ever likely to commit serious physical harm to another human being' Judge James Spencer . 'After the incident I didn’t go back into my house, which had been my home for five years. I was too scared. I am frightened of him coming back because he said that if I told anyone he would come looking for me and would kill me. 'It is because of this I have given up my home and moved out of the area. 'I did not even take anything out of the house other than my clothes, microwave and stereo as I couldn’t face having the same things in my new home that this man had touched because this would remind me every day about the horrible and nasty things this man had done to me.' Det Chief Inspector Mark Griffin, who heads Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: 'These offences clearly show that Gaskell is a sexual predator who presents a serious danger to women. 'We believe he cynically preyed on the vulnerable victim from the outset and had sinister intentions towards her all along. She was put through a prolonged ordeal which has understandably had a lasting traumatic effect on her. 'Police enquiries quickly identified Gaskell as the suspect for these offences and he was traced to the city centre and arrested the next day after being recognised by officers patrolling the area. 'A full and thorough investigation by specialist safeguarding officers has seen him brought to justice and we hope the fact he has now had to answer for his crimes will provide some source of comfort to the victim.' | Tremayne Gaskell, 46, 'preyed on victim' when they met at a pub in Leeds .
Tied her up with tape, stole jewellery and subjected her to all-night ordeal .
Already had 'atrocious' criminal record of violence offences against women .
Was out of jail on licence for stabbing a woman when attack took place .
Judge said: 'It was cruel, it was nasty and it shows you for who you are' |
222,996 | acaeb65adc29d34d695cf8e5e2386d0ede892248 | (CNN) -- Heavy winds from a severe storm caused significant damage, shattered windows and sent debris raining down on passengers at an airport in St. Louis Friday night. The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is closed indefinitely while officials investigate the damage, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told reporters. "There was a reported sighting of a tornado. Although that has not been confirmed, that storm caused significant damage to the airport," he said. The reported tornado twisted metal and blew out plate-glass windows in the airport's main terminal, CNN affiliate KSDK reported. Four people were transported to nearby hospitals with injuries, Slay said. Passengers were hit with flying glass and debris as winds ripped off part of the roof in the airport's C concourse, the station reported. One witness described a chaotic scene outside the terminal as officials evacuated passengers from at least one aircraft. "The plane was rocking back and forth," said Brett Knewitz of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was on a plane that was about to take off from the airport when the storm hit. Initially officials did not allow evacuated passengers into the airport, he said, because of concerns that the building's roof would collapse.Once he was allowed inside, Knewitz said he saw an injured gate agent. "She was bleeding like crazy," he said. Concourse C is used by American Airlines, AirTran and Cape Air, airport spokesman Jeff Lea said. The National Weather Service said witnesses believe a tornado was on the ground for several miles and observed the twister from a tower at the airport. KSDK reported that the storm also blew the steeple off a church and forced authorities to close highways. CNN's Marlena Baldacci, Taylor Ward and Greg Morrison contributed to this report. | NEW: The St. Louis mayor says the airport is closed indefinitely .
"The plane was rocking back and forth," one witness says .
CNN affiliate KSDK: The tornado ripped off part of a roof at one concourse .
Passengers are hit with flying glass and debris, KSDK says . |
179,839 | 74d94367649731848f4ca5ad3c443267f7764347 | Sam Burgess has spoken of his sadness at missing the 2014 Four Nations Series but still hopes to have an influence on the England team as they prepare to take on Samoa. The newly-crowned Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) player of the year presented the England shirts to new caps Joe Westerman, Matty Smith, Josh Hodgson and Daryl Clark on their arrival in Brisbane to prepare for Saturday's opening fixture at the Suncorp Stadium. Burgess is nursing a fractured eye socket and cheekbone, sustained in the opening moments of his man-of-the-match performance for South Sydney in this month's NRL Grand Final, but was already ruled out of England's Four Nations campaign after signing a three-year contract with Bath. Sam Burgess speaks to the media with his Rugby League International Federation player of the year award . He will be unveiled by the Aviva Premiership club next week but was described as 'emotional' when he addressed the England squad on Thursday, shortly after becoming the first English winner of the RLIF award. 'He presented me with my shirt, which was a big honour for me,' said Hull loose forward Westerman via a conference call from Brisbane. 'Growing up, I played against him. 'He has always been an awesome player but to do what he did in the Grand Final and pretty much all his career, it was amazing, it was a real proud moment for me. Burgess (left) played for 80 minutes in the NRL Grand Final with a fractured eye socket and cheekbone . 'He gave a lot of advice to the group and everybody took it on board. It was a bit emotional for him, he wishes he was out there playing with us.' Westerman, who at 24 is a year younger than the former Bradford forward, will make his England debut in place of injured skipper Sean O'Loughlin, his room-mate during England's week-long camp at the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club on Queensland's Gold Coast. He was chosen by head coach Steve McNamara as a straight replacement for the newly-appointed skipper, who is expected to be fit for England's next match against Australia in Melbourne on Sunday week, but Westerman is determined not to give up the shirt without a fight. Burgess scores a try for England against New Zealand in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup semi-final . 'It's been really good rooming with Lockers,' said the former Castleford forward. 'He's a real professional and a great player, someone I've always looked up to. 'I play a lot similar to how he plays. I've got my opportunity this week and I'll do what I can. Hopefully I will do well enough to get a place next week. 'Lockers is captain of the squad and one of the best loose forwards in the world but, if I play well and do all I can, then it's down to Steve depending on the squad he wants to pick.' Westerman, who played the best rugby of his career in 2014, is the only representative from Hull FC in the England squad but he will be reunited on Saturday with former team-mates Michael Shenton, Daryl Clark and Brett Ferres. 'I played with Shenny and Daryl at Cas and Brett as well,' he said. 'It will be good to pull a shirt on with them again. 'I was over the moon when I got picked in the initial squad and the next step was actually getting a game. To get picked to start is a dream come true and I've got to go out there and make the most of it. 'I'm looking forward to how it will feel in the stadium. I can see it being emotional but it will be a good day, especially for my family. It will be a very proud day.' | Newly-crowned rugby league player of the year Sam Burgess presented jerseys to new caps Joe Westerman, Matty Smith, Josh Hodgson and Daryl Clark on their arrival in Australia .
Burgess is unavailable for England's Four Nations campaign after signing a three-year contract with Bath .
Burgess expected to be unveiled by the Aviva Premiership club next week .
Hull loose forward Westerman 'honoured' to receive shirt from South Sydney Rabbitohs legend . |
132,612 | 377f41f52c43f4a1126551b8dd1a4c7c683413c3 | (CNN)It's hard to believe Johannesburg didn't exist 130 years ago. It used to be a dusty, one-horse kind of place where a few farmers eked out a living from the land, although traces of early human habitation go back millions of years. Modern Johannesburg was born with the discovery of gold. Almost overnight, it became one of the fastest-growing cities in the world as fortune-seekers rushed in. The stories that make up the Joburg's past shape its character today, rewarding visitors who venture beyond the sanitized streets of wealthy Sandton to discover the real heartbeat of Egoli, the "City of Gold," as it is also known. It has golden foundations . The richest city in South Africa, Joburg is also one of the biggest economies in Africa overall -- its wealth built upon that discovery of gold in the late 1800s. "There was no indigenous population, no water and the only reason for this city's existence was the discovery of gold," says Nechama Brodie, editor of The Joburg Book, a guide to the history of the city. "It laid the foundation for everything else that happened, even the layout of the roads." Within a few years, Joburg had become like an African Las Vegas, its wagons and tents transformed into brick buildings and the dusty gathering places become thriving market squares. But the wealth came at a cost: poverty forced many black Africans to work in the mines and they lived in terrible conditions. Nowadays, gold is no longer such a significant part of Joburg's economy. But that frontier spirit -- a sense that anything is possible -- remains and continues to attract people. Gold Reef City, south of Joburg (+2711 248 6800), provides a glimpse of the city's golden past. Sure, it's a bit kitsch but the recreated mining town features an original mine shaft you can ride down and you also get the chance to pan for gold. Standard Bank in the CBD or Central Business District (5 Simmonds St.) features a small museum around a mine shaft inside the building, and from the top of the 50-storey Carlton Center (152 Commissioner St.; +2711 308 1331) you have a good view of the mine dumps surrounding the city. Past Experiences (+27 11 678 3905) is one of the best companies for walking tours around the CBD. Everyone's from out of town -- originally . Everyone in Johannesburg seems to come from somewhere else. That contributes to the openness of the place compared with places such as Cape Town, which can feel cliquey to outsiders. "Everyone in Joburg is a migrant, whether they [their families] arrived here 125 or two years ago," says Jo Buitendach, founder of a company, Past Experiences, which runs tours of the city center. "Joburg is the whole of Africa, or the world, in one city -- you could be eating braaied fish cooked by someone from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Yeoville one minute and then Pakistani street food in Fordsburg the next." Different ethnic neighborhoods reflect the various communities that moved here a century ago in search of riches -- Fordsburg has an Indian feel while old Chinatown in Ferreirasdorp in the CBD and new Chinatown in Cyrildene are the best places for a curry or dim sum. Many of the migrants found the streets were not paved with gold, and that was especially true of black Africans. Mine workers living in rundown hostels were eventually forced out of the city to live in townships such as Alexandra and Soweto. Today, it's wealth rather than legislative segregation that means many people still face very long commutes into the city. A great place to learn about the history of migrant labor is the Workers' Museum, in a vividly restored former Newtown hostel (52 Jeppe Street; +27 11 492 0600). Joburg was at the center of the anti-apartheid fight . The people of Joburg, and especially Soweto, were instrumental in the struggle against apartheid. Nelson Mandela moved to the city from the Eastern Cape to study at Wits University and opened the first black law firm in South Africa with another ANC activist, Oliver Tambo, at Chancellor House in downtown Joburg. The restored building (corner Fox and Gerard Sekoto Streets) now houses a ground-floor photographic museum. Also worth a visit is Liliesleaf Farm in the affluent northern suburb of Rivonia (7 George Avenue; +27 011 803 7882), where 19 ANC activists including Mandela were arrested and brought to trial leading to his imprisonment for 27 years on Robben Island. Music and the arts played a significant role in the anti-apartheid struggle, and the Johannesburg neighborhood of Sophiatown was at the heart of this cultural movement in the 1950s. Legendary musicians such as Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela played in the jazz clubs of this then racially integrated area that was the first target of forced removal of black people in the 1950s. Today, the spirit of Sophiatown is being revived through arts projects. The Sophiatown Heritage and Cultural Center (cnr Edward and Toby Streets; +2783 550 7130) runs walking tours in the area. Some of humankind's oldest traces have been found here . Johannesburg has one of the longest recorded histories of human habitation in the world. The earliest residents can be traced back 3 million years -- their presence preserved in a World Heritage Site called the Cradle of Humankind (+27 14 577 9000) 50 kilometers north of the city. The area has been the scene of some of the world's most important paleontological finds, including the perfectly preserved hominid skeleton "Little Foot." Maropeng, the visitor center housed within a giant grassy mound, has displays showing humankind's journey through time. You can also walk through the Sterkfontein Caves, scene of some of the most exciting archaeological finds in the area. Museum Africa (121 Bree Street, Newtown; +27 11 833 5624) has a wide range of displays exploring Africa's first civilizations. Melville Koppies (Judith Road, Emmerentia; +27 11 482 4797), a nature reserve in the heart of Joburg with evidence of Stone Age settlements, is a good place to escape the hectic pace of the city. It's inadvisable to go here alone, so join a guided walk. | Modern Johannesburg was born 130 years ago, after gold was discovered .
It's a city of immigrants -- with an open, friendly atmosphere .
Earliest inhabitants can be traced back 3 million years . |
259,276 | dba31dc061a61a27cc08a4fb87404777d4334dce | Hillary Clinton cribbed a page from President Barack Obama's playbook on Thursday by taking a swipe at Mitt Romney's 2008 oped, "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt." At an event outside Detroit, where the former secretary of state endorsed Democrats Mark Schauer and Gary Peters, Clinton spoke glowingly of their support for the 2008 auto bailout that invested billions into the United States struggling auto industry. "Now, they could take the safe way, they could line up with those saying 'Let Detroit go bankrupt,' let manufacturing just wither away," Clinton said to a chorus of boos. "They could be on the side of those who were criticizing what they called government motors." Though Clinton never mentioned Romney by name, the comment appeared to be directed at him, as well as Schauer's and Peters' Republican opponents. Romney unsuccessfully ran for president in 2012 and famously wrote on opinion-editorial for The New York Times in 2008 that urged letting the big three auto companies -- General Motors, Ford and Chrysler -- go into a structured bankruptcy. "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye," Romney wrote. "It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed." Clinton voted in favor of the auto bailout when she returned to the Senate from her failed presidential campaign in 2008. Romney's editorial, though written years before, was a staple of the Obama attack against Romney in 2012. The campaign used the recovery of the auto industry to label the former Massachusetts governor as out-of-touch. Obama would regularly say that he "refused to let Detroit go bankrupt." Clinton's comments are particularly striking given the probability that she runs for president and the recent chatter that Romney will try to run for president for a third time. "We'll see what happens," Romney told New York Times Magazine last month. His wife, Ann Romney, told CNN earlier today that she is still "done" with the idea of another presidential bid, but adds "you know, you never do say never." Clinton used more of her speech to talk about the auto industry and the decision to approve a bailout. "They," Clinton said, referring to people who wanted the companies go into bankruptcy, "were willing to walk away from the people of this state, the jobs, the auto industry, the future." Later she added, "There are some choices that define career and define what people are made out of. There are choices that shape your whole life. This was a choice that would change the future of an industry, a state and a nation." | Hillary Clinton knocks those who wanted to "Let Detroit go bankrupt"
Clinton argued the decision would have "let manufacturing just wither away"
Mitt Romney famously wrote an oped titled "Let Detroit go bankrupt" in 2008 .
