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69,096 | c3ef97af1eb25e9c7938edf6f149667bf7766b76 | Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- An independent commission will be set up to examine Friday's terror attacks in which at least 76 people died, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced Wednesday. Stoltenberg said he wants the commission to prepare an overview of both the bombing in Oslo, in which eight people died, and the mass shooting on Utoya Island, where 68 people attending a youth political camp lost their lives, and report back to Parliament within a year. He wants the commission to have a high degree of integrity, the prime minister said, and hopes its work will prevent any other such attack. "Part of the work of the commission will be to look into the whole scale of the attack," he said. "We've never had an attack on this scale since the Second World War, and it was targeted against a youth movement -- it's an attack against our nation, it's an attack against our democracy." He said it is important for all those affected to have answers to all their questions about what happened. A suspect, Anders Behring Breivik, is in custody and has admitted carrying out the bombing and the shootings, his lawyer and a judge have said. He is being held in solitary confinement at Ila Prison, near Oslo, police said Wednesday. Police released the names Wednesday of 13 more of those killed in the twin attacks. Twelve of them died on Utoya Island, and the 13th was killed in the blast targeting government buildings in Oslo. The youngest among those killed on Utoya was 14-year-old Sharidyn Svebakk-Bohn. The other victims there were Silje Merete Fjellbu, 17; Hanne Balch Fjalestad, 43; Bano Abobakar Rashid, 18; Syvert Knudsen, 17; Diderik Aamodt Olsen, 19; Simon Saebo, 18; Synne Royneland, 18; Trond Berntsen, 51; Birgitte Smetbak, 15; Margrethe Boyum Kloven, 16; and Even Flugstad Malmedal, 18. Anne Lise Holter, 51, was named as having died in the Oslo bombing. Their names take the number of victims formally identified to 17. Police have said they will post an update at 6 p.m. every day until all the victims have been named. Their families will be notified first. In New York, a bell that was given to Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks rang out in memory of all those killed in Norway as those names were released. The Bell of Hope in the churchyard of lower Manhattan's St. Paul's Chapel, a block from ground zero, was sounded by Norwegian Consul Aslaug Nygardat at midday local time, sending out four sets of five somber rings. Meanwhile, police are using a mini-submarine and a specially equipped boat to continue to search waters around Utoya Island, they said Wednesday. They have found personal effects and clothes, they said, adding that the depth of the water and the strength of the currents make it a challenging task. Police and local residents rescued about 300 people who jumped into the waters around the island during the shooting spree, they said Wednesday. Police carried out controlled explosions Tuesday and Wednesday at a farm associated with the suspect, they said. They took samples of bomb-making materials for analysis and detonated the rest because they were considered unstable and unsafe to transport, an Oslo police spokesman told CNN. Stoltenberg said earlier Wednesday that it was too early to look at changes to Norway's security measures, saying now is a "time for mourning ... time for caring for those who have lost loved ones." Norway will look at what it can learn from the tragedy after the police investigation, he said. Stoltenberg said he is proud of the way Norwegians responded to the massacres, with hundreds of thousands rallying in the streets of Oslo on Monday in memory of those killed. He rejected the idea that Norway lost its innocence in the attacks and said he hopes the country will grow stronger in its commitment to its core values. "It's absolutely possible to have an open, democratic society and at the same time to have security measures and not to be naive," he said. Norway's security forces were aware of the danger of violent attacks and were prepared for them, he added. The country remains tense after the bombing and gun rampage. Police in Oslo shut part of the main train station Wednesday morning because of a suspicious package. They evacuated part of the station before declaring an all-clear later in the morning, state broadcaster NRK reported. And an unnamed police officer sparked a panic by accidentally distributing to some media an internal police memo saying they were searching for a man associated with the terror suspect. Police captured the man, who was not linked to Breivik, said police lawyer Per Thomas Omholt. "There's a policeman someplace in Norway today having a bad day," he added, referring to the internal police memo inadvertently being sent out to the media. On Tuesday, Breivik's lawyer told reporters that his client was "a little bit surprised" that he was able to pull off the bombing and shooting rampage, for which authorities say he has claimed responsibility. The attorney, Geir Lippestad, said Breivik was surprised that his plan "succeeded -- succeeded in his mind." Lippestad said Breivik didn't expect to reach Utoya. Before the attacks, Breivik used drugs to keep himself strong and awake, Lippestad said. While he said it was too early to say whether Breivik will plead insanity, Lippestad added, "This whole case indicates that he's insane." During a closed court hearing Monday, the 32-year-old suspect said the attacks were necessary to prevent the "colonization" of Norway by Muslims, said Kim Heger, the presiding judge. Breivik accused the Labour Party of "treason" for promoting multiculturalism, Heger said. Lippestad said Breivik had told him that he was in touch with two terror cells in Norway and in contact with other cells abroad, but that he acted alone in carrying out the attack on Utoya and the Oslo bombing. Police have said they are investigating the claim that Breivik was in contact with other cells but have not confirmed that they exist. Prosecutors are considering charging Breivik with crimes against humanity, according to police. He is facing terror-related charges that carry a maximum 21-year sentence. Breivik appears to have written a 1,500-page manifesto that rants against Muslims and lays out meticulous plans to prepare for the attacks. In it, the author vilifies Stoltenberg and the Labour Party, accusing it of perpetuating "cultural Marxist/multiculturalist ideals" and indoctrinating youths with those ideals. The author accuses the Labour Party of embracing those ideals and allowing the "Islamification of Europe." CNN has not independently confirmed that Breivik is the author of the manifesto, which bears his name and says it is intended to be circulated among sympathizers. The writer rails against Muslims and their growing presence in Europe, and calls for a European civil war to overthrow governments, end multiculturalism and execute "cultural Marxists." CNN's Jonathan Wald, Nic Robertson, Antonia Mortensen, Laura Smith-Spark, Laura Perez Maestro, Michael Holmes, Jennifer Deaton, Erin McLaughlin and Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | NEW: Anders Breivik is being held in solitary confinement in a prison near Oslo, police say .
NEW: A bell tolls near Manhattan's ground zero in memory of the 76 people killed in Norway .
Police release the names of 13 more victims, the youngest of them just 14 years old .
PM Jens Stoltenberg says an independent commission will look at the 22 July attacks . |
109,302 | 18e29bc4cf59ab82ea7f693542968091a7b17f1f | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 08:19 EST, 18 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:49 EST, 18 July 2012 . A pregnant ex-girlfriend of Aston Villa footballer Gabriel Agbonlahor has been accused of harassing the mother of one of his children by posting ‘distressing’ messages on Facebook. Sophie Smith allegedly used a pseudonym to send Elizabeth Wheeler a 'considerable number' of 'distressing' messages via the social networking site between November 2008 and May this year, a court has heard. Smith, of Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, has appeared before magistrates in Walsall charged with sending a false message by the public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety. Accused: Sophie Smith (pictured), who is 36 weeks' pregnant, has appeared at court charged with sending a false message by the public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety . The 25-year-old, who is 36 weeks' pregnant, is understood to have strenuously denied the claims but has yet to enter an official plea to the charges. Smith is the childhood sweetheart of the millionaire footballer and began dating him in 2003, before they later split. She was represented in court by solicitor Michael O’Mahoney and did not enter a plea. Mr O’Mahoney said it was alleged Smith had sent 'a considerable number' of messages and that there was 'also a suggestion of stalking and harassment'. Magistrates granted Smith bail on the . condition that she has no contact with either Miss Wheeler or Tia . Hithersay, another of Agbonlahor's former girlfriends. She . was also ordered not to go to an address in Streetly, West Midlands, . and not to use social network sites Facebook and Twitter under . pseudonyms, JPs were told. Footballer Gabriel Agbonlahor, left, has a four-year-old son with Miss Wheeler, right, but was in a relationship with Smith in 2003 . Smith is due back before the court on July 24. Miss Wheeler is the mother of Agbonlahor's four-year-old son and has previously used Twitter account to talk about the father of her child. After Villa lost to Chelsea at Villa Park in March, she wrote: 'Seeing my baby on the pitch wiv my hubby yday was one of the proudest moments of my life, cried like a baby only in front of 40,000 ppl.' Miss Wheeler is said to have met the England striker on a 2006 'lads' holiday’ in Greece. Agbonlahor has also previously dated ex-air stewardess and underwear model Ms Hithersay - who is a friend of Ms Wheeler on Twitter. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Sophie Smith 'sent distressing messages' to Elizabeth Wheeler over a three-and-a-half-year period .
The 25-year-old, who is 36 weeks pregnant, dated footballer in 2003 while Miss Wheeler has been in a relationship with him since 2006 . |
150,613 | 4eb7997edc6ff3e33de78c7d7aa49ed3aadd8e3c | (CNN) -- The Governator is back! Retired from politics, Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking a leaf out of his "Expendables" buddy Sylvester Stallone's book and setting out to prove that he can still kick butt at 65. "The Last Stand" represents his first starring role in eight years, and it seems there's plenty more gas in his tank. The timing for a primed, pumped, itchy-trigger-finger shoot-em-up leaves something to be desired, no doubt, but with Nicolas Cage unaccountably AWOL this January, Arnie has the knucklehead R-rated action field pretty much to himself. What's more, "The Last Stand" brings it. If you park your brain outside, and double-park any misgivings about vicarious gun mayhem right alongside, it's passable fun. It's a modern-day Western -- a souped-up and dumbed-down "Rio Bravo," if you will -- with Schwarzenegger making like John Wayne as border town Sheriff Ray Owens, the last man standing between a runaway bad guy (Mexican drug baron Eduardo Noreiga) and his freedom. Charting a spectacularly erratic 24-hour course, the movie juggles self-consciously hokey small-town comedy with slick (or at least semi-slick) high-tech chase scenes as the road-racing desperado leads Forest Whitaker and the feds on a merry chase through the Southwest in his prototype Corvette 01. The auto action seems a transparent pitch to sell high-end sports cars and inject a little momentum in a movie that's equally content to dawdle over its morning coffee, shooting the breeze with amusing (or at least semi-amusing) supporting players like Ray's deputies, ornery Mike (Luis Guzman in the Walter Brennan role), bumbling Jerry (Zach Gilford), and sexy Sarah (Jaimie Alexander). Johnny Knoxville gets unaccountably prominent billing for little more than an extended cameo as a guy named Dinkum, a screwy gun nut with a penchant for cavalier headgear. He's excruciating, but almost puppy-like he's so eager to please. The same might go for director Kim Jee-woon, a talented Korean known for macabre ghost stories like "A Tale of Two Sisters," whacky adventures ("The Good, the Bad, the Weird"), and grisly cop thrillers ("I Saw the Devil"). His first U.S. effort is full of bold, broad comic book strokes -- some of them pleasingly original, like a car chase through a cornfield, the husks of corn thudding against the windscreens like oversized bugs. Listen to how he picks out the sound of a helmet rolling across the pavement. That's a filmmaker alert to his environment and the tools at this command. But there's just as much that's ham-fisted or tin-eared. At best these are stereotypes we might recognize from other B flicks. There's never a whiff of authenticity, except maybe when Harry Dean Stanton appears for a cruelly brief bit part as a cranky local farmer. The uninspired score by Kim's countryman Mowg doesn't lift the so-so climactic shoot-out any, but the movie's tongue in cheek humor will buy off most of the target audience. And Arnie? He's indestructible. | Movie is Schwarzenegger's first starring role in eight years .
He plays border town Sheriff Ray Owens .
It's the first U.S. effort for director Kim Jee-woon . |
118,038 | 246f1b8f4bcbc406b6ad0344e763c34ec056981f | Holland coach Guus Hiddink blamed Kazakhstan's early goal for the problems his side faced breaking down the visitors before three goals in the last half-hour secured their first win of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Holland dominated possession but surprisingly fell behind when Renat Abdulin's diving header from a corner in the 17th minute gave goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen no chance. The Kazakhstan defence was like a brick wall that held firm until goals by substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ibrahim Afellay and a Robin van Persie penalty earned victory in Group A. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring Holland's equaliser . Guus Hiddink (centre) stands for the Dutch anthem with Danny Blind (left) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (right) 'We were thrown back by their only corner of the game. After the opening goal they lined up in a (wall-like) defence,' Hiddink told reporters. 'Then it is up to you to break through by executing a high-speed passing game, but that didn't always work. It is important not to panic. If you keep playing like that the goals will come sooner or later.' The final 30 minutes proved Hiddink right after a tactical change that was the turning point in the match. The hosts started with a traditional 4-3-3 after the 5-3-2 system former Holland coach Louis van Gaal successfully used at the World Cup in Brazil did not work in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier against the Czech Republic which they lost 2-1. The Dutch players celebrate Robin van Persie's goal that secured three points for Holland . Van Persie (right) and Leroy Fer (left) celebrate Van Persie's late penalty on Friday night . Hiddink added another striker when Huntelaar came on for defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong in the 55th minute. The Schalke captain paired up with national team skipper Robin van Persie up front and rewarded the coach by heading in a free kick six minutes after coming off the bench. Moments later Kazakhstan were reduced to 10 men when striker Baurzhan Dzholchiyev was dismissed for a tackle from behind on Afellay, who put the Dutch ahead with only eight minutes left to cap his return to the national team after 23 months. The Olympiakos Piraeus midfielder had been plagued by injury in the previous two seasons Which kept him out of the team. 'Afellay has had a difficult time. It is good to see he has found the way back up. I think he played with a great drive today,' said Hiddink. Van Persie wrapped up the win with a penalty in the 89th. Hiddink has only four days to determine whether he will stick to a 4-3-3 formation with their next European Championship qualifier against Iceland scheduled for Monday. (Editing by Ken Ferris) | Guus Hiddink described Kazakhstan's defence as 'like a brick wall'
The Dutch coach went on to say they scored with their only corner .
Hiddink made a tactical change for the last 30 minutes and it paid off .
Huntelaar was brought on in the 55th minute and scored in the 62nd . |
247,426 | cc2f24c1580b59a42371ba88e1a8cbf9f2b51a7e | Cover-up: Former Archbishop Lord Hope allowed a paedophile priest to escape punishment for sex crimes, a judge's report claims . A Church of England Archbishop covered up the crimes of a serial child sex abuser, a damning report by a judge said yesterday. The former Archbishop of York, Lord Hope, allowed the Very Rev Robert Waddington to escape exposure or punishment for his actions. The judge said Lord Hope’s ‘concern for the welfare of Robert Waddington seems to have been paramount’. Judge Sally Cahill said: ‘Because of the actions he took, and his inaction on other occasions, opportunities were missed for an investigation which may have led to a prosecution during Robert Waddington’s lifetime.’ Waddington died in 2007. One of his victims committed suicide in 1989. Lord Hope had been second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury in the hierarchy of the Anglican Church while in the post from 1995 to 2005. The 74-year-old remains an active Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Bradford. The report listed seven breaches of Church safeguarding rules by Lord Hope in 1999, five in 2003 and six in 2004. It added that the Bishop of Manchester, the Right Rev Nigel McCulloch, did not take any action out of respect for and obedience to his superior, Lord Hope. The judge’s 126-page report into the way the Church behaved blamed ‘cumulative’ failings by Lord Hope. Claims by Lord Hope that he followed guidelines on abuse were rejected, with the judge saying his failings included ‘not following the Church’s policies’. The judge’s report was drawn up following the decision last year by former Manchester chorister Eli Ward to speak out. He told how from the age of 11 he was groomed and then sexually abused by Waddington. The assaults began in 1984, shortly after Waddington became Dean of Manchester, the cleric in charge of the cathedral. He held the job for nine years. Seven victims who complained about abuse by Waddington between 1955 and 1996 were listed in the report. A head chorister from Carlisle, where Waddington worked in the 1970s, was said to have taken holidays with the clergyman and visited his home. After leaving university the boy, named as Peter and nicknamed Tweet, developed depression and schizophrenia before committing suicide in 1989. Robert Waddington died in 2007. He had been accused of abusing seven different victims between 1955 and 1996 . Judge Cahill said: ‘There is no information that we have received which leads us to doubt the veracity of the accounts we have heard and read from the alleged victims.’ The present Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend John Sentamu, who took over from Lord Hope, said: ‘I am deeply ashamed that the Church was not vigilant enough to ensure that these things did not happen, failing both to watch and to act, when children were at serious risk.’ The Archbishop made a ‘whole-hearted apology’ to the victims, adding: ‘The report is the result of painstakingly meticulous research and, as such, deserves the utmost attention.’ In a statement, Lord Hope described Judge Cahill’s report as ‘flawed’ and said he was ‘disappointed’ with it. He accused the judge of criticising him unfairly and misunderstanding Church policies. Lord Hope added: ‘This report makes clear that not applying the policy is not the same as a cover-up. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If either of the two persons concerned feel in the light of this report they have been denied the justice they deserve then on behalf of the Church, I offer my personal and profound apology.’ Judge Cahill made a string of recommendations for reforms to CofE child protection policies. Archbishop Sentamu also said the Church would in future ensure that cathedral choirboys are always chaperoned by ‘suitably trained adults’ and that priests may be required to report to police if they hear confessions of child abuse. The Church of England declined to publish Judge Cahill’s report online, which means it is not easily available to the public. The Church said this was ‘at the request of some of those interviewed by the inquiry’. Church officials said the request was made by victims of Waddington. | Report claims Church of England Archbishop covered up abuser's crimes .
Judge Sally Cahill said Lord Hope allowed reverend to escape punishment .
Sex offender priest, The Very Reverend Robert Waddington, died in 2007 .
Report listed seven breaches of Church safeguarding rules by Lord Hope . |
153,592 | 5276fff1335c5fcd098e54a6d2ac7172bc321325 | By . Mike Dickson for The Mail on Sunday . Andy Murray is hoping that some of Rory McIlroy’s recently-acquired magic dust can be sprinkled on him as he tries to mount a first successful run at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon last year. After five days’ training ahead of the US Open, the 27-year-old Scot took time off on Friday to watch McIlroy in action in nearby New Jersey before spending the evening courtside at Madison Square Garden to see the USA basketball team play. He also had dinner in Manhattan with McIlroy earlier this week, the two sportsmen having a strong understanding of what it is like to be each other. Scroll down for videos... Chilling out: Andy Murray (2nd right) and girlfriend Kim Sears watch basketball at Madison Square Garden . Nice to meet you: American director Spike Lee shakes hands with Murray at the basketball match . I'm over here: Golfer Rory McIlroy waves to Murray as he sits courtside in New York for USA v Puerto Rico . Is it working? Andy Murray is facing a decisive test at the US Open under coach Amelie Mauresmo . Judgment day: Andy Murray practises ahead of the year's final grand slam, the US Open in New York . Game for a laugh: Andy Murray (centre) shares a joke with Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams during a pre-US Open skills competition . Best of the best: Andy Murray (C), Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams will be among US Open favourites . ‘It was fun. I have never been to watch golf live before,’ Murray said ‘So, you know, for a first experience, watching the best player in the world was pretty good. ‘I really enjoyed it. I guess it’s like pretty much any sport — when you watch them up close it’s impressive. Then in the evening, I went to the basketball, which I love watching. But this time to sit that close and see those guys. . . they’re huge guys, but just unbelievably quick, great athletes.It was a fun day for me.’ Murray may be an avid sports fan but that passion will probably not extend to watching his mother Judy in Strictly Come Dancing, after it was confirmed this week that she will take part in this winter’s competition. ‘I mean, if it makes her happy, then I will support her,’ he smiled. ‘I’m not really into those shows, but she loves it. I mean, she watches it all the of the time, talks about it all the time. So, yeah, if she enjoys it, then I’m happy for her. I don’t believe I have ever seen her dance, to be honest. It will be interesting.’ The serious business starts tomorrow for the now No 8 seed, when he takes on Dutchman Robin Haase in the Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he has had plenty of difficult matches before. Joking aside: Andy Murray and Amelie Mauresmo have enjoyed a relaxed relationship . Scowl: Andy Murray lost to Roger Federer in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters . Haase described his knee as being like that of a 60 or 70-year-old, but he can manage the condition. He expressed surprise that Murray has hired Amelie Mauresmo as coach, although not because she is a woman. ‘For me it’s a surprise that many tennis players work with ex-tennis players now . . . for example, I wouldn’t work with an ex-professional just because they have no experience as a coach. ‘When you are No 1, 2 or 3 in the world, you want to improve maybe those things you can only find in an ex-player so I totally understand, and if that’s a woman or a man, I think that doesn’t make a huge difference. I would have never done it, although that’s me.” Murray has enjoyed her more consensual, attentive approach but his fellow former Wimbledon champion from last year, Marion Bartoli, is warning against people misinterpreting Mauresmo as some kind of soft touch. ‘She is not someone who is soft all the time, definitely not,’ said Bartoli — commentating for Sky this week — who has been coached herself by Mauresmo. ‘If something was wrong she was making her point strongly that it was wrong and that I or my team-mates needed to correct it. She is not a soft person, maybe she is making you feel comfortable but when you weren’t doing your best or I was having a lack of concentration she made sure I was back on track, really making a point of it. Let's celebrate: Mauresmo helped guide Marion Bartoli (right) to the Wimbledon title in 2013 . Girl power: Heather Watson will be flying the flag for Britain's female players at Flushing Meadows . ‘I can only speak from my own experience but when I was with her at a Fed Cup tie or some time together at Wimbledon she’s very funny and can make a few jokes. It was an easy relationship and the flow was going extremely well, but then again when it was out on court it was all about concentration and making sure everyone was focused on the goal of winning the match. ‘There was a time for fun and a time for business and she was able to separate the two.’ Bartoli always expected Mauresmo to require ‘two to three months’ to settle in with Murray as she would need to learn about the men’s tour. ‘The men’s and women’s games are different but I do think people should be judged on their ability to do the job. For me it’s never been a problem of female or male in coaching, it’s more about your own capabilities.’ In the absence of Laura Robson, who is still recovering from her long-term wrist injury, Heather Watson will fly the British flag in the women’s singles in the company of Johanna Konta. Watson, who plays Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, has improved this summer after last year’s bout of glandular fever, to the point where she is ranked 45 in the world. The Briton — who recently beat the world No 12 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia — feels much happier about her prospects than she was 12 months ago. She said: ‘I was kind of dreading my match then because I came in with zero matches, but I’m a different player now, more aggressive and my confidence is up. Sky Sports have an unrivalled schedule of sport this autumn, including US Open tennis, Barclays Premier League, the Ryder Cup, UEFA Champions League, Euro 2016 qualifiers, rugby union Autumn Internationals and Formula 1. | Andy Murray is preparing for the US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York .
British No 1 has been working with female coach Amelie Mauresmo .
Former world No 1 Mauresmo helped Marion Bartoli to Wimbledon victory .
Bartoli says that Mauresmo will not be afraid to get tough with Murray . |
123,881 | 2c259420c4849f6ad677b2550638c3e636839d14 | Sweden has confirmed that a small foreign submarine illegally entered its waters off the coast of Stockholm last month. Military officials said the nationality of the intruders can not be confirmed, but several defense analysts say Russia remains the likely culprit. Russian media has in turn responded by claiming that it was a NATO submarine, and accusing the Swedes of cowardice and deliberately keeping the nationality a secret. Proof: An image of the seabed off the coast of Stockholm which was provided as evidence of foreign submarine activity at today's press conference . The Swedish Armed Forces' Commander-in-chief Sverker Göranson confirmed the violation during a press conference this morning, held with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist. 'The Swedish Armed forces can now confirm that a smaller submarine violated Swedish territory,' Göranson said. 'There is no doubt about this. We can rule out all other alternative explanations.' Göranson added that the government is 'one-hundred per cent sure' of the violation, which he calls 'deeply serious'. 'It's impossible to confirm any nationality. But we can confirm the fact that it has been there,' Göranson said. Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist, and The Swedish Armed Forces' Commander-in-chief Sverker Göranson arrive for a news conference in Stockholm where they confirmed that a small foreign submarine illegally entered its waters last month . Is this it? This grainy amateur photo showing a mysterious vessel in Stockholm's archipelago was released by the Swedish military during the hunt, the captions bottom right reads: 'Object moves at speed through the water. Bearing south. Heavy self-generated foaming' Prime Minister Löfven warned that such incursions into Swedish territory presented 'enormous risks' for those involved and that Sweden would defend its borders 'with all available means'. Should a nationality be confirmed at any point, it will be a major test for Mr Löfven, a former welder who has never even sat in parliament before becoming prime minister, and his Social Democrat-Green Party coalition government. During the week-long hunt for the intruders, it was reported to have been a Russian intrusion into Swedish waters, and several defense experts maintain that this is the case. Today, former foreign minister Carl Bildt made a thinly veiled hint at Russian responsibility, by tweeting: 'Swedish Armed Forces can’t identify nationality of intruding submarine. Looks like small green subs' The 'small green subs' refers to the Russian annexation of Crimea, which began with 'green men' landing on the Ukrainian peninsula. The leader of the Swedish Liberal Party, Jan Bjorklund, went even further, telling Aftonbladet, that there could be no other conclusion than that Russia was responsible. Russian media was quick to hit back, with pro-Putin newspaper Rossijskaja Gazeta accusing NATO of being responsible for the intrusion, and the Swedish military of keeping schtum about it. 'So it is about their own - NATO. But to say that means admitting that the Russians are not responsible. 'But the Swedish military is clearly not able to take such a manly step. This is why Mr Göranson acts as if he had water in his mouth [a Russian saying meaning 'clamming up'] . Any other logical explanation to his inability to announce which country the submarine was from, clearly does not exist,' writes Rossijskaja Gazeta. Under attack: Although he Swedish government has confirmed an illegal breach of Swedish borders, the nationality of the vessel cannot be confirmed . Armed and ready: Prime Minister Löfven said Sweden would defend its borders 'with all available means' Göranson said the military obtained evidence of the intrusion with its own sensors,and provided images of the seabed where trails left by the submarine could be seen. Löfven noted that Sweden's coastline is as long as the U.S. East Coast, making it difficult to monitor, but promised to strengthen the country's ability to find and identify intruders. 'Let me say this, loud and clear, to those who are responsible: It is completely unacceptable,' Löfven said. The Scandinavian country launched its biggest submarine hunt since the Cold War on October 17, after receiving eyewitness reports of 'underwater activity' in the archipelago that extends from Stockholm into the Baltic Sea. The week-long hunt has involved more than 200 troops, stealth ships and helicopters but the military called it off after concluding that the vessel had probably escaped into the Baltic. The military said then that it was likely that a foreign . submarine or divers had been active in the archipelago, but fell . short of concluding that there was absolute proof of an . intrusion into Swedish water. Sweden built up an anti-submarine force after a Soviet sub with nuclear weapons ran aground off its southern shores in 1981, but started dismantling the force as part of deep cuts in defense spending after the Cold War ended. Anti-submarine helicopters were phased out in 2008 and replacements are not expected until 2018. | Foreign submarine violated Swedish borders, government confirms .
Which country was behind illegal intrusion is still unclear .
Russian media responded by claiming it was a NATO sub .
Comes after initial denial that breach had been made by submarine .
More than 200 troops, ships and helicopters involved in hunt last month .
Several sources said at the time that the submarine was Russian . |
101,502 | 0ed531db9eb898bc4f6238bc7c4fa7a537a8786c | (CNN) -- Much has been said about Kim Kardashian in the weeks leading up to her wedding, and now the reality star is speaking for herself. The 33-year-old opened up Wednesday on topics ranging from the truth about her wedding dress to racism. For starters, she posted May 7, she and fiance Kanye West aren't married yet, despite speculation earlier in the week that the two had secured a marriage license. They're also not going to film their upcoming nuptials for E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." "You will see everything leading up til and after!" Kardashian tweeted. "As much as we would love to share these memories on camera, we've decided to keep this close to our heart & share thru photos." There's also been chatter about who will and won't be coming to the Kardashian-West wedding -- People magazine has indicated that the Kardashian family will be there, but not West's pals Jay Z and Beyonce -- while others have gossiped about the details of Kardashian's wedding dress. Yet according to the reality star, her fans shouldn't believe a word "unless you hear it from us." "No guest list has been released. Seeing fake ones," she tweeted. "Especially not 1600 people invited like I just read. (The wedding is) VERY small & intimate." And for that matter, she's seen "fake wedding dress pics of me. No one has seen my dress! Those photos are old or Photoshopped." After Kardashian got those wedding-related thoughts off her chest, she turned to a more serious matter: how being a mother of a mixed-race child has affected her understanding of racism. In a blog post titled "On My Mind," Kardashian spoke about how welcoming daughter North with West last June is like getting "to see the world for the first time again, but through someone else's eyes." "It's amazing how one little person and the love I have for her has brought new meaning to every moment. What once seemed so important, now feels insignificant," she writes. "To be honest, before I had North, I never really gave racism or discrimination a lot of thought. It is obviously a topic that Kanye is passionate about, but I guess it was easier for me to believe that it was someone else's battle." But with the arrival of her daughter, Kardashian says she's more aware "of a side of life that isn't always so pretty." "I feel a responsibility as a mother, a public figure, a human being, to do what I can to make sure that not only my child, but all children, don't have to grow up in a world where they are judged by the color of their skin, or their gender, or their sexual orientation," Kardashian concluded. "I want my daughter growing up in a world where love for one another is the most important thing." | Kim Kardashian shared multiple thoughts on May 7 .
Some of it dispelled wedding rumors, others touched on more serious topics .
The reality star is set to marry Kanye West on May 24 . |
154,853 | 541e5c95f74535c1089706d70a64bb785e7b8f6a | (CNN) -- That Africans today so dominate distance running is in part testament to the career of Kipchoge (Kip) Keino. Keino claimed an unexpected victory in the 3,000m steeplechase in Munich in 1972. The first black African to break onto the international stage at the beginning of the 1960s, Kip Keino won two Olympic golds and was a formidable force in the sport for 12 years. Other athletes would win more golds, but few would win races and hold records at all distances from 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters. Keino was 24-years-old before he competed at his first Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 where he finished 10th and fifth in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters respectively. In 1965 he broke two world records: the 3,000m at Helsingborg in Sweden in seven minutes 39.6 seconds (his first attempt at the distance); and the 5,000m in Auckland in 13 minutes 24.2 seconds. His form looked good for the high-altitude games of Mexico City in 1968, but stomach cramps forced him out of the 10,000m with just two laps to go. He recovered to win a stunning gold in the 1,500m. Knowing that race favorite, Jim Ryun had a devastating kick in the final hundreds, Keino decided to hit the front early. He managed to hold on and finished 20 meters ahead of Ryan -- the largest winning margin and the second fastest time in the event's history. Born to run . In the same year he also took a silver in the 5,000m. He had run six races in just eight days despite a gallbladder infection. But it was at the Munich Games of 1972 that the untrained Nandi tribesman from Kipsano, in the high plains of Kenya, proved he was born to run. In the steeplechase, with only one win from his previous four competitive attempts at the event and twenty-three others lining up with better personal times, Keino was not even expected to make the final. Yet, somehow he staved off challenges from his more experienced compatriot, Ben Jipcho, and Finland's Tapio Kantanen, to win in an Olympic record time of eight minutes 23.6 seconds. Keino will be remembered for two things: opening up the latent athletic talent of Africa and his disquieting natural ability to conquer all-comers in five distinct events. When he finally retired after the All Africa Games in Lagos in 1975, he fittingly returned home to a daughter he and his wife had named Milka Olympia Chelagat. | Olympic record: 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals .
