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271,168 | eb40c55253c0e9aa97529f363a1678e12bd0b3ad | New York (CNN) -- It took four trips by a state police helicopter, but 21 people who had been stranded by post-Irene floodwaters in a Prattsville, New York, house were rescued Monday without incident, a local official said. The group included four young children and a woman who appeared to be about five months pregnant, according to Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden. The group was stranded at a house that was cut off when all the bridges near it were washed out after torrential rains flooded homes and businesses and left the Catskill Mountains town of Prattsville largely cut off from the outside world. Another group of some 60 people took shelter during the storm at the Huntersfield Christian Training Center in Prattsville, and about 40 people remained there Monday night. Some in the group were able to head home on Monday, according to George Williams, youth leader at the center, but for others such a return would have to wait. "We're in safe ground so that's why we're a refuge for those," Williams said. "We have a number of people that have gone back to their homes, but we understand that there is a lot of, at your own risk, where people are entering their homes and they believe that they're sound ... but some homes have shifted ... and there's just a lot of cleanup to do," he added. "There are some here that have nothing to go back to, so they don't know how long it's going to be." The shelter, which Williams said was about five or six miles from Prattsville's main street, had power generators and enough water for those there to swap it for food from nearby residents. People from the neighboring town of Windham brought food and clothes for those at the shelter, Williams said. Emergency workers rescued 87 people from the Prattsville area on Sunday, including 25 people who were stranded at a motel for hours after 70 mph wind gusts grounded aircraft. The area flooded when Schoharie Creek rose more than 15 feet in less than 12 hours and intense rainfall shedding off the Catskills sent a volume of water greater than that of Niagara Falls -- both the American and Canadian sides -- crashing through town, Groden said. Elsie Stuppert, an employee of the Hideaway Hotel in Prattsville, said Monday the situation was dire. "People can't go home. They have nothing, floors all mud, car on top of the deck. They've lost everything," she said. The hotel sheltered about 35 or 40 people Sunday night, and also served as a makeshift command post for rescue personnel. The town had been filled with vacationers, as well as people who headed to vacation homes in the area as they heeded warnings to evacuate parts of New York that forecasters had expected to bear the brunt of Irene's impact, said Williams, from the Huntersfield center. "They had come up to escape the storm only to find its worst here," he said. CNN's Nina Golgowski, Maria P. White and Katie Silver contributed to this report. | NEW: Police helicopter rescues 21 people stranded in a house cut off by floodwaters .
NEW: Others find shelter at a Christian center .
NEW: "There are some here that have nothing to go back to," a center official says .
County official: 87 people stranded in Prattsville were rescued Sunday . |
58,253 | a52c1055d8616a8834fa541b8f1ccb2495d4f73b | By . Michael Thornton . She was the chirpy, zany, Northern blonde who became the nation’s favourite female clown. But Dora Bryan, who died yesterday at the age of 91, was far more than just a comedienne. At the height of her glittering 70-year career she won a BAFTA best actress award for her performance in the film A Taste Of Honey, a Laurence Olivier Award for her role in The Birthday Party at the National Theatre and was invested with the Order of the British Empire in 1996. She starred on the West End stage in the title role of Hello, Dolly! and for five years was one of the stars of television’s marathon hit, Last Of The Summer Wine. She was at one time Britain’s highest-paid showbusiness star. Scroll down for video . Dora Bryan, who died yesterday, in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery in 1966 with actor Jonathan Cecil . Dora, as Roz, middle, in the TV show, Last Of The Summer Wine, with cast-mates from front, Sarah Thomas, Janette Kaplan, Kathy Staff and Jane Freeman . Dora, seen here being directed by Tony Richardson in the film A Taste Of Honey which she won a BAFTA best actress award for . Dora, right, in comedy Absolutely Fabulous, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2002 . Yet behind the scenes life was an irrational mix of triumph and tragedy for Dora, who was born in Southport to an Oldham mill owner. Unsuspected by her adoring public, she faced heartbreak and disasters. But when she dazzled, she dazzled like a meteorite. Aged 32, she appeared in her first West End hit musical. Her show-stopping performance caused the impresario Peter (later Sir Peter) Saunders to telephone her after the rave reviews. ‘Can you get to the theatre early this evening?’ he asked. ‘There’s something I want to show you.’ When she arrived at the stage door, Saunders walked her along Drury Lane and pointed to the front of the theatre. She looked up, and there, in lights, were the words DORA BRYAN in THE WATER GIPSIES. Dora at Buckingham Palace with her 1996 OBE . ‘It was one of those magic moments in life that one can never capture again,’ she said. From that . moment on, she was an acclaimed and major star who counted even the . master of comedy himself, Noël Coward, among her ardent fans. Men . were charmed and delighted by her, but there was only one man in her . eyes. She had fallen in love at 17 with the handsome professional . cricketer Bill Lawton, who had played for Lancashire against the . Australians. Following . ‘one of the longest courtships in history’, they finally married after . 14 years on her 31st birthday. The Press had a field day when, as they . emerged from St Thomas’s Church, Oldham, on a bitter February Sunday, he . picked her up in his arms and carried her over the snowy ground. Despite . their happiness and her success in The Water Gipsies she suffered the . first of a long series of breakdowns three months into the musical’s . run, when she found she was pregnant and had to leave the show. Her . baby, born prematurely, did not survive. In . 1957, pregnant again, she had to leave another West End show only to . lose a second premature baby who died after a few days. Dora and Bill, . despairing of ever having a child of their own, adopted a son, Daniel, . and a daughter, Georgina. Then, . in 1962, in the wake of her award-winning performance in A Taste Of . Honey, came wonderful news: Dora found she was pregnant again. The . Lawtons’ son William was born healthy. But the following Christmas, Dora lost a third baby. Triumph never came without its tragedy, and as the family mourned the loss, her hit single All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle shot into the top 20 in the music charts. Dora with her adopted son Daniel who suffers from spinal arthritis . Dora stars alongside Wayne Sleep in Jack And The Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, in Windsor, in October 2004 . Dora at the curtain call for the musical, The Full Monty, at the Prince of Wales Theatre . No matter what she faced, she remained determined. She survived a terrifying car accident in Spain from which she emerged with six broken ribs, a broken collar bone and a broken shoulder blade, and later underwent six weeks of electro-convulsive therapy and joined Alcoholics Anonymous to conquer her addiction to booze. Still Dora battled on. She delighted film audiences as a headmistress in The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery and in Carry On Sergeant, and on telly in Dinner Ladies and Absolutely Fabulous. Her last major role was as a recurring character in Last Of The Summer Wine. She was all smiles and bonhomie on screen but at home she was looking after Bill, who had developed Alzheimer’s. They had been married for 54 rapturous years when he died at 88. Dora as Lily Pepper, and Bruce Forsyth as George Pepper, in the television show Red Peppers . Then came the most heartbreaking blow – she too began to show signs of memory loss and dementia. BBC executives were alarmed to see Dora, during a break in filming, trying to use a TV remote control to make a mobile phone call. In 2005, her role in Last Of The Summer Wine came to an end. The final curtain had fallen on a glorious career. Last year, she made her last public appearance at an exhibition devoted to her career at Rottingdean Museum in East Sussex. Dora, a trouper to the last, turned and said: ‘Bye-bye, darlings, I’ve got to go. I have a show to do.’ For the unforgettable Queen of Laughter the lure of the stage lights never faded. | Dora Bryan won a BAFTA award, a Laurence Olivier Award and an OBE .
She married professional cricketer Bill Lawson after 14 years together .
The couple lost two prematurely born babies before they had a son in 1962 .
She survived a car accident in Spain that left her with several broken bones . |
147,909 | 4b428134d4c3f3eed100dca65452f3869248e82b | By . Emily Anne Epstein . PUBLISHED: . 17:27 EST, 1 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:07 EST, 2 October 2012 . The father who inadvertently ignited a controversy by posting a photograph of his daughter with a sign that said 'I pooped in the shower' has spoken out to defend his actions. The doting father, whose identity MailOnline chose not to reveal in order to protect his child, said that while people have a right to pass judgement on him and his actions, his intentions were merely to connect with other parents and make light of the stinky situations they find themselves in. He called the people who have attacked him 'bullies' and said that he was shocked at the outrage his image received, adding that 'if people actually have my daughter’s best interest at heart they will leave us alone.' Explanation: The father who inadvertently ignited a controversy by posting a photograph of his daughter with a sign that said 'I pooped in the shower' has spoken out to defend his actions . The picture - in which the girl's face is clearly visible - went viral on the Internet and sparked outrage with some calling the dad 'sick' and urging social services to investigate him. Clearly unaware what is going on, she is smiling with the sign on a piece of string round her neck. It reads: 'I pooped in the shower and daddy had to clean it up. I hereby sign this as permission to use in my yearbook senior year.' At first, the father defended his decision to post the photograph on the message board in a humorous manner. 'Only to be fair, I will sign a piece of paper giving her full rights to do this to me when I'm old and decrepit,' he wrote. But the negative comments continued, so he deleted his account. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he said the whole incident was blown out of proportion. Defense: The doting father, pictured, whose identity MailOnline chose not to reveal in order to protect his child, said that while people have a right to pass judgement on him and his actions, his intentions were merely to connect with other parents and make light of the stinky situations they find themselves in . 'People have every right to pass judgment on me and disagree with my actions,' he said. 'I personally thought it was funny and wasn't looking for attention but . merely trying to give parents that are able to laugh at these silly . things a chance to.' He said that he's seen several of these kinds of posts on Reddit before and they've never garnered this much attention. 'I wasn’t angry with my daughter I was making light of a messy situation,' he said. Sign: He called the people who have attacked him 'bullies' and said that he was shocked at the outrage his image received, adding that 'if people actually have my daughter¿s best interest at heart they will leave us alone' The reaction was one of outrage and . on Reddit ilikepix wrote: ‘You don't make a child tough and resilient by . having her parents, who are meant to be the two people in the world she . can trust absolutely, set out to embarrass her in the most public of . settings. 'I'm very sorry for offending anyone but . I refuse to coddle my child and make her think the world is going to be . handed to her with padded walls and no worries.'Father . ‘That makes a child insecure, because it teaches her she can't trust the people closest to her.’ On another blog a commenter . wrote: ‘The father is one sick piece of c***’ whilst another said: . ‘Someone needs to hang a sign on him for being a terrible father that . exploits his poor toddler daughter.’ The father said he's been getting threatening emails, phone calls and messages for days, but he's ignoring them - which is how he tells his own daughter to deal with bullies. 'The outrage this has caused is terrible. To say that I've been threatened is an understatement,' he said. 'I'm very sorry for offending anyone but . I refuse to coddle my child and make her think the world is going to be . handed to her with padded walls and no worries. This wasn't a lesson I . was teaching her or some action with ill intent.' Parenting: The picture - in which her face is clearly visible - went viral on the Internet and sparked outrage with some calling the dad 'sick' and urging social services to investigate him . While he had defended his tough love approach, he also regrets that the image reached so many thousands of people. He never intended for it to go viral. 'This doesn't make me a terrible father it makes me a man who made one poor choice. It makes me human,' he said. His daughter, thankfully, has remained ignorant of the entire ordeal. 'My biggest fear is it actually is pushed into affecting my daughter who thank God has remained ignorant of this ordeal,' he said. 'If people actually have my daughter’s best interest at heart they will leave us alone.' People have every right to pass judgment on me and disagree with my actions. I personally thought it was funny and wasn't looking for attention but merely trying to give parents that are able to laugh at these silly things a chance to. I've seen similar things online but I guess they just flew under the radar. Being in the company of “shaming” parents is false because I wasn’t angry with my daughter I was making light of a messy situation. As far as the negative comments, I've been treating them the same way I'm raising my daughter to treat anyone that would bully her I'm ignoring them. I don't judge them. I've been flooded with support, been properly asked to use my daughters image on like minded blogs and I greatly appreciate that. Many people loved it and received exactly as intended. The outrage this has caused is terrible. To say that I've been threatened is an understatement. I'm very sorry for offending anyone but I refuse to coddle my child and make her think the world is going to be handed to her with padded walls and no worries. This wasn't a lesson I was teaching her or some action with ill intent. I will admit it was poor judgment on my part to allow it to be seen to this magnitude. I don't raise my daughter on poor judgment but I like every other person in the world am capable of making one. This doesn't make me a terrible father it makes me a man who made one poor choice. It makes me human. In her life I'm certain she'll meet bullies and people who are just plain mean. Many of them were in the original post talking flat out perverted and disgusting about my 3 year old. This is why I deleted it. I will always do everything in my power to prevent that but they're out there. I've learned a few things from this and that's that not everyone has the same sense of humor and I'll just have to keep my photos to family, close friends and myself. People are far more easily offended then I actually thought. I would appreciate it if this didn't get any bigger. My biggest fear is it actually is pushed into affecting my daughter who thank God has remained ignorant of this ordeal. If people actually have my daughter’s best interest at heart they will leave us alone. I don’t need the approval of people who automatically assume someone is a bad parent because of one instance of disagreement. My daughter and my wife are my whole life. They are all I really need. | Father spoke exclusively to MailOnline about fury following photograph .
Claims image of daughter holding sign that read 'I pooped in the shower' was light-hearted joke about perils of parenting . |
59,943 | aa4ed4847a86590e185f6fec6fdbbc7b635cee32 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Business minister Matt Hancock revealed how his family's firm had to put up a sign warning people not to drink bleach . Health and safety inspectors refused to sign-off the family firm of a government minister until they put up a sign telling people not to drink bleach. Business minister Matt Hancock revealed the bizarre experience as he railed against ‘heavy-handed’ jobsworths threatening small firms with unnecessary rules and regulations. Promoted to attend Cabinet in this month’s reshuffle, he will tomorrow unveil plans to allow companies to collect evidence of over-officious red-tape getting in the way of doing business. The government claims there are too many bodies inspecting businesses, often duplicating work and imposing unnecessary and costly burdens on those struggling to stay afloat. Mr Hancock says he understands the struggles people face with the ‘stress and worry of meeting monthly bills’ and they should not be added to with pointless inspections. He grew up watching his parents build an IT software firm, and the impact of daft regulations when it was visited by health and safety inspectors. Without a sign expressly warning people about the perils of drinking bleach, they would have been failed, he says. 'The only thing they could find that was wrong was that there was a bottle of bleach in the kitchen that wasn't labelled correctly,’ he told The Sunday Times. ‘I remember writing the poster that says, 'There is bleach in the cupboard, please do not drink it.' When we put that up they passed us.’ He later added: ‘When I was growing up my parents started and grew a small software firm in Chester, so I’ve seen first-hand the stress and worry of meeting monthly bills and the constant search for new finance. ‘It’s these personal insights that power this government's determination to make Britain the best place in the world to start up and grow a business.’ Tomorrow he will announce plans to allow business groups to collect and present evidence of excessive burdens to ministers and regulators. It means industry bodies themselves will review enforcement of regulation in their sectors. It will cover fresh produce and livestock industries first, before being rolled out to other sectors. Mr Hancock added: ‘The worst cases are where there are two different regulators. One says: "You've got to do this" and the other says: "If you do that, I'll fine you." There are 11 different regulators of farms. The aim is to have one group of people who take into account all the different regulations and check they are being applied in a reasonable way.’ Mr Hancock will tomorrow announce plans for industry groups to review inspections and report directly to ministers on the impact on their business . The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, which will return to Parliament in the autumn, aims to reduce red-tape on growing firms. It includes better access to finance, and making it easier for a small business to get a loan from a lender other than their bank. New ‘cheque imaging’ technology – where recipients use a smartphone to take a picture of a cheque – will speed up clearing times from six days to two days. Mr Hancock said: ‘Every village, town and city throughout the country is host to a range of small businesses from shops, garages and cafés, to manufacturing firms and tech start-ups. We are backing business every step of the way with the first small business bill, to help create the prosperity and secure the jobs we need. ‘Small businesses are the driving force of our economy and this bill is part of the government’s commitment to back enterprise and help firms to start-up and scale-up.’ | New business minister Matt Hancock rails against 'heavy-handed' rules .
Inspectors told him his family IT firm would fail without a bleach warning .
Warns too many inspections are duplicated or create unnecessary burdens . |
239,168 | c1a2cafe3e31c8bafb475113fc9378fba9b8e0c7 | Bali officials have been granted permission to transfer Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran out of Kerobokan jail for their executions. Momock Bambang Samiarso, head of Bali Provincial Prosecutor's Office, confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the Australians would be executed outside Bali, but he would not say where. 'On the timing, there will be another meeting,' he told reporters. 'But we ask it to be as soon as possible.' Scroll down for videos . Australian death-row prisoners Andrew Chan (left) and Myuran Sukumaran have been moved for execution . A meeting on Friday will confirm the date of their transfer. Prosecutors are trying to keep the transfer a secret, and the official avoided confirming the men would be taken to Nusakambangan, a prison island off central Java. Mr Momock also promised to give Chan, Sukumaran and their families the required 72 hours notice of their executions. In a chilling comment, he said the families of the condemned pair would be notified about the imminent transfer ‘so they can visit them for the last time.’ Mr Sukumaran is passionate painter who has been conducting art classes to other inmates while in Kerobokan jail. The classes have been his way of showing he has rehabilitated . Chan and Sukumaran were leaders of the so-called Bali Nine, . who were found guilty of attempting to smuggle more than 8 kg of heroin valued at about A$4 million from Indonesia to Australia. They were arrested at Bali's Denpasar airport in 2005 and . their case has taken on enormous resonance as a domestic political issue . in Australia. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that it understood officials have been speaking to airport authorities and Garuda - the national carrier - which has apparently agreed to fly the men to a place where the executions will take place. Three days before the firing squad’s guns will be unleashed, Mr Muhammad Prasetyo, the Indonesian attorney general, will issue a statement confirming the executions are going ahead. Andrew Chan mother's Helen Chan arrives to visit her son at Kerobokan prison on Thursday . Mr Chan has been in jail in Bali since 2005 after his arrest at at Bali's Denpasar airport . Condemned prisoners are usually given three days notice of their execution, so it is possible that Chan and Sukumaran will be shot at the weekend. They are understood to have been shocked to learn that they will be transferred to the ‘execution island’ very soon. Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who was elected last year, has made it clear he will show no mercy to drug smugglers who he says are crowding out the prison system. He has rejected more than 60 bids for clemency, with a number of other pleas yet to come across his desk. Mr Sukumaran stands in front of his paintings at a prisoners' studio in Kerobokan prison . Australia stepped up pressure on Indonesia on Thursday to spare the lives of two drug smugglers facing the firing squad, with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop warning their execution would be a grave injustice. 'Our shared hope is the Indonesian government and its people will show mercy to Andrew and Myuran,' said Bishop. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made a last-ditch plea for the two men to be taken off death row . Both men have vowed that their time in jail has rehabilitated them and they deserve a reprieve . Officials have been granted permission to transfer the two men from Kerobokan jail in Bali . 'Both men are deeply, sincerely remorseful for their actions. Both men have made extraordinary efforts to rehabilitate. Andrew and Myuran are the model of what penal systems the world over long to achieve.' In a clear sign of bilateral party support in Australia, the Deputy leader of the Opposition earlier on Thursday also made a passionate plea for the lives of the Bali Nine ringleaders to be spared by highlighting her own husband's drug reform story. Tanya Plibersek's husband Michael Coutts-Trotter was convicted of conspiracy to import drugs in 1986, at the age of 21, and served three years of a nine-year prison sentence. Australia's Deputy leader of the Opposition Tanya Plibersek has made a passionate plea for the lives of the Bali Nine ringleaders . He has turned his life around and is now Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services. 'In 1988, my husband left prison after being charged and convicted of a similar crime to these young men. I imagine what would have happened if he had been caught in Thailand instead of in Australia where that crime was committed, where he was coming back to Australia,' Ms Plibersek said in Parliament. | Bali duo have reportedly been moved out of prison for execution .
Authorities confirmed the Australians will be executed outside Bali .
'We ask it to be as soon as possible,' Bali Prosecutor's Office says .
Men shocked to learn that they will be transferred to ‘execution island’
Their families will be given the required 72 hours notice of their executions .
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says executions a grave injustice . |
55,208 | 9c5fe1b053f01b8d8f0dcef76a944cb19a0d4170 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:45 EST, 1 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:49 EST, 1 October 2012 . A teenage driver who killed his best friend in a car crash just two weeks after passing his test has been jailed for two years. Jay Haines, 18, was today locked up for two years after giving five of his friends a lift home in his small Suzuki car. 'Show off' Haines hit a parked car while speeding which led to his friend Morgan Hackling, 19, dying as a result of his injuries. Show off: Jay Haines (left) 18, has been jailed for two years after his reckless driving caused the death of his best friend, Morgan Hackling, 19, (right) A court heard that McDonald’s worker Haines, of Risca, Newport, 17 at the time, had passed his driving test just two weeks before. It has also emerged that the youth was stopped by police just four days earlier to the incident, for speeding and warned the teenager for 'showing off to his friends'. Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said that Haines had offered the five teenagers a lift home after finishing his late shift in McDonald’s. Jailed: Cardiff Crown Court heard that the music from the car's stereo was 'excessively loud' and none of the five passengers were wearing seatbelts . With a total of six people travelling in the car, Morgan was in the front seat of the Suzuki Alto while another friend lay across the laps of three others sitting in the back. Cardiff Crown Court heard that the music from the car’s stereo was 'excessively loud' and none of the five passengers were wearing seatbelts. Haines hit a parked Renault at 1.35am while traveling at up to 48mph in a 30mph zone in Risca, near Newport, South Wales. Passenger Morgan was trapped for 30 minutes before being cut free, but died from his sustained neck injuries in hospital. Haines pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Harry Baker, defending Jay Haines, said: 'His lack of driving experience contributed to the accident. 'He is remorseful and has struggled to come to terms with what happened.' Haines was sentenced to two years and three months in a young offender’s institution and banned from driving for three years. Judge Eleri Rees QC told him: 'The consequences for you and your family are serious and life changing but that cannot be compared with the loss for Morgan Hackling’s family - theirs is significantly worse. “When you have served your sentence you can, with your family and friends, rebuild your life. 'The guilt and feeling of responsibility for having taken another life will always be with you and will be a punishment you will always bear. 'For Morgan’s family there is no way of finding comfort - your sentence will not diminish their sense of loss.' | Jay Haines, 18, locked up for two years after giving FIVE of his friends a lift home in his Suzuki car .
Passenger and best friend Morgan Hackling, 19, died as a result of his injuries .
Court heard that McDonald’s worker Haines, had passed his driving test just two weeks before . |
46,889 | 841b33f07acfedd19692abd35cd4d313315e014a | By . Rebecca English . PUBLISHED: . 06:12 EST, 2 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:09 EST, 2 April 2013 . With a baby on the way, it is the perfect royal retreat - large, leafy and discreet. This is the Norfolk bolthole reportedly earmarked for parents-to-be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, just a stone’s throw from the Queen’s own private residence at Sandringham. As revealed in the Mail last month, royal aides have been given planning permission to begin extensive improvements at Anmer Hall. Plans: Anmer Hall will have a raft of changes to accommodate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their growing family, including a new 16ft x 16ft garden room and the planting of trees and shrubs . The Royal couple will have more privacy once changes have been made to their charming country house . These include a new garden room and a pergola made from stone columns with oak beams for plants to trail through, providing both shade and privacy on the patio area. More importantly, however, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council have also given the Queen, who is the Georgian mansion’s landlord, approval to re-route its existing driveway and plant dozens of new trees and shrubs to shield it from prying eyes. The ten-bedroom property is one of 150 situated on the monarch’s 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and is only two miles east of Sandringham House, one of her favourite private residences. The hall, which largely dates back to 1802, was used as an illicit bolt-hole by Prince Charles and the then Camilla Parker-Bowles during their long-running affair when it was rented by the prince’s friend Hugh van Cutsem. Prince William, who is close to the van Cutsems’ children, is also said to have enjoyed many happy visits to the hall as a child. It also has something of a royal pedigree having been leased to the Duke and Duchess of Kent as their country house from 1972 until 1990. Its current tenant is businessman James Everett, who runs a kitchen worktop business from the grounds and has leased the property until 2017. It is likely he will be asked to move out early in order to carry out the necessary building works in time for the couple to move in, meaning the Queen may have to compensate him. The detailed planning application for Anmer Hall, described as a ‘major development’ in council papers, cannot be seen on the council website for security reasons and anyone wishing to view them has to be vetted by police. Prince William and Kate Middleton will live just two miles from where the Royal Family celebrate Christmas . The Queen has gifted the couple a stunning mansion . Council officers approved the plans under delegated powers, which means they did not have to go through the usual council planning process. According to the application an existing wood store will be converted into extra accommodation - mostly likely for police officers guarding the property - while a garage block will be transformed into an equipment room. Other plans involve moving the main gates to the property further down a lane so members of the public will not be able to get so close to the house. The new, longer private driveway will sweep across an existing field, currently used as grazing land, before reaching the front of the house, which has its own swimming pool and tennis court. A new gate will be built across what is currently a public road and a lawn taken out to create extra parking space. The current public entrance to nearby St Mary’s Church will become accessible only to the Duke and Duchess, with the approach road re-routed to create a new entrance for worshippers. To compensate them the Queen will pay for a new car park to be built. Although both Buckingham and St James’s Palaces have refused to comment on the plans, it has emerged this week that the new pergola and garden room will be designed by architect Charles Morris, who was behind a controversial extension for Prince Charles at his own country home. Mr Morris, whose ancestors were responsible for building the Royal Albert Hall, built the Orchard Room at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, which is used by Charles for entertaining but has been described as a ‘Wimpey house’. The Sandringham Estate has been owned by the Queen since her accession in 1952 and by the Royal Family since 1862. Although much of the land is open to the public, the paparazzi are no longer allowed to photograph the Royal family relaxing there, making it even more attractive to the Duke and Duchess. | Will have a pergola and shrubbery to shield their home .
Norfolk mansion will have extensive changes .
Sprawling property will be used by royal couple and their growing family . |
116,260 | 22138abe03035edd9300cd536a0d7c4e16da7acf | Federal agents this week searched the Florida home of a 'doomsday prepper' they alleged had stockpiled over 50 high-powered assault rifles and several explosive devices buried around his property as 'booby traps'. However the warrant showed up little more than barrels of food. Martin Winters, a father-of-three from Valrico, surrendered to police on Wednesday following a widespread two-day hunt. Investigators had claimed the 55-year-old was preparing for 'an end-of-times event as prophesied by the Book of Revelations', according to ABC News. False alarm? Agents went to the Valrico property of Martin Winters looking for as many as 50 high-powered AR-15 rifles and several explosive devices, but found only buried barrels of food . Raid: Federal agents exact a search warrant on the home of alleged 'doomsday prepper' Martin Winters in Valrico, Florida . Martin Winters allegedly told an undercover agent he had built illegal weapons, along with concerning comments about how he was going to use them . According to a federal affidavit, Winters was part of a group called the River Otter Preppers and had a plan to kill government agents 'if necessary'. Winters allegedly told an undercover agent he had 50 AR-15 rifles buried on his property and other properties. The agent also said Winters told him he wanted to burn his house down and then shoot agents as they arrived to the scene, and that he had set up bombs as booby traps. Winters had been under government surveillance since October, after he was indicted on four counts of building destructive devices. Winters also said he had at least 40 men that were willing to participate in his 'last stand', officials said. But in federal court on Wednesday, Winters' defense attorney, Ellis Faught, said the confidential informant's estimates were wide of the mark. The informant had bought four so-called destructive devices from Winters, but they were not buried as booby traps. Five guns were found locked in a safe, according to 10 News. Martin Winters had been under government surveillance since October, after being arrested on explosives charges . The FBI alleged that Martin and others had been stockpiling arms and also set traps on his property. According to the FBI, he was attached to a doomsday group preparing for 'an end-of-times event as prophesied by the Book of Revelations' 'None of this was there,' Fraught told the court, the station reported. 'And it's my understanding that no guns were dug up. 'It was alleged by the government that there were 50 to 60 guns and I'm only aware of five of them that were found and they were found in his house in a safe.' The FBI have not formally released what they found in the search and could present new evidence in their case against Winters. Winters' daughters said in an interview with 10 News that their father was not 'extremely dangerous', as authorities had claimed. 'We knew he wouldn't hurt anyone. We knew he wouldn't put anyone else in jeopardy,' the daughters said. Amy Cason - one of Martin Winters' daughters and pictured here with her father - says he never intended to hurt anyone . They added that what is buried on the property is dozens of barrels of food. 'He is just preparing if days were to come where there was no grocery store and you had to have food and you couldn't go get it,' said Winters' youngest daughter, Tracie. 'It's not like he's preparing to hurt anyone ever. That's not his intentions.' Winters will remain in jail until his next court appearance on July 17. br/> . | Martin Winters, 55, of Valrico, Florida, had been under government surveillance since October .
He was charged with building destructive devices .
Winters ran from authorities on Monday when they presented him with a search warrant .
Investigators believed he had over 50 assault rifles and several explosives buried on his property .
They found barrels of food .
Winters surrendered on Wednesday and was arrested .
His daughters have defended their father, saying he is not dangerous .
They claim he was preparing for an emergency lockdown-type situation . |
276,744 | f287a27de866e94ce679e186ce35be2a7d7db3dc | (CNN) -- Novak Djokovic made a winning return from a wrist injury when beating Radek Stepanek at the Rome Masters but the Serb described the conditions as some of the most testing he's faced. Playing his first match since losing in Monte Carlo to Roger Federer on April 19, the second seed dropped serve three times but beat the Czech 6-3 7-5. Despite Stepanek's resistance, the two-time winner of the event found the gusting wind to be an even bigger obstacle. "It was one of the most difficult conditions I've played in my life," Djokovic told the ATP website. "When it's very windy on court, especially on clay, the clay gets in your eyes. It was very difficult to get any kind of rhythm." "But the positive is that I managed to stay mentally tough until the end and win." Watched by new coach Boris Becker, the 26-year-old needed one hour and 37 minutes to win through as he finetunes preparations for the French Open, which starts on May 25. The world number two missed last week's Madrid Open because of his the trouble in his right wrist and there had been some expectations that Federer would be a headline absentee in the Italian capital. Surprise Return . The Swiss welcomed the second set of twins into his life on Tuesday last week after wife Mirka gave birth to Leo and Lenny, who join elder sisters Myla and Charlene. The 32-year-old only arrived in the Italian capital on Monday after being packed off -- to his own surprise -- by his family. "It happened all of sudden on Thursday," Federer, who plays on Wednesday, told reporters. "I spoke to the team, I spoke to Mirka, asked all of them what they thought I should do and they said too quickly that I should come here and play. "So 'ok, if you don't want me around, I'll go away!'" joked the Swiss. "It's hard to leave all the family, but I'll see them soon." The world number four revealed that he fully expects the twins to soon be joining the rest of the family on the ATP World Tour. "Clearly, it's going to be so much work with four kids on the road, but I feel like we're going to be able to handle it," he said. "My wife's unbelievably supportive, and she's so good with the kids. I try my best every day as well, when I can, to help. I'm there every day, always with the kids, and I see them so often. "It's something I'm really going to look forward to, spending this quality time with them, as we travel the world and are in different countries and cities. It's going to be actually very exciting." Federer will meet France's Jeremy Chardy as he returns to the court just eight days after the expansion of his family. He has not played since losing last month's Monte Carlo final to compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat qualifier Pere Riba 6-0 6-3, registering 50 winners in a victory that lasted as many minutes. In the women's first round, there was local pride as Camilla Giorgi surprised ninth seed Dominika Cibulkova while Sara Errani also made it through, beating Chanelle Scheepers in straight sets. | Novak Djokovic beats Radek Stepanek at Rome Masters after nearly a month out with injury .
World No. 2 takes 97 minutes to win in straight sets .
Federer explains decision to leave home for Rome .
Swiss became father to twin boys last week . |
17,995 | 32fcfaa625ee6a91d163850bc1aa37f93997e0d7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A well-regarded Canadian fashion designer has created a line of clothing specifically for individuals who use a wheelchair. Izzy Camilleri’s IZ Adaptive offers clothes for both disabled men and women whose fashion needs are dictated by their constantly seated form. Because of this, conventional clothes often pose the problem of bulky fabrics, awkwardly-placed zippers, and odd draping. IZ Adaptive seeks to eliminate these issues through specially-engineered designs. Catering to seated forms: IZ Adaptive is a Canadian label designed for wheelchair users . Both genders: The label designs men's and womenswear with wheelchair users' special fashion needs in mind . Ms Camilleri created the line after . Canadian journalist Barbara Turnbull, who was paralyzed after being . shot, asked her to make a custom shearling cape in 2004 – having found . it immensely difficult to find a proper winter coat, as the garment’s . fabric tends to pool in awkward places on a wheelchair. The . two embarked on multiple years’ worth of collaboration before Ms . Camilleri decided to take the concept to the next level and create a . line. Hence, IZ Adaptive was born. Prior, . Ms Camilleri had operated a more conventional fashion line in Toronto, . later becoming a TV and film costumer. She even created a few of the . furs worn by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Tailor-made: Designer Izzy Camilleri has installed the clothes with magnetic buttons and well-placed zippers so that wearers have an easy time using the garments . Concious approach: Ms Camilleri chose the fabric for her designs based on what would be most comfortable for consumers, as well as what would drape best when placed on a seated form . But . now she is designing motorcycle jackets, shirtdresses, denim skirts, . and even bathrobes for women who use a wheelchair. Designs range from . $29 for a T-shirt to $299 for a biker jacket. Menswear offerings include button-down shirts, sweaters, chinos, and even blazers that range from $39 to $199. Of . creating IZ Adaptive, Ms Camilleri says on her site: ‘I was just at a . point in my life where it all made sense that I could make clothes where . it was making a difference in people’s lives with work that had never . been attempted before.’ Cool prints: Ms Camilleri has included many contemporary prints in her designs to help consumers express their personas . Professional appearance: Many of IZ Adaptive's menswear designs are perfectly suited to the office . In . engineering the designs, Ms Camilleri said that she had to revisit how . clothes are even constructed. Because many wheelchair users find it . difficult to get clothes on and off she has largely used magnetic . buttons, rather than conventional ones. Similarly . she has placed zippers in strategic places, like the front of a garment . instead of the back or side. She has also chosen lightweight stretch . fabrics that don’t add bulk, as well as clothing silhouettes that will . not awkwardly pool or drape when placed on a seated form. More than fashion: Ms Camilleri says her work goes beyond clothes, and is about giving people their personality back . But according to Ms Camilleri, IZ Adaptive’s concept is about much more than just fashion. She . said: ‘It goes beyond the clothes, it’s giving someone their . personality back, their sense of inclusion – there just hasn’t been . anything like this.’ | IZ Adaptive, based in Toronto, creates clothing intended for the seated form .
It uses magnetic snaps and lightweight, stretch fabrics so that wheelchair users can have an easier time with getting clothing on and off . |
156,147 | 55d72c9c585fcbe6008acfa32ae4a58a9630b690 | By . Chris Pleasance . Karl Warburton, 38, was given a 12-month jail sentenced suspended for two years and banned from driving for 18 months after speeding down a dual carriageway at 130mph . A father-to-be lead police on a 130mph chase on his motorbike before giving officers the slip. Karl Warburton, 38, was spotted by an officer in an unmarked car speeding down the A56 near Ramsbottom, Lancs., on June 30 last year. When the officer turned on his blue lights, instead of stopping, Warburton took off at 130mph, weaving in and out of traffic and even driving down the central reservation in an attempt to escape. Eventually he lost the police by driving the wrong way up a slip road, but was later tracked down using his licence plate and brought to court where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. Sentencing him to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, at Burnley Crown Court, Judge Beverley Lunt said it was incredible Warburton had not caused a serious accident. She said: 'You were not just putting yourself at risk, you were putting others at risk. That is unforgivable.' The court heard that the builder, who runs his own business, had got ‘lost in the moment’ then panicked when he spotted the police. He has since sold his motorbike. Judge Lunt also disqualified Warburton, from Whitefield, Greater Manchester, from driving for 18 months and ordered him to pay £250 costs. She said: 'You are a 38-year-old, allegedly, grown man. A responsible grown man with responsibilities, a family and a business you started up yourself. Warburton was caught speeding along the A56. He drove along a section the central reservation without barriers to overtake cars in the outside lane before driving the wrong way up a slip road. Officers lost him, but later tracked him down using his licence plate . 'Your speeds were terrifying, your undertaking and overtaking was terrifying. The people in the other cars must have absolutely shocked.' After the case one traffic officer said: 'His behaviour was absolutely outrageous. You are surrendering your vehicle to the laws of physics. It was dangerous beyond words.' | Karl Warburton, 38, caught speeding near Ramsbottom, Lancs., last year .
Police officer tried to pull father-to-be over when he sped off .
Weaved between traffic going 130mph and drove on central reservation .
Lost officers when he drove the wrong way up a slip road .
However he was later tracked down using his licence plate information .
Admitted dangerous driving and banned from the road for 18 months . |
236,080 | bd9d849b4e6797961fa6dc3e22306837fa9f8849 | Seventeen months have passed since Alexander Gustafsson gave Jon Jones the fright of his life in their light-heavyweight title clash in Toronto. In the intervening period, the champion has beaten Glover Teixeira, scrapped with Daniel Cormier in and outside the Octagon and tested positive for cocaine. But on Saturday night, Gustafsson finally has the chance to earn the rematch he so craves. Alexander Gustafsson (left) and Anthony Johnson square up after weighing in for their fight in Sweden . The fight will take place in front of 30,000 fans at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm on Saturday night . Victory for Gustafsson will earn him another shot at champion Jon Jones who he pushed close in 2013 . The Swede takes on a resurgent Anthony Johnson in front of a staggering 30,000 fans in Stockholm having fought just once – a second-round stoppage win over Jimi Manuwa in London last March – since losing one of the greatest nights in UFC history. Gustafsson knows that victory will guarantee him a second shot at Jones after injury robbed him of that opportunity last September. Predictably, the 28-year-old has been reluctant to look beyond Johnson this week, saying simply: ‘I don't think much about Jon Jones at the moment. It's all about Anthony.’ And so it is. Johnson’s first spell with the UFC ended in a first-round submission defeat to Vitor Belfort three years ago. ‘When I got cut after fighting Vitor Belfort, I knew I had to get my act together,’ he says. 'Me and my trainer were flying back from Brazil and we had a couple of cups of wine and started talking about what we were going to do. ‘So far we've kept our word and things have been working out.’ Johnson has impressed since returning to the UFC last year, seen here beating Phil Davis in Baltimore . Johnson then beat Antonio Rogerio Nogueira to earn himself a shot at Swede Gustafsson . After years of struggling to make weight, Johnson returned at 205lb and dominated Phil Davis over three rounds before taking just 44 seconds to knock out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last summer. ‘I didn't expect to be in this position,’ he admits. ‘I knew I would be somewhere but I didn't think I'd be where I am right now. 'Deep down inside I've always known I had the talent to be the best so being in this situation doesn't surprise me but I didn't think it would come so fast.' Not that Johnson’s return has been completely smooth, however. The 30-year-old was suspended last September following an accusation of domestic violence. It was later lifted following the dismissal of the civil case. And while he too could be just 25 minutes from a title shot, Johnson is focused only on the job at hand. ‘Everyone keeps talking about Jon Jones but I don't look that far ahead,’ he says. ‘Right now, I'm just focusing on Gus. Gustafsson has not fought since he stopped Jimi Manuwa in the second round in London last March . ‘Alex Gustafsson is a tough opponent. This is a pretty even match up I think though. Something crazy is going to happen that's for sure. Don't be surprised by anything you see on the night. ‘I'm calm, cool and relaxed. I'm feeling good. ‘With the calibre of athlete that Alex is, and the calibre of athlete that I am, you can expect a huge fight.’ Gustafsson, meanwhile, believes his speed will give him the edge and that fighting at the magnificent Tele2 Arena is a ‘dream’. ‘From not fighting Jon Jones to fighting Anthony Johnson in this venue that is huge is not bad and I can't complain,’ he adds. But whether he likes it or not, Jones will be the name on everyone’s lips come the final bell on Saturday. | Alexander Gustafsson has waited almost 18 months for Jon Jones rematch .
The Swede will earn it if he beats Anthony Johnson on Saturday night .
The fight is being held at the 30,000-capacity Tele2 Arena in Stockholm .