The oped was used effectively against Romney during his failed 2012 presidential run . |
142,028 | 43ace8626f8e5d7e44e9bfaf4df5ddcb0d70b232 | Campaign: Debbie Butler handed out leaflets suggesting Gerry and Kate McCann were responsible for their daughter’s disappearance . A woman who repeatedly accused Madeleine McCann’s parents of neglect left her own elderly mother and father in squalor for five weeks. Debbie Butler, who handed out leaflets suggesting Gerry and Kate McCann were responsible for their daughter’s disappearance, was supposed to be caring for her parents Alan and Dorothy Johnson, who both suffered with dementia. But instead the 51-year-old went on holiday to Spain where she allegedly had an extramarital affair. She had stolen £18,400 from her parents to fund her trips away as well as to buy booze and consumer goods. After being left helpless for more than a month, her 74-year-old mother died in October 2011. Butler’s sister then found their 79-year-old father, a former Met police officer and Royal Marines veteran, emaciated and covered in his own filth. Butler was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence at Brighton Magistrates Court for fraud last week. She had taken cash from her parents’ accounts, used their debit cards and diverted their state pension and care allowance. Butler, who has a grandson, had not arranged any carers to cover her absence in Spain and did not attend her mother’s funeral. Judge Rennie said: ‘You have brought tremendous shame on yourself. ‘I accept that you were overrun at the time with problems… All of that may explain why you did what you did but it could never, ever excuse it. This was inexcusable, this was a dreadful abuse of trust.’ Butler chaired the Madeleine Foundation, which supposedly campaigned for justice for three-year-old Madeleine, who vanished in Portugal in 2007. Abuse: Butler arranged for leaflets to be distributed in the home village of Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured) Butler's parents Alan and Dorothy Johnson (left on their wedding day and right) both suffered from dementia . A hearing later this year will determine how Butler, of Maidstone in Kent, (pictured) is to repay what she stole . She arranged for hundreds of inflammatory leaflets to be distributed in the McCanns’ home village in Leicestershire. Butler’s sister, 48-year-old Michelle Johnson, said she would never forgive her for ‘defrauding and dehumanising’ their parents. ‘The money is one thing, the neglect is the evilest thing,’ she added. A hearing later this year will determine how Butler, of Maidstone in Kent, is to repay what she stole. She was convicted in December of four counts of false representation. After being left helpless for more than a month, Butler's 74-year-old mother died in October 2011. Her 79-year-old father, a Royal Marines veteran (above with his wife), was found emaciated and covered in his own filth . | Debbie Butler distributed inflammatory leaflets in McCanns' home village .
Suggested the couple were responsible for their daughter's disappearance .
She was supposed to be caring for her parents, Alan and Dorothy Johnson .
But instead she stole their money and used cash to fund trip to Spain .
Her 74-year-old mother died after being left helpless for more than a month .
Butler's father, a Royal Marines veteran, was found covered in own filth .
The Mail has made a donation to Dementia UK at the request of the Johnson family. |
222,991 | acadd9639e2ded7789fd2c0287057a6aff09f3ea | A former CBS reporter claims that a 'government-related agency' hacked her laptop and planted spyware and classified documents in a new book. Sharyl Attkisson, who was with CBS, says an outside source with a government agency confirmed the breach and discovered the documents hidden in her computer. The New York Post reports that an 'otherwise innocuous email' landed in Attkisson's inbox in early 2012 that was loaded with spyware. Scroll down for video . Stonewalled: Ex-CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson says that she encountered obstacles from the Obama administration and her own colleagues while reporting . She made the discovery after she later met with an unnamed source at a McDonald's, who was 'connected to government three-letter agencies,' and passed off the computer. She claims the second time she met her source, he gave her a run down of everything the government had planted on her computer, including keylogging software. 'The intruders discovered my Skype account handle, stole the password, activated the audio, and made heavy use of it, presumably as a listening tool,' she writes in her book. 'This is outrageous. Worse than anything Nixon ever did. I wouldn’t have believed something like this could happen in the United States of America,' she says the source told her. Worse, and in some ways stranger, she claims the source found three classified documents 'buried deep' her operating system where most users would not have known to access. 'They probably planted them to be able to accuse you of having classified documents if they ever needed to do that at some point,' the source said, according to Attkisson. Novel: Her revelations claim to show there is a liberal bias in the news media as a whole that excuses the Obama administration . CBS had confirmed that Attkisson's laptop was hacked back in 2013, when it announced an unnamed cybersecurity firm had conducted a forensic analysis of the computer. 'Attkisson's computer was accessed by an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions in late 2012,' the network said. 'While no malicious code was found, forensic analysis revealed an intruder had executed commands that appeared to involve search and exfiltration of data.' 'This party also used sophisticated methods to remove all possible indications of unauthorized activity, and alter system times to cause further confusion,' the announcement stated. The reporter also claimed to have recorded video of documents being edited in front of her eyes, but this is the first time anyone involved has tied the breach to a specific individual or entity. Attkisson, who is now senior independent contributor for The Daily Signal, a media channel for conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, frames her book around this hacking attempt. In it, she also says that her employer, CBS News, would kill stories or direct her away from lines of reporting critical of the Obama administration. Attkisson writes a colleague told her that one executive wanted stories about failing green energy companies on the CBS Evening News, but then-executive producer Pat Shevlin did not agree. When told that the stories would be 'pretty significant,' Shevlin retorted, 'What’s the matter, don’t you support green energy?' Atkisson also claims one of her superiors made it a rule to explicitly label conservatives as such, but that liberals and left-wing analysts were not called out. Apparently saving the details for the book, Attkisson says a conservative analyst who was far afield of her boss's personal views would be labeled 'right wing' in scripts. Another issue Attkisson points out is that CBS President David Rhodes has a glaring conflict of interest with the Obama administration, as his brother Ben is Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications. Nasty emails to Ben and David would apparently be sent when the network aired something distasteful to the administration, according to Attkisson. CBS reporters have still gone after the Obama administration in the past — a 60 Minutes report from Lara Logan about the unpreparedness of consular security in Benghazi retracted after its primary source was determined to be a fraud. For Attkisson though, the digging was too little too late, and she left the network in 2014, unsatisfied with what she saw as liberal excuses for the administration's actions. | Sharyl Attkisson claimed that her laptop was breached in 2012 .
An outside source with a government agency confirmed the breach, and said hackers planted spyware and classified documents .
Attkisson's new book, Stonewalled, details the hack along with ways the Obama administration harassed her during reporting .
She also blames CBS for being willing to kill stories that were critical of government or controversial .
A conflict of interest with CBS President David Rhodes, whose brother is part of the Obama administration, also complicated reporting . |
95,606 | 06e1b22aa0b2c2044baed41b152872d02388222e | By . Freya Noble . A Vietnam war veteran driving a truck with the slogan 'Stop The Mosque' splashed across the side, has been driving around Bendigo, Victoria, blasting an Islamic Call to Prayer from his vehicle. Charles Mollison is the founder and chairman of vocal anti-Islamic website Restore Australia and travelled from Queensland to protest the construction of a mosque in the city. Victorian Police confirmed in a statement they pulled the man over around 4pm on Wednesday in Bendigo's central business district. 'Police were responding to noise complaints about the vehicle, the driver received a warning regarding the noise,' the statement said. Charles Mollison from Queensland has made the trip to regional Victoria to protest the building of a mosque in Bendigo . Mr Mollison told the Bendigo Advertiser he was protesting the 'Islamisation of our society'. Police told him his signs were discriminatory but there was nothing they could do about it. 'I said, "Hang on, hang on, are you trying to tell me if the sign said, Let's Build a Mosque, it would be okay," and they said, "Yes".' 'There are only 147 Muslims in the whole of the Greater Bendigo area so you have to ask firstly, why would they want a huge mosque that would hold over 1000 people and secondly, you would have to ask for such a small Muslim community how can they raise $5 million and build a $3 million mosque,' he told the publication. The Vietnam war hero is the founder of RestoreAustralia.org whose aim is to re-write the constitution, and has come out in support of the One Nation political party . Mr Mollison's truck protest comes after plans were approved last month in Bendigo for a mufti-million dollar mosque to be built by the Australian Islamic Mission. AIM Secretary Dr Seyed Sheriffdeen told Daily Mail Australia he doesn't understand why people are coming from interstate to do 'utterly crazy things in the street.' 'If there's local residents concerned about their normal life, we are also concerned about it. If there's Muslims disturbing their life we want to know what Muslims.' Dr Sheriffdeen also said that if the council or the courts have ruled against the mosque they would have no issue, but the Islamic community have not done anything wrong. 'They're trying to portray us as terrorists... We are the type of people who want to build bridges with other people,' he said. If constructed, the mosque will reportedly have two floors, a cafe, retail area and a sports hall on what is currently empty land in Bendigo’s east. At the moment, 300 local Muslims meet in a prayer room at the local University campus. This month the City of Greater Bendigo Council's Mayor Cr Barry Lyons launched a campaign in conjunction with the Australian Human Rights Commission called 'Racism. It stops with me.' Cr Lyons said he would not tolerate racism in the Greater Bendigo community and expected residents would not either. 'This campaign is designed to raise awareness and empower Australians to confront prejudice in their community. Greater Bendigo residents are proud and inclusive and I look forward to their full support,' he said. 'This is an opportunity for us to join together and say no to racism. It’s a simple message but a powerful one' The truck was seen in the central business district of Bendigo over the past few days . The Age reports that Mollison's anti-Islam lobby group in Queensland has also given up to $10,000 to opponents of the mosque to print anti-Islamic material. In the weeks surrounding the debate over the development proposal, residents of Bendigo noticed black balloons appearing around the town tied to trees, houses and office fronts. The balloons were left by a vocal group of protesters furious about plans to build a prayer building in the regional city. Last month anti-Islam protesters in Bendigo tied black balloons to the businesses of councillors who voted in favour of the construction . Local councillors who voted in favour of the construction said they felt 'personally targeted' by the black balloons which appeared at his business, where he also lives. 'I was a bit appalled really given the antics the anti-Muslim group made at the council chamber while we were debating,' Cr Weragoda, who is of Sri Lankan origin, told MailOnline. 'I thought "This is obviously targeting me personally."' An artist's impression of the $3 million complex which will serve the 200 Muslim residents of East Bendigo and will include a mosque, sports hall, education facilities and retail premises . Cr Weragoda added that the development application received 254 objections, compared to Bendigo's total population of 110,000. A spokesperson for community group Stop The Mosque In Bendigo, whose Facebook page has attracted more than 7700 likes, said it was opposed to the development because it is concerned the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to take over Australia for Islam. 'In my opinion a mosque preaching jihad and sedition decreases the security of any town,' they told MailOnline in June. The development application received 254 objections, compared to Bendigo's total population of 110,000 . | Charles Mollison drove a truck around Bendigo, Victoria with a banner that read 'Stop The Mosque' on the side while playing an Islamic call to prayer .
Police pulled the man over after they received noise complaints .
He was protesting approval for a religious centre to be built .
Mr Mollison is founder of anti-Islam website RestoreAustralia.org.au .
Councillors in the Bendigo area were targeted last month when the development was approved .
Bendigo Mayor says he will not tolerate racism and neither will locals . |
65,508 | ba00b3ab3e7b2d8520cb1eb46ea6bcfc6bdda28c | By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 05:58 EST, 20 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:31 EST, 20 July 2013 . When baby Isaac Curtis was born struggling to breathe, doctors decided he needed immediate specialist treatment. He was whisked away from his parents to two different hospitals hundreds of miles away as doctors fought to save his life. But the family were able to be reunited closer to home after the Children's Air Ambulance took Isaac back safely to his local hospital in Somerset in a specialist 'baby pod' which enabled him to breathe. Tiny Isaac wore miniature ear defenders for his helicopter trip, which took him 170 miles from Leicester to Musgrove Hospital, Taunton, in just 59 minutes. First flight: Baby Isaac had tiny ear defenders strapped to his head for the helicopter journey . Transfer: The Children's Air Ambulance was called to fly Isaac from Leicester Glenfield Hospital, where he was having life-saving treatment, to Taunton Musgrove Hospital so he could be close to his family . Doctors first became concerned about Isaac's condition moments after birth when it was clear he was in severe respiratory distress and had lung tissue damage. He was diagnosed with acute meconium aspiration - caused when the baby breathes in its own waste products during birth - after a long two-day labour. Paramedics immediately drove him to Bristol Royal Infirmary where he was put on a mechanical ventilator to clear his lungs, but doctors told his mother Rebecca he was unlikely to survive the 50-mile journey and that she should prepare for the worst. Although Isaac did make the journey the ventilator was not effective, so consultants at the hospital called in a specialist team from Leicester Glenfield Hospital. The team brought the only mobile ECMO - or Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation - machine in the country, which artificially pumps blood and oxygen around the body. Safe: Isaac was put into a specialist baby pod where he was kept attached to breathing equipment throughout the flight . On the mend: Isaac is now back home and is expected to make a full recovery with no long-term side effects . They then took Isaac to the Leicester hospital where he spent two nights having ECMO treatment and started responding well. Mrs Curtis and her husband had . followed their son up the country by car, but as travelling was . difficult after her problematic labour, she was thrilled to learn Isaac . would be returning home to Taunton. The baby was stabilised in the . Children's Air Ambulance baby pod before being flown by pilots Shaun . Tinkler Rose and Paul Hogan back to Somerset, while his parents took the . five-hour journey by road. Growing strong: Isaac is now back home with mother Rebecca Curtis where he is using an oxygen tube to help his lungs recover . Mrs Curtis said it was incredibly hard to put her baby in the hands of the helicopter crew, but she was reassured when they let her on board to take pictures before they took off, and because they called her regularly to let her know how it was going. She said: 'I knew he was in the best hands and it was the best parting from Isaac I could have had.' After three weeks' further treatment in the Taunton hospital, Isaac is back home and doing well, although he is still on oxygen. He is expected to make a full recovery with no long-term side effects. Mrs Curtis now plans to run a half marathon next year to raise money for the Children's Air Ambulance as a thank-you. She said: 'The Children’s Air Ambulance provides an amazing service and we are so grateful that they were there to help Isaac when he needed them most.' The Children’s Air Ambulance is the only helicopter ambulance service in England and Wales solely dedicated to transferring critically ill children and babies to specialist hospitals and is fitted with paediatric equipment. The charity, which is entirely funded by public donations, got its first helicopter in October 2012. The helicopter is an Agusta Grand 109S which can reach speeds of up to 200mph. Nearly two thirds of the children which are helped by the air ambulance are under three months old. | Isaac Curtis was born with severe breathing problems after long labour .
Taken from Taunton to Bristol and Leicester for emergency treatment .
But special 'baby pod' in air ambulance meant he could go back to family .