The first black African to break onto the international stage .
He had run six races in just eight days despite a gallbladder infection .
Runner; born January 17, 1940, in Kenya . |
16,349 | 2e602a961860dc4b07bd851e2dc4eb78b52de6b8 | By . Amanda Willliams . A personal assistant to the James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has denied stealing a designer watch and more than £11,000 to pay off court and parking fines. Darren Bailey, 39, is accused of taking a luxury Omega watch - such as those worn by Bond stars Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan - which belonged to Bond filmmakers Eon Productions, while working for Ms Broccoli. The Omega brand first featured in 1995’s GoldenEye, and was used again in the Bafta-winning Skyfall. Darren Bailey (left) , personal assistant to the James Bond . producer Barbara Broccoli (right) has denied stealing a designer watch and more . than £11,000 to pay off court and parking fines . Bailey is also accused of using his company card issued by Eon to pay £5,000 in court fines and another £564.96 in parking fines, Southwark Crown Court heard. It is also claimed he used Ms Broccoli’s bank card to clear a further £4,000 in court fines, fleeced her out of another £1,400 and stole an extra £700 from Eon. It is alleged Bailey committed the thefts between March 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Darren Bailey, 39, is accused of taking a luxury Omega watch - such as those worn by Bond stars Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan - which belonged to Bond filmmakers Eon Production . Bailey entered not guilty pleas to three counts of fraud and three counts of theft. Judge Alistair McCreath granted Bailey bail on condition that he does not have any contact with anyone from Eon Productions. He is accused of stealing the Omega watch between September 30 and December 1, 2012, from the company, which has a base in Piccadilly and operates from the world-famous Pinewood Studios. He is accused of stealing the Omega watch between September 30 and December 1, 2012, from the company, which has a base in Piccadilly and operates from the world-famous Pinewood Studios . Los . Angeles-born Ms Broccoli, 53, has co-produced every 007 film since . Goldeneye, and was brought into the franchise by her father, legendary . Bond producer Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli. Ms Broccoli gave evidence as a prosecution witness during Max Clifford’s trial at Southwark Crown Court, where she denied the shamed PR guru had ever met her famous father. Clifford - jailed for eight years last May - pretended to represent Mr Broccoli when he promised a teenage dancer the chance to be a Bond girl, before molesting her. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Darren Bailey is accused of taking Omega watch from Eon Productions .
Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan wore similar models in the Bond films .
Also accused of using company card issued to pay £5,000 in court fines .
He allegedly paid £564.96 in parking fines with the card as well .
It is claimed he used Ms Broccoli’s .
bank card to clear further £4,000 fines .
He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud and three counts of theft . |
107,500 | 16a56c0b216b315f0f53418db54e85db5eb7ca46 | (CNN) -- In a tiny car repair shop in the Jordanian capital of Amman, one can encounter the latest efforts to solve the country's sky high youth unemployment rate. It's here that 23-year-old Khaleel Anwar can now fix his sights on a career after a year-long apprenticeship program. "I learned so many things such as how to monitor a car using an electronic device, also how to fill gas the proper way using this device," Anwar said. After years of debate on how to lift up the most vulnerable, training programs are targeting the informal economy and small businesses that need qualified workers. This is a regional challenge. Youth unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa is running above 27%, the highest in the world. Jordan's is slightly above that average and the government has allocated ample resources to try and reverse this trend. According to the World Bank, this equates to some 10% of GDP for the last two decades. But the challenge is to close the gap between what happens here in the classroom and what is needed by industry. This is where Yasser Ali of the International Labour Organization (ILO) comes into the picture. For their auto academy pilot program, the ILO brought together trade unions and private sector companies to see what is needed in the labor market. "Thinking like this can make a step forward in order to address youth unemployment but it needs involvement of all partners in this process," Ali said. And the early results are promising. Trainer and mentor, Youssef Rahal, said he's taught nearly 200 students with a placement rate of 89%. "There is a drastic change in the students," Rahal said. "They come to us with no skills; they are either drop outs or only have high school degrees, they are 17, 18, 19, 20-year-olds." Countrywide endeavor . It's not just in the inner cities that are the focus of the training programs. In the rural Bedouin area of Mafraq two hours drive from Amman, there is ground breaking work taking place inside a local community center. Up to 50 women, many who have not held jobs before, are being trained to work in a textile factory that is being built nearby. "There is strong demand because it's a ladies environment and everything is available for us," said Tahani Salama, a worker in the factory. "The most important is transportation that is guaranteed." Her colleague Ruwaida Thamri agrees. "It has helped me to meet new people. I now know how to communicate with my manager and my colleagues." According to the local tribal leader, Nimer Al Fawwaz, such progress has only been made possible by having a dialogue with parents to get support for women to enter the workforce -- which represents a cultural breakthrough in itself. "We want more courses and more attention to it and focus on more production companies within this area," Al Fawwaz said. Call it a small success story for a big problem plaguing the region. | Training programs are aiming to bring more young Jordanians into workforce .
Youth unemployment in Jordan is amongst highest in the world .
Country has worked with International Labour Organization to address issue . |
223,596 | ad7f5c5fb056079bf2bd388223d4ae06b63c2d0f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:25 EST, 16 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:00 EST, 17 March 2014 . Disney has announced that they will be making their first British production, teaming up with the company who made The Only Way Is Essex to create a four-part mystery adventure. The media giant will be working on their first ever British non-animated film to created a movie event with Bafta award-winning Lime Pictures, the production team behind Hollyoaks and TOWIE. The movie event, called 'Evermoor', will be made in the UK, and broadcast on the flagship U.S. Disney channel. Media Giant: Disney will be teaming up with the British company for the first time to produce a four-part series called 'Evermoor', mixing a U.S. family with a UK setting . Billed as a mystery adventure, 'Evermoor' will follow American teenager Tara Bailey, who has been uprooted from her U.S. home and sent abroad to England. She arrives in an isolated village named Evermoor, on the edge of creepy moors in middle England. As her mother and stepfather are busy unpacking, Tara and her siblings try to adjust to their new home. But soon they are faced with danger and have to unite to save their new home, and their family’s new start in England. Collaboration: Disney will be working with Lime Pictures, the Bafta award-winning company that made, among other productions, The Only Way Is Essex (pictured) Tricia Wilber, chief marketing officer at The Walt Disney Company Europe and Middle East and Africa, said the film was the organisation’s 'most ambitious production yet'. David Levine, the company’s vice president for programming and production, said: 'Evermoor is a hugely exciting project for the team, with a gripping story that I’m sure will captivate our global Disney Channel audience.' Claire Poyser, managing director for Lime Pictures, said: 'We are delighted to be the first independent production company in the UK to work with Disney on a live action movie to be aired worldwide including the US. 'Evermoor extends Lime’s reputation for producing fantastic children’s drama that is inspiring for the whole family.' The film is set to be aired in 160 countries across the world from autumn this year. | Disney will team up with Lime Pictures to create mystery show 'Evermoor'
Show will focus on U.S. family uprooted to spooky moor village in UK .
This is the first time Disney has teamed with a British production company .
Lime Pictures are Bafta award-winning creators of TOWIE and Hollyoaks . |
219,538 | a82abfdc6f5fd71fc48abc77119b4bc491f0f41a | (Lonely Planet) -- The romance of long ocean and river voyages of history holds powerful sway over the dreams of many world travelers. But there's no need to relegate the great voyage to the realm of books and dreams -- many can still be done today in classic style. The following ocean and river voyages rank among the most iconic and memorable travel experiences on or off water. So put on your best Poirot accent, and brush up on your Huck Finn river lingo, and climb aboard for the voyages of a lifetime. 1. The Nile . Sailing boat or time machine? The world's longest river feels like it's the oldest, and to board a vessel on the Nile is to peel back millennia and slow down to river speed as ancient temples, oxcarts and palm trees -- unaltered since Pharaohs ruled the roost -- pass by. Essential experiences: . Docking at Luxor for Ancient Egypt's finest: the colossal columns of Karnak, Luxor Temple (best seen lit up after dark) and the Valley of the Kings. Quaffing cocktails on the veranda of Aswan's grand Old Cataract Hotel. Entering the tombs of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, relocated in the 1960s to avoid being covered by the waters of Lake Nasser. Seeing the 'smoking water' of 45m-high Tis Issat (Blue Nile Falls) in Ethiopia. Lonely Planet: The world's greatest historical journeys . 2. The Northwest Passage . Sail through the most legendary shipping route on Earth, following in the wake of a host of Victorian-era explorers seeking the ocean's holy grail: safe boat passage across the frozen top of North America to the riches of Asia. Essential experiences: . Wandering through the Northwest Passage Park and Interpretive Centre at Gjoa Haven, in Nunavut. Stopping in at Beechey Island, a national historic site east of Cornwallis Island, where the Franklin expedition wintered before vanishing forever -- traces of the men and their unsuccessful rescuers remain. Viewing the remains of Roald Amundsen's schooner Maud in the harbor of Cambridge Bay, where Northwest Passage explorers often took shelter. 3. Norway's fjords . Scoured and gouged by ancient glaciers, Norway's fjords are a veritable wonderland. These deep, sea-drowned valleys, scissored by impossibly rugged terrain, were recently voted by National Geographic Traveler magazine as the world's best travel destination. Essential experiences: . Staring gobsmacked at the imposing cliffs of Geirangerfjord. Taking the thrilling Flåmsbana railway trip between Hardangervidda and Flåm. Appreciating art nouveau architecture in charming Ålesund. Thrilling to the delights of Bergen, a beautiful, charming city, with a World Heritage-listed neighborhood, Bryggen, and buzzing harbor, ringed by seven hills and seven fjords. 4. Down the Mississippi to New Orleans . The Mississippi: America's most important river. It gave birth to the blues, Huckleberry Finn, Budweiser and much more. It witnessed the Civil War and the end of slavery. Follow it all the way down to New Orleans and bid it farewell as it leaves, seeping out into the Gulf of Mexico. Essential experiences: . Visiting the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal to bone up on your Huck Finn knowledge, and finding the places he transposed into his famous novel. Exploring Memphis' Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum to learn about the transportation of slaves down the river to freedom. Making a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, and getting a dose of the blues in Clarksdale. Savoring river cuisine: slow-burning tamales and melt-off-the-bone ribs in Clarksdale; chili tamales and steaks in Greenville; and the full gamut of Cajun and Creole cuisine in New Orleans. 5. The River Ganges . Glacial teardrops gather into streams, cascading into navigable white water and eventually smoothing into a serene mocha river that cleanses sins, transports souls and irrigates productive farmland. It is the Mother Ganga, India's most sacred river. Lonely Planet: How to travel like a kid . Essential experiences: . Trekking from Gangotri Temple to Gaumukh, the terminus for the hulking Gangotri Glacier, the source of the Ganges. Meditating the ashrams of yoga-mecca Rishikesh, where the Fab Four got their Eastern fix in the 1960s. Snapping photos and absorbing the devotional spirit of India in the overlooked city of Haridwar. Exploring the tumbledown ghats on foot or by boat in Varanasi, as the pilgrims bathe in the holy river. Lonely Planet: The very best time to visit a National Park is... 6. The Amazon River . The Amazon: Physically, it's immense and mythically it's the very same. A riverine Amazon journey never fails to evoke overlapping imagery: exotic, dense rain forest; indigenous tribes; abundant wildlife; enveloping mystery; sometimes even menace. Essential experiences: . Canoeing through a flooded forest. Dozing in a hammock on a slow boat to nowhere. Listening to the song of a thousand birds and the eerie cry of howler monkeys. Stopping at a riverside town and hiking through the lush rainforest. 7. Mekong River . One of the world's longest rivers, to follow it is to experience the great cultural and geographical diversity of a continent, to absorb its many refractions of Buddhism and to meet rural Asia at her most picturesque, almost always bathed in natural, mystical beauty. Essential experiences: . Wandering along the headwaters in the unforgettable Tibetan Plateau where cultures collide in the shadow of the Himalayas. Exploring China's mystical and enchanting Yunnan Province, dotted with limestone peaks and carved with deep river gorges. Being seduced by the saffron-robed monks, shady streets, colonial buildings, handicrafts and patisseries of charming and delicious, Luang Prabang. Exploring the vast, colorful water world that is the Mekong Delta. 8. The Yangtze by slow boat . A cruise down China's Yangtze, the world's third-longest river, is one of the most memorable water-borne journeys on earth. When the river threads through the Three Gorges, flowing between rock formations and stunning cliffs, it's nothing less than magical. Essential experiences: . Watching the Three Gorges peek into view through a shroud of mist. Changing boats at Wushan for the Little Three Gorges. Enjoying the ancient town of Fèngjié overlooking Qutang Gorge, the entrance point to White King Town. Taking it easy as the boat slowly wends its way. © 2011 Lonely Planet. All rights reserved. | Sail down the Nile to experience the Luxor Temple and the tombs of Ramses II at Abu Simbel .
Indulge in the savory cuisine found along the banks of the Mississippi .
China's Yangtze flows through the Three Gorges between rock formations and cliffs . |
210,752 | 9cfb15795a2ae6f8efde4ddecaea3811e8eb0485 | Patients use different inhalers to combat an attack or keep the airways open . Three out of four people with asthma are unaware they are at risk of a fatal attack because they wrongly believe their condition is under control, says a new survey. Alarming findings show 15 per cent of mild or moderate asthma sufferers have attended A&E in the last year for symptoms, but still don’t class their condition as uncontrolled. More than three-quarters of these patients use up to one ‘reliever’ asthma inhaler a week - when they shouldn’t need to get through one a month if their disease is well controlled. The survey of 464 asthma patients was carried out by Allergy UK and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK. Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways, causing them to constrict and resulting in attacks of breathlessness and wheezing that can be fatal. Patients use different inhalers to combat an attack or keep the airways open. At least 200 people are hospitalised because of their asthma every day in the UK, a total of 73,000, with more than 1,000 dying. Around four million Britons need asthma medication, but Allergy UK estimates 2.7 million of those who consider their asthma to be mild or moderate, are at risk of life-threatening attacks. Half of this group still suffer from breathlessness and 45 per cent from wheezing, despite regular medication. Around four million Britons need asthma medication, but Allergy UK estimates 2.7 million of those who consider their asthma to be mild or moderate, are at risk of life-threatening attacks . In addition, nearly half of those who class their asthma as ‘mild or moderate’ have been prescribed oral steroids in the past 12 months. Using this level of medication means the condition isn’t under control, as it should only be necessary in an emergency, or in the most severe asthma cases. Lindsey McManus, the Deputy CEO of Allergy UK, said ‘Asthma is a killer, with three people dying of it every day in the UK. More than three-quarters of these patients use up to one asthma inhaler a week - when they shouldn’t need one a month if their disease is well controlled . ‘These shocking survey results reflect what we hear time and time again from the people that call our helpline. ‘People ‘put up with’ their asthma symptoms and continue to use medication that isn’t treating the inflammation, rather than seeking help to get their asthma under control. ‘They just don’t realise they are putting themselves in danger and could soon find themselves in A&E.’ One in six of those who wrongly think their asthma is under control have taken six or more days off work or school in the past 12 months because of their asthma. At least 60 per cent of asthma is triggered by allergens, including house dust mite, pollen, animal dander, mould and foods, yet only a third of those surveyed had been allergy tested. Dr Monica Nordstrom, Respiratory Physician at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said ‘Doctors, nurses and patients themselves often fail to recognise whether asthma is moderate or severe, leading to life-threatening attacks that could have been avoided with appropriate diagnosis and management.’ She said ‘There are three warning signs for patients to look out for; if you use more than one reliever inhaler a month; if you’ve been prescribed one or more courses of oral corticosteroids in the past 12 months or if you are consistently missing work or school because of your asthma – these can all be signs that your asthma may be more severe than you think and you should seek more help from your doctor or specialist nurse.’ Over one in five asthma sufferers surveyed had not had an asthma review for over a year. Lindsey McManus, Allergy UK said ‘Our biggest piece of advice is to talk to your doctor or asthma nurse. ‘They will conduct a thorough asthma review and may refer you to a specialist who may conduct an allergy assessment and review your asthma management. ‘This is the only way to ensure that the asthma crisis doesn’t worsen.’ The NHS spends around £1billion a year treating and caring for people with asthma. | Asthma is an inflammatory disease of airways causing them to constrict .
Patients use inhalers to combat an attack or keep their airways open .
200 people are hospitalised because of their asthma every day in the UK .
If disease is managed, patients should not need more than one inhaler a month . |
156,011 | 55abf68a8b97337ab4b850dce7a5a00deaff8a90 | Frankfurt, Germany (CNN) -- The man suspected of shooting and killing two U.S. Air Force servicemen in Germany was seeking revenge because of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, according to a warrant issued on Friday for the suspect. The suspect, Arid Uka, is a recently radicalized Muslim who seems to have been influenced by local radical Islamist websites, according to German authorities. Prosecutors say Uka shot and killed two U.S. servicemen and wounded two others in the attack Wednesday on a U.S. military bus at Frankfurt Airport. The arrest warrant for Uka lists two accusations of murder, three allegations of attempted murder and two accusations of causing severe bodily harm. The 21-year-old man said he was motivated to carry out the attack after seeing a video on the internet the day before, which he claimed showed U.S. soldiers raping Muslim women, according to a German intelligence official who viewed a record of the suspect's interrogation. The suspect confessed to the shooting, and said that he acted alone with no helpers, the German intelligence official said Thursday. He was friends on Facebook with several pro-al Qaeda extremists from a group based in Bonn, Germany, that is known to German intelligence officials, according to the official. He also had links to an Islamist preacher named Pierre Vogel and someone named Nessery, who was arrested about two months ago in Afghanistan, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the investigation. The gunman was a postal worker at the airport, but worked outside the secure area. The U.S. official said Uka didn't appear to punch into work Wednesday -- having apparently canvassed the area beforehand, helping him get around the extensive uniformed and plain-clothes security that typically patrol the Frankfurt airport. Another U.S. official on Thursday said that Uka was "not on the radar screen" of American authorities prior to the attack. The suspect is from Mitrovica, a town in northern Kosovo, that country's interior minister, Bajram Rexhepi, told CNN. He cited the U.S. Embassy in Pristina as his source. The U.S. official with knowledge of the probe said Uka was a 1-year-old toddler when he moved to Germany, and that authorities believe Uka's relatives had suffered in the 1990s during the Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanians. He has passports from both Germany and Yugoslavia, the latter of which was issued prior to Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, Rexhepi said. Uka told interrogators that he lived with his family in high-rise public housing in a poor area of Frankfurt, the German intelligence official said. He said he did not have a friendly relationship with people in the neighborhood and did not interact with others there. He said his father was very strict and harsh with him, according to the official. On Wednesday, he allegedly approached a bus, which was parked outside Terminal 2 and was clearly marked as a U.S. military vehicle, German police said after the shooting. According to the warrant, Uka asked a recruit where he was being deployed. The airman replied that he and his comrades were headed to Afghanistan. Uka then shot him in the back of the head with a handgun. The suspect then entered the bus, screamed "Alahu Akbar," and opened fire, killing the driver, the warrant says. Uka then shot two other passengers, wounding one in the head and the other in the chest, the warrant says. The suspect tried to shoot another serviceman but his gun jammed, it says. The suspect fled then fled into the terminal, where he was taken into custody by German federal police, according to the warrant. The suspect used a 9 mm handgun that was illegally purchased, Rhein said. One of the dead airmen was a vehicle operator at Ramstein, and the second was part of a security forces team based in the U.K., an Air Force spokesman said. The bus was occupied by 15 members of a security forces team that was on its way to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany before deploying to Afghanistan, the spokesman said. Zachary Cuddeback was one of those killed, his grandfather, Daniel Cuddeback, told CNN. It's not clear if he was the vehicle operator or the member of the security forces team. A statement from his family described Cuddeback as a hockey player and "Army brat" with especially strong roots in Missouri in Virginia who joined the Air Force in 2009 after a year at Old Dominion University. The U.S. Defense Department on Thursday identified the other victim as Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, of Williamston, South Carolina. He had been assigned to the 48th Security Forces Squadron based out of the Lakenheath air base in Great Britain. The two wounded airmen were in a Frankfurt hospital, one in critical condition and the other in serious condition, an Air Force spokesman said. President Barack Obama told reporters Wednesday he was "saddened and outraged" by the attack. "We will spare no effort in learning how this outrageous attack took place," he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said how upset she was by the incident, expressed her condolences to the troops' families and stressed that Germany will "do everything we can to try and find out quickly what happened." FBI agents were on the scene shortly after the shooting occurred, said Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director and CNN contributor. The FBI's main office in Germany is in the capital Berlin, he said, but it has a sub-office in Frankfurt. The offense is a federal crime both in the United States and in Germany, he said, and could be prosecuted in either location, although that will be determined later. However, the investigation will meet U.S. constitutional standards, he said. Authorities will be investigating the suspect's background and associates, likely subpoenaing telephone and e-mail records, Fuentes said. CNN's Ashley Hayes, Barbara Starr, Aaron Cooper and CNN investigative journalist Paul Cruickshank contributed to this report. | The suspect's motive was revenge against the U.S. military for its Afghanistan operations.
Nicholas Alden, 25, a senior airman from South Carolina, was killed, the military says .
The suspect, Arid Uka, left Kosovo at age 1 and was an ethnic Albania, a U.S. official says .
Uka allegedly confessed and says he acted alone, a German intelligence official says . |
172,293 | 6af9fb97eac6fb54d1b583204ba457c1753dcbc4 | Mark Wright may have claimed that his fiancée doesn't diet and loves to eat Magnum ice-creams in bed - but judging by Michelle Keegan super-svelte appearance in her new fashion campaign, we're not quite sure we believe him. The soap star turned fashion designer has unveiled her second collection for Lipsy and she looks incredible - as always - in the campaign imagery. After the success of her first range for the high street chain, Michelle couldn't wait to get started on her next line. Scroll down for video . Red hot! Michelle Keegan has unveiled her second collection for high-street chain Lipsy and says she's taken inspiration from the season's hottest colours and trends to create a 20-piece range of party wear (dress, £65) 'This collection is a bit more wintry,' she told MailOnline. 'There's lots of lovely coats, fur jackets and sexy LBDs, which will be perfect for your Christmas parties.' When Michelle's debut range for Lipsy went on sale in early July, the hashtag #lipsylovemichelle became the number one trending topic on Twitter in the UK and remained in the top ten until the end of the day. So how does it feel? 'The response has been incredible and I am so happy that everyone loves it as much as I do,' she said. 'It's the weirdest feeling in the world seeing other people wearing my designs. A girl walked passed me wearing one of my dresses and I said "Hi" to her because I thought I knew her!' Perfect for date night: Michelle cites this dress as one of her favourite designs in her new range and says she recently wore it out for dinner with her fiancée Mark Wright because it was so flattering (dress, £65) Budding designer: Michelle says she has learnt to go with her intuition a lot more the second time around and has only included pieces she would love to wear herself like this £65 blue dress, which she says is really 'different' In the nude: The 27-year-old actress says this range isn't as 'daring' as her first collection but has still been designed with confident, fun-loving girls in mind (dress, £60) Lady in red: The star created mood boards when working on her range and noted that red was the hottest colour of the season so included lots of vibrant and bold red jumpsuits and dresses (jumpsuit, £70) The 20-piece piece range, which lands online today at Lipsy.co.uk, as well as at ASOS.com, Very.co.uk, and in House of Fraser, Debenhams and Bank, aims to reflect the season’s hottest shapes, fabrics and styles that incorporate both the AW14 catwalk trends and Michelle’s coveted wardrobe. Speaking about her design experience, she said: 'I learnt a lot from my first time around and this time, I have gone with my instinct a lot more. I've made sure that every piece is something that I love and that I would wear myself. 'I was inspired by the catwalk but also the things I love to wear. A lot of the pieces are perfect for creating the layered look and there's lots of blazers that can be teamed with shorts, which you'll often find me wearing. 'I love the cami tops and I will be pairing them with a statement necklace,' she added. It's time to party! Michelle says that her latest drop is perfect for Christmas party season and reflects her 'classic' signature style (jumpsuit, £75) Casual and cool: As well as party dresses, Michelle has included some cool kimonos, leather trousers and classic white and black camisoles (kimono, £45) Michelle says that this range isn't 'as daring' as her first offering and explains that she's included some red pieces because it's the hottest colour of the season. Describing the typical 'Lipsy girl', Michelle says they're 'confident, fun-loving, girls who like to have a good time.' Describing her own personal style, Michelle said: 'My style is quite classic. I like block colours, I don't like a lot of fuss, I'm feminine and I really like the tailored look.' After setting sight on these images, it's perhaps unsurprising that the 27-year-old has topped the best celebrity body poll for the second time running. The former Coronation Street star, who is engaged to Mark Wright, beat off stiff competition from the likes of Rihanna, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Chloe Sims to take the top spot. Despite her enviable figure, you won't find Michelle Keegan breaking a sweat in the gym or starving herself on a juice diet. Speaking about her summer health regime, the former Coronation Street star told MailOnline: 'I haven't had any time for exercise, I'm gutted. I feel so much better when I do work out. 'I don't believe in crash diets or detoxes, I can't live like that. If I have a bad day then I'll have a good day the next.' How will you wear yours? Michelle loves her classic camisoles and says she will be wearing hers with statement jewellery come Autumn . Infamous image: When Michelle posted this selfie, right, it went viral. Her top tips for pulling off the look? Don't be too serious with it and look like you're having a good time . The star revealed that she tries to fit in 40-minute workouts but 'doesn't like the gym'. The actress recently caused a stir when she uploaded an Instagram selfie of her 'enjoying a quiet night in' with her enviable abs on full display. 'I take the odd selfie,' she said. 'My top tips for perfecting the look are: don't be too serious with it, if you look like you're having a good time, it comes across in your picture.' Suits you! Michelle was interviewed for a behind-the-scenes video by Danielle Peazer - the dancer ex-girlfriend of Liam Payne - both wearing Michelle's new designs . | Michelle, 27, models second Lipsy range .
Says this range is 'less daring' than her first .
Has taken inspiration from the catwalks and her own style .
Reveals her perfect selfie tips . |
192,682 | 856b360706ca15642a94c406743f69fb6dea3296 | At the 11th attempt, Roy Hodgson appears to have stumbled upon a specialist right back to solve a nagging England problem. Not a massive problem, like a shortage of centre backs or total absence of defensive midfielders. There are plenty of Englishmen capable of operating at right back in the Barclays Premier League. But not all seem quite as comfortable in the job as Nathaniel Clyne did against Slovenia at Wembley. Southampton defender Nathaniel Clyne looked the part during his England debut at Wembley . UEFA officials forced Slovenia to take a bus to the stadium - even though they were staying at the Wembley Hilton 50 metres away. CLICK HERE to read the full story . It is not as if Clyne has been hidden from view. There was interest from Manchester United as he ran down his Crystal Palace contract and left Selhurst Park on a Bosman transfer in the summer of 2012. The United move did not materialise and he joined newly promoted Southampton. Hodgson has been a regular visitor to St Mary’s, selecting Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Luke Shaw last season, but did not call up Clyne until every other option had been exhausted. Kyle Walker’s form suffered, even before his injury. Glen Johnson’s fitness became even less reliable than his defending and Hodgson has been searching for his successor. Centre backs Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have not appeared at ease in the role. John Stones and Calum Chambers are versatile but inexperienced and most likely to develop in other positions. Clyne, who impressed on his debut, claimed he just tried to play his 'normal game' against Slovenia . The English youngster has been in brilliant form for high-flying Southampton this season . Clyne is a natural right back. He is quick and mobile. He gets forward at the right times and recovers well. He is strong, likes to tackle and has positional awareness from learning the role over time. It was an impressive debut from a man who knew the job being asked of him. ‘I tried to play my normal game, as it’s my normal game that has got me this call-up,’ said Clyne. ‘I felt I did well. I enjoyed playing and I’m looking forward to playing more.’ Manchester United defender Chris Smalling (left) and Phil Jones have both had spells at right back . Hopefully he will. Hodgson considers himself a round-pegs-for-round-holes kind of guy, but it has taken him a long time to come round to Clyne. With Gary Neville, perhaps England’s last international-class right back, on his staff, you might think identifying the right man would be easy. You might think, after working at Fulham and West Brom, Hodgson would readily trust less fashionable clubs but he has rifled through Manchester United centre backs and Liverpool and Arsenal rookies before realising a 23-year-old from Southampton may be the answer. Glen Johnson has 54 England caps to his name, but failed to convince during the 2014 World Cup . | Roy Hodgson looks to have found his new England right back .
Nathaniel Clyne made England debut against Slovenia .
Southampton defender looked comfortable in an England shirt .
Hodgson has now used 11 different players in the problem spot . |
159,233 | 59d478d4a4299e2192997e56a9db9003fa2bac2d | By . Kieran Gill for MailOnline . Follow @@kie1410 . When Portland Timbers were facing Seattle Sounders, the home side were keen to let the visitors know what they think of their fierce MLS rivals. It all seemed innocent enough when a Wizard of Oz tifo began with a banner that read: 'There's no place like home.' It soon turned sinister as Dorothy emerged, clutching a can of petrol, at the back-end of the yellow brick road which led to a landscape of Seattle and its world-famous Space Needle on fire. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the incredible (and strange) display by Portland Timbers fans . All looking normal: Portland Timbers fans during the game against main MLS rivals Seattle Sounders . It begins: The tifo emerges and a large banner that reads 'there's no place like home...' props up in the crowd . Not so innocent: A large Dorothy figure emerges holding a can of petrol at the end of the yellow brick road . Good match: Another banner showing Seattle and its Space Needle on fire emerges at the opposite end . Sadly for Portland, though, it did little as they lost the game 4-2 on Sunday despite their energetic display designed to get their players in the mood. Newcastle fans may recall Obafemi Martins who, now with Seattle, bagged a brace during the win. Nevertheless, those in Portland can be proud of coming out on top in the battle of the tifos. On the ball: Obafemi Martins scored twice for MLS outfit Seattle Sounders as they won the match 4-2 . Wrestling for the ball: Martins shrugs off a challenge as the former Newcastle forward bagged himself a brace . | Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders are main MLS rivals in America .
Fans create Wizard of Oz display, starting with a 'there's no place like home...' banner and ending with Dorothy setting Seattle landscape on fire .