Johnson has won his first two fights since his return to the UFC last year . |
119,165 | 25eac115488429fca78715c3dcc027a9f8b354a0 | By . Emma Innes . Facebook and social networking sites may be good for our social lives, but they can cause havoc in our romantic relationships, according to a new study. From emotional and physical cheating to break-up and divorce, researchers found 'Facebook-induced jealousy' significantly increased the risks for couples of all ages. Research found that conflict was much more likely to occur when the website was used excessively, because some people tended to jealously monitor their partner's activity or even to reconnect with ex-partners. From emotional and physical cheating to break-up and divorce, researchers found 'Facebook-induced jealousy' significantly increased the risks for couples of all ages . The study, led by Dr Russell Clayton, of the University of Missouri, U.S., surveyed Facebook users aged between 18 and 82, asking them how much they used the social network and how often they had bust-ups with their partners - past or present - that had been ignited by the site. Dr Clayton said: ‘Previous research has shown that the more a person in a romantic relationship uses Facebook, the more likely they are to monitor their partner's Facebook activity more stringently, which can lead to feelings of jealousy. ‘Facebook-induced jealousy may lead to arguments concerning past partners. ‘Also, our study found that excessive Facebook users are more likely to connect or reconnect with other Facebook users, including previous partners, which may lead to emotional and physical cheating.’ According to the study, published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, couples who are just starting out should consider staying away from the site. Dr Clayton explained: ‘The findings held only for couples who had been in relationships of three years or less. Conflict is much more likely to occur when the website is used excessively, because some people tended to jealously monitor their partner's activity or even to reconnect with ex-partners . ‘This suggests that Facebook may be a threat to relationships that are not fully matured. ‘On the other hand, participants who have been in relationships for longer than three years may not use Facebook as often, or may have more matured relationships, and therefore Facebook use may not be a threat or concern. ‘Although Facebook is a great way to learn about someone, excessive Facebook use may be damaging to newer romantic relationships. ‘Cutting back to moderate, healthy levels of Facebook usage could help reduce conflict, particularly for newer couples who are still learning about each other.’ | Excessive Facebook use increases risk of cheating, break-up and divorce .
People jealously monitor their partner's activities and reconnect with their ex .
The younger the relationship, the greater the risk of Facebook problems . |
132,436 | 374492afedbd2c2e4476cba552a9c89dbf84e0c9 | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 10:38 EST, 6 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:53 EST, 6 February 2013 . Remember what is was like to be this excited? Tiny Madeleine Dubois was simply beside herself with joy when she got her third birthday wish - her first train ride. In footage that will melt the hardest of hearts, the toddler is seen sqeaking with delight and leaping up and down on the platform as the train rolls in. The video has been become a huge online hit after Madeleine's father posted it on YouTube. Scroll down for video . Pure joy: Madeleine cannot contain her excitement as she spots her birthday trainride in the distance . Daniel Dubois said although he knew his daughter would be happy, he had not predicted the level of excitement the present would bring. The short video was shared with family and friends on YouTube nearly two years ago, but after an unknown person posted it on Reddit on Monday it has spread across the globe at incredible speed. In a matter of hours it had surpassed 50,000 views, and by Wednesday it had racked up over 540,000 hits on the site. Best present ever: All Madeline wanted was to ride a train for her birthday and the moment her dream comes true has been watched by over 540,000 people . Charmer: Madeline, now four, from Nashville, Tennessee has made thousands of fans after the video of her was posted online . Dream come true: She clasps her hand over her mouth, squealing 'oh my goodness' as she realises she is about to board the train . ‘If she reacted in terror, it would . have been different. At that age, they're so honest and sincere, and I . love that raw excitement.’ Mr . Dubois said he had not expected anything to come of the video and adds . that Madeline, who is now about to turn five, has already moved on from . train to her next childhood obsession. ‘We used to live where we would cross train tracks a lot and she was so fascinated with them,’Mr Dubois told ABCNews.com. ‘She was like, “I wanna ride a train,” so we did that for her birthday. We didn't know quite how she would react.’ Sharing the love: The clip of the happy toddler was posted on Reddit on Monday and has spread like wildfire across the globe . Amazed: Madeline's eyes are ready to pop out of their sockets as the train arrives on the platform . | Madeline Dubois was desperate to ride a train for her third birthday .
When her dream came true she was overjoyed and squeaked with delight .
The YouTube clip of Madeline has got over 500,000 views in two days . |
75,102 | d4f0f67b36d2d3d13d64005e179932dec52669f7 | (CNN) -- The 19-year-old woman whose hospitalization exposed a shocking Austrian incest case is recovering well and wants to see the ocean and a pop concert, her doctors and a family lawyer said Wednesday. Dr. Albert Reiter, who treated Kerstin, is confident Kerstin will make a full recovery in time. She and other children who were held captive for years are slowly adapting to modern life, they said. Kerstin Fritzl, whom doctors placed in an artificial coma after she was admitted to a hospital in April for multiple organ failure, is now well enough to speak, stand and walk with assistance, her doctors said. Doctors said that "little novelties" such as seeing a cloud go by are now big events for the former captives. Kerstin has said she wants to see the ocean and go to a concert by British singer Robbie Williams, said Dr. Berhold Kepplinger, director of the clinic where the family is living. He described how excited Kerstin was to hear Robbie Williams songs in her hospital room and said she was moving around to the music so much that doctors had to quiet her down. It was then, Kepplinger said, that doctors became confident Kerstin can become fully healthy and develop normally. Her immune system has improved, and she is continuing to have physiotherapy, including strengthening exercises, he said. Watch doctors describe what happened when the teen opened her eyes » . The two parts of her family -- those who were locked in a basement, like Kerstin, and those who lived above ground, apparently unaware of the abuse of their mother and siblings -- are getting to know each other again, the doctors and the family's lawyer said. "We are so glad that things have turned out so positively so far," said lawyer Christoph Herbst, who appeared at a news conference at a hotel near Amstetten, west of Vienna, where Kerstin and her family are recovering. Kerstin is the oldest daughter of an incestuous relationship between Elisabeth, 43, and Elisabeth's father, Josef Fritzl, 73, according to police. He is awaiting trial. Police say he confessed to holding Elisabeth captive since 1984 and raping her repeatedly, fathering seven children with her. Six of the children survived. Kerstin fell unconscious in April, and Elisabeth convinced her father that she needed urgent medical attention. Kerstin was admitted to a hospital in Amstetten, where staff grew suspicious and called police, who opened an investigation and uncovered the abuse. Kerstin was suffering from kidney, lung, and liver failure when she arrived at the hospital, said Dr. Albert Reiter, director of the hospital. Doctors were able to turn her health around, but they kept her in a coma with artificial respiration for weeks, he said. Doctors started reducing Kerstin's medication May 12, allowing her to emerge from the coma, he said. Three days later, she opened her eyes and smiled at her carers, he said, and doctors were soon able to take the breathing tube from her throat. Her mother was at Kerstin's bedside regularly, and doctors credited that with helping Kerstin's health improve. On Sunday, Kerstin finally met with other family members and was able to say hello to them, he said. Kerstin and the rest of the family were also able to move into an apartment at a regional clinic nearby. "It was a special moment where, walking, we were able to support her and cross the threshold into a new house and into a new life," Reiter said. Kerstin and two of her brothers, ages 18 and 5, had spent their entire lives trapped in the cellar with their mother, never seeing daylight. A television was their only contact with the outside world. The other three children Josef Fritzl fathered with Elisabeth were taken as infants to live above ground with Fritzl and his wife, who says she had no idea her daughter was being held captive. In recent weeks, the wife and the three children have had several meetings with Kerstin and the others formerly held in the basement. The doctors said that all are receiving therapy and are getting to know each other. "It is clear that [the two sides] have a different temper of life," Kepplinger said. "These different ways of living, the two parts of the family, still have to come to some agreement." Still, the entire family is "very happy" to be reunited, Herbst said. "This is an incredible drawing-near to each other. There is incredible joy among them," he said. "It is wonderful to see the way they are living together." He appealed to the public and the media to give the family privacy. There continues to be "big ambivalence" about the "grandfather issue," as Kepplinger called it, and therapists are helping the family members cope with the complicated relationship they have with each other and with Fritzl, who is now behind bars. | Daughter of Austrian incest victim reunited with family, expected to make full recovery .
Kerstin Fritzl, 19, has spent her entire life in cellar .
The dungeon was uncovered after she was taken to hospital with illness .
Josef Fritzl, 73, has allegedly confessed to incestuous relationship with teen's mom . |
153,587 | 5275de469b047ad7b08b1ecb96264e64eb5119c0 | By . Paul Donnelley . Horrified motorists were forced to swerve as kittens were thrown onto a busy dual carriageway from a speeding car. Drivers were left in shock after witnessing four kittens being thrown from the car window of a mystery vehicle onto the A13 and A132 in Pitsea, Essex. Sadly three kittens died in the sickening incident, although one survived after being rescued by a concerned motorist. Survivor: This beautiful kitten survived being thrown for a speeding car onto the A13 and A132 in Pitsea, Essex . Matthew Tyler, 31, said his wife and four-year-old son were left 'hysterical' after they witnessed the callous act whilst driving at around 5pm on Saturday. He said: 'What I witnessed was absolutely disgusting. 'My wife and son were hysterical. 'I drove on to the main A13 roundabout where I had to swerve quickly to avoid a kitten. 'I then proceeded on to the A132 where kittens were being chucked from a car every 100yds or so. 'Sadly three were killed.' This kitten was treated at Pitsea PDSA and has made a full recovery after being thrown out of a car in Essex . Quick-thinking Mr Tyler, from Bowers Gifford, Essex, returned to the roundabout to retrieve one injured kitten before rushing it to animal charity, PDSA, whose vets administered pain relief. The kitten is now said to be recovering well at the charity's Basildon hospital. Unfortunately - due to the shocking nature of the incident - Mr Tyler was unable to get the number plate of the vehicle and is now appealing to other witnesses to come forward . He added: 'Because I was busy swerving around kittens and my wife was hysterical, we didn't manage to get the details of the car the kittens were being thrown from. 'It was a couple of cars in front of us. 'But I am pleading with anyone who saw this sick act, or knows anything, to contact the police. 'The people who did this need to be found.' In another shocking incident just hours earlier, ten kittens and their mother were found in a taped-up cardboard box. The A13 Coklchester Road in Essex where the kittens were hurled every hundred or so yards . The box had been abandoned at the side of the A127 in Crays Hill, Essex - around five miles from where kittens were seen being thrown from a car later that day. It is not yet known if the two incidents are linked. The abandoned kittens are now available for adoption through Cats Protection on 07986 330239. Anyone who witnessed the kittens being launched from a car at around 5pm on Saturday should call Essex Police on 101. Animal charity PDSA is now caring for the surviving kitten and hope to re-home him after the miracle escape. Maciej Niedbala, a vet at the Basildon PDSA pet hospital, said: "The kitten was rushed in as an emergency case after being brought in by a member of the public who had witnessed this horrific incident. "A full examination was carried out to determine the extent of any injuries and pain relief was administered. Miraculously, despite being in shock and deeply traumatised by his ordeal, the kitten did not sustain any serious injuries. "There is absolutely no justification for anyone to treat an animal in this way and PDSA would urge anyone who witnessed anything to contact police as a matter of urgency." The kitten was kept overnight so that PDSA staff could monitor his condition and he has since gone on to make a full recovery. Arrangements are now being discussed to find a new permanent home for the kitten who has been named Kenny by staff. Police are hunting for the people responsible for the cruel act. Anyone with information should contact Essex Police on 101. | Incident happened on the A13 and A132 in Pitsea, Essex on Saturday .
Three were killed but thankfully one made has made a full recovery .
Police are appealing for information from anyone who saw the event . |
57,698 | a3852ae44ed3339f8838dbdc7d606d0a24df89a0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:38 EST, 23 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:38 EST, 23 December 2013 . Charlie Sheen has escalated his vicious tirades against ex-wife Denise Richards in a nasty tweet Monday that also incorporated his distaste for embattled Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson. Just two days before Christmas, Charlie, 48, tweeted a vile bestiality slur that suggested Denise, 42, should marry Robertson, who has been suspended from his A&E series over anti-gay remarks he made in a GQ profile. The tweet read: 'I came up with a PERFECT holiday idea! Denise and Phil Robertson should get married! then he can practice the Bestiality he hates! c :).' This was a followup to a series of text messages, reported by TMZ, that called Richards 'heartless' and 'ugly' and accused her of preventing him from seeing his daughters. Nasty accusations: Denise Richards, pictured in Los Angeles on Sunday, has been the subject of angry texts and tweets from her ex-husband Charlie Sheen . Two birds, one stone: Charlie Sheen managed to spew venom at both Denise and Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson in one tweet . One of Charlie's texts, which were obtained by TMZ, said 'lemme see if I got this straight; you won't even spring the girls for 30 mins, from the 10 mil house I gave you, (100 yds away) to come down and open the gifts their dad bought them before they leave??' He went on, saying: 'I hope your stocking is bronze-age coal stuffed along with an assortment of 8x10's of yours so you can see how despicable and heartlessly ugly you and your fermented soul continue to be.' Taking the high road: Denise responded to her ex husband on Monday and pleaded with him to stop his ranting for the sake of their children . Charlie also claims that Denise, mother to Charlie's daughters Sam, nine, and Lola, eight, as well as adopted daughter Eloise, two, had . the 'audacity' to ask him to borrow his private jet to go on the big . family trip he says he wasn't invited on. He claims went to Denise's home to . take gifts to his girls and to plead with her to change her mind, but . that Denise would not allow him to see the kids. Charlie concludes, 'This is the worst Xmas I've ever had.' Shopping trip: Denise took her girls to the Malibu Country Mart earlier this month . Denise took the high road with a series of Twitter responses later Monday, denying Charlies claims and pleading with him to stop. When a follower asked Denise why she would not let Charlie see the girls, Denise replied: 'Thats actually not true. I don't know why he feels the need to do this publicly. I don't keep him away from our kids.' She then sent Charlie two tweets disputing his claims and asking him to stop. In the first tweet she told him he was welcome to spend the holidays with her and the girls: '@charliesheen U done ranting? keep it classy dude.Our kids don't need to be privy to this,U are welcome 2 spend xmas w/us Hope u still come.' Then she pleaded with him to stop his attacks: '@charliesheen u were & are welcome 2 see them. I never asked 4 your plane. we love u. Please 4 our kids stop this....' Strike out: Charlie posted this shot on Instagram last week showing a chopped up baseball bat that he and Denise had received as a wedding gift in 2002 . Today's rants are just the latest salvos in Charlie's war on Denise. A little over a week ago, the . 48-year-old actor encapsulated his vengeful feelings toward his second . ex-wife in a shocking photo he posted to Instagram. It . showed a chopped up baseball bat that they had received as a wedding . gift in 2002. The inscription read: 'Congratulations Denise & . Charlie, June 15, 2002, Have a home run of a life.' In addition, he tweeted, 'The lie is over. I’m done being treated like a relative with a one-way ticket. #DuhNeese.' Last Tuesday TMZ reported the former . Two And A Half Men star wanted to hit the former Bond girl in the . pocketbook by significantly reducing her $55,000 a month child support . payments. Porn again: Charlie has embarked on a relationship with adult film star Brett Rossi . The Anger Management star is also looking to get more time with his young daughters. 'Charlie's going to court,' the site reported. 'Not . only does he want child support reduced, he wants the judge to . establish his iron-clad right to see his kids on specific holidays.' According to a report on RadarOnline, . Charlie and Denise's seemingly strained relationship is due to the . actor's new porn star girlfriend, Brett Rossi. According . to the report, the 24-year-old adult film star issued an ultimatum to . her new beau that he cut off ties with Richards if he wants to keep the . new relationship going. Brooke . Mueller, 36, who was married to Charlie from 2008 to 2011 and is mother to . Charlie's four-year-old twin boys, Max and Bob, lost custody of the kids . in May. RadarOnline reports that the children were taken away after . Brooke was place on psychiatric hold following a drug overdose. Taking a hike: Charlie's ex-wife Brooke Mueller is mother to his twin boys, Max and Bob . Denise was caring for the twins, but . was forced to give them up because of their alleged violent behavior . toward her daughters. In a distressing letter to child protective . services, she explained the harrowing situation. According . to Denise, her 'daughters have been strangled, kicked in the head and . stomach, scratched, bit, slapped, punched in the face and head, and spit . on' by the boys, as have the family dogs, reported Radar. The twins have since been placed in the care of Brooke's brother, Scott Mueller. Charlie is allowed to see the boys for two monitored visits per week, each lasting two hours. The . LADCFS have been considering placing the boys in foster care, away from . both parents, at which point Denise stepped in and said she would take . them again rather than let that happen. The custody case is still under review. | Denise denies Charlie's accusations on Twitter, pleads with him to stop .
Charlie's vile tweet blasts ex-wife Denise and Duck Dynasty homophobe .
In a series of texts, Charlie calls Denise 'ugly' and 'heartless'
Claims he's being kept from daughters and says this will be 'worst Christmas ever'
She gave up caring for Charlie's twins with Brooke, citing violent behavior .
Porn star girlfriend issues ultimatum to Charlie about Denise . |
199,483 | 8e404af1f07f6305de7701ae67e6833d8fa61eab | (CNN) -- A suspect has been named in the October 2 beating of a blind man, the Philadelphia Police Department said Friday. Mustafa Guyton, 29, is accused of aggravated assault after he allegedly kicked and stomped the 33-year-old man in Philadelphia's Southwest Germantown neighborhood, a police news release says. The assault was caught by a surveillance camera, and the Philadelphia Police Department said they released the video in an effort to identify the suspect. The victim was walking down the street around noon on October 2 when the attacker looked in his direction, police said. The grainy video shows the attacker laying down his backpack near a corner shop after he spots the victim. The video goes black, and in the next moment, the victim is pushed to the ground and then repeatedly punched, stomped and kicked as witnesses watch. One man is crosses the street mere steps from the beating, and continues walking. After the attacker finishes, he picks up his backpack and walks away, leaving the victim helpless on the ground with injuries to his head and face, police said. Officer Tanya Little, a Philadelphia police spokeswoman, said it was not clear whether the attacker knew the victim was blind. The victim told police he did not recognize his attacker's voice. | Mustafa Guyton, 29, is accused of aggravated assault .
He allegedly punched, kicked and stomped the 33-year-old victim .
The assault was caught by a surveillance camera . |
217,067 | a50a69b603a3d5959ea69162052a63bbbf7d320d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:09 EST, 9 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:12 EST, 9 September 2012 . The economic crisis is leaving the most vulnerable population in New York City on the streets. New data shows that last week alone, over 19,000 children sought refuge in homeless shelters across the Big Apple, the most since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Nationally, there are 1.6 million children that are homeless in the U.S., though accurate data for those living on the streets is hard to come by. Help: Over 19,000 children were housed in homeless shelters in New York City, the most since the depression of the 1930s. This family (pictured in 2002) is among the thousands trying to stay off the streets . A total of 19,077 children were being housed in the city's homeless shelters in addition to 26,097 adults - for a total of 45,174 total individuals, according to a report from the New York City Department of Homeless Services published on September 6. 'Since just May, more than 2,000 children have become homeless,' Ralph da Costa Nunez, CEO of the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness, told the Daily News about the 18 per cent increase compared to this time last year. 'If the trend continues, we will surely see more than 20,000 children living in shelters by Christmas - a gift that nobody wants,' he added. One 14-year-old who is homeless, told the Daily News that her mother's poor health has kept their family from securing the money they need for housing. 'It's really hard on my sisters; they're young, they have no childhood, they don’t sleep well. It’s not fair to them,' Francheska Luciano said about her three younger siblings Shanely, 7, Yadeiliz, 4, and Mileishka, 2. The Lucianos, who came from Puerto Rico in 2006, have been shuffled around from shelters in the city. 'The area where we are staying now is really bad. I can't go outside because it’s so dangerous,' she said. Growing and growing: The number of homeless children continues to rise steadily in New York. This family (pictured in December 2011) makes their way to a homeless shelter . Though this week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated that life in the city is better than it was four years ago, the number of homeless in New York City has steadily grown amidst the floundering U.S. economy. Better? Mayor Michael Bloomberg (pictured in August) has said the city is better off than it was four years ago . Figures show that in August 2012, 44,328 New Yorkers were homeless, compared to 32,674 in August 2008. 'It's clear that many more New Yorkers and many more children and families are experiencing homelessness,' Patrick Markee, of the Coalition for the Homeless, told The Wall Street Journal. The economic crisis has been severe for the city, with federal data also showing that one in four New York children live in food insecure households. Food insecurity means a family lacks access to enough food, with parents having to trade-off paying for basic needs like rent or medical bills, instead of purchasing an adequate level of food for a household. 'It is clear that food insecurity is an unfortunate reality among children, senior citizens and adults in all five boroughs,' Joel Berg, the executive director of the . New York City Coalition Against Hunger, said. 'It is also clear that it is a very solvable problem,' he added, in advocating for increased access to food stamps for New York residents. | 18 per cent YOY increase in children housed in homeless shelters .
19,000 NYC homeless children, out of 1.6 million in the U.S. |
151,266 | 4f95870d6749e5f71d50053a8658fd45a09a445a | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 23:18 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 23:19 EST, 19 September 2013 . Gone in an instant, two familes were devastated Thursday by deadly storms that swept through northern Indiana. Angelo Santucci, 28, and Jackie Allen, 42, both died after lightning strikes in Gary, IN. A nine-month-old baby somehow survived the same lightning strike that killed Mr Allen. The lightning came during a brutal storm that caused widespread damage to the area, according to reports. A family devastated: Angelo Santucci, pictured with wife Sonia, was killed Thursday after being struck by lightning . Mr Santucci was working on a billboard when lightning struck and killed him. The married father was wearing a metal harness when the bolt struck him on the platform of the billboard, his sister Destiny Santucci told CBS Chicago. ‘It struck him, and they said it stopped his heart,’ she told the station. ‘By the time they got up there, the doctors told us there’s only a window of time before they have to resuscitate him.’ Mr Santucci’s devastated wife wanted to know why he on the platform during the storm. Dangerous perch: Mr Santucci was in a metal harness on this roadside billboard when struck by lightning, instantly killing him . ‘Why was he up there? It was storming out. They’re not supposed to be up there in thunder,’ the crushed widow told CBS Chicago. His shattered mother is shocked her son is gone. ‘I'm upset 'cause he had no business up there,’ the distraught mother told WLS, ‘My son is gone. He had his whole future in front of him. Mr Santucci also leaves behind a 2-year-old girl and nine-month-old son, according to NBC Chicago.Across town, Mr Allen was inside when a lightning bolt struck his home. ‘Boom! It’s like the transformer went out,’ a neighbor told NBC Chicago. Firefighters arriving to the house found it engulfed in smoke and flames while driving rains and fierce winds pounded the home’s exterior, a Gary Fire Department spokesperson told local media. Destroyed: Jackie Allen was in this Gary, IN., home when it was struck by lightning, killing him and injuring a toddler . Scorched: The home was engulfed in smoke and flames when firefighters arrived . ‘Heavy rain, low visibility, and lots of thunder,’ the fire department spokesperson said, ‘it hindered the rescue operation.’ Once able to get inside, rescuers were able to get both Mr Allen and the baby out of the house, but were only able to revive the baby. ‘They was trying to do CPR, trying to bring them back, it didn’t work, the neighbor added. Locals couldn’t believe the storm turned their neighbor’s house into a charred shell, taking his life.‘I was just in shock, like wow, like, it really did that damage?’ Another neighbor asked. The storms caused heavy flooding in the area and set numerous rainfall records, said reports. | A 42-year-old man and a 28-year-old man were killed Thursday by lightning strikes in Gary, Indiana .
Angelo Santucci, 28, was a married father of two young children killed when lightning directly struck him .
Jackie Allen, 42, was watching a nine-month-old baby when lightning struck his house . |
123,166 | 2b379174ef28d7090ccb4d261192dec88b448400 | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 07:43 EST, 27 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 27 September 2012 . Arsenal footballer Andre Santos was banned from driving for 12 months today after admitting speeding away from chasing police at up to 140 miles per hour because he was late for training. The 29-year-old Brazilian international weaved in and out of rush-hour traffic on the A1 dual carriageway and M25 motorway in his £110,000 Maserati GranTurismo supercar on August 17 as he travelled to the club's London Colney training ground. Santos repeatedly failed to stop despite being chased 'for some considerable time' by a marked police car with sirens and blue flashing lights, magistrates were told. Andre Santos appeared at Hendon Magistrates Court today (pictured). The Brazilian defender, who plays for Arsenal, was banned for 12 months after admitting driving without due care and attention . When he was eventually arrested yards from the training ground in Hertfordshire he told officers his blaring music had prevented him spotting them. Santos, who wore a smart navy suit and dark tie, denied a charge of dangerous driving but admitted the lesser charge driving without due care and attention when he appeared at Hendon Magistrates Court today. The more serious dangerous driving charge was subsequently dropped. Magistrates banned him from the roads for 12 months and fined him £3,600 after ruling that he 'prioritised his own journey over his duty to drive in a safe manner.' Inder Gohlar, prosecuting, told the court the footballer was spotted on the A1 'accelerating hard' away from a speed camera. Speed: Santos (right) has apologised for letting himself and Arsenal down after being caught driving at speeds of up to 140mph . Police driver PC Chris Hurt put on his sirens and sped up to 120 mph to try and catch up to Santos who was travelling in the region of 140 mph. Ms Gohlar said: 'It was then he realised the driver had no intention of stopping for the officers. 'The Maserati was very rapidly pulling away from them. He (PC Hurt) took his car up to just below 120 mph and the Maserati was still pulling away from him. 'He estimated that he was doing in the region of 135 to 140 mph.' The court heard Santos pulled on to the M25 and began weaving in between lanes, causing a danger to other road users. Ms Gohlar said: 'The road was busy and other drivers were breaking sharply to avoid contact with him. 'The driver again forced his way back to the nearside lane having no regard for other road users and forced the drivers to break in order to avoid an accident. 'He then exited at a junction and in doing so the driver nearly lost control.' Star: Santos was in the thick of the action for Arsenal last night as his side thrashed Coventry City in the Capital One Cup (pictured left and right) Police officers eventually caught up with him close to Arsenal's training ground and shouted through the window for him to stop. He was arrested and taken to a police station where he told officers he had been in a rush to get to training and did not realise they were following him. In a statement, he said: 'My music was very loud and I was not paying attention. 'I very much regret driving in this way and I apologise to the police for the trouble I've caused.' The court heard Arsenal Football Club will punish the player, but he was supported in the dock by a club interpreter. A statement was read from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in which he described Santos as . 'Considerate': Santos's club manager Arsene Wenger spoke up for his player in a statement to the court . 'friendly, considerate and helpful,' and a player who 'contributes to the life of the club and undertakes charitable work within the community on behalf of the club.' Alexandra Ward, in miitgation, told the court Santos was 'embarrassed and ashamed' to be before the courts. Banning the father-of-one - who owns several high-powered cars plus a tiny Smart Car for shopping - Chair Golda Rosen said: 'Given your high speed and the manoevres undertaken and the extended period of this driving we must disqualify you today for a period of 12 months.' Santos, who joined the Gunners last year from Turkish side Fenerbahce, was arrested on the eve of the Premier League season as Arsenal prepared for their opening game against Sunderland at the Emirates stadium. Arsenal footballer Andre Santos said he was 'truly sorry' for speeding away from the police at speeds of up to 140 miles per hour. He said he had learned a 'tough lesson.' Speaking outside court, Santos' solicitor David Sleight said: 'Mr Santos would like to apologise for the careless driving that led to his court case today. 'He has learned a tough lesson and accepts the sentence that the court has passed. 'He is truly sorry and disappointed to let himself and Arsenal Football Club down in this way.' | Andre Santos apologised for letting himself and club down after being caught speeding in his Maserati supercar on route to training .
Police driver sped up to 120 mph to try and catch up to Santos who was .
travelling in the region of 140 mph .
Club manager Arsene Wenger describes player as 'friendly and considerate' in statement to court . |
177,547 | 71d7e5f608507bd5576cd8f6cdae855d8b33f251 | (CNN) -- Bernard Hopkins first became a world champion 16 years ago and, aged 46, the American boxer made history in May when he was awarded a points victory over Canadian Jean Pascal to become the sport's oldest-ever holder of a global belt. The World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight champion surpassed the record held by compatriot George Foreman with his win in Montreal, with Hopkins set to become the oldest pugilist to defend a world title if he defeats Chad Dawson on Saturday. If Hopkins emerges victorious at the Staples Center in Los Angeles it would mark the latest achievement in a career which has seen the veteran overcome adversity to reach the top of his sport. "I love what I do," Hopkins told CNN. "I love to work out, I love to win and I'm going to take advantage of it until I can't do it no more. "It means a lot that I'm in the history books again ... also it sets up for what comes next. Obviously this Saturday with Chad Dawson ... also becoming the second-oldest fighter to be fighter of the year." Unsurprisingly, Hopkins is significantly older than his opponent this weekend. Dawson, currently ranked by Ring Magazine as the fourth-best light heavyweight in the world, is 29, 17-years younger than the Pennsylvania-born Hopkins. "29-years-old, as we've seen with Jean Pascal, as we've seen with Kelly Pavlik, as we've seen with most of the guys I've fought that are younger than me at least by 15 years. "If it's just age, if it's just height. If it's just things that have nothing to do with the IQ ... That's not enough to beat Bernard Hopkins. "And I mean that. I mean that with confidence and I don't mean that with just promoting. I mean that ... because of how I've been disciplined over these years to train and live and think that way." But despite his age, Hopkins will not be the oldest fighter on the card in California on Saturday. That honor will belong to Dewey Bozella. The 52-year-old cruiserweight who will be making his debut as a professional boxer in a four-round cruiserweight bout against Larry Hopkins, no relation to Bernard Hopkins, but that is only half of his incredible story. Bozella spent 26 years in New York's Sing Sing prison after being found guilty of murder in 1983, before having his conviction overturned two years ago. During his incarceration, Bozella focused on boxing an was even crowned the Sing Sing heavyweight champion. His story is one which resonates with Hopkins, who served a five-year stretch in Graterford Prison, Pennsylvania between 1983 and 1988. So impressed was Hopkins with Bozella that he has been training with the newcomer ahead of his much-anticipated fight. "It inspired me," said Hopkins of Bozell. "He chose to do what he did, and not only did he get freedom, but he got humanity. An opportunity to do something that was taken from him years and years ago. To be on a major, major fight card. "And now that we became, I can say friends, and have understanding about that dark place that I put myself in, you know, I wasn't innocent. But we still understand that dark place. Everybody has a story, but his is beyond a story." | Bernard Hopkins is the oldest world champion in boxing's history .
The 46-year-old puts his WBC light heavyweight title on the line against Chad Dawson Saturday .
Also on the card in 52-year-old Dewey Bozella in his first professional bout .
Bozella spent 26 years on a murder conviction which was overturned two years ago . |
27,613 | 4e3fce3e8097ad2e6780e68e67c548ffa287f28a | The British Army will be reduced to a ‘largely ceremonial’ rump if the Tories are allowed to push ahead with their planned spending cuts, Business Secretary Vince Cable said this morning. The Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister said George Osborne’s plan to balance the books would be ‘devastating’ for public services. He accused the Chancellor of ‘veering off to extreme ideology’ with the general election less than five months away. Scroll down for video . Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister Vince Cable said George Osborne’s plan to balance the books would be ‘devastating’ for public services . It comes as the independent Office for Budget Responsibility predicted the public sector would have to shrink to a size not seen since the 1930s to hit the Chancellor's budget deficit forecasts. Mr Cable said the Tories had been ‘let off the leash’ and were becoming ‘extreme’. The intervention comes after a poll showed voters now saw the Tories as more right wing than UKIP. Referring to the poll, Mr Cable said: ‘This is what happens when you remove the restraints we put on them in Coalition government.’ He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that he would be ‘really worried’ if the Conservatives were able implement the cuts outlined after winning the next election. The Business Secretary said: ‘There’s a table in the Autumn Statement which suggests that if those plans were realised we would roughly halve the total spending on the Home Office, i.e., the police, on the defence services, which would become largely ceremonial. ‘We would be almost halving the spending of local governments on areas like social care, let alone all the things that I and my colleagues are doing around training and science. It would be devastating and it would be ideologically-driven and I would be very strongly opposed to it.’ Mr Cable, one of the most common critics of the Conservatives from inside Government, said there are ‘big differences’ in the way the Liberal Democrats wanted to cut the deficit compared to the Tories. Members of the Grenadier Guards march during the Colonel's Review, Horse Guard's Parade, London, - the annual military parade a week before the 'Trooping of the Colour' which marks the Queen's official birthday . Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne wants to eliminate the budget deficit within three years of the election . He said Mr Osborne's plan ‘destroys public services in the way we do them’, adding that ‘just continuing’ cuts ‘on ideological extreme grounds is very, very foolish’. Mr Cable did not rule out another power-sharing deal with the Conservatives if, as widely expected, the general election fails to deliver any party an overall Commons majority, and said there remained ‘a lot of common ground’ between them. But he pointed to a poll showing voters - especially Tories themselves - considered the party to be further to the political right than Ukip as evidence of a major lurch to more extreme positions. ‘While we have been in coalition we have kept the Tories on quite a tight leash and they have been well behaved,’ he said. ‘Now they have been let off the leash and confronting the possibility of majority government we are getting into all kinds of extremes. ‘This is what happens when they are removed from the constraints we put on them in coalition.’ | Business Secretary said Tory plan to balance books would be 'devastating'
Vince Cable accused the Chancellor of 'veering off to extreme ideology'
Forecasts say public sector would shrink to size of 1930s under Tory plans . |
269,883 | e98a684910266f526694bc7c2075e7d09729fe6e | (EW.com) -- When we heard the rumors around a "Mean Girls" musical, we immediately started casting the parts. But one thing we didn't account for was the idea that Amanda Seyfried might not want to reprise her role as Karen. That is so fetch: Tina Fey wants Mariah Carey for 'Mean Girls' musical . After all, what about Karen would make Seyfried not want to play her? She's pretty. She doesn't have to think, like, ever. She gets to wear pink on Wednesdays. She has ESPN, and her boobs can predict the weather. Or rather, her boobs can tell you about the current weather conditions. So why would Seyfried want to walk away from the character who first put her on our radar? The temptation of the dark side, perhaps? Amanda Seyfried eyeballing Seth MacFarlane's comedy Western . Seyfried tells Allure, "I desperately want to be Regina." So our question for you is: Would this work? Could Seyfried's big doe eyes contain the ferocity necessary to be queen bee? More importantly, could Seyfried convincingly play the girl who can't be killed (even when hit by a bus)? Although Seyfried's career has definitely sky rocketed since her days as Karen, we're not so sure we could handle a switch up within the plastics squad. What are your thoughts? Who would you cast as Regina George in a "Mean Girls" musical? See the original story on EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | There have been rumors about a musical based on "Mean Girls"
Amanda Seyfried starred in the movie version as Karen .
In Allure magazine, Seyfried said she'd want to play Regina in the musical .
But could Seyfried pull off the role of the queen bee? |
72,268 | ccd7515bf6b68f26e9dcb8c17331898f1daf80b0 | (CNN) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the company that owned the plane that crashed this week, killing music star Jenni Rivera and six others, the agency said Friday. Court records that surfaced after Sunday's fatal crash revealed that the aviation company, Starwood Management, had two planes authorities seized this year. The company remains under investigation, DEA spokeswoman Lisa Webb Johnson said. Read more: Jenni Rivera's remains returned to family . The planes in question were seized in February in Arizona and in September in Texas. The DEA declined to give further details, citing the ongoing investigation. Some indications of why the planes were seized became known through court records. Read more: Jenni Rivera's plane plunged from 28,000 feet, Mexican official says . Insurance firms QBE and Commerce & Industry Insurance Co. filed suits this year seeking to rescind contracts with Starwood Management, alleging falsehoods. The lawsuits against Starwood focus on the man who signed the insurance paperwork on its behalf, Ed Nunez. Nunez is also known as Christian Esquino, the insurance companies allege, a businessman with a criminal record that includes falsifying airplane records. The DEA confirmed Friday the link between Starwood and Esquino. In another court action, Starwood distances itself from Esquino and denies he is the owner. Starwood had one plane, a Hawker 700, confiscated by U.S. marshals acting on behalf of the DEA in September once it landed in McAllen, Texas, after arriving from Mexico, according to one of the insurance company lawsuits. Read more: Rivera crash puts spotlight on charter jet safety . In February, marshals seized a Starwood Gulfstream G-1159A in Tucson, Arizona, that lawsuit said. Starwood or its representatives have not responded to repeated requests for comments about the plane that crashed with Rivera or the DEA investigations. Rivera was a Mexican-American star with a rising cross-border appeal. She sang traditional Mexican ballads and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2002 in the category of best banda album. Born in Long Beach, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rivera, 43, released her debut album in 1999. In October, People en Espanol named Rivera to its list of the 25 most powerful women. The singer was also known for her tumultuous personal life. She was a single mom at age 15, was married three times and the mother of five, her website said. Rivera's "I Love Jenni" reality show began airing on Telemundo's mun2 network last year. | The company that owns the plane that crashed, killing Jenni Rivera, faces DEA probe .
Authorities confiscated two of firm's planes this year, court records show .
DEA spokeswoman confirms the investigation is ongoing . |
112,775 | 1d82cff31e84aa5e1cedf69264489b2d2b16ea0e | (CNN) -- Justin Timberlake is an Entertainer. That's JT, with a capital "E": Everyman, Everything and Everywhere right now. With the long-awaited release of "The 20/20 Experience," his first album in seven years, 32-year-old Timberlake has managed to endear himself to both women and men -- crafting an amalgam of talents that have made him a character not seen in a generation or two in show-business: The well-rounded performer. You won't find anyone else like him in music, or Hollywood for that matter. It's an organic chemistry of likability: equal parts movie star, debonair showman, TV comedian and successful businessman. "My idols have always been the types of guys who could do anything," Timberlake told "The Guardian" in 2011. "Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sinatra, Dean Martin; and when you look up to people like that, you don't accept that you need to be compartmentalized." "I wouldn't call him Frank Sinatra," "Billboard"'s , Phil Gallo told CNN. "I'll go Bing Crosby because Bing Crosby was more of the, A, wise investor, B, very specific vocal style that evolves -- but you knew it was Bing, just as you know this is Justin. And the acting in the kind of movies they were -- arty, but they told a good story and they appealed to the audience of the day." Timberlake's business ventures are as diverse as professional sports franchises and golf courses, fashion, the Internet, and restaurants. Gallo added, "Here's somebody who really understands popular culture -- who knows a good project when it's presented to him, that -- that captures a certain zeitgeist." And then there's the music. It, like the singer, oozes old school. "I will not be the type of artist that puts out 10 to 15 albums," Timberlake recently told "Rolling Stone." "That's just not who I am. They're really special to me. I write music all the time, but until you really feel that desperate need to shout from the rooftops and express yourself in that way, I just kind of keep it to myself. I enjoy making music so much that if it doesn't come out, that's OK." Once Timberlake decided that "The 20/20 Experience" was worth sharing with the world, he and close friend and producer Timbaland agreed, he told "Rolling Stone," to make music "without all the hoopla of, like expectations. Let's just make something that feels genuine ... and ... for me, it's the best stuff I've ever done." Timberlake from Tennessee . Gospel is in his soul; Elvis is the King. Justin Timberlake is a kid from Memphis, after all. Home was actually north of the big city: Millington, Tennessee. The grandson of a preacher and son of a choir director never passed up a chance to perform. Early videos of young Justin singing in church and in local shows reveal a boy who idolized Presley, and was himself becoming the performer with the something-special swagger. Bob Westbrook, who gave 8-year-old Justin his first real singing lessons, told CNN Timberlake's X factor comes from "his mannerism and his charisma, his hair, that whole bit, his natural stage feel." "People in the music industry always talk about this thing or that thing, but he definitely always had that thing. Always," Trace Ayala, his best friend and William Rast business partner, added. The adult Timberlake now jokes about his lack of formal training, but still thinks his sound is from the past, "Funny enough, I learned how to sing when I was a kid [by] imitating singers ... like Al Green and Don Henley. I was an only child and was obviously really bored, so I would entertain my parents by imitating cartoon voices like Scooby Doo, Boo Boo and others. So, you know that about me now, I guess. I'm killing any cache of cool I've managed to build up over the years," he told "Ask Men." Ayala believes their hometown informs everything they do. "Memphis is a very, very, very musical town, everything revolves around music. From the time we were little kids, you'd go to dinner and the bar next door has a live band playing. So I feel like Memphis breeds that, or at least it brings it out in you, you know?" 'N Sync to Solo . In 1993, Justin was singing, dancing and acting in the Disney Channel's "The Mickey Mouse Club" alongside a group who would later become a who's-who of teenage idols, including Ryan Gosling, Cristina Aguilera, J.C. Chasez and future girlfriend Britney Spears. In 2000, 'N Sync's "No Strings Attached" was the top-selling album of the year and Justin Timberlake's picture was hanging inside the locker of teenage girls around the world. 'N Sync founding member Chris Kirkpatrick described to CNN what it was like working with him then: "It's almost like he is a perfectionist, but there's no work involved. You know, it's really just boom, boom, done. It's like, 'There it is.' One take Timberlake.'" Timberlake's writing skills were getting him noticed by other big acts, too. Michael Jackson wanted "Gone," a JT-penned 'N Sync song from their last album, "Celebrity," Timberlake's manager Johnny Wright told CNN. "We were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Michael's people came and they said, 'Hey, you know, I think Michael wants to record that record.' I looked at Justin and I was like, You're not giving that record away, because I knew how important that record was to him and what it meant for him as a writer to finally get songs." But by 2002, Justin's high-profile relationship with Britney Spears was falling apart and 'N Sync went on hiatus. "Everybody was kind of figuring out, 'What are we gonna do for the next six months?'" Wright recalled. "And then Justin kind of tapped me and said, "I know what I'm gonna do." He says, "I've had this music inside of me for quite a while. I'm gonna take this time and I'm gonna go make a record." Then Justin launched the solo career that would define his next decade. His debut album "Justified," which spawned hits like "Rock Your Body," "Cry Me a River," and "Like I Love You," soon became hot enough to land him on the biggest stage of all. Super Bowl XXXVIII was broadcast live on February 1, 2004, from Houston on CBS. As "Billboard"'s Gallo remembers it, "Justin Timberlake is at the Super Bowl performing with Janet Jackson and he reaches over and he pulls away her top and he has now, apparently, committed the crime of the century." A swift apology put Justin back on track, and his star continued to rise. His sophomore album, the club-friendly "Future Sex/LoveSounds" gave us hits (and new vernacular) like "Sexy Back" and "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" in 2006. That was the last new music we'd hear from Timberlake until now, but in the meantime, his career would explode from Grammys to Emmys, music to movies, including the Academy Award-nominated "The Social Network." He began investing in business ventures that interested him, became a must-see host of "Saturday Night Live," and has shot films with major stars like last year's "Trouble with Curve" with Clint Eastwood, and the upcoming Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis," and "Runner, Runner" with Ben Affleck. Then came the last six months. "Suit & Tie" A fall wedding in Italy to actress and Hollywood crush Jessica Biel landed Timberlake back on magazine covers and back into water cooler conversation. He followed that up with the new album, released March 19, led by the single "Suit & Tie," featuring Jay-Z. "The 20/20 Experience," which was completed in just four weeks, according to Wright, is currently on pace to sell 850,000 to 900,000 copies in its first week, likely knocking Mumford & Sons' "Babel" out of the top-selling slot of the year. On top of that, it was just announced that Timberlake will follow up the soulful album with an additional 10 tracks later this year. An immensely successful "SNL" hosting gig preceded a week of instantly viral and hilarious appearances on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Not only is Timberlake making what Kirkpatrick refers to as "grown folks music," he's also "doing a great job at reinventing himself," the former bandmate said. "The one thing I always say about Justin is he always had an eye and an ear for what's next. Not what's cool, but what's next." | Justin Timberlake is being called a modern-day Bing Crosby.