He was transferred back to hospital near his home in Somerset . |
283,018 | fa981abd1a10e912dddd0b462c3bb5ecca1be857 | Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The Pakistani Taliban vowed on Thursday to kill Shakeel Afridi, the jailed Pakistani doctor accused of helping the CIA in the search for Osama bin Laden, a spokesman for the militant group told CNN. "We will cut him into pieces when we find him," Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told CNN by phone. "He spied for the U.S. to hunt down our hero Osama bin Laden." Pakistani officials say Afridi is being held in a prison in the city of Peshawar in northwest Pakistan. Last week a court in Pakistan's tribal region sentenced Afridi to 33 years in prison but a copy of the court order obtained by CNN shows Afridi was sentenced for alleged connections to the militant group Lashkar-e-Islam, not for helping Americans in the search for bin Laden. Even so, the Pakistani Taliban says Afridi is the number-one target on its hit list. On Wednesday the jailed doctor's brother told CNN he fears for Afridi's safety and called on the United States to help set him free. "These allegations are false. They're baseless," said Jamil Afridi. "My brother didn't do anything against Pakistan. If he helped the U.S., it was for the benefit of Pakistan. The American government should help us in any way it can." Officials had told CNN Shekeel Afridi was charged with treason for spying for the United States. He was accused of helping the CIA locate bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad through a fake vaccination campaign. Bin Laden was killed in the subsequent U.S. raid on the compound in May last year. At least one legal analyst said Afridi's sentence is a sham. Islamabad-based lawyer Shahzad Akbar questioned the legitimacy of the court proceedings, since the punishment was handed down by a tribal court in Khyber even though the alleged offense occurred in Abbottabad. The Afridi verdict sparked anger in the United States and further strained relations between Washington and Islamabad. The tensions surfaced as Congress debated aid to Pakistan in several bills. In the National Defense Authorization Act, senators agreed last week to withhold Pakistan's part of a $1.75 billion aid package because of outrage over Afridi's case and the continued blockade of NATO supply routes into and out of Afghanistan. Another bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee withheld $33 million in aid to Pakistan for similar reasons. Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said cutting aid is a U.S. prerogative, but added: "I think the U.S. should not forget we are a victim in this war on terror and we're suffering for the international community, too." Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report. | The Taliban says the doctor is No. 1 on its hit list .
A tribal court judgment says Shakeel Afridi had ties to Lashkar-e-Islam .
Officials disclosed earlier that the doctor was convicted for spying .
He was accused of helping find Osama bin Laden through a fake vaccination program . |
202,866 | 92a6946416c789efcf4e44c334ca7330abcf0282 | By . Tom Kelly . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 19 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:35 EST, 19 May 2013 . The grief-stricken parents of a five-year-old girl who drowned in Egypt were flying home last night as a row intensified over who was to blame for her death. Chloe Johnson was reportedly left by a shallow toddler pool in Sharm el-Sheikh for a few minutes while her parents fetched her a drink. She drowned in another pool with a wave machine, which her parents, Sarah Thompson and Tony Johnson, say was not manned by lifeguards. Tragic: Chloe Johnson died in a hotel wave pool when her parents left to fetch a drink . Anger: Chloe's parents have expressed their anger at the lack of lifeguards at the hotel . Miss Thompson, 32, told a Sunday newspaper: ‘She was playing with her little friend. I explained to her twice, called her, told her exactly where we were before we went to get a drink. ‘She went to the wave pool, which was supposed to be manned by two lifeguards, but there were none there. I was walking around with her drink… looking for her, calling for her… The pool wasn’t monitored while there were waves going on.’ But Egyptian prosecutors said safety instructions at the hotel state that ‘children five years old and under must only use the pool under the supervision of their relatives’. They confirmed the couple had told police that a lifeguard was neglectful and had accused him of being the ‘cause of their daughter’s death’. Devastated: Chloe's grandparents spoke of their loss shortly after her death . Heartbroken: They spoke of their anger at the lack of help the family received in Sharm el Sheik . They said the family did not come forward to be formally interviewed, meaning investigators had to rely solely on accounts given by lifeguards and the hotel. It is not clear whether the couple were aware they had to make an official report. Maged Ramzy, of Sharm el-Sheikh Prosecution Office said a lifeguard accused of neglecting the young girl was released yesterday, while an investigation is carried out. Miss Thompson, of Forest Hill, south London, paid tribute to her ‘cheeky, beautiful, vibrant’ daughter, who survived open heart surgery at two days old and was on her first holiday abroad. She said: ‘I am just empty without her.’ Probe: First Choice said it would carry out a 'full and thorough investigation' in partnership with the hotelier . Heartache: The youngster died in a pool at the Coral Sea Waterworld hotel. File picture. The distraught mother said staff at the Coral Sea Waterworld hotel initially did nothing to try to revive Chloe, leaving her father to attempt mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as they waited for emergency services. Mr Ramzy added: ‘According to the prosecution’s investigations, the father was with her in the pool when she [was found] drowned and the lifeguards arrived to her within five seconds.’ Egypt’s Chamber of Diving and Watersports is investigating whether safety instructions were shown clearly and whether the lifeguard was to blame or not. Grandparents April and Gordon Johnson, said the family felt ‘angry and so hurt’. | Chloe Johnson was reportedly left by a shallow toddler pool .
Drowned in another pool with a wave machine as her parents fetched a drink .
Her father to attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as they waited for emergency services . |
189,005 | 80c7499b20efec463923ac64cf65b1fc558f2097 | (CNN) -- Veronica Campbell-Brown has been cleared to return to competition by officials in her native Jamaica despite the three-time Olympic sprint gold medalist having tested positive for a banned substance earlier this year. However, one of Jamaica's most decorated athletes must now wait to see if the IAAF, track and field's world governing body, agrees with the recommendation made by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). If it does, it would provide welcome relief for Jamaica's sprinting community -- Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson admitted to testing positive for banned substances in July. Garth Gayle, general secretary of the JAAA, confirmed to CNN Thursday that it recommended Campbell-Brown receive a warning following her positive test for a banned diuretic in May. She was provisionally suspended. Gayle didn't reveal further details but the Jamaican Gleaner newspaper reported that the JAAA's disciplinary panel ruled the 31-year-old didn't use the substance to enhance performance. The IAAF's doping review board is expected to make a decision in the case in two or three weeks, an IAAF spokesman told CNN. Campbell-Brown, Powell -- the former world-record holder in the 100 meters -- and Simpson all missed August's world championships in Moscow, where fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt once again dominated the men's sprint events. Bolt, consistently under the spotlight, has never tested positive. "I don't believe the majority of athletes enter the sport to cheat," said Gayle. While not necessarily performance enhancing, diuretics can be used as a masking agent for steroids. | Veronica Campbell-Brown is cleared to return to competition by officials in her native Jamaica .
But now the IAAF, track and field's world governing body, will decide if she can come back .
The three-time Olympic gold medalist, tested positive for a banned substance in May .
Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson said in July they also tested positive . |
36,040 | 664dcc8cacd7c704aec28302734c9a4148be20f5 | (CNN) -- When the highly anticipated movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" opened Friday in theaters, many fans had already seen it. The pirating and distribution of "Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman, is being investigated by the FBI. The online leak of a pirated, unfinished version of the 20th Century Fox film a month ago sent federal authorities springing into action and stoked a heated conversation within the entertainment industry about digital piracy. Piracy of upcoming films is not new, but the theft of "Wolverine" is especially troubling for an industry concerned with a stalled economy and the financial bottom line. It's rare for high-quality copies of a big-budget blockbuster to appear on the Internet more than a month before the film's release, experts say. Within a week of "Wolverine's" March 31 leak, more than a million people had downloaded the movie, according to TorrentFreak, a blog devoted to the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol. Watch intrepid reporter look for answers » . "Unfortunately, the recent leak of the Fox film 'Wolverine' provided a stark backdrop to the impact that digital piracy has on the large investments that producers make in creating state-of-the-art films," said Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who oversaw a congressional hearing on piracy after the leak. "During our hearing in Los Angeles, director Steven Soderbergh said that in 2007, the entertainment industry generated a trade surplus of $13.6 billion," Berman added. "Imagine what those numbers would be if we could rein in piracy." Bootleg, or illegally copied, movies have long been a thorn to the film industry. In 2003, a version of Universal's "The Hulk" appeared on the Internet two weeks before the film opened. A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to the theft. And in 2005, a pirated print of "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" was uploaded to the Web within hours of the movie's release. But where Hollywood's biggest headache used to be murky, muffled copies of films taken by someone who snuck a camcorder into a theater, today's pirates are getting more sophisticated and gaining access to better-quality goods. Greg Sandoval, who covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News, said that in the digital age, thieves can gain access to near-perfect advance copies of films on DVD that have greater potential to undermine a movie's box-office prospects. And even studios' attempts at safeguarding their products against piracy, such as by encoding DVDs with digital watermarks that allow authorities to trace individual copies, aren't enough, Sandoval said. He said tech-savvy thieves have figured out how to strip such watermarks from DVDs. "When you're talking about digital content ... it's impossible to lock it down completely" from theft, Sandoval said. "These hackers are very creative. Sometimes, they're one step ahead of the security experts." 20th Century Fox issued a statement vowing to prosecute the "Wolverine" thief "to the fullest extent of the law." The FBI is investigating, but as of Thursday, no arrests had been made. Darcy Antonellis, president of technical operations for Warner Bros. (which is owned by the parent company of CNN), said the growth of technology has aided the pirates. "Digital piracy has continued to increase with greater access to [files] and improved broadband services," said Antonellis, who helps oversee Warner Bros.' anti-piracy efforts. "As broadband services increase their capacity to support legitimate services, they also enable increased illegal file-sharing. Technologies have evolved to encumber such distribution but must compete with the strength of viral or super distribution of content." The bad guys aren't the only ones keeping up with the technology. Keith Bolcar, special agent in charge of the FBI's cyber division in Los Angeles, said agents and their partners as "doing everything we can to keep up with the learning curve of technology, hopefully just as fast as our criminal subjects." The FBI meets routinely with studio representatives to share intelligence, to discuss strategy and to detect and fix vulnerabilities in security measures, he said. "While I can't discuss investigative techniques, we employ a myriad of sophisticated methods to solve these crimes," said Bolcar, whose office is investigating the "Wolverine" leak. "Our investigators receive extensive training and are technologically savvy." Hollywood also faces the challenge of protecting digital files that pass through so many hands while in production and post-production. Antonellis said Warner Bros. works diligently to safeguard its properties. "Each project, for us, is unique, with its own unique set of challenges," she said. "Whether there are 50 or 500 people involved in the process, we try to focus on ownership/responsibility of our assets throughout the entire production through to distribution process." John Malcolm, director of worldwide anti-piracy operations for the Motion Picture Association of America, said digital piracy can take many forms, including peer-to-peer file sharing and streaming. Malcolm said the association is conducting a lot of outreach to universities and Internet service providers to help them address piracy that occurs over their systems. The issue is global, Malcolm said, as evidenced by pending litigation in France that would shut down Internet accounts of illegal downloaders. The association is in litigation against an Australian service provider, iiNet, to try to establish the legal parameters of its responsibility in policing its system, Malcolm said. "In some cases, we are making great progress with ISP, and in some cases, it's a little bit tougher going," Malcolm said. "After all, it's their broadband that's being eaten up, and it slows down their systems." Berman, D-California, said advances in technologies that enable filtering and other anti-theft tools will help curb piracy. So will creating more sites where viewers can legitimately access movies, shows and music, such as Hulu and the recently announced Vevo, a partnership between Universal Music and YouTube. "Given how pirated materials often damage computers with viruses, spyware and other problems, consumers will continue to embrace the innovative, legitimate sites that are becoming more and more available," Berman said. Malcolm agrees. He said there are more than 350 sites that legitimately distribute digital content. If a person is a true movie lover, they will want to respect the art, the artists and the countless people behind the scenes who make the magic happen, Malcolm said. "I hear periodically, 'Well, Tom Cruise has enough money' or 'Tom Hanks has enough money,' " Malcolm said. "I would say to movie lovers, stick around and watch all of the credits. When you see hundreds of names scrolling across the screen, those are the people whose talents contributed to making that movie, and they need to make a living." CNN.com's Brandon Griggs contributed to this story. | Pirated version of "Wolverine" distributed online weeks before movie's debut .
Industry employs technology like digital watermarks to hinder thieves .
Pending French legislation would shut down Internet accounts of downloaders .
MPAA exec says fans should consider the livelihood of those who make films . |
174,250 | 6d82945c5ecb0f57c013dce92bab63eb85982dfc | My daughter and I went to the doctor the other day. She's had mega-hayfever for the past few weeks and her medication just wasn't working. He was very sympathetic. 'I think it's time we tried something new,' he said, reaching for his medicine book. 'Tell me, my dear, do you know how much you weigh?' I was just about to open my mouth when, quick as a flash, she told him herself, adding proudly, 'My best friend weighs much less, but I have big muscles, you see.' Skinny queen: A slender Keira Knightley . Razor-sharp: Alexa Chung and her collarbone . We left, armed with our prescription. But it's stuck with me. I had no idea she knew how much she weighed - or, for that matter, that she knew how much her best friend weighed. It brought back anxious, ancient memories. I'm not sure when, exactly, I became aware of my size and strength. But I remember a growing sense that there was a lot of me. Too much, in fact. Not so much fat, just big. Big face, big head (I've always had trouble finding hats), big hands, wide shoulders, muscly legs, size 8 feet. As to weight, I have always been too heavy. I've never managed to be my 'ideal' weight (75 kilos, since you ask). Not even when I was 15 and a size 10. Etiolated: Super-slim Cara Delevingne . Frail and interesting: Socialite Mary Charteris . Not even when I was starving myself to the point where my hair started falling out and my hands shook and I had ulcers inside my mouth. Not even when I had to go and stay with my granny, who fed me chicken broth and told me I was beautiful and that it didn't matter that I wasn't a long-limbed, doe-eyed ballerina and that she loved me anyway. Realising that my daughter, who's 11, was entering a new phase in her life - one during which she would become conscious of the views of the world around her, a world in which she and her classmates might discuss such things - filled me with a sense of dread. Entirely unfounded, I'm sure: she's a very different child to the one I was, so much more confident and articulate, and growing up in entirely other circumstances. Nevertheless, I cannot help but feel an anxious pang. Young girls are not stupid. They look around and what they see is this: a world full of glossy, glamorous, beautiful people, with charmed lives and successful careers. They look at what unites those people and increasingly they see one thing: they are all super-skinny. Take these pictures from the Serpentine Summer Party in London on Tuesday night, featuring some of the most talked about and celebrated young women of our age. To me they represent the ultimate triumph of our super-skinny culture. Cara Delevingne, etiolated in top-to-toe black, posed along with Alexa Chung, her bony feet bird-like in pointy shoes, her shoulder blades and collar bone sharp as razors. They were joined by the queen of the super-skinnies, Keira Knightley, the only woman alive, with the possible exception of Angelina Jolie, who can look svelte in a dress made out of old cushions. Beautiful, effortless social x-rays. Not that there's anything intrinsically wrong with being slim. It's laudable, in fact, especially in these days of junk food and sofa slobbing. It's not being slim that's wrong. It’s being super-skinny and being adored for it. Thin friends: Sarah worries that girls will associate the fame and fortune of the stars, from left, Alexa, Keira and Cara, with the fact they are all super slim . It's the equating of skinny with virtue: beauty, goodness, style, femininity. The thinner these actresses, models, whatevers get, the more the fashion and showbiz worlds lionise them. They get all the best invitations, all the VIP passes. Designers name handbags after them, magazines fawn over them. Not because they are great scientists, doctors, lawyers, politicians. But because they go to parties in ever-tinier dresses. Every time we see them the gospel of super-skinnyiness spreads, and not just through party pictures and glossy magazine shoots. Many of these girls - such as model Mary Charteris, another of the Serpentine party skinnies - post endless selfies on Instagram and Twitter, silently rubbing our noses in their protruding hips, their tiny upper arms, their flat stomachs. "I like to joke that I am a failed anorexic; but it's not a joke really. I got lucky. Too many girls don't." They make it all look so fabulous, so cool and glamorous - and so damn effortless. Perhaps for these girls - and for all their genetically blessed friends - being that thin really just does come naturally. But what if being skinny just isn't in your genes? What if, like me, you're more of a Welsh pit pony than an aristocratic gazelle? And what if, like all young girls without exception, you aren't quite sure who or what you are but you do know that you want to fit in, to be cool, to be liked? What then? You stop eating. You exercise. You obsess about every last morsel and calorie. And when you still can't feel your hipbones, you run the lovely, healthy body that God gave you into the ground, you starve it and torture it, you hollow it out from the inside until all that's left is skin and bone. When I was young, the celebrity influence wasn't even half as bad as it is now. Back then we had Christy Turlington and Sofia Loren and other Amazonian role models and besides, I grew up in Italy, where hips and thighs are part of the culture. Consequences: Sarah hopes the diets she undertook as a youngster haven't caused her to have brittle bones . And still I was infected. Still I longed to be a seven stone weed, with bony ankles and sparrow-like wrists. Being strong and clever didn't come into it. And so I set out to re-shape myself to that mould in the only way possible: dieting. What is it Kate Moss said? 'Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.' I loved this new absence of padding: it made me feel pious and strangely powerful, like I was in control. Lighter physically, but emotionally too. At a time when my body was doing all kinds of strange things that weren't necessarily welcome (periods, breasts, the whole messy, complicated transition from childhood to womanhood), I felt small again. And I had funny little OCD-ish tests I used to do to see how thin I was. I would lie in the bath on my stomach, and delight in the touch of my ribs against the enamel. I would stretch out on the bed and place a ruler between my hipbones, like a bridge. But at least the only person I was hurting was myself. Three decades on I am 48. I wear a weave because I have weak, thin hair that frightens small children. I have the teeth of an 84-year-old Elizabethan. I have an underactive thyroid, broken by years of bad dieting. Who knows, I probably have osteoporosis (I'm too scared to check, but I did suffer a severe Colles wrist fracture a few years ago, also known as an 'old lady fracture'). I struggle to keep my weight stable not because I'm a lazy layabout junk food junkie, but because my body clings to calories like a drowning man to a raft. This is what happens to normal girls who try to be like Cara and Keira. I like to joke that I am a failed anorexic; but it's not a joke really. I got lucky. Too many girls don't. And as long as we live in a world that fetishises female thinness and treats it as the most desirable of all virtues, we are condemning successive generations of girls to a lifetime of self-loathing. | Sarah's daughter already knows her weight and that she's heavier than her best friend .