Seattle won the game 4-2 as Obafemi Martins scored twice in fierce match . |
27,012 | 4ca29639845a40551a62d10212a46aec7caf3369 | (CNN) -- What do the 2010 heat wave in Russia, last year's Texas drought, and the 2003 heat wave in Europe have in common? All are examples of extreme weather caused by climate change, according to a new study from NASA scientist James Hansen. "This is not a climate model or a prediction but actual observations of weather events and temperatures that have happened," he wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece meant to accompany the study. "Our analysis shows that it is no longer enough to say that global warming will increase the likelihood of extreme weather and to repeat the caveat that no individual weather event can be directly linked to climate change. To the contrary, our analysis shows that, for the extreme hot weather of the recent past, there is virtually no explanation other than climate change." The study, which was published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looks at the past six decades of global temperatures and finds what Hansen described as a "stunning" rise in the frequency of extremely hot summers. It compared what is happening now to what was happening between 1951-1980. In those years, extremely hot temperatures covered less than 0.2% of the planet. Now, those temperatures cover about 10% of the land area, the study said. It dismissed the idea that specific weather patterns are by themselves sufficient to explain today's extreme anomalies. Phenomena like La Nina have always been around, but large areas of extreme warming have only come about with climate change, the study said. "The odds that natural variability created these extremes are minuscule, vanishingly small. To count on those odds would be like quitting your job and playing the lottery every morning to pay the bills," wrote Hansen. Hansen directs research at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and is a longtime environmental activist. | James Hansen argues that rising global temperatures are fueling an increase in extreme weather .
He cites a 2010 heat wave in Russia and last year's Texas drought as examples .
Hansen, an activist, directs research at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies . |
27,936 | 4f2a6fc46e86abc4d0b9ecfdb3ec08a54f023dea | With just over a month to go until Amir Khan steps under the flashing lights and into the ring at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, it looks like the 27-year-old is making the most of his training. The Bolton-born welterweight, who is currently gearing-up in California has taken time out of the gym to snap this photo of himself, with his bulging pectoral muscles clear signs that his pre-fight bulking is going to plan. Despite having to keep to a strenuous fitness programme, the British boxer has spent the past week indulging in some of the biggest sporting events in America whilst also meeting loved ones across the border in Canada. Amir Khan is 'ready to use' his custom made red, white and blue sparring gloves . Khan splashed out on a private jet to fly himself from San Francisco to Vancouver, and couldn't resist taking a picture of himself in front of the aircraft. Hours later, Khan posted again, this time in a restaurant with friends in the British Colombian City. Despite dining in one of the best cities for cuisine in the world, the professional boxer is keeping to a strict diet in the lead-up to his second fight of the year. Amir Khan will return to the ring in December for the first time since he beat Luis Collazo in Las Vegas in May . Khan said it was 'Good to see the boys in Vancouver' on arrival, after completing the short flight . On Saturday he posted a picture of a balanced meal of cooked meat and boiled vegetables on his proclaimed Instagram site. Over the past week Khan also posted pictures from an Oakland Raiders NFL game, before watching game five of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals on Monday. However, for the time being at least it looks like the 27-year-old's week of unadulterated fun has come to an end with Khan determined to reach the required load before his pre-match weigh in. The boxer poses outside the jet, on the steps and on board, as well as posting a picture of the cockpit . Although the hard work starts here, the welterweight boxer has used his credit card one more to purchase a vibrant pair of customised Grant sparring gloves. Khan wrote: 'Ready to use my custom Grant sparring gloves'. Adorned with the famous blue, red and white of the Union Jack, the gloves also have 'King Khan' printed on the top, a signature nickname which optimises the former Olympian’s confidence in the build-up to the glamorous brawl. Khan will look to win his 30th professional fight when he meets Devon Alexander in Las Vegas on December 13. Last week Khan posted a picture with the Oakland Raiders' Menelik Watson before and NFL game . | Amir Khan shows off new Grant sparring gloves .
Bolton-born boxer meets Devon Alexander in December .
Khan has been taking in some of the biggest sporting events in America .
27-year-old splashed out on a private jet for trip to Vancouver . |
246,402 | cae89ed272c9c42a9a31b315c0148f3a918828ed | By . Jeff Powell . Follow @@jeffpowell_Mail . Yet another World Cup comes and goes but still Bobby Moore remains the only England captain whose hands have reached out to grasp football’s Holy Grail and raise it aloft.’ Thus begins the updated and significantly expanded publication of my biographical labour of love about the most iconic figure of all in the rich anthology of English football. What more fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary, in 2016, of England’s only World Cup glory than to rectify the shameful failure to elevate the winning captain to football’s company of knights? Defining moment: England captain Bobby Moore plants a kiss on the World Cup trophy in 1966 . Long time: It is almost 50 years since England won the World Cup and the Three Lions failed again this summer . This is the question, still vexed all these 21 years after Moore’s premature death, which is put, with considerable vehemence, at the end of the book. There can be any number of justifications for rushing into print and the two identified above are prominent in the reasoning for this revised work.One begets the other. The descent into mediocrity of the nation which gave birth to the greatest game steepened at Brazil 2014, from which a craven England were eliminated in record time: Two games and out. That stirred the memory of how it all began to go wrong after that dizzying afternoon at the old Wembley in the summer of ’66 when Moore wiped his muddied palms on the velvet-covered rail of the Royal Box before receiving the Jules Rimet Trophy from the white-gloved hands of the Queen. It also provoked the thought that this worsening humiliation might have been averted had the Football Association, instead of freezing Moore out, employed the wisdom and experience of their most inspirational captain... the way Germany did with his great friend, exact contemporary and similar personality Franz Beckenbauer to such unprecedented success. Over here, in this bastion of Middle English values, decency and common sense, we do not only print the Mail. We get mail. Yesteryear’s grand old-fashioned flood of readers’ letters, many so beautifully crafted, has subsided before the advance of communications technology. But that tradition is exceeded now by the millions of emails, texts, tweets and comments posted at our website. Legends: Moore stands alongside his great friend Franz Beckenbauer at the 1972 European Championship . Of course it can be a mixed bag and a few of my respondents are prone to asking: ‘Can you ever go a week without mentioning your mate Bobby Moore?’ A majority, however, share an understanding as to why it is his larger-than-life-size statue which stands guard at the approach to the new Wembley Stadium, not unlike Horatio at the bridge. Some are old enough to relive through Bobby’s printed reminiscence the thrill of that solitary World Cup triumph: ‘Bursting inside and trembling. Elated but trying not to get carried away. Typically English. Don’t show too much. But even seeing the film years later still gives me the shivers. It is the be-all and end-all of football.’ Those words came echoing down the years to swirl around the multi-coloured promenades of Rio de Janeiro this summer. This World Cup was the be-all for Germany’s Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller and Joachim Low. It was the end-all for Lionel Messi, David Luiz, Robin van Persie and Big Phil Scolari. And it was another death, this one not so small, for the English game. That is the relevance of Bobby Moore today. Learned professors warn us that we forget our history at our peril. Our most cherished game has paid the price for ignoring a national hero until he died. Another rummage through the notes and recordings of our conversations down the years unearthed this prophecy of sporting catastrophe, uttered before Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello came, failed, took the money and ran: ‘The England job is for an Englishman, not someone from abroad. Every country has its football culture and it takes one of our own to understand how the English player works. Early exit: England were knocked out of this summer's World Cup after the group stage in Brazil . Foresight: Moore said, long before foreigners Sven Goran Eriksson (left) and Fabio Capello (right) took charge, that the job of England manager is one for an Englishman . ‘Anyway, a national team should be all about people from that country — from the manager through the players, all the way down to the tea lady. ‘And by the way, no country has ever won the World Cup with a foreign manager.’ And that is still true today. Moore passed away before Terry Venables was appointed England head coach in 1994. What he said comes as a rebuke from beyond the grave for the FA’s failure to secure Venables for the 1998 World Cup following his thrilling run to the semi-final of Euro ’96: ‘Terry is one of the most intelligent coaches and inspiring man-managers I have ever known or worked with.’ It would be hard for the blazered FA to deny having turned up their pompous noses at the Cockney footballer, even more than they did at other great men who they tended to look down upon as muddied oafs. So I am certain Bobby would have shared my gratification at including in his biography, now, the public apology from a more recent FA chairman, David Bernstein, for that organisation’s neglect of its World Cup-winning captain. There was a belief that higher honours had been denied Moore because of the accusation levelled against him of stealing a bracelet from a jewellery shop in Bogota en route to the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico. False: Moore (second right) was wrongly accused of stealing a bracelet from a jewellery shop in 1970 . Those charges were false and withdrawn but they famously consigned him to house arrest, delaying his arrival in Mexico, and he sensed the stigma had stuck in some quarters. So I am obliged to reaffirm him telling me that ‘one of the younger lads in the squad did something foolish, a prank with unfortunate consequences.’ Whodunnit? Years later, at the mellow end of one of our very long evenings, Bobby entrusted me with the name of the suspect on the sworn pledge never to reveal it, at least not before both he and the culprit died. That, I will continue to honour for so long as I live. Moore lives on. In that imposing statue at Wembley, for which I had the privilege of writing the inscription. In the annals of his countless commanding performances. Through the sadness which engulfed his first wife Tina, daughter Roberta and his grandchildren at the tragic and premature loss of the only other male member of the family, his son Dean. His legacy includes the fund for fighting the bowel cancer which killed him, for which the devoted efforts of his widow Stephanie have raised more than £20million, thus far. Legacy: The Bobby Moore Fund has raised more than £20million to tackle bowel cancer . Living on: Stephanie, wife of Bobby, opened the first Bobby Moore Fund Laboratory for Bowel Cancer Research . Since his death 21 years ago the accolades have kept coming: Elected to FIFA’s All-Time World Cup XI, voted into the World Team of the Century, inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, named as England’s Golden Player in UEFA’s list of the 50 greatest European footballers. But still no knighthood. Still no place in the pantheon of Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Tom Finney, Sir Alf Ramsey, Sir Matt Busby, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst, Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Trevor Brooking. The honours committee reacted too slowly after Moore’s illness became public, and now hide behind the rules prohibiting knighthoods after death — despite including the nation’s law-makers in their group. One segment of the biography contains these sentiments: In all honesty, in all decency, in all sanity an exception should be made to the protocol which refuses posthumous knighthoods. This is a national hero. It cannot be beyond Parliament’s resources to enact a specific statute of exemption. In the shocked aftermath of Bobby Moore’s death, thousands upon thousands added their signatures to the petitions for him to be knighted. Now that 50th World Cup anniversary is fast approaching, let the campaign recommence. This time, let it win. Bobby Moore: The Definitive Biography by Jeff Powell is published on August 26 by The Robson Press at £9.99. Order at mailbookshop.co.uk, p&p is free for a limited time only. | Almost 50 years after England won the World Cup, Bobby Moore has not been knighted .
The FA should have employed Moore's wisdom and experience .
Instead they froze out England's World Cup winning captain .
Long before England appointed a foreign manager, Moore affirmed the need for a homegrown boss .
Parliament must act to award a posthumous knighthood . |
166,691 | 638b7b3aeb31ebcbd598f0391bc20a67c2a017a9 | The families of passengers aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have been told the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Some got the shaking news from a phone call, others received a text message from Malaysia Airlines telling them to "assume beyond a reasonable doubt" that their relatives did not survive. Others heard the news in person at hotels in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, around the time Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made the announcement at a Monday press conference. "They have told us all lives are lost," a missing passenger's relative briefed by the airline in Beijing said. That news gave an official explanation of what happened to the plane, a mystery that captivated global audiences for more than two weeks, but the saga of 370 has produced lingering questions: . 1. How did experts determine where the plane went? Inmarsat is the British company that carried out the satellite analysis that determined the plane went into the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysia's Prime Minister said Monday the plane was last tracked over the water, west of Perth, Australia. There is "no way" the plane went north, said Chris McLaughlin, a senior vice president at Inmarsat. The route into the southern Indian Ocean was the "best fit" with the signals the plane sent to a communications satellite. But he cautioned to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Nothing is final." "We're not Earth observation satellites, we're data satellites. So it will require a lot of different skills, a lot of different people, not least the naked eye, to finally confirm what happened to 370." McLaughlin said the mathematics-based process used by Inmarsat and Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch was "groundbreaking." The new calculations underwent a peer review process with space agency experts and contributions by Boeing, he said. Here are the details of the number crunching used . Learn more about technology used . 2. Has that explanation garnered criticism? On Tuesday, Najib defended the decision to announce the plane was lost over the Indian Ocean, saying it was based on "the most conclusive information we have." He told Parliament he didn't want the government to be seen as hiding information on purpose from the families of the missing passengers -- an accusation Malaysian authorities faced earlier in the investigation into the plane's disappearance. More answers will come when the plane's flight data recorder is found, he said. 3. Wait, the flight data recorder has not been found? What about wreckage? Wreckage has not been found. There are a multitude of resources being used to find the flight data recorder and anything connected to the plane. But on Tuesday Australian authorities coordinating the search for the plane in a remote area of the Indian Ocean suspended efforts because of stormy weather. The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet has been a major contributor to the search from the beginning. It has provided ships, aircraft and significant technical know-how. As a precautionary measure in case a debris field is discovered, the fleet is moving a "black box" locator into the region -- which would provide a significant advantage in finding the missing aircraft's flight data recorder, according to Cmdr. William J. Marks, spokesman for the 7th Fleet. 4. What could wreckage reveal? Experts say that scorch marks or soot would indicate there was a fire on board, and how pieces of metal were bent or torn could tell investigators how the plane hit the water or whether it broke up in midair. Former Air Force accident investigator Alan Diehl said the wreckage may show signs of a fire or explosion. If recovered, the cockpit could show signs of fire or indicate if the jet's emergency oxygen system was activated. "Impact damage, certainly at the visible and especially at the microscopic level, looks a lot different than an explosion," he said. Former commercial pilot Shawn Pruchnicki said the wreckage would likely reveal whether the plane plunged nose-first into the ocean, if it gradually descended or it disintegrated in the air. "We're going to be able to tell that by looking at the wreckage and looking at the deformity, now not only (how) it's compressed but how it's torn," said Pruchnicki, who teaches aviation safety at Ohio State University. Learn more about what wreckage could show . 5. What are some relatives demanding? In a word: proof. Hundreds of friends and family members of passengers marched Tuesday to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing to express their anger and frustration. They said they weren't being told the truth by the Malaysian government. "If you find something: OK, we accept," said one relative of a passenger. "But nothing -- just from the data, just from analysis." Sarah Bajc, whose partner of two years, Philip Wood, was on the passenger jet, wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday: "There is still NO PROOF that the plane 'crashed' and all souls were lost. There is only improved evidence as to the time, approximate location and approximate line of flight as of the last known 'ping.' This is not irrefutable proof. Dead bodies are irrefutable proof. Until we have those, we will keep hoping!!! It was both irresponsible and heartless for the Malaysia government to release this information in the WAY that did it, together with an unproven conclusion." Bimal Sharma, an Indian man whose sister Chandrika was on the plane, said, "I suppose I want to see something from the seas. I don't know why I just want to see some debris off the aircraft and the 'black box' to know what exactly happened because there are too many unanswered questions." Sharma, who has worked for a long time in the Indian merchant navy, told CNN's Jim Sciutto that he had "sailed those oceans several times myself." 6. Besides relatives, have others been critical of process? Arthur Rosenberg, an aviation attorney, said he was troubled by the different language used by the satellite company and Malaysian officials. "On the one hand, you have the executive from Inmarsat saying 'most likely' and somehow that got booted up to 'beyond reasonable doubt.' I don't agree with that," Rosenberg said. "I am not convinced that they are certain where this airplane is," he said. "I think they have fine-tuned it to a general area, but to say beyond a reasonable doubt this plane went down where they are saying is a stretch." Aviation experts also expressed dissatisfaction and frustration with the information. "We've been waiting for the shoe to drop for more than two weeks now. And what we got was the most tantalizingly unsatisfying thread of a resolution," Jeff Wise, a private pilot and aviation writer, told CNN. CNN aviation analyst Miles O'Brien said he wanted to see more information about what was behind Malaysian authorities' announcement. "There is a saying in science: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," he said. "Show me. Show me the evidence." 7. Is the search for Flight 370 unusual? Are ocean recoveries complicated? Ultimately, searchers have to go to the bottom of the ocean, starting in a big area and focusing in as evidence is gathered that indicates where the debris might be, said Ian MacDonald, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University. The search will begin by looking at the surface, using listening devices and then sonar and swath mapping techniques to try to locate "anomalous debris fields, anomalous objects on the bottom and try to zero in based on that," he said. Crews could use manned and unmanned vehicles in that next stage of the search. One example of a manned craft is the Jiaolong -- one of the deepest diving research submersibles in the world. The Chinese took it to a depth of more four miles in 2012, MacDonald said, indicating that country's capabilities for deep ocean operations. Chinese citizens made up about two-thirds of the passengers on Malaysia Flight 370. "I would not be at all surprised to see the Chinese take a very active role in trying to locate this aircraft," MacDonald said. 8. Speaking of China, how are officials there reacting? The Chinese government is demanding to know more. "We called on the Malaysian side to provide further evidence and all the information," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said at a news briefing Tuesday. 9. Who was on board the flight? Passengers on Flight 370 included engineers, a stunt man, Buddhist pilgrims, vacationers and commuters. They came from at least a dozen nations. Oil painter Memetjan Abdullah was part of a delegation of some 24 artists who were returning to China from the "Chinese Dream: Red and Green Painting" art exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. One of the 35-year-old's works, a painting called "Outlook," is part of National Art Museum of China collection. | Passengers' relatives clamor for proof, saying findings are not enough .
Some aviation experts also expression skepticism about information from Malaysia .
Wreckage, which has not been found, could reveal important clues about Flight 370 . |
130,701 | 3508e80290dc03c58c415ec7dcb530b0be608288 | (CNN)Shiite Houthi rebels overtook the presidential palace in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday, marking what a government minister called "the completion of a coup." "The President has no control," Minister of Information Nadia Sakkaf told CNN as clashes raged. President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi was thought to be in his private residence at the time -- not in the palace. There were reports of clashes near the residence. And the Prime Minister's residence was under attack from the street, Sakkaf said. The regime still controlled the city of Aden, and it closed the port of Aden as well as roads leading into and out of Sanaa, according to Yemeni state TV, which is controlled by the government. The global stakes are high. Yemen is home to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, the terror network linked to such attacks as the recent slaughter at French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo. AQAP also tried to blow up a plane landing in Detroit in 2009. The battle against AQAP has helped make Yemen's government a U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda. A power vacuum often benefits terrorist groups. The Yemeni government has been grappling with pressure not only from the Sunni Muslim AQAP but also from Houthi militants, Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country. Seven things to know about Yemen . "We are the victims of corruption and false promises," Houthi rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised address on a network controlled by Houthis and based in Beirut, Lebanon. "The government did not respect the peace and partnership deal from September. We are trying to bring some legitimacy to the government." He complained of economic struggles and poverty. Al-Houthi also said there is an international conspiracy to link Yemen to the attacks in Paris. "Yemeni people have two options -- to move against the foreign agendas, or stand against them firmly since they seek to spread chaos in Yemen. This is why we moved with the Yemeni people though many powers inside and outside Yemen are angered. But the Yemeni people are with us and understand our goals," he said. AQAP claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack, and U.S. investigators have worked on the assumption that attacker Said Kouachi met the late American terrorist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki at some point in Yemen and received orders from AQAP, a U.S. official told CNN. Tuesday's developments came a day after heavy fighting between government forces and Houthis left nine people dead and 67 others injured, Yemen's Health Ministry said, before the sides agreed to a ceasefire. Gunfire could be heard sporadically across Sanaa on Tuesday. Unknown assailants fired shots Monday night at a U.S. Embassy vehicle in Sanaa, the U.S. Embassy said Tuesday. The shooters fired first into the air and then turned the guns on the vehicle, the embassy said. The vehicle carried U.S. diplomatic personnel and was at a checkpoint near the embassy at the time. No injuries were reported. The embassy is known to use SUVs that are recognizable as U.S. government vehicles. Two U.S. Navy warships moved into new positions in the Red Sea late Monday to be ready to evacuate Americans from the embassy if needed, a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the planning told CNN. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on "all sides to immediately cease all hostilities, exercise maximum restraint, and take the necessary steps to restore full authority to the legitimate government institutions." Members of the U.N. Security Council were briefed by the U.N. special adviser on Yemen, Jamal Benomar, and later issued a statement expressing their concern about the crisis. They stressed that Hadi is the country's "legitimate authority." "The members of the Security Council emphasized that all parties and political actors in Yemen must stand with President Hadi, Prime Minister Bahah, and Yemen's Cabinet to keep the country on track to stability and security," the statement read. Houthis swept into the capital last year, sparking battles that left more than 300 dead in a month. In September, they signed a ceasefire deal with the government, and Houthis have since installed themselves in key positions in the government and financial institutions. But tensions flared again last weekend as Houthis said they abducted presidential Chief of Staff Ahmed bin Mubarak in Sanaa on Saturday. Osama Sari, senior media adviser to the Houthi movement in Yemen, said Houthis detained bin Mubarak because the President wanted to introduce a new constitution without the Houthis' approval. CNN's Jason Hanna, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Salim Essaid and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report. | U.N. Security Council meets amid crisis, calls for stability and security .
Houthi militants have taken control of the presidential palace, information minister says .
U.S. Embassy vehicle shot at while at a checkpoint in Sanaa; no injuries reported . |
70,745 | c88cb0b03f49b11b1d86f588542fd1631ce07b86 | By . Lina Das . PUBLISHED: . 06:50 EST, 5 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:46 EST, 5 February 2014 . The story of Bonnie and Clyde has been told so often, most famously in the 1967 film starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty; creating an original story based on the couple is seems almost impossible. And yet, a new mini-series charting the lives of the gun-toting pair not only breathes new life into their legacy, it also demonstrates that the pair have as much appeal now as they did in their own lifetimes. As rising British star, Holliday Grainger, who plays Bonnie in the new series, remarks, 'It’s one of those stories that has so many layers of intrigue to it. It’s just endlessly fascinating.' Outlaws: Holliday Granger plays Bonnie and Emile Hirsch plays Clyde in the new mini-series based on the pair . Killers: The real Bonnie and Clyde photographed in 1933. They died the following year . So who were the famous outlaws? Most agree that Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were two gangsters who criss-crossed their way around 30s America, looting banks and embarking on a two-year killing spree that resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people, including seven police officers. Had they been imprisoned for their crimes their fame might not have spread, but instead they died in a hail of police gunfire – Bonnie was just 23 and Clyde 25 – thus cementing their fame for good. Countless books, songs and even musicals have immortalised the couple’s crimes, but it’s the Arthur Penn-directed film, which saw both Dunaway and Beatty earn Oscar nominations, that the new series will be compared to. 'Well,' says Grainger, 'I can’t ever live up to Faye Dunaway! But our script seems quite different. We have four hours to tell a story, so we really get to know the characters, their motivations and the reasons for their actions, which stem from their childhoods. It’s just very different.’ The mini-series, which also stars Emile Hirsch as Clyde, is indeed very different – the most notable difference coming from Grainger’s portrayal of Bonnie Parker, dubbed The Cigar-Smoking Gun Moll at the height of the couple’s fame. While Dunaway exuded a worldly sexuality in her portrayal of Bonnie, 25-year-old Grainger (whose previous roles include Estella in the 2012 film adaptation of Dickens’ Great Expectations) plays her at times with a wide-eyed innocence, which somehow makes Bonnie’s crimes seem even more horrifying. During her research for the role, Grainger read Bonnie’s letters and diaries and admits that, ‘While in the script she’s sassy and confident, in her diary she comes across as a lost little girl who just needed to be loved. Looks familiar? Granger and Hirsch recreate the famous photo of Bonnie and Clyde (above) for the show . Iconic: A scene from the 1978 film Bonnie and Clyde, showing Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty . Memorable: According to Granger, Bonnie and Clyde continue to fascinate . As a child she would cry for her mother whenever the pair were separated, and even when she married at 15 – to small-time criminal Roy Thornton – her mother ended up moving in with them. 'She was terrified of thunderstorms and didn’t like insects, so I liked the idea of this little girl who needed love and recognition. That was why she sought fame so much.’ The latest version tells the tale as a contemporary fable about Bonnie’s desire for recognition. In one scene she reads a newspaper account of one of the couple’s heists and frets endlessly about the unflattering photo of her, rather than about the shopkeeper they’ve just killed in cold blood. ‘Bonnie’s almost like a reality TV star in the way she wanted to be up there on the screen,’ says Grainger. ‘The real Bonnie was an aspiring actress but never made it. Back then in cinemas they used to show newsreels of Chicago gangsters before they played the movies. 'That was the reality TV of the time, and for Bonnie the next best thing to being a glamorous actress was a life of crime. Today it would be Big Brother.’ Born in Texas in 1910, Bonnie Parker was just four when her father died and her mother Emma, played by Holly Hunter, raised her and her two siblings alone. But if her upbringing was poor, Clyde Barrow’s was even bleaker. Living in the slums of Dallas, Clyde began his life as a petty criminal, stealing turkeys before progressing to holding up stores. By the time he met Bonnie at a party in 1930, he had already had great experience of a life outside the law, yet because he had nice clothes ‘and fancy cars’ as she told friends later, she wasn’t too concerned with his criminal tendencies. As she wrote in her diary, she wasn’t ‘going to sit back and let the world sweep by’. The couple fell in love, in spite of her marriage, but within months Clyde was in jail. Rampage: The pair conducted a two-year crime spree with the help of the Barrow gang before their deaths . Gruesome: Clyde's jacket after the 1934 shootout that left the couple dead but immortalised their story . When he got out he resolved never again to go back to prison and hit the road, taking Bonnie with him. Over the next two years the couple rampaged their way across America’s south-central states as part of the Barrow Gang – a group which also included Clyde’s older brother Buck and Buck’s wife Blanche – and the public became increasingly enthralled by their exploits. When a roll of camera film was discovered by police in one of the couple’s abandoned hideouts, it featured a shot of Bonnie smoking a cigar, a gun nestling against her hip – the 30s version of the ‘selfie’. The image scandalised and titillated the public in equal measure, and saw Bonnie feature not only on the covers of true-crime magazines, but also more glamorous publications. The fame she’d craved was hers at last. Their spree ended when Clyde and Henry Methvin, another member of the Barrow Gang, murdered two highway patrolmen in Southlake, Texas on 1 April 1934. Even though Methvin later admitted the killings, his father alerted police to the whereabouts of Bonnie and Clyde in exchange for leniency towards his son. Sticky end: This photo shows the car in which the pair died. Both were hit by more than 50 rounds each . The couple were lured onto a deserted road outside Gibsland, Louisiana, and on 23 May 1934, they came to a bloody end after being ambushed by six officers. They were shot more than 50 times without firing a round in return. Some may criticise the continued glamourisation of the pair, but, says Grainger, 'Bonnie and Clyde were glamourising crime themselves – Bonnie would be on the run with her furs and heels. 'But the ending is such an intensely gruesome and definite ending that it diminishes any glamour.' She adds: 'Bonnie was incredibly single-minded in her need for recognition and she trampled on everyone to get that. But there’s a lot of vulnerability to her as well, so the juxtaposing of those two elements was interesting. 'The tale of Bonnie and Clyde has a Romeo and Juliet love story, it’s got rebellion, it’s got everything. It’s a story that people never seem to tire of watching.’ Bonnie And Clyde starts at 9pm on Thursday 6 February on Lifetime (Sky 156 & Virgin 242) | New drama investigates the childhoods of the outlaw pair .
Stars British rising star Holliday Grainger and Emile Hirsch .
Bonnie and Clyde were outlaws responsible for 13 murders .
Died in a hail of gunfire in 1934 after an ambush by police . |
85,216 | f1afc39d510d8df50a874897049a4efce4fc853f | Hong Kong (CNN) -- In just a few days, a politician largely unknown outside the U.S. has earned the dubious reputation on the world stage as the "rape-gaffe congressman." It's not an enviable title but one that has inspired column-writers worldwide to pick apart Todd Akin's comments -- their possible implications for the U.S. presidential election and what they say about an apparently civilized society's attitude towards rape. The standard news story has been syndicated worldwide, stating the bare facts; that a Missouri congressman referred to "legitimate rape" when trying to explain, incorrectly, a woman's biological response to being raped. Rape victims, the congressmen inferred, would not become pregnant because "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." The comment came in response to a presenter's question as to whether abortion should be allowed in the case of rape. Akin defies mounting calls to withdraw from Senate race . Akin's comments echoed as far away as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where award-winning playwright Eve Ensler penned a powerful open letter titled, "Dear Mr. Akin, I Want You to Imagine..." The U.S. author of "The Vagina Monologues" wrote that she was lying awake at 2 a.m. in Bukavu in the City of Joy in the Congo where she was working to support "thousands of women who have been raped and violated and tortured from this ceaseless war for minerals fought on their bodies." "Mr. Akin, your words have kept me awake," she wrote, before explaining what it means for women who have been raped to hear him make the distinction between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" rape. "The underlying assumption of your statement is that women and their experiences are not to be trusted. That their understanding of rape must be qualified by some higher, wiser authority," she wrote, before imploring him to imagine someone "violently, hatefully forcing themself into you so that you are ripped apart." At the time of writing the story had been shared more than 60,000 times on Facebook. "Everyone's talking about rape," declared Hadley Freeman, writing in Britain's Guardian newspaper. "It is testament to the determination of some folk to bend reality to their preferred viewpoint that there are so many intriguing words around these days for rape to make it seem, I don't know, less rapey," she wrote, looping a string around Akin and "certain devotees of Julian Assange." Akin's remarks deemed 'harmful' to rape survivors . She was referring to George Galloway, a British lawmaker with the Respect Party, perhaps best known outside the UK for his fiery testimony at a 2005 U.S. Senate Committee hearing into alleged impropriety concerning the United Nations' oil-for-food scheme. Galloway has refused to retract comments made in his video podcast in which he said the allegations made by two women in Sweden against WikiLeaks founder Assange "did not constitute rape" but were more of a case of "bad sexual etiquette." However, the majority of international column space devoted to the Akin comments related to their impact on the U.S. presidential race. Historian Tim Stanley struck back with this blunt analysis in Britain's Telegraph newspaper. "Todd Akin's remarks on rape don't tell you what conservatives think about sexual assault. They don't tell you much about anything, other than that Akin is an idiot." He added that Akin's comments were what President Barack Obama had been waiting for; an opportunity to swing the political narrative from jobs to culture. Opinion: Rape can make you pregnant. Period. "How Akin's foolishness will play out in the election remains to be seen. Incredibly, he remains neck-and-neck in his Missouri race, which suggests that economics continues to eclipse social policy in the popular mind," he wrote. But the Australian Sydney Morning Herald's U.S. Correspondent Nick O'Malley said Akin's comments had "trashed" any hopes that Mitt Romney had of "refocusing attention on to economics." The straight news story about Akin's comments and refusal to end his bid for the Senate was carried on several websites in China, and generated a sprinkling of discussion on the country's twitter-like micro-blogs. User "Xingxingnameliang" wrote: "Is he an undercover sent by the Democrats to destroy the opponent? Obama must be so happy to see this." And "reddress" said: "This would be a big headache for the Republicans. A lousy teammate who can sabotage his own people is the worst." Under a column entitled "Mistake of words and of the heart," the BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell asked why a U.S. politician was peddling pregnancy rape theories which dated back to the 13th century. "Mr Akin may have many admirable qualities which recommend him to the voters of Missouri, but it seems strange that a 21st century politician is willing to legislate on the grounds of old wives' tales. Perhaps he should be explaining that, rather than his clumsy use of language," he wrote. One CNN reader who commented on the opinion piece "Wake up: It's not just Akin" also looked beyond Akin's wording to question the value of the debate. Opinion: GOP policy is the scandal, not just Akin's comments . "What is the probability of an aroused woman getting pregnant versus the probability of a non-aroused woman getting pregnant? Non biased researchers probably know the answer to this question. Regardless of the answer, why did he think it's good politics to debate this stuff?" However, one of the most inventive and educational responses to Akin's comments came from an academic website in Australia, posted by a professor of evolution and ecology who specializes in the biology of sexual conduct. "Like almost everybody else I spoke to today, I was staggered, this morning, to hear Todd Akin's comments about 'legitimate rape' and pregnancy," wrote Rob Brooks, from the University of New South Wales on The Conversation website. Brooks questioned whether Akin was confusing human biology with that of Australian Black Field Crickets, a species for whom forced copulation is impossible. "She has to mount him voluntarily and she is unlikely to do so unless he has a sexy song. But once she has mated him and he has attached a bag of his sperm (a spermatophore) to her abdomen, she often chooses to remove it before its entire contents enter her body," he wrote. "Perhaps this is the kind of thing Todd Akin had in mind?" On a more serious note, Brooks wrote: "What strikes me about the anachronistic attitudes of evangelicals and their Republican puppets to abortion, contraception, family planning, female economic empowerment and feminism in general, is just how unambiguously male these attitudes are. "An entire political party in one of the most advanced and educated countries on earth has become a caricature of the most basal evolved insecurities about masculinity. They seem terrified of losing control over the means of reproduction and petrified of cuckoldry," he said. Experts: Rape does not lower odds of pregnancy . Surviving sexual assault: Share your testimony on CNN iReport. | Todd Akin's comments on "legitimate" rape have reverberated worldwide .