The multi-talented star delivers not only in music but also in movies and on TV.
"The 20/20 Experience" is currently on pace to become the top-selling album of the year. |
240,868 | c3d68252768a1246cff68c30f05c97af0c2056ef | Manchester City and Liverpool have been alerted to the possible availability of Real Madrid midfielder Isco as James Rodriguez closes in on a move to the Bernabeu. The Monaco midfielder starred for Colombia at the World Cup and is on the verge of sealing a dream £60million move to Carlo Ancelotti's side. But his arrival will throw the future of Isco into doubt, with Brendan Rodgers and Manuel Pellegrini both keen on a summer move for the talented playmaker. VIDEO Scroll down for to watch Real Madrid target Rodriguez dancing in a nightclub . Wanted man: Manchester City could bid for Real Madrid midfielder Isco this summer . Back in action: Isco (left) is back training with Real but he could find his opportunities limited next season . New boy: Colombia World Cup star James Rodriguez completed a £60million move to the Bernabeu . VIDEO Real closing in on Rodriguez . Liverpool have money to spend after the £75m sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona, while Pellegrini worked with Isco during his three-year spell in charge of Malaga. The 22-year-old joined Real for a fee of around £25m last summer, penning a five-year deal and making 32 La Liga appearances during his first season. But his path to regular first-team football will be blocked when Rodriguez's move is completed on Wednesday. With Ancelotti having already signed Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich for £24m, Madrid could sell as many as three players to help fund their summer acquisitions. Exit door: Argentina midfielder Angel di Maria is the most likely player to leave Real this summer . Bound for England? Arsenal are interested in signing World Cup winner Sami Khedira . The £86m arrival of Gareth Bale last . August meant the Spanish giants sold Mesut Ozil to Arsenal to help pay . for the signing. This summer will be no different. Manchester United target Angel Di Maria is candidate No 1 to move on despite Ancelotti’s insistence that the Argentine should be kept at the club. The bank-breaking purchase of Rodriguez will also speed up Real’s desire to move on Sami Khedira – possibly bringing down the £20m asking price for the former Stuttgart midfielder, who only has one year left on his contract and is wanted by Arsenal. | Isco could struggle for playing time at Real Madrid with the club set to sign Rodriguez from Monaco .
The Colombian will complete his £60m move on Wednesday .
Brendan Rodgers and Manuel Pellegrini could bid for Spanish midfielder .
Di Maria could also leave Bernabeu as Real look to fund summer signings .
Arsenal target Khedira is another player who could leave the Spanish club after the signing ofKroos from Bayern Munich . |
158,365 | 58bc56d61df4b9b5082f927c1b82da5272e27dc8 | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 08:34 EST, 6 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:32 EST, 6 September 2013 . Riley Cooper’s tumultuous offseason may be affecting teammates more than previously let on. Known more for shouting racial slurs at a country music concert than for his on-field performance, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Thursday fought an African-American teammate on the practice field. Mr Cooper and cornerback Cary Williams exchanged words, shoves and slaps before being separated by quarterback Michael Vick. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Tempers flared: Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cary Williams, left, and Riley Cooper, right, fought during Thursday's practice . The scuffle came only weeks after video of Cooper shouting ‘I will jump that fence and fight every n----- here, bro’ after a Kenny Chesney concert went viral. Footage of the fight shows the two players go at each other immediately after a pass went incomplete in a play during an afternoon practice drill. It's all good: Mr Cooper insisted that everything was fine and it was normal for two teammates to fight during practice . Mr Williams stares at Mr Cooper while being held back by Mr Vick . Both Mr Riley and Mr Williams shove each other before the defender smacks Mr Cooper’s helmet a few times and pulls on the receiver’s facemask before being separated by a coach. Williams walks away, throwing his helmet to the crowd and then goes back after Cooper while shouting ‘I’m not a n------ you mess with,’ according to the Philadelphia Daily News, before being stopped by Mr Vick. A coach intervenes and wide receiver DeSean Jackson forces Mr Williams to walk away. ‘He's just one of those guys, he's a nagging person some times. You get him on the field, he tries to be overaggressive, he tries to do things to intimidate receivers,’ Mr Jackson told the Daily News. ‘It's part of the game we play.’ Holding him back: Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) restrains Cary Williams from Riley Cooper (14), during Thursday's practice . Walking it off: Mr Williams walks off the field after the altercation . Though connecting the incident to Cooper’s racist rant over the summer would make sense, both players’ teammates denied to the Daily News that was the case, with Mr Jackson calling it ‘part of what happens out here. It's nothing too serious.’ Cooper also contended the incident was nothing out of the ordinary. They're competitive: Mr Cooper chalked the fight up to both he and Mr Williams being competitors who want the ball and were trying to make a play -- the fight occurred during practice . It's all good: Mr Cooper insisted that everything was fine and it was normal for two teammates to fight during practice . ‘We're all real close, everybody, Cary included. He's my boy,’ he told the Daily News. ‘We're both in the NFL, we're both super-competitive, we both want the ball… we were just going back and forth, just both being competitors.’ Mr Williams declined to comment to reporters after the practice, but was quoted during training camp last month saying that Mr Cooper might have to redeliver his apology to some teammates, including himself. | Riley Cooper fought Cary Williams during Thursday's practice .
Mr. Cooper is infamous for shouting the N-word at a bouncer during a country music concert this summer .
Mr Williams shouted 'I'm not a n----- you mess with' at Mr Cooper .
The two had to be separated by teammates more than once . |
201,923 | 91687a56b4ce7dc75eb5f1e3268c20351ed512f1 | Former Miss South Pacific was contacted by 'Lennay Kekua' online and asked for advice on entering beauty pageants . Non-existent Kekua set her up on lunch date with 'cousin' Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, man implicated at center of hoax . Tessi Tolutau says her 'stomach dropped' when news of the Manti Te'o hoax emerged this week . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:14 EST, 20 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:14 EST, 20 January 2013 . A Hawaiian beauty queen has revealed she was also victim to the Manti Te'o fake girlfriend scam. Tessi Tolutau, crowned Miss South Pacific in 2007, told the New York Post yesterday that the make-believe Lennay Kekua contacted her on Facebook in 2008. Tolutau said 'Kekua' claimed she was dating Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, was a Victoria's Secret model and wanted her advice on entering beauty pageants. Conned? Beauty queen Tessi Tolutau claims she was also fooled into thinking 'Lennay Kekau', the fake girlfriend of Manti Te'o was real . Denial: Notre Dame star Manti Te'o denied he had anything to do with the hoax on Friday. He says he was the victim of an elaborate false identity scam . 'She wrote, ‘I just wanted to know . what path I should take for the Miss Tonga pageant,’ ' Tolutau told the . Post. 'We went back and forth. I gave her advice about how to prepare. It was an ongoing conversation . . . She even asked me about [other . Hawaiians I knew] and about Manti, too.' 'We would chat back and forth. She . explained to me that she played basketball at Stanford, that she was a . Victoria’s Secret model, that she was dating somebody from Stanford. She . even said she was dating [Jets quarterback] Mark Sanchez.' The . Kekua fabrication came to light Wednesday, when Deadspin.com revealed . that the story of Te'o's girlfriend dying from leukemia last September . was a fake -- because Lennay Kekua never existed. Deadspin . suggested Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was involved in carrying . out the hoax. Te'o said Friday he had been contacted by the 22-year-old . Tuiasosopo and that he admitted to masterminding the scam. In an interview with ESPN on Friday, Te'o broke his silence to deny he had played any part in perpetrating it - claiming he was simply the victim of the elaborate scam which took place over four years before Kekua's supposed death on December 6. He admitted it was 'crazy' that he had a purely online relationship with a girl but denied he was part of the con to gain publicity for his burgeoning football career at the college. Defense: Tessi Tolutau, a beauty queen, who grew up near Manti Te'o says he couldn't have been in on Kekua hoax. She says she also shared messages with the made-up Stanford student . Exposed: Manti Te'o's 'dead girlfriend' Lennay Kekau was exposed as an elaborate hoax. A woman's pictures were used for the scam she also played no part in . 'No. Never,' Te'o said in an interview Friday night with ESPN's Jeremy Schaap, 'I wasn't faking it. I wasn't part of this.' Tolutau hails from the same town as . Te'o and says her 'stomach dropped' when she discovered Kekua wasn't real. She also met for lunch with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo on the advice of 'Kekua'. 'When I was in LA, Lennay told me I should go to this Polynesian-dance practice with her cousin, Ronaiah,' she continued. 'Manti wasn't in on this,' she also told ESPN. 'He checked with a lot of us about her. I believed she was real. We all did.' According to the Post report Te'o's cousin was also hoaxed in 2008. The unnamed cousin, also a football player, would speak to her on the phone sporadically after a friend put them on a call together. Flowers: Records show Manti Te'o sent flowers to this home at 21503 Water St., Los Angeles, California, where he thought Kekua lived. She didn't live there, but alleged hoaxster RonaiahTuiasosopo did . Address: A Kekua family lives at 21403 Water Street, in Los Angeles, California. However, nobody lives there called Lennay Kekua . Tolutau . came forward as reports revealed Tuiasosopo's connection to an address . that received two dozen white roses from Manti Te'o he says he believed . he was sending to his dead girlfriend's address. According . to an Associated Press report, the flowers were sent to 21503 Water . Street, Los Angeles, where Tuiasosopo's family lived in a single-story . bungalow. A family with the surname Kekua also lives six doors down although say they have never heard of a 'Lennay Kekua'. Neighbors told the AP on Saturday that Ronaiah . Tuiasosopo had lived at 21503 Water St. and has visited it since moving . out about a year ago. In . specifying where he had sent the roses, Te'o said Friday in an . interview with ESPN that he still didn't know who lives at 21503 Water . Street or of any possible connection between the address and the hoax. But he did say he knew the residents had accepted delivery of the bouquet. 'They sent me a picture of the roses, . of them getting it,' he said. Publicly available records indicate that Tuiasosopo used to live at 21503 Water Street. One neighbor said Saturday that Ronaiah had lived in the house for several years, until about a year ago. Deadspin first reported on Wednesday that Lennay Kekua's existence was a hoax, allegedly played by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a family friend . Another neighbor said that in her 27 . years living on the block there had always been a Tuiasosopo living in . 21503, including Ronaiah, his father and an uncle, Navy. Multiple public records indicate that . Navy, who played football for Utah State and the Los Angeles Rams, was a . brother of former USC football player Titus Tuiasosopo, Ronaiah's . father. A neighbor said Navy had lived at 21503 until his death in 2011. A Cadillac still registered to Navy . Tuiasosopo was parked in the driveway of Titus Tuiasosopo's home in . Palmdale, about 90 miles north of Carson, on Saturday. Titus is the pastor of Oasis . Christian Church of the Antelope Valley in Lancaster, Calif., and . Ronaiah is active in the church band, and most recently has been living . with his father. Te'o speaks to reporters before the BCS championship game in which the Fighting Irish fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide . | Former Miss South Pacific was contacted by 'Lennay Kekua' online and asked for advice on entering beauty pageants .
Non-existent Kekua set her up on lunch date with 'cousin' Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, man implicated at center of hoax .
Tessi Tolutau says her 'stomach dropped' when news of the Manti Te'o hoax emerged this week . |
255,163 | d64a33811a457887c38c0074ff68354ec4da1c31 | Washington (CNN) -- Four State Department employees placed on leave after last year's deadly terror attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, won't be fired, a decision that irritated key congressional Republicans insisting on accountability for security and other shortcomings. A senior State Department official said the employees would be assigned to different jobs, and an agency spokeswoman followed up by saying that an independent review of the matter found problems and raised questions but did not conclude any breach of duty. "Clearly things could have been done better. I think that's patently obvious to everybody who's followed this for almost a year now," said Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf. "We have to let the facts lead where they may, and these are people with real lives and real careers, and we can't just take action that's not warranted against them just to make us all feel better." The sanctioned employees included Eric J. Boswell, who the State Department said had resigned from his post as assistant secretary for diplomatic security but remained with the department while on leave. The other three were not identified. It was not clear what new responsibilities Boswell and the other three would be given. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, who has pressed the State Department to punish employees who lawmakers contend ignored security warnings in advance of the attack last September 11, reacted sharply to the decision by Secretary of State John Kerry. "Instead of accountability, the State Department offered a charade that included false reports of firings and resignations and now ends in a game of musical chairs where no one misses a single day on the State Department payroll," Issa said. He said his committee would expand its investigation to include how the independent analysis of events by the Accountability Review Board resulted in Kerry deciding "not to pursue any accountability from anyone." The four employees were placed on leave after the review board in December uncovered bureaucratic failures at the State Department before the attack. Lawmaker: If CNN can interview suspect in attack, why can't FBI? Kerry ordered a review the board's report and studied the workers' careers. In the end, he affirmed the board's finding that no one should be fired, the senior State Department official said. Why Benghazi matters . Issa criticized the department's review of the four employees, saying on Tuesday that it "did not include interviews with them or their supervisors to either substantiate or challenge allegations." The Benghazi incident involved scores of militants using rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons against the U.S. diplomatic compound and a nearby predominantly CIA-run annex. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed. The attack has become a flashpoint in the partisan-fueled climate in Washington with Republicans, especially, criticizing the Obama administration's handling of security beforehand and botching the response after. Benghazi attack timeline . Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview on 'The Lead' that someone has to be held accountable. "There is not a single thing that was done to protect of fortify that facility, nor did (Secretary of State Hillary) Clinton do anything to give them more personnel," he said. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, "I don't understand how this administration will ensure accountability at one of our most vital government departments without disciplining those who fail in their duties." CNN's Evan Perez, John King, Elise Labott, Jamie Crawford and Jason Hanna contributed to this report. | Four employees had been on administrative leave since December .
Official: John Kerry reaffirmed the report's findings that no one should be fired .
The report had found failures in the run-up to the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans .
Lawmakers have criticized the administration, saying security warnings were ignored . |
66,121 | bba35409d78f519850b07d707a20fe736b1f1ec0 | (CNN) -- For the second time in 24 hours, Canada broke U.S. hockey hearts. Using their speed and strength to control much of the play, the Canadians knocked their southern neighbors out of gold medal contention for the second straight Olympics with a 1-0 victory in a riveting men's semifinal match Friday. The victory came a day after the Canadian women won the gold medal by coming back in the final minutes to beat the Americans in overtime. Canada needed no late heroics Friday, outshooting the United States 36-31 and testing American goalie Jonathan Quick from all angles. The heartbreak reached all the way to the White House, where spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that the game "seemed just as stressful for (American) fans to watch" as the women's final. "But congratulations to Canada," Carney said. "They certainly know their way around a hockey rink." Canada's men now will face Sweden in the gold medal game on Sunday, while the United States faces Finland on Saturday for the bronze. The Canada-U.S. men's showdown pitted the defending gold medalists who claim hockey supremacy as a birthright against the plucky Americans who seek to stake a legitimate claim as the world's finest. A spirited game featured lots of chances but only one goal early in the second period, when Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn tipped in a pass disguised as a shot by St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Benn gave credit to a player he competes against during the National Hockey League season, saying in a between-periods TV interview that "Bouwmeester made a great shot-pass." The game was a rematch of the gold medal final four years when Pittsburgh Penguin superstar Sidney Crosby scored the overtime goal for Canada to beat the Americans. This time, Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, a Stanley Cup winner and playoff MVP in 2012, kept the Americans in the game with a series of saves, including two on NHL teammate Jeff Carter and a sliding stop on Benn, who was unable to lift a shot from the right circle. At the other end, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price stopped every U.S. shot, most of them from the outside or far off with little traffic in front. One of his toughest saves came early when Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel broke in on the right side for the Americans. Price blocked the angle to deny Kessel. "Obviously, that team playing in front of me gave everything tonight," Price said after the match. He cited Canada's "relentlessness" for the victory, saying "we were all over the place." After a fast-paced even start, Canada took control near the midway point of the first period, firing eight shots to two by the United States over the next 12 minutes. The Canadians maintained the advantage the rest of the way, using a smothering team defense to stifle the Americans after Benn's second-period goal. With the top professionals competing, the Olympic tournament amounts to an effective hockey World Cup every four years, and the 2014 version has provided all the requisite story lines and drama for classic status. It came 34 years after the "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid, New York, when the then-amateur American team upset the dominant Soviet Union in the semifinals and went on to win the gold medal against Finland. There was a minor miracle this time, when St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie almost singlehandedly beat host Russia in the preliminary round when he scored on four of six shootout chances to secure a 3-2 American victory after the teams tied through regulation play and overtime. On Friday, Oshie and St. Louis teammates David Backes and Kevin Shattenkirk took on fellow Blues Alex Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester, a defense pairing for Canada. Many such confrontations existed between the rosters comprised of NHL competitors. U.S. head coach Dan Bylsma also coaches Pittsburgh, and was trying to neutralize Crosby and Penguins' teammate Chris Kunitz. At one point in the first period, San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau of Canada took a penalty for interfering with NHL teammate Joe Pavelski. For the Americans, the revenge factor was doubled after Canada beat the U.S. women 3-2 for the gold medal Thursday by scoring twice in the final minutes to tie the game, then winning it on an overtime power play. Kessel's sister, Amanda, was a top U.S. player throughout the tournament. Neither the Canadians nor the U.S. men had lost a game so far this Olympics, but both had close calls. Oshie's shootout heroics against Russia gave the Americans an easier route through the quarterfinals, where they defeated the Czech Republic 5-2 on Wednesday. Canada won an overtime nail-biter over Finland in its last preliminary match, followed by a tight 2-1 victory over upstart Latvia on Wednesday to set up Friday's clash with the Americans. Sweden is the only team to have won all its matches in regulation time. Two of its NHL stars, Loui Eriksson of the Boston Bruins and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators, scored in the second period Friday against Finland, while goalie Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers made 25 saves to secure the victory. Olli Jokinen of the Winnipeg Jets scored for Finland. | Canadian men advance to gold medal game with 1-0 win .
Both the Canadian and U.S. teams are full of NHL stars .
The U.S. will play Finland for the bronze on Saturday, Canada goes against Sweden on Sunday .
U.S. women lost heartbreaking gold medal game against Canada . |
136,981 | 3d2e83b667cb086899cc103c0d574318e1f6419e | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 12:22 EST, 18 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:14 EST, 19 April 2013 . A nuclear power station in Kent has been leaking radioactive waste, which can increase the risk of developing cancer, for months according to the Environment Agency. Routine tests on boreholes drilled close to the Dungeness B plant found traces of tritium measuring more than seven times the agreed level. But plant owners EDF Energy have reassured residents that it is unlikely that contaminated water has seeped into the local domestic supply. Leak: The Dungeness B power station n Kent has been leaking more than the agreed levels of tritium . Although the substance, a radioactive variant of hydrogen, can increase the risk of cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, it is considered one of the least dangerous nuclear waste products. Normal levels of tritium, agreed with the Environment Agency and measured in Becquerels, are usually considered to be anything under 100 per litre of water. But the tests in the boreholes close to Dungeness B showed levels of 760. The Environment Agency said: 'EDF informed the Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation in September 2012 and in December 2012 that they had monitored elevated levels of tritium in the groundwater on the Dungeness B nuclear licensed site. 'Dungeness B is a significant distance from any boreholes used for drinking water abstraction. As a precaution, the local water authority has been informed of the results. 'EDF are conducting an investigation into the source of the tritium. Any regulatory response will be informed by the results of this investigation.' Owner: EDF Energy says that work is well underway to rectify the tritium levels . The Evironment Agency confirmed that levels of tritium were normal elsewhere in Dungeness B's surroundings and added that the power station is allowed to discharge tritium in the environment under permit. The World Health Organisations's guideline level for the maximum amount of tritium in drinking water is 10,000 Becquerels per litre. Tritium can inhaled, ingested and even absorbed through the skin and is a naturally occuring form of hydrogen found in the environment anyway. A spokesman for EDF Energy said: 'We take our responsibilities to the environment very seriously. At our sites we continually strive to improve our environmental performance by adopting best practice. 'We routinely monitor, record and report on our environmental discharges and sample our water. Out of action: The Dungeness A power station, pictured in late 2005, ceased operation in 2006. Normal levels of tritium have been monitored elsewhere around the site . 'Samples analysed during routine quarterly sampling of groundwater at Dungeness B indicated levels of tritium above the agreed Environmental Agency investigation level of 100Bq/l. This has been identified and isolated to one small area on site. 'Work is well underway to resolve this issue and the Environment Agency and Office for Nuclear Regulation site inspectors are being kept informed of the progress being made. The Dungeness Site Stakeholder Group is also being kept informed. 'The environmental impact is negligible and there is no risk to the public or our employees. 'Tritium levels in boreholes on the station boundary have been checked and confirmed to be at background levels and the local water company has confirmed that the local water system is unaffected.' The company added that drinking two litres of water containing a concentration of 850 Becquerels per litre of Tritium would result in less than 0.1 per cent of the average annual radiation dose received per person in the UK. This is the equivalent of eating two medium-sized baked potatoes everyday for a year. Dungeness B is two advanced gas cooled reactors which began operations in 1983 and 1985. It remains operational after Dungeness A was closed in 2006. | Dungeness B in Kent has been leaking more than agreed levels of Tritium .
But the variant of hydrogen has not seeped into domestic water supply .
Even if it had, the levels detected would pose no danger to the public . |
7,321 | 14bb401528242bd4746fe97c99ac07e82913bab3 | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 7:49 AM on 9th February 2012 . One posing craze was meant to honour an NFL player fast becoming a hero among fans of every team for his open faith and no-nonsense playing style. The other isn’t quite as complimentary. Americans aren’t letting New England Patriots veteran quarterback Tom Brady, 34, forget how his side lost 21-17 to New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ‘Bradying’ craze sees people photographed sitting with their arms between their outstretched legs and their faces pointing to the ground - and it’s sweeping the U.S. as fast as ‘Tebowing’. Hilarious: The 'Bradying' craze sees people photographed sitting with their arms between their outstretched legs and their faces pointing to the ground and it’s sweeping the U.S. as fast as 'Tebowing' Strange locations: 'Bradying' is catching on, with fans uploading their pictures to a website, which carries the motto: 'It's all about winning. And hair. And winning hair. Upload your best Bradying photo' Crestfallen: Americans aren't letting New England Patriots veteran quarterback Tom Brady, 34, forget how his side lost 21-17 to New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday in Indianapolis, Indiana . That craze, which honoured Denver . Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, 24, and started last October, is still . going strong after actor Alec Baldwin mimicked it on Saturday at an NFL . awards ceremony. But now . ‘Bradying’ is catching on, with fans uploading their pictures to a . website, which carries the motto: ‘It's all about winning. And hair. And . winning hair. Upload your best Bradying photo’. Brady’s . Patriots lost the dramatic game on Sunday and a picture of him looking . crestfallen, sitting with his hands between his legs, went viral and was . mocked relentlessly by Giants fans. The . craze comes after Brady’s wife Gisele Bundchen was taunted by fans in . New York and Boston, Massachusetts, where the Patriots are based, for . blaming his team-mates for Sunday’s defeat. Familiar theme: Brady was also pictured in the same position in other games against the Miami Dolphins last December, left, and the Baltimore Ravens in January 2010 . Out in the cold: Brady’s Patriots lost the dramatic gameand a picture of him looking crestfallen is being copied . Other craze: 'Tebowing', which honoured Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, 24, and started last October, is still going strong. Tebow is pictured here in a game against the New England Patriots last month . Many in Boston are angry with the supermodel after she yelled that her husband can't ‘f***ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time’. She faced criticism from Giants players too. 'Even if both make you laugh a bit, I think the motives behind Tebowing are more pure and will last much further down the road. Tebowing isn't just a meme with pictures on a website' Jared Kleinstein, Tebowing.com . But Tebowing.com creator Jared Kleinstein told the Huffington Post he doesn’t believe ‘Bradying’ will be a long-running craze, because it intends to mock rather than praise a quarterback. ‘Even if both make you laugh a bit, I think the motives behind Tebowing are more pure and will last much further down the road,’ he said. ‘Tebowing isn't just a meme with pictures on a website.’ ‘It’s a humbled position - shoulders down, head down - that’s all about being humbled,’ former Army expert on body language and interrogation Greg Hartley told the New York Post. The 'Tebowing' craze, which saw people mimic Tebow by dropping to their knees in a prayer pose, followed 'planking', where men and women lied down down on odd objects and in strange places. | New England Patriots lost 21-17 to New York Giants in Super Bowl game .
Americans mimic Tom Brady, 34, sitting on floor with hands between legs .
People post pictures of themselves pulling post to 'Bradying' website .
Comes after 'Tebowing' in honour of Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow, 24 . |
8,169 | 171d0b6b89233b0a9e35426cb0363fbee21cbe99 | (CNN) -- A federal court on Monday sentenced a Somali man to 30 years in prison for acts related to high-seas piracy, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia. "Today marks the first sentencing in Norfolk for acts of piracy in more than 150 years," U.S. Attorney MacBride said in the statement. "Piracy is a growing threat throughout the world, and today's sentence ... demonstrates that the United States will hold modern-day pirates accountable in U.S. courtrooms." Jama Idle Ibrahim pleaded guilty in federal court in August, admitting he had intended to seize a U.S. merchant vessel on April 10 and hold it for ransom. Ibrahim and five other would-be pirates learned too late that they had instead pulled alongside a U.S. Naval vessel, the USS Ashland. They were captured after firing at those on board, according to the statement. The attack occurred in the Gulf of Aden between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Until this year, there had not been a piracy-related conviction in the United States since 1861, during the Civil War, officials said. In May, Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, who was accused of leading the attack on the Maersk Alabama in April 2009, pleaded guilty to felony counts of hijacking maritime vessels, kidnapping and hostage taking. CNN's Terry Frieden contributed to this report . | NEW: A Somali man is sentenced to 30 years in prison in high-seas piracy attempt .
Jama Idle Ibrahim is one of a group of would-be pirates who were captured .
He has admitted to trying to seize a U.S. merchant vessel and hold it for ransom .
Until this year, the last piracy-related conviction in the United States was in 1861 . |
209,349 | 9b19c707bb3b721bcdca621fd6fd01e99112a320 | LOS ANGELES, California -- One of the bigger difficulties any first-time buyer faces is purchasing a car that doesn't scream "first-time" to friends, relatives and co-workers, or indeed to the buyer each time they step into an ill-chosen purchase. A "shark" that races down roads. To break from the boring econobox, here are some of the more sculpted and stylish cars available for about $20,000 that will hold their looks for a long time and give a little bit of joy to a first-time owner. Hyundai Tiburon . If you didn't know already, Tiburon means "shark" in Spanish, and it's not hard to see how Hyundai's sporty coupe can stalk the unwary first-time buyer and snare them quickly. Like an instantly recognizable dorsal fin, the Tiburon in its third incarnation is perhaps the purest low-slung sportster that won't bust a first-time buyer's wallet, though it may chew a hole in the seat of their pants as they're pushed back into those tight-hugging bucket seats. The startling Hyundai-designed looks boast a touch of Italian styling uncommon for its bracket. Mazda MazdaSpeed3 . A bona-fide pocket rocket, any first-time buyer can put a fair distance between themselves and the pack in the MazdaSpeed3, part of the Asian carmaker's strategy to wrestle performance compact coupe sales from European carmakers. This one isn't overbearingly dripped in trim or wings, but don't let any youngster tell you it doesn't have what it takes to make their peers jealous. The MazdaSpeed3 will storm from standing to a mile a minute in under six seconds and is said to hit 155 mph. Its secret is torque negation in the low gears -- and perhaps its 263 horses under the hood. Another hidden gem is its seven-speaker Bose stereo. Pontiac G5 GT Coupe . Much like the fantastic Chevy Cobalt SS, its younger sister Pontiac G5 GT boasts highly sprung motoring at a price that appeals to the first-time buyer's wallet. The G5 GT has been tweaked just slightly from its sister SS -- like the difference between Ashlee and Jessica Simpson -- boasting a less horizontal grille and more sculpted valance. Both are reasonably stylish from the back and side and both leaving plenty room for aftermarket add-ons. A new grille entirely, like a Phantom, may just be what you need to set it off against the crowd. The GT's inline-four 2.4-liter 173-hp engine -- 25hp over the base -- drives the front wheels to hit 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds. Gas mileage is good and customer satisfaction ratings are off the hook. Ford Mustang V6 . A revamped chassis is the key to why Ford's Mustang has become an outstanding product at a price that's hard to beat. A tweak to the iconic lines for last year included a smaller back window and a longer, craggier front end. Some might of course call us heretics for picking a V6 over the famous eight-cylinder included in the GT package but, to be honest, the V6 performs admirably, pushes out 210hp and emits a low-down growl that sounds wonderful. And it's still a Mustang. Civic Coupe . A Civic hatch was my second car (after a very short-lived VW Rabbit). The coupe tested earlier this year brought back fond memories of the Civic's surprisingly roomy front cabin, its enjoyable handling and maneuverability, first-class economy and its sporty elongated hood and swooping back end. Standard features include a 350-watt premium sound system, a touch-screen satellite-navigation system whose screen flips to reveal the CD player, and a slot for a computer memory card. It's also got a funky dash that spectrally lights at night -- what fun. Scion xB . On the heels of its 2004 release, Toyota's hipster Scion brand has remodeled its boxy wonder this year, this time boasting more than a design nod to its parent company's FJ Cruiser. Wide rear pillars, wraparound headlights and bumper define the second-generation variant, which comes dripping with gadgetry inside, as well as leaving plenty of room for after-market customization. This one turns heads while allowing you to pack five adults in relative comfort. Other notable features include a central console that fits in a DVD player alongside a backlit GPS sat-nav system that lights up in any one of 10 colors. Honda Fit . A co-worker bought one of these after crashing her old and very badly beaten up Saturn on a left turn into oncoming traffic. Ouch. So it technically wasn't her first car, but for many buyers, it will be. Energetic, filled with flair and boasting a vertical fold the length of its bonnet, the Fit looks the part as well as being colossally roomy inside for what you expect. You don't get a third row of seats in there but, with the back row folded flat, it almost lends you to believe it can become a camper. Other great touches include an mp3 input jack and reclining rear-seat headrests, while gas mileage is, as expected, very good indeed. E-mail to a friend . | Tiburon is low-slung sportster that won't bust first-time buyer's wallet .
Pontiac G5 GT boasts highly sprung motoring .
Toyota's hipster Scion comes dripping with gadgetry inside . |
63,166 | b371d688aa3e97b33bfaf9d15bb1c9ce6ed8fc22 | By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 30 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:49 EST, 30 August 2013 . Banned: Motorcyclist Michael Chester was banned from the roads for 20 months and given a suspended prison sentence . A biker has been banned from the roads after pulling a wheelie for police cameras at 110mph. Businessman Michael Chester, 42, was ‘showing off’ as he overtook a car with his front wheel almost perpendicular with the tarmac, a court heard. A North Yorkshire Policeman was left ‘shocked and alarm’ as he recorded Chester doing the high-speed stunt. The father-of-two today pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on 7 July at Northallerton Magistrates’ Court. Bench . Chairwoman Jo Senior told him: 'Riding at 110mph on one wheel is . extremely serious and is a danger to yourself and other road users. 'Motorcyclist deaths are already too high - you could have made it one more on that day.' Magistrates . imposed a 20month disqualification, sentenced him to 12 weeks . imprisonment suspended for two years, ordered him to do 200 hours unpaid . work for the community and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £80 . victim surcharge. Mrs Senior added: 'You came very close to going to prison today. I hope you know that?' Chester, of Holmfirth, West Yorks, rode at high speed on his Suzuki GSXR on the A63 near Sherburn-in-Elmet and pulled the wheelie for about 8 seconds. Danger: Michael Chester was filmed by police pulling a wheelie on his motorbike at 110mph on the A63 near Selby, North Yorkshire . Prosecutor Katie Varlow told the court . that at 12.15pm a North Yorkshire Police Safety Camera officer was on . duty inside a Traffic Crime Enforcement Vehicle parked on the southbound . A63 , near Sherburn-in-Elmet when he spotted Chester’s motorbike . travelling at high speed in the distance. It is a long, straight road with a 70mph speed limit, the weather and visibility was good. The road is popular with motorcyclists who tend to meet up at the well-known Squires Cafi. Mrs . Varlow said: 'The defendant was travelling at a high speed on only the . back wheel. The front wheel was high an almost at 90 degrees to the . road. Blurred: Michael Chester screams past a police video camera capturing his high-speed stunt riding on film for the court . 'It was travelling well in excess of the speed limit and the traffic officer recorded footage. 'The defendant overtook a vehicle on the off-side still travelling on the rear wheel and his speed was recorded at 110mph. 'The defendant has then caused the motorcycle to go back on both wheels, which caused some wobbling.' Chester pulled the wheelie for about 7-8 seconds and the traffic officer said he was ‘shocked and alarmed’ by what he saw. Mrs . Varlow said police located Chester at the Squires Cafi and he admitted . he had pulled the wheelie but claimed he didn’t think it was dangerous. Busted: Michael Chester was showing off and tipping speeds of 110mph on the A63 near Selby, North Yorkshire . The court heard Chester has two children aged 11 and seven and runs a garden equipment supply company with his partner. Mitigating David Tyrer said: 'He accepts his actions were foolish in the extreme and he accepts responsibility for that.' Chester has been riding motorbikes for more than 20 years and had only one endorsement on his licence, said his solicitor. 'It is not a situation where Mr Chester is a habitual offender and his driving record would suggest the opposite. He has a good driving record both riding motorcycles and driving cars,' said Mr Tyrer. 'He is deeply remorseful for what he has done.' | Michael Chester, 42, today pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Northallerton Magistrates’ Court .
Police filmed Chester riding his Suzuki GSXR on the A63 near Sherburn-in-Elmet .
High-speed wheelie lasted for about 8 seconds .
Father-of-two was handed a 20month disqualification and 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years . |
95,411 | 06a1d459dc555ba4086d21f977533265a65c9d0e | By . Richard Spillett . Former Generation Game star Rosemarie Ford appeared at the Rolf Harris trial today and told jurors the entertainer never acted unprofessionally . Former TV star Rosemarie Ford has told jurors in the Rolf Harris trial that the entertainer was a 'perfect professional'. Ms Ford, famed for appearing alongside Bruce Forsyth on the Generation Game, was one of a host of Harris's former colleagues who vouched for his good character today. She said she worked with the Australian entertainer on the famous game show and on other programmes including Cat Crazy and Rolf's Amazing World Of Animals in the 1990s and he never acted unprofessionally. She told the jury: 'Rolf was a total professional. He was a delight to work with and easy to be with. 'I have obviously been in and around the business a long time and you learn to recognise, in the area I'm from, when people do have a inappropriate manner and I never saw that,' she said. Ms Ford, 52, who the jury heard is married to actor Robert Lindsay, added: 'There was never, ever any indication of anything sinister or inappropriate.' Harris, 84, is accused of 12 counts of indecent assault on four women between 1968 and 1986, all of which he denies. Choreographer Dougie Squires, who was made an OBE for services to the arts, also appeared before the jury today to speak about the five decades he has spent working with Harris. Harris arriving at Southwark Crown Court with daughter Bindi (left) and niece Jenny (right) this morning. He denies 12 counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1986 . He said he . had a group of dancers called the Young Generation who performed each . week on the Rolf Harris show, including girls aged around 16 to 28. Mr Squires said the musician was 'very popular with them as a father figure really'. Despite . the dancers walking around in bras and g-strings backstage, Harris did . not behave inappropriately, the court heard. Mr Squires said: 'He was . one of the gang.' The pair have also supported charities together for the past 25 years, the jury was told. The court then heard from Tina . Fletcher-Hill, a senior executive producer for the BBC, who gave . evidence via videolink from the United States, where she is on holiday. Looking back: Rolf Harris with Rosemarie Ford in 1997. She said she worked with him on programmes including Cat Crazy and Rolf's Amazing World Of Animals in the 1990s . She said she first met Harris in 1999 while working on Animal Hospital, and later collaborated with him on the series Rolf on Art. Mrs Fletcher-Hill said: 'Rolf is a hugger. Rolf is loving, he's kind, he's affectionate. I've never witnessed anybody pulling back or feeling uncomfortable with his tactile nature.' Choreographer Dougie Squires said Harris was very popular with dancers, 'a father figure really' The TV boss told the court Harris would . openly admire strangers, telling them 'my God you're beautiful', but not . in a sexual way. 'He will quite openly comment on the colour of someone's hair or the shape of their nose or on their characteristics or facial expressions. 'He is quite open and outspoken in terms of admiring form. I guess that is an artist thing.' Witnesses from the world of showbusiness appeared at Southwark Crown Court after one of Harris's daughter's friends, . Joanne Charles, told the court his hugs to his daughter's friend were . paternal rather than sexual. 'It was lovely. It was affectionate,' she said. Harris . is accused of having molested another of his daughter's friends from . the age of 13, but Ms Charles said he had not shown any interest in the . girl, who she described as 'bland'. 'From my recollection, she was quiet and I hate to say it, because it sounds so awful, but she was a bit bland.' Asked . how Harris's behaviour had been towards her when she got older, she said: 'It's . been the same really. He has always been very cuddly, very warm, . tactile. 'I think there were comments like "goodness, aren't you a curvy girl? You've got such lovely curves".' But she said she did not find them offensive, adding: 'No, I didn't because it wasn't in a lurid way, it was in a friendly, warm way.' Harris admits having had a consensual sexual affair with the alleged victim from the age of 18. Describing her feelings when she heard of the affair, Ms Charles said: 'I was saddened and shocked. It's . a terribly sad thing, but as far as I saw it that was his private life . and it had nothing to do with me.' Joanne Charles (left), a friend of Harris's daughter Bindi, told the court the entertainer's hugs were paternal rather than sexual and family friend Anne Marie Eve (right) said the artist was 'a totally lovely human being' Another . witness, Anne Marie Eve, told the court that her parents became friends . with the Harrises when they moved to Bray, and the artist was 'a totally . lovely human being'. The physiotherapist told the court that he was affectionate to her and her father. 'He . would envelop you in a hug. He would envelop my father in a hug, which . he found surprising as a physician. They were just two ends of a tactile . spectrum.' Telling the jury that he had never tried to grope her, she added: 'There was never anything hidden about it.' The trial was adjourned to tomorrow. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Former Generation Game star tells court Harris never acted inappropriately .
She is one of series of former colleagues to tell of his good character .
Choreographer Dougie Squires said Harris was 'father figure' to TV dancers .
A BBC Animal Hospital producer says Harris didn't make her uncomfortable .
One of his daughter's friends says his hugs were paternal rather than sexual .