Our columnist worries about message being sent to them by skinny stars .
Anxious girls will equate fame and fortune with being thin .
Stars like Keira Knightley and Alexa Chung are 'effortless social X-rays'
Sarah struggled with her own weight as a teenager .
Now worries how drastic diets have affected her health today . |
117,300 | 237ad09c2065ae8b3a820faf9e8752d16560b19f | By . Jenny Wood . Thinking of a spot of spring cleaning this weekend? Always dreamed of a cleaning method that will kill 99 per cent of germs without the use of a single chemical? And one which will require minimal elbow grease, and be suitable for everything from floors and carpets to windows, sofas, taps, tiles — even defrosting your freezer? If so, steam cleaning is for you. All of a sudden it’s got the country hot and bothered, with John Lewis reporting sales of steam cleaning devices rocketing by 94 per cent over the last year. Sales of steam cleaners at John Lewis have increased by 94 per cent in the past year . Whereas cloths and sprays often remove dirt only from surfaces, high-pressure steam can penetrate deeper into nooks and crannies, blasting away stubborn particles and killing everything from bacteria to mould, with nothing more than tap water. It doesn’t leave chemicals behind, binds with dust to stop it escaping into the air and, most importantly, decimates dust mites. Most even claim to clean Chesterfield sofas. It all sounds too good to be true, so is there a catch? Critics complain it can take up to six minutes for the water to become steam and many steamers have a high ‘faff factor’, with complicated buttons, scant instructions and lots of bewildering attachments. Then there’s the fact that you still need to wipe up afterwards to remove dislodged dirt and excess water. So, is this the new golden age of steam, or just a load of hot air? JENNY WOOD put eight of the best-selling models to the test . . . Jenny Wood tries out the latest models of steam cleaners to hit the market . FUN, FAST AND FURIOUSHoover SteamJet Handheld Steam Cleaner, £59.99, hoover.co.uk . This ‘seriously powerful’ handheld steamer weighs just over 1lb. It claims to have one of the fastest heat-up times going and a tool for every conceivable job.Jenny says: Wielding this in my bathroom like some kind of sci-fi stun gun was fun. The sensible curved design protected my hand from the steam, which is controlled by a slider switch on the handle. It’s fairly idiot-proof — for most tasks just waft the steamer over the area you want to clean. It’s quick to fill, and took just under 20 seconds to start steaming. The long cord also made moving around the room easy. Perfect for nooks and crannies, it made my loo shine, had a good bash at the limescale around the taps (no steamer removed it completely) and the brush attachment made my grouting look like new. The downsides? It fared less well with a greasy oven top and, on the maximum setting, it produces a LOT of excess water. VERDICT: Great for tricky little jobs, particularly in the bathroom.4/5 . Jenny tries out one of the cleaning models in the bathroom . BEST ALL-ROUNDERThane H20 X5 Steam Cleaner, £79.99, Thane.tvNamed Product of the Year, this ‘stylish’ steam mop converts to a handheld model in seconds and comes in red, green or white.Jenny says: Don’t be alarmed by the number of pieces when you open the box — the clear instructions include advice on which attachment to use for different tasks, from cleaning grouting to steaming clothes. It’s lightweight and simple to use, heating up in 15 seconds. The tank is easy to fill, and there’s just one on/off switch and a dial to control the amount of steam produced. It removed plenty of dirt from my kitchen floor, and the handle and mop head detached with one click to turn it into a handheld steamer. It got rid of scum from grouting with minimum effort, and left my windows streak-free thanks to a handy cloth that attaches to the squeegee. My favourite of those I tried.VERDICT: Easy to use, quick to heat up and tackles a range of jobs. 5/5 . Whereas cloths and sprays often remove dirt only from surfaces, high-pressure steam can penetrate deeper into nooks and crannies . QUICK AND COMPACTPolti Vaporettino Lux Steam Gun, £34.95, John LewisReady in minutes, this compact handheld is designed for surfaces that need regular refreshing and claims to reach the trickiest spots.Jenny says: Unlike some steamers, you don’t have to worry about where to put this down if the phone rings. A sensible kettle-like shape, it sits happily on your work surface. Just as well, really, as it took nearly three minutes to get up to steam. Once full of water, it’s fairly heavy and the cord is shorter than most. The lid to the tank was robust but difficult to unscrew; I had to wait over an hour — I assume until it had cooled — to be able to open it and empty the water afterwards. The steamer comes with lots of tools, but minimal instructions; still, it’s useful for little jobs such as sterilising children’s toys, and the spatula attachment was the best I tested at removing grease from my hob. VERDICT: Simple design but heavy and not particularly versatile. 2/5 . FOR NON-STOP STEAMKarcher SC 5.800C, £349.99, karcher.co.ukThe Rolls-Royce of steamers, this vacuum-style model has two tanks for non-stop floor cleaning, while the hose turns into a handheld gun.Jenny says: Looking like a squat yellow ladybird, this fancy steamer needs a decent amount of cupboard space. The manual looks like War And Peace, but that’s mainly because it has a section for almost every language on Earth. More diagrams and tips would have helped, although one gem about pouring vinegar on limescale before steaming was ingenious. The large, easy-to-fill tank took about three minutes to heat up, and while it wasn’t very quiet, it was incredibly powerful — even with the dial only turned up halfway. The mop attachment made light work of my kitchen floor. Once finished, I simply unclipped it and used the hose and gun to blitz areas like my sink and the inside of a pedal bin (where chemical cleaners had failed). I’d have liked some smaller brushes for things such as grouting, but otherwise it’s impressive. VERDICT: Large but powerful, for those serious about steaming. 3/5 . The models are said to kill 99 per cent of germs without the use of a single chemical . FOR RETRO GOOD LOOKSHoover SteamJet Cylinder Steam Cleaner SCB1500, £79.99, ArgosThis retro-style cylinder steamer promises to be powerful yet compact, with accessories for more than 25 cleaning tasks stored on board.Jenny says: This clever gadget has all the tools you need — from brushes to a wire scrubber for barbecue grills — inside the base, meaning there’s no need to root around in the cupboard. A funky red design, it’s made to sit on the floor, but it’s not too heavy and has just an A4-sized footprint. There’s a long hose and while the steam gun looks basic, it delivers a powerful blast and has a handy lock to keep steam in when not in use. It cleaned floors thoroughly, and was good at smaller jobs, too, such as polishing work surfaces and refreshing sofas. It heated up in around three minutes (quicker than the five stated on the box), and my only gripes are the difficult-to-read steam control knob and the slightly faffy lid to the water tank. VERDICT: Good-looking, versatile, and great value for the price. 3/5 . DEEP CLEAN STEAMMorphy Richards Power Steam Pro Pulsonic Steam Mop, £74.99, ebuyer.comDesigned to refresh carpets and leave hard floors sparkling, the pulsating floor head claims to agitate ground-in dirt for a deeper clean.Jenny says: Of all the steamers I tried, this was the quickest to assemble and fill, thanks to the removable tank. It stands up on its own when not in use, has an anti-limescale cartridge for hard water, and a fold-down handle for easy storage. The cord isn’t as long as some models, but the buttons were easy to understand, and it heated up in 30 seconds. It’s not light and took a bit of effort to mop my kitchen — I was so vigorous the cloth came off the head — but the amount of dirt it picked up was really noticeable. Having said that, I’m not sure the vibrate function made much difference — it seemed to lift one stubborn stain just as well without it. VERDICT: Put the effort in and you’ll be left with pristine floors. 3/5 . Jenny found steam cleaners can even be used on furniture such as sofas . DRIES FLOORS AS IT GOESShark Lift-Away Steam Pocket 5-in-1, £149.99, jmldirect.comA mop-style model with ‘pocket technology’ to leave floors dry and streak-free. It also has a detachable handheld gun for smaller jobs.Jenny says: This steamer is so efficient at drying floors after cleaning, you wonder if it’s worked at all! Thankfully, the grubby mop cloth showed it must have done the job. A lot of thought has been put into the whole thing — from the decent-sized mop head, long cord and comprehensive instructions to the handy bag for attachments and the loops on the cloths to stop you from scalding yourself when you remove them. It took about 30 seconds to reach steam, and the middle section lifts out to become a handheld steamer. The attachments are a little on the large side — the brush was too big to get behind my bath taps — and it’s not that easy to tell if the machine’s on or off, but overall, it tackles a wide range of tasks well. VERDICT: A good all-rounder for most jobs in the home. 4/5 . Jenny tries out one of the models on her shower . SMALL AND SIMPLELight’n’Easy Steam Mop, £39.99, LakelandCreated to clean large, flat areas such as windows and tiles, or for sanitising bedding, this handheld flat steamer is one of the smallest and cheapest on the market.Jenny says: On the plus side, getting started is a doddle. Simply stick a washable cleaning pad to the base, fill the tank and plug it in. However, rather than taking 30-60 seconds to heat up, as claimed on the box, I was still waiting three minutes later. Once it was working, though, it was simple enough to use, and perfect for running over mattresses and pillows like an iron to sanitise them (steam wipes out dust mites, which can exacerbate allergies). It fared reasonably on tiles too, but with a short flex, a gentle steam output and no attachments, it’s really only useful for flat surfaces. VERDICT: Only good for mattresses and flat surfaces. 2/5 . | Sales of steam cleaners have increased by 94 per cent at John Lewis in the last year .
They kill 99 per cent of germs without the use of a single chemical .