Playwright Eve Ensler penned a piece from the City of Joy in the Congo .
British columnist drew parallels with Akin's comments and those made by George Galloway .
One writer said his comments merely tell you "Akins is an idiot" |
101,340 | 0ea2ca0f60d7cddb4c62bd1f8bb80f246dc82c3f | By . Snejana Farberov . Nearly a year after Jodi Arias was found guilty of brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend, an Arizona jury panel is being asked to decide the fate of another woman charged with an eerily similar crime. Marissa Suzanne Devault, 36, is accused of bludgeoning her husband with a hammer at their Gilbert, Arizona, home in 2009. She told investigators that Dale Harrell, 34, had physically and sexually abused her in the past, and that she killed him in self-defense. Scroll down for video . Awaiting verdict: Marissa Devault will learn her fate when an Arizona jury returns a verdict in her murder trial concerning the 2009 killing of her husband . Doppelgangers: Devault (right) has been compared to 33-year-old Jodi Arias (left), who was found guilty of murdering her boyfriend last year - and whom Devault befriended in jail . Prosecutors, however, contend the . January 2009 attack on a sleeping Mr Harrell was premeditated and . motivated by her desire to obtain an insurance settlement so she could . pay back her boyfriend the $300,000 she had borrowed. They . say the 36-year-old Devault has given conflicting accounts of her . husband's death and that people who the woman claimed had witnessed some . of the past abuse didn't back up her claims. Harrell died at a hospice nearly a month after the attack of complications from his head injuries. The . case went to the Maricopa County Superior Court jury Monday, two months . after the start of the trial, and deliberations resumed this morning. Dale Harrell, 34: He suffered multiple skull fractures at the couple's home in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert and died at a hospice nearly a month after the attack of complications from his head injuries . Devault's . case has been compared to the trial of Jodi Arias, who was found . guilty of first-degree murder last May for slashing, stabbing and . shooting to death Travis Alexander in his Mesa, Arizona, home in June . 2008. Like in the Harrell murder, Arias claimed self-defense, accusing her longtime on-again, off-again lover of being abusive, ABC News reported. And . the similarities between the two women do not end there: the cases were . tried in the same Maricopa County courtroom, and both Arias and Devault . could face the death penalty. With their long dark hair and eyeglasses, the two women even look strangely alike. It . has been reported that the 36-year-old Devault befriended the . 33-year-old convicted killer while the two were in jail together. In . an interrogation video recorded just hours after the bloody attack, . Devault could be seen chuckling as she recounts the events of the night, . raising her arm in a motion mimicking hammer blows. ‘I saw a hammer go into Darrell’s head,’ she says with a nervous smile. Prosecutor . Michelle Arino said at the start of the trail in February that Mrs . Devault needed quick money to get out of her deep financial hole. But . one of Devault's attorneys raised questions about the credibility of . his client's boyfriend, who was given an immunity agreement on child . pornography allegations in exchange for his testimony. Authorities said Devault fatally wounded Dale Harrell by bludgeoning him over the head with a hammer as he slept in their suburban Phoenix home in January 2009. Disturbing: Devault is seen smiling while demonstrating for investigators just hours after the attack how the hammer (right) entered her husband's skull . Key witness: Businessman Allen Flores, who was Devault's boyfriend, testified for the prosecution against the woman who owed him $300,000 . Harrell, 34, suffered multiple skull fractures and died a month after the attack. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Devault. Alan Tavassoli, one of Devault's attorneys, said prosecutors are giving a pass to his client's boyfriend, businessman Allen Flores, even after he failed to report to police that Devault had allegedly claimed three days before the hammer attack that her husband had been killed in a tire-iron beating. At first, Devault told investigators that Harrell had attacked her while she was asleep and choked her until she was unconscious. She told police that when she came to, she saw another man who lived at their Gilbert home beating Harrell with a hammer. But authorities say blood spatter showed Harrell was alone in the bed at the time of the attack and that bloodstains on Devault's clothes were consistent with a person swinging an object repeatedly over her head. Marissa Suzanne Devault, 36: She claims killing Dale Harrell was an act of self-defense and told investigators that her husband had physically and sexually abused her in the past . Investigators say Devault later confessed, saying she attacked her sleeping husband in a rage after he had sexually assaulted her. Police said they discovered Devault had been dating another man, Flores, for more than two years. In a search of Flores' computer, police say they found a journal that appeared to be written from his perspective and indicated that he had given Devault about $7,000, which she used to hire a hit man, according to court records. The prosecution said Devault needed to repay a $294,000 loan from her boyfriend. Authorities said child pornography also was found on Flores' computer. County prosecutors granted Flores immunity on that allegation in exchange for his testimony in the murder case. ABC US News | ABC Business News . | Marissa Suzanne Devault, 36, charged with first-degree murder in 2009 beating death of Dale Harrell .
She said years of physical and sexual abuse led her to kill husband .
Prosecutors said she killed him for the insurance money to repay $300,000 loan from her boyfriend .
Devault's case has been compared to trial Jodi Arias, 33, who was convicted last May of killing Travis Alexander in Mesa, Arizona .
Both women claimed self-defense and accused the victims of abuse . |
61,806 | af8cc27abf44c744884b22812fea5e846cbb1def | (CNN) -- World champion Sebastian Vettel began his 2011 Formula One defense in emphatic style on Sunday, leading the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from start to finish. McLaren's 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton did well to finish second after damaging his car on the first corner while Lotus Renault's Russian driver Vitaly Petrov achieved his first podium finish by claiming an impressive third place. Fernando Alonso finished fourth for Ferrari, with Mark Webber in his Red Bull in fifth place. Jenson Button came sixth in his McLaren. Formula One teams, drivers and circuits . Sauber pair Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi finished a creditable seventh and eighth respectively, but they were later disqualified by race stewards for technical infringements to do with their rear wings. This meant Ferrari's Felipe Massa moved up to seventh place with the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi taking eighth place. The 23-year-old Vettel, who was claiming his 11th victory in just his 63rd grand prix, told the official Formula One website: "I'm very pleased, it was a very good weekend and I had a very nice car to sit in this afternoon. "It was a good race and towards the end things calmed down a bit as Lewis didn't push as hard." The German continued: "The start was crucial and being on the clean side I had a very good getaway. We learned a lot of things today and it feels good coming here after a long winter and setting the pace." Hamilton was satisfied with his runner-up spot, saying: "We can take this and be very proud of ourselves. A week or two ago we weren't expecting to be in the top five, so to come to second is a great achievement." Meanwhile, a stunned Petrov told the after-race press conference: "To be honest I can't believe I'm sitting with these guys. We didn't know where we were coming into the season, but in practice and qualifying we were good. "In the race the team did everything perfectly. We can be very proud of what we have achieved today." However, it proved a disastrous day for the Mercedes pair of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, who had both retired by the 22nd lap of the race. | Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel wins season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne .
Lewis Hamilton finishes second with Vitaly Petrov a career best third in his Renault .
Sauber pair Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi disqualified from seventh and eighth .
The 23-year-old Vettel was claiming his 11th victory in just his 63rd grand prix . |
36,837 | 686ae7719cf5bae73c50857d246ad00c976667b8 | Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Three people were killed Monday in Iraq in the latest attack targeting Christians, police in the city of Mosul said. In one attack, two Christian brothers were killed in Mosul when gunmen broke into their workplace in an industrial part of the city and shot them. The brothers were welders who owned the shop. On Monday evening, police found an elderly Christian woman strangled in her home in central Mosul. The attacks on Christians started October 31 in Baghdad have extended to the northern parts of the country, such as Mosul. Last week, a bomb attached to the vehicle of a Christian man detonated in eastern Mosul, killing him and his 6-year-old daughter, local police told CNN. The November 16 attack came one day after two Christian men in adjacent homes were killed after gunmen stormed their houses. Also on November 15, a bomb detonated outside a Christian home. It caused damages but no injuries. Iraq's Christian community, which numbered 1.4 million in 2003, is estimated to have dwindled to 500,000 as many have left the country, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has said. The commission, a U.S. government agency that listed the numbers in its 2010 report, said Christian leaders are warning that this decline could signal "the end of Christianity in Iraq." | Attacks on Christians started October 31 in Baghdad and have spread north .
The latest victims include two brothers and an elderly woman .
Iraq's Christian community is down to almost a third of what it once was . |
21,974 | 3e688f97e0064299a3fe7dad31135df4340b3eff | West Ham have announced the signing of Cheikhou Kouyate, with the midfielder joining the Hammers for a fee of around £7m from Anderlecht. The 24-year-old had agreed a move to Upton Park and completed a medical over the weekend and has signed a four-year deal to bolster Sam Allardyce's side. Kouyate can play centre-back as well as midfield and is a Senegal international, having been capped five times. Done deal: West Ham have completed the £7million signing of Cheikou Kouyate from Anderlecht . The defender made 145 appearances in the Belgian league for Anderlecht, after signing from Brussels in 2008, scoring three times in the process. And he will to join fellow Senegalese international Mohamed Diame at Upton Park. Sam Allardyce will be hoping he can be a key part of the team that helps them push for a top-half finish next season. Kouyate was delighted to make his witch to the Premier League confirming that he is looking forward to progressing with the East London side. 'I am very happy, because today West Ham have given me the chance to play in the Premier League, Kouyate told West Ham TV. 'So I'm very happy to join such a club and that gives me great pleasure. 'I know a . few players who were also at the club, [Carlos] Tevez, Demba [Ba], Andy . Carroll, who was obviously here last season. West Ham are a team who are . known and who are going to help me to progress. For my part, I'm going . try to do great things here and try to improve further still as a . player. 'That . I'm here now is thanks to the manager, because he went out of his way, . leaving his holiday for me, so he has done everything he could for me to . join the club. He, my advisers and agents helped me make the right . decision and said West Ham was the ideal club for me, because as a kid I . dreamed of playing in the Premier League and now it's here that my . dream has been realised.' Presence: Cheikhou Kouyate in action for Anderlecht last season . Battler: Fighting with PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic during last season's Champions League . Joint-Chairman David Sullivan was equally delighted with Kouyate's arrival and claims that the Hammers are still set to sign four more players in a bid to boost their top-half aspirations. 'I am absolutely delighted to have clinched the signing of Cheikhou after weeks of tough negotiations that saw us beat off the challenge of some huge clubs across Europe for his signature', Sullivan told West Ham TV. 'He comes with vast experience at the top level - including the Champions League - despite being only 24 and I am sure he will add valuable competition to places. 'We are determined to have a better season this year and this signing is a statement of the direction the blub is heading in. We hope to have at least four more signings in place by the time we kick-off against Tottenham on 16 August as we aim for at least a top-ten finish this season.' VIDEO Tough season for West Ham - Allardyce . | Kouyate becomes second summer signing for Hammers .
Joins forward Mauro Zarate in bolstering Sam Allardyce's team .
Joint-chairman David Suillvan confirms Upton Park club still want to sign four players before start of the season against Tottenham Hotspur . |
33,702 | 5fdedfb06b22ffb67492d48c6001c8b91575dd4e | By . Jennifer Newton . These babies might have just entered the world but already they are showing off their cheeky personalities while sleeping. The charming pictures show the slumbering infants with their emotions written all over their tiny faces, even if they are only a few days old. The heart-warming images were captured by photographer Sandi Ford, who places the newborns in a variety of positions, while they are snoozing comfortably. The 35-year-old, who sees clients visit her home in Ealing, west London gently places the babies in what is described as the frogi pose, where the babies replicate the stance of a frog, to snap the adorable pictures. She lays the infants on their fronts, with their heads propped up in their hands before moving their feet forwards. Sandi said: 'Babies are so innocent and beautiful, and children are so full of joy and life, it’s this that I aim to capture.' Scroll down for video . Something funny is clearly causing this sleeping newborn to grin after being placed in the frogi pose by photographer Sandi Ford . To get the snoozing infants into the frogi pose, the photographer gently places the babies on their bellies, props their head up with their hands and brings their feet forwards . The images show the babies displaying a variety of different emotions, from happiness and cheekiness, to wonder and surprise . Ms Ford says it is the babies' innocence that she aims to capture in her pictures to show that children are full of joy and life . Most of the newborns that Ms Ford photographs are less than two weeks old, meaning it is easier for them to be placed in the frogi position . The images were all captured at Ms Ford's home in Ealing, west London, where clients take their newborns . Most of the babies don't even wake up when they are being photographed and continue to sleep during their shoot . The photographer recommends that the babies are photographed before they are a month old as they then start to become less sleepy and lose their 'newborn curl' The photographer hopes her images will help parents remember their newborn's tiny features and fluffy hair as they get older . Sessions photographing the newborns can take up to four hours as the photographer has to allow time for feeding and nappy changes . Ms Ford hopes that when the babies she photographs have children of their own, they will be able to show them that they too were once babies like them . | Photographer Sandi Ford captures heartwarming images of just days old newborns while they are sleeping .
Places them in a variety of positions, including the frogi pose where the babies prop up their head in their hands .
Says she aims to capture beautiful pictures of the infants, showing off their innocence and joy . |
1,656 | 04bd14e98c0b7a7d3d7c9d16d2c3cc9c8cc7864e | By . Associated Press . and James Rush . The U.S. has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test planned for next week amid mounting tensions with North Korea, a senior defense official has said. The official told Associated Press that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel decided to put off the long-planned Minuteman 3 test, due to take place at an Air Force base in California, until sometime next month because of concerns the launch could be misinterpreted and exacerbate the Korean crisis. The test was not connected to the ongoing annual military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea in the region which have angered North Korea. Tensions: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (left) has postponed an intercontinental ballistic missile test next week. Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) has ratcheted up tensions with the West in the past week . Work: North Korean soldiers work beside their military fences near the demilitarized zone separating the North from South Korea, in this picture taken from an observation post of the South . Patrol: South Korean soldiers patrol along the military fences near the demilitarized zone . Hagel made the decision Friday, the official said yesterday. Meanwhile, South Korea's top military officer has put off a visit to Washington because of escalating tensions with North Korea that have also compelled more than a dozen South Korean companies to halt operations at a joint factory complex in the North, officials have said today. The tensions in the region have led South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jung Seung-jo to cancel his plan to meet with U.S. counterpart, General Martin Dempsey, in Washington on April 16 for regular talks. The allies have agreed to reschedule the meeting because Jung couldn't be away from South Korea for several days at a time when North Korea is intensifying its rhetoric, said a South Korean Joint Chiefs spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office policy. And with pressure growing on Beijing to get North Korea to step back from its war-like footing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that no one country should be allowed to upset world peace and added China would work to reduce tensions over regional hotspots. In a speech to a regional business forum with political leaders from Australia to Zaire present, Xi did not offer any concrete plans for how to deal with China's neighbor, North Korea, which has elevated regional tensions through war-like rhetoric and missile deployments in recent weeks. Missiles: The launch has been put off until next month amid fears it could increase tensions in Korea (file pictures) Missile threat: A North Korean military vehicle carries a missile through Pyongyang. The state has repeatedly threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea . Xi did not offer concessions to other . neighbors locked in fraught disputes with Beijing over outlying islands . - Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam. It isn't clear whether Xi was taking a . swipe at North Korea or at the United States, a frequent target of . Chinese criticism, when he criticized unilateral acts that threaten . stability. 'The international community should . advocate the vision of comprehensive security and co-operative security, . so as to turn the global village into a big stage for common development . rather than an arena where gladiators fight each other. Speech: Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured last month) has said no one country should be allowed to upset world peace and added China would work to reduce tensions over regional hotspots . 'And no one should be allowed to . throw the region, or even the whole world, into chaos for selfish . gains,' Xi said at the Boao Forum for Asia, a China-sponsored talk shop . for the global elite. The North's military warned this week . that it was authorized to attack the U.S. using 'smaller, lighter and . diversified' nuclear weapons. South . Korean officials say North Korea has moved at least one missile with . 'considerable range' to its east coast - possibly the untested Musudan . missile, believed to have a range of 1,800 miles. U.S. officials have said the move . suggests a North Korean launch could be imminent. But while Washington . is taking the North Korean threats seriously, U.S. leaders say they have . seen no visible signs that the North is preparing for a large-scale . attack. North Korea . held its latest nuclear test in February, and in December it launched a . long-range rocket that potentially could hit the continental U.S. Increasing tensions is the uncertainty around the intentions of the . country's new young leader, Kim Jong Un. North . Korea has been angered by increasing sanctions and the U.S.-South . Korean military exercises, which have included a broad show of force . ranging from stealthy B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters to a wide array of . ballistic missile defense-capable warships. The exercises are scheduled . to continue through the end of the month. This week, the U.S. said two of the . Navy's missile-defense ships were moved closer to the Korean peninsula, . and a land-based system is being deployed to the Pacific territory of . Guam later this month. The Pentagon last month announced longer-term . plans to strengthen its U.S.-based missile defenses. The defense official, who was not . authorized to speak publicly about the Minuteman 3 test delay and . requested anonymity, said U.S. policy continues to support the building . and testing of its nuclear deterrent capabilities. The official said the . launch was not put off because of any technical problems. The globe-circling intercontinental . ballistic missiles make up one of the three legs of America's nuclear . arsenal. About 450 Minuteman 3 missiles are based in underground silos . in the U.S. The other two legs of the nuclear arsenal are . submarine-launched ballistic missiles and weapons launched from big . bombers, such as the B-52 and the stealthy B-2. The traditional rationale for the 'nuclear triad' of weaponry is that it is essential to surviving any nuclear exchange. | Fears the long-planned Minuteman 3 test could be misinterpreted .
Test not connected to ongoing U.S. and South Korean military exercises .
South Korean top military officer puts off visit to Washington .
North Korea has been angered by the annual exercises carried out in region .
Chinese president says no country should be allowed to upset world peace . |
107,825 | 16ff4f5faf51552b650236ec67039d13e223e2e7 | (CNN) -- The nation's colleges have a serious rape problem. Five percent of college women experience rape or attempted rape every year on campus. Most universities are doing little to nothing about this. From 1998 to 2000, I was an assistant dean of students at the University of Virginia. Of the six universities where I have worked, the University of Virginia stands out among them for not only the frequency of rape allegations but also for the unresponsiveness of administrators. This issue, which affects so many students, is finally coming into light, led by the excellent reporting of Sabrina Rudin Erdely in Rolling Stone, detailing an alleged, horrific gang rape in a Virginia fraternity. Only now is the university really doing anything about it, some two years later. Its most recent action is to suspend all fraternities through Jan. 9, some 45 days or so. To an outsider this might seem like an admirable first step. In reality, it is a farce. Suspending fraternities' functions at this point essentially means that they are not able to have official parties during the week between Thanksgiving and final exams. One week. Fraternities are self-supporting houses off campus anyway, so who is to say they won't just have a social gathering in their houses and not call it a party? The trouble runs deeper, though. Recent interviews with university administrators show that they are highly reluctant to expel a student who commits rape (watch this eye-opening video). When I worked there, I was once asked to meet with a student who had been found responsible for sexual assault. He was instructed to read a book about sexual assault and then discuss it with me. That hardly seems like an adequate punishment. I also sat through sexual assault board hearings where clear cut cases of rape occurred and supported survivors when they found out that the perpetrator was found "not responsible." In most cases I was aware of, male students were not found responsible. Occasionally suspensions would occur; those were, of course, temporary. During my tenure there, rape survivors would commonly tell me that they had wanted to file charges against their attacker but were told by administrators that their cases were more fit for mediation. It is unconscionable to mediate a felony. And in fact, the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education ordered universities in 2011 to stop mediating rape cases. But the Office of Civil Rights doesn't seem to have deterred Virginia much. In a morally abhorrent move -- one I hope will be found illegal by the civil rights office during its investigation of the university's handling of sexual assaults -- Virginia actually offered complainants a process for an "informal resolution" that sounds just like a mediation process. It also theoretically allows the school to avoid publicly acknowledging a rape happened and ignores the threat to the safety of the community. Men who are responsible for rape need expulsion, not just a chance to give an insincere apology to avoid serious consequences. Let's remember that while recent news makes the University of Virginia seems more egregious than most institutions, a lot of students there are making a big difference -- men in the One in Four chapter and women in the One Less organization. They are pushing hard to make a difference They are working hard to educate their fellow students about the reality of rape and how to prevent it, and we all need to support them. We also need to remember that ultimately, we don't do a lot of good focusing on just one university. It is time to use research-based programs like The Men's Program, The Women's Program, Green Dot, MVP and Bringing in the Bystander to eradicate this problem. Furthermore, we need universities to have adjudication processes that are accessible to and trusted by students. Let's all work together to create a culture that reliably prevents rape and punishes rapists. | John Foubert: There's a rape problem on college campuses. Most universities do little about it .
Rolling Stone article highlights alleged gang rape at University of Virginia .
When he was assistant dean there, administrators responded poorly to rape allegations .
Foubert: Men responsible for rape need expulsion. Colleges must educate, not tolerate . |
172,566 | 6b51a1581a373b7e8458c9640807fe44589fa4c7 | An artist has cashed in on the recent vogue for dense facial fuzz and created the Bearded Year calendar in which a scruff appears to get longer with every successive month. Anna Marinenko, from Kiev, Ukraine, has drawn 12 beards in various stages of growth, beginning with January's designer stubble and finally ending in a full woodsman's beard in December. Each stage is printed on transparent paper, making the fuzz seem bushier as the year goes on, and the pages are laid over each other. Scroll down for video . An artist was inspired by the idea of growing facial hair to create her Bearded Year 2015 calendar . Ms Marinenko, who is selling her Bearded Year calendars for £40 on etsy.com, told FEMAIL that she decided to create a minimalistic simple calendar that she could print at home. She said: 'The idea was to illustrate something that could change during the year. A beard fits perfectly for this purpose. 'Beards are really popular, many men grow one and many women like them.' She admits to being a fan of the facial hair herself, adding, 'it's natural and manly' and 'pleasant to touch'. The designer said she didn't expect so much attention on the project and has been overwhelmed by the number of likes and shares online. In 2014 we saw beard baubles and beard sculptures, now men can invest in a beard calendar . Thanks to being layered on transparent paper, the beard in Anna Marinenko's calendar appears to grow . The calendar consists of 12 transparent A4 layers for each month. The beard graphics overlay each other, mimicking the effect of growth over the period of time. For those who hoped 2014 had reached peak beard, this is evidence that we're still obsessed with all things whiskery. In December alone, a series of accessories just for beards were created including beard baubles and icicles designed to nestle among the bristles. A San Francisco-based father, Isaiah Webb, also became famous as Incredibeard - the creator of weird and wonderful sculptures made from his impressive chest-length facial hair. For more information on the Bearded Year calendar visit marinenko.com. Anyone growing their own chin fuzz along with their calendar will have a lot to live up to by December . | Anna Marinenko wanted to depict something natural changing over a year .
Ukrainian drew the 12 stages of the fuzz on overlaid transparent paper .
Designer is selling Bearded Year 2015 calendar online for £40 . |
234,404 | bb714ae9992339a6163bb13e23917ea2cd7bfbde | (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama, President Bush and all of the surviving past presidents got together Wednesday for a historic meeting at the White House. Barack Obama meets with President Bush and past presidents in the Oval Office on Wednesday. "One message that I have, and I think we all share, is that we want you to succeed. Whether we're Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country," Bush told Obama before lunch with the former presidents. Bush and Obama were joined by Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Obama thanked the president for hosting them and said he was grateful for the opportunity to get "advice, good counsel and fellowship" from the group. Watch what Obama says about the meeting » . Obama's press secretary said the presidents had a "very constructive conversation" and Obama appreciated "the spirit of bipartisanship they showed" in wishing him success. "The president and the former presidents had helpful advice on managing the office, as well as thoughts on the critical issues facing the country right now. The president-elect is anxious to stay in touch with all of them in the coming years," Robert Gibbs said. Presidential historian Doug Brinkley said it's "very smart politics for Obama to keep a channel open" with the former presidents. "If he has a policy initiative that he wants to lead the country behind ... if he could get the signatures, the green light from all of the ex-presidents to say, 'Not only am I for this, but I have all of the ex-presidents backing me' -- that's powerful," he said. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the last time all of the living presidents got together at the White House was in 1981, and she called Wednesday's meeting a "historic moment." She said the president was "delighted" to host the luncheon. "Each of them expressed their desire for President-elect Obama to have a very successful presidency. During the lunch, they had a wide-ranging discussion on many different issues facing the United States, and they all look forward to remaining in contact in the future," Perino said. The meeting marked the second time Bush has hosted Obama since the election. Obama suggested the meeting with all of the former presidents when he and Bush first met in November. Perino said earlier she didn't know what they would talk about, but she said she'd love to be able to hear it. "I'm sure all of us would love to be flies on the wall and listening to that conversation," Perino said during Tuesday's daily news briefing. Perino speculated that they would discuss what it's like to raise children in the White House and how to protect them. Brinkley predicted that first and foremost, the presidents would recall what it was like to be president. "All of them will have little anecdotes. They'll see something in the White House that will bring back a memory. They'll try to bring some levity to this -- make it a very special and engaging and actually a fun afternoon for Barack Obama," he said. Secondly, Brinkley said, the conversation would probably turn to what's going on in the Middle East. Brinkley said that all of the men will be on their "best behavior," but, given the personalities at the luncheon, there could be some tension. "The friction, if there is any, is between Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, who are known to not like each other at all," he said, pointing out that the Clinton team did not like Carter "parachuting for peace into Bosnia, North Korea and Haiti" during Clinton's administration. "That's the relationship that is not warm, it's not good, and if you are a body language expert, you might home in on that," he said. President Bush may find himself the odd man out at the meeting, at least in terms of popularity. Bush registered only a 27 percent approval rating in a December CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey. In contrast, Obama had an 82 percent approval rating. A new poll out Wednesday indicates that 69 percent of adult Americans approved of how Clinton handled his job as president, while 64 percent of adult Americans gave a thumbs up to Carter and 60 percent approved of George H.W. Bush. CNN's Lauren Kornreich contributed to this report . | Historian calls meeting "smart politics," says it'll be light, but could be tense .
Obama and Bush meet with Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter .
Obama says he's grateful for chance to get "advice, good counsel and fellowship"
Last time all the living presidents met at White House was in 1981, Perino says . |
92,758 | 035178afbffe51d5d1d61e340419eeb12c6b7b43 | Beijing, China (CNN) -- The death toll from an explosion at a northeastern China coal mine rose to 104 Monday morning, according to state-run media. Another four workers were still trapped underground in the mine shaft as of 7:20 a.m. (6:20 p.m. ET Sunday), the Xinhua news agency said. A buildup of toxic gases was hampering rescue efforts, according to CCTV. Sixty miners remained hospitalized Monday for injuries ranging from carbon monoxide poisoning to burns, CCTV reported. Of those, six had sustained severe burns that left them in critical condition. About 530 miners were working in the mine when the blast occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday (1:30 p.m. ET Friday). The Heilongjiang Longmei's Xinxing mine is operated by the Hegang company. A preliminary investigation indicates the blast was a gas explosion, Xinhua reported. | NEW: Death toll rises .
NEW: Sixty miners hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning, burns, CCTV reports .
NEW: Four workers still trapped .