Veteran entertainer, 84, denies 12 historic counts of indecent assault . |
58,943 | a736e4214adf61c16cd5f99ac02854c984809f33 | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 07:35 EST, 24 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:41 EST, 24 July 2012 . The father of one of Ben Kinsella’s killers is suing police for £100,000 after claiming he was kicked in the face during the hunt for the teenager’s murderer. Michael Alleyne’s son, also Michael, is serving a life sentence for stabbing to death the 16-year-old brother of EastEnders star Brooke Kinsella in 2008, when he was just 18. Alleyne Jr was one of three men caged after Ben was brutally hacked down in the street outside a north London bar, sparking outrage and leading to an increase in minimum sentences for knife crime. Michael Alleyne Sr outside the High Court, where he is suing the Met Police after claiming he was kicked in the face during the manhunt for his teenage son . Now Mr Alleyne Sr, from Islington, says he was kicked in the eye and had his ankle broken when the Metropolitan Police bundled him to the ground after coming to his house looking for his son. He is suing for an estimated £100,000 in damages for the fractured ankle and eye injury he claims he suffered at the hands of police, as well as post traumatic stress. Anthony Seys-Llewellyn QC told the High Court that a team of officers forced their way into Mr Alleyne’s home on June 30, 2008, the day after Ben was murdered. The court heard Mr Alleyne’s dog was . tazered and sprayed with a fire extinguisher after it barked at officers . and Mr Alleyne was handcuffed on the ground. Terrible crime: Alleyne Jr was one of three men jailed after Ben was stabbed to death outside a north London bar . London Underground worker Mr Alleyne, who is in his early sixties, says he was then kicked in the face, causing his eye to swell up and eventually close over, and he felt a pain in his ankle as he lay on the floor. In documents filed at the High Court, he claims he was then paraded before a TV camera outside his home and detained for more than four hours without seeing a doctor. When he was allowed to go to hospital he was found to have a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage and retinal damage to his eye and a fractured ankle. He says he needed 16 weeks off work and has since suffered nightmares. His lawyers claim the conduct of the police officers was 'oppressive, humiliating, arbitrary and unconstitutional' and are demanding a six-figure compensation payout for alleged negligence, trespass, false imprisonment and assault. The Metropolitan Police denies . liability in the case. Mr Alleyne’s claims that he was kicked whilst . stricken on the floor are hotly disputed, with officers claiming that he . appeared to be struggling and needed to be restrained as part of the . murder probe. They argue that he was not detained during the investigation but was taken to a police station for treatment. Police lawyers told the High Court Mr Alleyne was lying about officer violence just as he had lied at his son's trial. Mr Alleyne, 62, was referred to a . statement he made shortly after the stabbing, in which he said his son . had gone out on the night of the murder. Tragic loss: Ben Kinsella, left, was killed aged 16, prompting his EastEnders actress sister Brooke, right, to campaign for tougher knife crime sentences . But, the court heard, Mr Alleyne later changed his statement to stay his son had stayed at home, an account he maintained when giving evidence at the Old Bailey trial in 2009. Dijen Basu, for the Metropolitan Police, said the claims that his son stayed in were false and showed that Mr Alleyne was prepared to lie on oath. Questioning Mr Alleyne, he said: 'I must put it to you that you are being as untruthful today as you were being at the Central Criminal Court.' Mr Alleyne did not answer the question after his lawyer intervened. Mr Basu added that Mr Alleyne's claim that police changed the first statement about his son's movements showed he was prepared to level false accusations at officers. 'The police officers who will testify at this trial are the brave men and women who deserve part of the credit for bringing Michael Alleyne [Jr] to justice for murder. They did not attack the claimant, negligently injure him, falsely imprison him or trespass on his premises', Mr Basu told the court. 'We expect and require police officers to take very great risks with their own safety and health in order to protect the public from people like Michael Alleyne Jr. 'On 30 June, 2008, numerous officers entered the claimant's flat not knowing if they would be attacked by desperate and violent men who had recently killed. 'The work of specialist homicide detectives in the claimant's flat and with the claimant contributed to bringing these men to justice. Thanks to the Metropolitan Police in this case, the public will be free of the risk these men pose until at least 2028.' The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Claims Met Police broke his ankle and injured his eye .
Court heard his dog was sprayed with fire extinguisher and tazered before Michael Alleyne Sr was handcuffed on the ground .
Police lawyers said Mr Alleyne Sr was lying and had also lied under oath during his son's murder trial .
His 18-year-old son was convicted of stabbing to death the brother of EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella . |
121,596 | 29271b6b9409e87e4c634f364a45171764a15ba7 | Think of this as the third and final stage of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona career. We’ve had the shy and awkward boy wonder, we’ve had the fully developed, four- time Ballon d’Or winner, now we are in the age of Messi the leader. He’s in charge, and he’s not very happy. The Barcelona board and their chosen coach are the principal reasons why he has started to wonder, since the middle of last season, if his future might lie somewhere else. It was in December 2013 when, amid talk of a contract renewal, one of the club’s vice-presidents, Javier Faus, said he saw no reason ‘why the contract of this gentleman should be improved when it was revised only two years ago’. Superstar Lionel Messi, arriving at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, is the man who drives Barcelona on . But Barcelona talisman Messi has cast doubt over his future with the Catalan giants . Messi had his partner Antonella Roccuzzo with him for the award ceremony in Switzerland on Monday . It was the sarcastic reference to ‘this gentleman’ that particularly riled Messi. It suggested a change in attitude towards a player who previous president Joan Laporta had always treated as the club’s favourite son. More important than the reluctance to improve his terms was the flippancy of the dismissal. The tone fitted the theory that the board would not be wholly against the idea of selling Messi. There is a new stadium to be built at a cost of £330million, after all, and what if his best years are behind him? ‘Senor Faus knows nothing about football,’ responded Messi. ‘He wants to run Barcelona like a business, which it is not.’ Messi, celebrates Luis Suarez (left) and Neymar (centre), scored in the weekend win over Atletico Madrid . Messi has cast doubt over his Barcelona future, admitting on Monday 'I don't know where I'll be next year' The player spent December 2013 in Argentina recovering from injury and when he came back he couldn’t prevent the team finishing the season without a trophy. Messi feels that this board has neither backed nor protected him. He has brought some of the off-field problems on himself by failing to declare the correct amount of tax during a three-year period. But when that indiscretion encouraged a campaign against him that even had one newspaper, El Mundo, linking his father to a money-laundering ring connected to a drugs cartel, there was no closing of ranks around the star player as there would have been in the past. This season the board has been the lesser evil, with coach Luis Enrique taking charge of the team in the summer. Cristiano Ronaldo with Messi during the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, which the Portuguese star won . Barcelona manager Luis Enrique (right), arrived as manager this summer, has fallen out with star player Messi . Enrique left Messi on the bench for the first match of the new year - a defeat by Real Sociedad . The man who managed to fall out with both Francesco Totti and Daniele de Rossi at Roma picked 27 different teams for his first 27 matches in charge, antagonising senior dressing-room figures in the process. He allowed Neymar and Messi to come back two days later than originally planned from the winter break but then left both out of the first game of the new year, which the team lost 1-0 to David Moyes’s Real Sociedad. ‘So now I’m OK to play?’ Messi is understood to have told his manager when, 1-0 down, he asked him to come on at the break. That first match of 2015 was a tinker too far. Across the great La Liga divide at Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti tends to pick his best players for every game. Luis Enrique’s rotation has smacked of trying too hard to impose himself on a squad of superstars. The 27-year-old (centre) scored 50 goals in 52 appearances for Barcelona last season . Gerard Pique, Dani Alves and Ivan Rakitic had also been victims of the chopping and changing and none have adequate replacements in a squad poorly assembled by the since-ousted sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta. Messi rowed with his coach on the Friday before the Sociedad game, tensions were strained on the Sunday of the match and instead of training the following day, he stayed at home and followed Chelsea on Instagram. Add that piece of social-network manoeuvering to the decision to name Jose Mourinho — for so long pantomime villain of the Clasicos, not least when he poked the late Tito Vilanova in the eye — as third on his list of top coaches, and it is little wonder the seeds of doubt have started to sprout. Messi celebrates after scoring for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid during Sunday's victory at the Nou Camp . The idea that Messi would never work with Mourinho was quashed in one fell swoop. The Chelsea coach has already rubbished the idea that Financial Fair Play restrictions would ever allow Chelsea to make such a move. That is true if Messi’s price were his buy-out clause of £195m. But if he handed in a transfer request the price would fall. The player’s long-term partner Antonella Roccuzzo certainly wouldn’t object to being closer to her best friend Daniella Semaan, the partner of Cesc Fabregas. Could London really be calling? Playing the transfer-request card is the only way it could happen and that remains the player’s very last resort in this power play. Messi (right) celebrates with Barca team-mates Luis Suarez (left) and Neymar on Sunday night . End-of-season elections will bring change to the club. Former president Laporta is poised to stand and Messi will back one candidate in June and that candidate will win by a landslide. Anyone who can guarantee that he stays will be given the electorate’s seal of approval. For that to be the case, however, the possibility of him walking away has to exist. Hence the occasional ‘I don’t even know where I will be next year’ admissions. All great clubs follow the lead of one individual. Sometimes it’s a gregarious owner or president, sometimes it’s a charismatic manager and sometimes it’s an exceptional player. There is a power void at Barcelona and Messi is ready to fill it. Now is the winter of his discontent — if he gets the president and coach he wants, in June it will be a glorious summer. | Lionel Messi has fallen out with Barcelona boss Luis Enrique .
The 27-year-old casts doubt over Barcelona future at the Ballon d'Or .
The Argentine missed out on the award to rival Cristiano Ronaldo .
Messi has already scored 25 goals for Barcelona this season .
READ: Only Manchester United can afford Messi .
Click here for more Barcelona news . |
196,214 | 89ee7bf31ab4601645009ec32b711669d96f8130 | Mr Brightside: Brandon Flowers, singer of The Killers was not always this steady on stage . With a new Christmas single, an appearance on tomorrow’s X Factor Final and their first hits collection, The Killers are marking the tenth anniversary of their debut British gig with their customary swagger. The Las Vegas rockers, fronted by Brandon Flowers, have sold 22 million albums and headlined at Glastonbury, Wembley and even the White House. But the ride has not always been smooth. Early hits like Mr Brightside were universally lauded, but the band’s second album, 2006’s Sam’s Town, was initially mauled by critics and fans alike — and Brandon was badly stung. ‘I struggled with that response,’ Flowers admits. ‘I had felt compelled to show something of where I come . from — smalltown America — and the Press destroyed me for it. ‘I . made the mistake of believing the bad reviews. They convinced me I was . just a pop tart who didn’t belong in the realm of serious rock artists. 'Our following album, Day & Age, was a total reaction to Sam’s . Town.’ The singer . is more philosophical these days. And rightly so. The new retrospective, . Direct Hits, draws material from all four of their studio albums, with . the Bruce Springsteen-esque guitars of the Sam’s Town numbers sitting . seamlessly alongside poppier, synth-powered tracks. ‘I’m . happy we’ve finally released a hits album,’ says the 32-year-old, who . formed The Killers with guitarist Dave Keuning in 2001. ‘I grew up with . “best-of” cassettes. My first Smiths record was Hatful Of Hollow and I . had hits albums by Elton John and The Cars.’ Chatting . ahead of The X Factor Final, which also features Elton, Katy Perry and . One Direction, Brandon says he is now more at ease with himself than in . the past. On stage: Brandon with his fellow bandmates in The Killers on The Jonathan Ross Show last year . ‘On our first UK tour, I was still wondering whether I was good enough to do this,’ he admits. ‘Our first gig was in a pub, The Dublin Castle in Camden Town, and I was so nervous that I fell offstage during Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine. ‘There had been a lot of hoopla beforehand about us being the next big thing, so it was very embarrassing.’ The new assurance stems partly from a settled home life in Las Vegas. Since marrying childhood sweetheart Tana Mundkowsky eight years ago, Brandon has become the proud father of three sons. A devout Mormon, he avoids alcohol and drugs. ‘I used to drink. And smoke. But, as you get older, and have a wife and children, the dynamic starts to change,’ he says. ‘The drinking is fun when it starts, but it doesn’t always end that way. ‘I live a normal life. But I’m always thinking about what I’m going to do next, musically. Do I need a fresh producer? What was Peter Gabriel doing when he was 32?’ Originally influenced by British acts like The Cure and New Order — Brandon was once praised for his ‘genuine fake English accent’ — The Killers have since sought inspiration closer to home, working alongside Lou Reed and Springsteen. Killing it: The Killers have sold 22 million albums and headlined at Glastonbury, Wembley and even the White House . Having collaborated with Reed on Tranquilize, the opening track on the 2007 rarities album Sawdust, Flowers was saddened to hear of the rock pioneer’s death. ‘Spending time with Lou was surreal because of the folklore that surrounds him,’ he says. ‘We were scared to death, but he was sweet, and great to work with. The night he died, we played a show in Las Vegas and sang Pale Blue Eyes in tribute.’ The Springsteen liaison came about at a rock festival in Holland. ‘We were playing Mr Brightside when I saw Bruce really going for it at the side of the stage. That was like some weird dream. He suggested I join him onstage later for Thunder Road, and I jumped at the chance. That song is part of my DNA.’ Beyond the hits CD — and Christmas In LA, the Killers’ eighth festive charity single — the band will take a breather. Brandon is working on a solo album, but he assures me that he will return to the group when the time is right. ‘This is the end of something,’ he says. ‘Maybe we have become too comfortable. I’ll do my solo stuff and then come back to give The Killers a kick in the pants.’ Direct Hits is out on Island. | Brandon Flowers fell off the stage on his first UK gig in Camden in 2003 .
The Killers, from Las Vegas has sold 22million albums .
Band is set to play the X Factor Finals this weekend . |
153,462 | 524db44ef6384f27da76156d8365ff6811552437 | Hundreds of thousands of savers, frustrated with banking scandals and rock-bottom interest rates, have switched their current accounts in the last year, figures show. More than 1.2million current account holders have moved to a new provider in the first year of an initiative aimed at taking the hassle out of swapping banks. Since the scheme was launched in September 2013, there has been a 22 per cent increase in customers switching, according to the Payments Council, which is overseeing the service. Scroll down for video . Halifax, Santander (above) and Nationwide Building Society made some of the strongest customer gains . Halifax, Santander and Nationwide Building Society made some of the strongest customer gains, while those suffering net losses in customers include NatWest, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, RBS and the Co-operative. Experts said banks such as Santander and Halifax had successfully lured savers who were fed up with poor interest rates by offering higher-rate current accounts. These so-called ‘pseudo-savings’ accounts are attracting thousands of customers at a time when the UK is enduring the worst interest rates on record. Challenger banks such as Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Metro, which were not included in the data, are also believed to have made significant gains in response to a general distrust in the larger banks. Those suffering net losses in customers include NatWest (above left), Barclays (above right), HSBC, Lloyds Bank, RBS and the Co-operative . The industry has been hit with a series of high-profile scandals in recent years which has seen trust in larger lenders plummet. These have included the widespread mis-selling of payment protection insurance, the rigging of the Libor interest rate, and sky-high bankers’ bonuses. The data covering which banks people are moving to is released voluntarily and with a six-month delay, and does not include all brands. Of the banks which agreed to release the data, Halifax made the strongest net gain in current account customers between January and March this year, recording a 41,558 upswing. It was followed by Santander, which had a net 37,316 rise, while NatWest had the largest net loss, shedding 18,258 customers, followed by Barclays with 16,467. Experts said Santander and Halifax had successfully lured savers from banks like HSBC (above) by offering higher-rate current accounts. Co-operative Bank recorded a net decrease of 7,852 customers between January and March. It was embroiled in a scandal in which its former chairman, ex-Methodist minister Paul Flowers, was accused of drug abuse. Campaigners said the switching figures were still ‘low’ and that changes to make the process quicker were not enough. Richard Lloyd, of Which?, said: ‘It is clear from today’s low switching figures that the big banks’ stranglehold on the market continues and that quicker switching alone will not solve the lack of competition or trust in banking.’ Sylvia Walcot of website Moneyfacts said that many who switched sometimes did so because of factors such as convenient car parking near their branch, rather than sound financial reasons. ‘It is great that people can switch easily but the interest displayed so far in doing so may be more to do with reasons far removed from the products themselves,’ she added. Under the switching service, the length of time it takes to swap banks has been cut from up to 30 working days to seven. Outgoing and incoming payments are also automatically swapped over and if anything goes wrong the consumer is guaranteed not to be left out of pocket. If you're fed up with your bank there are plenty of reasons why now is a good time to switch to another provider. Mail Online's award-winning money section This is Money has a regularly updated guide to the best offers carefully chosen by its expert writers at Five of the best Current Accounts. We round up some of the best deals on offer below: . Free money and incentives . Top deals include Halifax's Reward Account promising new customers £100 to switch and £5 per month if they stay in credit. First Direct pays £100 to new customers who switch to its First Account. On top of that, the bank is so confident in its customer service that it will give you a further £100 if you chose to close the account within the first 12 months. The Co-op, too, has introduced a £100 cash incentive for new customers. It will also donate £25 to charity on your behalf. If you switch your main current account to one of the Post Office’s Standard, Packaged or Control current accounts the bank will give you a £100 gift card. Interest-paying current accounts . Lloyds Bank is tempting desperate savers with its Club Lloyds current account - offering up to 4 per cent for balances between £4,000 and £5,000. But you will have to pay in at least £1,500. TSB has also recently launched the interest-paying Plus Account, which pays 5 per cent on balances up to £2,000 and only requires a minimum monthly deposit of £500. Santander's 123 current account pays interest on in-credit balances - 1 per cent on balances between £1,000 and £2,000, 2 per cent between £2,000 and £3,000 and 3 per cent on balances between £3,000 and £20,000. Nationwide FlexDirect offers to pay 5 per cent interest on balances up to £2,500 for the first year, while its FlexAccount delivers free travel insurance. It also operates a Refer a Friend scheme, whereby both parties will receive £50 if an existing customers successfully recommends friends or family to the bank. Tesco Bank's Current Account gives customers 3 per cent interest on balances of up to £3,000. Spending on the account's debit card also clocks up Tesco Clubcard points. It pays one Clubcard point for every £4 spent in Tesco stores plus £8 you spend out of Tesco, . Read our switching banks guide for step-by step advice on switching your current account. Amy Andrew . | New scheme launched in September 2013 to take hassle out of moving banks .
In first year there has been a 22 per cent increase in customers switching .
Halifax, Santander and Nationwide made strongest customer gains .
Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, RBS and the Co-operative suffered losses . |
176,605 | 70a3b3ad1ff5992f79d6b080cce95efb72b1972a | WEIMAR, Germany (CNN) -- A long narrow road winds through a thick forest up a hill called the "Ettesberg," on the outskirts of Weimar in central Germany. The ovens where tens of thousands of bodies were cremated are restored and working. The road goes on for miles through the forest, but every once in a while you see an old railway station, a tower, or an old structure withering in the German rain. This road was named "the trail of blood," by inmates of the infamous concentration camp Buchenwald, because of the death marches they were forced to undertake as they were deported to work as slave laborers for Nazi Germany's defense industry from 1937 to 1945. "The trail of blood" leads straight to the entrance gate of the former concentration camp -- a structure with a huge iron gate in the middle, a tower with a clock above, and arrest cells in the building's wings. U.S. troops saw the horror of the Nazi regime first hand when they came through this gate on April 11, 1945, and found camp inmates starved to the bone, many too weak to stand. "We couldn't even show our joy at this moment, which we had been waiting for so long," said former inmate Zeev Factor, recalling the day American troops came to liberate the camp. Now the camp is getting ready to host President Obama, who has a special relationship with Buchenwald. His great-uncle Charlie Payne, 84, helped liberate a sub-camp here when he was an infantryman fighting in World War II. "The survivors see President Obama almost like a grandson of theirs," said the director of the Buchenwald memorial, Volker Knigge, speaking just outside the front gate. "The president is related to one of the brave men who came here and saw the Nazi horror first hand. The soldiers only had vague knowledge of what concentration camps actually were, but here they saw people too weak to survive, even after having been liberated." Historians estimate that of the 20,000 inmates who were liberated by U.S. troops, 1,000 died shortly after because of exhaustion and the effects of years of starvation. It is easy to see why. Every building in the Buchenwald complex radiates death, suffering and evil. In the crematorium, where tens of thousands of bodies were burned, the ovens have been restored and are fully functional. In a cellar below the cremation room, meat hooks in the walls were used by SS guards to hang and strangle more than 1,000 inmates, many of them women and children. Obama will see these testimonies to the barbarism of the Nazis when he takes a tour of the camp with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will also meet some of the survivors who Volker Knigge says feel so close to this president. | President Obama visits Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany, on Friday .
His great-uncle helped liberate one of the complex's sub-camps during WWII .
Director of Buchenwald camp memorial: Survivors see Obama as a grandson .
Obama will meet some camp survivors during his visit . |
55,699 | 9de3f96f523d7082003a1c389cf14f21c89d7874 | By . Ray Massey . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 16 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:08 EST, 17 May 2012 . Vauxhall gave the economy a huge boost yesterday when its car workers were judged to be more efficient, hard-working and flexible than their counterparts in a Germany wrestling with the euro-crisis. The verdict came from American parent company General Motors as it saved Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire from closure and made it the lead plant in Europe to manufacture the next generation Astra from 2015. It means £125million of new investment and 700 extra jobs on top of the 2,100 already secured. Driving forward: American bosses at Vauxhall's US parent company General Motors judged that British workers are more flexible, competitive and efficient - and less militant - than their counterparts in Germany . With the UK enjoying a car exports boom, up to 3,000 more jobs at suppliers could be generated as Vauxhall raises the amount of British-sourced components in the Astra. The plant will build the five-door Astra hatchback plus one variant – either the Sports Tourer estate or the sporty GTC – with production soaring from 140,000 a year now to 160,000 and up to a capacity of 225,000. Vauxhall beat German counterparts thanks to a ‘ground-breaking’ round-the-clock flexibility deal. Busy: Production at the Ellesmere Port factory is to soar from the current 140,000 cars a year to 225,000 . It spells extra shifts, weekend working and the end of the ‘traditional’ long summer shutdown as well as a two-year pay freeze from 2013 followed by two years of real terms increases of RPI inflation plus 1 per cent. The move was hailed by the Prime Minister, business leaders and unions as ‘a vote of confidence’ in British workers and the economy. It marks the latest triumph for the booming UK motor industry which for the first time since 1976 is exporting more cars than it imports. David Cameron praised the ‘team effort’ of employees, unions, managers and ministers in keeping production in the UK. Working for Britain: The announcement will be made today at an event attended by Business Secretary Vince Cable (pictured) Business Secretary Vince Cable, who flew to Detroit in March to put the case for Vauxhall to GM bosses, said it was ‘fantastic news’. He added: ‘The fact that big American car companies are making big investments in Britain is a good signal.’ Vauxhall bosses called it ‘a historic day’. The good news came as motor industry figures showed a near 10 per cent rise in the number of cars built in Britain in April compared with a year ago. The figures were boosted by strong export demand for the likes of Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mini, Nissan, Honda and Toyota. The turnaround follows significant car industry investment in the UK topping £4billion in 18 months. The General Motors decision on Ellesmere Port means the plant will be exporting Astras to Germany where production of the best-selling small family car will cease altogether. That marks the death-knell for GM’s German factory in Bochum – employing up to 3,200 people – which was competing with the British plant. Ellesmere Port and Gliwice in Poland will now become the only two manufacturing centres for the Astra. The deal also turns on its head the notion that British plants are first in line for closure because their ‘flexibility’ means they are easier and cheaper to shut than those in Germany where the cost of laying off workers is significantly more expensive. | Announcement ends months of nail-biting over future of Cheshire plant .
Vauxhall's American owners are to close factory in Germany with loss of thousands of jobs after backing UK site .
British workers found to be more flexible, competitive and efficient than German counterparts .
Production at the Ellesmere Port factory is to soar from the current 140,000 cars a year to 225,000 . |
284,715 | fce5c95b0333b6285297ca1c02b90398ad32d57d | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 23:43 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:13 EST, 18 April 2013 . A plague of rats in gardens and playgrounds could be on the way thanks to new health and safety rules that go beyond European Union guidance, pest control experts claim. The Health and Safety Executive would like the use of so-called ‘second generation’ rat poisons restricted to within 16ft of buildings. The Government agency is worried that predators in the countryside such as foxes and birds of prey will ingest the two poisons - difenacoum and bromadiolone, reported the Daily Telegraph. Problematic: The Health and Safety Executive would like the use of so-called 'second generation' rat poisons to be restricted to within 16ft of buildings . However pest control experts gamekeepers are adamant that the poisons are not eaten by other animals if used correctly - and only a fractional amount is ingested even when errors are made. Some 128,000 rat treatments carried out annually would be made illegal by the ban, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, reported the Telegraph. The Country Land and Business Association and the Countryside Alliance claim the ban will make it tougher to control rats in parks and urban wasteland, and say the HSE is going further than it should. The European Commission is only said to be currently considering greater controls on chemicals. Complaints: The Country Land and Business Association and the Countryside Alliance claim the ban will make it tougher to control rats in parks and urban wasteland, and say the HSE is going further than it should . The products are used in wider countryside areas by around 75 per cent of gamekeepers, according to the National Gamekeepers Organisation. 'We have a pretty bad situation with rats in open countryside as it is and it could easily get worse' Mike SwanGame and Wildlife Conservation Trust . Rats are mostly resistant to the first generation of poison - warfarin - reported the Telegraph. Mike Swan, of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, told the newspaper: ‘We have a pretty bad situation with rats in open countryside as it is and it could easily get worse.’ But a Health and Safety Executive spokesman insisted that the poisons should be restricted to ‘in and around buildings’. | HSE wants 'second gen' rat poisons restricted to within 16ft of buildings .
Agency is worried that predators in countryside will ingest these poisons .
Pest control experts say other animals don't eat poisons if used correctly .
Some 128,000 rat treatments carried out annually 'would be made illegal' |
39,281 | 6f005f0b6b7903da1115595fdbca72aa0d82de7b | Las Vegas (CNN)Tammy Meyers and Erich Nowsch were neighbors. Their homes are walking distance from each other and from a park. It was in that park where, according to Meyers' husband, she used to talk to the young man, where she implored him to act like an adult. On Thursday, Nowsch was arrested, accused of killing Meyers in what has been described as a road rage incident that ended a week ago with a shooting in front of Meyers' home. "We know this boy. I couldn't tell you this before," Robert Meyers told reporters after the arrest. "He knew where I lived. We knew how bad he was, but we didn't know it was this bad. That he'd gotten to this point, and his friends." Nowsch, 19, faces three felony charges: murder, attempted murder and unlawful discharge of a gun from a vehicle. A Monday morning court hearing has been scheduled. Robert Meyers said his wife tried to help Nowsch. "My wife spent countless hours at that park consoling this boy," he said. "She was really good to him. She fed him, she gave him money. She told him to pull his pants up and to be a man. More times than I can count." Police said they are looking for at least one more suspect, but they believe Nowsch was the shooter. Homicide Capt. Chris Tomaino told reporters that he owned registered firearms but wouldn't say how many guns or what type of weapons they were. It was unclear Thursday night whether Nowsch had an attorney; court documents detailing his charges didn't list a lawyer. Nowsch was taken into custody in the afternoon after a brief, tense standoff at his mother's home, which is one street over from the Meyers' house. Police have said the shooting followed a road-rage incident that took place last week near a junior high school where Meyers gave her 15-year-old daughter a night-time driving lesson. As Meyers drove the less than half mile home, a car sped by and her daughter reached over and honked at the driver. Police said the car stopped and the driver got out to confront the Meyerses. Robert Meyers told HLN's Nancy Grace on Thursday that the man threatened to kill his wife and daughter. Tammy Meyers, 44, took off for home and sent her daughter inside. Lt. Ray Steiber, a Las Vegas homicide detective, said earlier this week that the daughter was asked to send her 22-year-old brother out. He brought with him a gun he owned. Steiber said Meyers then went looking for the road rage suspect, but, according to her husband, she just wanted to keep the situation away from the house. "She just didn't want it to come back here. She tried to get him to go somewhere else," he said. Robert Meyers, who was out of town when his wife was shot, said the other car followed the Meyers and at some point away from the house there were gunshots. Tammy Meyers fled home and told her son to take cover as she parked in front of the house. The car -- with three people inside, the family has said -- approached. Meyers' son told police that they were fired upon, and he defended him and his mother. His father says he took three or four shots and found his mother mortally wounded. The father defended the family against criticism that they should have gone into the house when mother and daughter arrived after the road rage incident. "My son is a good boy. His mom was a good mommy," Robert Meyers said. During a standoff at Nowsch's house earlier Thursday, Robert Meyers chastised reporters, whom he felt were placing blame on his loved ones. "Are you all happy? You made my wife look like an animal ... and my son. There's the animal, a block away. Are you happy?" Robert Meyers screamed. Police are looking for a second suspect, Tomaino, the homicide captain, said. He wouldn't say whether that person was the suspect depicted in a drawing handed out by police. The captain said authorities were unaware until Thursday that the Meyers family knew Nowsch. He is being held at the Clark County Detention Center. CNN's Sara Sidner reported from Las Vegas and Steve Almasy wrote this article in Atlanta. CNN's Steve Forrest, AnneClaire Stapleton and Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | Police say they are looking for at least one more suspect .
Erich Milton Nowsch faces three felony charges, including murder .
Tammy Meyers who was shot in front of her home last week knew suspect, husband says . |
9,628 | 1b451910ac381f02729209e22e67d73de4d10d33 | Jimmy Bullard will be getting a swift visit from the fashion police after his interesting choice of wardrobe during Arsenal's FA Cup clash with Hull on Sunday night. Appearing as a pundit for BBC's live coverage, the former Hull midfielder turned up sporting a black dinner jacket and silk shirt combo. To complete the Disco Fever look, Bullard had unbuttoned his shirt far enough to reveal a silver pendant dangling around his neck as he unwittingly flashed a hint of midriff. We can't help but think that comedy lothiario and style eccentric Keith Lemon would have been immensely proud of his efforts. VIDEO Scroll down to see Jimmy Bullard up to no good in another fashion faux pas . Jimmy Bullard (left) smiles in his interestingly casual outfit beside fellow pundit Alan Shearer . The former Hull midfielder gives a slight pout as he listens to Shearer's thoughts on the first half action . Bullard took to social media to see the reaction he was getting, joking that he thought he'd 'broken Twitter' Looking more like he'd taken a wrong turn on his way to the Strictly Come Dancing set, Bullard laughed it off as he sat in stark contrast to the suited-and-booted Alan Shearer smiling beside him. Taking to social media to see how well his outfit was going down with the audience, the 36-year-old joked: ‘Think my shirt has broken my Twitter’. The Gunners went on to beat Bullard's former side in a convincing 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium with goals from Per Mertesacker and Alexis Sanchez. | Jimmy Bullard set tongues wagging with his interesting choice of outfit .
Bullard was working as a pundit for Arsenal's FA Cup clash with Hull .
The former Hull midfielder tweeted: 'I think my shirt has broken Twitter' |
73,996 | d1d1c195928b38b93fc26f22a2283065ea06a6c3 | This is the moment a menacing great white shark swims straight for divers, jaw wide open and teeth bared... and ends up headbutting the diving cage. In an incident that would leave any human cringing with embarrassment, the predator missed the bait it was aiming for and crashed head-first into the protective enclosure. Canadian Jeremy Stewart was holidaying in South Africa caught the shark's mishap on camera during a diving excursion in Gansbaai - ominously nicknamed 'Shark Alley'. Moving in for the kill: A Great White shark heads straight for a diving cage in Gansbaai, South Africa . Lunch time: Jaw wide open and razor-sharp teeth bared, the 10-foot long predator prepares to hunt . Ouch! The shark misses the bait (and the divers) and collides with the protective enclosure . The Vancouver native was left awestruck when he came face to face with the 10-foot long great white underwater. He said: 'I was pretty confident the cage would protect us and the shark didn't seem interested in us. It was just going after the bait. 'For the most part I was calm, it was amazing to see these awesome creatures in the wild. 'However the moment when it hit the cage I got to feel its incredible power. For that second I don't know what I was thinking I just wanted to get out of the way.' Thrillseeker: The footage was captured by Canadian holidaymaker Jeremy Stewart . Not scared off: Stewart says 'I was calm, it was amazing to see these awesome creatures in the wild' Tourist attraction: The incident occurred during a cage-diving excursion in Gansbaai . Exhilarating: Cage-diving with Great White sharks is a popular tourist activity in 'Shark Alley' Jeremy added: 'You're pretty safe as long as you keep all your limbs inside the cage. 'But you forget all that when its swimming right at you with its huge jaws of serrated teeth.' And despite his close encounter, the 36-year-old computer animator admitted that the experience did not discourage him from going back into the water. He said: 'It didn't stop me from going surfing the next day in Jeffreys Bay which is about a day's drive down the coast. Hunting grounds: There is a large population of sharks in the region, making it popular with sight-seers . Shark Alley: The channel near Dyer Island is a magnet for sharks hunting seals who reside there . 'I tried to capture as much of this once-in-a-lifetime experience as I possibly could. Hopefully I get to do it again one day.' Gansbaai is a popular tourist destination in Western Cape of South Africa. The channel between two islands off its coast, Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, is widely known as 'Shark Alley' as it is a common hunting ground for sharks, who come to feast on the Cape fur seals who reside on Dyer Island. The region is renowned as one of the best commercial cage-diving destinations in the world, and after Kruger National Park, attracts the most tourists to South Africa of any other activity. | Incident occurred during cage-dive in Gansbaai, South Africa .
Captured on camera by Canadian tourist Jeremy Stewart .
Region known as 'Shark Alley' for its large great white population . |
203,586 | 938c0ec9a369246bd4eb0ab93d51fd788be0cbf1 | By . Emily Payne for MailOnline . and Chris Kitching for MailOnline . It's a bank holiday tradition that motorists cannot avoid when they hit the road - even when it's a day early. Travellers who are trying to make their getaways in advance of the big rush have been caught in traffic jams, despite their best efforts to make the most of the final holiday weekend before winter. In Cambridge, motorists faced bumper-to-bumper delays on the A14 - a scene that played out on other motorways - and the situation is expected to get even worse tomorrow when the mass exodus gets into full swing. Motorists are caught in a traffic jam on the A14 in Cambridge as the bank holiday getaway started early . Making an escape: Roads are expected to get even busier as more people go away for the weekend . While those staying at home are contending with busy roads and disrupted rail journeys, more than . two million Britons will head overseas for the bank holiday weekend. Hot . spots for those leaving the country include Spain, Greece, Turkey and . Tunisia while those heading further afield are choosing Florida and . Cancun in Mexico. Anyone . getting the car out in the UK will have to compete for road space with . an estimated nine million other vehicles. The RAC said it expected Saturday and Sunday to be the busiest days on the roads, especially as there are major music festivals at Leeds and Reading in Berkshire - with roadworks in place on the M1, M5 and M25. On the railways, engineering work includes major work at London Bridge station and at Watford in Hertfordshire. VisitEngland said 5.1 million Britons were planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this weekend, with four million staying in England. This was likely to generate some £1.2bn in tourism spending for the UK economy, £940m of which will be spent in England. Long-haul break: Favourite further afield destinations include Florida and Cancun in Mexico . More than half a million passengers are expected to depart the UK from Heathrow airport over the weekend, as well as 234,000 from Gatwick, 172,000 from Manchester, 150,000 from Scotland's airports and 134,000 from Stansted. In addition, hundreds of thousands will also be leaving the country from other regional airports, ports and the Channel Tunnel. Abta said domestic bookings had been boosted by the recent heatwave, although those holidaying in the UK will be getting cooler temperatures than during the long, hot spell as well as the possibility of some rain. Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: 'This weekend is set to be one of the busiest of the year as we see lots of holidaymakers heading off for the bank holiday weekend. 'While a holiday budget will go further abroad this year thanks to a strong pound, we are also expecting lots of people to enjoy the long weekend at home.' But if you're staying in the UK, be prepared for plenty of travel disruption. Fancy a romantic getaway? Amsterdam is one of Europe's hottest city break destinations . The Highways Agency said around 164 miles of roadworks on England's motorways and major A-roads would be completed before the weekend and 110 miles of works will be suspended between Friday and Tuesday. But for safety reasons a number of roadworks will have to stay in place, including some on the M1, M5 and M25. On the railways, a nine-day part-closure of London Bridge station begins on Saturday, with no First Capital Connect or Southern trains calling at the station until September 1. The changes will allow Network Rail to carry out a huge programme of work as part of the £6.5 billion Thameslink project. A spokesman for rail industry body the Rail Delivery Group said: 'Work goes on every day to deliver thousands of vital but smaller-scale improvements and over the next five years billions of pounds will be reinvested in the railway to meet rising demand for even better, faster and greener services.' National Express said it had seen a surge in coach bookings for the bank holiday, with bank holiday Monday expected to be its busiest day. It added that London was the most popular destination for coach travellers this weekend, followed by Birmingham and then Heathrow airport. Tourism Minister Helen Grant said: 'The bank holiday weekend is set to be a bumper one for domestic tourism, generating over £1 billion in spend for the UK economy. 'From city breaks to days out on the coast, world-class music events to cultural trips, the UK has something for everyone to enjoy.' | Spain, Greece and Turkey are most popular short-haul weekend breaks .
UK drivers warned over delays as weekend is expected to be busiest of year .
Railway engineering work includes major work at London Bridge station . |
68,013 | c0f92baaacd3fbce4c52155233c1096f73078916 | Boston (CNN)Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told a judge Thursday he was satisfied with his defense lawyers at what is expected to be the final public hearing before his death penalty trial begins on January 5. Wearing gray slacks a white button-down shirt under a black sweater, Tsarnaev said, "Yes, sir," to a series of questions from the judge, including whether he was pleased with his defense and had been kept informed about his case. It was the first time Tsarnaev -- suspected with his older brother Tamerlan of planting two bombs that killed three people and injured more than 260 others near the Boston Marathon finish line in April 2013 -- appeared in a Boston federal court since he pleaded not guilty last year. One of the more colorful developments happened as the 25-minute hearing ended. Elena Teyer -- mother-in-law of Ibragim Todashev, a Tamerlan Tsarnaev associate whom an FBI agent shot and killed in Florida last year during what authorities say was a separate murder investigation -- was in attendance and shouted in support of Dzhokhar as he was led away in handcuffs. "I said in court, 'Dzhokhar, you have a lot of supporters. We pray for you. ... We know you're innocent,' " Teyer told reporters afterward. Todashev, like the Tsarnaev family, was from Chechnya -- though the Tsarnaev brothers were born in Kyrgyzstan. Also at Thursday's hearing, a potential defense expert witness who has been interviewing Tsarnaev's relatives was a center of contention between the prosecution and the defense. The prosecution says it doesn't want the witness to offer an opinion on whether Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was under his older brother's control. Dzhokhar was 19 at the time of the bombings; Tamerlan, who was killed in a police encounter days after the incident, was 26. The defense, in a status hearing in April, called the Tsarnaev family dynamic key to their case. The judge did not immediately rule on the witness. Possibly another trial delay? Tsarnaev attorney David Bruck said his team could file yet another motion to have the trial delayed. In September, defense attorneys succeeded in moving the trial from November 3 to January 5. But they wanted it delayed much longer -- until September 1, 2015 -- citing a large volume of information in the case. But unless Bruck files another motion and a judge grants it, Tsarnaev is set to stand trial in less than three weeks. Authorities say Tsarnaev and his older brother planted two pressure-cooker explosives, hidden in backpacks, near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. As spectators watched runners finish the race in the afternoon, the bombs exploded 12 seconds apart, killing 8-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell and Lingzi Lu, a Boston University graduate student from China, and injuring more than 260 others. Timeline: The bombing, manhunt and investigation . Three days later, after the FBI released surveillance photos of the suspects, the Tsarnaevs shot and killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier, authorities say. Early the next day, authorities say, the brothers hijacked a car in Cambridge, and then threw explosives out the car windows and exchanged gunfire with police who pursued them. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died of wounds he suffered in the encounter, but Dzhokhar got away, leading to a massive manhunt. He was found that night in a motorboat dry-docked in the backyard of a Watertown, Massachusetts, home, covered in blood from bullet wounds sustained in that morning's shootout. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces more than 30 federal charges, including using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death. Federal prosecutors announced earlier this year that they will seek the death penalty against him, arguing he acted in "an especially heinous, cruel and depraved manner" and lacks remorse. Prosecutors have said they expect to call between 80 and 100 witnesses in a three- to four-month trial. From fears to cheers: The final hours that paralyzed Boston . In September, a federal judge denied Tsarnaev's bid to move his upcoming trial out of Massachusetts. His lawyers had argued that pretrial publicity and public sentiment jeopardized his opportunity for a fair trial. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole rejected the argument that 12 impartial jurors couldn't be found in the area, saying Massachusetts' eastern federal district had about 5 million people. As for Todashev, authorities said an FBI agent fatally shot the 27-year-old at his Florida apartment in May 2013. This happened as FBI agents and Massachusetts state troopers questioned him about a 2011 Boston-area triple murder that they thought could have been tied to Todashev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. A report by Florida's 9th Circuit state attorney, Jeffrey Ashton, concluded this year that Todashev's killing was justified -- a finding that concurred with a reviews by the FBI and the Florida state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. The report cites FBI documents that said Todaschev was writing a confession to the triple murder when when he attacked, flipping the table he was writing on and striking an FBI agent in the head. Todaschev ran to the kitchen and was heard frantically grabbing items before reappearing in the doorway wielding a long metal handle of a mop or broom. The report said Todashev took an attack stance with the pole and lunged violently at the agent, who shot him, with fatal wounds to his head and his heart, according to the documents. Todashev's family has disputed that he posed any threat to the law enforcement officers and agents in his apartment. U.S. law enforcement officials said Todashev made statements implicating himself and Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the 2011 killings. Boston bombing suspect's friend convicted . CNN's Ann Roche and Deborah Feyerick reported from Boston; CNN's Jason Hanna reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Greg Botelho and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report. | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev attends last scheduled public hearing before January 5 trial .