Jenny Wood puts eight of the best steam models to the test . |
167,125 | 6423f9150d8bae6e99fc2834da6e149fa6778f0b | By . Chris Wheeler for The Mail on Sunday . CLICK HERE for all facts, stats and graphics from the big match at the Etihad Stadium . When Mame Biram Diouf received the ball midway inside his own half, even he could not have dreamt how it would end. David Silva’s corner had been headed clear by Marc Wilson after 58 minutes and the big Senegal striker was under pressure from Aleksandar Kolarov. Diouf turned the Serbian and set off optimistically towards the Manchester City goal with very little support from his team-mates. Substitute Fernandinho positioned himself in Diouf’s path, hoping no doubt to hinder his progress, but he was left looking rather foolish as the former Manchester United striker simply accelerated past the stationary Brazilian. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini on creative struggle vs Stoke and transfer rumours . Jumping for joy: Mame Biram Diouf scored a brilliant goal on the counter attack as Stoke stunned Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium . Man City: Hart 6, Sagna 6.5, Kompany 5.5, Demichelis 5.5, Kolarov 5.5, Silva 6.5, Fernando 6 (Fernandinho 38, 5), Toure 6.5, Nasri 6 (Navas 63, 6), Jovetic 6 (Dzeko 63, 5.5), Aguero 6.5. Subs not used: Zabaleta, Milner, Caballero, Clichy. Booked: Fernandinho, Toure. Stoke: Begovic 7.5, Bardsley 7.5, Shawcross 7.5, Wilson 7.5, Pieters 7, Walters 6 (Odemwingie 45 - 6.5, Adam 65 - 6), Whelan 7, Nzonzi 7.5, Moses 6.5 (Muniesa 80), Crouch 7, Diouf 8. Subs not used: Huth, Arnautovic, Bojan, Sorensen. Goals: Diouf 58. Booked: Bardsley. Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire). Attendance: 45,622. Ratings by JACK GAUGHAN at the Etihad . Still, it appeared as though he had taken the ball too wide of goal as Kolarov raced back to block the shot, but suddenly the ball was flying off his right boot and through the legs of goalkeeper Joe Hart. It was Diouf’s first goal since joining Stoke City this summer, and a wonderful one at that. City were stunned. Stoke could hardly believe it themselves, and with good reason. To appreciate the magnitude of this result, you have only to consider the statistics. Stoke had lost on all six of their previous Premier League visits to the Etihad, failing to score so much as a single goal. The aggregate score was 15-0. City, on the other hand, only lost once here in the league throughout last season and that was to Chelsea. The two defeats mark the only occasions on which they have failed to score in 71 home league games. The champions will claim that they should have had one, possibly two, penalties in the second half after the ball ricocheted off Phil Bardsley and struck Wilson on the hand from close range before Yaya Toure was brought down by Erik Pieters towards the end. ‘All of you know that it was a clear penalty,’ said City manager Manuel Pellegrini of the second incident. However, Stoke had a decent appeal of their own turned down by referee Lee Mason in the first half when Diouf tangled with Kolarov and then went down under the defender’s untidy challenge. ‘People are saying that theirs was a good call for a penalty but I saw the one that we should have had in the first half,’ said Stoke manager Mark Hughes. The Welshman has not enjoyed the happiest of returns to the Etihad since he was unceremoniously sacked in 2009. The best of it was a point with Fulham. Even beating relegation with QPR was tainted by having to see his successor, Roberto Mancini, snatch the title on the last day of the season. Pellegrini managed it in his first season in England but the Chilean will be concerned at his team’s lethargy at times on Saturday. They lacked the cutting edge that saw off Liverpool so convincingly last Monday, creating only a handful of chances that fell to the wasteful Toure. Finish: Diouf slotted past Joe Hart after a swift counter attack as Manchester City suffered a rare home defeat in the Premier League . Decisive: Fernandinho watches on as Hart is beaten by Diouf's shot which was enough to earn victory for Stoke . Red devil: Diouf was on the books of Manchester United between 2009 and 2012, but scored just one goal in five league appearances . Delight: Stoke celebrate Diouf's winner as their fans dance with delight in the away end at the Etihad . MINS KM MILES . Manchester City total 105.7 65.5 . David Silva 90 10.9 6.8 . Yaya Toure 90 10.8 6.7 . Aleksandar Kolarov 90 10.7 6.6 . Stoke total 109.0 67.7 . Peter Crouch 90 11.4 7.1 . Mame Biram Diouf 90 10.9 6.8 . Steven N'Zonzi 90 10.6 6.6 . Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League . Despite the attacking options available to him, Pellegrini acknowledged that he now has 48 hours before the transfer window closes to add to his squad. Whether that involves AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao remains to be seen. But City were held at bay too easily here by a Stoke side with two stubborn banks of four and a typically tenacious attitude aimed at knocking their opponents out of their stride. The game was only a few minutes old when Sergio Aguero went down and stayed there after colliding with Ryan Shawcross as he spun past the Stoke skipper. Bardsley was booked for going through the back of Silva who then clashed with Shawcross and was more than happy to see Stevan Jovetic go into battle with the big defender on his behalf. City also lost Fernando before half-time when their new £14million signing limped off with a groin injury following a challenge with Glenn Whelan. YAYA TOURE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND, AS HIS HEAT MAP SHOWS (BELOW), BUT COULDN'T HELP MANCHESTER CITY AVOID DEFEAT - CLICK HERE FOR MATCH ZONE . Happy returns: Stoke City manager Mark Hughes celebrates victory against his former club at the Etihad . Despair: Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany (left) and manager Manuel Pellegrini (right) react to their home defeat . Despondent: The loss ended Manchester City's 100 per cent start the season after the champions beat Newcastle and Liverpool . Their best chance arrived in stoppage time at the end of the half when Aguero twisted and turned around the penalty box before releasing Kolarov on the overlap. The Serbian’s low cross picked out Toure who met it with a first-time effort with his left foot that clipped Asmir Begovic’s bar. Toure had two more good chances in the second half, one of which brought the reflex save from Begovic, and one that led indirectly to Stoke’s winning goal on the counter attack. They had to do more than their fair share of defending to keep the lead and it wasn’t particularly pretty. But Hughes is slowly introducing the passing game that persuaded his employers to choose him as Tony Pulis’s replacement, and at times they looked almost comfortable against the Premier League Champions. ‘We’re Stoke City, we’re passing the ball,’ sang their supporters as the Potters played their way out of trouble in the dying minutes. Back at the Etihad and on the brink of victory, it was music to Hughes’s ears. Challenge: Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic is tackled by Stoke's Glenn Whelan . Physical: Stoke's Steven Nzonzi and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri battle for possession of the ball . On the run: Manchester City's Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure evades the challenge of Stoke's Nzonzi . Reach: Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic smothers a shot from Argentine striker Sergio Aguero . Strength: Manchester City captain Kompany tries to hold off Stoke's Victor Moses . Flashpoint: Manchester City forward Jovetic exchanges words with Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross . | Manchester City suffer first defeat of the season as Stoke seal all three points at the Etihad .
Mame Biram Diouf scored winner in 58th minute for Mark Hughes' side .
Former United striker rounded off swift counter attack to defeat reigning Premier League champions .
Stoke had previously suffered six successive Premier League defeats away at City . |
10,244 | 1d148bab179e41f22049b4a36043eff3842084b2 | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 05:21 EST, 8 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:07 EST, 8 October 2013 . Mercy mission: Reconstruction expert Asim Shahmalak is travelling to Pakistan to help acid attack victims . A surgeon is travelling to Pakistan to help women scarred in acid attacks. Reconstruction expert Asim Shahmalak, from Cheadle, is spending £50,000 of his own money to rebuild the lives of seven women who were disfigured - often for doing nothing more than spurning a man's advances. He is taking a team from the hair transplant clinic he runs near to Manchester Airport for the mercy mission in January. Asim, 52, visited his home city of Karachi earlier this year where he met the women who needed hair, eyebrow and eyelash transplants. Among those he will help are beauty salon worker Kanwal Ashar, 24, who had acid thrown over her by a man who had been stalking her after she turned down his proposal. Fellow victim Rizwana Mustafa, 23, was also attacked when she spurned a man's advances. And teenager Sakina Abdul Karim, 19, was horrifically scarred by accident when playing with some other girls. One of the acid attack victims Asim is helping is beautician Tahira, 24, who was attacked when she was just 13 for spurning a man's advances when she was on her way to work on a bus. She said: ‘He asked me to marry him. When I said no, he grabbed my hair and threw acid in my face. It was so painful.’ The hero medic is one of only nine surgeons in the world qualified to do the kind of intricate eyelash and eyebrow transplants the women need. The dad-of-two said: ‘It was heart-breaking meeting these women - their lives have been wrecked. Sakina Abdul Karim (left), 19, was horrifically scarred by accident when playing with some other girls, while Rizwana Mustafa (right), 23, was attacked when she spurned a man's proposal . ‘They are not accepted by society because of their disfigurement. ‘They . cannot get jobs and, in some cases, they have been disowned by their . families and they are left to beg on the streets. They are too . frightened of reprisals to tell the police who has attacked them and . even if they did, they have no faith that the culprits will be brought . to justice.’ The doctor saw many acid attack victims on his trip to Pakistan earlier this year, working with the Karachi-based charity Smile Again, but described how many were beyond help. One such case was a six-year-old child girl doused with acid by her father for refusing to go to school. Horrific: Kanwal Ashar, 24, worked at a beauty salon and had acid thrown over her by a man she turned down and who then stalked her . She was too young for treatment. ‘I saw two children when I was there,’ he said. ‘But I imagine there are lots more child victims. ‘It is difficult to describe in words what these people have been put through. I could not sleep because I was so upset by what I saw.’ The surgeon will be taking technicians from his Crown Clinic team for the mercy trip and they will be accompanied by a TV crew. ‘I will be spending three days there operating on these women,’ he said. ‘I will be with my team but we will be training local medics so that there is a continuity of care when we are gone.’ Dr Shahmalak was born in Karachi and trained as a doctor there before coming to Britain. He worked as a surgeon in the NHS before setting up his own hair transplant clinic. | Asim Shahmalak, a reconstruction expert, will help seven women .
Mr Shahmalak will transform their hair, eyebrows and eyelashes . |
213,885 | a1033b320e65b462a00cbacc072f5c3d3e4f66d9 | (CNN) -- Europe's players will pay tribute to Seve Ballesteros by having a special image of the golf legend emblazoned on their golf bags during this week's Ryder Cup matches against the United States in Chicago. The image depicts Ballesteros' famous celebration as he clinched the British Open at St Andrews in 1984. It was a particular favorite of the Spanish star, who had it tattooed on his left arm and described holing the winning putt on the 18th green as "the happiest moment of my sporting life." The design was revealed as the European team practiced for the first time Tuesday at Medinah Country Club ahead of Friday's opening action. Non-playing captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who formed an almost unbeatable partnership with Ballesteros in the Ryder Cup, is hoping his players will gain inspiration from memories of his great friend, who died of brain cancer last year. "We felt that this was one way that Seve could be with us every step of the way. This is the first match since he sadly passed away and a fitting tribute to a true champion," he told the official European Tour website. Olazabal will be hoping to lead Europe to a fifth win in six stagings of the biennial team event, but U.S. captain Davis Love III has warned the visitors to expect an atmosphere "like nothing you've ever seen before" when the action gets underway in the three-day tournament. Love, a two-time winner of the cup as a player, has told Europe's top golfers to expect partisan support from the American fans. Ryder Cup revolutionaries: Seve & Ollie . "It's going to be incredible, big golf and a big stage," Love, a 20-time winner on the PGA Tour, told a press conference. "I think the first tee could be the loudest any of these guys have ever seen to start off a golf tournament. So I expect a lot of passion. If we are winning holes, it's going to get pretty loud out there, and that's the home field advantage is all about." Despite the raucous reception which awaits world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and his European teammates, Olazabal, a three-time winner of the Ryder Cup, is looking forward to sampling the event's unique flavor. "We respect each other a lot," double Masters champion Olazabal said of the rivalry between the two teams. "Obviously we are going to try to beat each other, no questions about that, but we respect each member of our opponent team. "Davis and I, we have competed against each other quite a few times, not just in the Ryder Cup but in other events, and here we are sitting together and each one of us has a huge respect towards the other." Love, the 2007 PGA Championship winner, echoed his counterpart's sentiments, saying, "We are fortunate to play a game and represent a game that is the model for all other sports. "It always has been ... We are fortunate that Seve Ballesteros and the players that came before us demanded that ... respect of the game and to carry on traditions of the game. "I think this match and the friendship that it begins with and the friendship that it ends with is different than any other sport." Tuesday's practice saw the players go out in groups of four, with the some clues to likely partnerships for the fourball and foursomes matches on Friday and Saturday. Tiger Woods was with Steve Stricker, a successful recent pairing in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups for the Americans. World No.1 Rory McIlroy went out with Northern Ireland compatriot Graeme McDowell, having played three matches together at Celtic Manor as Europe won the cup back from the United States two years ago. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, who claimed the scalp of Woods and Stricker in the 2010 clash in Wales, were also out together. | U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III expecting a partisan crowd at Medinah .
Love leads his players against Jose Maria Olazabal's European team .
Spain's Olazabal will hope to lead Europe to a fifth win in six Ryder Cup matches . |
242,743 | c630b89c3d167e01e74042e749b33541497355ca | Jerusalem (CNN) -- A court fined former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and gave him a one-year suspended jail sentence Monday, more than two months after he was found guilty of breach of trust. Olmert was ordered to pay a fine of 75,000 new Israeli shekels (about $19,000). As part of his sentencing by the Jerusalem District Court, he was also cleared to run for political office. "I am entering this court with my head high, I am also leaving the court with my head high," Olmert said after the sentencing, according to his attorney, Eli Zohar. Monday's suspended jail sentence means Olmert will not serve jail time unless he commits the same crime within a three-year period. In a trial that ended in July, Olmert was found guilty of breach of trust but was acquitted on two corruption-related charges. The allegations stemmed from 2002 to 2006, when Olmert served a second term as mayor of Jerusalem and held several Cabinet posts under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Prosecutors accused Olmert of double-billing government agencies for travel, taking cash from an American businessman in exchange for official favors and acting on behalf of his former law partner's clients. "The court decided that I breached trust. I honor the decision of the court, and will learn the lessons from this," Olmert said outside the courtroom in July. "I want to remind you that the court said that there were procedural problems -- not corruption, I never got anything. I acted in a way which was counter to procedure. I honor that, and take it to my heart." At the time, he said nothing about his political future and thanked his lawyers for their work. Olmert became prime minister in 2006 after succeeding Sharon, who suffered a massive stroke. He announced his resignation in August 2008 after Israeli police recommended that he stand trial. He left office after a new government took power in March 2009. Earlier this year, Olmert told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that millions of dollars from the "extreme right wing" in the United States helped oust him from government and derailed a peace plan with the Palestinians. In 2008, Olmert sought a "full comprehensive peace between us and the Palestinians" -- a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. But the plan was never realized, and Olmert was forced from office, accused of corruption. He denied the allegations. "I had to fight against superior powers, including millions and millions of dollars that were transferred from this country (the United States) by figures which were from the extreme right wing that were aimed to topple me as prime minister of Israel. There is no question about it," he told CNN. Pressed to name names, Olmert replied: "Next time." CNN's Michael Schwartz, Sara Sidner and Amnon Pery contributed to this report. | NEW: Ehud Olmert says he is "leaving the court with his head high"
Jerusalem District Court says the former prime minister must pay a fine .
He was convicted of breach of trust and acquitted of two corruption charges .
Allegations stemmed from 2002 to 2006, before he became prime minister . |
204,439 | 94a9c8f002e0708f1c8f4f8619cbee3ca027d547 | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 01:24 EST, 30 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:24 EST, 30 April 2013 . A Welsh woman was convicted yesterday of racially abusing her father's mistress by calling her an 'English cow'. Prestatyn magistrates heard that Elen Humphreys, 25, went to Angela Payne's house in Rhyl to collect some of her father's belongings and told her: 'Leave well alone, you English cow'. Ms Payne reported Humphreys to police, saying the comments were the 'final straw'. Elen Humphreys was convicted of racially aggravated harassment for calling Angela Payne an 'English cow' Humphreys was ordered to pay Ms Payne £50 in compensation and was given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to racially aggravated harassment at court. The case comes two days after a English tourist Anthony Taaffe was fined £150 for calling security staff at a Welsh holiday park 'a bunch of sheep s******s'. Prosecutor James Neary said Ms Payne contacted police last November because Humphreys' mother had previously been warned by officers about her conduct. He added that Humphreys, of Garndolbenmaen, near . Porthmadog, had called Ms Payne other names before the incident. Andrew Hutchinson, defending, said . that Humphreys’s parents had been married for 32 years but her father . had then started the other relationship and gone 'backwards and forwards' between the two women. 'Emotions were running high,' he said. Humphreys was ordered to pay Ms Payne £50 in compensation at Prestatyn Magistrates' Court . Last week, Taaffe, from Bolton, received the fine after calling security staff and an off-duty policeman at a holiday part near Prestatyn a 'bunch of sheep s******s'. Taaffe claimed at court in Llandudno, North Wales, he was using the term to describe ‘people living in the countryside’. The court was told that on Thursday . last week Taaffe appeared drunk and had been shouting and swearing at . staff at Presthaven Sands holiday park at Gronant, near Prestatyn. | Elen Humphreys, 25, told Angela Payne to 'leave well alone, you English cow'
Prestatyn magistrates ordered Humphreys to pay £50 in compensation .