NEW: A buildup of toxic gases was hampering rescue efforts, CCTV reports . |
155,771 | 55591dd8fbf5f3013b2a6010fef1797b5671698b | Read our brilliant preview to the new NBA season... so, who will come out on top? The NBA should consider playing more regular season games out of America, according to New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire. This season there will be two matches played on foreign soil with the Houston Rockets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in Mexico City on November 12 before the Milwaukee Bucks host the Knicks on January 15 at London’s O2 Arena. It will be the second time that Stoudemire has played an NBA match in London after being part of a New York side that defeated the Detroit Pistons 102-87 in January 2013. New York Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire says the NBA should play more games outside of America . Stoudemire, who scored 17 points in that victory nearly two years ago, is excited about returning to England but admits a regular recurrence of a trip across the Atlantic with the Knicks depends on commissioner Adam Silver’s decision. ‘I wish we could play in London every single season but again it’s up to the commissioner to come up with that but I do truly enjoy playing in London for sure,’ he said at a teleconference ahead of Friday’s release of tickets for January’s clash. ‘We’re coming to [London] to win I can tell you that much. We’re showing up to win, we’re going to have fun as well and we’re going to enjoy the city of London. ‘We’re going to enjoy the town, the fans and the people there. We’re going to experience the entire experience. The main objective is to win and give the London fans a taste of New York.’ Stoudemire scored 17 points when New York beat the Detroit Pistons 102-87 in January 2013 at the O2 Arena . The two regular season matches follows the NBA Global Games pre-season games in October that featured the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs playing a series of games in Brazil, China, Germany, and Turkey. As part of the NBA's effort to connect with its fans globally, its Global Games 2014-15 now includes a total of nine NBA teams playing seven regular-season and pre-season games in seven cities in six countries. On Tuesday it was announced that a record 101 international players from 37 countries will be competing in the league this season too - including Britain's Luol Deng at the Heat. With this devotion to expanding the game, there have been suggestions that the sport could follow the example of NFL and look at the possibilities of having a franchise outside of America – something Stoudemire believes isn’t impossible. ‘I’m sure the commissioners would take a look at that and see how the fans appreciate the game of basketball there and if it continues to grow then I’m sure that the commissioner will would keep a close eye on that. Hopefully if it continues to grow then we’ll see what happens,’ he added. The 31-year-old (right) returned to action in the Knicks' 104-80 opening day defeat against the Chicago Bulls . Stoudemire has played in the Knicks’ opening two games against the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland after two seasons blighted by knee injury problems. In his absence last year, the Madison Square Garden outfit finished outside the play-offs to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference. Back fit the 31-year-old hopes for a better outcome for himself and his team this campaign despite a tough looking fixture list to begin with as they host the Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards next. ‘My personal goal is to get back to the Amar’e Stoudemire that the world fell in love with. The basketball player that I was able to become as a youth and to continue to improve as a player – I want to get back to my dominant self,’ he said. Stoudemire (left) played 24 minutes in the Knicks' 95-90 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday . ‘There are a lot of individual goals of mine but as a team we are looking to succeed as well. With the combination of both of those attributes I think we should be a pretty successful team. ‘We can’t dwell on the past. We don’t forget it but we do keep it in the back of our mind knowing that we don’t want to repeat that so that fuels us to continue to train harder. ‘We’ve definitely got to try and get a few wins out of that [opening] schedule right there. It’s a tough stretch – all four of those teams are playing well but for us I think we’re still trying to get our identity figured out in terms of offence but I think if we continue to work the way we are then we’ll be OK.’ The Milwaukee Bucks host the New York Knicks at The O2 in London on January 15 as part of NBA Global Games London 2015. Tickets go on sale October 31 at www.theo2.co.uk/nba2015 . | Milwaukee Bucks host the New York Knicks in London on January 15 .
Tickets for the match at the O2 Arena go on sale on Friday .
It will be second regular season match played outside America this season .
A record 101 international players from 37 countries will be competing in the NBA this season .
Stoudemire played in the Knicks 102-87 win against Detroit Pistons at London's O2 Arena in January 2013 . |
115,332 | 20d51c28b2f03f8a3c924d06f8e696c30c46fb6a | By . Sara Smyth . PUBLISHED: . 23:27 EST, 18 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 23:30 EST, 18 February 2014 . Questions: Nearly one in ten British fathers have doubts over the paternity of their children . Nearly one in ten British fathers harbour doubts over the paternity of their children, according to shocking new research. In some parts of the country, the figure . rises to almost one in five men who have admitted they are unsure if . they are biological father of their children. On average, eight per cent of British men - around 1.2million - say they have worried whether their children are their own. That rises to 16 per cent in Newcastle, London and Northern Ireland, research revealed. However, in Yorkshire and Scotland, men were far less likely to question if they were the biological parent of their children - with just three per cent admitting to having doubts. By comparison, three per cent of British women - some 460,000 - said they were unsure of who the biological father of their child is. The research - based on a YouGov survey of 5,266 parents on behalf of website DNATestingChoice.com - explains why more Britons are using DNA paternity testing. The findings showed clear pockets of concern in some of Britain’s cities. Fathers in the North East were the most likely to be unsure of male respondents representing twice the UK average. By comparison, mothers in the North West, in cities like Liverpool and Manchester, were most likely to be unsure who the biological father of their children was with nearly 6 per cent - twice the UK average - admitting they did not know for certain. Other factors including the age of the . parents, occupation and marital status had a bearing on how confident . they felt about their partner’s fidelity. Older . fathers proved to be more secure in their family structure, with just . five per cent of over-55s saying they were unsure of their child’s . paternity. Mystery: This map shows the percentage of mothers in each region who are unsure who the father of their child is. The problem is greatest in North West England, while Scottish mothers have the least doubts . Meanwhile this regional map shows where in the country fathers are most likely to question their child's paternity. Fathers in Northern Ireland and North East England are most likely to have doubts . However, the research showed that 15 per cent of fathers aged between 25-34 were most likely to have been unsure. Mothers who have never married were found to be the most likely to harbour doubts about the paternity of their child. Around eight per cent - three times the national average- of unmarried mothers replied ‘yes’ to the survey. While 18 per cent of fathers who are separated or divorced said they have questioned the paternity of their offspring. Craig Macpherson, of DNATestingChoice.com, said: 'We are finding an increasing number of parents turning to paternity testing to end years of uncertainty. DNA Paternity tests prove whether or not a man is the biological father of a child giving valuable reassurance.' | Figure rises to one in five men in some regions, including the North East .
Many fathers in Northern Ireland and London also harbour paternity doubts .
Meanwhile three per cent of women say they are not sure of child's father .
Problem is most apparent in the North West, where six per cent are unsure . |
184,949 | 7b962a681b2655774163bc9a25fd79caa493c165 | By . Paul Harris and Christian Gysin . PUBLISHED: . 09:09 EST, 2 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:29 EST, 3 August 2012 . Even before it was over, she fell to her knees and let her tears spill on the floor. Then Gemma Gibbons looked to the heavens and mouthed: ‘I love you Mum’. This was the moment Britain’s 25-year-old judo sensation had dreamed of since she was a little girl. Now she was about to collect a silver medal and get a chance to go for gold.’ Scroll down for video . Britain's Gemma Gibbons looks to the heavens after her semi-final win. She whispered 'I love you mum' in tribute to her mother Jeanette, who died of leukaemia in 2004 . Britain's Gemma Gibbons kisses her silver medal after an emotional day which culminated in her being beaten by American Kayla Harrison in the final . Tribute: Gemma as a baby with her late mother Jeanette . But in an arena packed with cheering, . ecstatic fans, one face was missing. Jeanette Gibbons – who introduced . Gemma to the sport and nurtured her on the path to Olympic standard – . lost her battle with leukaemia when her daughter was just 17. So yesterday, in possibly the most . poignant moment of the Games, millions of viewers around the world . witnessed the moment Mrs Gibbons could not. And ‘Our little Gem’ as she once . called her, won the hearts of a nation. Afterwards she spoke of her joy . at getting so close to gold – and her frustration at not being able to . share it with her mother. ‘I want to say thank you,’ she told us, ‘and obviously I can’t.’ Last night her delighted grandmother Beryl Gibbons told how proud Gemma’s late mother would be if she were still alive. Silver service: Gemma Gibbons (top) was second in the under-78kg with Kayla Harrison taking gold . The challenge of Harrison, a former World Champion, proved a little too strong for Gibbons . Jeanette’s 81-year-old mother was too . nervous towatch the final on TV at home in Sidcup, Kent. (Elsewhere, . Jeanette’s twin brother, Maurice, hid in the garage). Her 81-year-old husband, also called . Maurice, watched the TV with two men who were repairing the roof and . announced it was over. ‘Jeanette would be so proud,’ Mrs Gibbons said. ‘I just know she will be looking down from above. I know her death made . Gemma even more determined to succeed.’ Gemma brought home Britain’s first . Olympic judo medal in 12 years by taking silver after a stunning victory . over French world champion Audrey Tcheumeo. That put her in the final, and . prompted her message to Mum. Seen on TV, it was instantly underlined by . presenter Gabby Logan, who described witnessing the moment as ‘my first . weep of the day’. Gibbons (in the blue gown) attempts to throw her opponent Kayla Harrison in the final of the under 78kg judo . Gibbons after the clock ran out in the final. She is the first British judoka to win a medal in 12 years . But in front of a rapturous crowd, . Gemma could not defeat American Kayla Harrison in a valiantly fought . bout at the ExCeL centre. Foreign Secretary William Hague, a . judo blue belt, is understood to have briefed David Cameron about her . when he and the Prime Minister attended with Vladimir Putin, a . celebrated black belt. She was hugged by her boyfriend and GB . team-mate Euan Burton in the stands, and applauded by Mr Cameron and . fellow VIPs. The Prime Minister told her: ‘Well done. Fantastic,’ as she . fought back tears of joy. Gibbons (left) and Harrison salute the crowd at the end of their bout . Good effort: Gemma Gibbons is congratulated on her silver medal by Prime Minister David Cameron . Game for a laugh: Judo star Gibbons shows her . fun side in a Facebook picture of her at a Halloween party, and right, a . graduation picture . Despite the poignancy, what unfolded . in the wake of her success was an inspiring story of a little girl with a . dream, and a single mother who loyally supported it. Golden moment: Kayla Harrison celebrates moments after securing her judo gold medal . Gemma started judo as a six-year-old . when Jeanette took her to the Metro Judo Club in Blackheath, South-East . London. Jeanette raised Gemma in a small council flat in Charlton after . Gemma’s father left before she was born. Her mother then took on all the . responsibilities of a single parent – working as a nursery nurse to help . fund her talented girl’s ambition to become a champion. Within ten . years she was winning gold at the British National Junior Age . Championships. But tragedy struck in the spring of 2004 when Jeanette . died at the age of 49, just six months after being diagnosed. One dedicated British judo fan who has . followed Gemma’s rise in the sport, recalled: ‘Parents of other kids . used to say that when they video recorded their kids taking part in . competitions all they could hear in the background was the voice of . Gemma’s mum shouting, “Come on Gem”.’ As her career progressed Gemma won a . place on the British Judo Association Sport England World Class . Performance programme. This saw her leave home and move to the West . Country, where she joined a full time training course at Bath . University. Yesterday she finally fulfilled her . ambition of competing at the Olympics – in a venue just 20 minutes’ drive from the flat she once shared with her late mother. She said: ‘We . didn’t have a lot of money and any money that my Mum did have she put . into me and my judo career. ‘Obviously I don’t get to say thank . you for that, so that was a kind of thanks to her. I felt I would have . definitely made her proud today. She was everything to me. VIDEO: Gemma Gibbons reacts to winning Team GB's first Olympic medal for 12 years!... | Gemma Gibbons wins silver medal in final of Under 78kg category .
American Kayla Harrison claims the gold medal .
Whispers 'I love you Mum' in tribute to mother Jeanette, who died in 2004, after semi-final triumph . |
75,533 | d6377d810c9c34278686b75d282402cefb5fa072 | Jeb Bush name-checked Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Mark Zuckerberg on Monday while telling University of South Carolina graduates that "young people and newcomers are often the great discoverers." The former Florida Republican governor's commencement speech -- short, optimistic and apolitical -- came the day after he'd said he planned to release 250,000 emails from his days in office. He will also write an accompanying eBook that he'll release next year. Bush's preemptive approach is one of the clearest signs yet of how seriously he is considering a run for president and allows him to address potential areas of criticism before opposition researchers dig in. On Monday, Bush made no references to his own political future, but did sound a number of optimistic notes -- and he told the new graduates not to fear failure. He said graduates shouldn't "be afraid to shake things up," and that they should embrace a rapidly changing economy even when doing so is daunting. "Most of America feels that way -- you're not alone. And in many ways, that's OK. Because that anxiety can be positive," he said. "When you're thrown into new situations, you don't just challenge yourself. You see things that other people might not see." The point of his speech, Bush said, was to tell graduates to "dream big, don't be afraid of change and find joy everywhere you can." And they shouldn't see their ages as impediments, he said. "Darwin was 29 when he developed the theory of natural selection. Einstein was 26 when he developed the theory of relativity. And Mark Zuckerberg, for crying out loud, was 19 years old when he developed Facebook," Bush said. "They were young. They didn't have assumptions about things. They just wanted to have an impact," he said. "And that's what happens when you're a newcomer -- you make an impact." Bush said he'd asked his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, for advice on what to say. Her response: "Jeb, speak about 10 minutes and then sit down and shut up." And he did -- tapping his watch as he sat down, as if to note that he'd landed almost exactly on the 10-minute mark. He also made reference to his father, President George H.W. Bush, telling graduates they should try to match the 90-year-old's zeal for life -- from wearing colorful socks to parachuting out of airplanes to "judging cheerleader competitions for the Houston Texans -- I think that's on his highlight reel for sure." "No matter how many challenges you face, no matter how old you get, remember to have fun in life. Be like my dad, who turned 90 years old this year, and here's a guy who's lived a full, active life, he was shot out of the sky in World War II, he built a business, he served a generation of time in many different positions in public service, and he's had some incredibly painful losses in his life, but he has never stopped having fun," Bush said. "That's why he's my favorite person in the world of all time, and I suspect it's why many others respect and admire him as well." | Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush delivered the University of South Carolina's commencement speech on Monday .
The speech came as Bush considers a bid for the Republican 2016 presidential nomination .
Bush didn't address his political future during the speech, but encouraged students not to "be afraid to shake things up" |
29,774 | 54b5982b8ef85dd38fdd76a579ad9a67d61c5c9d | (CNN) -- To some, it may sound like a strange way to spend a vacation. But for many visitors, the carefully manicured grounds of cemeteries can provide beautiful moments to remember history's fascinating figures. St. Louis No. 1, New Orleans . New Orleans is situated below sea level. Early in its history, each time there was a flood, the dead would literally rise. Residents soon learned that bodies shouldn't be buried in the ground. At the colorfully named St. Louis Cemetery Number 1 -- the city's oldest -- visitors see only above-ground tombs. Some are magnificent while others stand in various degrees of ruin. One intriguing figure said to be buried here is voodoo priestess Marie Laveau (1794-1881), who held sway over her wealthy white clients as well as the Creole faithful. Tours of the cemetery include haunted outings. 425 Basin St., New Orleans . La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina . The first lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952, Eva Peron lies in the Duarte family tomb in La Recoleta Cemetery. Every day, tourists pay their respects at the black granite tomb. A public cemetery since 1822, it was only when the wealthy of Buenos Aires moved to this area that the elaborate above-ground mausoleums became common. The cemetery is home to a roll call of famous Argentineans, from presidents and military leaders to scientists and writers. Azcuénaga, Buenos Aires, Argentina . Highgate Cemetery, London . In the 1830s, parish cemeteries in central London became a health hazard, leading parliament to authorize seven new cemeteries in outer London. Highgate Cemetery was dedicated in 1839. Now listed on the English Heritage Register as one of London's great Victorian cemeteries, its most famous occupant is Karl Marx, but others buried here include novelist George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) and the parents of Charles Dickens. Guided tours are available for the East and West Cemeteries -- a tour is the only way to get into the latter. Was there ever a Highgate vampire? Readers can draw their own conclusions about reports in the 1970s and subsequent investigation by the British Psychic and Occult Society. Swain's Lane, London, Highgate . Central Cemetery, Vienna . Designed to accommodate expected population growth, the Zentralfriedhof opened in 1874 on the outskirts of Vienna. It's "central" in terms of significance, not location. Home to 3.3 million souls, many visitors nonetheless focus on its connection to Vienna's musical history. Composers Beethoven, Brahms and Strauss lie in rest here, while Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has an honorary monument in Group 32a, his actual grave being in another cemetery. Notably, and controversially at the time, the cemetery has a Catholic section, a Protestant cemetery, a small Russian Orthodox burial area and two Jewish cemeteries. Simmeringer Hauptstrasse 234, 1110 Vienna . Bonaventure, Georgia, United States . Located on the site of a former plantation, Bonaventure was established as a public cemetery called Evergreen in 1847. It became Bonaventure when the City of Savannah bought it in 1907. It's now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Notable people buried here include Confederate general Hugh Mercer, novelist and poet Conrad Aiken and singer-songwriter Johnny Mercer, who wrote lyrics for Hollywood movie songs, including "Moon River." The Jewish section has a memorial to victims of the Holocaust, whose ashes were brought here from a Nazi labor camp. Bonaventure's fame grew when a sculpture of the so-called Bird Girl from the cemetery was featured as the cover of the 1994 book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." 330 Bonaventure Road, Savannah, Georgia, United States . Punta Arenas Cemetery, Chile . A small angel stands with head bowed and palms together in prayer, a beautiful figurine atop one of the 19th-century tombs in the municipal cemetery of Punta Arenas in southern Chile. The chapels built in the early part of the 20th century house the remains of some of the wealthiest families of the time, including Sara Braun. It's said that when she donated the money for construction of the cemetery entrance, she had but one request: that once she passed through the central doorway in death, the door would remain closed forever. And so it is till this day. 9, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena region, Chile . Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow . Adjacent to the World Heritage listed 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, the Novodevichy Cemetery is said to be Moscow's third most popular tourist site. Inaugurated in 1898, it grew in importance from the 1930s when the remains of many Muscovites, including writer Anton Chekhov, were transferred from small cemeteries that were being demolished. It's now used only for the burial of significant people. Among a host of famous Russian singers, writers, scientists, cosmonauts and generals buried here lie Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and Boris Yeltsin, first president of the Russian Federation. Luzhnetsky proyezd, 2, Moscow . Woodlawn Cemetery, New York . Opened in the Bronx in 1863, Woodlawn Cemetery is one of New York's largest, with 300,000 souls at rest. It's a listed National Historic Landmark. At its entry stands a marble memorial to Civil War hero, Admiral Farragut. Within its grounds many larger-than-life figures are interred, including jazz supremo Duke Ellington, songwriter Irving Berlin, writer Damon Runyon and newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. Many monuments and mausoleums were designed by top architectural firms and noted sculptors' talents are in evidence, such as the angel at the Angie Kinsley Monument created by Daniel French, whose credits include the seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. E. 233rd St., New York . Waverley Cemetery, Sydney . They may be dead and buried but "residents" of Waverley Cemetery, set high on the clifftop above Bronte in Sydney's east, have spectacular ocean views. While its sculptures and architecture are fascinating, there's much to notice about the names on the graves. Among the 80,000 interments since 1877 are literary figures who helped define Australia's character, including Henry Lawson and Dorothea Mackellar. When viewers watch the funeral scenes in Baz Luhrmann's film "The Great Gatsby," due for release in 2013, they may think they're in Long Island. In fact, those scenes were shot at Waverley Cemetery. St. Thomas Street, Bronte . Père Lachaise, Paris . At the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, home to a million souls, lies the grave of Jim Morrison, whose visitors leave tokens of love. A crowd gathers at Chopin's grave, which is adorned by a statue of the muse with a lyre. There are kisses for Irish playwright and novelist Oscar Wilde. The list of the famous goes on. A moving site is the series of sculptures memorializing victims of the Nazis. There's a tribute to those who died in the French Resistance and a poignant sculpted figure of an emaciated victim of the concentration camps. Others place red roses on the tomb of singer Edith Piaf, whose funeral in 1963 was attended by 40,000 people. 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris . Have we missed any? Tell us about any beautiful cemeteries you've seen on your travels below . | Highgate Cemetery was created in 1839 after others in central London became health hazards .
Beethoven, Brahms and Strauss share Vienna's Central Cemetery as final resting place .
Novodevichy Cemetery is reportedly Moscow's third most popular tourist site .
A million people are buried at the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise in Paris . |
137,174 | 3d7216a57b0b9c4e2a65ad4ce16f27bb805eaf2f | Newly-appointed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar acknowledged on Monday that he was an upstart in matters related to the armed forces, even as he promised to bring his brand of transparency and fast-paced decision-making to the South Block. “That is my speciality,” said Parrikar, referring to his ability of making speedy and clean decisions. From ruling the tiny coastal state of Goa, which is better known as a tourism hub, to managing the security of the country, Parrikar comes to New Delhi with a reputation of being part of the breed of honest and decisive technocrat politicians. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar files Rajya Sabha nomination papers at Vidhan Sabha Bhawan in Lucknow as BJP leaders look on . He refrained from talking about issues concerning the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on his first day in office, but Parrikar dropped enough hints that he meant business. He advocated the merits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” policy, and the need to develop quickly. Parrikar has his task cut out as Modi only appointed a full-fledged defence minister five months after assuming power. During his short stint as a temporary holder of the portfolio, Arun Jaitley gave a push to several stalled acquisition projects. Parrikar said his predecessor Jaitley had taken decisions despite constraints, and that he would carry forward the task. It will take some time for the former chief minister to settle down as he admitted that he got only five minutes to pack his bags and move to Delhi. After his swearing-in ceremony, he had flown to Lucknow to file his nomination for entry into the Rajya Sabha, as he is not a member of either house of Parliament. In Lucknow, he said the defence minister was defenceless before the press, but he would not let the country go defenceless. The only defence matter he talked about on day one was the sinking of a torpedo recovery vessel off Vishakhapatnam. Parrikar said he would get a brief on the accident as he mentioned another naval mishap involving a fire on board a submarine last year. Parrikar assumes charge at a time when the armed forces are in the middle of a modernisation process and are looking up to the political leadership for speedy transformation. The border with China is calm at the moment and guns have fallen silent on the Line of Control (LoC) and the international boundary with Pakistan. But the two boundaries have the tendency to flare up at any time. His immediate task will be to streamline the procurement process and deliver decisions on several pending big ticket purchases. His predecessor Jaitley had vowed to ensure that the Defence Acquisition Council meets every month. Parrikar is also bracing up for the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. In the coming days, he will get extensive briefings on the functioning of the ministry. He began by meeting the three service chiefs who called on him together. Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur also called on the minister. The NDA government has opened up the defence sector to foreign investors, but experts say the policy needs to be made more attractive to get maximum benefits. | Parrikar was formerly Chief Minister of Goa .
India's armed forces are in the middle of a modernisation process .
New Minister will have big-ticket purchases to approve . |
29,559 | 54048daae31963894b5b1ec60b05a11314b2e1b0 | Washington (CNN) -- If you're one of the millions of Americans who get even a portion of your electric power from a nuclear generating plant, for more than three decades you've been paying a tax, whether you realize it or not, to fund the storage of nuclear waste from that plant in a safe place. Collected at an estimated $750 million a year, the Nuclear Energy Institute now says this so-called "nuclear waste fund" amounts to close to $30 billion. And it is not being used to pay for the storage of a single ounce of spent nuclear fuel. "The government has made much more of a mess than it should have been," Jay Silberg, a Washington lawyer, told CNN. Silberg represents many of the nation's biggest nuclear power companies and for more than 20 years, he's been involved in lawsuits against the government, trying to make it pay for what he says it promised to do way back in 1982. "That program, when it was set up, was supposed to be science-based," he says. At one point, all of the nation's spent nuclear fuel -- at least the spent fuel used for commercial power generation -- was supposed to end up at a bleak spot in Nevada, about 90 miles north of Las Vegas, called Yucca Mountain. Since the project began, the government has spent close to $11 billion in construction, engineering and scientific studies and there have been several blue ribbon commissions examining the safety of Yucca Mountain to hold all that waste. What happened? "Rather than let the science take its course, politics has interfered and the plug has been pulled on Yucca, at least so far," Silberg told CNN. And by politics, he means politics at the highest level. Almost from the start, Nevada politicians said they wanted nothing to do with the Yucca Mountain Project. But it wasn't until Barack Obama began his presidential campaign that Nevada's opposition gained serious traction. Obama wrote to a Las Vegas newspaper, The Review-Journal, in the spring of 2007 saying he had "always" been against storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. And then after he became president, Obama killed nearly all of the essential government funds for Yucca Mountain. And he did one more thing. Obama appointed Gregory Jaczko as chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the government agency with the power to regulate the nation's nuclear plants and with oversight over Yucca Mountain. Jazcko (pronounced "Yaz-Koh") served for years as chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who vowed never to allow Yucca Mountain to proceed. The offices of Sen. Reid and Jaczko told CNN that the nation's spent nuclear fuel is safe right where it is, strung out across 65 storage sites nationwide. That spent fuel ...tiny uranium pellets surrounded by steel rods coated with a zirconium alloy all packaged in a highly engineered assembly... now totals more than 70,000 tons nationwide. Two thirds of that spent fuel, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, is now in pools under about 40 feet of water. Some anti nuclear organizations say those pools are too jammed with spent fuel rods and are vulnerable to accident or terrorist attack. The nuclear industry says the spent fuel is safe and NRC officials say they believe the spent fuel can be reliably stored where it is for another 40 years. CNN wanted to visit Yucca Mountain to see what's become of the project. The most recent television footage available of Yucca Mountain was taken in 2002. But officials from the Department of Energy, which oversees Yucca, declined, citing safety reasons. Some Republican members of Congress say they, too, were blocked in an attempt to visit Yucca. At a Senate hearing this week in Washington, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, pointedly told NRC Chairman Jaczko that it was "important to ask about Yucca Mountain." "We have collected $30 billion to pay for an eventual disposal," he said. "Why not use it?" | America's nuclear waste fund has close to $30 billion .
Obama opposes Yucca Mountain site for nuclear storage .
Spent fuel is stored in 65 storage sites . |
50,354 | 8e714334c49c05bf2172986c767ae9aa723f9e52 | By . Martin Delgado and Jonathan Petre . PUBLISHED: . 18:10 EST, 10 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:02 EST, 10 March 2012 . Millions of public sector workers are already allowed to take more time off if they become unwell on holiday . Millions of public sector workers are already allowed to take more time off if they become unwell on holiday – a privilege that is currently denied to workers in the private sector. An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has revealed that the entitlement is written into employee contracts in the civil service, NHS trusts and local authorities. These staff can call in from annual leave, tell their boss that they are sick and claim more holiday to make up the lost time. The right is set to be incorporated into . British law for all employees later in the year after a ruling by a . European court, though Business Secretary Vince Cable last week said he . will do all he can to resist the move. Documents . uncovered by the investigation show that the entitlement, which has . been described by employment lawyers as a potential ‘malingerers’ charter’, is commonly written into public sector staff agreements. When contacted by The Mail on Sunday, public bodies were unable to say how many extra days off had been taken under the rule, claiming that the information was not recorded. Instructions issued by the organisation . of local government employers say workers who are sick while on holiday . have the right ‘to take that annual leave at another time when they are . well, even . . . in the next leave year’. Opposed: Vince Cable is fighting the EU ruling but it already applies to his own department . The instructions also say that staff who are off work due to illness can go on holiday while they are still signed off, otherwise employers are ‘at risk of unlawfully discriminating against workers’. Town hall workers who fall ill on holiday can obtain the time back by filling in a self-certification form. They are obliged to produce a doctor’s certificate only if their illness lasts longer than seven days, according to the Local Government Association. However, some health authorities say their staff need to produce a medical certificate to back up a claim. A Cabinet Office spokesman said of civil service employees: ‘The rule certainly applies across Whitehall but we don’t know the extent of it.’ Private sector staff are treated differently because the European court ruling that gave rise to the benefit is not yet incorporated into UK law. Organisations in the state sector, however, have already changed their employment practices to reflect the judgment, which was handed down by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 2009. A worker in Spain, Vicente Pereda, sued his firm after he was refused permission to change his holiday when he fell ill just before the start. Mr Pereda was ill for all but two days of his fortnight off. The ECJ ruled in his favour. The EU directive which followed the ruling was immediately legally binding on public bodies. Ministers say an EU deadline obliges them to introduce the new regime to all workers from October. But Mr Cable, whose own civil servants can claim the benefit, last week said he would resist any attempt to incorporate it into UK law. Employment experts say they have recently started receiving more inquiries from private sector firms about how the rule should be applied, suggesting that workers are becoming increasingly aware of its existence. Taxpayers’ Alliance chief executive Matthew Elliott said: ‘Taxpayers will be fuming if civil servants get extra days off. Most people don’t expect an extra day off if they fall ill at weekends. A holiday should not be any different.’ A Cabinet Office spokesman said: ‘Civil servants must comply with strict rules on reporting sickness absence and providing medical evidence. They cannot retrospectively ask for annual leave to be treated as sickness absence.’ | The right is to be incorporated into British law for all employees later in the year . |
10,254 | 1d1a9664fff359629c63d8b1cb333a7d604780b9 | By . Simon Jones for MailOnline . Russell Slade has resigned as manager of Leyton Orient, paving the way for him to become the new boss of Cardiff City. The Bluebirds had three approaches rebuffed by the Brisbane Road side for permission to open talks with Slade. But Vincent Tan’s move to land his No 1 target took a new twist when Slade tendered his resignation to the Orient board early on Wednesday evening. Russell Slade has quit Leyton Orient and a move to Cardiff for the 53-year-old now looks imminent . His decision means the Bluebirds can forge ahead with their wish to appoint Slade as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s full-time successor. Orient released a short statement on their official website. It read: 'The Chairman and the CEO of Leyton Orient have received a resignation letter from Russell Slade a few minutes ago. 'This has not happened by chance after the Club rejected this afternoon, a proposal from the General Manager of Cardiff City regarding the transfer of Russell Slade. The lawyers of the Club are now studying the file.' After the success of last season, Orient have struggled in the new campaign and currently sit 17th in the table. Russell Slade waves to the Leyton Orient away fans before their game against Notts County earlier this month . Cardiff City owner Vinent Tan has been on the lookout for a new manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left . | Russell Slade has resigned as manager of Leyton Orient .
The resignation could pave the way for a move to Cardiff City .
The Bluebirds had three approaches rebuffed by Orient .
The 53-year-old led Orient to the League One play-off final last year . |
255,455 | d6a8b9331e3e42e13528d1b612399b0462a13172 | By . Press Association Reporter . Swansea have snapped up 19-year-old striker James Demetriou after his contract at Nottingham Forest expired. The Australian-born Cyprus Under-21 international has signed a two-year deal and will join up with the Swans' Under 21 squad. 'My short-term aim is get game time and try to score as many goals as I can, but long-term I want to break into the first-team here and impress the manager,' Demetriou told the club's website. New arrival: James Demetriou has joined Swansea City on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest . One to watch: The former Forest striker will join up with Swansea's development squad . Demetriou has become the tenth player to joined the Swans in what has proved to be a busy summer for manager Garry Monk. The former Forest striker joins the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Bafetimbi Gomis and Lukasz Fabianski at the Liberty Stadium. Demetriou will have to bide his time in Swansea's development side before making the step up to the first team. VIDEO We are not satisfied - Pearce . | James Demetriou will join up with Swansea's Under 21 squad .
Swansea have tied the youngster down to a two-year deal .