Defense says it may file another motion to delay trial .
Mother-in-law of Ibragim Todashev shouts support for Tsarnaev .
Todashev, an associate of Tsarnaev's brother, was killed last year in what FBI said was separate probe . |
8,528 | 18122222790599d3eb901cb1a4a0ed5424f9e9c6 | Activist hackers linked to the collective known as Anonymous have secretly accessed U.S. government computers in multiple agencies and stolen sensitive information in a campaign that began almost a year ago, the FBI warned this week. The hackers exploited a flaw in Adobe Systems Inc's software to launch a rash of electronic break-ins that began last December, then left 'back doors' to return to many of the machines as recently as last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a memo seen by Reuters. The memo, distributed on Thursday, described the attacks as 'a widespread problem that should be addressed.' It said the breach affected the U.S. Army, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, and perhaps many more agencies. U.S. government officials are 'very concerned' about the amount of personal information the hackers obtained . Investigators are still gathering information on the scope of the cyber campaign, which the authorities believe is continuing. The FBI document tells system administrators what to look for to determine if their systems are compromised. An FBI spokeswoman declined to elaborate. According to an internal email from Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz' chief of staff, Kevin Knobloch, the stolen data included personal information on at least 104,000 employees, contractors, family members and others associated with the Department of Energy, along with information on almost 2,0000 bank accounts. Lauri Love (left) took an advantage of a security flaw in Adobe ColdFusion software which is used to build sites . The email, dated October 11, said officials were 'very concerned' that loss of the banking information could lead to thieving attempts. Officials said the hacking was linked to the case of Lauri Love, a British resident indicted on October 28 for allegedly hacking into computers at the Department of Energy, Army, Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Sentencing Commission and elsewhere. Investigators believe the attacks began when Love and others took advantage of a security flaw in Adobe's ColdFusion software, which is used to build websites. Adobe spokeswoman Heather Edell said she was not familiar with the FBI report. She added that the company has found that the majority of attacks involving its software have exploited programs that were not updated with the latest security patches. Hacker Aron Swartz (left) killed himself shortly before he had to go to trial for illegally downloading academic journals from the website Jstor . The Anonymous group is an amorphous collective that conducts multiple hacking campaigns at any time, some with a few participants and some with hundreds. In the past, its members have disrupted eBay's Inc PayPal after it stopped processing donations to the anti-secrecy site Wikileaks. Anonymous has also launched technically more sophisticated attacks against Sony Corp and security firm HBGary Federal. Some of the breaches and pilfered data in the latest campaign had previously been publicized by people who identify with Anonymous, as part of what the group dubbed 'Operation Last Resort.' Among other things, the campaigners said the operation was in retaliation for overzealous prosecution of hackers, including the lengthy penalties sought for Aaron Swartz, a well-known computer programmer and Internet activist who killed himself before a trial over charges that he illegally downloaded academic journal articles from a digital library known as JSTOR. Despite the earlier disclosures, 'the majority of the intrusions have not yet been made publicly known," the FBI wrote. 'It is unknown exactly how many systems have been compromised, but it is a widespread problem that should be addressed.' After PayPal stopped processing donations to Wikileaks, the 'Anonymous' collective infiltrated the site . | The hacking is a response to the recent persecution of computer hackers Lauri Love and Aron Swartz .
The activist hacker group named, 'Anonymous' stole personal data from at least 104,000 government employees, contractors, family members and others associated with the Department of Energy .
The breach affected the U.S.
Army, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, and .
perhaps many more agencies.
The hackers exploited a flaw in Adobe System Inc's software .
Officials are 'very concerned' that loss of the banking information could lead to thieving attempts . |
223,821 | adced1b637ed52ef80e75c89b3aebe76b179b97e | By . Joshua Gardner . The Internal Revenue Service is considering a bold move to label perks like free lunch given to workers by companies as taxable. The agency wonders if freebies like haircuts and gym memberships are a way to compensate the highly skilled rather than just a way to jumpstart productivity. Companies say it would be a step too far that needlessly chips away most notably at the fruitfulness of industries in Silicon Valley that have become a driving force behind the American economy. Free lunch? The IRS is debating whether or not it should tax the free lunches given out to workers at firms like Facebook and Google as a form of compensation . 'I clearly think it ought to be taxable income,' University of Florida tax law professor Martin J. McMahon, Jr. told the Wall Street Journal. After all, argue proponents of such a tax, workers at Silicon Valley firms like Google and Facebook receive free meals from famously fancy in-house eateries every day. Some companies even go a step further by offering freebies like haircuts, car services, and child care. Typical workaday folks can expect to pay for all these using their fully taxed wages, an argument at the heart of the agency's reason for pondering the added tax.'I buy my lunch with after-tax dollars,' McMahon told the WSJ. 'And I have to pay taxes to support free meals for those Google employees.' Google reportedly serves 50,000 meals per day in its 120 cafes worlwide. On the flip side, and in addition to arguments that the tax agency is already hopelessly burdened, are complanies' claims that the perks aren't perks at all: they're incentives. In the eye of the law, free meals are permissable, for instance, if they are 'noncompensatory' and a 'convenience to the employer.' Perk or incentive? Google doles out an estimated 50,000 meals per day at its 120 cafes worldwide. Firms with freebie policies tend to consider them a means of incentivizing their workers rather than a perk . 'There are real benefits for knowledge workers in having unplanned, face to face interaction,' tax law prof from the University of Colorado Victor Flescher told the WSJ. In Silicon Valley, where collaboration is the key to innovation, employers say they facilitate by putting workers lunch rooms where the munch free gourmet food. It's also an environment where the less time employees are away from their desks, the more time they're working on projects that benefit the company. And according to at least one Silicon Valley tech start-up founder, those projects benefit Americans as a whole. 'Our customers win [because] they get a higher quality product and then our shareholders win because they see our momentum in the market,' Andy Byrne of CEO of Clari, a cloud computing company, told Fox News. 'If the IRS wanted to stop the productivity of Silicon Valley and of the economic growth engine that this place is,' he said, 'then they can have at it.' As the government grapples with whether or not they should tax the recipients for their free meals--or whether it's even got the manpower to add the task to its ever-growing list of to-dos--Silicon Valley companies already know how they'll respond. Legal experts largely agree that tech companies eager to keep programmers and the like well-fed and hacking away will probably just report the meals as taxable income and pay workers more to make up the difference. | The huge move would largely affect Silicon Valley firms where workers are accustomed to freebies like lunch .
The IRS wonders if these perks are compensation but companies argue it's an incentive to work harder . |
285,320 | fdb5c8b63c5669d33e9c1783fda2636c00a54487 | (CNN) -- Jean Jennings Bartik, the last of six women programmers who debugged and operated the earliest general-purpose computer, has died. Bartik, 86, died Wednesday in New York, said Jon Rickman, vice president of information systems at Bartik's alma mater, Northwest Missouri State University, and director of the Jean Jennings Bartik Computer Museum. Bartik was profiled in a CNN.com story last month about women mathematicians who were recruited by the U.S. military to do ballistics research during World War II. Bartik and five of her fellow "computers" went on to program the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, but they didn't receive recognition for their work until years later. "Jean is probably one of the most significant pioneers in computing," Rickman said. "Jean worked hard and, as a woman in a man's world at that time, especially in the business world, it's amazing what she was able to accomplish." Bartik graduated from Northwest Missouri State Teachers College in 1945 as the school's one math major. She recalled living on her parents' farm, refusing the teaching jobs her father suggested and avoiding all talk of marrying a farmer and having babies. Instead, she took a train to Philadelphia to work for the military. There, she learned ballistics calculations and was quickly hired to work on the ENIAC, created during the war by University of Pennsylvania scientists John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert Jr. Bartik and her colleagues debugged the computer, which weighed 30 tons, contained about 18,000 vacuum tubes and completed the same work the women "computers" did but in a fraction of the time. Bartik went on to work on the BINAC and UNIVAC computers and to work in the fledging high-tech publishing field. Her children and grandchildren all grew up to be good with numbers, she said in February. Bartik and the other ENIAC programmers didn't receive much attention for their work after WWII, but their story was recently featured in the documentary "Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of World War II." Bartik wrote an autobiography that is being edited; Rickman said he hopes it will be published this year. In 1997, Bartik was inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame, along with her fellow ENIAC programmers, Kathleen McNulty Mauchly Antonelli, Frances Snyder Holberton, Marlyn Wescoff Meltzer, Frances Bilas Spence and Ruth Lichterman Teitelbaum. In 2008, Bartik was one of the Fellow Award honorees at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, along with Robert Metcalfe, an inventor of Ethernet, and Linus Torvalds, who began the development of the Linux kernel, or operating system. Northwest Missouri State University opened the Jean Jennings Bartik Computing Museum in her honor. "I'm going to miss her terribly. It's such an end of an era," said Bill Mauchly, the son of ENIAC pioneers John and Kay Mauchly. After John Mauchly's death in 1980, Bartik and Kay Mauchly renewed their friendship and gave talks about their experience in the early days of computing. Both women wrote autobiographies, Bill Mauchly said, and remained close until Kay's death in 2006. "(Bartik) was such a ball of fire and so much fun," Bill Mauchly said. "They made a great team, because my mother was more demure. That's the part I remember, them traveling around like a traveling band, the Jean and Kay Show. They finally got to have their own little audience." "They're going to continue to be an example of women in technology from the very beginning. I think (Bartik) gave us what we needed to remember her by." In February, Bartik said women hadn't gotten far enough in technology, but she saw a promising future. "Women are busily working on it," she said. "I have high hopes for them." | Jean Bartik was among the women recruited to do ballistics calculations during WWII .
Bartik went on to work on the ENIAC, BINAC and UNIVAC machines .
Half a century later, their work is only beginning to get recognition .
Bartik wrote an autobiography, which editors hope will publish this year . |
282,236 | f990c238c83a2cd5e483808d64d554aa98267aec | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 08:06 EST, 2 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 2 January 2013 . A policeman's dog sparked an emergency of her own after she managed to survive a 120ft drop chasing a seagull off the edge of a cliff. Phil Raymond and wife Michela half-expected their springer spaniel Beau to have died as they peered over the edge of the sheer drop, but were stunned to see her doggy-paddling in the sea below. She was rescued by a lifeboat crew who plucked her to safety and returned her to her owners, amazingly, without a scratch. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO... Sheer drop: RNLI crew make their way to rescue Beau after she managed to survive the 120ft fall off this cliff, as owners Phil and Michela Raymond watch on from the top (centre) Rescue: Swanage Lifeboat RNLI crew pluck Beau to safety after she feel from the cliff edge . In safe hands: The crew have Beau safely in the boat as they head back to shore . Not even a scratch: Beau looks calm and relaxed despite just falling 120ft after chasing a seagull off a cliff . Mr Raymond, a 46-year-old police detective inspector, saw Beau race after the seagull while they were walking at the coastal beauty spot of Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset. The 46-year-old, from Wimborne, Dorset, desperately tried to call the one-year-old dog back as she plunged over the top of the sheer cliff. When he rushed to the edge and peered over the side he was stunned to see Beau swimming in the sea at the bottom. A passing fishing boat motored across to the stranded pooch and kept an eye on her until a lifeboat crew arrived and plucked her to safety. Incredibly, the black and white dog survived her ordeal without a single scratch and was quickly reunited with her relieved owners. Mr Raymond said: 'We were just about to put her lead back on her when she saw a seagull. VIDEO RNLI CREW RESCUE BEAU AFTER HER 120FT DROP OFF A CLIFF... Returned: Beau was returned to her thankful owners Phil and Michela Raymond by the RNLI crew after they watched her jump off the edge of the cliff . Survivor: Beau is now enjoying life back home again following the dramatic rescue after her fall . 'Being a springer spaniel she went straight after it. She briefly looked back at me but then disappeared. 'I prayed it was a false edge and there was a little ledge below. 'I lay on the surface and looked over the edge and half-expected to see her laying dead but instead saw her doggy-paddling in the sea. 'She was very lucky that there was a high tide at the time and she landed straight in the water. Lucky dog: Beau was returned to her owners without a scratch following the rescue . 'She was crying and yelping and we thought that she might drown but luckily the lifeboat turned up very quickly and grabbed hold of her.' The lifeboat crew from Swanage took Beau to a nearby beach where she was given back to her owners. Mrs Raymond, 44, said: 'We are extremely grateful to the lifeboat crew for getting to Beau so quickly.' Stunned: Mrs Raymond and her husband were amazed when they looked over the side of the cliff to see Beau paddling in the water below . Dave Turnbull, an RNLI spokesperson, said: 'We help save human lives at sea, but will respond to animals in trouble to prevent owners taking unnecessary risks to help their pets. 'The RNLI recommend that people keep their dogs on leads when walking near cliff edges. 'The dog was lucky to escape the fall unscathed thanks to the high tide.' Grateful: Phil and Michela Raymond have now thanked the RNLI for rescuing their dog from bottom of the cliff . | Spring spaniel Beau survived a 120ft drop after chasing a seagull off a cliff .
The one-year-old dog had to be rescued by lifeboat after landing in the sea .
Dramatic moment the crews plucked her to safety was captured on camera . |
110,066 | 19e8e84abe3eaa4824a0e01f0ca2ae682456cc31 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:11 EST, 28 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:12 EST, 28 February 2014 . Marketing for the $125 million epic film Noah has been tweaked to appease religious groups who complained that its plot had strayed from the biblical story. Paramount has agreed to include a message with all trailers and posters for the film, which stars Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, and Emma Watson. The gesture of goodwill came after the head of the National Religious Broadcasters appealed for the studio to make clear that the plot was a creative interpretation of the Genesis story. Plot point: Advertising for Noah, starring Russell Crowe, is to carry a disclaimer to please religious groups . Message: Paramount is adding a note to promotional material and the film website, pictured, to state the plot was inspired by the biblical story . The Darren Aronofsky film, due to be released at the end of March, stars Crowe as Noah - a man suffering from apocalyptic visions who goes to extraordinary lengths to protect his family. Under the marketing agreement, all promotional material will now include the following message: 'The film is inspired by the story of . Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film . is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a . cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical . story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.' The message was added after Jerry Johnson, president of The National Religious Broadcasters, contacted Paramount after a panel from his group watched clips from the film in Nashville. The panel discussed the film's interpretation to the biblical text, and raised concerns about any differences. 'We are deeply appreciative of Dr . Johnson's efforts to bring this idea to us,' Paramount Picture's vice-chairman Rob Moore told Hollywood Reporter. Star cast: Anthony Hopkins is among the A-lister actors featured in the film . Epic: Noah, starring Crowe, above, was described by director Darren Aronofsky as the first apocalyptic film . Modern message: Emma Watson plays Noah's adopted daughter in the film, which its director has said reflects environmental concerns . 'Our goal has been to take every measure we . can to ensure moviegoers have the information they need before deciding . to buy a ticket to see the film.' Johnson said he was pleased with the response from the studios, adding: 'We . are grateful that Paramount is striving, with this disclaimer, to . strike a proper balance between artistic creativity, character . development and honoring the sacred Scripture.' Aronofsky, who directed the Oscar-winning Black Swan, described the story of Noah as the first apocalypse story, and said he was keen to portray a more adult version of what had become a children's tale. Changes: A Christian group contacted Paramount to ask for a message to be added to the film's promotional material . 'The first thing I said to Russell Crowe was, "I'll never shoot you on a houseboat with two giraffes standing behind you",' he told Rolling Stone. 'We tried to remain truthful to the themes and the ideas that are written, but to create a dramatic story for a 21st-century audience.' When posters for the film were released, showing Crowe holding an axe, comparisons were drawn with the Mad Max movies. Aronofsk, who filmed the big-budget movie in Oyster Bay, Long Island, has said previously he was drawn to the story because of its environmental message. | Promotional material will state film was 'inspired by Book of Genesis'
Paramount agreed to changes after Christian panel reviewed film . |
164,305 | 6076fc8f77135b5f48a0b34978d028efab3d8cf5 | (CNN) -- Nearly one in four people worldwide is Muslim -- and they are not necessarily where you might think, according to an extensive new study that aims to map the global Muslim population. Nearly two out of three of the world's Muslims are in Asia, stretching from Turkey to Indonesia. India, a majority-Hindu country, has more Muslims than any country except for Indonesia and Pakistan, and more than twice as many as Egypt. China has more Muslims than Syria. Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon. And Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya put together. Nearly two out of three of the world's Muslims are in Asia, stretching from Turkey to Indonesia. The Middle East and north Africa, which together are home to about one in five of the world's Muslims, trail a very distant second. There are about 1.57 billion Muslims in the world, according to the report, "Mapping the Global Muslim Population," by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. That represents about 23 percent of the total global population of 6.8 billion. There are about 2.25 billion Christians, based on projections from the 2005 World Religions Database. Brian Grim, the senior researcher on the Pew Forum project, was slightly surprised at the number of Muslims in the world, he told CNN. "Overall, the number is higher than I expected," he said, noting that earlier estimates of the global Muslim population have ranged from 1 billion to 1.8 billion. The report can -- and should -- have implications for United States policy, said Reza Aslan, the best-selling Iranian-American author of "No God but God." "Increasingly, the people of the Middle East are making up a smaller and smaller percentage of the worldwide Muslim community," he told CNN by phone. "When it comes to issues of outreach to the Muslim world, these numbers will indicate that outreach cannot be focused so narrowly on the Middle East," he said. "If the goal is to create better understanding between the United States and the Muslim world, our focus should be on south and southeast Asia, not the Middle East," he said. He spoke to CNN before the report was published and without having seen its contents, but was familiar with the general trends the report identified. The team at the Pew Forum spent nearly three years analyzing "the best available data" from 232 countries and territories, Grim said. Their aim was to get the most comprehensive snapshot ever assembled of the world's Muslim population at a given moment in time. So they took the data they gathered from national censuses and surveys, and projected it forward based on what they knew about population growth in each country. They describe the resulting report as "the largest project of its kind to date." It's full of details that even the researchers found surprising. "There are these countries that we don't think of as Muslim at all, and yet they have very sizable numbers of Muslims," said Alan Cooperman, the associate director of research for the Pew Forum, naming India, Russia and China. One in five of the world's Muslims lives in a country where Muslims are a minority. And while most people think of the Muslim population of Europe is being composed of immigrants, that's only true in western Europe, Cooperman said. "In the rest of Europe -- Russia, Albania, Kosovo, those places -- Muslims are an indigenous population," he said. "More than half of the Muslims in Europe are indigenous." The researchers also were surprised to find the Muslim population of sub-Saharan Africa to be as low as they concluded, Cooperman said. It has only about 240 million Muslims -- about 15 percent of all the world's Muslims. Islam is thought to be growing fast in the region, with countries such as Nigeria, which has large populations of both Christians and Muslims, seeing violence between the two groups. The Pew researchers concluded that Nigeria is just over half Muslim, making it the sixth most populous Muslim country in the world. Roughly nine out of 10 Muslims worldwide are Sunni, and about one in 10 is Shiite, they estimated. They warned they were less confident of those numbers than of the general population figures because sectarian data is harder to come by. "Only one or two censuses in the world ... have ever asked the sectarian question," said Grim. "Among Muslims it's a very sensitive question. If asked, large numbers will say I am just a Muslim -- not that they don't know, but it is a sensitive question in many places," he said. One in three of the world's Shiite Muslims lives in Iran, which is one of only four countries with a Shiite majority, he said. The others are Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain. Huge as the project of mapping the world's Muslim population is, it is only the first step in a Pew Forum undertaking. Next year, the think tank intends to release a report projecting Muslim population growth into the future, and then the researchers intend to do the whole thing over again with Christians, followed by other faith groups. "We don't care only about Muslims," Grim said. They're also digging into what people believe and practice, since the current analysis doesn't analyze that. "This is no way reflects the religiosity of people, only their self-identification," Grim said. "We're trying to get the overall picture of religion in the world." | There are about 1.57 billion Muslims in the world, according to the report .
Report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life .
Nearly 2 out of 3 of world's Muslims are in Asia, report says .
Roughly 9 of 10 Muslims worldwide are Sunni, report says . |
258,718 | dad8ce270221b53abc72913dcaf221d481c0b283 | By . Belinda Robinson . Death: Habib Ullah, 39, died after being restrained by up to five police officers during a drugs search in High Wycombe . Five police officers will face gross misconduct hearings but no criminal charges over the death of a man who collapsed after being restrained during a drugs search. Habib Ullah, 39, died after he was forced to the ground in a car park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in 2008 by police who believed he was hiding class A drugs in his mouth. Officers alleged that he refused to reveal a package of drugs hidden in his mouth. When a struggle followed, he collapsed. After an inquest into his death, the CPS decided that there was not . enough evidence for charges of manslaughter by gross negligence, . misconduct in public office, perjury and perverting the course of . justice. But the officers from Thames Valley . Police could face the sack after the Independent Police . Complaints Commission (IPCC) found grounds for gross . misconduct because the police gave different statements to the coroner and the IPCC. Today, his distraught relatives reacted with fury as prosecutors decided not to bring charges in the case. Mr Ullah's sister Nasrit Mahmood said: . ‘We are not happy that the CPS has decided not to charge those police . officers who are responsible for Habib's death.’ In 2008, an initial inquiry into Mr Ullah's death was conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, but it was not referred to the CPS. Two years later, Mr Ullah’s girlfriend Emma . Forbes told a court that up to five officers restrained him as they . tried to force the package out of his throat, including one officer who . shouted ‘break his arm’. In 2011, the case was re-opened and new evidence emerged during police officers' accounts of what had taken place. The . investigation also looked at further opinion from restraint experts and . doctors. But the inquest was abandoned after concerns were raised about . the difference in statements the police had given to the coroner and . what they had previously told the IPCC. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is also considering the conduct of a Police Federation solicitor in . relation to Mr Ullah's death. Family man: Habib Ullah is pictured with his wife and two of his children before his death . Mr Ullah's sister Nasrit Mahmood added: ‘At the inquest they are caught out withholding evidence in front of everyone including the judge and jury. 'We have evidence of police cover-ups, so not only is it my opinion that they caused my brother's death but these police officers have not given a full and truthful account. 'How on earth can CPS disregard the facts? ‘This sadly shows that the CPS together with the IPCC are only there to protect and cover up police crimes. ‘Their decision has only shown their true colours but made us much stronger. ‘This is not justice for us and we will not give up until justice is served and that is a promise.’ Thames Valley Police Headquarters: The officers, from Thames Valley Police, could face the sack as watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission found grounds for gross misconduct . Guido Liguori, IPCC Associate Commissioner, said: ‘This has been a complex investigation which as we have said has taken an unbearably long time for Mr Ullah's family. ‘I am very sorry for the prolonged distress this has caused, but it has been essential to ensure that our investigation was robust and thorough. ‘Five officers and a solicitor were interviewed under caution and we felt there was sufficient evidence to refer to the CPS. 'In light of the CPS decision, we have now sent the report to the family of Mr Ullah and the SRA. 'In accordance with procedures under the Police Reform Act 2002 Thames Valley Police were sent a copy of the report in January 2014 and they have determined that five officers should now face gross misconduct hearings. 'We have also sent a copy of the report to the Coroner in advance of the inquest into Mr Ullah's tragic and untimely death.’ A spokesman for the CPS added that it was unable to establish a causal link, to the criminal standard, between the conduct of Thames Valley Police officers and Mr Ullah's death. They also questioned whether alterations made to their statements were intended or able to pervert the course of justice. He said: ‘The case has been thoroughly reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.' ‘We carefully examined the evidence in this case, including evidence provided by experts in pathology, emergency medicine and policing techniques and accounts from eyewitnesses.’ ‘Since there is insufficient evidence to give rise to a realistic prospect of convicting any person of any criminal offence arising from the circumstances of Mr Ullah's death, we have advised the IPCC that no further criminal action should be taken. ‘Our thoughts remain with Mr Ullah's family at this difficult time for them and we fully understand that this is not the decision they will have wanted. 'We have written to them to explain our decision in detail and have offered to meet with them to discuss this matter should they so wish.’ | The officers will face gross misconduct charges but not criminal charges .
Mr Ullah, 39, died after police forced him to the ground in High Wycombe .
Officers alleged that he had drugs in his mouth before he collapsed .
An inquest into his death was abandoned in 2011 after discrepancies emerged in police statements .
The IPCC confirms that police officers could face the sack over 'gross misconduct' |
148,074 | 4b772fb7787fb8619537d22749cfaee2d249138b | ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Officials from six countries gathered Monday in Turkey and signed a deal to build a U.S.-backed pipeline, aimed at breaking Russia's near-monopoly on natural gas supplies to Europe. The proposed pipeline could end Russia's near monopoly on gas supplies to Europe. The proposed Nabucco pipeline would run from Turkey's eastern border, through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, to a key gas terminal in Baumgarten, Austria. Germany is also a partner in the deal, which is being signed in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Russia controls the current network of pipelines that supply Europe with natural gas. To challenge the Nabucco proposal, Russia has proposed a competing natural gas pipeline to southeastern Europe. The South Stream pipeline would pass under the Black Sea and connect with Bulgaria. Russia and Italy would each control half of that pipeline. See map of pipeline » . However, Nabucco got a boost after Russia turned off the gas to Europe in January, during the latest in a series of price disputes with Ukraine, according to industry analysts. The Nabucco project is budgeted at €7.9 billion (about $11 billion). Since the idea's inception in 2002, plans for Nabucco have languished amid disagreements among consortium partners and lack of commitment from natural gas suppliers. Turkey had demanded to retain 15 percent of the gas passing through the pipeline for consumption and export, which its European partners rejected. The energy minister of Azerbaijan is expected to attend Monday's signing, a top Western government official said. Gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 field will be a crucial component of the project. European officials have raised hopes that other gas producers, such as Iraq and Turkmenistan, also might contribute to the pipeline. Big hurdles remain for the pipeline project named after an opera by Verdi. Consortium members must raise billions of dollars for the Nabucco project. Construction has not begun, and gas is not projected to be pumped through until 2014. Still, industry analysts called Monday's intergovernmental agreement a significant development. "It's one of those steps that moves Nabucco out of the possible column and into the probable column," said John Roberts, an energy security specialist with Platts. "My own guess is roughly by the end of the year, it will be pretty clear that Nabucco will be built." | Nabucco pipeline would run from through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary .
Project is budgeted at €7.9 billion (about $11 billion)
Russia has proposed a rival pipeline through southeastern Europe . |
216,239 | a3ef22439dea6aa6261c487d5abf778522fdf492 | (CNN)The cold gripping much of the eastern United States is bitter, it's sprawling, and it's deadly. And it's apparently not going away -- at least for any length of time -- anytime soon. From a frozen Niagara Falls to endangered Florida oranges, there's no shortage of evidence about how cold it has been over the past few days. But the worst such examples come in places like Tennessee, where 10 deaths have been blamed on the harsh winter weather, according to that state's emergency management agency. Four of the deaths stemmed from car accidents, and five were tied to hypothermia, which is abnormally low body temperatures that can cause confusion, sleepiness, slowed speech or reactions, and can be fatal if not treated quickly. The 10th death was a dialysis patient who was unable to get to treatment. Tennessee is hardly the only state affected. Some 185 million people are felling the deep freeze, with wind chill warnings and advisories posted for Thursday and Friday in more than 20 states. The National Weather Service notes that temperatures on Thursday were 25 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit below normal in some locales, where some records should smash like an icicle. Even Deep South states like Georgia and Alabama, and even Florida -- known more for sweltering than shivering -- have hard freeze and freeze warnings in effect. And no one should expect beach days in the immediate future. Instead, the weather service says, "Get ready for an even more impressive surge of Arctic air later this week as another cold front drops south from Canada." "There are indications" its forecast adds, "that this could be some of the coldest weather since the mid-1990s for some parts of the Southeast U.S., Mid-Atlantic, and central Appalachians." Things should warm up some over the weekend. But that doesn't mean East Coast residents can break out their swimsuits, what with yet more snow predicted Saturday and Sunday in places like Boston and a return to frigid temperatures next week. CNN's John Murgatroyd contributed to this report. | 10 deaths in Tennessee have been tied to the harsh winter weather .
Tens of millions of people in the eastern United States are experiencing a deep freeze .
Temperatures are 25 to 45 degrees below normal in some locations . |
1,059 | 02fdbdc37d58ec211c9bae457ef0b4798c75293c | By . Emily Kent Smith . This shocking footage shows a man kicking a helpless cat while videoing himself committing the act - all with a smirk on his face. Staff at the Liverpool hostel were horrified when they were checking CCTV and spotted a man on camera kicking the little black and white cat named Catters into a doorway. Moments before, the man had asked to use the hostel's bathroom but instead of leaving and thanking staff he brutally kicked their pet. Scroll down for video . Catters pictured on CCTV before the attack happened at the Liverpool hostel . The unknown man is then pictured walking up to the cat as if he is about to enter the bathroom . The man then looks around to make sure that no one is watching him . Staff at Hatters hostel now want to see the callous abuser brought to justice and are asking for anyone who recognises the man to come forward. They have also reported the incident to the RSPCA and pictures of the man have been shared on social media. Catters was a stray before he moved into the hostel six years ago. Staff now lovingly care for the little cat, feeding him every day and even giving him a hot water bottle when it is cold. They also spent their own money building a wooden hut for the cat and there is a mural in the hostel devoted to it. But manager Paul Mercer, 32, said that although Catters used to be friendly and affectionate, since the attack his personality has changed completely. He said: 'He doesn’t seem to be suffering physically but he is definitely wary of humans at the moment. 'He will normally wander up to people and stand and the door and wait for them to let him in. 'Now he will start running rather than come up to you - he is very wary.' Mr Mercer described the attack as 'disgusting'. He said: 'It was the fact that he was videoing himself doing it which was disgraceful. 'We want to find the guy because you would not have thought this is the first time he has done it. 'We want to see him caught.' He is then pictured taking out his phone, ready to film the attack on the camera of his iPhone . The man can be seen lifting up his leg to kick the cat . The man then starts to turn round with a smirk on his face as if he is about to go back down the corridor . Mr Mercer said he was 'shocked' when he learned about the attack. He said: 'I was disgusted that someone could do it and it looked like he enjoyed it. 'It's the size of the guy in comparison to the cat. 'If you see someone hitting a kid you just don’t do it. 'The cat is part of the family.' But the man then goes back to the door and pictures the cat lying on the bathroom floor . The man then gives the cat a second kick after the first attack . The man then walks off again and appears to be re-watching the footage on his phone . The man came into the hostel last . Saturday night at around midnight and asked to use the bathroom. He then walked down to the ground . floor toilets and came out of the bathroom before kicking the cat back . through the bathroom doorway. He then returns a second time and kicks the animal again. The man is smiling throughout and videoing the attack on his iPhone. Mr Mercer described the man as in his mid to late 20s and with Hispanic features. If you have any information about this man contact Hatters Hostel on [email protected] or call the RSPCA on 03001234999. Catters has changed completely since the attack and is now wary of humans . Catters was a stray before being taken in by the hostel six years ago. Now, staff make the cat food every day and even make hot water bottles to keep their pet warm . | Footage shows man walk into a hostel and kick a cat through a door .
He films attack on mobile phone and smirks - then kicks cat second time .
Man walks off and re-watches footage on his phone .
Staff at Hatters hostel, Liverpool, described attack as 'disgusting'
They are now looking for the man who brutally attacked their pet Catters . |
182,474 | 784ae7e3ad914a03c675de1fe61a1c3135f016d5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Hundreds of suspected British paedophiles are still at large, nearly two years after they were named by Canadian detectives. The list of suspects was put together in Toronto as part of a sweeping child pornography investigation named Project Spade. The Brits were allegedly customers of a . Canadian firm that sold child pornography videos. The investigation has led to the rescue of 386 . young children around the world and the arrest of 348 people, but none of them have been Brits. Scroll down for video . Massive haul: Canadian police described the Project Spade operation as one of the largest child porn busts they've ever seen . The suspects are feared to include teachers, priests and foster carers. Toronto detective Paul Krawczyk said his team passed 'hundreds of names' to the UK 18 months ago. The . newly formed National Crime Agency admitted no arrests had been made . and told The Mirror: 'In 2012 CEOP received information from the Toronto . Police. It receives around 19,000 such referrals every year. The NCA is . using the information for intelligence purposes and continues to . develop it. There have been no arrests to date.' Global collaboration: More than 30 police officers from around the world gathered to announce the end of a 3-year child pornography investigation in Toronto . All walks of life: Police said 108 people were arrested in Canada, 76 in the U.S and 164 in countries from Spain to South Africa and Australia, among them teachers, doctors and priests . Canadian police described the Project Spade operation as one of the largest child porn busts they've ever seen. ‘It . is alleged that officers seized hundreds of thousands of videos . detailing horrific sexual acts against very young children, some of the . worst that they have ever viewed,’ Toronto Inspector Joanna . Beaven-Desjardins said. Police said 108 people were arrested in Canada, 76 in the U.S and 164 in countries from Spain to South Africa and Australia. Forty . school teachers, nine doctors and nurses, and more than 30 people who . volunteered with kids were among those taken into custody. The list of suspects also includes nine clergymen, six police officers and three foster parents. Police said the children were ‘rescued from child exploitation’ but did not give more details. Beaven-Desjardins . said the investigation began with a Toronto man accused of running a . company since 2005 that distributed child pornography videos to the tune . of $4million in revenue, CTV News reported. Police . allege Brian Way, 42, instructed people around the world to create the . videos of children ranging from 5 to 12 years of age, then distributed . the videos via his company, Azov Films, to international customers. The videos included naked boys from Germany, Romania and Ukraine, which it marketed as naturist movies and claimed were legal in Canada and the United States. The head of the Toronto police sex . crimes unit told the Toronto Star that the X-rated images displayed . 'horrific acts of sexual abuse — some of the worst (officers) have . seen.' Police said they executed a search warrant at Way's company and home, seizing about 1,000 pieces of evidence: computers, servers, DVD burners, a video editing suite and hundreds of movies. Way was charged with 24 offences, including child pornography. Police also designated Azov Films as a criminal organization, charging Way with giving directions on behalf of a gang. The Azovfilms.com website has been shut down. Beaven-Desjardins said this is the first time in Canada that anyone as been charged with being a part of a criminal organization in regards to child pornography. Police said they began their investigation in 2010 and worked with Interpol in more than 50 countries including Australia, Spain, Mexico, Norway and Greece. More than 350,000 images and over 9,000 videos - about 45 terabytes - of child sexual abuse were found during the probe, and arrests are continuing, Beaven-Desjardins said. Online filth: Police allege Brian Way, 42, instructed people around the world to create the videos of children ranging from 5 to 12 years of age, then distributed the videos via his company, Azov Films . ‘This operation shows that international police cooperation works. Despite large amounts of material and that this is time-consuming work, this shows that the Internet is not a safe haven for crimes against children,’ Norwegian police spokesman Bjoern-Erik Ludvigsen said in a statement. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said it began its investigation by accessing the company website and making undercover purchases. People making the images included a youth baseball coach in Washington state who made more than 500 films and a school employee in Georgia who put a camera in a student washroom to videotape images of students' genitals, U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspector Gerald O'Farrell said. Beaven-Desjardins said the investigation is ongoing and believes more arrests will be made. | Three-year Project Spade operation spearheaded by Canadian authorities .
It netted 348 suspects around the world, but none were Brits .
Investigation began with a Toronto man accused of running a company since 2005 that distributed child pornography videos . |
216,763 | a49f968e60778c7c95f31ba430776af4d30d63d7 | By . Sam Webb . New images taken from space show an island that formed last year after a volcanic eruption in a remote region of the Pacific Ocean is swallowing up a neighbouring island. The land mass, named Niijima, was first spotted in November 2013, in the Ogasawara chain around 600 miles south of Tokyo, as a result of continuing eruptions from the volcano below. Initially, scientists were unsure how long it would last because volcanic islets of that type tend to be reclaimed by the sea after a short time. Overwhelmed: Niijima, was formed as a result of continuing eruptions from the volcano below. It has now merged with its smaller pre-existing neighbour Nishino-shima . My, how you've grown: In this NASA satellite image from December 8, Niijima can be clearly seen next to the larger Nishino Shima . But the mass, located in the Pacific's volatile 'Ring of Fire', has grown rapidly to merge with its smaller pre-existing neighbour Nishino-shima, as these satellite images from the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 show. The new landmass measures about 3,000ft across and has soared to a height of 200ft above sea level, reports the Huffington Post. 'The intermittent, pulsing shape of the cloud stream might be a reflection of the volcanic eruption itself,' officials from NASA's Earth Observatory said. Growing presence: This picture was taken on December 6, just over two weeks after the island formed . Smoke billows from the new islet off the coast of Nishino Shima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain off the coats of Tokyo. At that point, it was around 600ft in diameter . The formation of the new island was the first time the phenomenon has happened in almost 30 years . 'Strombolian explosions are essentially bubbles of lava and gas rising from Earth's interior in pulses. 'Underwater, sediment appears to be stirred up in a green plume that stretches eastward from the island.' In September a similar new island appeared off the coast of Pakistan. It was forced to the surface following an earthquake and was made up a mound of mud and rock 70ft high and 295ft wide. The phenomenon on the coastline near the port of Gwadar caused astonishment when it emerged from the Arabian Sea, but experts from Pakistan's National Institute of Oceanography say it is now fast eroding. Although the area regularly experiences earthquakes and eruptions, they are rarely as powerful as the one that formed Niijima. The chain is made up of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands. The islet is made up of volcanic lava and rocks forced from the ocean floor. Volcanologists claim the temperature of the rocks could have been as high as 1,000C when it emerged. Similar eruptions in the early 1970s and 80s created tiny islets in Japan's territory that have since disappeared. Experts initially said the islet, pictured, may not last long due to erosion, but it is still growing . Similar eruptions in the early 1970s and 80s created tiny islets in Japan's territory that have since disappeared . The new islet rose into the ocean near the Bonin Islands, also known as the Ogasawara chain . | Niijima was formed by underwater volcano in Pacific in November .
It has grown to merge with a smaller nearby island called Nishino-shima .
The combined landmass is 3,000ft wide and 200ft above sea level . |
275,268 | f09db6642233a23ebd9bcd37f7771ec8a45ae63e | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A key House committee passed comprehensive health care reform legislation Friday, moving President Obama's domestic priority one step closer to congressional approval. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says House Democrats will return to their districts ready to defend the bill. The vote occurred as the House of Representatives adjourned for its August recess. The 31-28 vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee came after several days of intense and often contentious negotiations between Democratic House leaders and an influential group of fiscal conservatives in the party. Three members of the Democrats' conservative Blue Dog caucus -- John Barrow of Georgia, Jim Matheson of Utah and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana -- voted against the bill, along with two other Democrats, Bart Stupak of Michigan and Rick Boucher of Virginia. The committee's bill will now be merged with two separate versions passed by other House panels before being considered by the full chamber in September. The prospects for health care reform in the full House, however, remain unclear. Democrats remain deeply divided, with a number of liberals expressing strong opposition to concessions made to the party's so-called Blue Dog conservatives on the Energy and Commerce Committee. The fate of health care reform also remains uncertain in the Senate, where the Finance Committee recently postponed its long-awaited vote on a bipartisan compromise plan until after the August recess. The coming fights in both chambers serve as a backdrop for what is expected to be a month of furious campaigning for and against the bill as members of Congress meet with constituents back home over the break. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that House Democrats will return to their districts with talking points and memos to help them rebut opponents running "a shock and awe campaign ... to perpetuate the status quo." "Facts mean nothing" to insurance industry executives and others opposed to change, she said. "Misrepresentation is the currency of their realm." Pelosi did not indicate, however, how Democratic divisions in the House might be overcome when Congress returns in the fall. On Thursday, 57 members of the House Progressive Caucus sent a letter to Pelosi and others complaining that the agreement with the Blue Dogs weakened language creating a government-funded health insurance option. "Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates -- not negotiated rates -- is unacceptable," the letter said. The revised bill calls for the government-run public insurance option to be reimbursed on rates determined by negotiations with the insurance industry. The original version called for the same reimbursement rates as in the government's Medicare program for senior citizens. The progressive Democrats also argued that cuts to the bill's overall price would shortchange subsidies meant to help low- and moderate-income Americans buy health insurance. Some of those concerns were addressed Friday when the Energy and Commerce committee boosted funding for subsidies and added a provision empowering the federal government to directly negotiate prescription drug rates in the public plan. The agreement with the Blue Dogs, estimated to lower the cost of the House plan by $100 billion over a decade, would also exempt businesses with payrolls below $500,000 from having to provide health coverage to employees. "We can compromise no more," warned Rep. Lynn Woolsey, co-chair of the 81-member Progressive Caucus. "When leaders of the House meet ... to consider the three bills and produce a final one, we expect that it will retain a robust public option. If it doesn't, we will vote against it." Opposition from progressive Democrats and some conservative House Democrats who want additional cost cuts could defeat the bill. Pelosi admitted that she preferred the original bill, but noted that much of the new language matched a proposal supported by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, a longtime champion of health care reform who is revered by liberal Democrats. She also pointed out that the bill could change when the House and Senate negotiate a final measure in coming months. On the Senate side, key Republicans in the Finance Committee negotiations said Wednesday that they were unlikely to complete work on a compromise plan before the August break. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming said too many issues remained unresolved to sign on to a deal by the time the Senate breaks for its recess on August 7. On Thursday, Grassley said pressure from the White House and Democratic leaders to speed the process didn't help. "It would be better for me to say that instead of saying there's no way we can cut a deal, there's no way we can get all the compromising that needs to be done by an artificial deadline of Friday of this week," Grassley said. "So we're going to continue to work together this week and next week. But we're getting close." Democrats had hoped the Finance Committee could finish its work before the August break to show progress toward health legislation. CNN's Craig Broffman and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report. | Bill passes 31-28 in House Energy and Commerce Committee before recess .