Last week, an English tourist was fined £150 for calling security guards 'sheep s******s' at a Welsh holiday camp . |
178,477 | 7313ba3517fd37a9b3db4969e7c5feb45fa5bb8f | The iPhone is to face its biggest challenge for supremacy in the smartphone market this week with the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy. In what has been described as the most eagerly awaiting technology release of the year, the Galaxy S4 will be unveiled in New York on Wednesday and rumours are the device will feature eye control. The S4’s predecessor, the S3, already had a feature called Smart Stay that detected if users were looking at the screen. Revolutionary: The Samsung S4 is set to launch on Wednesday in New York with rumoured features such as wireless charging and eye-controlled scrolling . But the S4 is expected to have . revolutionary functions such as ‘eye pause’ and ‘eye scroll’, which will . let users scroll around apps and websites simply by moving their eyes. Since . its launch last year, the S3 briefly outsold the iPhone 4S but after . the release of the iPhone 5, Apple have regained the top spot. However, the S4 is predicted to . become the biggest seller when it hits the stores in a few weeks thanks . to rumoured technological improvements such as wireless charging, . It . is also expected to be powered by an eight core processing chip, . compared to the iPhone’s two, and to have a larger screen - 5in compared . to 4.8in on the S3. Old rivals: There was fierce competition between Apple's iPhone 4s, left, and Samsung's Galaxy S III, right, last year as the battle between the two technology companies continues . Other leaks suggest it will have a 13 megapixel camera, as opposed to the iPhone’s eight. Francisco . Jeronimo, from technology analysis firm IDC, said: ‘Apple is not the . one leading the market. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new Samsung . device sells more than the new Apple device over the next two years.’ The S4’s launch ceremony will be held at the famous Radio City music Hall and will be broadcast live in Times Square. South . Korean electronics giant Samsung have released a few teaser . advertisements for the phone, which show a boy’s face being lit up by a . golden glow as he opens a box containing the S4, with the catchline ‘one . of the most amazing products to hit the market since TVs went colour.’ | The Samsung S4 launch will be on Wednesday .
Rumoured features include wireless charging and 'eye scroll' screen . |
94,973 | 060beb0dc67ec6952bfb9948a987f6dc34f71d24 | United Nations (CNN) -- The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor reported Friday to the U.N. Security Council that violence continues in Darfur and that the Sudanese president and his government are not cooperating with investigators. Luis Moreno-Ocampo noted positive developments in judicial proceedings and "fruitful" cooperation with international bodies, but said there still remain many setbacks. He explained that crimes continue in the region, including "indiscriminate bombings of civilians ... rapes and sexual violence" and the "use of child soldiers." Moreno-Ocampo also highlighted Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's role in the situation. "Any leader committing crimes will face justice. Power does not provide immunity." Al-Bashir has refused to appoint a lawyer to represent his position in court and, because of the ICC-issued warrant for his arrest, has not risked traveling to attend high-level events such as the U.N. General Assembly or a meeting held by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, or to other countries where it had been thought he might go, such as Uganda, Nigeria and Venezuela. Moreno-Ocampo said respect for the International Criminal Court's decision to issue the warrant would send a clear message that al-Bashir "will face justice." "There was no immunity for President [Slobodan] Milosevic [of the former Yugoslavia], there was no immunity for Prime Minister [Jean] Kambanda [of Rwanda], there was no immunity for President [Charles] Taylor [of Liberia]," he said. Instead of complying with the Security Council, al-Bashir has used the Sudanese state apparatus "to commit massive crimes" and has attempted to "exacerbate" the conflict in the South as means of shifting the international community's attention away from Darfur, Moreno-Ocampo said. He also accused al-Bashir of "stopping information about the crimes" rather than stopping the crimes themselves. Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Rosemary DiCarlo called on the Sudanese government to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court and its investigations as called for in Security Council Resolution 1593. "The United States believes that those responsible for the atrocities in Darfur must be held accountable" as they "affect the stability of Sudan as a whole," she said. DiCarlo said the ongoing violence in Darfur undermines "an already fragile humanitarian situation" and urged all states "to refrain from providing political or financial support" to those charged by the International Criminal Court . Moreno-Ocampo said his office was considering holding responsible Sudanese officials "who actively deny and dissimulate crimes." "Since Nuremberg, due obedience is no longer a legal excuse" for the facilitation of such criminal acts, he said. Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad responded by calling Moreno-Ocampo a "mercenary of death and destruction," back once more to spread his "illusions" and "catastrophic vision." "This is a big lie. The war in Darfur is over," he said. Mohamad turned to those in the Security Council who asked for justice, and said they "should feel ashamed" and that their "credibility is at stake, if they have any." The Sudanese ambassador said Moreno-Ocampo "would like to prolong the suffering of our people," and said, "We will charge him with political prostitution." Reiterating his role as prosecutor is "to investigate and prosecute to contribute to the prevention of future crimes," Moreno-Ocampo said he is "ready to answer any challenge in court." However, he acknowledged he would need the Security Council's full support "to end the current crimes against the people from Darfur." | The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor reported Friday to the U.N. Security Council .
Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo says violence continues in Darfur .
Moreno-Ocampo also highlighted Sudanese president's role in the situation .
International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrant for Sudan's president . |
218,253 | a68e4d9ad01da70ba9ed53575658ad4c1f691fa4 | By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 14:19 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:52 EST, 13 June 2013 . Could this be the answer to London's chronic housing shortage? Tomorrow, Tower Hamlets council is expected to give the green light for developers to build a 784ft skyscraper on Canary Wharf which is being dubbed a 'town in a tower'. Over 75 floors, the building will contain 822 homes as well as shops, a gym, a library, play and party areas, a cinema and a roof terrace. The facilities will be split between 'amenity floors' located on the 27th and and 56th floors. In their application, developer Chalegrove . Properties, argues this will compensate for a lack of outdoor space for . residents. Landmark: The new skyscraper, highlight right, will become the second-tallest building in Britain at 784ft tall . Living the high life: At the base of the tower there will be a cafe and play area for toddlers and a green space overlooking the River Thames . When the outdoors comes in: The building will include 'amenities' such as this children's play area to compensate for a lack of available outside space . Built on the site of an old pub, the City Pride, the tower will become the second-tallest building in Britain behind the Shard which stands at 1,016ft. It has been designed by top London architects Squire & Partners. Officers have recommended that Tower Hamlet's planning committee gives the project on Westferry Road the go-ahead on the basis that £4.2million is contributed to community services. Almost 40 per cent of the properties must also be reserved for the area's low-income buyers. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, wrote recently that the shortage of affordable housing in the capital is ‘perhaps the gravest crisis the city faces’. In a document he penned about the future of the capital, he called for restrictions on London councils to borrow to be lifted so they could build more homes. Development: The new skyscraper will be built on the site of a derelict pub on Westferry Road on Canary Wharf . 'There is no need for this to appear on the books as public borrowing,' he said in his 11,000-word paper 'Ambitions for London'. He estimated another 1 million homes will have to be built by the mid-2030s if London is to cope with demographic projections. Mr Johnson added: 'Already 70 per cent of businesses say that the cost of housing in London is a major barrier to growth.' 'To address this crisis we need to act urgently and boldly.' Earlier this year architects released plans to turn disused garages in Dalston, East London, into mini-homes which could be used by young professionals for just £11 a week. If it is successful, the scheme will . be expanded to other parts of London and throughout the UK, . concentrating on areas where there are lots of homeless people or a . shortage of housing for the young. The architects are already in talks with a number of local authorities in hope of launching similar schemes. | Building will become second-tallest in Britain behind the Shard .
Will have 75 floors and more than 2,000 sq ft of 'amenity space' for leisure and play areas, a gym and restaurant among other facilities .
Developers say this will be compensate for lack of outdoor space .
Tower Hamlets planners expected to give it approval tomorrow . |
282,937 | fa7e99301ec986d5ddd2747588c7f56a1d9e349a | (CNN) -- There are few places in the world which can claim to be more romantic than Paris. A glance across the River Seine, a walk though the Jardin des Tuileries hand in hand with a loved one, 37 bridges to pause and take a breath at the beauty of an enchanting city. Artists sitting at every corner beckoning you for a portrait, the music which fills the air, the sheer smell of history which touches every sinew. There are the book markets which entice you with that precious thought of sipping a coffee at a trendy cafe, while you sit engrossed in a work of literary art. Tourists flock from around the world to see the Eiffel Tower, to take in the Haussman renovation and to bend down on one knee and ask that question. There's the Pont Alexandre III bridge, linking Les Invalides where Napoleon is buried, right through to Le Grand Palais and the shopping heaven of the Champs-Elysees. Don't forget the Pont Des Arts, allowing you to walk between Louvre and the 6th Arrondissement without the constant noise of traffic. Why not stay a while? Enjoy a fine bottle of wine, a picnic perhaps? Or maybe you'd rather save yourself for a jaunt across the Pont Neuf and steal a kiss? This is Paris, the romantic capital of France and perhaps the world. But on Sunday January 6 2013, Paris surrendered its crown, or at least for a few hours temporarily. Away from the boutiques, the patisseries, the artists of Montmartre, Paris had been eclipsed by a group of men, who have taken the whole notion of romance to a new level. Step forward the brave and hardy souls of Epinal. In a small and sleepy town in the north-east of the country, around 311 kilometers from the capital, something has stirred. There are no candle lit dinners or boutique bistros, instead it is a place known for three things -- the cold, the Epinal print and now, at last, its football team. It was here that the romance of the French domestic Cup was realized, not through poetry, painting or drama. This grew out of passion. Epinal, a third-tier side, which sits 19th out of 20 teams in its division, had dreamed of this day for many a year although that dream was tempered with more than a hint of apprehension. The arrival of cup holder Lyon and its millionaire football players would have left even the most rose tinted of Epinal supporters reaching for a nice bottle of rouge. Lyon, the seven-time league champion, a team playing at the pinnacle of European football in the Champions League, arrived at Stade de la Colombière second in the top division. After holding a training camp in the luxurious surrounding of Monaco and all the glitz and glamor that goes with it, this game was supposed to ease the team back into the routine following the winter break. While Lyon's players have been busy wiping the sweat from their brow and basking in the exotic temperatures of the Principality, Epinal's players were trying to fit the rigors of training into everyday life. Epinal is an amateur team, its players work in all sections of society and train when their jobs allow. It is not the life their opponent endures. For once, work took a back seat as the romance of the cup swept across the town and those who live there. As the two teams took to the field, the millionaire international footballers of Lyon and the dreamers of Epinal, what chance would the home side have afforded themselves? French football has seen fairy tales in the past. Only last season, Quevilly of the third tier reached the final where it was beaten narrowly by Lyon. In 2009, Guingamp of the second division, defeated Stade Rennais, while other teams outside the top flight such as Chateauroux, Amiens, Calais and Sedan have all reached the final in recent time. "There is always a story every year," French football expert Philipe Auclair told CNN. "We had Quevilly last year which was a wonderful story and then in previous years we've had Calais and others. "There are a lot more upsets in the French Cup, but this one is absolutely huge." Huge indeed. It took the amateurs of Epinal just 13 minutes to move into a two-goal lead thanks to Tristan Boubaya. His double strike allowed not just a town, but an entire country to dream. This was the day when Epinal allowed France to fall in love with another minnow. Like any romance, there are rocky moments. Two of those came within the next seven minutes as Lyon drew level. The dream looked like it had died when Lisandro Lopez converted a penalty to leave Epinal's hopes in tatters with just 28 minutes remaining. Not since the 18th century had so many printing presses been ready to illustrate the efforts of Epinal. Famed for its printing cards of saints, wars and fairy tales, the town was about to receive a new legend to add to the list. Step forward Valentin Focki. It was he who scored a precious equalizer with 13 minutes remaining to take the tie into extra-time and eventually came penalties. And so it came down to the dreaded spot kicks. Many a man has crumbled under the pressure of trying to beat a goalkeeper from 12-yards. Far greater players than those of Epinel have lost their nerve and fallen into the abyss. But in Olivier Robin, Epinal had its hero. The goalkeeper ensured his face will be forever remembered on a picture card, saving a penalty to help bring down the might of Lyon. Who said romance was dead? "It's a really big shock," Damien Comolli, former Director of Football at AS Monaco, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham told CNN. "Lyon has been playing very well this season and it's the first really big negative result they've had all season. "The league title is almost guaranteed to Paris Saint-Germain and there are only a couple of other trophies for other teams to win. "Lyon wanted to win this cup and for them to lose is a huge blow, it's a massive shock. "Epinal are part-time and have jobs which allow them to train, they're a small team. Now, the focus on the club will be huge." While Epinal's players bask in the limelight of its victory, it's unlikely that the town will rival Paris for romance in the long term. The romance of the Coupe de France has been rekindled in a quiet town in the east of the country. For now, let Epinal have its day. | Epinal of the third tier of French football defeated cup holder Lyon .
Home side won 4-2 on penalties after tie had finished 3-3 after extra-time .
Lyon, seven-time league champion and second in Ligue 1, shocked by result .