The former Forest striker becomes Swansea's 10th summer signing . |
158,481 | 58e4ff9fcb206fef130dbba733b61298d816adbd | (CNN) -- On Tuesday, new Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to help unveil Apple's latest iPhone at its first big event since co-founder Steve Jobs stepped aside in August. Cook will no doubt be scrutinized for how he fulfills his new role Tuesday as chief pitchman for Apple's products. And the new iPhone, expected to go on sale sometime in mid-October, will almost certainly draw lines of shoppers outside Apple's stores. Then the question becomes: Can Apple make enough iPhones fast enough? As demand for its gadgets continues to skyrocket, keeping Apple growing at its amazing pace will be a key hurdle for Cook's regime. The consumer shift toward cheaper, portable computers -- and Apple's huge success there with the iPhone and iPad -- means creating and selling an ever-increasing number of devices each year. Right now, for example, Apple will have to ramp up production of millions of new iPhones, and possibly new iPods, for the holidays. After that there will be more iPads, Macs, and other products. It's important that Apple's new devices be stylish and technically impressive. But it's equally important that they be in stock when people want to buy them, something that Apple hasn't always been able to deliver. Only recently, for example, has the iPad 2 supply been able to meet demand. And as time goes on, thanks in part to new markets such as China, demand for each gadget will only grow. It's not enough for Cook and his team to keep coming up with exciting new products. They also must continue Apple's logistics revolution, so that consumers don't have to wait forever to buy new Apple devices -- or turn instead to the competition. Consider the total number of devices Apple must now have built and shipped per year. In 2011, including all iPhones, iPods, iPads, and Macs, Apple could end up shipping more than 175 million gadgets -- some 50 million more than it did last year, representing roughly 40% growth. Next year, Apple is expected to ship an all-time high of around 215 million devices, or another 40 million more than this year. And so on. It wouldn't be insane for Apple to have to ship 500 million units per year by the end of the decade. So Cook will have to figure out how to become the type of company that can ship 500 million gadgets per year -- from staffing to product design to iCloud server infrastructure to components to manufacturing, sales and support. The good news: Cook is already, arguably, the best in the business when it comes to this stuff. Over the past decade, he's made Apple's supply chain an industry leader. For Cook and Apple's SVP of Operations Jeff Williams, the plan is to keep it that way. (See Fortune Magazine's recent profile of Williams here.) As Apple enters its next chapter, some of Cook's biggest practical challenges will include scaling production, deciding how to prioritize the company's existing businesses and figuring out which new businesses to enter -- such as making TVs. (Then there's the whole "vision thing," which is a whole different challenge -- and where Jobs, the master innovator, may prove to be irreplaceable.) Later this month, Cook will make his first pitch to Wall Street as Apple's CEO, as Apple reports its quarterly results. A year from now, we'll be in good position to judge his performance at the helm of the world's most valuable tech company. But first, it's time for a new iPhone. Copyright © 2011 Business Insider. | Maintaining Apple's rapid growth will be a big challenge for new CEO Tim Cook .
Cook must keep driving product development and Apple's logistics revolution .
Apple could end up shipping more than 175 million gadgets this year .
Cook is expected to unveil a new iPhone Tuesday in California . |
184,558 | 7b0c4d06cf1ed06a18b90d47ee13d3b6a6ca9d79 | (CNN) -- Ten-man Chelsea produced an astonishing comeback to recover from 2-0 down on the night and beat defending champions Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in a scarcely believable Champions League semifinal at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Chelsea began the second-leg tie with a slender 1-0 lead and looked doomed when captain John Terry was sent off for violent conduct in the 37th minute and Andres Iniesta put Barcelona 2-1 up overall shortly afterward. But Ramires put Chelsea ahead on away goals moments before halftime and Chelsea somehow held off wave after wave of Barcelona attack after the break before snatching a 2-2 draw. Lionel Messi hit the bar with a penalty early in the second half and later had another shot pushed onto the post by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. Substitute Fernando Torres completed the most unlikely of wins when he scored on the break in injury time to guarantee Chelsea's place in the final of Europe's top club competition for the second time in the English side's history. Is Chelsea win sport's greatest upset? "It is an incredible achievement by this group of players," said Chelsea coach Robeto di Matteo, who took over in early March on an interim basis when Andre Villas Boas was sacked. "A lot of people have written us off but we showed the character these players have." Chelsea will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the May 19 final at the latter's Allianz Arena. They will have to do without Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles, who will all be suspended, but that was at the back of the players' minds as they celebrated one of the club's greatest wins. "It was not beautiful," Torres said, "and we were playing the best team in the world, but Barcelona did not take their chances and, in the end, it worked for us." Barcelona, meanwhile, now only have the Spanish Cup to play for after losing to Real Madrid at the weekend and all but conceding the La Liga title. "It wasn't meant to be this year," coach Josep Guardiola said. "The first thing that goes through my head is immense sorrow. "We played exceptionally well for 180 minutes, we did everything we could to be in the final. We've never worked this hard to be in a final. We failed because we didn't score (more goals)." Having come away from the first leg ahead due to Didier Drogba's goal, Chelsea traveled to the Camp Nou knowing Barcelona had won their last 15 home matches in the Champions League. Things started badly when defender Gary Cahill limped off after 12 minutes and got worse when midfielder Sergio Busquets put Barcelona ahead in the 35th minute from Isaac Cuenca's cutback. Two minutes later, former England captain Terry inexplicably raised his knee as he ran up behind Alexis Sanchez and was shown a straight red card -- leaving Chelsea without both their center halves. "I want to apologize to the lads and the fans," Terry said later. "I feel like I've let the lads down." A minute after Terry departed, Iniesta looked to have set Barcelona on their way to the final when he finished off a trademark passing move with a precise, low shot into the far corner from Messi's through ball. Terry's absence meant midfielder Ramires was pushed into action as a right back but it was the Brazilian who unexpectedly gave Chelsea hope before halftime. Barcelona had their own defensive reorganization to carry out when Gerard Pique came off after 25 minutes with a head injury to be replaced by Dani Alves, and the hosts were wide open at the back as Ramires skipped on to Frank Lampard's pass and expertly lifted the ball over the stranded Victor Valdes. Barcelona began the second half in determined mood and quickly won a penalty when Drogba -- who was otherwise superb -- slid in rashly and brought down Cesc Fabregas. Messi stepped up to try to score his 64th goal of the season but smacked the bar with his spot kick. The three-time world player of the year is still yet to score against Chelsea. It still seemed only a matter of time before Barcelona got the crucial goal but as the minutes ticked down amid increasing desperation among the home fans, it began to look like fate was on Chelsea's side. Sanchez had the ball in the net but the offside flag was up against Alves before Messi was again denied when Cech got fingertips to his shot minutes before full time, leaving him without a goal against Chelsea in eight games. Torres, by contrast, has hardly found the net since moving to Chelsea but it was left to the misfiring Spaniard to run through and score his eighth goal in 11 games against Barcelona. In the English Premier League on Tuesday, Bolton came from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 2-1 to raise hopes of escaping relegation and leave their opponents just three points above the drop zone. | Chelsea sub Fernando Torres seals 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona .
Chelsea captain John Terry sent off in the 37th minute .
Barcelona take lead through Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta before Ramires scores away goal .
Lionel Messi hits the bar with a penalty, and later has a shot pushed onto the post . |
217,977 | a636fb45f21cc699f8bfa0960c165d8eaf9f9b63 | By . Oliver Wadeson . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 2 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:04 EST, 2 March 2013 . After the phenomenal success of Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me, it was perhaps inevitable that a property equivalent of the culinary show would follow. And, sure enough, ITV’s May The Best House Win was born, a programme in which four homeowners rate each other’s houses for their interior design, comfort and hospitality to win a £1,000 prize. The new series of the show is due to be broadcast in the spring, and of the houses to feature, few can match Stephen Spencer’s property in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, for originality. Seeing the light: Stephen Spencer outside Font House, a former Methodist church which he has converted into a three-bedroom home . Font House is a former Baptist church. While that might not seem unusual in itself – as congregation numbers fall across the country, scores of places of Christian worship have been converted – this one is strikingly modern. Moreover, the change of use came about as a result not of decline but of a rising congregation. A chapel was first built on the site in 1815 and the existing building dates from the Seventies. By the early Eighties, as more and more people joined the congregation, the church decided to vacate the building and move somewhere bigger. The site was sold to the Salvation Army. Stephen, 59, a publisher of magazines for schools, bought the property in 2010. ‘My original idea was to use it for a call centre for my business,’ he says. ‘But then I decided it would make a nice house.’ He spent £80,000 on the renovation, and the project took a year to complete. Stephen turned what was a simple hall at the front of the building into a contemporary living space with three bedrooms, two studies (both of which could be converted into further single bedrooms), and an eye-catching black-and-green kitchen and dining area. Praise: Pictured is the bright living room area with the front doors in the centre and the iron stairs up to the mezzanine level . The concrete floor was ripped up to install an underfloor heating system, which is now covered by gleaming porcelain-style flooring tiles. Sections of open brickwork on the walls were also plastered over. But the most extensive work was the addition of a mezzanine floor covering the back of the hallway for the master bedroom with en suite wet room accessed by a stylish cast iron spiral staircase. Stephen was uncertain how to deal with the vast total-immersion font, typical of Baptist chapels, that stood in the centre of the hall. ‘We considered turning it into a Jacuzzi,’ he says. ‘But in the end, we just filled it in.’ Generally, however, he found the original design of the chapel fitted in with his vision for a modern living space. ‘What is unusual for a church is that this building was designed to be flooded with light,’ he says. Though divorcé Stephen has transformed the front of the building – which he is now selling for £425,000 – what may excite prospective buyers is that the area at the back has scope for further development. Chapel change: Renovating Font House cost Mr Spencer £80,000 which he is now selling for £425,000 . The 36ft by 12ft space has a further bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. ‘It is such a big space that it has great potential to be used for a business such as a nursery,’ he says. ‘Alternatively, it could become a separate annexe or perhaps be used as a granny flat.’ Although Stephen did not install the underfloor heating in this part of the building, he says it could be easily extended from the system in place for as little as £1,500. With rail services to London’s King Cross taking around 50 minutes from nearby Huntingdon station, the property would easily suit young professionals planning to commute to the capital. Malcolm Thomas, of selling agents Individual Properties, is suitably impressed by Stephen’s renovation work and says: ‘There is nothing quite like it available anywhere in this area or anywhere in Britain.’ individualproperties.co.uk, 01480 421 898. To discover how Font House is received by Stephen’s fellow competitors in May The Best House Win, tune into the show when it is broadcast in the spring. | Font House in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire is an ex-Methodist church .
Owner Stephen Spencer converted it into a living space for £80,000 .
Three-bedroom property now on the market for £425,000 . |
90,510 | 006dd31c76a6cbdf235b094f8081c8b4d3d82350 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:58 EST, 15 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 15 November 2013 . Arrested: Marion County High School teacher and football coach Michael Schmitt has been accused of spray painting his team's field house . When a Tennessee high school football field house was vandalized about two weeks ago, authorities suspected the culprits were from a rival team. But in a shocking twist, police yesterday arrested the school's own football coach, Michael Schmitt. The father-of-four allegedly wanted to inspire his Marion County High School players before a big game. His team lost. Schmitt, 39, is accused of scrawling vulgarities across the field house, storage building and on the concrete parking lot in the early-morning hours of November 1. His team was due to play the South Pittsburg prep football team that day. The schools' rivalry is one of the oldest and most heated in Tennessee. The suspect used black and orange spray - the school colors of the South Pittsburg Pirates - causing about $7,000 in damage. The derogatory messages named individual coaches and trashed the town, Deadspin reported. One read, 'Only p*****s wear purple', the Marion County school colors, and another said, 'f**k this house'. Large power 'Ps' - South Pittsburg's logo - were painted on the buildings . to make it look like Pirates supporters were the culprits, according to Chattanooga Times. Prisoners from Marion County clean up the field house which had allegedly been vandalized by Marion County High School assistant football coach Michael Schmitt . The suspect used black and orange spray paint - the school colors of the South Pittsburg Pirates football team - to vandalize the field house . According to his profile on the Marion County High School website, Schmitt is a father of four with a social sciences degree . However South Pittsburg was quick to deny its involvement. 'Our senior captains came to me and asked if they could go up there and help clean it up because they're as embarrassed as I am and they don't want people thinking we allow thugs like that in our school,' South Pittsburg's principal Danny Wilson said, according to Deadspin. 'We warned all of our kids at school yesterday to stay out of Jasper, and I hope they can identify who it was, because if it was any of our kids we will drop the full hammer on them.' The tight-knit community was shocked by Schmitt's arrest. 'It is sad to say that this event gives . the whole community a black eye and the real victims of this incident . are the kids from both schools,' Marion County Sheriff's Detective . Matt Blansett said. Officers claim the vandalism . was an attempt to inspire the Marion County football team before its . game. The team ended up losing to the Pirates, 35-17. The Sheriff's department would not . confirm whether other coaches were involved. It is likely the suspect was identified in surveillance footage. Schmitt was arrested and booked into the Marion County jail on charges of vandalism of $1,000 to $10,000. He was released on $2,500 bond. Deadspin reported Schmitt has been suspended without pay pending his January court appearance. His profile is still listed on the school's website. 'It's very unfortunate if it comes out to be a factual case against Mr. Schmitt. Very unfortunate for students to act that way, much less adults,' Marion County Schools Superintendent Mark Griffith told WRCB. | Tennessee high school buildings vandalized on November 1 .
Derogatory names and expletives sprayed across football field house, causing $7,000 in damage .
On Wednesday, police arrested Marion County High School teacher and assistant football coach Michael Schmitt .
Cops say he did it to inspire his team before a game. They lost . |
175,008 | 6e8338c93a856d84090a29380f2670d2714824c2 | Air traffic controllers are left unable to explain a plane's strange contrail, which was photographed on Monday morning by a woman in Southsea, Hampshire. The plane's trail resembles a ditch, bent in such a way that suggests that the plane suddenly changed its path mid-air before going back on itself. Florence Lehmann, a local teacher, was the first to spot the plane's vapour trail when she left her home at about 7:20am on Monday. Scroll down for video . Air traffic controllers cannot explain strange contrail . 'It's really weird,' she said. 'It looks like the pilot sneezed or fell asleep.' 'Somebody said a UFO had been spotted recently in the area and the pilot had tried to avoid it, which I quite like the sound of. 'There was no wind this morning and the plane actually moved trajectory.' The sighting she mentioned refers to a spotting in Portsmouth last week. A grey-spherical object was photographed above the neighbouring town, causing speculation from some residents that it may have been a UFO. Adding fuel to such speculation, the Met Office reportedly said that last week's sighting was not linked to the weather. Planes often leave a visible vapour trail in the sky, but they normally follow a straight line . As far as this week's flight path detour, it too remains a mystery. A spokeswoman for Nats, the air traffic control company, is unable to offer explanation as to why the plane had apparently changed direction. 'Unfortunately Nats has no knowledge of the purpose of any given flight and we do not identify individual aircraft to members of the public,' she said. | Woman photographed strange plane vapour trail over Hampshire .
Shape suggests that the plane changed path suddenly mid-air .
Air traffic controllers have no explanation for abrupt direction change . |
242,042 | c53f603102b4ab2a13db1adb4336b8f2573b87f2 | By . Becky Barrow . Stamp duty is distorting Britain’s housing market by pushing up property prices and urgently needs to be reformed, experts said yesterday. The warning came as estate agents painted a bleak picture of a housing market that is being crippled by the lack of homes available to buy. The average agency has just 42 homes to sell – down by a quarter since September and the smallest number for ten years. Stamp duty, which is paid by the purchaser, is so cripplingly expensive for homebuyers that many decide to extend their current home, rather than sell up and move. The resulting lack of homes on the market is pushing up prices. Stamp duty is distorting Britain¿s housing market by pushing up property prices and urgently needs to be reformed, experts said yesterday . The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the leading economic forecaster, said stamp duty is ‘a strong contender for the UK’s worst-designed tax’, and described the way it is charged as ‘perverse’. Dominic Raab, a leading Tory MP, said it ‘warps the market’ and described it as a ‘vindictive stealth tax on the middle classes’. He added that the ‘cliff edge’ nature of its thresholds was ‘particularly absurd’. Until 1997, stamp duty was charged at just one per cent on all homes sold for £60,000 or more. Now it is charged at one per cent on properties between £125,000 and £250,000, three per cent up to £500,000, rising to a maximum of seven per cent on homes of more than £2million. Many families decide it is cheaper to extend their current home than buy a new home because they want to avoid a hefty stamp duty bill. As a result, the average home owner now moves once every 22 years, compared to once every eight in the 1980s, according to research by property firm Hometrack. A Council of Mortgage Lenders spokesman said: ‘Some stamp duty liabilities now look sufficiently large to discourage some people from buying and selling, regardless of whether their accommodation needs are growing or contracting. The average agency has just 42 homes to sell - down by a quarter since September. File picture . ‘As a result, the UK may suffer the effects of an increasingly inefficient use of the existing stock. Larger dwellings will be disproportionately in the hands of the elderly – under-occupied and perhaps not maintained as well as they should be.’ Homebuyers will pay a record-breaking £10.1billion in stamp duty during this tax year, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government’s independent forecaster. Between 2013/14 and 2018/19, it expects the total amount of residential stamp duty to be an eye-watering £70.4billion. Yesterday the National Association of Estate Agents said a record proportion of buyers are being forced to pay above the asking price because there are so few homes with a ‘For Sale’ sign. ‘As supply continues to drop, many more buyers are willing to pay more than the asking price to secure their dream property,’ it said. At the peak of the housing market in 2008, there was an average of 100 properties for sale in each estate agency branch. It is now less than half that. A Treasury spokesman said stamp duty was ‘an important source of Government revenue, raising several billion pounds each year to help pay for the essential services the government provides and supports’. She added that there were no plans to reform the system. A separate report, from the banking giant Halifax, predicts that Britain will become ‘a nation of renters’ within a generation as young people are frozen out of the property market by soaring house prices. The report said people ‘are now beginning to accept a lifetime of renting’. When asked about the future of homeownership in Britain, the Halifax poll found that nearly half – 48 per cent – believe Britain will become a nation of renters within a generation. Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at Halifax, said: ‘We may be heading towards the point where the aspiration to own a nice home will be replaced by the aspiration simply to live in one. It seems that people are now beginning to accept a lifetime of renting.’ The Halifax report – based on a poll of more than 8,000 people – reveals that more than 60 per cent of first-time buyers between the age of 20 and 45 who bought in the past four years needed help from their parents. | Average agency has just 42 homes to sell, lowest number for 10 years .
Stamp duty blasted as 'strong contender for the UK's worst designed tax' |
238,257 | c062f8c098501f630f9288383365fbf00ab80b9d | James Vosper was sentenced to an 18 month community order at Bristol Magistrates' Court . A former firearms police officer who kicked his girlfriend in the stomach after he flew into a drunken rage because he had accidentally left £30 in a cash point has been spared prison. James Vosper, who has 16 years' experience as a police officer, had drunk a bottle and a half of wine before his girlfriend Melissa Mustoe, a mother of two, arrived home. His attack was recorded after Miss Mustoe, 37, called police when she managed to lock Vosper out of their home in Abbeywood. After he kicked her in the stomach Miss Mustoe remained on the phone for 40 minutes and seemed breathless and scared. The court heard Vosper has recently resigned from his role at Gloucestershire Constabulary before he was 'pushed'. Vosper, a father of two, had previously been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder following an incident at work and as a result had started drinking heavily. He had been drinking on the night of the attack on December 11. He had texted Miss Mustoe to say that 'everything has gone to rat s***' after he realised he had made a mistake at the cash point. When police arrived he tried to claim he had been the victim of assault and acted in self defence. But magistrates dismissed his argument and found him guilty of assault after a two-day trial. However they decided his guilty conviction did not include an accusation he throttled his partner during the incident, which he had been accused of during the trial. Speaking during the trial, prosecutor Ian Jackson, said: '[He] kicked her in the stomach while she was on the phone to police. 'During the course of the 999 call you can hear part of the alleged attack taking place. You can hear her reaction. 'Very shortly in, about four or five minutes you can hear her explain she has just been kicked in the stomach by Mr Vosper. 'Throughout the call she sounds breathless, exasperated and scared. To have waited on the phone for 40 to 45 minutes she must have genuinely been fearful.' Mr Vosper, a father of two, has since resigned from Gloucestershire Constabulary after a 16 year police career . The officer was given an 18 month community order. The couple had been together for five years after both their marriages failed. Alexander West, defending Vosper, said: 'He has been forced to resign from his role as a police officer. He has lost his job of 16 years as a result of his actions. 'It's a somewhat forced resignation in that it was a jump before being pushed. 'A serving police officer can not be seen having a conviction for domestic violence assault on his record. He simply resigned before being forced.' Bristol Magistrates' Court heard that Vosper is currently working his four-week notice period and will retain his pension - but it will be frozen until he is 60. Mr West, defending, added his client had no previous convictions and the assault was 'largely contributed' to by alcohol - a problem Vosper was now addressing. Bristol Magistrates' Court heard that the former firearms officer is addressing his problems with alcohol . 'He has submitted to regular testing', he said. 'They have found towards the end of the programme his alcohol use had dramatically reduced to the point that he was no longer considered a habitual user.' Patricia Jell sentenced him to an 18-month community order, with 18-months supervision, and a requirement to complete the 'Building Better Relationships' course. He was also ordered to pay £930 costs, an £85 fine and a £60 victim surcharge. | James Vosper, a former firearms officer, kicked his girlfriend in the stomach .
He was angry because he had accidentally left £30 in a cash point .
Father-of-two had drunk a bottle and a half of wine before partner arrived .
He has resigned from Gloucestershire Police as felt he would be 'pushed'
Sentenced to an 18 month community order and is dealing with his drinking . |
219,005 | a776abd6bd9ae8e1faf2d48ac6aacac553600396 | Three women have been charged with assault after a restaurant waitress was attacked for filling up water glasses too often. Sharrell Evans, 21, Britley Green, 22, and Geneen Green, 44, are accused of striking the waitress with their hands and a menu at Red Lobster in Fairview Heights, Illinois, on Friday. They were held by restaurant employees until police arrived and arrested them. Scroll down for video . From left to right: Sharrell Evans, 21, Britley Green, 22, and Geneen Green, 44, are charged with assaulting a restaurant waitress who annoyed them by filling their water glasses too often . The alleged assault took place at the Red Lobster restaurant in Fairview Heights, Illinois, on Friday . According to a witness, the attack . was sparked when the women became irritated that the waitress was . filling up their water glasses too often. She refused medical treatment from an ambulance crew. Bail for each of the three women, who have been charged with mob action and aggravated battery in a public place, has been set at $50,000. They remain in police custody until their arraignment, reports CBS St Louis. Previous incident: Four patrons attacked a server at the same Red Lobster restaurant in December after they were given the wrong meals . The incident comes just eight months after another waitress was attacked by four customers at the same Red Lobster restaurant. In that assault, the server suffered a swollen eye and cuts to her nose and forehead. Ania D Wilkes, 20, of Ferguson, Missouri, was charged with aggravated battery and mob action charges in that case. Police said she and three others punched and pushed their server when the wrong orders came to their table. | Sharrell Evans, 21, Britley Green, 22, and Geneen Green, 44, are accused of striking the waitress with their hands and a menu .
Another waitress was assaulted by four customers at the same Fairview Heights, Illinois, restaurant last December . |
31,724 | 5a3df96b23217856415d5b8a634b6e010b0738f4 | Arsenal goalkeeper Damian Martinez was ready to leave the club next summer - but now believes he can steal Wojciech Szczęsny's place as their No 1. The 22-year-old kept his third clean sheet in a row, after replacing the injured Szczesny, in their win against Southampton. But Martinez feared for his future after Arsene Wenger signed David Ospina in the summer and he was seemingly relegated to third choice. Damian Martinez is keen to stay and fight for his place after impressing as deputy for Wojciech Szczesny . Martinez kept his third clean sheet in a row since coming in as Arsenal beat Southampton 1-0 on Wednesday . Martinez said: 'I spoke to my agent and my family about it and they said "let's wait one year to see if you get the opportunity, don't rush it" 'I was still young - I was only 21, I just turned 22 - and I think I did good to stay here. I got the opportunity that my agent and family told me, so I am really pleased about that. 'Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world so I am in no rush to leave. I love this club.' Szczesny has not played since injuring his hip against Manchester United and Ospina has been ruled out until 2015. Wojciech Szczesny injured his hip in Arsenal's home defeat to Manchester United last month . Goalkeeper David Ospina, who was signed in the summer from Nice, is ruled out until the New Year . Arsene Wenger placed his faith in the 22-year-old goalkeeper after injuries to Szczesny and David Ospina . In their absence Martinez, who has had loan spells at Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday since he joined the club in 2011, impressed against Borussia Dortmund and West Bromwich Albion. Asked if he felt he could now become Wenger's first-choice goalkeeper, he replied: 'Yeah, Wojciech has got the spot when he is not injured and doing a good job as well. 'Hopefully if I get a chance against Stoke, I will keep a clean sheet and we can win the game.' I am not too sure if I play Under-21s anymore because I need to be fit to play first-team. 'I am just thinking about the next game and in the future we will see.' Damian Emiliano Martinez hails from Mar Del Plata in Argentina and joined Arsenal from Independiente as an 18-year-old in 2010. The 6ft 4in stopper, now 22, was moved into Arsenal's first-team squad in 2012 and made his debut in the 7-5 League Cup win at Reading on September 26. He spent much of the 2013-2014 campaign on loan at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, where he made 15 appearances. Returning to the Emirates for the current season, he made his debut away to Anderlecht in the Champions League and has stayed in the side following injuries to Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina. Martinez has previously represented Argentina at Under 17 and Under 20 level. | Martinez had been prepared to leave Arsenal in the summer .
But goalkeeper has impressed as stand-in for Wojciech Szczesny .
Argentine has kept three clean sheets in succession since coming in .
Martinez feared for his future after Arsene Wenger signed David Ospina .
But he is also out injured, promoting Martinez to No 1 . |
140,359 | 417ee403571fe7b05eee14852bf4484e71c95065 | By . Lydia Warren . and Associated Press . An elderly man whose wife of more than 40 years was killed in the Washington mudslide on Saturday has spoken out about his devastating loss. Gary McPherson, 78, and his wife Linda were sitting beside each other in their recliners at their Snohomish County home on Saturday morning when the mile-long mudslide tore through. After being thrown through the mud and debris, McPherson's first thought was for his wife. 'I keep trying to talk to Linda, but they tell me she must have been gone by then,' McPherson, who did not break a single bone, told KIRO-TV as he sobbed. Scroll down for video . Devastated: Gary McPherson, 78, wipes away tears as he recounts being dug out of mudslide debris as he called out desperately for his wife of 40 years, who did not survive . Ordeal: He was sitting on his recliner chair beside his wife on Saturday when the ground pulled them in . Yelling for his wife to dig, he grabbed a wooden stick from a broken chair, pushed it upwards and moved it from side to side until he could see a small hole of light. 'I kept yelling at Linda to dig,' he told KOMO. 'I was all balled up, but this one hand was free and I had a stick so I just kept digging and digging and digging with this stick until I could see a light and shoved that sucker up through there. And started waving it back and forth.' He continued to wave the stick until he was found by emergency crews. He kept asking for his wife, but they told him to relax - perhaps a sign they already knew she was dead, he said through tears. His heartbreaking account comes as officials said on Thursday that they expect the number of fatalities to rise 'substantially'. Sixteen bodies have been recovered, and by Wednesday night, nine more had been found. On Thursday, the family of a four-month-old baby, Sanoah Huestis, said her body had been found. The McPhersons daughter, Kate, said she is struggling to grasp that her mother is dead and says that she keeps texting her 'that I miss her, that I want her to be here. And it's not fair that she's gone'. Her . parents met as they carried out oceanography research on a ship . departing Nome, Alaska and had been married for more than 40 years. Mrs . McPherson was the Darrington librarian. Victim: 69-year-old Linda, the town librarian, was likely already dead when her husband yelled out to her . Idyllic: The McPhersons lived on the family farm, which had been in their family for five generations . Wreckage: The entire farm - including this home shared by Linda's sister's family - was destroyed . 'We were just two people that meshed,' her husband remembered. 'She was gentle, but persuasive. She was a planner.' Hope of a miracle discovery of a . survivor has faded as the search entered its sixth day Thursday, . replaced by acknowledgement that some families may not be able to bury a . body. Authorities have been able to . eliminate 140 people from the list of the missing, said Snohomish County . Emergency Management Director John Pennington. That left 90 confirmed missing, with . another 35 who authorities are unsure were in the area when a hillside . collapsed Saturday morning 55 miles northeast of Seattle. Becky . Bach watches and waits, hoping that search crews find her brother, his . wife, her 20-year-old great-niece and the young girl's fiance. 'Realistically . ... I honestly don't think they're going to find them alive,' Bach . said, crying. 'But as a family, we're trying to figure out what to do if . they find no bodies.' Devastation: An aerial photo taken on Monday shows the mountainside to days after the slide . Hunt: Searchers watch as a piece of heavy equipment moves debris at the scene of the deadly mudslide on Wednesday, as authorities warn that bodies of some victims may never be recovered . Sadness: Darrington Fire District 24 volunteer firefighters embrace each other on Wednesday after saying a prayer for the victims and survivors of the massive mudslide . Doug Massingale, whose baby granddaughter's body was recovered on Wednesday, said he was struggling to think about the lives lost. 'It's stressful to think about,' he said. 'A little baby that hasn't gotten a start yet in life. It's too much.' Authorities said they expected to . update the toll Thursday morning, but trying to recover every corpse . would be impractical and dangerous. The . debris field is about a square mile and 30 to 40 feet deep in places, . with a surface that includes quicksand-like muck, rain-slickened mud and . ice. The terrain is difficult to navigate on foot and makes it . treacherous or impossible to bring in heavy equipment. To . make matters worse, the pile is laced with other hazards that include . fallen trees, propane and septic tanks, twisted vehicles and countless . shards of shattered homes. The knowledge that some victims could be abandoned to the earth is difficult to accept. Loss: On Thursday, the family of a four-month-old baby, Sanoah Huestis, said her body had been found . 'We have to get on with our lives at some point,' Bach said. Bach spoke via phone about a wedding the family had planned for summer at the rural home that was destroyed. And how, she wondered, do you plan a funeral without a body? 'We'll probably just have a memorial, and if they find the bodies eventually, then we'll deal with that then,' she said. A death certificate, issued by the state, is legal proof that someone has died. Families often need them to settle their affairs. The authority to issue them starts with a county medical examiner or coroner, said Donn Moyer, spokesman for the Washington State Department of Health. If and when it appears there is no chance of finding someone, people can ask the county to start that process. Huge scale: Air Force personnel join civilian workers in efforts to find missing persons on Wednesday . Destroyed: A rescue worker walks across the debris pile from the mudslide in Oso on Thursday . Overwhelmed: Snohomish County Sheriff's Dept. public information officer Shari Ireton, center, turns around in tears as she listens in at a news conference about the recovery of bodies on Thursday . Darrington Fire District 24 volunteer firefighters Jeff McClelland, left, and Eric Finzimer, who were first responders to the massive mudslide burst into tears while talking to the media on Wednesday . Two Washington National Guard Blackhawk helicopters arrived at the site Wednesday to relieve sheriff's helicopter crews that had been working since Saturday. The Blackhawks' sole mission is body removal, said Bill Quistorf, chief pilot for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. Other survivors began to grow impatient Wednesday that they weren't allowed to return to the sites of their homes to search for their valuables and keepsakes. 'This isn't right. All of us who are still alive need to have access and find what we can of our lives,' said Robin Youngblood, who said her son-in-law was turned away from the slide site. See below for video . | Gary McPherson, 78, was sitting beside his wife of 40 years, Linda, when the mudslide tore through their home on Saturday morning .