Bill calls for public reimbursement rates to be negotiated with insurance industry .
Some complain that concessions to conservative Blue Dogs weaken public option .
Bill will be merged with versions from two other panels before going to chamber . |
105,990 | 14b1ad890f9873e9ac3699f12025d122d68f98a3 | Washington (CNN) -- Again stepping into the role of compromise-seeker, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is launching what may be a long-shot effort to forge bipartisan compromise over a minimum wage increase. "I'm reaching out to members on both sides of the aisle about whether or not it's possible," the Republican told a handful of reporters Tuesday. "I don't know whether it is." Collins laid out a possible framework she is floating in initial conversations: . • Wages: Increase the minimum wage to something higher than the current $7.25 an hour, but lower than the $10.10 that Democrats want. • Hours: To bring in more Republicans, raise the number of hours that define "full-time" employees under Obamacare. Currently individuals working 30 hours or more are "full-time" under the law. • Small business: Add an extension of small business tax credits. Ryan budget aims to cut $5.1 trillion, balance in 10 years . This is the latest example of Collins' work toward finding space for a deal on large, divisive issues. She made one of the earliest proposals to avoid the government shutdown, spent weeks trying to find agreement on an unemployment benefits extension, and has regularly been a key vote allowing issues to come to the Senate floor. For Collins, $7.25 is too low. But, $10.10 an hour is just too high. "I've talked to employers in Maine who have said they would have to curb hiring and actually have to lay people off with that kind of increase," she said, "but they are open to a more modest increase, they could accommodate that." But as Collins tries to find a middle ground, both sides of the debate continue digging in around polar positions. Obama takes minimum wage pitch to Michigan . "If (a bill) includes raising the minimum wage, then it's a bad idea to put people out of work," said Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. He and many other Republicans cite a Congressional Budget Office report which concluded that a minimum wage increase would cost the country hundreds of thousands of jobs. Toomey was well known for his attempt at compromise over background checks on guns last year, but he insists he is not budging on the minimum wage. "If you (increase it) on a smaller scale, that I suppose makes it less bad, but it's still bad," he said. As Republicans exclaim "jobs," those on the left shout "poverty." "That minimum wage pay of $7.25 an hour is really a starvation wage," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent. He and many Democrats point out that the same CBO report concluded that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty, but a lower increase would have just one-third the effect. He insists he won't settle for a penny less than $10.10. "No, I strongly believe we need to have a $10.10 minimum wage." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada took a similar stance in February. And what's more, Democrats have been unyielding toward many potential changes to Obamacare, including proposals to redefine "full-time" employees. That leaves Collins in the middle. Standing by herself outside the Senate doors, she smiled and stuck to her goal statement. "I'm trying to see if (a potential compromise) could garner sufficient support," she told reporters. Reid has said a minimum wage vote could come up in the Senate as soon as next week. Asked for her timeline, Collins shrugged, "Well, it's coming up pretty fast." Republicans hit a nerve when it comes to Obamacare . | Republican Sen. Susan Collins is looking to see if a deal is possible .
Maine senator has a history of trying to find deals on big, divisive issues .
Democrats want to raise the minimum wage nearly $3, to $10.10 an hour .
While it would cause some job cuts, the proposal would boost others from poverty . |
47,584 | 86397ff6252c6811238ddcd6433077315fc73b65 | Inquest: Lance Corporal James Ashworth was killed by his own hand grenade when a sniper shot him as he was about to throw the device . A soldier who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after he died trying to rescue his comrades was killed by his own grenade, a coroner ruled today. Lance Corporal James Ashworth, 23, of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, was fatally injured by his own grenade after he was hit by a Taliban bullet just as he went to throw the explosive device into a compound in June last year. At L/Cpl Ashworth’s inquest today Anne Pember, the Northamptonshire Coroner, said a post mortem had revealed cause of death as blast injuries caused by an explosion and recorded a verdict of unlawful killing while he was serving on operations in Afghanistan. His bravery persuaded senior officers to recommend the soldier - known by his friends as a 'gentle giant' - for the VC. The award stated: 'Despite the ferocity of the insurgent's resistance, Ashworth refused to be beaten. 'His total disregard for his own safety in ensuring that the last grenade was posted accurately was the gallant last action of a soldier who had willingly placed himself in the line of fire on numerous occasions earlier in the attack. 'This supremely courageous and inspiring action deserves the highest recognition.' The VC has been awarded just ten times to UK soldiers since the Second World War. The posthumous honour to L/Cpl Ashworth, of the 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, is just the second from the 12-year conflict in Afghanistan. The inquest heard how L/Cpl Ashworth died after crawling along the ground while being peppered with bullets to throw his last grenade at a sniper who had his team pinned down. Mourning: The family of British soldier Lance Corporal James Ashworth, mother Kerry Ashworth, father former Grenadier Guardsman Duane Ashworth (left) and brother and British soldier Coran Ashworth (right) Speaking after the inquest in . Kettering, his mother Kerry said her son, only the second soldier to be . awarded a VC for bravery in Afghanistan, had died doing the job he . loved. She said: 'His smile can light up any room he goes into and we all love and miss him so. 'James . passed away doing a job he loved. At times it was a hard job but he did . get to experience new countries, learn new skills and make some . wonderful friends. 'James will be forever be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers and we will never get over his passing. 'But . we will stay strong together as a family and along with his friends we . will remain positive and celebrate his life at every opportunity as I . know that is what he would want us to do.' His commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel James Bowder said he was 'the bravest of soldiers, the best of men'. As well as the VC, L/Cpl Ashworth has had a square named after him in his home town of Corby. The coroner heard sometimes emotional testimony from comrades fighting alongside L/Cpl Ashworth on the day he died. His platoon commander Captain Michael Dobbin described how an operation had been ordered to 'kill or capture' a skilled Taliban sniper team which had shot and wounded three British soldiers in the preceding days. Proud: Mrs Ashworth and son Coran receiving the Victoria Cross conferred on her late son . After four days planning, the . insurgents were spotted near a village in the Nahr-e-Saraj area of . Helmand province, and the strike team, including L/Cpl Ashworth, swooped . on the area in two helicopters. Capt . Dobbin said that with heavy fighting taking place elsewhere on the . outskirts of the village, the compound 'had to be cleared'. He . said a number of options were ruled out before L/Cpl Ashworth . volunteered to try to 'post a grenade' into the room where the insurgent . was hiding . Capt Dobbin said there was no chance of help from a combat helicopter supporting the operation, or any point using a portable rocket launcher because his own men would be caught in the resulting blasts. Using grenade launchers was also ruled out because trees near the doorway of the Taliban fighter’s position were blocking their line of sight. 'L/Cpl Ashworth suggested that if he moved along a low wall, he would be out of line of sight,' said Capt Dobbin. 'He was confident he could get the grenade in the doorway, allowing me and Capt Davis to assault the position.'Across the compound, L/Cpl Wint saw his friend 'Ash' 'crawling along the wall on his belt buckle'. As L/Cpl Ashworth got near the . doorway, covered by the low wall, L/Cpl Wint saw bullets pepper the . ground inches from his friend and he called out 'Ash, get out of there'. Tribute: The repatriation ceremony for Lance Corporal James Ashworth after he died in Afghanistan last June . Lance Corporal Ashworth (left), was awarded the Victoria Cross in recognition of his 'extraordinary courage' Still . under fire from the insurgent, he said L/Cpl Ashworth 'did not . respond'. There was an explosion, throwing up a cloud of dust, with . L/Cpl Wint initially thinking his friend had triggered an improvised . explosive device. Capt Dobbin, waiting a few yards away, said both he and Capt Davis were surprised when they realised the explosion had gone off by L/Cpl Ashworth’s position. 'In the space of about two seconds we heard a cry of warning, then the rounds came in, then an enormous explosion,' he said. He said there were 'no signs of life' from L/Cpl Ashworth. The insurgent was killed some minutes later when he was flushed out with grenades and shot. Award: Lance Corporal Ashworth was given a posthumous Victoria Cross. It is the UK's highest gallantry medal . L/Cpl Ashworth was airlifted and pronounced dead on arrival at the field hospital at Camp Bastion. A post-mortem examination revealed numerous 'blast fragment wounds' to his head and body, with forensic pathologist Dr Nicolas Hunt stating he 'would not expect him to survive' the wounds sustained. He added that there would have been 'virtually instantaneous loss of consciousness'. Dr Hunt also noted bruising to the heart caused by the blunt trauma of a bullet impacting on the soldier’s body armour. Alan Hepper, an expert on the Osprey body armour British soldiers wear into battle, said the protective plate at the front of L/Cpl Ashworth’s vest had been fractured by a bullet, but it failed to penetrate. The bullet was of the calibre fired from AK47-type weapons favoured by the Taliban. Mrs Pember, giving her verdict, said: 'James bravely volunteered to throw the last grenade. 'He crouched down by a wall and sadly his body armour was struck by a single gunshot which knocked him to the ground. 'The grenade he had was already primed and detonated next to him.' She added he was 'one of only 10 soldiers to receive the highest honour for gallantry since the Second World War'. Unique: The Victoria Cross medal is cast from the metal of Russian guns captured during the Crimean War . The Victoria Cross ranks as the nation's highest award for gallantry, along with the George Cross. Instituted . by Queen Victoria in 1856, the Victoria Cross is awarded for 'most . conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or . self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the . enemy.' It is hand-made from bronze cannon captured from the Russians at . the siege of Sevastopol in 1854-55 during the Crimean War. The . bronze cross, which has a crimson ribbon bears the inscription 'For . Valour', is cast from the metal of Russian guns captured at the siege of . Sevastopol during the Crimean War, the campaign in which the first . medals were awarded. The . Victoria Cross may be awarded to all ranks of the services - and also . to civilians - to recognise gallantry in the presence of the enemy. The . medal has been awarded 1,356 times, the most recent of which was a . posthumous award to Corporal Bryan Budd, of the 3rd Battalion The . Parachute Regiment, for acts of "inspirational leadership and the . greatest valour" in southern Afghanistan in 2006. Only . 13 Victoria Cross medals have been awarded since the Second World War, . nine to members of the British Army and four to the Australian Army. L/Cpl Ashworth's is just the fifth to have been awarded since the Falklands conflict, and all but one have been posthumous. Private . Johnson Beharry, from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal . Regiment, was awarded the honour for two separate acts of outstanding . gallantry to rescue his comrades in Iraq in 2004, during which suffered . serious head injuries. The . Victoria Cross has been awarded to the same person twice on three . occasions - to doctors Captain Arthur Martin-Leake (1902 and 1914) and . Captain Noel Chavasse (1916 and posthumously 1917), and New Zealander . Captain Charles Upham (1941 and 1942). The . George Cross, which stands equal to the Victoria Cross as an award, . recognises acts of gallantry by members of the Armed Forces or civilians . in situations for which the Victoria Cross is not appropriate. These can be incidents that are not in the presence of the enemy, such as bomb or mine disposal. | Lance Corporal James Ashworth, 23, volunteered to throw his last grenade at Taliban sniper near the Nahr-e-Saraj area of Helmand province .
He was hit by a sniper's bullet just he was about to throw the device .
Northamptonshire Coroner recorded a verdict of unlawful killing today .
L/Cpl Ashworth is the second soldier to be awarded a VC for bravery in Afghanistan . |
26,702 | 4bcfabd4b0f59ae2c66774ef77721a936513ce29 | By . Matt Chorley . and Jason Groves . High demand: Planning Minister Nick Boles warned 100,000 new homes will be built to accommodate the expanding British population . A plan to build on two million acres . of countryside to solve Britain’s housing crisis has made planning . minister Nick Boles a Tory ‘hate figure’, it was claimed today. The outspoken minister, promoted by . David Cameron in this autumn’s reshuffle, claimed ‘another 2 to 3 per . cent of land’ needed to be developed to meet soaring demand for housing . fuelled by immigration. But Tory MP Bob Stewart revealed voters in his Beckenham constituency are furious at the idea, . insisting homes should be built on brownfield sites which have been . developed before. Last week Mr Boles said migrants accounted for almost . half of the housing demand, and his figures suggest 100,000 new homes a . year will be needed to accommodate them. The minister added: ‘We can’t . go on like this.’ He alarmed . conservationists by saying up to two million acres of green fields may . have to be concreted over to deal with the housing shortage. Now he is at risk of sparking a Tory revolt among MPs with rural constituencies and voters who do not want to see more development. Mr Stewart told The Times: ‘Boles is rapidly becoming a hate figure. ‘They would much prefer building on brownfield sites.’ Mr Boles is the first government minister to draw a clear link between housing demand and the legacy of Labour’s open-door immigration policy. He said: ‘The fact is – and I am critical of the last government’s immigration policies – we allowed the population of this country to expand dramatically. ‘The population of England has gone up by two million in the last ten years. These people now live here, these people are now British and they need homes just like other British people. ‘The fact is, 43 per cent of the new households which want a home, is accounted for by immigration. ‘We can’t go on like this. We need to have less immigration and more house-building and we might then have a civilised country.’ Mr Boles warned the scale of demand . meant large swathes of countryside would have to be sacrificed, because . there were not enough empty homes or developed sites. But conservationist have accused him of advocating unnecessary development of irreplaceable beauty spots. Sue Holden, chief executive of the . Woodland Trust, said: 'Mr Boles does not only ignore existing land . availability, he fails to recognise that some aspects of nature are . irreplaceable. 'Unlike new buildings, ancient . woodland cannot be recreated. We are told by the Government that . economic growth and environmental enhancement can go hand in hand but . this kind of statement does little to promote confidence in its . commitment to a balanced approach.' At risk: With a lack of both empty homes and developed sites where new homes could be built, Green Belt land may have to be sacrificed . Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said . last month that the number of households was forecast to expand at the . rate of 230,000 a year. The figure supplied by Mr Boles suggests that . immigration will account for almost 100,000 of the total. Mr . Clegg said total house building amounted to just 117,000 last year, . adding: ‘There’s only one way out of this housing crisis: We have to . build our way out.’ Mr Boles angered conservationists by suggesting the total area of land under development should be increased by a third to ease the housing shortage. He said ministers would protect the Green Belt, but warned that large areas of ‘open land’ may have to be given over for housing. And he hit out at developers for building ‘pig ugly’ housing estates that deter communities from accepting any new development. ‘We’re going to protect the Green Belt but if people want to have housing for their kids they have got to accept we need to build more on some open land,’ Mr Boles said. ‘In the UK and England at the moment we’ve got about 9 per cent of land developed. All we need to do is build on another 2 to 3 per cent of land and we’ll have solved a housing problem.’ The National Trust accused Mr Boles of making up figures ‘on the back of a fag packet’, while the Campaign to Protect Rural England said his proposals were a licence to developers to ‘let rip’. | Call to build on 'another 2 to 3% of land' sparks backlash from Conservative voters .
Tory MP Bob Stewart says the government should focus on developing brownfield sites . |
152,465 | 510ac43b02c3eb7747fd36ce99ce8d0a2a65aba1 | Holding a blade to his own throat, this was the moment a knifeman brought chaos to the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday. Talhat Rehman, 54, of Harrow, has been charged with possessing a bladed weapon in public and affray, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court today. The middle-aged man walked through crowds of tourists clutching two large kitchen knives before police surrounded him and used a Taser stun gun to disarm him. As a policeman shouted a warning call of ‘Taser, Taser, Taser’ to his colleagues, the knifeman allegedly lunged forward, brandishing a six-inch blade in a series of swipes, before falling to the floor as he was stunned by the electrical charge. Scroll down for video . Dramatic: Police officers tasered Talhat Rehman to the ground outside the Palace last year . Scary: The dramatic incident saw the 54-year-old brandish two knives in front of hundreds of terrified tourists last February . Down: The knifeman charged towards a police officer outside Buckingham Palace who fired a taser gun at him . A video showed Mr Rehman . shouting and holding the knife to his throat as he walked past the . Victoria Memorial, towards the gates of the palace. Police officers . shouted to tourists to keep away from the man as they raced to surround . him. The Harrow man, who clutched a . set of wooden beads and wore a flat woollen hat similar to the pakuls . traditionally worn by men in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, was . later arrested. The drama . unfolded as crowds gathered outside the palace before the midday . Changing of the Guard ceremony, one of London’s most popular tourist . attractions. Witnesses described seeing the bespectacled man breaking . through a barrier and walking towards the palace before he was stopped . and surrounded by police. VIDEO Man holds knife to throat before being tasered at Buckingham Palace . The moment: This photo (unpixelated at source) was posted on Twitter by Josh Greenberg, captioned: 'Another photo from #Buckingham palace moments ago - Male with a #knife to his neck #Tasered by #Police' Police response: Twitter user Josh Greenberg also posted this picture from outside Buckingham Palace . Eyewitness Kevin Burrows, 33, said: ‘He had a knife in each hand. ‘The police were on him in seconds, he didn’t have a chance of getting close to anyone. ‘They . surrounded him, they were telling him to calm down, and then a . policeman Tasered him.’ Mr Burrows, a kitchen porter from Surbiton, . Surrey, added: ‘The police were fantastic, it was all over in minutes. The procession was diverted away from him and the band just kept . playing.’ Left behind: Knives, a hat and taser wire in an cordoned off area outside Buckingham Palace in central London . On the ground: A pair of trainers and a backpack in a cordoned off area outside Buckingham Palace in London . On scene: Twitter user LondonPRGuru posted these pictures of the aftermath of the incident in central London . Police standing guard: A cordoned off area containing knives, a hat and taser wire outside Buckingham Palace . Witnesses have said the band played on as the chaos unfolded . Another witness, . Grant Shepherd, filmed the incident and put it on YouTube. He described . the scene in a Twitter message, saying: ‘Crazy man with a knife to his . throat just stopped the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.’ The . Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were at Sandringham but were understood . to have been informed about the drama. Scotland Yard is responsible for . security at the palace and armed officers maintain a round-the-clock . presence there, even when members of the Royal Family are not in . residence. Police cordoned off the area where the Taser was fired, some 30 yards from the palace gates. The . man, who has not been named, was checked by medics and arrested on . suspicion of affray. Shocked tourists said police told them the man . could have ‘mental health issues’. In . June 1982 an intruder armed with a knife managed to get on to the . palace forecourt before he was stopped. A month later Michael Fagan got . inside the Queen’s private chambers while the monarch was still in bed. Bystanders: Tourists view the personal items of a suspect at the scene between the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace . Forensics: A scenes of crime officer documents evidence from a scene between the Queen Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace where police subdued a man with a taser who was in possession of two knives . Up close: A scenes of crime officer photographs a hat and two knives from the scene in central London . Royal couple: The Queen and Prince Philip - who were not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident - were pictured leaving St Peter and St Paul Church in West Newton on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Talhat Rehman, 54, charged with possessing a bladed weapon in public and affray .
Harrow resident will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court today .
Metropolitan Police confirm taser was used in central London at 11:50am .
Photos show man holding knife to his throat during Changing of the Guard .
Queen and Prince Philip were at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk at the time .
For confidential .
support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local .
Samaritans branch or click here for details . |
158,405 | 58cf12ecccdc9ac45b124dd27cc6f7ae4bd9dabe | Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events. Here, John Vause describes the effect tainted food has had on a foreigner. CNN's John Vause says he's lost 10 pounds in recent weeks as reports of tainted food have come out in China. BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Eating out in China used to be one of the great experiences of living here. I often thought going out with friends and colleagues for dinner was a bit like the game of "Hungry Hungry Hippos" -- vast quantities of amazing food that made dining a pleasure. Best of all, it was affordable and palatable. But these days, the joy of anticipation of what the next dish will bring has been replaced with, well, the dread of what the next dish may contain. When ordering at restaurants, I wonder: Is that drug-tainted fish and shrimp? Did that pork come from a pig that was force-fed wastewater? Any melamine added to those noodles? Those are among some of the recent food scares here. Even drinking a glass of water instills fear: A recent government report found half the bottled watered in this city was counterfeit. I was never a particularly brave soul when it came to eating at exotic little restaurants here, but now I am terrified. When traveling across China, that fear goes off the charts. Packing for trips now includes muesli bars made in the United States and imported almonds. Watch food elitism in Hong Kong » . And then there is the grocery shopping. Everyone else around the world it seems is buying cheap food and other products made in China. Not the Vause house. My wife searches across this city for breakfast cereal made in the United States. We have meat and fish flown in from Australia, milk from New Zealand, and on it goes. Some things are unavoidable, but we do our best. Maybe it's irrational on my part. Certainly many friends who have lived here longer than I have insist there's nothing to fear. They argue in a country this size there will always be isolated cases like the ones that have surfaced lately. But I have another perspective. In a Communist country where corruption is rampant and the press appears only free to go after the little guy, I believe the deep systemic problems go unreported -- that is until dogs and cats in the United States start dying from pet food made with Chinese-tainted ingredients and the world starts asking China some very difficult questions. The Communist leadership has acknowledged the corruption problem in China and they know they can make all the pronouncements about food quality they want from Beijing. But that means almost zilch as long as the local businessmen are paying off local officials who are paying off the local police who are meant to enforce whatever new standards and regulations are announced. And that's the rub. There's a fortune to be made cutting corners and ignoring the rules, and almost no risk if you get caught. Watch the cures that kill . There are notable exceptions. For instance, the former head of China's Food and Drug Administration was executed for taking bribes and approving deadly medicine. The People's Daily, the mouthpiece for the Communist Party, wrote the day after Zhen Xiaoyu's death sentence was carried out that it was a warning to all officials. "Corrupt elements will be thoroughly investigated no matter who they are, how high their post, or how deep they hide, and there can be no appeasement or softness," it said. I have my doubts. I also met with the general manager of one of the companies at the center of the melamine-tainted rice gluten exports earlier this year. He was in prison and looked dazed and confused. I got the distinct impression that he had no idea why he was in jail for something widely believed being done by so many others. It's just that his melamine loaded rice gluten killed dogs and cats in the United States. The bottom line is: If you're worried about Chinese exports, rest assured the local stuff is without doubt many, many times worse. It's scary to live here not knowing if the food and drinks are safe. But on the upside, in the last month, since the food scare story really took off, I've dropped 10 pounds. I guess there is an upside to everything. E-mail to a friend . | CNN's John Vause says ordering food in China has been replaced with dread .
Vause: It took pet food scare in U.S. to get Beijing to answer tough questions .
China says execution of former FDA chief is a message to others . |
143,556 | 45a5c3a85140effd632c9372d43e10f18af92091 | From Jack the Ripper to modern day murder mysteries, the nation is gripped by the ins and outs of major crime cases. But, with the gritty details of forensic examinations and police investigations often remaining out of the public eye, it's usually left to TV dramas such as CSI, Law and Order and Silent Witness to fill us in on what really happens behind closed doors. However, soon we will be able to get close to the experts who started it all, because a new exhibition featuring historic figures from the world of forensic medicine is set to launch - and it will feature never-before-seen case notes of autopsies as well as prototypical mug shots from the 19th Century. Never-seen-before handwritten autopsy index cards by notorious forensic pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury will form part of the hotly-anticipated 'Forensics: the anatomy of crime' exhibition, which will run for four months at London's Wellcome Collection museum in 2015 . The exhibition, which examines the history, science and art of forensic medicine, will run from February until June and will feature an array of ancient artefacts and artwork including the first prototypes of mug shots, dating back to the 19th Century, by Alphonse Bertillon . Several artworks will also be on display, including this 18th Century watercolour showing the decomposition of a Japanese noble lady . The exhibition, called 'Forensics: the anatomy of crime', will even include a literal murder scene - the floor tiles on which a friend of Mexican artist Teresa Margolles was killed. Set to launch at London's Wellcome Collection museum next February, the exhibition examines the history, science and art of forensic medicine and will bring together all manner of macabre treasures, including artworks and artefacts dating back as far as the Middle Ages. Among the displays are intricate 18th century Japanese watercolours capturing the decay of a dead noblewoman, and prototypical mug shots from forensic pioneer Alphonse Bertillon alongside their 1970s identikit progeny. However, the most anticipated exhibits are likely to be a selection of never-before-seen case notes handwritten by notorious forensic pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury. The yellowing index cards document some of the 20,000 autopsies Sir Spilsbury performed during his career, which spanned some of the most gripping whodunnits of the early 20th century. His profile was such that the satirical journal Punch featured his portrait in a 1928 issue, on display in the exhibition, declaring: 'When arsenic has closed your eyes, this certain hope your corpse may rest in: Sir B will kindly analyse the contents of your large intestine.' Lucy Shanahan, curator of the Wellcome Collection exhibition said: 'I get the impression that perhaps it became a default to go to Spilsbury rather than anyone else. 'Whilst Spilsbury's reputation did become damaged towards the end of his career, I don't think that necessarily means that he got everything wrong. 'I think he probably just got a little bit too caught up in his own ego and then perhaps wasn't doing as much of a thorough job as he should have been. 'Judging by his workload, he probably had far too many cases.' Lucy Shanahan, the exhibition's curator, studies The Hortus Sanitatis (Garden of Health) - a book printed in 1491 by Jacob Meydenbach . The 15th Century botanical book, which was printed in Mainz in Southern Germany by Jakob Meydenbach, will be on display for all to see . Many suspect that Sir Spilsbury made serious blunders during his career, including in what was arguably his best known case - the trial of Dr Hawley Crippen. The American-born doctor was convicted at the Old Bailey in 1910 of poisoning his wife Cora following her disappearance, and sentence to be hanged. Investigators discovered human flesh in his cellar that Sir Spilsbury testified must have come from the missing Mrs Crippen, all but delivering Crippen to the gallows. But nearly 100 years later, U.S. scientists called the pathologist's findings into question, with DNA testing revealing the flesh had more than likely belonged to a man. Whether or not the gruesome find in Crippen's home did indeed belong to his late wife, Ms Shanahan - who has spent nearly three years poring over the documents in the forensics exhibition - does not believe an innocent man was hanged. '(Crippen) was definitely up to no good,' she said. Handwritten autopsy index cards document some of the 20,000 autopsies Sir Spilsbury performed during his career in the 20th Century . The autopsy notes will give visitors a never-before-seen insight into the world of forensic medicine dating back to the Middle Ages . The exhibition will give the public an insight into forensic medicine, which is normally divulged on TV in dramas such as CSI (above) The success of BBC drama Silent Witness (pictured) only highlights the appetite for murder mysteries and crime solving in Britain . 'He had a mistress, he had a reason to leave the country, so it must have been fairly serious. 'There are a lot of question marks that are left hanging, but I'm sure he wasn't squeaky clean.' Though Sir Spilsbury's notes on the Crippen case are not among the thousands owned by the Wellcome Collection, the forthcoming exhibition will feature press clippings and courtroom portraits from the trial. The public will also get a rare glimpse at lesser-known cases pursued by Sir Spilsbury, including that of young Helen Elphinston-Dalrymple, who died when she had dry shampoo applied at the Harrods hair salon in 1909. Ms Shanahan said there may well be whispers, hidden in the trove of terse post-mortem examination notes, of innocent men sent to their deaths thanks to Sir Spilsbury's testimony. 'It would be an interesting task for a present-day forensic pathologist to undertake if somebody had an interest in reassessing his work,' she said. 'We worked quite closely with a coroner at the beginning of the exhibition as a consultant, and I took him to see the Spilsbury cards. 'He was absolutely bowled over. A series of 18th Century watercolour paintings will form part of the 'Forensics: the anatomy of crime' exhibition in London next year . The exhibition at Wellcome Collection – the museum of medical history and oddities in Euston Road, - runs from February 26 to June 21 . 'He'd read so much about them, heard so much about them in the field, but never actually seen them - so I'm sure there are a lot of people who would love to get their hands on them.' Ken Arnold, head of public programmes at Wellcome Collection, said the museum was looking forward to welcoming new visitors following its £17.5million expansion. He said: 'Forensics' reminds us of the human body's extraordinary capacity to leave traces beyond death and disappearance. 'This unsettling truth is the focus of an astonishing range of scientific enquiry and fertile territory for the cultural imagination. 'Challenging, affecting, at once familiar and disquieting, it's a perfect subject for Wellcome Collection to explore as it welcomes visitors to its new expanded spaces.' The exhibition at Wellcome Collection – the museum of medical history and oddities in Euston Road - will run from February 26 to June 21. | New exhibition set to examine the history, science and art of forensic medicine and will feature artefacts and artworks .
'Forensics: the anatomy of crime' exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection museum will run for nearly four months .
Will feature a literal murder scene, prototype mug shots, never-before-seen case notes on autopsies and rare books . |
219,259 | a7cc6db3e0793e6a4e2cb113c541c71df961ad63 | (CNN) -- Border patrol agents in Texas arrested singer Fiona Apple after finding marijuana and hashish on her tour bus, authorities said Thursday. Agents stopped the bus at a checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, Wednesday night and arrested the singer after a drug-sniffing dog detected controlled substances onboard, the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Investigators found 0.010 pounds of marijuana and 0.010 pounds of hashish, the statement said. "Fiona Apple Maggart, freely admitted that the controlled substances belonged to her and she was placed under arrest by U.S. Border Patrol agents and detained," the statement said. Apple was transported to the Hudspeth County Jail, where she was released on Thursday after posting a $10,000 bond, the statement said. A representative for Apple declined to comment Thursday. The sultry-voiced singer first shot to fame in 1997 with her hit single, "Criminal," which earned her a Grammy Award for best female vocal rock performance. She is currently on tour promoting her new album and was scheduled to perform in Austin on Thursday night. More celeb arrests: Lindsay Lohan in trouble again . CNN's David Alsup and Jane Caffrey contributed to this report. | Border patrol agents arrest singer Fiona Apple .
She is released from jail after posting $10,000 bond .
A representative for the singer declines to comment . |
152,841 | 518cf482d29d3b61352d9ec6a8b6c5c9e318142a | BOLINGBROOK, Illinois (CNN) -- The disappearance of a suburban Chicago police sergeant's wife is now being treated as a potential homicide, and her husband is a suspect, authorities said Friday. Stacy Peterson, 23, has been missing from her suburban Chicago home since October 28. In another development, a judge signed an order to exhume the body of Drew Peterson's third wife, who was found drowned in a bathtub in 2004, said Will County State Attorney James Glasgow. Peterson, 53, said he last spoke to 23-year-old Stacy Peterson -- his fourth wife -- the night of October 28. Drew Peterson initially told the media he believed his wife ran off with another man, but he hasn't repeated that accusation. CNN has been unable to contact Drew Peterson for comment. The couple have been married four years and have two children, who have been interviewed for the investigation, Glasgow said. Drew Peterson also has older children from a previous marriage. Investigators have twice searched the couple's home and vehicles, and removed several items, including computers, said Illinois State Police Capt. Carl Dobrich. Drew Peterson allowed a limited search on the night his wife was reported missing, but investigators were not allowed to look throughout the entire house and were given access to only one of the vehicles at that time, Dobrich said. "Early on, we looked at this as a missing persons case, but also believed strongly ... it was strongly starting to look at Drew Peterson as being a person of interest," Dobrich said. "I would say that right now, Drew Peterson has gone from being a person of interest to being a suspect." New information turned up during the investigation also raised questions about the death of Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, which was ruled an accident by a coroner's jury, Glasgow said. "There are strong indications that it was a homicide," he said. "That's why we are doing the exhumation, because there are tests that need to be done that weren't done during the first autopsy." Watch why authorities want to exhume the body » . Glasgow cited abrasions on Savio's body and a gash on her head that could not be readily explained. "Our main thrust is to determine whether or not it was a homicide, and as we do that, we will see if there is any evidence that implicates anyone," he said. Glasgow, who was not state attorney at the time of Savio's death, said he reviewed the case file before deciding to reopen the case. "With 29 years of experience, there was no doubt in my mind it wasn't an accident," he said. "That was clear." In 2002, Savio was charged once with battery and once with domestic battery against her husband, but was found not guilty at trial, Glasgow said. Another time, she tried to bring domestic battery charges against Peterson, but no charges were ever filed. Savio's sister, Sue Doman, said Savio expressed fear of Drew Peterson. "She told me all the time, 'He's gonna kill me. It's gonna look like an accident,' " Doman said. Doman said she didn't believe her sister could have died in the way the investigation concluded. "I don't understand accidental drowning. You just don't drown in the bathtub, especially a small whirlpool. You just don't do that," she said. Meanwhile, friends and family of Stacy Peterson said she expressed concerns about her husband. A friend, Steve Cesare, has told CNN he received e-mail from her describing her relationship as abusive. The woman's aunt, Candace Aikin, of El Monte, California, said Stacy Peterson confided in her that there were problems during a visit to the Peterson home in suburban Chicago last month. "She said that she was afraid because he was following her around 24/7, even inside the house," Aikin said. "He was very obsessed and stalking her, even inside her house. She was very, very full of stress and just not happy in her marriage at all," Aikin said. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Judge signs order to exhume the body of Drew Peterson's third wife .
Peterson has said he believed his fourth wife left him for another man .
Police: Case shifts from a missing persons search to a potential homicide .
Friends and family: Stacy Peterson expressed concerns about her husband . |
281,672 | f8e1b20e4aa2625eebb6f1d09f0bae96f45a2002 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:22 EST, 13 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:26 EST, 13 March 2013 . A woman who lived in the same house as the three people accused of torturing, murdering and dismembering a Marine wife testified yesterday about the bizarre relationship between the trio - including who was the 'master' and who controlled the house. The unidentified woman said that defendant Dorothy Maraglino, also known as 'Dee', owned the San Diego house and was responsible for most of the decision making, even though Louis Perez was her 'sex master'. The two defendants and Jessica Lopez, who all lived at the house, are accused of the kidnap and murder of Brittany Killgore, 22, wife of a Camp Pendleton Marine. Tricked: Brittany Killgore, 22, never wanted to participate in the bizarre sex games that she was subjected to before her murder, prosecutors say . Defendant: Dorothy Maraglino, also known as 'Dee', owned the San Diego house and was responsible for most of the decision making, even though Louis Perez was her 'sex master' Contract of terms: Maraglino ran the household when Louis Perez - who was only there sporadically - was away . Defendant: Jessica Lopez is also accused of the kidnap and murder of Brittany Killgore, 22, wife of a Camp Pendleton Marine . All three are believed to have participated in an alternative lifestyle that included bondage and sadomasochism. They engaged in those activities in . the house, prosecutors have said, the same house where Killgore is . believed to have been killed. 'I believe that Dee did most of the . controlling in the house,' the witness testified on the second day of a . preliminary hearing, and added that there was a 'contract' that laid out . the rules of their relationship. Maraglino ran the household when Perez - who was only there sporadically - was away. 'It’s her house so she would make the rules in his absence,' the woman said. Prosecutors and investigators have . said that Killgore was not involved in the alternative lifestyle . described in court, according to UT San Diego. The three have pleaded not guilty to . killing Killgore, who vanished last year . while her estranged husband was serving in Afghanistan. They also are charged with conspiracy, kidnapping and torture. Alternate lifestyle: Prosecutors say Louis Ray Perez led a bondage sex ring and was active in playing out violent sex fantasies with his two lovers . Suspects: Prosecutors say Dorothy Maraglino (left) and Jessica Lynn Lopez (right) were part of a bondage sex ring and helped to torture and murder Killgore . Prosecutors contend that Killgore met . the trio when she and a friend went to a home in Fallbrook, north of . San Diego, to buy an item being sold online, according to the North . County Times. Killgore . turned down Perez's offer. However, later in the day, she sent him a . text message asking if she knew anyone who could help her move. 'Party with me tonight & you’ll have five guys there in the morning,' he replied. Killgore was last seen April 13 in a . borrowed purple evening gown, three days after she filed for divorce . from Lance Cpl Cory Killgore. Authorities have cleared him of any . involvement in her death. Authorities contend that Killgore was . kidnapped and made an unwilling participant in bondage and torture . before she was strangled and her nude body left in a ditch near Lake . Skinner in Riverside County. San Diego County sheriff's detectives . said they found 'bondage-type sex apparatuses, toys and tools' in the . Fallbrook home where the trio lived. Estranged: Brittany Killgore, right, filed for divorce from husband Cory, left, three days before her disappearance . Fears: Cory, right, returned from Afghanistan after hearing about the disappearance of his wife, left . Missing: Brittany Killgore lived in Fallbrook, California, not far from Camp Pendleton US Marine base . Newly unsealed documents listed numerous bondage objects seized as evidence from the house of Louis Perez, Dorothy Maraglino and Jessica Lynn Lopez. A partial list follows: . Unsealed Court documents previously revealed that police seized whips, sex toys, rope and pulleys, a document . titled 'Slave Rules', duct tape, a stun baton and other bondage . instruments from the house. Investigators . found Killgore's blood and hair on several of the items. Investigators said they believe all . three were with Killgore at the home shortly after she apparently sent a . desperate text message to a friend that simply said: 'Help'. In an affidavit filed in court last year, a detective said the trio may have targeted Killgore for 'unusual sexual fetishes'. Perez was arrested on April 15 on suspicion of possessing a stolen assault rifle and was later charged with murder. Lopez was arrested on April 17 at a San Diego hotel where she was discovered with self-inflicted cuts. They also found a letter in which . Lopez allegedly claimed that she killed Killgore out of fear that the . woman would steal away Perez, whom she described as her 'master'. Lopez said she tried to chop up . Killgore's body with power tools before dumping it near the lake, but . the body was found hours later. The letter also contended that Perez . and Maraglino weren't responsible for the killing. However, prosecutors . said both were involved. | Brittany Killgore, 22, was found naked and dismembered in a ditch last April .
She had packed up was planning to move back to Missouri just before she was murdered .
Louis Perez is accused of luring her into his car then kidnapping, raping and torturing her .
Her blood was found on S&M objects seized from Perez's home . |
222,189 | ab9efd271e4e859aecc860f12c88e852964e4f91 | Jake Livermore has quite literally been been prepared to go to Hull and back to make a name for himself. A former pupil of Enfield Grammar School, Livermore thought he had fulfilled his boyhood dreams when he joined Tottenham but he was never satisfied with sitting at the back of his class. 'I was a local boy and Tottenham are my club, ten minutes from my home, but I had to get away and if it meant going 200 miles to play regular football then so be it,' says the Hull City midfielder. Former Tottenham midfielder Jake Livermore has thrived at Hull City . 'It was my decision. I'd had too many broken promises over the years at Tottenham; coaches saying I would get my chance if I played well then you would find another eight midfielders suddenly ahead of you,' adds Livermore. 'Look at Ryan Mason. He's made the breakthrough now but it should have happened three years ago when he was playing even better in my opinion. 'I dipped my toe in the water with Hull by going on loan and found everything I wanted. I enjoyed every minute and Steve Bruce and his staff were straight-talking, there was no sugar coating, just this is how it is. It was a breath of fresh air.' The appreciation was mutual and Hull made him their then record £8million signing in the summer despite interest from the likes of Crystal Palace and others. Livermore is a personable character and it's quickly apparent that, after years of frustration, he is enjoying his football. Livermore joined Hull from Tottenham for £8million after a successful loan spell . His middle name is Cyril, 'after his grandfather, not the ex-Tottenham defender Cyril Knowles', though 'he was a decent footballer and passed on some good genes' and his nickname is 'Tache', or at least the only one he can repeat, which is owed to the pencil-thin moustache he has been cultivating albeit 'without much success'. However, while he has ambitions for his moustache, it is his reputation as a one of England's most promising midfielders that he would prefer to cultivate. Livermore has one England cap, awarded after he came on for Frank Lampard in a 2-1 win over Italy in 2012, and has been encouraged by Roy Hodgson's recent selections that he can maybe stake a claim to at least earn a second one. 'I've got a 100 percent record as an England player,' he laughs. 'I'd love to play for my country again. Mr Hodgson picked me that night and I'd love another chance. it's something all players aspire to. Fabian Delph has shown that if you continue to play well you can earn your reward and that has to be my aim at Hull. If I play well hopefully Mr Hodgson will take a look.' Livermore thought he had fulfilled his boyhood dreams when he joined Tottenham . Livermore, 24, is part of an exciting, fluid midfield alongside his pal Tom Huddlestone, Mohamed Elmohamady and Mohamed Diame at Hull but Saturday pits him against a player he has always used as his yardstick in Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. 'I used to study Luka Modric, who is a hell of a player, but Gerrard has been my hero since I turned professional,' enthuses Livermore. 'I played against him for Tottenham once when he was coming back from injury and I learned more in ten minutes than I did in four years from coaching. He not only had supreme confidence in his own ability but he gave it to those around him. 'He brought a calmness to their game and dictated the pace. As a midfielder, one of the most difficult aspects is finding space but his movement was such he made it look easy. If I emulate anything close to what he has done in the game it would be fantastic.' Livermore (right) believes at 24 he can add to his one cap for England . Not that Livermore will be standing back and admiring Liverpool's talisman on Saturday. 'He is a leader and he will be getting them up for the game after their result against Madrid but I'd like to earn respect by playing well against him. Whatever happened we would expect a tough game but we've got a good bunch here at Hull. 'People ask ''who's the joker in your group?'' but we have about 30 of them. We've got a great team spirit and plenty of quality. The manager has attracted players such as Curtis Davies, Abel Hernandez and Hatem Ben Arfa; nearly all of us are players with something to prove who have been given a second chance. That gives us a certain edge. 'I thought I'd got rid of Michael Dawson! But he followed me here because he knew we were building something special. Like myself and Tom, he still wants to show what he can do and it means we are putting together a few surprise performances like we did at Arsenal last week.' Roy Hodgson take note, everyone deserves a second chance. | Jake Livermore was forced to leave his boyhood club for regular football .