Epinal made up of amateur football players and are 19th out of 20 in its division . |
39,397 | 6f4f3c3c57490597944284bfc913fbe518b8778d | With a sad shake of the head, Chris Sutton laments that the foreign legion has taken over English football. In his own Blackburn Rovers' heyday — up front alongside Alan Shearer — the talk on Match of the Day was very much centred on 'the SAS'. The goals of Sutton and Shearer, quickly earning them that tag, ultimately captured the league flag for Kenny Dalglish's Blackburn in 1994-1995, their first title win in 81 years. Chris Sutton (right), pictured holding the Premier League trophy with Alan Shearer, believes there are too many foreign players in England's top-flight . But the English top-flight scene of 2014 is now all about Spain's Diego Costa at Chelsea, Manchester City's Argentinian Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal and Chile. And Sutton believes an over reliance on foreign recruits has driven down the standard of local players, rendering this England side 'underwhelming'. A lacerating pitch-side pundit with BT Sports, Sutton is unconvinced by goalkeeper Joe Hart and defender Phil Jagielka. He also thinks midfielder Fabian Delph is no Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard. Ultimately, though, Sutton blames the English Premier League and its obsession with overseas talent for the roar of the Three Lions being replaced by a whimper. Sutton is unconvinced that Phil Jagielka (right) is good enough to play international football . 'English football is a great watch, it's box office — but it's not English players we are raving about,' said former Norwich, Chelsea and Celtic striker Sutton, who picked up just one cap for England. 'On a Saturday night, when people watch Match Of the Day, they talk about Diego Costa. You don't hear them talking about English players and I think that is a big problem. 'Young English players are finding it harder to get their chance and that has an effect on the national team. 'People talk about changing the manager but Roy Hodgson can only work with what is available to him. 'I don't think there are enough good English players and the current England team is underwhelming. 'They have issues all over the pitch. At the back, I think Joe Hart is under pressure. I like Fraser Forster and I think he deserves an opportunity. Ex-Chelsea striker Sutton thinks it's a shame that people talk about Diego Costa (right) and not English players . 'There are also problems at centre-half. I don't believe Jagielka is good enough to play international football. 'In midfield, they are toying with players to replace Lampard and Gerrard and bringing in the likes of Delph who, to me, isn't an England player. 'Up front, I still like Wayne Rooney. I think he has a big effect on the team and that he gets unfair criticism. But they need to get Daniel Sturridge fit. 'England have a lot to do. I don't think they are up with the best teams in the world, not by a long shot.' In Brazil last summer, England's endured their worst-ever World Cup, finishing bottom of a group that included Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Under Hodgson, they have won four out of four in an admittedly weak qualifying group and are on the brink of reaching Euro 2016 in double-quick time. Sutton, pictured during his time as Lincoln manager, believes England aren't up there with the world's best . But major finals are where England are judged and Sutton wants affirmative action in their Premier League to help restore the national team's fortunes. 'At the World Cup, there was all this stuff about England in the group of death but I still expected them to qualify. 'You must hit the ground running in big tournaments. England didn't and it cost them. 'Greg Dyke at the FA is trying to sort things out at grass-roots level. He gets criticised but at least he is trying to do something about it. 'But, until there's a bigger quota of English players in club sides, it will keep affecting the national team. Fabian Delph (right) isn't good enough to replace Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard, according to Sutton . 'When clubs name a 25-man squad, around half should be British. That's the sensible way to address things — but it isn't being addressed.' It is against that bleak backdrop that Sutton believes an England defeat to Scotland tonight would represent 'a disaster' — but 'no surprise'. He said: 'This game has more significance for England than it does for Scotland. 'I think English people would expect England to win but I'm not so sure they will. Scotland have momentum and are playing with confidence.' VIDEO Rooney expecting fiery atmosphere in Scotland . Chris Sutton is a member of the League Managers' Association of which the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, is a corporate partner. | England face Scotland in a friendly at Celtic Park on Tuesday night .
Chris Sutton believes that there are too many foreigners playing in the Premier League .
The ex-Blackburn striker says the Three Lions have a lot of work to do .
Clubs should be forced to have half-British squads, according to Sutton . |
219,191 | a7b38ee0fd55cb3801c9de6cb5177fd3a26a7abf | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:07 EST, 5 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:25 EST, 5 November 2013 . The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a former Ku Klux Klan leader convicted of orchestrating the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers in a case known as 'Mississippi Burning'. Attorneys for Edgar Ray Killen, who was convicted of manslaughter in 2005, had claimed there were violations of his constitutional rights during his trial, but a lower-court ruling found none. On Monday, the justices said they will not review these findings. Killen, now 88, was convicted exactly 41 years to the day after the deaths of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman. He is serving 60 years in a Mississippi prison. Locked up: Edgar Ray Killen, pictured at his bond hearing in 2005, was convicted of orchestrating the killings of three men in 1964. On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal in his case . In 1964, Schwerner and Goodman, two white men from New York, came to Mississippi as part of Freedom Summer and worked with Chaney, a black Mississippian, to help register black voters. But when they went to investigate the burning of an African-American church in Neshoba County, they were ambushed by members of the Ku Klux Klan and shot dead before being buried 15 feet beneath an earthen dam. Their bodies were found in the dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi more than a month later after an intense search. The deaths were dramatized in the 1988 movie 'Mississippi Burning' which starred Gene Hackman and Willem Defoe as the two FBI agents investigating the killings. Victims: Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman had helped black people register for votes before they were kidnapped, beaten and killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan . Grisly discovery: Their bodies were found in an earthen dam in June 1964, more than a month later . In 1967, 18 men went on trial on . federal conspiracy charges in the deaths but despite evidence that . Killen orchestrated the killings, he walked free after a federal jury . deadlocked 11-1. Younger years: Killen, pictured in 1964, originally walked free because he was a preacher . At the time, the 12th, stand-alone jury member said she could 'never convict a . preacher'. But the jury convicted seven others, including Sam Bowers, who had ordered the killings. Two . decades later, in an interview that was to be sealed until his death, . Bowers said he was 'quite delighted to be convicted' and have 'the main . instigator of the entire affair walk out of the courtroom a free man' - referring to Killen. His remarks were revealed by The Clarion-Ledger in 1998 and sparked calls for a review of the case and to prosecute Killen. Killen, once a part-time Baptist . preacher, was the only person indicted in 2005 when prosecutors brought . the first state charges. He was indicted on murder charges but jurors were given the option to convict him of manslaughter, which they did. Killen's attorney, Robert Ratliff of Mobile, Alabama, did not immediately respond to a phone message on Monday. Killen's lawyers had raised several arguments in his appeals, including that his defense team didn't do a good job in representing him at trial in Neshoba County. On screen: 'Mississippi Burning', a 1988 film starring Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, was based on the killings . They also argued that his . constitutional rights were violated by the decades-long delay between . the deaths and his indictment, by variances between the charges in the . indictment and the jury's verdict, and by prosecutors' alleged failure . to turn over evidence that could prove his innocence. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate . in Jackson, Mississippi, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals both . rejected Killen's appeals before the case went to the U.S. Supreme . Court. | Edgar Ray Killen convicted of manslaughter in 2005 for the deaths on Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman .
The three men were registering black voters in Mississippi in 1964 when they vanished and were found buried in a dam weeks later .
Killen's attorneys had claimed there were violations of his constitutional rights during his trial but the courts found none . |
41,153 | 7418253130d58f1ba36a18be302cd3623094790d | An Australian woman has miraculously given birth to conjoined twins with one body and two heads despite doctors initially telling them to terminate the pregnancy. Renee Young and her partner Simon Howie, of Tregear in Sydney's west, welcomed their daughters on Thursday six weeks before they were due. The couple, who found out via an ultrasound that the twins they were expecting was in fact one child with two symmetrical faces and two brains connected by the one brain stem, said doctors were shocked by the girls' exceptional progress. Scroll down for video . Two girls in one body: Renee Young with her daughters Faith and Hope who were born in a Sydney hospital on May 8 . Faith and Hope were born with a rare condition called diprosopus, which means they share the same body and organs but have separate brains and two faces . Proud mother: Faith and Hope are now in a stable condition and breathing without support, after initial doubts . 'They are breathing perfectly on their own and feeding,' Mr Howie told Woman's Day. Ms Young gave birth to the girls, named Faith and Hope, via an emergency caesarean at Blacktown Hospital last Thursday. The girls were born with a rare condition called diprosopus, which means they share the same body and vital organs but have their own faces and brains which are connected by only one brain stem. 'Even though there is only one body, we call them our twins. To us, they are our girls and we love them,' Mr Howie said. They were transferred to the Children's Hospital at Westmead shortly after they were born. 'We have no idea how long they will be in hospital. We just want to bring them home, happy and healthy to make our family a little bit bigger and a bit more chaotic,' Mr Howie said. Hope and Faith's have their own brains which are connected by only one brain stem . 'I think they're beautiful and Simon thinks they're beautiful so really that's all that matters,' their mother said. As the parents of seven other children, Renee and her husband Simon Howie never considered terminating while the girls grew healthy . The condition is so rare that only 35 cases have ever been recorded and none have survived. Due to the incredibly complex nature of their condition, doctors are so unsure about what to expect from the twin’s condition that they are being forced to make their prognoses day by day. Mr Howie confirmed that specialists are being called in to decipher a range of problems and assess the twins in great depth, from the functioning of their lungs and blood vessels to decisions about how best to proceed with feeding. But despite all the forewarned medial problems likely to come their way, Ms Young and Mr Howie are just happy their girls are alive and well. 'I think they're beautiful and Simon thinks they're beautiful so really that's all that matters,' Ms Young told A Current Affair. Mr Howie said: 'I sort of don't believe in terminating the baby if it's healthy and growing fine and everything is going to plan' Their mother Renee gave birth to the girls via an emergency caesarean . Their condition is so rare that only 35 cases have ever been recorded and none have survived . From as early as 28 weeks into Ms Young’s pregnancy, specialists were concerned about grave developmental issues. One of the biggest predicted survival risks from their doctor Greg Kesby, was that the babies would be unable to breathe on their own. The couple, who are parents to seven other children, were also told early on in the pregnancy not to keep the child ‘because it would be looked upon by the public as a freak’. They defied the doctors because Ms Young had never terminated a pregnancy and because they had a family 'that gives us a lot of support'. At first, things certainly looked to be taking a turn for the worst as Ms Young unexpectedly went into labour at only 32 weeks last Thursday, and was forced to have an emergency caesarean. The couple refused to terminate their unborn twins despite being warned by doctors of the medical and social problems the girls were likely to suffer . Channel 9 were given the honour of choosing the middle names of the newborns, picking Daisy for Faith and Alice for Hope . The twin girls were not breathing in the first few moments after their birth, leaving their parents in a state of great anxiety . But despite problems from the first moments of their birth, in which Faith and Hope were not heard to be breathing despite having a clear singular heartbeat, the girls have now defied all odds and are currently in a stable state and breathing without any assistance. Although the couple were aware from the early stages of pregnancy that their children would have great developmental problems, they explained that while the girls continued to grow healthily, they couldn’t come to terms with letting their unborn twins go. 'We sort of looked at it as; it'd be the same as being a child with autism or Down syndrome. I sort of don't believe in terminating the baby if it's healthy and growing fine and everything is going to plan,' Mr Howie said. The proud parents of the small survivors have braced themselves for a difficult path ahead and refuse to say goodbye prematurely. 'I would say, if I only get two days with the baby, I only get two days with the baby - at least I have some time with it,' Ms Young said. The conjoined twins share all their major organs apart from their brains . It was at 19 weeks into her pregnancy that Ms Young became aware that her unborn babies were conjoined . Source: The Embryo Project Encyclopedia . | Renee Young welcomed daughters Faith and Hope in Sydney last Thursday .
Both girls are doing very well despite doctors wanting to terminate .
Girls were born with the rare condition called diprosopus .
They share same body and organs but have separate brains and two faces . |
264,829 | e308e1663c2b657a2f3d5c3e9f45a80e9f4495ae | The Malaysia Airlines website has been hacked by group calling themselves the 'Lizard Squad' leaving a message saying '404 Plane Not Found' and declaring it part of their 'cyber caliphate' Users logging on to the site of Malaysia's national carrier earlier today were greeted with the picture of a lizard in a top hat, monocle and tuxedo, smoking a pipe. The image was surrounded by the message '404 Plane Not Found', an apparent reference to the airlines' unexplained loss of flight MH370 last year with 239 people aboard. Scroll down for video . The picture, which greeted people logging on to the Malaysia Airlines website earlier today after it was hacked by a group calling themselves the Lizard Squad . The site also showed the message, 'Hacked by Lizard Squad - Official Cyber Caliphate', while a rap song played in the background. Some people also reported that the hacked site carried the words 'ISIS will prevail'. In a statement, Malaysia Airlines confirmed its Internet domain had been compromised and that they were redirecting users. The statement said: 'At this stage, Malaysia Airlines' web servers are intact,' but added it could take nearly 24 hours to fully resolve the issue, which it had reported to Malaysian authorities. They added: 'Malaysia Airlines assures customers and clients that its website was not hacked and this temporary glitch does not affect their bookings and that user data remains secured.' It was not clear why the troubled airline was targeted but the hacking group said on its Twitter feed that it was 'Going to dump some loot found on malaysiaairlines.com servers soon.' They also tweeted claiming that Malaysia Airlines was lying about user data not being compromised. The Lizard Squad is a group of hackers that has caused havoc in the online world before, taking credit for attacks that took down the Sony PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live network last month. In August, it also tweeted to American Airlines that there might be explosives on a plane carrying the president of Sony Online Entertainment, which makes video games, forcing the flight to be diverted. The extent of any links with the Islamic State, however, are not yet known. How the Malaysia Airlines website usually looks. The carrier has since released a statement saying that user data has remained secure . The jihadist group has seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq in a brutal campaign and declared an independent Islamic 'caliphate'. It also has used social media to recruit and spread its message. The group has prompted world revulsion with its video-taped executions of journalists and other foreigners. On Sunday, it claimed to have beheaded a Japanese security contractor. A second Japanese captive has also been threatened with execution. Concerns over ISIS have spiked in Malaysia after scores of its citizens were lured to the Syrian jihad. A Malaysia Airlines jet at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The unexplained loss of MH370 damaged public confidence in the carrier and it has since been taken over by the Malaysian government . Malaysian authorities last week said they have detained 120 people suspected of having ISIS sympathies or planning to travel to Syria. The unexplained loss of MH370 and the airlines' poor crisis-handling in the aftermath of the disappearance severely damaged public confidence in the carrier, sending the business into a tailspin. In July, flight MH17 was also shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew. The airline has since been taken over by a Malaysian government investment fund. | The Malaysia Airlines website has been hacked by the 'Lizard Squad'
People logging on to the site were greeted with image of a lizard in top hat .
Surrounded by the message '404 Plane Not Found' in reference to MH370 .
Declared they were the 'official cyber caliphate' while rap music played .