Mr McPherson escaped without a broken bone but Linda was killed .
Authorities have found as many as 25 bodies but expect the number of fatalities to rise over the next few days .
90 people are still missing and authorities are unsure whether another 35 were in the area at the time . |
225,500 | affb3f581c21f015d161792b543ce0a37a473c82 | (CNN) -- Up until very recently, conventional wisdom held that shipping was a minor player in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. That all changed in October last year. Leaked details of a report by the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) got into the press, and revealed an uncomfortable truth about the shipping industry -- its emissions could be double the amount everyone previously believed. Ships emit twice as much greenhouse gases as planes, according to at least one report. And that would make it's carbon footprint double that of the aviation industry. The aviation industry emits around 650 million tons of greenhouse gases every year, representing around 3 percent of the global total. If the leaked documents from research submitted for the Interanko report are to be believed, the shipping industry's contribution is more than twice the amount previously believed (600 million tons) -- which would mean ships emit as much as 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases a year. That would mean ships contribute between 5 percent and 6 percent of all the world's greenhouse gases. To put that in perspective, according to law firm Earth Justice there are only six countries in the world with greater carbon dioxide emissions than the shipping industry: the United States, Japan, Germany, Russia, India and China. Quick facts about the shipping industry: . • Ships consume at least 2 billion barrels of oil a year; • They emit 20 percent of all sulphur dioxide emissions; • 30 percent of all nitrogen oxide emissions; • As much as 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide; • Ships are responsible for at least 60,000 pollution-related deaths a year . In addition to contributing to global warming, the airborne particles ships release from burning fuel (which is less refined than plane fuel) have been responsible for a high number of land-based premature deaths. A report by the University of Delaware believes at least 60,000 people die each year from lung or heart failure, caused by airborne particles small enough to enter the blood. They believe that number will increase by 40 percent by 2012. The people who may be getting it worse are those who live near the world's ports. A recent study by Bluewater Network suggests that a single cruise liner stopping off at a port can emit as much greenhouse gas as 12,400 cars during its stay there. (It is suggesting a system whereby docking ships can "plug in" to the local electricity grid which, they say, would slash smokestack emissions by nearly 100 percent.) Global trade pushes shipping . The reason the shipping industry's carbon footprint is so large is essentially because of global trade. At least 90 percent of all global trade is served by the shipping industry. Why? Because ships can carry a whole lot more stuff than planes, making them a much more cost-effective means of transporting goods. As a result, while the aviation industry transports around 40 million tons of freight a year, the shipping industry carries 6 billion tons of it. Ships carry products over a collective distance of 6 million kilometers (3.7 million miles) every year. It's not so surprising then why they get through so much fuel. In 2001 alone, they gobbled up as much as 280 millions tons of it. That's more than twice as much fuel as the entire aviation industry gets through (130 million tons) a year -- and twice as much as Germany uses up. Some believe a virtuous circle has been created by advances in shipping technology and the explosion in international trade. The opening statement of a 2005 report issued by the OECD's Maritime Transport Committee is quite revealing in this regard: . "The study confirms what was already known. The adaptability of regular cargo shipping lines and advances in technology -- mainly containerization -- have accompanied or even encouraged the vigorous growth in the trade of manufactured goods and the transfer of their production to regions and countries offering significant comparative advantages, mainly in terms of labor costs." In short, as more goods get made in poorer countries, there will be more need to transport them to their customer markets around the world. The increase in the global transfer of goods will therefore dictate the levels of ships' fuel consumption, and therefore their negative impact on the environment as well. By 2020 some estimates put the amount of fuel ships will need at as high as 400 million tons -- just to sustain the increase in business they receive from the growth in global trade. If nothing is done to come up with cleaner ways to power ships, maritime emissions could balloon by as much as 75 percent within that same time period, some estimates go. So how come ships have fallen below the radar for so long? Some believe the reason has a lot to do with an imbalance of public pressure, which has traditionally focused on cars and planes. The thinking goes, most people know who the airlines and car makers are, while they would be hard-pressed to name the world's largest ocean shipping company (it's Denmark's Maersk). Others, like WWF say it has been difficult to regulate the shipping industry because "international law limits the ability of coastal nations to impose and enforce their own environmental and navigational regulations on foreign ships passing through their waters". For this reason, it says, countries have traditionally followed conventions set by international organizations such as the International Maritime Organization. But WWF argues the beaurocratic processes involved in these types of international bodies can mean issues take an unnecessarily long time to resolve (neither aviation nor shipping is included in the Kyoto Protocol, for example, and discussions to include these two polluting industries in the follow-up agreement to Kyoto are only happening now). Essentially, the only countries that tend to push issues are the ones that are directly impacted. And that means even if issues are recognized early on, until enough interested countries push the agenda, those attempting to bring these issues to global attention remain lone voices. As the WWF points out on its web site: "It was only after the single-hulled Exxon Valdez went down off the coast of Alaska in 1989 that the U.S. introduced a phase-out of these old tankers...It took the sinking of the single-hulled Erika ten years later off the coast of France for the member states of the IMO to accelerate the global phase-out to match that of the US." However law firm, Earth Justice believes nations could do a whole lot more to enforce both international rules when ships dock at their ports, as well as introducing their own rules. To that effect it has recently filed a petition, on behalf of a number of environmental NGOs, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pressure it to enforce stricter rules on both US and foreign-owned ships stopping off at its ports. Earth Justice says the EPA does, in fact, have legal authority once ships come within 200 miles of the country's coastline, so it can enforce its own strict pollution standards on ships, regardless of whether they are locally or foreign-owned. The NGOs involved essentially wants to see stricter rules on fuel efficiency as well as the use of cleaner fuels. Oceana, one of the environmental groups petitioning the EPA is warning that if nothing is done, "shipping pollution will increase substantially, potentially doubling from 2002 levels by 2020 and tripling by 2030." E-mail to a friend . (Sources: International Chamber of Shipping; Oceana; IMO; The Independent; Maritime Transport Committee; Sustainable Shipping; New Scientist; Bloombery; Earth Justice; WWF; OECD; Bluewater Network) | Shipping industry more harmful than previously thought .
Estimates put emissions at as much as 1.2 billion tons .
More than 90 percent of global trade served by shipping industry .
More regulation needed, say environmental groups suing EPA . |
188,143 | 7fa46bfd4c229f3da8f5e73e664343a76d3713a0 | (CNN) -- The Missouri Supreme Court Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that terminated the parental rights of a Guatemalan woman whose son, the woman says, was adopted without her consent while she was imprisoned following an immigration sting in 2007. The court ruled that the state violated its own laws in terminating the parental rights of Encarnacion Bail Romero, but the supreme court sent the case back to the lower court for retrial rather than return the boy to his biological mother. "The trial court plainly erred by entering judgment on the adoption petition and terminating Mother's parental rights without complying with the investigation and reporting requirements ... ," Judge Patricia Breckenridge wrote in the court's principal opinion. "The trial court's judgment terminating Mother's parental rights, allowing the adoption to proceed without Mother's consent to the adoption, and granting of the adoption, although supported by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence on the record, is reversed. The cause is remanded for a new trial in which Adoptive Parents and Mother will have the opportunity to present evidence on all claims in all counts of the petition that pertain to Mother." Bail Romero was caught up in an immigration sting in May 2007, six months after her son was born. She was not deported, however; instead, she was imprisoned as an illegal immigrant who used a stolen Social Security number to work at a poultry processing plant. Her brother and sister took care of the boy at first, attorneys in the case said. Eventually they sought help from a clergy couple who offered baby-sitting services. When that couple asked to adopt the boy, Bail Romero said no, her attorney, Omar Riojas, said. Rebuffed, the couple introduced the boy to Seth and Melinda Moser and eventually put him up for adoption -- something the boy's biological mother said they lacked the legal ability to do. The Mosers soon asked a judge for temporary custody, said their lawyer, Richard Schnake. Bail Romero -- in prison at the time -- did not contact the Mosers or their attorney or object to them having custody, he said. After a judge granted the Mosers temporary custody, they waited a year -- rather than the six month minimum stipulated by Missouri law -- before asking to adopt the boy, Schnake says. Bail Romero said she did not fully understand what was going on and certainly did not give her blessing for them to adopt her son. In October 2008, a judge approved the adoption, ruling that Bail Romero had abandoned her child by not trying to contact the Mosers for a year. Bail Romero said she doesn't speak English and was left with no way to ask for help to plead her side. In addition to the clergy couple not having the authority to put up her son for adoption, Riojas has argued that Bail Romero was deprived of due process because she had no consular access or access to legal documents in her language. He also says an attorney who represented her at one point did not represent her well. In July 2010, a court ruled that the adoption was invalid, a ruling appealed by the Mosers, who argue that they are the only parents the boy has really known. All seven of the court's judges agreed to reverse the termination of Bail Romero's parental rights, although some members thought the now 4-year-old boy -- called Carlitos by his mother and Jamison by the Mosers -- should have been returned to Bail Romero. Breckenridge addressed those concerns in a footnote to her opinion. "Every member of this Court agrees that this case is a travesty in its egregious procedural errors, its long duration, and its impact on Mother, Adoptive Parents, and, most importantly, Child," she wrote. "The dissenting members of this Court rely significantly on information outside the record to find that Mother has been victimized repeatedly and that her rights have been violated. The dissenting members believe passionately that custody of Child should be returned to Mother without further proceedings. That result can be reached only by disregarding the law." The federal government intends to deport Bail Romero to Guatemala, where her other two children live, but has delayed the proceedings until this case is complete. CNN's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report . | Encarnacion Bail Romero was in prison when her son was put up for adoption .
Missouri's supreme court sends the case back for a retrial .
The state failed to comply "with the investigation and reporting requirements," the court says . |
18,818 | 3541ffcc3769e184d3c55f86c8cc72ecc695ca7d | (CNN) -- America loves its outlaws, but few of us actually dare to live the lifestyle. Veteran LIFE photographer Bill Ray got about as close as anyone, riding along with a notorious biker gang. In 1965, the Hells Angels were little known outside the American West. Ray spent several weeks in Southern California, photographing and traveling with the San Bernardino chapter of a gang that would soon become notorious for its hedonistic, lawless swagger. See more of Bill Ray's Hells Angels photos at LIFE.com . The Hells Angels are now a worldwide phenomenon -- incorporated, licensed and branded. But the gang Ray traveled with, two years before the Summer of Love and four years before the deadly violence at a Rolling Stones concert at Altamont speedway made them infamous, truly lived on the fringes of society. In a culture where the Beach Boys and the Beatles fought a squeaky-clean battle for the hearts and minds of America, the Hells Angels were, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, a "burst of dirty thunder" that shocked folks wherever they went. It was a time when the roar of stripped-down Harleys and the sight of long-haired bikers on the freeway -- or riding into a sleepy town -- was still new, alien, and for the average law-abiding citizen, more than a little frightening. Forty-five years after the story and photos were rejected by a LIFE managing editor, they still have some of that shock value, a reminder that outlaws still have a secret sweet spot in the American psyche. | LIFE photographer Bill Ray rode along with the Hells Angels in 1965 .
The story and photos were rejected by a LIFE managing editor .
Now they're being published . |
266,479 | e527cf185833b9ad38608039a951fa7e9bf1c729 | The makers of kitchen appliance Thermomix are facing a customer backlash after they released a new model without giving Australian shoppers adequate warning. Customers who recently purchased the old model TM31 for $1939 say they feel tricked and would have waited to purchase the new model TM5, which came out on Saturday and is only $50 more expensive, had they been informed. To add insult to injury, many customers were told no new model was on the way and the older model is now $250 cheaper. Scroll down for video . The new model Thermomix, which was released in Australia on Saturday, has 10 per cent more capacity and a touch screen . The German-designed 'twelve appliances in one' device has an almost cult-like following. They cannot be bought in stores, and shoppers hold 'Thermomix parties' similar to Tupperware parties where a Thermomix consultant comes out to a customer's home and demonstrates how it works to a group of their friends. There are more than 3000 Thermomix consultants across Australia. Now angry shoppers have begun mobilising on social media, targeting the Thermomix Australia Facebook and Twitter pages with abuse and setting up a 'Thermomix unhappy customers' Facebook page which has almost 1000 likes. Others have complained to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and state Fair Trading departments, and a change.org petition started by Georgina Shelley from Brisbane has received 600 signatures. In her petition statement Ms Shelley claims customers and consultants were kept in the dark. 'Many like myself, asked the question before purchasing, if there was a new Thermomix on the way,' she wrote. 'My consultant told me that she hadn't heard anything about it.' She continued: 'Thermomix AU have misled customers by saying they didn't know about the new model and couldn't disclose this information to customers but as of Saturday when the new model was launched, they had updated their website and were holding training sessions around Australia for their sales teams, using the new TM5. To say they didn't know is an out and out lie.' Lea Fowler, 58, from Bullsbrook in Perth, bought a Thermomix for herself on August 4 and another for a friend on August 14. 'That really riles me because I've bought her a gift that's already an old model,' Ms Fowler told Daily Mail Australia. Lea Fowler, 58, from Bullsbrook in Perth, feels misled by Thermomix . 'It's really frustrating, I had the consultant come out and I was very specific about asking her about new models.' Ms Fowler said customers like her are so angry because $2000 was a lot of money to spend. 'That's why they're copping so much flak, it's not that machine's not worth that kind of money, it's purely that they weren't transparent with what was coming into the market,' she said. 'It was a deception of Australian customers.' Ms Fowler said she spent years wanting a Thermomix before she finally bought one. 'If you're making risotto you chuck the onion, the butter and the garlic in and it chops the onion, sautés it with the garlic and then your add your rice and stock and set it to cook and it does it all,' she said. 'You come back after 10 minutes and it's done.' Peta Sargent, 40, from Dee Why in Sydney, is an admin on the 'Thermomix unhappy customers' Facebook page and said some customers who ordered their device after August 20 had been offered a refund or upgrade to the new model. But Ms Sargent, who ordered hers on August 18, has been told she does not qualify. An email from Thermomix Customer Service told her: 'Your Thermomix consultant did not know about the new product at the time of your demonstration and has been presenting the Thermomix of proven quality and value. 'Decisions about the release of new models are not made by Thermomix but are made by our overseas manufacturer and are confidential until Thermomix in Australia are officially notified to release such information to Customers and the public.' The old model TM31 is now retailing for $250 cheaper . It continued: 'The Thermomix Model 31 is an amazing kitchen appliance that will live up to all that you were shown at the demonstration which lead you to your purchase. 'I understand with all the talk and hype of a new model this can make you feel let down, but please think back to the reasons you purchased the Thermomix, as the TM31 has certainly not been superseded by the new model and will live up to all that it is designed to do as per your presentation.' An ad spruiking the new model claims it has 10 per cent more capacity, a new locking system 'for better handling', a touch screen, a new measuring cup and says it is quieter and more powerful than the old model. The company website claims home cooks can throw ingredients in their Thermomixes and are able make 'salads in 6 seconds', 'cake mix in 30 seconds', 'sauces and gravies in five minutes' and 'soups in 20 minutes'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Thermomix for comment. | Makers of kitchen appliance Thermomix are facing a customer backlash .
Customers who recently purchased old model TM31 for $1939 feel tricked .
Shoppers say they were told there was no new model on the way .
The German-designed appliance has an almost cult-like following . |
115,582 | 21232c7fc74ed46f5dbb8b21207ca899a87db91c | By . Jill Reilly . A British aid worker had allegedly been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. The Foreign Office has said it is investigating reports that the man died on Sunday night in the southern city of Rafah. Friends of Kadir Islam, from Rochdale, said he was killed yesterday in an Israeli strike while reportedly delivering supplies to a hospital. Scroll down for video . A British aid worker had allegedly been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza . The Foreign Office has said it is investigating reports that the man died on Sunday night in the southern city of Rafah (pictured) It was not clear which aid group he was representing, reported The Times. Prime Minister David Cameron said the Government is urgently looking into the news. Mr Cameron said: 'I'm extremely concerned about these reports and we are doing everything we can to get to the bottom (of them) and find out exactly what has happened. A 'terrorist' Palestinian used a digger to mow down and kill an Israeli before overturning a bus on a main Jerusalem street today, Israeli police said . An Israeli policeman inspects the body of a man, who was shot by Israeli police officers after he rammed an excavator into a Jerusalem bus . 'I don't want to say anything before we've been able to do that but this only reinforces the need for an immediate unconditional humanitarian ceasefire observed properly by both sides. 'This slaughter, this killing has got to end.' Last week three UN workers were killed in the Gaza Strip, the first deaths of the development agency's workforce. The three teachers - two women and one man - were killed by 'incoming [Israeli] fire'. An Israeli-declared temporary cease-fire and troop withdrawals slowed violence in the Gaza war today, although an attack on an Israeli bus that killed one person in Jerusalem underscored the tensions still simmering in the region. Palestinians search the debris of a house destroyed by an Israeli airstrike for survivors in the Beach refugee camp, northern Gaza City . Palestinians remove the body of an eight-year-old from the rubble from a house hit by an Israeli airstrike. The eight-year-old girl was killed and 30 people wounded in a strike on the beachfront Shati refugee camp in Gaza City just minutes into an Israeli-declared truce . Several cease-fires have broken down during the three-week war - including Friday when an internationally negotiated truce collapsed amid violence and mutual recrimination between Israel and Hamas. But with Hamas rocket fire tapering off over the last 24 hours and Israel's ground operation in Gaza winding down, violence in a war that officials say has killed more than 1,880 Palestinians and over 60 Israelis appeared - for the moment - to be waning. The lull was broken by the Jerusalem assault, which saw a man ram the front end of a construction excavator into an Israeli bus. Police described the incident as a 'terrorist attack,' indicating Palestinian involvement. The attack occurred on a main thoroughfare near Jerusalem's light-rail line. The area is located near the unofficial line between Jewish West Jerusalem and east Jerusalem, the section of the city captured by Israel in 1967 and which is home to most of the city's Arab population. Israeli media said the attacker came from an Arab area of the city. Israeli soldiers make their to rest at an army deployment area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip . Israeli Merkava tanks take position at an army deployment area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip . Shortly after the excavator attack, Israeli media reported that a gunman on a motorcycle shot and seriously wounded an Israeli soldier. Police searched for the shooter in east Jerusalem. 'We believe there is a great likelihood this was a terrorist attack,' Piranti said. Before the attacks, a seven-hour Israeli cease-fire in Gaza went into effect. And while Israel continued hitting at selected Palestinian targets, the level of the fighting was much lower than in previous days. However, the Israeli military said the cease-fire would not apply to areas where troops were still operating and where they would respond to any attack. The southern strip town of Rafah, which saw heavy fighting Sunday, was excluded from the truce, the military said. Shortly after the cease-fire started at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), an Israeli strike hit a house at the Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, killing three people and wounding at least 30, Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra said. The Israeli military said it targeted an 'operative threat' and rocket fire in the strike 'around 10 a.m.' A separate Israeli strike killed Daniel Mansour, a commander in the Islamic Jihad group - a close ally of Gaza's militant Palestinian Hamas rulers, the group said. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said his group remained skeptical about the announced Israeli truce. 'We do not trust such a calm and call on our people to take caution,' Zuhri said. A child receiving treatment at the Shifa hospital for injuries caused by Israeli shelling . Israel . Since the war began, Palestinian health officials say at least 1,888 Palestinians have been killed . Israel launched the military operation in Gaza on July 8 in response to weeks of heavy rocket fire . Israel launched the military operation in Gaza on July 8 in response to weeks of heavy rocket fire. It has since carried out more than 4,600 airstrikes across the crowded seaside area. On July 17, it sent in ground forces in what it said was a mission to destroy the tunnels used by Hamas to carry out attacks inside Israel. Hamas has fired more than 3,200 rockets into Israel during the war, with some intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system and many of the crude missiles landing in open areas away from cities. Since the war began, Palestinian health officials say at least 1,888 Palestinians have been killed. Most of the Palestinian casualties have been civilians, while all but three of the 64 people killed in Israel have been in the military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing international pressure to halt the fighting because of the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing international pressure to halt the fighting because of the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza . | Friends of Kadir Islam, from Rochdale, said he was killed in an Israeli strike .
The man allegedly died on Sunday night in the southern city of Rafah .
It was reported that he was delivering hospital supplies .
The Foreign Office has said it is investigating the reports .
British PM said the Government is looking into the reports . |
169,516 | 675f381d4d0f9947fb8c60c5baf711a982c23a11 | The accused in the Madrid train bombing are scheduled to hear the verdicts and sentencing on Wednesday morning. All of the 28 defendants are men except for one Spanish woman. All the defendants have pleaded not guilty during the trial. Defendants in the Madrid 2004 train bomb trial pictured earlier during proceedings. There are eight prime defendants who face sentences of about 39,000 years each if convicted on all counts, but the maximum time that could be served under Spanish law is 40 years. Spain has no death penalty and no life-in-prison sentence. Among the 28 are 14 Moroccans, nine Spaniards (accused of passing explosives to the suspected Islamic terrorists), two Syrians, one Algerian, one Egyptian, and one Lebanese. Spanish prosecutors issued a document with their revised charges last June after hearing much testimony and evidence during the trial. CNN viewed a copy, which lists the charges below. The trial started with 29 defendants, but during the proceedings, prosecutors dropped all charges against Brahim Moussaten, a 23-year-old Moroccan. He initially had faced six years in jail if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group. Alleged bombers Jamal Zougam, Moroccan, age 34, faces a 38,960-year sentence if convicted of mass murder of 191 people (at 30 years each) and attempted murder of 1,841 people injured (at 18 years each), causing terrorist damage to four trains (20 years for each of 4 trains) and membership in a terrorist group (12 years). Abdelmajid Bouchar, Moroccan, age 24, faces a 38,960 years if convicted on all charges of mass murder, attempted mass murder, terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group. He fled after the attacks but was arrested in Serbia in July 2005 and returned to Spain. Alleged ideologues Youssef Belhadj Moroccan, age 31, faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges, terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group. Arrested in Belgium in 2005 and sent to Spain in 2005. Hassan El Haski, Moroccan, age 44, faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges, terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group. Rabei Osman El Sayed Ahmed, Egyptian, age 36, faces 38,962 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges, terrorist damage to trains and membership in a terrorist group. He is serving a 10-year sentence in Italy on a separate terrorism conviction and will view the Madrid verdict on Wednesday via videophone, a court spokeswoman told CNN. He was present in Madrid during the trial through an agreement with Italian authorities. Wiretapped by Italian authorities in June 2004, he allegedly said, "the entire Madrid operation was mine," but in testimony, during the trial, he denied involvement and also challenged the wiretaps. Alleged "necessary cooperators" Prosecutors argued the attacks could not have occurred without the involvement and active cooperation of the following three defendants. Jose Emilio Suarez Trashorras, Spaniard, age 30, faces 38,976 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder, terrorist damage to trains, collaborating with a terrorist group, illicit association, supplying and transporting explosives, falsifying license plates and vehicle theft. Prosecutors say he was the leader of a group of Spaniards who obtained explosives and provided them to the alleged Islamic terrorists. Rafa Zouhier, Moroccan, age 28, faces 38,968 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges, terrorist damage to trains, collaborating with a terrorist group and supplying explosives. Prosecutors allege he was a key link between the Islamic suspects and the Spaniards who allegedly provided the explosives. Charges sharply increased against him last June; until then he had faced just 20 years in prison if convicted. Othman El Gnaoui, Moroccan, age 32, faces 38,972 years if convicted of mass murder and attempted mass murder charges, terrorist damage to trains, membership in a terrorist group, supplying explosives and document forgery. Charges sharply increased against him last June; until then he had faced just 24 years in prison if convicted. Islamic suspects charged with terrorist group membership Mohamed Larbi Ben Sellam, Moroccan, age 30, faces 27 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and conspiracy to commit terrorist assassination. Rachid Aglif, Moroccan, age 27, faces 21 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group and supplying explosives. Basel Ghalyoun, Syrian, age 27, faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group. Charges sharply reduced against him last June. Until then, he faced some 38,000 years if convicted as a suspected bomber, accused of mass murder. But during the trial, prosecutors did not find evidence and reduced the charges. Mouhannah Almallah Dabas, Syrian, age 43, faces 12 years if convicted of membership in a terrorist group. Mohamed Bouharrat, Moroccan, age 28, faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group. Abdelilah El Fadual El Akil, Moroccan, age 38, faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group. Saed El Harrak, Moroccan, age 34, faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group. Fouad El Morabit El Amgar, Moroccan, age 34, faces 12 years if convicted of belonging to a terrorist group. Other Islamic suspects charged with collaboration with a terrorist group Hamid Ahmidan, Moroccan, age 29, faces 23.5 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and drug trafficking. Mahmoud Slimane Aoun, Lebanese, age 47, faces 13 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and document forgery. Nasreddine Bousbaa, Algerian, age 46, faces 11 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group and document forgery. Mohamed Moussaten, Moroccan, age 23, faces six years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group. Other Spanish suspects in the alleged explosives trafficking ring Raul Gonzalez Pelaez, Spaniard, age 28, faces eight years if convicted of illicit association and supplying explosives. Antonio Toro Castro, Spaniard, age 30, faces 23 years if convicted of collaborating with a terrorist group, supplying explosives and illicit association. Sergio Alvarez Sanchez, Spaniard, age 26, faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association. Ivan Granados Pena, Spaniard, age 25, faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association. Javier Gonzalez Diaz, Spaniard, age 55. State prosecutors last June cleared him of all charges, but he earlier faced eight years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association. A private party plaintiff to the case, representing bomb victims, has maintained charges against him, approximately those that the prosecutors earlier had, so he has not yet been fully cleared. Emilio Llano Alvarez, Spaniard, age 46, faces five years if convicted of supplying explosives. Antonio Ivan Reis Palacio, Spaniard, age 25, faces four years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association. Carmen Toro Castro, Spaniard, age 26, the only female defendant, faces six years if convicted of supplying explosives and illicit association. Deceased suspects In addition to the 28 defendants, prosecutors say seven prime suspects blew themselves up three weeks after the train bombings in 2004 as police closed in on their hideout in the Madrid suburb of Leganes. One police officer died in the assault. Those seven suspects were Moroccans Jamal Ahmidan, Abdennabi Kounjaa, Mohamed Oulad Akcha and his brother, Rachid Oulad Akcha, and Rifaat Anouar Asrih; Tunisian Serhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet and Algerian Allekema Lamari, prosecutors said. E-mail to a friend . | Verdicts, sentencing in Madrid train bomb trials to be delivered Wednesday .
All of the 28 defendants are men except for one Spanish woman .
Among the 28 are 14 Moroccans, nine Spaniards and two Syrians .
Charges dropped against one defendant; seven suspects died in hideout blast . |
148,827 | 4c7508718bde3fc8408f617cd5f86f066d2a9e5e | An actress who has had minor roles in The Sopranos and Law & Order is suing her former lover, an older, married multimillionaire for trying to evict her from a luxury Manhattan apartment. Ayelet Argaman, an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress, says her former boyfriend Robert Rothenberg is a vindictive 'scorned lover who has taken the break up badly,' according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. The 35-year-old says the 55-year-old real estate investor began wooing her in September 2013 and they started to date. Scroll down for video . Tension: Ayelet Argaman, (left) an actress who has had minor roles in The Sopranos and Law & Order is suing her former lover, Robert Rothenberg, (right) an older, married multimillionaire for trying to evict her . She claims he attempted to impress her this spring by buying a $1.3 million one-bedroom apartment in Trump Palace for her to live in on the Upper East Side, reports the New York Post. According to court papers he also furnished her with $1.3 million in other gifts, including $100,000 a month for expenses. In April, Rothenberg signed an agreement giving her a 60 percent share of the holding company that owns the apartment, and the right to buy out his 40 percent share if their relationship did not last until May 2015. Famous friends: Argaman in a photo on Facebook with former president Bill Clinton in 2008 . Strike a pose: Ayelet Argaman with lawyer Andrew Barroway at the 2009 Angel Ball Benefit for Gabrielle`s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research in New York . But in June she broke up with him because of 'irreconcilable differences,' the filing says. Following their break-up, the Harvard MBA graduate threatened to sue her, claiming New York's 'heart-balm statute' requires her to return the gifts he gave her because they were made in contemplation of marriage, her suit says. Luxury: She claims he attempted to woo her by buying a $1.3 million one-bedroom apartment for her to live in Trump Palace (pictured) in NYC . But Argaman argues the law doe not apply in this case because Rothenberg was and still is married. 'An adulterer like Rothenberg cannot invoke an exception to the heart-balm statue — which is intended for single people actually engaged to be married — which was never the case here,' her suit says. The New York Daily News reports that Rothenberg, contends he was used. His planned suit claims he only bought the apartment and signed the deal after she duped him into thinking she would marry him. It also accuses her and her parents of trying to shake him down. Rothenberg's lawyer, Larry Hutcher, told The Post that many of the allegations in Argaman's suit are not true. He added that his client has a temporary order of protection from Nassau County Family Court that prevents Argaman from contacting Rothenberg or his family. Rothenberg is a 50 per cent partner and a managing member of Beachwold Residential. His company owns more than 8,000 apartment units in New York, Connecticut, Ohio, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. | Ayelet Argaman, 35, is an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress .
Has had minor roles in Law & Order and The Sopranos .
Argaman says real estate investor Robert Rothenberg, 55, wooed her by buying a $1.3 million Upper East Side apartment for her to live in .
She broke up with him in June because of 'irreconcilable differences'
His planned suit charges he only bought the apartment and signed the deal after she duped him into thinking she would marry him .