The midfielder joined Hull for £8m from Spurs after successful loan spell .
The 24-year-old has one England cap from a 2-1 win over Italy in 2012 . |
210,226 | 9c42145730729e046dee565d63d4b353e797db09 | By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 22:23 EST, 29 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:05 EST, 30 August 2012 . A bowling alley turned near deadly on Wednesday when a 74-year-old man entered firing off shots in what police say was a failed attempt to shoot his estranged wife. Armando Tritto entered the Staten Island, New York bowling alley just before 9am, aiming for his 47-year-old wife who was working behind the snack bar in Dongan Hills, police report. Armed with a .357 Magnum revolver, Tritto fired at least three shots at Maureen Tritto who dove into a closet before the last one was fired through its closed door. Shooting: Armando Tritto, 74, pictured beside his estranged wife Maureen Tritto, 47, was arrested on Wednesday after allegedly trying to shoot her behind a bowling alley's snack bar . Failing in his shots, which miraculously spared all other employees at Rab's County Lanes, Armando Tritto dropped his firearm at the scene and fled. Police reported him escaping in a white Ford Fusion before his arrest in Todt Hill which slightly injured two officers after a struggle, SILive.com reports. Armando Tritto was taken to a local hospital complaining of chest pains before being charged with attempted assault, criminal use and possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest, the New York Daily News reports. Inside, Maureen Tritto was found highly emotional but uninjured. Hunted: Maureen Tritto, who worked at the bowling alley (pictured) for what regulars said has been for the last two years, dove into a closet to shield herself from her husband's shooting . Injuries: No one was injured in the shooting though Armando Tritto, pictured with his wife, was hospitalized for chest pains after his arrest . 'She was sitting down afterward. She was really crying. She didn’t want anyone to bother her,' 70-year-old bowler Authur White told the Daily News after entering the lanes moments after the shooting. Mr White estimated that Maureen Tritto has worked at the lanes for the last two years while her Facebook page listed her working behind the Gennaro's snack bar counter since 2008. Any sign of the couple having a troubled marriage was disguised from both their Facebook pages by Wednesday night. Maureen Tritto described herself on her own page with: 'fabulous husband ... gorgeous children .... incredible job .... amazing family ... that's life in a nut shell ... and I'm loving it!!!!' Life together: Pictured at his birthday, the couple appear to show no sign of previous foul play between them with Maureen Tritto describing him as a fabulous husband . 'I go in for coffee a lot; she's really nice,' local bowler Wilbur Koenig told SILive.com. He said he arrived to the scene just in time to witness Armando Tritto's vehicle pealing out of the parking lot. 'I walked in there and somebody said Maureen's husband shot her,' Mr Koenig said. Frank WIlkinson whose family owns the bowling alley told the paper that there were only three staff members present during the incident. Dozens of police cars responding to the scene scanned the entire building for any other potential threats left behind. Speaking with NewYork1, a Rab's Country Lanes employee called the shooting an isolated domestic issue. 'Thankfully nobody was in the building, nobody was hurt and, you know . what, the community knows we're here. We really appreciate our family . and those that come around ... We're . all about safety and we provide a safe environment and that's what . we're about.' | Armando Tritto entered bowling alley on Staten Island, New York, firing at least three shots toward his estranged wife working at the snack bar .
Police say Maureen Tritto, 47, hid in a closet as her husband fired his last shot into the closed door .
Armando fled the scene and was arrested shortly after with no injuries at the alley reported . |
95,138 | 063cbcb7d2d0fc0c82ee0bd270d7379ba1ed95df | By . Simon Tomlinson and Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 10:44 EST, 21 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:53 EST, 21 April 2012 . On April 15, two teenage girls calling themselves Double Take released a music video entitled Hot Problems. Within the week, hundreds of thousands of internet users retaliated, many of them calling the video the stupidest thing on the web. ABC News dubbed Hot Problems as ‘the worst song of 2012 – if not of all time’ and The Next Web described it as ‘the video that destroyed my faith in humanity.’ Scroll down for music video . 'We're hot!': Pop duo Double Take in their music video Hot Problems in which they lament the downsides to being pretty . Backlash: The video has garnered more than 100,000 'dislikes' on YouTube and a paltry 8,600 'likes' as of Saturday morning . Internet watcher Gawker jumped on the hyperbolic bandwagon, saying: ‘The worst song ever is pretty d*mn terrible.’ However, MSNBC tech blogger Helen A.S. Popkin has a very different view on the video, which was performed by Drew Garrett and Lauren Willy. She questions why, in the age when bullying is being put in the spotlight, it is so in favour to lambast teenage girls for doing something fairly harmless. While Ms Popkin doesn’t praise the girls’ musical talents (or lack thereof), she does say that the video is typical behaviour from teenage girls. Ms Garret told MTV News that she and Ms Willy meant no harm, saying: ‘It was all just for fun and to just have something we could share with our friends. 'Downsides to being pretty': Double Take have split opinion as journalist Samantha Brick, pictured, did when she wrote how women hated her because of her 'lovely looks' ‘We enjoy writing funny lyrics and songs and we decided that we really liked this one.’ Ms Willy added: ‘We knew we couldn’t really sing.’ There are more than 54,000 comments and counting on YouTube – many of them complaining over the mediocrity of the song and of its performers. Read a short selection of comments below. Last year, Rebecca Black received waves of backlash for her now-notorious video celebrating the last work day of the week, Friday. The two wannabe pop princesses have also been propelled into a storm of Samantha Brick proportions. In the video, Drew and Lauren gesture flirtatiously in the back of a limousine while recounting all the obstacles they encounter with men and other girls because of their looks. Lamenting (out of tune) over a rather dodgy . electro-pop backing track, they proclaim: 'Hot girls we have problems, . too. We're just like you, except we're hot.' Other lines include: 'Please don't get me wrong. I know I'm hot, but textbook perfection really takes a lot. 'Weird guys calls my phone and girls call names... but I can't be tamed.' The song is at serious risk of splitting opinion as ferociously as Mrs Brick did when she claimed in a Daily Mail article earlier this month that women loathed her for being too attractive. She said: 'There are downsides to being pretty — the main one being that other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks.' Last year's meme: Double Take's video attracked derogatory comparisons to Rebecca Black's Friday which was heavily slammed last year . Her initial story attracted 1.6million hits - and thousands of vitriolic insults - on MailOnline, rising to 2.7million when including her follow-up article defending her stance. In a similar brewing storm, the 'Hot Problems' video has been watched more than a million times on YouTube, but has received more than 100,000 'dislikes' compared to just 8,600 'likes'. One poster pleaded: 'Please shoot my ears off.' As if anticipating the resultant backlash, the production company, Old Bailey Productions, made sure to distance itself from the video. 'Old Bailey Productions did not create any of the audio or lyrics for this video,' it stated in the description. 'We produced the video as a favor.' From an 'artistic' point of view, many are also making derogatory comparisons to Rebecca Black's widely slated flop Friday which was dubbed possibly the 'worst video of all time' last year. It is not entirely clear whether the high school pair are merely being tongue in cheek, but they have said they created the video 'just for fun'. | Double Take's 'Hot Problems' video gets two million YouTube hits .
Now has 100,000 'dislikes' and only 8,600 'likes'
Commentators blasting it as worst video on the internet .
Teens said they only did it 'for fun' |
256,408 | d7e1f3d790262ec838410cdbf2988c381214bcda | Hundreds of Jewish graves have been desecrated in a 'heinous anti-Semitic attack' in France. The country's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the attack happened at the main Jewish cemetery in Sarre-Union, in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace, on the German border. Up to 400 gravestones were vandalised by being kicked over, or had Nazi swastikas daubed on them in red paint. Scroll down for video . 'Heinous anti-Semitic attack': A defaced tombstone pictured yesterday at the main Jewish cemetery in Sarre-Union, in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace, on the German border . Shocking scene: Up to 400 gravestones were vandalised by being kicked over, or had Nazi swastikas daubed on them in red paint . 'Odious act': France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve (at the site of the Copenhagen attack yesterday) said the country would 'not tolerate this latest attack which harms the values all French people share' Mr Cazeneuve said: 'This was an odious act against religious freedom and tolerance. France will not tolerate this latest attack which harms the values all French people share.' The incident follows the murder of four Jewish people by a Kalashnikov wielding terrorist following a siege in a Paris Kosher store last month. Mr Cazeneuve said 'everything will be done to establish the identity of the perpetrators' of the Sarre-Union attack 'so as to bring them to justice'. Manuel Valls, France's Prime Minister, joined in condemning the 'vile anti-Semitic act', and also pledged that the criminals responsible would be brought to justice. Many of the Jews buried in Sarre-Union were linked with the Second World War Holocaust, when some 76,000 French Jews were entrained to their deaths in German concentration camps. Police response: A gun attack on a synagogue in Copenhagen left one Jewish man dead this weekend . Massacre: The Charlie Hebdo atrocities in Paris saw 20 people die, including the three terrorists responsible . Philippe Richert, UMP President of the Alsace Regional Council, said it 'was too early to say' who might be responsible for the Sarre-Union attack, but confirmed that police were 'flooding the area'. The Jewish cemetery in Sarre-Union has been attacked in the past - 54 graves were desecrated there in 2001, and 60 in 1988. Alsace is an area with a terrifying history of anti-Semitism, with pograms - organised attacks against Jews - regularly taking place there in the Middle Ages. In 1940, during the Second World War, Alsace was annexed to Germany, and 2605 Jews from Bas-Rhin alone were murdered during the Holocaust. Neo-Nazis still living in the area have been linked with regular attacks on Jewish sites, including cemeteries. Today's damage was first reported in the middle of the afternoon by a number of visitors to the cemetery. A criminal enquiry was launched soon afterwards. A gun attack on a synagogue in Copenhagen left one Jewish man dead this weekend, as Jewish leaders complain of a rising tide of anti-Semitism. The Paris attack in January was part of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine atrocities, in which a total of 20 died, including the three terrorists responsible. All were radical Islamists furious at Charlie Hebdo publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, but they also made clear that they wanted to kill Jews. Linked with Al Qaeda and Islamic State, they said they wanted to take 'revenge' for Israel's war against Arab neighbours in the Middle East - particularly Palestinians. The Paris attacks led to security being stepped up at synagogue and other Jewish sites across France. Three soldiers were attacked by a knife-wielding thug linked with Islamic terrorism in the Riviera city of Nice earlier this month too. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, has said the situation is now so bad that European Jews should immigrate to Israel. | Attack at Jewish cemetery in Sarre-Union in Alsace on German border .
Gravestones kicked over or had Nazi swastikas daubed on them in red .
France's interior minister condemns the 'odious act against tolerance'
Gun attack on Denmark synagogue left Jewish man dead at weekend . |
169,864 | 67d7a29a72eeed91f6bddca14826ec1e11a4b352 | While many people will have their sights set on losing the extra pounds gained over Christmas in 2015, Sportsmail's reporters have an entirely different list of New Year's resolutions. Instead of letting us in on their personal plans, our experts have revealed what they'd like to see happen in sport over the next 12 months. From moving the FA Cup semi-finals away from Wembley to tougher laws on drug abuse, here's some interesting ways to improve the sports we love. MATT BARLOW . The usual wishes: . 1) A little less diving and play-acting from the grown men who still insist on cheating their fellow professionals. 2) More opportunities for British players and coaches at the highest level. 3) Move the FA Cup semi-finals away from Wembley and give them their own day, with no other football. Arsenal won last season's FA Cup at Wembley but Matt Barlow wants the semi-finals played elsewhere . DEREK LAWRENSON . I'm proud supporters at my club Liverpool are leading the fight against the totally absurd cost of attending football matches - and I truly hope they win. The game is in grave danger of completely losing touch with its working-class base. A section of Liverpool fans hold up a banner to protest about ticket prices at Anfield in October . JEFF POWELL . Can we stop writing off boxers if they are defeated once? As Oscar De La Hoya says, with half an eye on Floyd Mayweather: 'There is no shame in losing as long as you give it your all. The pity is when the best don't fight each other. Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Julio Cesar Chavez were all beaten but are still honoured as all-time greats in the Hall of Fame.' Floyd Mayweather is undefeated in 47 fights but could face a tough test against Manny Pacquiao in 2015 . JONATHAN MCEVOY . Administrators to get serious about drug abuse in sport. A brilliant start would be to disband or reconfigure the World Anti-Doping Agency – a weedy organisation masquerading as a crusader. Same goes for a number of governing bodies, who are long on lip-service and short on action. MIKE DICKSON . Tennis needs to get up to speed with modern demands and habits this coming year by making a decisive effort to cut out the amount of dead time in matches. Some or all of the following areas need to be addressed and the recent IPTL showed the way: time between points, net cords on serve, spurious toilet breaks, spurious call-ons for the physio, unnecessary warm-ups. Separately, I would also like to see more money allocated to drug testing. I am more optimistic on both counts than for some time but will not be holding my breath. Mike Dickson wants tennis to be quicker in 2015 with physio call-ons only when truly necessary . ROB DRAPER . My one wish for football – Sepp Blatter to stand down as FIFA president followed by a resignation of the entire FIFA executive committee and an invitation to an organisation such as Transparency International to make proposals on how football governance should be restructured. FIFA is a corrupt 20th century institution staggering on in the 21st century. The game is sick to its core – but the glitz and glamour is so beguiling we scarcely notice. Rob Draper wants FIFA president Sepp Blatter to step down and the FIFA executive committee to resign . PAUL NEWMAN . Let's see an end to nasty, mindless sledging on the pitch in the wake of the Phillip Hughes tragedy. Play hard, yes, and certainly don't hold back on bowling bouncers. But do we need to see so much of the snarling and foul-mouthed abuse which is on the increase in the game, which was even seen in the first Test in Adelaide between Australia and India immediately after the terrible accident involving Hughes. The greatest cricketing theatre comes when a fast bowler stares at a batsman after a bouncer, like Curtly Ambrose used to, not aims mindless abuse at him. Paul Newman hopes there is no more foul-mouthed abuse on cricket pitches around the world next year . MARCUS TOWNEND . For the BHA to prune the fixture list. The equation is simple – too many races, too few runners. The result has been a spate of poorly patronised meetings which have particularly blighted jump racing in the final few weeks of the year. The focus will be on AW Flat meetings in the opening days of the New Year to see how well they are supported. The chances of my wish coming true? On a par with Father Christmas coming down my chimney! | Footballers to stop diving and start acting like grown men would be good .
More opportunities for British players and coaches would also be welcome .
It is hoped Liverpool fans can win their fight against rising ticket prices .
One writer calls for boxers to stop being written off after a single defeat . |
212,068 | 9ea25d3120efd6431d796386b1a7be8f404c40cc | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An investment executive who paid more than $20 million for an original, handwritten copy of the Magna Carta presented the ancient paper Monday to the media and plans to loan it to the National Archives. People photograph the rare copy of the Magna Carta before it's auctioned at Sotheby's New York in December. David Rubenstein, the founder of the private equity company Carlyle Group, was the top bidder during a December auction at Sotheby's, and said buying it and displaying it is a way "to show my appreciation for the country which has been very good to me." The National Archives considers the manuscript "a milestone in constitutional thought" from the 13th century, and plans to place it on public display later this month. Rubenstein in the 1970s was the chief lawyer for a Senate panel that reviewed constitutional amendments. The original Magna Carta was signed in 1215. Rubenstein's is one of four remaining copies of the document commissioned by the King of England in 1297 to establish basic human rights as part of English law. A scholar's contemporary translation of the Latin describes the right of the country's people "to be free and to have all its rights fully and its liberties entirely," as among the 37 principles described in the Magna Carta. Watch what young people have to say about this document » . Rubenstein, before founding the Washington-based Carlyle Group, was also a domestic policy adviser during the Carter administration. He is from Baltimore, Maryland. The fragile paper is displayed in a sealed viewing box to protect it from damage. Sotheby's auctioned the document on behalf of the Ross Perot Foundation, which had purchased it in the 1980s from a British family who had kept the document for the previous 500 years. "It has a few wrinkles," Rubenstein told reporters. "Any of you who are 700 years old, you'd have a few wrinkles as well, but for something that's as old as it is, it's in very good shape, and I know that it will be kept in excellent shape, hopefully for another 700 years." The Magna Carta will be on public display starting March 12 in the West Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building. E-mail to a friend . | David Rubenstein bought original copy at auction for more than $20 million .
The original Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by the King of England .
"It has a few wrinkles," Rubenstein said, " ... you'd have a few wrinkles as well" |
53,854 | 98b6f33758c563f6ca95b5d3f6dd24dd1fb4ffc3 | A series of advertising billboards using what appeared to be a mysterious foreign language and symbols sparked terrorism fears after springing up in New Mexico. Residents were reported to have hurled obscenities at the workmen as they were putting up the signs along the interstate after mistaking them for Islamic State adverts. Much to the relief of locals they were later revealed to be the work of Los Angeles based artist Daniel Small and were said to be depictions of the Ten Commandments. Scroll down for video . A series of advertising billboards using what appeared to be a mysterious foreign language sparked terrorism fears. The billboards were installed along Interstate 10 in southern New Mexico by art organisation Los Angeles Nomadic Division . A total of 10 large posters were installed along Interstate 10 as part of the art series titled Pending Cipher for the Open Present. They feature a fictional language created using Cypriot Greek and a form of paleo Hebrew over stills from the 1923 film the Ten Commandments, according to hyperallergic.com. They are part of a wider moving art project created by Los Angeles Nomadic Division. Delivery driver Craig Melton reportedly described the signs as 'pretty weird,' according to Las Cruces Sun News. 'You never know, we're close to the border and you think that ISIS or some other subversives might be trying to get at us,' he was reported to have said. He claimed that as they were installed a group of locals surrounded the workmen 'shouting obscenities and claiming that the billboards were either Satanic or Islamic,' according to hyperallergic.com. The billboards were created by Los Angeles based artist Daniel Small and titled Pending Cipher for the Open Present . One local said: 'I thought terrorists were making their way into the city,' after spotting the signs . Another local said: 'I thought terrorists were making their way into the city.' Others complained of being in America and not understand the signs. 'Feel like I'm back in Afghanistan when I see it,' another said, according to gawker.com. 'How about putting up the ten commandments all over the US...' But Samantha Frank, territorial director of the Los Angeles Nomadic Division, a nonprofit organization that promotes public art exhibitions, told the Las Cruces Sun News that the billboards were part of a moving gallery of contemporary art. The entire Manifest Destiny Billboard Project is travelling between Jacksonville and Los Angeles . Another local, who saw the billboards, added: 'I feel like I'm back in Afghanistan when I see it' The LAND website states: 'The ten billboards depict text from the Decalogue Stone, believed by many as an attempt at writing the Ten Commandments, in a language derived from Cypriot Greek and ancient Hebrew. 'Small has added modern day proofreading marks to this pseudo-language, creating illusory hieroglyphs superimposed on images taken by the artist in Guadalupe, CA where DeMille demolished and buried the ersatz Egyptian city set used in film from 1923.' The entire Manifest Destiny Billboard Project is travelling between Jacksonville and Los Angeles. The organisation received a $50,000 grant to help fund the project, according to Las Cruces Sun News. They were also donated advertising space. It started in October last year and is set to finish in June. The signs feature a fictional language created using Cyrpiot Greek and a form of paleo Hebrew . | Billboards sparked terrorism fears after appearing along the interstate .
Residents reportedly hurled abuse at the workmen constructing them .
They are the work of Los Angeles based artist Daniel Small .
Billboards use a fictional language and depict the Ten Commandments . |
49,428 | 8ba857b161eeede2e9badda94f4d6b3ca84f35d1 | Christmas Eve turned tragic in a small New Hampshire town when a volunteer firefighter pulled a dying woman from the wreckage of a car crash - only to realize after she was dead that the victim was his own daughter. Steve Whitcomb was horrified to find his 30-year-old daughter Katie Hamilton, a mother of three, had died on the highway after a crash pushed her SUV into oncoming traffic and she was hit head-on, Brookline Police Chief Bill Quigley revealed Tuesday. Whitcomb, 58, owns a heating and air conditioning business in the town of 5,000 and volunteers as a firefighter in his spare time. Tragic: Katie Hamilton, the 30-year-old daughter of a local firefighter, was killed when he SUV was rear-ended and then pushed into oncoming traffic and hit head-on Tuesday . Tragic: Steve Whitcomb, right, pulled his daughter Katie Hamilton, left, from her car - before he even realized that it was her . According to New Hampshire police, three cars were involved in the accident. Greg Cullen, 31, of Milford, New Hampshire first rear-ended Hamilton’s Ford Explorer SUV. Hamilton had been either stopped or was slowing down to turn left, reports the Nashua Telegraph, when Cullen’s Toyota pickup smashed into her. ‘At the last minute - we don't know if it was driver distraction or what the cause was, we haven't been able to determine that,’ Brookline Police Chief Quigley said. ‘He swerved to avoid hitting her and still struck her on the very right rear corner of her vehicle, forcing her to come over to the northbound lane.’ Tragic: Mr Whitcomb, who owns a local heating and cooling business, is a longtime volunteer firefighter in the small town of Brookline. Katie, right, recently celebrated her 30th birthday with her family . The crash involved three cars. The other two drivers in the crash were not injured . That’s when James Ciprotti, 37, of Weare, New Hampshire, smashed into Hamilton head-on in his Ford F-250. Cullen and Ciprotti were given medical evaluations, but neither was injured. Katie died at the scene. Brookline Police Sgt. Douglas Barnett said the accident is still under investigation but police do not believe speed or intoxication were factors in the crash. | Katie Hamilton, 30, of Brookline, New Hampshire was pulled from the wreckage of her car around 9am .
She died at the scene after her own firefighter father unknowingly became a first responder to the scene . |
52,968 | 963ee8a5c5bc543921aa92cbd92f344044345734 | (CNN) -- On February 3, the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII in what was a thrilling finale to the NFL season. While that game was played almost three months ago, don't be fooled into thinking that the NFL went into hibernation. Quite the contrary -- teams, fans and pundits alike quickly turned their attention to this year's NFL Draft. What is the Draft to the NFL? Think of the Champions League group stage draw. While that takes place in Monaco, the NFL Draft is held in New York City, with neither event involving a playing ball. Over the years, the Draft has arguably been the second biggest single-day U.S. sporting event behind only the Super Bowl. That may be why league officials expanded it to three days back in 2010. For months on end, team scouts, coaches, and officials do their best to evaluate young college talent from across the country in the hope of picking the right players that they are confident will turn into superstars. In the course of just three days, the NFL's 32 teams get to pick in seven rounds, which amounts to over 250 players being selected. While many of the aforementioned players pan out and turn into stars, a large number of them flop on the biggest stage. Think of 1998. The number one pick was Peyton Manning, who went on to become a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl champion. But the number two pick that year was Ryan Leaf -- arguably the biggest bust in NFL history after he was released just a few years into his career. Do the latter rounds matter? Most definitely, as one of the most famous diamonds in the rough -- Tom Brady -- was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 Draft and 199th overall. Brady has since guided the New England Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances, winning three of them. While the Super Bowl has always been "the" event in the U.S., the NFL Draft has steadily gathered more steam through the decades to be what it is today. The first one -- held in 1936 -- was held in Philadelphia and featured players' names written on a blackboard from which teams would choose from. Fast forward to the present day. The event is held in New York City's Radio City Music Hall, with rabid NFL fans allowed to attend, and most importantly, all three days televised nationally with non-stop coverage. The spectacle of young and promising college football players being selected by legendary NFL franchises now garners so much interest, that day one of the Draft is watched by more people than an NBA Finals game -- that's including LeBron James and the Miami Heat's triumph last season. How many of the more than 250 players selected will pan out? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: time has cemented the NFL Draft as must-see television in the U.S. | Top college talent is selected in NFL Draft .
Over 250 players are selected by 32 teams -- in reverse order according to the previous year's standings .
The Draft is held in New York City's Radio City Music Hall .
Event hugely popular with NFL fans . |
268,320 | e78c20d9f33694fb5ad0c8ef5447c3ab7ad1f556 | Britain is facing a double whammy of bad weather with heavy rain and floods expected to be followed by a 90mph storm. Last night flood alerts were in place on rivers across the country. Good weather today could give the impression that the storms have gone away – but the respite will be brief, with more rain and gales due from tonight. Waterlogged: Heavy downpours led to delays on the roads in and around Glasgow. Last night, more than two inches of rain fell on high ground in North Ayrshire, with an inch descending on Glasgow . In deep water: Police clear leaves from drains on the North Circular near to the junction of Bishops Avenue, London . Flooded: Officers reach over barriers with a shovel to clear drains on the North Circular, London . The Environment Agency has issued more than 20 flood alerts for north England, the Midlands, the South East and Wales, and motoring organisations are urging drivers take extra care in wet weather . Gale force winds, a high tide and stormy seas bring huge waves crashing into the promenade at Aberystwyth on the West Wales coast . The Met Office has also issued a number of severe weather warnings, for the Central, Tayside and Fife, London and the South East, south-west Scotland, Lothian Borders, the South West, Strathclyde and Wales . Traffic gets caught out by surface water on the Lewes Road in Brighton as heavy rain, high winds and stormy weather caused problems early yesterday morning . And more rain in areas still recovering from the storms earlier this week could lead to flooding and surface water on roads. The Environment Agency has more than . 20 flood alerts in place for the North, the Midlands, the South West and . Wales. The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rain in . the South West and Wales tomorrow. Forecaster Juliet Gardner predicted . showers on Saturday with strong winds turning to gale force in the . evening, while Sunday would see squally showers with local hail and . thunder. Torrent: A man looks out over the fast flowing and swollen River Ure at Aysgarth Falls, North Yorkshire . Stormy seas: Waves crash onto the rocks below a house perched on top of chalk cliffs at Tennyson Down, Freshwater on the Isle of Wight . Flood: A driver makes his way along a flooded lane near Thorpe in the Derbyshire Peak District . A lone walker battles the wind and rain on Brighton seafront as the country prepares for strong winds and rain yesterday . Sun breaks through thick cloud as on an empty Brighton seafront at dawn today. The UK faces heavy flooding today as rain and 60mph wind continue to batter the country . Short, heavy bursts are expected across much of the southern England, south Wales and south-west Scotland, along with thunderstorms and squally winds . The weather is expected to grow even . worse on Monday with the arrival of the St Jude storm – named after the . patron saint of lost causes whose feast day falls that day. Leon Brown, . meteorologist at the Weather Channel, said the 90mph winds combined with . more than an inch of rain could bring down trees and cause structural . damage. The path of the storm is unclear but it is likely to hit Wales and the South West first before touching most of the country. The storm is currently 5,000 miles . away over the Gulf of Mexico and Mr Brown said its predicted impact may . change as it nears Britain in the next few days. The Environment Agency has issued more than 20 flood alerts for north England, the Midlands, the South East and Wales . A flock of starlings swarm through the darkening sky in Gretna, Scotland at dusk . Fiona Exon, 55, from Eden Valley, Cumbria, works for the Institute for Outdoor Learning and was mesmerised by the starling formations in the sky . The wet weather will clear giving a day's respite throughout tomorrow, before returning with another yellow weather warning for the south west of England and Wales on Friday . Sunny: Mild weather continues as warm air rolls in from the Atlantic pictured is Gllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, Cornwall . Red sky at night: Sunset over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, central London today . Autumnal: A woman jogs through autumn colours at Jesmond Dene, Newcastle upon Tyne . | Environment Agency issued 20 flood alerts for country, with short, heavy bursts expected across southern England .
Heavy rain over past few days has already saturated ground - raising the risk of flash floods .
Floods expected to be followed by a 90mph storm . |
231,908 | b84172fbe0df4d10df9cd5fb3ed650254704b17a | They say dog is man's best friend, but not many owners can say the bond began before they were born. Toddler Carter and his pet Toby have developed a special relationship at their home in Indianapolis, Indiana, and become virtually inseparable. Parents Devin and Jake Crouch have been documenting their progress on Instagram and now have more than 5,000 followers. Their chemistry began when Toby would curl up to Devin while she was pregnant to keep her safe, knowing 'something was going to change his world.' Scroll down for video . A boy's best friend: Carter (left) and his loyal pet Toby have been inseparable ever since the youngster was welcomed into the family home . A glimpse of the future? Carter's parents Devin and Jake Crouch have used the Intsagram account as a journal for the boy, and have set them up in a number of poses . Close: Mother Devin, 26, who set up the account, says: 'The bond that Carter and Toby share is absolutely incredible' Devin, 26, who has no previous photography experience, said: 'The bond that Carter and Toby share is absolutely incredible. 'The first Carter and Toby photos started the day Carter came home from the hospital, when we noticed how protective Toby was over him. Toby stayed close to his new brother and would follow anyone who would hold Carter. 'We realised that the two of them would always have a special relationship and we thought an Instagram account would be a great way to document their lives together.' The couple rescued Toby in June 2011 and Carter was welcomed to the family 16 months later. Devin said: 'This bond between them was evident to us even before Carter was born. While I was on bed rest, Toby, who was not allowed in our bedroom at the time, would sneak up and lay at the end of the bed to make sure I was okay. Special bond: Carter plays with cards while Toby lies on the laminate floor of their Indianapolis home behind him . Sharing: The youngster, relaxing in the sun, offers his dog a slice of watermelon. He responds by sticking out his tongue to taste the fruit . 'He could tell that something was going to happen that was going to change his world.' Devin says the bond between Carter and Toby only grows as time passes. She said: 'It continues to amaze us as parents. Toby is incredibly loyal and patient, as Carter is the centre of his world. 'Carter loves his "puppy brother" and always wants to be right next to Toby. As Carter has gotten older, their relationship has evolved from Toby being his protector, to Toby being his play companion and best friend.' Surprised: Carter looks shocked standing next to Toby in the bath tub. The Instagram account now has more than 5,000 followers . 'Puppy brother': Devin said the social media account gives them an opportunity to share their 'special moments' as well as promote animal rescue . Impromptu nap: Surrounded by toys, the pair crash out on the floor to catch a few winks following an eventful playtime . Animal-lover Devin first started the Instagram account to shed a positive light on the adoption of animals. But as the number of followers steadily increased, the couple decided to use the account as a photo journal for Carter. Devin said: 'It feels great to be able to share these special moments with the world and to promote rescues. 'We look forward to giving Carter the journal so he can see the photos and incredibly kind words from complete strangers. We feel very blessed that it has given us the platform to shed positive light on the adoption of animals.' Getting older: The pair enjoying a day out in the country run side by side. Toby was rescued in 2011 and Carter was welcomed into the family home 16 months later . Gazing out of the window: Carter and Toby stare into the garden after getting fed up of playing with a set of toy trucks . Comfort: The pair relax together on the sofa. In the future, Carter's parents will show him the photos, as well as the kind words written by 'complete strangers' Upset: Toby looks around at Carter who, despite wearing a Superman t-shirt, has started crying . Bunny ears: The pair look at the camera from top and bottom. Devin and Jake have said their antics 'continue to amaze them as parents' Shattered: One of the first photos of the pair reveal their special bond, which began when Carter was in the womb . In the car: While Carter is sound alseep in his car seat, Toby stoops down and watches over him . | Carter and pet Toby are inseparable and have been part of each other's lives since before the youngster was born .
Parents Devin and Jake Crouch have been documenting their progress on the picture sharing site since 2012 .
Toby would lie next to Devin while she was pregnant because he could tell 'something was going to change his world'
The couple rescued Toby in 2011, and welcomed Carter into the family home 16 months later . |
271,817 | ec17623099f418d32fba1729f5113fe5edad82a6 | Washington (CNN) -- [Breaking news alert, 8:41 a.m. ET] . Al Qaeda is linked to a terror threat that has prompted the State Department to direct its embassies in key Middle East nations, including Egypt and Israel, to close Sunday, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, told CNN's "New Day" Friday. "It's my understanding that it is al Qaeda linked, alright, and the threat emanates in the Middle East and in Central Asia." [Previously published story, 8:56 p.m. ET] . A terror threat prompted the State Department on Thursday to direct its embassies in key Middle East nations, including Egypt and Israel, to close on Sunday with the possibility they could remain idle longer. A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly on the matter called the threat "credible and serious." It was "directed at American targets overseas," but may not be confined to main diplomatic facilities, the official said. In addition to Egypt and Israel, the State Department action includes diplomatic facilities in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq and Kuwait, according to the agency and Twitter postings. A senior State Department official said the agency has told those embassies that normally would be beginning the work week on Sunday to close, but additional days could be added. Diplomatic facilities in the region are for the most part closed or operate with minimal staff on Fridays and Saturdays. Separately, another U.S. official told CNN that the Obama administration is monitoring threats against the embassy in Sanaa, Yemen. The official did not say whether the embassy would close. President Barack Obama met with Yemen President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi at the White House on Thursday. Yemen has been cracking down on al Qaeda. A U.S. official earlier told CNN the embassy closures were because of "more than the usual chatter" about a potential terrorist threat, which was not specific about time and location. Officials said the time frame comes with the approaching end of Ramadan and the one-year anniversary of the terror attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps at diplomatic sites out of an abundance of caution. Read more: CNN found embassy attack suspect before FBI . The U.S. Embassy in Cairo noted on its website media reports of possible marches or demonstrations on Friday and possibly throughout the weekend. | Overseas threat said to be "credible and serious"
Embassies in Egypt, Libya, Israel and Iraq among those closed on Sunday .
State Department said closure orders a precaution .
Action occurs amid approaching end of Ramadan, anniversary of Benghazi attack . |
260,962 | ddfabf77bfc525140e392e9364adb72d949ee7b7 | By . Zoe Szathmary . The death of a woman working at an Amazon warehouse in Pennsylvania is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency said in a Friday press release, as it cited five companies for 'serious' violations after an investigation into a worker's death last year at a New Jersey facility. Jody Rhoads, 52, died on June 1 from wounds she suffered when the pallet jack she 'was operating [...] crashed into shelving and pinned her,' the Associated Press reported. Rhoads, a widow who earlier survived a battle with breast cancer, left behind two sons and four grandchildren, her obituary said. Killed: Jody Rhoads, pictured, died earlier this month from wounds she suffered while working at an Amazon warehouse . The citations came after an investigation into the December 2013 death of temporary Amazon worker Ronald Smith at an Avenel, New Jersey facility, OSHA said in the release. Smith 'was caught in between a conveyor system and crushed while performing sorting operations' and later died, the agency said. The 57-year-old man left behind four children and seven grandchildren, NJ.com reported. Victim: Ronald Smith, pictured, was killed in December 2013 after he was crushed by equipment at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey . Four staffing agencies, along with logistics company Genco, were cited for 'serious' violations, which '[occur] when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known,' OSHA said. The staffing agencies were cited 'for failure to perform a hazard assessment of the facility before assigning employees to determine if hazards existed.' Genco was cited 'for not certifying that a hazard assessment of the facility had been conducted before assigning employees to work.' Four staffing agencies, along with logistics company Genco, were cited for 'serious' violations by OSHA stemming from an investigation into Smith's death . 'Temporary staffing agencies and host employers are jointly responsible for the safety and health of temporary employees,' Patricia Jones, the director of the OSHA Avenel Area Office, said in the release. 'These employers must assess the work site to ensure that workers are adequately protected from potential hazards. It is essential that employers protect all workers from job hazards - both temporary and permanent workers.' All five companies face a $6,000 fine. Amazon has so far not been cited by OSHA. | Jody Rhoads, 52, died on June 1 from wounds she suffered when a pallet jack crashed and pinned her at an Amazon warehouse in Pennsylvania .
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating Rhoads' death .
OSHA also cited five companies for violations after an investigation into the December 2013 death of temporary Amazon worker Ronald Smith in New Jersey .
Smith, 57, was crushed by a conveyor belt on the job and later died . |
277,628 | f3a65a0df79e5c1817b02bc73b6296064e04e2a2 | Martin Kaymer has vowed to follow in Rory McIlroy’s footsteps and use a bitter experience as added motivation after suffering the worst collapse in golf history at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Nine days on from that stunning loss, when he threw away a ten shot lead with 13 holes to play, the German admits he has been doing plenty of soul-searching. ‘It wasn’t just a big golf lesson it was a huge life lesson,’ he said. ‘It was like what happened to Rory a few years ago at the Masters. When he lost that back nine lead (in 2011) it was shocking and sad to see and it’s tough to handle those situations. 'But if you deal with it honestly and gain more motivation then you can do what he did and come out a few months later and win the US Open by 20 shots or whatever. VIDEO Scroll down for Martin Kaymer and Henrik Stenson look ahead to Dubai . Martin Kaymer surrendered a 10-shot final-round lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship . Kaymer admitted that he was doing so well he became complacent and capitulated . ‘I’ve been having some hard conversations with my dad and my brother in private and I do believe what happened will help me improve in the future. So I am very glad I went through it. If I had won in Abu Dhabi again (for a fourth time) everybody would have joked: "Oh yeah, why don’t they rename the place the Martin Kaymer golf course and all those sort of things.” ‘And yeah it would have been good to gain a few more world ranking points and another beautiful trophy in my house. But what happened instead – that will be better for me.’ US Open champion Kaymer was in good spirits here on Tuesday as he looked forward to the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday, where a star-studded field also includes the likes of the world numbers one and two, McIlroy and Henrik Stenson, plus Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell. But the German star said he hopes to use the experience as motivation for future performances . Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy experienced something similar at the Masters in 2011 . ‘I think Abu Dhabi just shows you that German engineering doesn’t always work,’ he said, smiling. ‘It does usually, but one in a while it comes unstuck.’ Kaymer admitted that over-confidence played its part in his downfall. ‘I think when you start off a final round with a big lead and then you begin birdie, birdie, par, birdie, you almost feel like not much can go wrong,’ he said. ‘And in golf, that little bit of too much confidence can hurt and it’s a very fine line. ‘How I felt that day is not the person I am and not the person I want to be. It did not feel natural to me and it becomes very difficult because it is an unknown situation, and one you don’t want to be in. ‘Afterwards I asked myself how did I get into it and why did I get into it. And all those answers I got, they will prove important to me going forward.’ McIlroy was leading until the final round, he has experienced considerable success in the years after . | Martin Kaymer was 10 shots clear on the final round in Abu Dhabi .
But Kaymer capitulated and Gary Stal earned a shock victory .
The German said the experience will help motivate him .
A similar thing happened to Rory McIlroy at the 2011 Masters . |
39,889 | 70977749e7696f9acc0efcfb8423e3e62416e4ca | PUBLISHED: . 05:48 EST, 24 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:55 EST, 24 October 2012 . The director of Nasa's Mars exploration programme says he hopes that one day the rover Curiosity might be brought back to Earth by astronauts. Doug McCuistion said it was his personal hope that humans would visit the Red Planet in the 2030s or 2040s. He said he could imagine astronauts walking up to Curiosity. Scroll down for video . A self portrait of Curiosity on Mars . McCuistion said the roving laboratory's mission was scheduled to last two years, but it could have enough power for 20 years. The Nasa chief set out his vision during a satellite link up with Glenelg in the Scottish Highlands at the weekend. The community of about 280 people has twinned itself with a site on Mars that Nasa has labelled Glenelg - 35 million miles away. McCuistion said: 'It is my hope that humans will be sent to Mars in the 2030s, or 2040s, and they will be able to walk up to Curiosity and bring it back, as I am sure there is a museum out there that would love to have it.' Plutonium generators that deliver heat and electricity to Curiosity could continue working long after the rover completes its mission. But McCuistion said wear and tear of working parts were likely to bring an end to Curiosity's life before the generators. A meteorite strike - the Red Planet is scarred with thousands of such impacts - is another possible threat to the rover. McCuistion said: 'If we put humans on Mars they are going to have to watch for those meteorites.' A panoramic image from Curiosity - could astronauts be walking in the area by 2030? Retired astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, a veteran of five space shuttle flights, also told the event in Glenelg of her desire to see humans on Mars. She said: 'It is not a question of if, but when and who.' Attending the twinning ceremony in person, Dunbar said it was important future generations took an interest in science and maths. Algebra was key to her career as an engineer working on space shuttles, and later as an astronaut flying in them. Dunbar was also keen to debunk suggestions the 1969 Moon Landing was faked. She said: 'At Nasa I worked with John Young, an astronaut who walked on the Moon.' Dunbar added: 'I grew up watching Flash Gordon, which were popular at the time of the landing. In those shows who can see the wires holding up the spaceships.' The former astronaut said wires cannot be seen in the Moon Landing and the special effects were not available 43 years ago to fake the footage. The latest pictures from Curiosity show a sample of Martian soil on the rover's observation tray . | Director of Nasa's Mars exploration programme believes missions could see humans on the Red Planet by 2030 .