Also reported that the hackers wrote the message 'ISIS will prevail'
Airline says their site was compromised but users data unaffected . |
2,054 | 05fb63fb10548a588f51aa791462bc3720f30e5a | (CNN) -- The Netherlands made a winning start to their World Cup campaign as a moment of defensive madness cost Denmark dearly in Johannesburg, while Japan defeated a disappointing Cameroon 1-0 in Monday's other Group E match. The Dutch failed to live up to their pre-tournament billing as one of the favorites, needing an own-goal less than a minute into the second half to settle their nerves and pave the way for an eventually comfortable 2-0 victory. Dirk Kuyt sealed the win with five minutes left, then defender Simon Poulsen -- earlier at fault for the opening goal -- made a spectacular clearance from under his own crossbar to prevent an even more damaging defeat. Keisuke Honda was the hero for Japan in Bloemfontein as his first half goal proved enough to beat 1990 quarterfinalists Cameroon and give the Asian side their first World Cup win on foreign soil. Netherlands 2-0 Denmark . The Netherlands started the match in at Soccer City with star forward Arjen Robben on the substitutes' bench still resting his injured hamstring, but still boasted attacking potency in Robin Van Persie and Kuyt plus the midfield presence of Mark van Bommel and Rafael van der Vaart. But Denmark slightly edged the first half as striker Nicklas Bendtner -- who made a surprise recovery from injury to start the match -- headed wide, and then set up Thomas Kahlenburg for a shot that was well saved by Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. But the game turned some 40-odd seconds after the halftime restart when Poulsen, who plays for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, inexplicably headed Van Persie's cross onto the back of his helpless teammate Daniel Agger and into the net. The unlucky Agger was later credited with the own-goal by world governing body FIFA. With Bendtner going off after an hour, the Danes lost all attacking impetus despite the introduction of 18-year-old forward Christian Eriksen, the youngest player to appear so far at this year's tournament. It became only a matter of time before the Dutch extended their lead, with Wesley Sneijder's deflected shot looping onto the top of Thomas Sorensen's crossbar. Kuyt wrapped it up soon after with a simple chance, following up as Eljero Elia broke free down the left and beat Sorensen with his low shot but hit the post. Poulsen then made some amends for his earlier error as he got back to clear with Sorensen again beaten in the 88th minute. "The players were a little tense and frustrated in the first-half, we wanted to play beautiful football, but we lost the ball too often," Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk told AFP. "Things got better after the first goal, then you saw what we are capable of doing, we could have won by more. It was a huge relief when the second goal went in." Japan 1-0 Cameroon . Both Japan and Cameroon came into the World Cup on a poor run of form, with the Asian team having lost four of the previous five games and the Africans winless in seven. After a dull opening, Japan started to press forward and deservedly took the lead seven minutes before the break. Daisuke Matsui swung over a deep cross from the right which eluded the entire Cameroon defense before landing at the feet of Honda, who calmly passed the ball into the net. Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o, who appeared isolated on the right wing in the first half, carved his side's first real opportunity early in the second. Cutting in between three defenders, the Inter Milan forward cut the ball back from the byline and teed up Eric Choupo-Moting, whose curled shot went narrowly wide. Japan, who reached the last 16 on home soil in 2002, were organized and disciplined throughout and could have extended their lead when Makoto Hasebe's long-range strike drew a flying save from Hamidou Souleymanou. Shinji Okazaki fired the rebound against a post, only to be flagged offside. Moments later, the woodwork was shaking again at the other end of the pitch as Stephane Mbia's fierce shot from outside the area smashed against the crossbar. Cameroon, the highest-ranked African side at the tournament, laid siege to the Japan goal in stoppage-time but could not find a way past the impressive Eiji Kawashima. | Own-goal from Denmark defender puts Netherlands on the way to 2-0 Group E victory .
Poulsen heads cross off teammate Daniel Agger and into net for first goal after halftime .
Dutch seal victory with 85th-minute goal from Dirk Kuyt after Eljero Elias hits post .
Keisuke Honda scores only goal as Japan beat 1990 quarterfinalists Cameroon 1-0 . |
190,966 | 834b81a64ce1e11164d0e80b213180f3bf452c87 | Barcelona expect to finalise a deal for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez over the next 48 hours. Talks are ongoing and the Spanish club is concentrating on a straight cash deal for the 27-year-old who Liverpool value at £80million. Suarez would be allowed to have a medical ahead of a transfer under the terms of his four-month ban for biting, FIFA's disciplinary chief has confirmed. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Dwight Yorke: Suarez leaving Premier League will be a blow . On the move: Barcelona have secured the services of Luis Suarez from Liverpool, reports AS in Spain . Controversy: Suarez's World Cup ended in disgrace when he was banned for four months after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini . VIDEO Suarez to Barca talks open . The Liverpool striker has been banned from all football-related activities including from stadiums, but it will not prevent him moving clubs if a transfer deal is agreed. Claudio Sulser, the head of FIFA's disciplinary committee, said: 'The player cannot have any activity related to football, but a medical examination for a transfer yes - the sanction is not linked to transfer rights.' Suarez has appealed against the four-month ban imposed for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. In action: Suarez is appealing his four-month footballl-wide ban . Wednesday's meeting between the two clubs in London was productive and cordial with sensible expectations placed on both sides. Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre met with Barcelona power brokers Raúl Sanllehí, Toni Rossich and Jordi Mestre. On Tuesday, Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta publicly backed the shamed striker, smoothing the way for him to join Barcelona. Back home: Suarez with his son upon his return to Uruguay following his ban . 'Suarez had the honour to come out and apologise for his actions and now it's time for him to begin the recovery process,' Zubizarreta said at the Nou Camp as new signing Ivan Rakitic was unveiled. Rakitic also had his say on the controversy, saying: 'To have the character and strength to apologise in front of the world shows what a noble person he is.' VIDEO Suarez family say he should leave Liverpool . | Barcelona now concentrating on a cash-only deal for Liverpool star .
Suarez allowed to have medical despite four-month football ban .
Two clubs met on Wednesday in London to thrash out a deal . |
253,705 | d463f1ecd12b2fc038d8f9094680ced0dcce2a68 | Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane has named just one Premier League star in his Dream XI - with Manchester City's Yaya Toure getting the nod to start in midfield. Zidane's side is littered with players from his former side Real Madrid and La Liga rivals Barcelona. In fact, all of the 11 players he has named in his mouthwatering line-up have plied their trade for one of Spain's top two teams during their careers. Manchester City ace Yaya Toure is the only Premier League star to make Zinedine Zidane's Dream XI . Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi (right) are both included in Zidane's ideal starting line-up . Zidane has named Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas in goal ahead of 2014 Ballon d'Or candidates Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtois. Three Real Madrid stars make up the defence with Barcelona's Dani Alves joining Marcelo, Sergio Ramos and Pepe. Luka Modric partners Yaya Toure in a two-man midfield while Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are chosen to play behind Zidane's fellow countryman Karim Benzema. Zidane has decided to omit the world's most expensive player in Gareth Bale and £63million-rated Real Madrid superstar James Rodriguez. The 42-year-old Real B coach has not named a single player from Joachim Low's 2014 World Cup-winning Germany side. Head here to Like MailOnline Sport's Facebook page. Zidane did not include a single member of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning side . Gareth Bale, who is the world's most expensive player, has been left out while Luka Modric is included . VIDEO An unforgettable year for Madrid - Ancelotti . | Zinedine Zidane has picked 11 players who have played for either Barcelona or Real Madrid during their professional careers .
The former La Liga star has left out Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez .
He has not named a single player from Germany's World Cup-winning side . |
257,624 | d96a90cd5160180068a2077152bd588e36f77a0e | (CNN) -- A second man has been arrested in connection with last week's shooting at a Philadelphia high school, police said Monday. Donte Walker, 18, allegedly sold the gun that was fired inside the gymnasium of the Delaware Valley Charter School on Friday. The accused shooter, Raisheem Rochwell, 17, obtained the firearm from Walker just before the shooting, police said. Walker turned himself in to police on Saturday. Rochwell was reportedly going to be the target of an assault after school and may have requested the gun, according to police. Video footage shows the exchange of money and a black handgun between Walker and an unidentified male, police said. The gun was then handed to Rochwell inside the gymnasium, police said. According to investigators, Walker, a former student who graduated in 2013, was considered a "guest" and did not have to pass the metal detectors to enter. Walker is being charged with violation of Pennsylvania's Uniform Firearms Act, conspiracy and related offenses. Rochwell was arraigned Saturday as an adult. He faces charges including aggravated assault, violation of the Uniform Firearms Act, recklessly endangering another person and having a weapon on school property, according to police. The shooter was in the school gym with about seven other students, city police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. Some were playing basketball and others were standing in a corner when the shooter pulled a gun and fired. Around 3:30 p.m. the gun went off, striking an 18-year-old female student and a 17-year-old male student, police said. She was struck in the rear of the left arm, the bullet perforated her bicep and struck the boy in the shoulder. The students were taken to a local hospital Friday and have since been released. The investigation is ongoing. A 16-year-old male student had been in custody in connection with the shooting but was released because no charges were approved, police said. | Donte Walker, 18, is accused of selling the gun used in a school shooting .
Walker, a graduate of Delaware Valley Charter School, did not pass metal detectors .
He is charged with violating a state firearms law, conspiracy and other offenses . |
169,201 | 66eaf755df8dc1267d36014ca7239cd79ad2e1cf | By . Lucy Crossley . Sentenced: Sophie Hartley, 22, was jailed for four years after she deliberately slit her neighbour's throat in a violent rage following an all day drinking binge . A young woman who called herself a 'Full Time F****** Ledgend' on Facebook has been jailed after she deliberately slit her neighbour's throat in a violent rage following an all day drinking binge. Sophie Hartley, 22, was sentenced to four years behind bars for her attack on 21-year-old neighbour Joe Arnfield during a heated row at her flat in Burnley, Lancashire. The pair had drunk up to six litres of cider before Hartley slashed her friend's neck with a kitchen knife, leaving him scarred for life with a six centimeter stab wound. Hartley claimed she was so drunk she could not remember the attack - initially telling police: 'If I was going to stab him, I would have slashed him up proper.' The brunette, who described her career on Facebook as a 'Full Time F****** Ledgend' (sic) later admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Stephen Parker, prosecuting, told . Burnley Crown Court that Hartley and Mr Arnfield had been drinking cider at . her flat throughout the afternoon and into the evening of March 13. He . said she had initially been good natured but at 7pm, her demeanour . suddenly changed for no reason and she became aggressive and . argumentative. Mr Parker . told the court Hartley had been shouting and swearing at Mr Arnfield, and . told him she was going to 'get people to sort him out.' Their mutual friend Gemma Wiggan had left the building earlier that afternoon, but returned to hear screaming from Hartley’s flat. She told police the pair were engaged in a heated argument with Hartley shouting at Mr Arnfield to get out, as the pair stood . face to face, punching each other. As the fight spilled into the kitchen, Ms Wigan said she saw Hartley reach for a kitchen knife from a drawer. She told her to put it back as she was going to hurt someone, but Hartley and Mr Arnfield continued to argue, the court heard. Drink: Burnley Crown Court was told that Hartley, pictured on another occasion, and victim Joe Arnfield had drunk up to six litres of cider between them before the stabbing . Ms Wigan said she then saw Hartley lunge at Mr Arnfield, thrusting the knife towards Mr Arnfield's abdomen. 'She got the impression she was trying to scare him,' Mr Parker said. 'Joe Arnfield didn’t move out of the way. 'The victim’s response was to . start laughing. He was saying "You don’t have the balls to do it.” 'Hartley replied “Don’t tempt me, Joe.” 'He continued to laugh at her. Gemma Wiggan saw the defendant hold the knife up to Joe’s neck, Joe . still continued to laugh, she withdrew the knife and turned away from . him. He continued to laugh, she turned back to him again and in one . movement, sliced him horizontally across the neck.' Interview: Hartley initially claimed she was so drunk she could not remember the attack - telling police: 'If I was going to stab him, I would have slashed him up proper' 'Joe . Arnfield didn’t appreciate exactly what had happened, everybody started . to see blood, he held his hands up to his throat and his hands were . covered in blood. Gemma Wiggan said to the defendant “What have you . done ?” Hartley dropped the knife and started crying.' Mr Arnfield then ran from the flat, where some workmen tried to help stop the bleeding before he was rushed to hospital. Although he was left scarred by the attack, medics found that the blade had avoided any muscle, vital blood vessels or nerves. Hartley later told police she had been drinking since lunchtime but wouldn’t have stabbed Mr Arnfield. However, her account then changed and she claimed the pair of them had been messing around with a knife and the victim was a liar. The court heard she had 12 previous offences on her record, many of them drink-related. Richard Taylor, mitigating, said: 'She wants to come out of this sentence a better person. 'She says to me “I’m going to be scared of drinking anything on my release". 'She has always said to me that she recalls very little of the incident. She is extremely remorseful and is relieved that great injury, or worse, was not caused.' Judge Jonathan Gibson sentenced Hartley to four years in prison, telling her she was lucky that Mr Arnfield had not been more seriously injured. 'It’s very fortunate for you it was a laceration which was not deep enough to interfere with muscle, vessels or nerves,' he told her. 'In the cold light of day, I am sure you appreciate you could have either seriously injured him or even killed him.' | Sophie Hartley, 22, jailed for four years for attack on Joe Arnfield, 21 .
Pair were drinking cider before argument broke out and she grabbed knife .
He said 'You don’t have the balls to do it,' as she replied 'Don’t tempt me'
Hartley then sliced him horizontally across the neck with the blade .
Victim survived but was left with scar from 6cm stab wound . |
113,072 | 1df47bbad8f74f4434421a2da409dcdadbf1bcc9 | (CNN) -- Area 51 has long been a topic of fascination for conspiracy theorists and paranormal enthusiasts, but newly released CIA documents officially acknowledge the site and suggest that the area served a far less remarkable purpose than many had supposed. According to these reports, which include a map of the base's location in Nevada, Area 51 was merely a testing site for the government's U-2 and OXCART aerial surveillance programs. The U-2 program conducted surveillance around the world, including over the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Area 51, about 125 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is synonymous in popular culture with government secrecy, and many have theorized that it holds the answer to one of the greatest questions plaguing mankind: Are we really alone in the universe? But the newly released documents make no mention of alien autopsy rooms or spaceship parking lots. This information will be disappointing to some, who have come to view the area as a mecca of sorts for alien encounters. For these true believers, the existence of alien spacecraft at Area 51, and the government's attempts to cover up their trace, is irrefutable and has been since reports of Unidentified Flying Objects -- or UFOs -- began to emerge from the Nevada desert in the middle part of the 20th century. The map and other documents were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Jeffrey T. Richelson, a senior fellow at the National Security Archives, in 2005. Richelson submitted the request as part of his continuing study of aerial surveillance programs and told CNN that he was not given an explanation of why the new documents were less redacted than previous versions declassified by the agency. He points out, however, that the location of Area 51 was not a particularly well-kept secret. Its location appears in books on aerial surveillance and is widely referenced in popular culture. In fact, the map that was released in the CIA documents mirrors the one that appears after a simple Google Maps search for "Area 51." Area 51 has also been referenced in government documents in the past, though this newest release is the first that acknowledges its existence and location in a purposeful way. Richelson told CNN he believes this could signal a dramatic change in the government's willingness to declassify information about the famed base, meaning even more information could come out about Area 51 in the future. The release of these reports seem to put the theories about aliens and flying saucers to rest for the time being, although they may not be enough to silence the true believers. At least they still have Roswell, right? | The CIA officially acknowledges Area 51, long a fixation for conspiracy theorists, in documents .
The area, 125 northwest of Las Vegas, was a testing ground for Cold War aerial surveillance .
Document release could be just the beginning of Area 51 information, expert says . |
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