Hopes astronauts could return Curiosity to a museum on Earth . |
102,225 | 0fba68d0d76b4564ca1838d9aa9ed703746f169e | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 18:34 EST, 28 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:44 EST, 28 November 2012 . A Fremont man is facing charges that he tried to hang his girlfriend from a backyard tree and cops say he may have succeeded if she wasn't able to call them while he took a cigarette break. Daniel Howard, 31, was arraigned on Wednesday on charges of attempted murder and criminal threat. Cops said that they found Howard on . Sunday evening standing behind his girlfriend, who was tied to a tree . with a rope fashioned as a noose around her neck. Scroll down for video . Crime scene: Police say that Daniel Howard was planning to hang his girlfriend from a tree in this Fremont, California, backyard on Sunday . Her hands were bound together with a zip tie. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that when Howard went inside the home to take a smoking break, the girlfriend seized an opportunity, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to call 911. The emergency dispatcher had difficulty hearing the woman, but was able to pinpoint an address. The girlfriend was not identified. Desperate plan: When Howard went inside the home to take a smoking break, the girlfriend seized an opportunity, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to call 911 . One of Howard's brothers, who lives . with him and was home at the time of the incident, told CBS San . Francisco that the Howard was likely high on meth at the time of the . incident. Emergency: When police arrived at the home, they found the girlfriend with a noose around her neck, like the one seen here . Police told CBS San Francisco . that Howard was only seconds away from kicking a barrel that the . girlfriend was standing on when officers showed up at the home. They said he also tried to use the woman as a human shield before throwing her into an embankment and fleeing from the backyard. He was arrested a few yards away after a . short foot-chase. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for . treatment of minor injuries. Police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques said that the woman would not be alive if police had not shown up when they did. She told CBS San Francisco: 'He would have killed her. 'He would have hung her from that rope.' Bail has not yet been set for Howard, who remains in jail. The Fremont home was familiar to officers, who had been there numerous times on calls related to drug offenses, according to the station. Repeat offenders? The Fremont home was familiar to officers, who had been there numerous times on calls related to drug offenses . Watch video here . | Suspect Daniel Howard faces charges of attempted murder and criminal threat .
Unidentified girlfriend had noose around her neck as police arrived .
Brother says that Howard was high on meth during the incident . |
29,612 | 542e152daa8a91d30a28d2686888af90e667e08d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Minnesota woman has become the latest adoptee to take her search for her birth parents to social media. Kim Lees has been searching for her birth mother for more than 10 years. On Wednesday, Lees took her search to Facebook, where at least two other adoptees in search of their birth parents have posted messages they hope will go viral and help in their search. 'My name is Kim. My birth date is 5-21-1970. I was born at Fairview . Hospital in Minneapolis, MN,' Lees Facebook post reads. 'I am searching for my birth mother. PLEASE . share this post. Any information can be sent to [email protected]. Thank you!' Help: Kim Lee hopes this image will be seen by her birth mother so the two can be reunited . So far, Lees' post has been shared 2,400 times. Less says she was inspired by a recent mother-daughter reunion, presumably referring to Katheryn Deprill, the 27-year-old Pennsylvania who posted a similar message on Facebook in hopes of tracking down her birth mother. Deprill's adoption story is slightly more memorable than most - she was referred to as the 'Burger King Baby' in local media accounts after her birth mother left the newborn Deprill wrapped in a shirt crying on the floor of a Burger King bathroom in 1986. Deprill began her quest March 2 by . posting on her Facebook page a photo in which she held up a sign that . said: 'Looking for my birth mother. ... She abandoned me in the Burger . King bathroom only hours old, Allentown PA. Please help me find her by . sharing my post.' The photo . was shared more than 30,000 times by Facebook users around the world, . and Deprill's story landed in numerous media outlets. Inspiration: Katheryn Deprill - dubbed 'Burger king Baby' in the media - was reunited with her birth mother after posting this on Facebook in March . That caught the . attention of the woman claiming to have abandoned her, and she came . forward to attorney John Waldron, who arranged for them to meet. Deprill said she bears a very strong resemblance to the woman, whose name she wouldn't disclose. 'It looked like I was looking in a mirror,' she said. Deprill, . an EMT and married mother of three who lives outside Allentown in South . Whitehall Township, said she embraced her mother. 'I . got the hug that I had wanted for the last 27 years, and that broke the . ice,' she said. 'I asked if I could have it, and she said, "absolutely," and just held her arms open, and the rest is history.' The pair met for about four hours and exchanged contact information. Deprill said they plan to meet again. 'We are definitely going to have a relationship,' she said. Together: Deprill found her birth mother, Cathy Pochek, left, after launching an appeal on Facebook. Her adoptive mother, Brenda Hollis, is at right . Deprill inspired a man - also from Pennsylvania - to use social media to try and find his birth mother. David Volk . - who was left in a New Jersey McDonald's sink when he was just hours old - . launched a search for his birth mother after being inspired by the . success of the 'Burger King baby.' Volk, from Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, didn't even try looking for his . mother because he had no information about her - but after Deprill posted an image on Facebook explaining that she'd been dumped in . a Burger King 27 years ago, it took her just three weeks to find her . mother. Inspired, Volk decided to do the same, and has now shared an image on his Facebook profile showing him holding a sign reading: 'Please help me! I am looking for my birth mother.' 'I just never thought there was any . hope,' he told the Star-Ledger. 'Being abandoned in a McDonald's, no records. After . seeing [Deprill's] story, and she found her mom so quickly, that's what gave me . the inspiration to do mine.' Hopeful: David Volk also has taken his search for his birth mother to social media, posting this image on Facebook in April . Volk . still had his umbilical cord attached when a manager found him wrapped . in a brown plastic bag in the sink of the women's restroom in a . McDonald's in Newark, New Jersey in December 1977. He . was given the name 'Christopher McDonald' because of where he was . found, but his name was legally changed when he was adopted a year . later, records show. Volk, . who is now 36 and married, said he developed a close bond with his . family and was devastated by the loss of his adoptive mother two years . ago. He said he isn't angry with his birth mother but simply wishes to meet her and get to know her. Volk's search is yet to turn up his birth mother. The night before she posted her photo on Facebook, Lees wrote a message to friends explaining how she was trying to find her birth mother. Anyone with information about Lees' birth mother is asked to contact her at [email protected] . 'I will be posting a picture in the morning that I would be grateful if . you would share. I am adopted and have tried several avenues over the . last 10+ years to locate my birth mother and/or information leading to . her,' she wrote in her explanation. 'I was recently inspired by a story of a mother/daughter reunion . made possible via social media, so I figured it is worth a shot. Honestly, I myself gloss over many of these posted "please share" pictures, but I am hoping you all would take a minute to seek it out and . share. It is my birthday today, and this would truly be the best gift I . could receive. I hold no preconceived notions of how this will turn out- good, bad, or no response at all, I will take it as it comes. Thank you in advance!' | Kim Lees has been searching for her birth mother for more than 10 years .
Inspired by 'Burger King Baby' Katheryn Deprill, Lees has taken her search to Facebook .
Deprill posted information about her birth mother on Facebook in March .
Three weeks later, Deprill and her birth mother were reunited .
A Pennsylvania man who was abandoned in a McDonald's bathroom in 1977 also has recently turned to social media to help find his birth mother . |
265,284 | e39823a213a1dc8f10ff191663ee5e62a9b5bea4 | (CNN) -- Unauthorized immigrant women do the jobs that put food on the plates of Americans, but face harassment and other challenges daily in the workplace, a study by the Southern Poverty Law Center found. The report, titled "Injustice On Our Plates," is based on interviews with 150 immigrant women from Mexico, Guatemala and other Latin American countries. "Despite their contributions to our economy, these immigrants live at the margins of U.S. society -- subsisting on poverty wages, enduring humiliation and exploitation in the workplace, and living in constant fear that their families will be shattered if they are detected," according to the report. The anecdotes collected by the organization provide a glimpse of the hardships faced by agricultural workers who are in the United States illegally. The women interviewed mostly said they came to the United States to seek a better life for their families, the report said. Critics of illegal immigration say those who want to work in the United States should get in line with others seeking a legal path in. Many of the women interviewed said they didn't meet any of the established criteria for obtaining a green card and so decided to cross illegally. The subjects that the report focused on worked in places such as Florida, New York, North Carolina and California. They worked picking tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, apples and other produce. "Regardless of what sector of the food industry these women worked in, they all reported feeling like they were seen by their employers as disposable workers with no lasting value, to be squeezed of every last drop of sweat and labor before being cast aside," the report said. The challenges include low pay -- one woman reported that she earned $5.75 an hour, or sometimes 45 cents for each 32-pound bucket filled with tomatoes. "You have to run to do 150 [buckets] to make your money for the day," the woman, identified only as Maria, told interviewers. Sometimes, after two weeks of work, they would not get paid, she said. One boss wouldn't let the workers go to the bathroom, she said. Farmworkers are also exposed to harmful pesticides that can cause birth defects, the report said. According to the report, about six in 10 of America's farmworkers are unauthorized immigrants. Of the total illegal immigrant population, women are estimated to make up 4 million. Another woman interviewed for the study, Olivia, told how she was raped by one of her supervisors. Sexual violence and harassment is widely reported by unauthorized female immigrants, the report said. "Sexual predators view farmworker women and other undocumented women as 'perfect victims' because they are isolated, thought to lack credibility, generally do not know their rights, and may be vulnerable because they lack legal status," the study said. A majority of the women interviewed by the center reported facing sexual harassment at work. The report's recommendations included enacting comprehensive immigration reform that provide a path for legalization. Such efforts in Congress have been unsuccessful in the past. The center also recommends tightening labor laws for agricultural producers. | The Southern Poverty Law Center finds that immigrant women face daily challenges .
They include wage abuse and sexual harassment .
Unauthorized immigrant women help put food on tables, but are neglected at work, study says . |
30,764 | 5776e0810daa0806c7b9940fd5da8d445e033846 | (CNN) -- Felix Baumgartner made headlines around the world when he fell 24 miles from near-space to a desert in Roswell, New Mexico, and lived to tell the tale. The jump put Baumgartner in the record books and spelled publicity for the sponsor, Red Bull, a caffeinated sugar-y drink building a reputation for risk and adventure. Now that the stunt is over, does it mean something to the rest of us? Baumgartner risked death. Why? Was it worth it? Something in the human character must yearn to break into the record books. Baumgartner did set a record for supersonic travel by a human, 65 years after Chuck Yeager exceeded the speed of sound in an experimental plane. One used a rocket engine, the other used gravity; both went pretty fast. But Yeager was testing experimental planes at higher and higher altitudes and speeds, one of the steps toward getting into space. He might have done it for the thrill but there was clearly a higher purpose, namely, the development of flight technologies. The Red Bull extravaganza, said several involved with the project, would be useful for developing new and better space suits. My guess is that tests in a wind tunnel or a freezer would suffice, and neither would require risking a life. The tech behind the Stratos jump . Or, astronauts could test suits outside the International Space Station, which is moving roughly 10 times faster than Baumgartner, in a much thinner atmosphere about 300 miles above the Earth, the real conditions that astronauts might face on a space walk. So NASA (or Space X) probably doesn't need Red Bull, or Baumgartner, whose other work may have been more about research and development and less about testing human limits. Opinion: The space adventure you can't miss . NASA astronauts have always risked their lives. They have to like the thrill, too, but they are motivated by the mission. After the Columbia accident in 2003, NASA limited further space shuttle flights to the essential -- mostly carrying cargo to finish the International Space Station. Anything that wasn't vital to the nation was not, decided NASA, worth the risk. That's why I remember the debate about repairing the Hubble Space Telescope one last time, to install two powerful new already-built instruments. I heard that the astronauts didn't hesitate for a minute to carry out this mission -- indeed, they argued to add it to the flight manifest. The Hubble science was too important. So let's not confuse a daredevil with a scientist. Although some scientists take risks, it's always driven by what is necessary to get an answer to a scientific question. As computers become powerful enough to simulate physical reality, even those risks diminish. Probably computers can help us understand things like, for example, how to make a better space suit. As one commentator noted, the Red Bull event was closer to PT Barnum than Albert Einstein or Marie Curie. The Curies did risk their lives, as it turned out. Radiation was more dangerous than they understood, and both suffered from its effects (although Pierre Curie died in a traffic accident). But their advancement of physics -- as was ultimately recognized by Marie Curie's two Nobel prizes (in physics in 1903 and chemistry in 1911) -- helped usher in the modern age of quantum physics. As a physics professor, my reaction to the record-breaking skydive was a bit different than most. I started thinking about my physics students. Chuck Yeager retraces history in the sky, breaking the sound barrier -- again . Students of introductory physics can easily calculate Baumgartner's fall in the absence of air resistance. Starting at 128,000 feet, absent the braking due to friction with the air, he would have continued to accelerate all the way to the ground, reaching a final speed of 870 meters per second, or about 1950 mph. The fall would have lasted just 90 seconds. Instead, air resistance slowed him to a reported terminal speed of 833 mph, and the fall lasted nine minutes. More importantly, the air meant he could deploy a parachute to slow his descent even more. Modeling air resistance is a bit more advanced, but it's still basic physics. What else does physics tell us? Baumgartner needed a pressurized suit because the atmosphere is very thin at such high altitudes, as well as very cold. If you've ever taken a long distance flight that shows the airplane's location and other data, you know that such planes fly at about 35,000 to 40,000 feet, which is about seven miles up, and temperatures are well below freezing. Add in the wind chill -- since falling through air is the equivalent of standing still in a wind -- and unprotected warm-blooded animals would freeze quickly. Perhaps a bigger danger was that for the first 35 seconds, Baumgartner was tumbling out of control. Physicists would say he had "acquired some angular momentum" -- i.e., he was spinning. Did Baumgartner lean forward as he left the capsule, starting the rotation? In any case, by moving his arms or legs, he could change his orientation, increasing or decreasing his spin -- just as precision divers did in the London Olympics last summer. For any jump with a somersault or twist, the diver would initiate a rotation as he leaves the board or platform. By then changing shapes (the technical term is "moment of inertia"), he can change the rate of spin. Students of introductory physics around the world are equipped to analyze this problem. Watching the replay of Baumgartner's stunt on the news, I noticed a room full of technical experts supporting the balloon launch and human cannonball descent. These folks had to be well educated in science, technology, engineering and math -- skills essential to the nation's future. Skydiving from 24 miles up is thrilling and cool -- but not essential. I'll put my money on the pocket-protector crowd back on the Earth. And hope that stunts don't crowd out genuine progress in science and engineering. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Meg Urry. | Meg Urry: Felix Baumgartner risked death when he skydived, but was it worth it?
Urry: Let's not confuse a daredevil with a scientist .
She says physics helped with the dive and tells us a lot about it, like the speed and spin .
Urry: The jump was thrilling, but stunts shouldn't crowd out genuine progress in science . |
89,530 | fe37fbf6253808f4c85872cd6f60ce9e35d0ae73 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A series of photographic exhibitions have been organized in Europe and North America this autumn to highlight a campaign by Britain's Prince Charles to combat tropical deforestation. An aerial of Jambi Province, Indonesia showing the destruction of the tropical rainforest. The photographs were taken by world-renowned environment photographer Daniel Beltra who was this year's winner of the Prince's Rainforest Project Award at the Sony World Photography Awards earlier this year. The images graphically depict the effects of climate change on the rainforests in the South America, Africa and Indonesia. Beltra compiled a library of around 40,000 images during month long trips to the Amazon Basin, the Congolese Forest and Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. When he returned home Beltra produced a shortlist of around 1000 images from which the final exhibition photos were selected. "I shoot a lot when I'm in the air," Beltra told CNN. "Trying to concentrate on a small detail on the ground when your flying at a speed of 150 knots is difficult." And that's not the only problem Beltra encountered. The very acts of destruction he was documenting often got in the way of his work. Click here to see a selection of images from the exhibition » . "When you are photographing deforestation, you are taking a lot of pictures of logging and fires and the smoke can make it very difficult to shoot." Beltra was born in Spain but is now based in the United States. His work, which includes freelancing for the international environmental group Greenpeace, has taken him to over 50 countries and he is a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. HRH Prince Charles has long been a passionate defender of the environment and he founded the Prince's Rainforest Project (PRP) in 2007. The PRP works alongside governments, international businesses, non-profit organizations and rainforest nations to find a solution to the deforestation and degradation of the rainforests. Speaking at the Sony Awards in Cannes, France earlier this year the Prince said: "Photographic images can tell a compelling story about the truth of the situation, and the truth is that if we lose the fight against tropical deforestation, then we lose the fight against climate change." Beltra hopes that his pictures will raise further awareness of the perils that humans face in the wake of continued rainforest destruction. "I think we are all getting more aware but we really need to get our act together because at the moment we are destroying more than we are protecting," he said. The multimedia exhibitions organized by Sony are taking place at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew in London, the Hotel de Ville, Paris, the Alexa Center, Berlin and the Mercy Corps Action Center, New York. | New photography exhibition showcases the destruction of the rainforests .
Images taken by world-renowned environmental photographer Daniel Beltra .
Photos form part of wider rainforest campaign by Britain's Prince Charles . |
205,511 | 960a72672c9da0dfe0a35e11182cc6ed43adfc25 | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 05:24 EST, 18 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:09 EST, 18 January 2013 . Accused: Msgr Kevin Wallin was allegedly suspended by the Church for having sex in his rectory. He has also been charged by police with distributing crystal meth in a cross-country ring . A Connecticut priest at the centre of a meth drug-dealing gang has been suspended over allegations he had sex in his rectory. Monsignor Kevin Wallin was relieved of his duties in May last year after complaints were made by staff at his residence in Bridgeport. The news will embarrass the Church as the priest also faces charges of helping run a cross-country methamphetamine . distribution ring. Msgr Wallin allegedly received . the drug shipments from suppliers in California and then sold them to . undercover officers at least six different times between last September . and the beginning of this month. According to his indictment he was selling around $9,000 of meth a week at one stage. Msgr Wallin, 61, is alleged to have bought an 'adult entertainment store' which investigators believe helped him launder thousands of dollars in weekly profits, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Rectory staff are believed to have notified the local diocese after the priest allegedly 'dressed as a woman and engaged in 'sex acts.' Diocese officials are understood to have consulted lawyers who said that none of Wallin's behavior appeared to be illegal. The priest had resigned from his role as pastor of St. Augustine's in Bridgeport in June 2011, citing health concerns and personal problems. Msgr Wallin, who previously served as secretary to bishops Walter Curtis and Edward Egan in Bridgeport, was arrested and charged with six counts of possession with intent to distribute crystal meth, NBC Connecticut reported. He has been detained until an arraignment hearing next week. Church officials said they were not aware that the priest was selling drugs when he was pastor of St. Augustine's Cathedral or in St. Peter Parish, according to the Chronicle. Trusted: Msgr Wallin served as the pastor at St. Augustine's in Bridgeport for nine years before taking a sabbatical in 2011 for health and personal reasons . He is believed to have continued to . receive his stipend - salary - from the Church, until he was arrested on . the drugs charges on January 3 this year. Msgr Wallin left his post as head of St. Augustine's after nine years and was granted a 'sabbatical' by church authorities. 'During his sabbatical, the Diocese became concerned about his well-being and have continued to reach out to him,' the Diocese . wrote in a statement. 'To date, he has not spoken directly with . diocesan officials. 'News of [his] arrest comes with a sense of shock and . concern on the part of the Diocese and the many people of Fairfield . County who have known him as a gifted, accomplished and compassionate . priest.' Ring: The priest and four others were arrested for allegedly conspiring to distribute crystal meth . Four others were also charged with . conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine along with Msgr Wallin in the joint . investigation by the federal Drug Enforcement . Administration and the Connecticut State Police's Statewide Narcotics . Task Force. They were identified as Kenneth Devries, 52,; Michael Neslon, 40,; . Chad McCluskey, 43,; and Kristen Laschober, . 47. 'The hard work of the DEA and the Connecticut State Police in this case . resulted in the dismantling of what we allege was a significant . methamphetamine distribution organization that spanned from California . to Connecticut,' said U.S. Attorney David Fein, according to the Connecticut Post. Msgr Wallin faces up to 20 years behind bars and a $2 million fine if convicted. | Kevin Wallin suspended by church because of alleged sexual activities .
Priest also faces charges of helping run an illegal drugs .
distribution ring . |
220,513 | a96d618e94f5da78ff22773effa1fbb9148bdcf2 | (CNN) -- A new study dispels the widely accepted theory that the Komodo dragon kills by infecting its prey with toxic bacteria. Researchers say the Komodo dragon has venom that keeps blood from clotting around its prey's wounds. Instead, the world's largest lizard delivers a powerful bite with its serrated teeth and uses a powerful venom to bring down its victims. Komodo dragons are native to the islands of Indonesia. They can weigh more than 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) in length. But their bites are not as strong as that of a crocodile, for example. And they cannot hold down their prey. So, researchers wondered, what lay behind the dragons' hunting success? Until now, scientists thought the dragons infected their prey with bacteria that lurked in the bits of meat stuck between their teeth. The explanation made sense, because many victims would not immediately fall. They'd wander off and collapse later, allowing the dragon to feast on the corpse at leisure. The new study upends that theory. It was conducted by a team of scientists led by Dr. Bryan Fry from the University of Melbourne in Australia. According to their research, the dragon's bite weakens and immobilizes the prey. It then injects venom from special glands in the mouth. The venom keeps blood from clotting around the prey's wound. And it causes a drop in the blood pressure. The blood loss and the blood pressure drop combine to weaken the animal. The theory is consistent with what happens to the prey soon after it's bitten, the scientists said. The prey becomes still and unusually quiet, and it bleeds profusely. "The combination of this specialized bite and venom seem to minimize the dragon's contact with its prey, and this allows it to take large animals," Fry said in a statement released by the University of Melbourne. Komodo attacks on humans are rare, but some have been reported. In March, an Indonesian fisherman was killed when he trespassed on a remote island in search of fruit. A month earlier, a ranger in the same park survived after a Komodo dragon climbed the ladder into his hut and bit his hand and foot. And in 2007, an 8-year-old boy died after being mauled. The latest findings will be published in the next issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. | Scientists had thought lizards infected prey with bacteria from meat between teeth .
New study from team led by Australian university scientist challenges that theory .
Dragon's powerful bite, venom from glands in mouth cause prey to weaken, they say .
They say the theory is consistent with what happens to prey soon after dragon bites it . |
184,967 | 7b9c29be81c6ce1260f85863f38202ad9194bb0e | By . Martin Beckford . PUBLISHED: . 20:08 EST, 27 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:10 EST, 27 October 2012 . Police forces across Britain are being forced to deal with petty squabbles on Facebook, Twitter and other social network sites every day when they could be tackling more serious crimes. Officers say they are wasting valuable time and resources tackling internet users directing abuse at each other. In most cases, police simply tell victims to delete their tormentors from their networks, but the Crown Prosecution Service says a ‘few dozen’ more serious incidents have led to court, with the figure growing rapidly in recent months. Internet trolls made sick comments about pop singer Adele’s baby boy within hours of his birth, and Tom Daley and diving partner Peter Waterfield were called ‘team HIV’ on Twitter by Welsh Premier League footballer Daniel Thomas, who was arrested but escaped prosecution because the duo did not press charges . New figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday show that at least three arrests are being made every day for sending offensive messages via phones and computers, including people harassing ex-partners by text message and making hoax threats as well as comments on social media. An officer from Essex who asked not to be named said: ‘I dread to think how many hours are spent on Facebook jobs. If you don’t do at least one a day it’s been a very quiet day.’ He told how one man repeatedly called to claim that his ex-girlfriend was setting up fake accounts pretending to be him on Facebook, which has 900 million members worldwide. Attacked: Teenager Kara Wright was attacked by 3,000 trolls from across the world and called a ¿whore¿ and a ¿disgrace to women and her family¿ after she posted a mildly titillating picture of herself on Facebook. Some users said she deserved to die. When officers told the man to simply stop using Facebook, he replied: ‘But then I can’t see what they are saying about me.’ A young woman told police in Dorset she had received death threats on Facebook. But when officers investigated, they found she had actually threatened to spread malicious rumours about another woman, who had replied: ‘I hope you die then.’ An officer from the West Midlands told how he had advised someone complaining of Facebook abuse to ‘unfriend’ their abuser, only to be told: ‘But I won’t have as many friends.’ Others expected police to have a ‘magic wand’ allowing them to access all Facebook accounts and find out who was behind offensive messages. An officer from North Wales said: ‘You will always have one or two serious incidents of harassment and bullying on Facebook and the like but for the most part it’s petty stuff. It takes up a lot of time and the normal result is advice from us to all parties to grow up.’ Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: ‘We have concerns that we don’t have the resources to police everything that’s said on the internet. We can’t have people getting upset in a one-off situation and involving the police. I do think this could be the thin end of the wedge. If we show too much willingness and get involved in every squabble, we’re setting ourselves up to keep doing this because it will be expected.’ He said it was right for police to investigate cases involving homophobia or racism, but added: ‘We shouldn’t be dealing with individual squabbles.’ Storm after Rio retweets: Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand retweeted a message from a fan that referred to Chelsea¿s Ashley Cole as a ¿choc ice¿ ¿ a derogatory term meaning a person is black on the outside and white on the inside . The laws most commonly used to prosecute anyone who posts offensive material online, or ‘trolls’ who goad public figures and victims’ relatives, make it illegal to send a grossly offensive or obscene message using an electronic network, and apply even if it is sent privately to only one person or just repeats what another has said. Statistics from 22 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales show there were at least 4,098 arrests under the relevant laws between the start of 2009 and the middle of 2012, averaging three a day. More than 2,000 people were either charged or given an out-of-court fine or caution. | Statistics from 22 out of the 43 police .
forces in England and Wales show arrests are averaging three a day .
Police say in most cases people need to 'grow up' |
138,830 | 3f8bd5fe902b5543e3e36a08b6dde24bb90e6af3 | Rome (CNN) -- Pope Francis is creating a commission to prevent the abuse of minors and to support victims of abuse, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley announced Thursday in Rome. The new commission is expected to tell church officials to collaborate with civil authorities and report cases of abuse, O'Malley said. But he also said that the church has focused on the judicial aspect of sexual abuse in the past, and that Pope Francis now wants to focus on the pastoral side, and caring for victims. The Pope has not yet chosen the members of the new commission but it will be international in composition and include experts, O'Malley added. The eight-member Council of Cardinal Advisers, which has been in Rome since Monday meeting with the Pope, proposed the special commission and the Pope accepted it, O'Malley said. The cardinals, who come from around the world, are helping the Pope with Vatican reform. The Vatican news service released a statement outlining the commission's lines of action, including a look at guidelines, priest "formation" programs, codes of conduct, and screening candidates for priesthood. No timetable for the establishment of the panel was given. Pope Francis calls for big changes in Roman Catholic Church . Awaiting Pope's response . Observers have been awaiting Pope Francis' response to a scandal that has generated deep mistrust in the church and driven many Catholics away from the faith, particularly in the United States. At a meeting with Dutch bishops earlier this week, the Pope spoke of the victims. "I want to express my compassion and to ensure my prayers to all victims of sexual abuse and their families," he said, according to the Vatican news service. However SNAP -- the U.S.-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests -- said the creation of "another commission surveying bishops and recommending policies is meaningless." "It's like offering a Band-Aid to an advanced cancer patient," SNAP said in a statement . "Only decisive action helps, not more studies and committees and promises. ... Clergy sex crimes should be dealt with by secular authorities." In July, Pope Francis announced a law making it a crime to abuse children sexually or physically on Vatican grounds. The acts were already crimes under church law, but are now specifically outlawed within the Vatican city-state, which is home to hundreds of people. The legislation also covers child prostitution and the creation or possession of child pornography. ACLU, Michigan woman sue Catholic Bishops over hospital rules . CNN's Eric Marrapodi and Marie-Louise Gumuchian contributed to this report . | The commission's purpose is to prevent the abuse of minors and support victims of abuse .
Commission members not yet chosen, will be international .
The proposal came from the Council of Cardinal Advisers, helping Pope on reform . |
73,855 | d16a763f4070bf15e7580f9eec78bdc780460e4d | Scotland's could have its own time zone under plans to move the UK to Central European Time. The campaign to shift the UK forward an hour, aligning the nation with most of Europe, is supported by a wide range of MPs, who claim the change would save lives on the road thanks to extra sunlight. Scotland has been opposed to the change in the past, but campaigners say Westminster could devolve powers allowing Scots to set their own time. Scroll down for video . Scotland could have a different time zone if the plans, which would see the rest of the UK move to Central European Time, are approved . The proposal, which has been submitted to William Hague, has been kicked into the long grass in the past because of a lack of Scottish support for shorter daylight hours and darker mornings. But Tom Mullarkey, chief executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said that allowing Scotland to stick with the norm while the UK changes time zone was a possibility. In a letter to Mr Hague, who is the leader of the Commons and is chairing a government committee on devolving powers to Holyrood, Mr Mullarkey said the change could save 80 lives and prevent hundreds of injuries. According to The Times, he wrote: 'Paradoxically, there seems to be more political resistance to this proposed change in Scotland, which stands to gain disproportionately from the initiative, although the majority of people in Scotland do not appear to be against it. 'However, In England, where the appetite for change is greater still, many more people are killed and injured because of the time zone misalignment that both countries suffer. 'It is the perceived resistance in Scotland that is causing so many lives to be lost and diminished across the UK, and this could be a prime opportunity for the two governments to make thier decisions on this issue independently.' Yesterday it was announced that the drink drive limit will be cut from 80mg in every 100ml of blood to 50mg from December 5 in Scotland, but not England and Wales . Edmund King, president of the AA, also backed the move, but said it would come with 'practical difficulties'. He said: 'Our view is that it would be best if it was changed in England and Wales to see the benefits and then the Scots can decide for themselves. 'It would be slightly awkward, though, if you had difference opening hours in Scotland and England. There might be practical difficulties.' The move is largely driven by road safety, which Scotland already assumes powers for. Yesterday Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced plans to cut the drink-drive limit north of the border by Christmas. The blood alcohol limit will be reduced from 80mg in every 100ml of blood to 50mg from December 5. It would bring Scotland in line with the rest of Europe, but would mean the limit is lower than that in England and Wales. | Scotland could have its own time zone under plans handed to government .
Campaigners want UK to move forward an hour to save lives on the roads .
But Scotland has previously been against changing to European time .
Holyrood could be handed the power to choose Scotland's time zone .
Compromise would see rest of the UK change clocks and leave Scots behind .
Move could save lives on the road and prevent hundreds of injuries . |
128,420 | 31f3c561d98c3bca74bcdd4cb98f4ab0c702857e | (CNN) -- In what might be one of the oldest corrections in the history of journalism, the editorial board of a Pennsylvania newspaper has retracted its predecessor's famous panning of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as "silly remarks." "Seven score and ten years ago, the forefathers of this media institution brought forth to its audience a judgment so flawed, so tainted by hubris, so lacking in the perspective history would bring, that it cannot remain unaddressed in our archives," the editors of The Patriot-News wrote Thursday, evoking the opening words and style of Lincoln's most famous speech. Back then, the editors of the Patriot & Union newspaper -- an ancestor of today's Harrisburg paper -- thought so little of Lincoln's "silly remarks" that they hoped "the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them, and that they shall be no more reposted or thought of." Oopsie. History didn't cooperate. While mildly received on its delivery, the November 19, 1863, speech marking the consecration of the national cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has gone on to become one of the most famous pieces of writing in the American canon -- inscribed on monuments, taught to schoolchildren and frequently surfacing in cultural references. "Four score and seven years ago," Lincoln wrote in the speech's famous opening line, "our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Filmmaker Ken Burns recently urged all Americans to learn and recite the speech, calling the address "some of the most important words ever spoken." Americans reciting the Gettysburg Address . And so, on Thursday, the newspaper set the record straight: . "The world will little note nor long remember our emendation of this institution's record -- but we must do as conscience demands," the newspaper wrote. "In the editorial about President Abraham Lincoln's speech delivered Nov. 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, the Patriot & Union failed to recognize its momentous importance, timeless eloquence, and lasting significance. The Patriot-News regrets the error." | Pennsylvania newspaper called Lincoln's remarks "silly words" 150 years ago .
That newspaper's successor has retracted its editorial .
The 150th anniversary of the speech is November 19 . |
253,610 | d43f59fc8ea6d6af184598ddbd53cc34542c4929 | (CNN) -- Area schools were closed Tuesday as the search for Pennsylvania trooper shooting suspect Eric Matthew Frein intensified overnight, Pennsylvania State Police said. Despite a possible sighting by law enforcement Monday afternoon, Frein still has not been found. "A local police officer from Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department observed a man dressed in green in the woods. He lost visual contact with the man through the woods. A search of the area was conducted but no one was located," state police said. It has been nearly six weeks since Frein disappeared after allegedly shooting two state troopers, leaving one officer dead and another wounded. Police read excerpts of notes they say suspect left . On Friday, state police discovered blood droplets on the steps of a covered porch near the town of Cresco, Pennsylvania. But DNA testing showed the blood wasn't Frein's, police said Monday. Material found on the inside of a screen porch door at a nearby home wasn't blood at all, police said. Neither has any link to the search for Frein, according to police. On Friday, a law enforcement source speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN that there was no reason to believe that Frein was injured or that the blood was his. Frein, 31, is suspected in the September 12 ambush shooting that left Cpl. Bryon Dickson dead and Trooper Alex T. Douglass wounded outside the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove in northeast Pennsylvania. Police have not spoken about a possible motive, other than that Frein has talked and written about hating law enforcement. Authorities have said that a review of a computer hard drive used by Frein shows that he had planned the attack. Police: Suspect planned ambush for months . He has eluded capture despite a massive police search around Canadensis, Pennsylvania, where his family has a home. However, another recent sighting moved search efforts about 8 miles southeast -- closer to Frein's former high school. Police say they think a woman taking a walk Friday night saw Frein as well, armed with a rifle and his face dabbed with mud, in a wooded area near the eastern Pennsylvania town of Swiftwater. "It was very alarming and creepy how he showed no reaction," the woman told CNN affiliate WNEP. CNN's Jason Hanna, Ann Roche, Alex Field, Shimon Prokupecz and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report. | Frein may have been seen Monday afternoon, but a search turned up nothing, police say .
Area schools have been closed Tuesday as a result of the police activity in the area .
A bloodstain thought to be from trooper shooting suspect Eric Frein wasn't his, police say .
Frein is suspected in the September 12 ambush of two officers, one of whom died . |
7,730 | 15e66e232175647f566d912dc586138f3a5364a5 | Passport Office staff received bonuses totalling nearly £700,000 this summer at the height of the backlog shambles. Taxpayer-funded payouts worth up to £5,000 were paid out to staff as the agency was mired in crisis and hundreds of thousands of holiday-makers waited for their travel documents. Details of the payouts sparked fury last night as critics accused the Government of 'rewarding failure'. Official figures released to Labour under the Freedom of Information Act showed some £674,000 was paid out in bonuses in July. A photo leaked by staff showed the boxes of passport applications which piled up in an office in Liverpool this summer as the backlog of documents grew . But despite the shambles, figures now reveal staff at the Passport Office have been paid £700,000 in bonuses . Some 3,800 members of staff including some managers received payouts for the last financial year. One staff member was paid £5,000, eight up to £2,000 and 198 up to £1,000. Only weeks earlier, in June, David Cameron apologised over the passports chaos which at one point involved a backlog of half a million documents. Outraged families deluged the Daily Mail with horror stories of missing out on their holidays because of bureaucratic incompetence. A surge in applications early this year increased during the Spring and Summer and led to staggering backlogs. Shadow immigration minister David Hanson says hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxpayers' money has been handed over as a 'reward for failure' Staff leaked photographs of boxes of applications stacked up in passport offices waiting to be processed.Some applicants were told to cough up an extra £55 to get their applications fast tracked. David Hanson, the shadow immigration minister, said: 'Ministers must explain themselves. They have signed off hundreds of thousands of taxpayer pounds to reward failure. 'Families who struggled to go on holiday because of passport chaos will be even more dismayed at this waste and extravagance as they struggle to pay day-to-day bills. 'This is yet another example of ministerial incompetence and waste.' At the time, the Home Office claimed it was dealing with record numbers of passport applications, but unions blamed staff cuts and incompetence. Paul Pugh, director of the Passport Office, told MPs on the Home Affairs Committee in June that he would not take a bonus this year. A Home Office spokesman said staff were rewarded because the Passport Office achieved seven out of its eight performance targets. He said: 'A bonus payment was made to some junior staff at HM Passport Office for reaching key targets in 2013/14 – the vast majority received less than £500. 'None of these payments was for work carried out during this financial year,' he said. | Thousands of holiday-makers forced to wait for documents this summer .
At one point, the backlog of applications reached half a million documents .
But despite the scandal, Passport Office staff got £700,000 in bonuses .
Nearly 4,000 members of staff rewarded with payouts of up to £5,000 each .
Labour, who uncovered figures, brand the bonuses a 'reward for failure' |
278,349 | f492adf3051924bdbd63a80c2caf23a604ebd67a | Washington (CNN) -- Here is an unofficial list of potential nominees for the Supreme Court if Mitt Romney is elected president in November. This list was compiled from a number of sources, including those serving as informal advisers to the Romney campaign. The Republican nominee has not specified publicly on favorites for the court. Many names mentioned are relatively young judges named to the federal bench by President George W. Bush. Elections raises stakes for possible high court vacancies . Paul Clement, former U.S. Solicitor General . Born 1966. Considered by many as one of the best lawyers of his generation. The Wisconsin native went to Harvard Law School where he was a classmate of President Barack Obama, and later clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. He served as solicitor general under President George W. Bush and earned raves for his persuasive, conservational style at oral arguments. Now a private attorney, he has become the go-to guy among conservatives to lead appeals on a variety of hot-button issues: health care reform, same-sex marriage, immigration enforcement, and gun rights. He personally argued seven cases in the 2011 term, including the health care petitions. He has been strategically coy about his chances for the high court, saying he would be honored but remains focused on his law practice. Supreme Court possibilities if Obama is reelected . Judge Brett Kavanaugh, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit . Born 1965. Began his job May 2006 in a court that has seen several of its former members make the jump to the Supreme Court. A former top official in the George W. Bush White House. His nomination to a federal appeals court for the D.C. circuit was held up for three years by Democrats. Senators Patrick Leahy and Richard Durbin later accused Kavanaugh of misleading the Judiciary Committee during his confirmation over whether he helped formulate policy on the detention and questioning of accused terrorists held overseas by the U.S. military. He is relatively young and considered one of the brightest conservative legal minds. He co-authored the Starr Report investigation of President Bill Clinton and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy and conservative appeals court Judge Alex Kozinski. Judge Diane Sykes, 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Milwaukee . Born 1957. A former private lawyer, county judge, and justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Named to current post in 2004. She is a Federalist Society member and her profile has been increasing among many conservatives. Being a woman and from the Midwest may be seen as pluses if Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were to step down. Wrote a 2011 opinion affirming firing ranges were protected under the Second Amendment, tossing out enforcement of a city ban in Chicago. Toobin: Why are candidates silent on Supreme Court? Sen. Mike Lee, Republican from Utah . Born 1971. The youngest U.S. senator. The rising GOP star may have the best credentials of any lawmaker to be a justice. Like Romney, he is a Mormon. Lee is a former appellate and constitutional lawyer in Utah and Washington, who twice clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, on both the federal appeals court and later the Supreme Court. His father, Rex, is a former U.S. solicitor general and founding dean at Brigham Young Law School. Lee faces re-election in 2016, and may feel politically obliged to complete his first Senate term before considering a judicial seat. Judge Steven Colloton, 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, works in Des Moines, Iowa . Born 1963. Appointed by George W. Bush and former law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He is a former Justice Department lawyer, U.S. Attorney in Iowa, and lawyer in the Starr Independent Counsel investigation of President Bill Clinton. Judge Neil Gorsuch, 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Denver . Born 1967. Appointed by George W. Bush. Harvard law School graduate who clerked for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. He went into private practice in Washington before joining the Bush Justice Department. His mother, Anne Burford, was the first woman to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. He wrote the book: "The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia." Judge Jeffrey Sutton, 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, works in Columbus, Ohio . Born 1960. Appointed by George W. Bush. He once clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. He was the state solicitor in Ohio. Considered a conservative intellectual force on the court. But Republicans may not forgive him when Sutton became the first Republican-appointed judge to back the health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama. Judge Janice Rogers Brown, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit . Born 1949. Former California Supreme Court justice, who was among the first African-Americans appointed to that bench. Regarded as a strong reliable conservative in GOP circles. Her father was a sharecropper and she attended segregated schools before moving to Sacramento. She worked in the state attorney general's office, was Gov. Pete Wilson's legal secretary, and a state appeals judge. A former liberal and considered iconoclastic with strong religious convictions. Her nomination to the federal appeals court for the D.C. Circuit was held up by partisan wrangling. That and her age would be factors against high court consideration. Judge Allyson Duncan, 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, works in Raleigh, North Carolina . Born 1951. Appointed by George W. Bush. First African-American woman on that court. Strong resume: Duke University Law School, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission attorney -- where she worked with Clarence Thomas. Law professor and private attorney. | The Republican nominee has not specified publicly on favorites for the court .
Many names are relatively young judges appointed by George W. Bush.
Seven potential candidates are appeals court judges . |
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