He also showered Argaman with $1.3 million in other gifts . |
213,973 | a11e4c8d9f632d261b131af34f881d295e375f5e | By . Steve Doughty . PUBLISHED: . 14:56 EST, 30 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:58 EST, 30 August 2012 . Failure: A report for Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams claims clergy failed to protect children from paedophile priests' abuse . A Church of England report yesterday accused clergy in an ancient diocese of a ‘disastrous’ failure to protect children from abuse by paedophile priests. The investigation carried out for the Archbishop of Canterbury said that many lives had been blighted, and a string of court cases was just the tip of the iceberg of corruption in the Diocese of Chichester. It followed deepening concerns after one vicar was jailed for five years for sexually abusing two boys and another parish priest died without being charged with any offence after abusing at least ten boys. Three retired priests in the diocese are facing charges of sexual offences against children. The interim report comes more than a year after an initial inquiry by retired judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and has itself taken eight months to produce. Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams apologised to victims. ‘The abiding hurt and damage done to them is something that none of us in the Church can ignore,’ he said. ‘We owe them not only our words of apology but our best efforts to make sure that in the future our churches will be safe. ‘The interim report confirms there have been many and longstanding failures in implementing a robust and credible safeguarding policy in the Diocese of Chichester.’ The report by retired Bishop of Chelmsford the Right Reverend John Gladwin said: ‘It is clear to us that many lives have been blighted. Concerned: A vicar was jailed for five years for sexually abusing two boys and a parish priest died without being charged with any offence after abusing at least 10 boys . ‘Some have sought justice through the courts of law. Clergy have gone to prison for their abuse of children. 'We are clear that those who have sought justice through the courts are but the tip of the iceberg.’ 'Many lives blighted': The report by Right Reverend John Gladwin shows justice through the courts is 'just the tip of the iceberg' The damage was made worse by the slow progress of inquiries, it said. The two priests known to have abused . children were the Reverend Colin Pritchard, vicar of St Barnabas in . Bexhill-on-Sea until 2007, who was subsequently jailed for abusing two . boys. Pritchard was allowed to continue running his parish for ten years after he was first reported to police for sex offences. The Reverend Roy Cotton, a parish . priest in Brede, near Rye, died in September 2006 after prosecutors had . decided there was too little evidence to charge him. Three retired priests from the . diocese have been charged with sexual offences this year. They were . named by the BBC as Canon Gordon Rideout, 73, of Wannock, East Sussex; . the Reverend Robert Coles, 71, of Eastbourne; and Father Wilkie Denford, . 77, of Shoreham, West Sussex. The first two face multiple charges . dating from the 1960s to 1984. The last has denied four charges of . indecently assaulting a boy under 16 in the late 1980s. Bishop Gladwin called the 1,000-year-old diocese ‘dysfunctional’. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Dr Rowan Williams said a string of court cases was just 'the tip of the iceberg' of corruption .
Comes after one vicar was jailed for five years for .
sexually abusing two boys .
Another parish priest died without being .
charged with any offence after abusing at least ten boys . |
49,087 | 8aa37ab51b39fb0dd81a82c39bfca8f9525e071a | A teenage boy has been arrested after teachers found he had a 15in Rambo-style knife in class. The knife, which has a 10in blade - one side razor sharp and the other serrated - was allegedly found in the 15-year-old boy’s bag yesterday at an unnamed school in Croydon, south London. Sergeant Matt Smith, who works as a neighbourhood officer in the Fieldway area of Croydon, posted a photograph of the huge knife and its holster online earlier this week. Huge blade: The knife, which has a 10in blade - one side razor sharp and the other serrated - was found in the boy’s bag yesterday at an unnamed school in Croydon, south London . Under the image, Sgt Smith wrote on Twitter just after 8pm on Monday: ‘The team have charged a teenager for taking this knife into school. He awaits court appearance.’ Sgt Smith did not reveal the school’s name. The teenager was charged under section 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 for possession of an offensive weapon on school premises. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called on February 3 to a school in Croydon to reports that staff had confiscated a knife from a student. Officers attended and seized the knife. ‘A 15-year-old boy from Croydon was arrested the following day and was bailed for further enquiries. 'He was charged on February 21 with possession of an offensive weapon on school premises and was bailed to appear at Croydon Youth Court on April 2.’ People found guilty of the offence upon conviction at a magistrates’ court can face a fine or six months in jail, or both. At a crown court, the jail term can go up to four years or a fine, or both. Arrest: Sergeant Matt Smith (pictured), who works as a neighbourhood officer in the Fieldway area of Croydon, posted a photograph of the huge knife and its holster online last night . In one 11-day period last year there were six stabbings in Croydon, with knife arches being brought into a number of the borough’s senior schools in an attempt to combat the problem. Eliza Rebeiro, founder of the Croydon-based organisation Lives Not Knives, told MailOnline: ‘There needs to be more support in schools for young people but specific support for teachers.' She added: 'The whole community needs to work towards preventing such things from happening. We do not know if this young person was being bullied or actually intended to use the knife.’ Tracey Ford, who launched the Jags Foundation after her son's murder, added: ‘We are coming up against youth-on-youth violence very, very regularly in Croydon and other parts of London. ‘More and more incidents are happening but they are not fatal and they are not being reported. Young people are being stabbed every day.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Huge knife has 10in blade - one side razor sharp and the other serrated .
It was found in boy’s bag at unnamed school in Croydon, south London .
Sergeant Matt Smith posted photo of knife and holster online last night . |
218,046 | a64f47b7bfdd49d9fa6633482daa39e6a3e8a26b | A driver had to pay £150 to have his car released after police wrongly accused him of driving without insurance - and tweeted a photo of the seized car before he could prove his innocence. Nathan Phipps, 34, was left stranded at the side of the A19 near Skipton, North Yorkshire when police pulled him over as he was taking his newly-bought Renault Clio for a test drive. The security guard, from Earby, Lancashire, was questioned by officers and told he was being charged with driving without insurance - an offence which carries a £300 fine and six penalty points. Nathan Phipps, 34, from Earby, Lancashire, pictured left, was furious when police posted a photo on Twitter, pictured right, claiming he was driving without insurance - despite him proving his innocence the next day . Mr Phipps insisted he was covered by third party insurance but was left standing at the roadside when police seized the vehicle. He and his girlfriend Jane Jarvis, 39, who were with their two dogs, then had to find their own way home. But before leaving, the officer slapped a sticker on the Clio, saying 'No insurance means no car!'. The officer then took a photo of the car and posted it on Twitter with the message: 'finished the day as started, another no insurance £seized'. The next day, Mr Phipps took his insurance documents to the station, proving he had third party insurance and the charges were dropped. But Mr Phipps still have to pay £150 to have his car released - despite it being unfairly seized. And his colleagues knew all about the incident the next day - become someone had seen the post online. Now the father--of-one has lodged an official complaint against the North Yorkshire officer who stopped him on September 18. He said: 'I'm absolutely disgusted. It was my girlfriend's car and we had just bought it. 'I've used the garage a lot so they said I could take it for a drive and if I wanted any extra work doing on it, they would carry it out and I could pick it up the next day. Mr Phipps had to pay £150 to retrieve the car after police seized it at the side of the A19, near Skipton . North Yorkshire Police confirmed that no action was being taken with the no insurance. The force added that Mr Phipps' complaint was being investigated . 'I knew I was covered by my third party insurance and I was absolutely positive I had all the documents at home to prove it. I told the officer this when he stopped me but he wouldn't listen. 'He was very arrogant and he just kept playing with his phone. I told him to ring my insurance company to check it out and he said he would. 'But he came back a few minutes later and told me he'd phoned and they said I had no insurance.' After being left stranded on the side of the road, Mr Phipps had to ring his father to pick him up from the side of the road. He continued: 'I knew at the time it was a mistake. I don't know why they told him I had no insurance but I'm sure that was just a misunderstanding. 'But what really annoyed me was when I saw what he was doing on his phone. 'When he started taking the picture of my car, I asked him what he was doing and he said he had a Twitter account and he and a few of the lads had a good laugh about it. I said I didn't find it funny at all. 'A few minutes later, when I looked at the screen I saw him send the Tweet with a picture of my car. 'When I told him I was not happy about it he just told me 'it was done' and there was nothing he could do about it.' He added: 'Once I proved I had insurance they decided to drop it so I haven't had to pay the £300 fine or had the six penalty points. 'But the police said if I want get my £154 back I have to go to a solicitor. I haven't received a single apology either. 'When I got into work the next day, my colleagues knew about it because someone had seen it on Twitter.' After lodging his complaint, Nathan has been told that police regard tweeting as a useful public relations exercise. He added: 'I don't think it is good PR at all - I think it is highly unprofessional. 'The officer should not have been on his phone Tweeting when I was standing there, and he put it out that I was uninsured when I was. 'I am totally disgusted. I wouldn't do it at work and I don't think he should have done it either. Plus all my colleagues were aware of it and so I looked really bad. 'I don't know what I'm going to do next but they've picked on the wrong person.' North Yorkshire Police confirmed that no action was being taken with the no insurance. The force added that the complaint was being investigated. A spokesman said: 'As this issue is the subject of an investigation by the force's professional standards department, it is not appropriate for us to comment at this time.' | Nathan Phipps, 34, was taking his newly-bought Renault Clio for a test drive .
He was stopped and told he was being charged for driving without insurance .
Police officer slapped a sticker on Clio saying 'No insurance means no car'
He then posted a photo of the car on Twitter - before seizing the vehicle .
Charges were dropped next day when Mr Phipps proved he had insurance .
But father-of-one, from Earby, Lancs, still had to pay to have car released . |
184,796 | 7b5e4ded49f047c6d04ddc28c5519c9d8b2c3d6a | Lewis Hamilton held off Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg over the dying stages of the Spanish Grand Prix to win his fourth successive race. The gap was just 0.6 seconds between the duelling duo come the chequered flag that dropped after 66 laps, allowing Hamilton to move to the top of the championship for the first time in almost two years. Daniel Ricciardo finished on the podium for the second time this season, albeit for the first time legitimately after the Australian was disqualified from his home race in March after a fuel irregularity with his Red Bull. King of the world: Lewis Hamilton held off Nico Rosberg to secure victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday . Tight: Rosberg pushed his Mercedes team-mate all the way in the final stages . Playful: Hamilton sprays champagne to a model on the podium . On fire: Hamilton poses with his trophy after winning the Spanish Grand Prix . Chequered flag: Rosberg was within 0.6 seconds of his team-mate . Hamilton now has history on his side because on every one of the 19 previous occasions a driver has won four races in a row in one season he has gone on to claim the world championship. For Hamilton, this victory will also serve as a crucial psychological blow as it again appeared as if Rosberg had the strategic edge, as in Bahrain last month. But again Hamilton was able to keep Rosberg at bay, leaving the German to settle for second place for the fourth straight race, with the latter now three points adrift. On the podium, a clearly relieved Hamilton said: "A big thank you to my team, my first win here in Spain, and it means everything to me. 'Overall, I wasn't fast enough, Nico was quicker, so I had to rely on my engineers a lot more to help me with my settings. 'Fortunately I was able to keep him behind me.' As for Rosberg, he felt he would have had a shot at Hamilton if there had been one more lap. Describing himself as 'a bit gutted' at losing his championship lead, Rosberg added: 'There are still plenty more races to go.' Final standings: The full race results from the Spanish GP . Mercedes power: Hamilton led the field from start to finish at Circuit de Catalunya . Sore winner: Rosberg admitted he was gutted to lose to Hamilton once again . Delight: Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium, finishing in third . Behind them Ricciardo was 49 seconds adrift such is the gap Mercedes have over their rivals, with team-mate Sebastian Vettel a stunning fourth after starting 15th, with Bottas fifth. Ferrari, winners here last with Fernando Alonso, had to settle for sixth and seventh, with Kimi Raikkonen passed by the Spaniard just over two laps from home. Romain Grosjean hauled Lotus into the points for the first time in a problematic season, with Force India duo Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg ninth and 10th. That left McLaren out of the points for the third successive race, with Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen 11th and 12th, whilst Max Chilton was 19th in his Marussia. Through the field: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel did well to make up ground from 15th . Home hero: Fernando Alonso excited his supporters in Catalunya . | Lewis Hamilton now leads Nico Rosberg in the title race by three points .
Hamilton was just 0.6secs ahead of Rosberg at the chequered flag .
Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium with Sebastian Vettel finishing 4th .
Mercedes were utterly dominant sealing their fourth straight 1-2 finish . |
98,974 | 0b78d37251630abdebbbd75061cb40808a3f47f0 | (CNN) -- A 32-year-old Puerto Rican recruiter for a cosmetology school in Chicago, Illinois, accused federal immigration authorities on Thursday of throwing him in jail over the weekend as a result of racial profiling. "I was just profiled," Eduardo Caraballo told CNN in a telephone interview. The incident began on May 18, when police showed up at the building housing the school in the suburban Chicago town of Berwyn. The school is owned by his mother. The building includes a storage area where police found a car that Caraballo said he was storing for a friend -- but which turned out to have been stolen. After 48 hours in police custody, Caraballo was interviewed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, he said. "She did not believe I was Puerto Rican because of the way I look and the way I talk," he said. "I guess I have a Mexican accent." On May 20, he was taken to the Cook County Correctional Center. Authorities there told his mother, Patricia Caraballo, that she could not bail him out because immigration had a hold on him, he said. His mother, who is Mexican, then took her son's birth certificate to immigration authorities, her son said. But immigration officials asked the younger Caraballo to describe his life in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth; scrutinized the papers brought by his mother; and came away unpersuaded. "Last time I was in Puerto Rico, I was 18 years old," Caraballo said. "I don't really like Puerto Rico -- or Mexico. I like Chicago. I was raised here." Finally, on Monday, an ICE supervisor allowed him to leave. "If it was that simple, why couldn't they do it Friday?" Caraballo asked. The Rev. Walter L. Coleman, of Lincoln United Methodist Church in Chicago, has taken up Caraballo's cause. "This was based on a clear case of racial profiling and a clear distrust that would not have been extended to a Caucasian or somebody who was Anglo-American," Coleman told reporters Thursday. "We have an integral connection between racial profiling and discrimination and the prosecution of our broken racial laws," he added. "It's everywhere in this country and it's going to intensify." Chris Bergin, a lawyer for Familia Latina Unida Ministries and Centro Sin Fronteras, said he was considering taking legal action against the government on behalf of Caraballo. That is an example of what we're facing as we see a broken immigration system that is aimed really at Latinos and aimed at intimidation and aimed at persecution and aimed at discrimination and ultimately aimed at disempowering the entire community in this country," Bergin said. In a statement, ICE said it "places 'detainers' or holds on individuals whom we have reason to believe are in the U.S. in violation of law. Based upon the evidence initially available on this individual, ICE agents placed a detainer on him. However, after ICE confirmed the individual's identity as a U.S. citizen, we immediately canceled the detainer. "This individual was held in local law enforcement custody over the weekend on an ICE detainer based on initially available information that he was an alien subject to deportation. ICE took custody of him on Monday morning and released him within one hour, after his identity was verified, and the ICE detainer was canceled." But that explanation didn't placate Bergin. "They're supposed to be the experts in this and they didn't act like experts," he said. "When it comes to Latinos, what has happened is they have flipped the coin on its head: The burden of proof now is on them to prove that they are legal, that they are citizens. ... That is not what America is about." And ICE's defense raised eyebrows from Jacqueline Stevens, professor of political science at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, outside Chicago. "Their defense is only valid if someone is foreign-born," she said. "It's not a valid defense if someone is asserting that they're born in the United States. That's basically kidnapping and false imprisonment." But such incidents are not unusual, said Stevens, who went through the files of an immigration and refugee rights project and found that 82 cases -- 1 percent of the total -- involved U.S. citizens, most of whom had been held for one to three months. That would translate to 4,000 of the 400,000 people detained last year by ICE, Stevens said. She also tracked 30 cases since 2003 where ICE went a step further and deported U.S. citizens, she said. In one case, it took a man wrongfully deported to Jamaica a decade to put together the paperwork to return to the United States, she said. | Puerto Rican detained over the weekend on ICE orders .
"This was based on a clear case of racial profiling," his defender says .
ICE: "We immediately canceled the detainer"
Lawyer: "This is not what America is about" |
91,508 | 01b81cfee4e753332d1769730584c017896f6fbb | 'Wicked' robber Robert Ziga who wrenched a treasured engagement ring from an elderly stroke victim as she lay helpless in her hospital bed has been jailed for five years . A thief who ripped an engagement ring from an elderly woman's finger as she lay in a hospital bed has been jailed for five years. Robert Ziga, 29, was told he had committed a crime that was 'distinctively abhorrent'. The Slovakian had prowled a cancer ward for 90 minutes as he sought a suitable victim, before strolling into 75-year-old Christine Brown's private room unchallenged. She initially mistook him for her son and affectionately reached out to him, but screamed when she realised what was happening. The thief fled down a fire escape with Mrs Brown's diamond engagement ring, which she had worn for 52 years, and mobile phone as staff alerted by the screams gave chase. Both of the items were later recovered by police. Bradford Crown Court heard that when officers brought the ring to Mrs Brown's Bradford home to check it was the right one, her husband John, 75, kissed it through the evidence bag. Ziga admitted robbery and was jailed for five years and four months. Judge Robert Bartfield told him that his crime had left Mrs Brown traumatised. 'She had been petrified you were going to hurt her,' he said. 'You were too strong for her. 'I regard the invasion of a room in hospital just as serious as [that of] a person's own home. 'This is where they go to recuperate, away from thieving hands like yours. 'As a matter of policy it must be made clear those who steal from hospital patients can expect long sentences.' Robert Ziga cased Bradford Royal Infirmary before robbing 75-year-old Christine Brown of her treasured engagement ring . Mrs Brown had been in hospital for almost a month after falling at home. Due to her poor health, she was placed on the cancer ward despite not having the disease. She had earlier had two strokes and had significant mobility problems, with little movement on the right side of her body. The incident in Bradford Royal Infirmary in January had a detrimental effect on her health and led to her being critically ill, her son Damian said. When she showed improvement in May she had to be placed near the nurses' station in a rehabilitation centre so that she would feel safe. Before the theft, Ziga was seen looking into the rooms on ward 15 where Mrs Brown had been recovering. He struck once she was alone. Judge Bartfield told him: 'This lady was left in huge distress, not surprisingly. 'Goodness knows what thoughts went through her mind when this was happening. 'This offence is not unique, but very distinctive in the abhorrence that everybody must feel for what you chose to do to that lady.' Nigel Hamilton, defending, agreed: 'This was an abhorrent offence. It was mean and wicked. Members of the public will quite naturally be appalled.' Christine Brown was left 'crying and shaking' after thief Robert Ziga left her in her private room on the cancer ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary . However, he said Ziga made a full admission to police and told them where the ring could be found. Ziga, a drug addict, came to the UK in 2004 with his wife and daughter, now aged 11. He had received convictions for dishonesty since arriving in the UK, and had a criminal record for minor offences dating back to when he was 17. Detective Constable Richard Oxley of Bradford South CID welcomed his jail sentence. 'This was a heartless and despicable act committed against an elderly patient at her most vulnerable,' he said outside court. 'Ziga displayed greed when most would have shown compassion, inflicting only further strain on his victim's health.' A spokesman for the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust defended security measures at its hospital. 'We would like to reassure patients that this was an isolated incident and we encourage staff, patients and visitors to be vigilant at all times and report any suspicious behaviour,' they said. | Robert Ziga staked out Bradford Royal Infirmary for more than 90 minutes .
Theft described as 'abhorrent' by judge and mitigating lawyer .
Victim, 75, left 'crying and shaking' on hospital's cancer ward . |
98,905 | 0b62ca891f3065249ac0d742de7afe9dd129d330 | Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- The cause of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370's disappearance remains a mystery, but it has put the spotlight on the wildly varying approach governments with a stake in the search have handled the sensitivities and the facts. The Malaysian government has been roundly criticized for weeks of muddled misinformation and its seemingly off-hand dealings with the distraught families of the passengers and crew of the missing airliner. China, which has more than 150 of its citizens aboard the Boeing 777-200, has been unrelenting in its criticism of Malaysia's handling of the search and the lack of transparency in information, while Thailand was accused of withholding what might have been critical information about the MH370's possible flight path because it said no one had asked whether it had any intelligence. Out of the fray emerged Australia and its conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a man known more for his pugilistic, take-no-prisoner style of politics, than his statesmanship and compassion. On neither count has the Australian Premier, until now, impressed. Spy claims . Abbott refused to apologize to the Indonesian President when the leaked Edward Snowden files revealed Australia had been spying on Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his inner circle, including his wife. He has also run a tough, some say brutal, campaign against asylum seekers and the people smugglers who bring them to Australia across treacherous waters from Indonesia. Abbott, who accuses asylum seekers of illegally attempting to enter Australia, is comfortable with the policy masterminded by his predecessor, of sending those who seek refuge in Australia to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru -- neither considered by the UNHCR to be adequate to house them. Recently, the government announced it would stop funding legal assistance for asylum seekers who arrived by boat and are sitting in detention centers awaiting the chance to argue their case. But when he rose to his feet on March 20 to tell the Australian Parliament that new satellite images showed what might be aircraft debris in the Indian Ocean, some 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) off the coast of Western Australia and that an Australian-led search party would be investigating, Abbott made international headlines. Statesmanship peaked out from behind the curtains. When days later no debris had been found, Abbott deflected criticism that he had jumped the gun saying the search area was "about the most inaccessible spot that you would imagine on the face of the earth. "But if there is anything down there we will find it. We owe it to the families of those people to do no less." Poll support . An informal poll in the Sydney Morning Herald showed many thought the prime minister had acted properly in announcing news of the satellite images. His compassion was perceived as real rather than political opportunism. After announcing that there would be no time limit on the search effort and that his government would bear the cost of coordinating the international operation, an impassioned Abbott declared: "If the mystery is solvable, we will solve it." It was a personal commitment. His determination to deliver "closure" for the families of those on board the jetliner stands in stark contrast to the approach of his Malaysian counterpart. While Najib Razak sanctioned sending a text message to families informing them that the aircraft had likely ended up in the southern Indian Ocean, Abbott told the families of the six Australian passengers on the flight the country had "an ache in its heart and nothing we can say or do will take that ache away." And as the Australian-led search mission entered its second week, Abbott told grieving relatives what asylum seekers have never heard. ''I want them all to know ... that they will be in the arms of a decent country,'' he said. ''The government has decided to waive visa fees for any relatives wishing to come to Australia.'' 'Eloquent and diplomatic' Even Abbott's most fervent enemies would, if pressed, concede that the Australian premier has been both eloquent and diplomatic in the expression of his sorrow and grief for those who do not know if their relatives are by some miracle, still alive and if they are not, what caused their deaths. But the same fervent enemies might also question whether Abbott sees an upside to statesmanship and compassion. Tragedies of the scale of MH370 are rarely used for political gain without the real and imminent danger of significant political cost. But such tragedies can soften images, turn skeptical minds and give hope to those who've not been recipients of an open heart. When on February 16, a young Iranian asylum seeker was killed in a riot at the Manus Island detention centre, the Australian Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, claimed Reza Berati had died after leaving the confines of the Australian-run center, placing himself where Australia could not protect him. "This was a very dangerous situation where people decided to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the center and place themselves at great risk," Morrison told Australian media. Soon afterwards, Morrison faced the media to admit Berati had in fact died inside the center. Abbott stood by him. "You don't want a wimp running border protection, you want someone strong and decent. And Scott Morrison is both strong and decent," Abbott told parliament. Different leader . Coming after years of hardline railing against the number of asylum seekers landing on to Australia's shores, with many perishing en route, the government's attitude seemed hard, even callous. Many Australians were shocked and held candlelit vigils around the country. If Australians see the beginnings, perhaps even evidence of a different leader with Abbott's deep, heartfelt concern for the souls who boarded MH370 in Kuala Lumpar on route to Beijing, there's little chance this will wipe the memory of a leader who has shown little mercy to asylum seekers -- some of them children -- languishing in Australia's version of Guantanamo Bay. But Australians might be convinced their prime minister has the capacity to change. OPINION: Pilot: Why Flight 370 may never be found . | Search for MH370 has revealed differing approaches by governments involved .
While Malaysian leaders have been criticized, Australia's PM has won praise .
Attard: In contrast with Tony Abbott's tough line on issues such as asylum seekers .
Abbott has vowed to help bring "closure" to families of those missing on MH370 . |
281,092 | f8218543d44380bb8d322c32cd94909d206da366 | Arsenal are hopeful Kieran Gibbs will be available to face Burnley on Saturday after the defender sustained a pelvic injury in the win over Sunderland. The England international sustained the problem during the closing stages of the victory at the Stadium of Light. The injury is still being assessed by the Gunners medical team, but the problem is not expected to keep Gibbs out for a prolonged period. Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs, taking on Sunderland's Will Buckley, is set to be fit to face Burnley on Saturday . The England international was replaced late on at the Stadium of Light after picking up a pelvic injury . And the defender could even be available for the visit of newly-promoted Burnley on this weekend. The news will come as a major boost to manager Arsene Wenger, who already has a defensive shortage. Back-up left back Nacho Monreal is currently filling in as a makeshift central defender in place of the injured Laurent Koscielny, while right-back Mathieu Debuchy is out with an ankle injury. Captain Mikel Arteta is also expected to be fit for the clash against Sean Dyche's side after picking up a thigh injury against the Black Cats. Arsenal club captain Mikel Arteta is also expected to be fit to face Burnley despite a slight thigh injury . Striker Alexis Sanchez celebrates his brace at the weekend to guide Arsenal to a 2-0 win at Sunderland . | England international sustained pelvic injury at Sunderland on Saturday .
The problem isn't expected to keep Gibbs out of Burnley tie this weekend .
Arsenal host Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon .
Gunner still face a defensive shortage with Nacho Monreal at centre back . |
50,947 | 902967c907393bc17954ce40b776defe8d0a3b07 | (CNN) -- Some of the $85 million in hurricane relief supplies given away as federal surplus will be sent back to Louisiana and given to nonprofit agencies for distribution, the state's hurricane recovery office said Tuesday. Hand towels sit unused in Fort Worth, Texas. Goods ranged from cots to camp stoves to coffee makers. "Today we can report that we have been notified that some of the surplus property has been located in Texas and will be coming to the state of Louisiana for distribution by Unity New Orleans," said Paul Rainwater, the executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. A CNN investigation revealed last week that FEMA gave away the supplies as government surplus, even though agencies like Unity -- which works to resettle hurricane victims -- were still seeking the kind of supplies given away. After the disclosure, Rainwater's organization asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to return some of the extensive stockpiles of household goods that had been purchased as "starter kits" for people living in trailers after Hurricane Katrina. After CNN reported on the giveaway, other Louisiana officials also asked that the supplies be redirected to the state, which originally passed on them. John Medica, director of Louisiana's Federal Property Assistance Agency, told CNN he was unaware Katrina victims still needed the items because no agency had contacted his office. Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, an outspoken critic of FEMA's response to the hurricane, told CNN the supply giveaway was "just a shame." "It's just another example of the failings of the federal bureaucracy," Landrieu said last week. She wrote Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to request an explanation. FEMA Administrator David Paulison on Sunday defended the agency's decision, telling CNN that Louisiana had been offered some of the stockpiles, but that state officials had declined the goods. Rainwater said state officials "will move to quickly get these supplies in the hands of those who need them." "Moving forward, we have made it clear that I am to be the point of contact for FEMA when supplies for Katrina and Rita victims are set aside for our state," he said. "We will also be informing nonprofits about how to access such supplies, so that we can all better serve our citizens who are struggling to rebuild their lives." CNN's Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost contributed to this report. | Some of the $85 million in supplies will be given to state nonprofit agencies .
CNN investigation revealed FEMA gave away supplies as government surplus .
FEMA administrator has defended the agency's decision to give away items . |
46,745 | 83b3c5c5ab4964b50352dd2cb3cfb91d0e4c93ea | Blue Mountains, Australia (CNN) -- More than 70 wildfires -- including 29 that are uncontained -- are raging across a wide swath of Australia's most populous state, now threatening the western suburbs of Sydney, authorities said Wednesday. "It's only a matter of hours before we see a flare-up in fire activity and a breach of these tenuous containment strategies," said Shane Fitzsimmons, Rural Fire Service (RFS) commissioner, in Sydney earlier in the day. The wildfires stretch along a nearly 1,000-mile line in New South Wales, from the far north of the state south of Brisbane -- which lies just across the Queensland border -- to east of Canberra, the country's federal capital. Fires in the Blue Mountain range west of Sydney are a particular worry as rough terrain has impeded firefighting efforts. "If our strategies don't work and weather materializes tomorrow that is forecast ... it could be absolutely devastating," said Rural Fire Service (RFS) Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers in New South Wales on Tuesday. "We lost a couple hundred homes the other day -- we could get worse losses than that." Wednesday is expected to be "about as bad as it gets," added Fitzsimmons. With high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds forecast, fire officials have urged residents to evacuate from the path of the fires. "On days like today, minutes really matter," Fitzsimmons said. At least one death has been reported. A 63-year-old man died of a suspected heart attack Friday while defending his home against a blaze on the New South Wales Central Coast, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, reported. 'Eerie' skies over city of Sydney . Some urban areas that border the Australian bush have been devastated by the fires, which have destroyed more than 200 homes in the Blue Mountains region since Thursday. Scores of fires now have burned 25,800 hectares (310,859 acres) -- an area greater than the size of Los Angeles. On Tuesday, officials said they were bringing in 1,500 firefighters to join the more than 1,000 emergency crews already on the ground. At Blue Gum Forest inside the Blue Mountains National Park, firefighters were doing controlled burns -- setting fires in the bush ahead of the frontline of the blazes to eliminate tinder and slow the progress of the fires. Instead of cloud-shrouded mountaintops, the valleys of the region were covered with a dense layer of smoke. Fears are still high that fires could join to form a "mega-fire" and endanger heavily populated areas of this popular natural retreat west of Sydney. Most of the firefighters in the area were volunteers who've left their ordinary jobs to put out the fire, pouring in from different parts of Australia. "There's a sense of community, doing what they can -- you can get a sense of resilience, strength, and a deep sense of pride of each brigade pulling their weight," said CNN's Robyn Curnow, reporting from the Blue Mountains. The state of emergency issued by authorities gives firefighters and police the authority to carry out measures such as cutting off water, power and gas and ordering mandatory evacuations of areas at risk. A total fire ban is in place for the Greater Sydney region until further notice, officials have said, meaning no fire may be lit in the open, and all fire permits are suspended. The fires have spread a cloak of smog over Sydney in recent days. The bush fires in the area spread out of control Thursday amid high temperatures and powerful winds. Emergency officials said the region is emerging from a very dry winter and has had little rain in recent months. The causes of the Blue Mountains fires are still under investigation -- officials are looking into whether one major blaze was caused by a military training exercise. Police said Monday they had arrested two boys, age 11 and 15, over two earlier bush fires in the Port Stephens area, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Sydney, that began October 13. One of the fires they are accused of starting burned more than 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) in the surrounding area. The 11-year-old has been placed under house arrest, charged with two counts of intentionally causing fire and being reckless as to its spread, NSW Police Force said. The child is scheduled to appear in court next month where he is expected to plead not guilty to the charges, CNN affiliate Sky News reports. CNN's Madison Park and Jethro Mullen contributed to this story . | NEW: More than 70 wildfires -- including 29 that are not contained -- are raging .
A line of wildfires nearly 1,000 miles long threatens the state of New South Wales, Australia .
High winds and temperatures threaten to make Wednesday the worst day for the blazes .
More than 200 homes in the Blue Mountains region west of Sydney have been destroyed . |
33,954 | 607fb9969d9c3fe85d3d6382379a2452d752379e | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 06:18 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:09 EST, 10 May 2013 . Astronomers have found two 'dead' stars they say give us a chilling glimpse into the future for our solar system. The dead stars are located 150 light-years from Earth in a relatively young star cluster, Hyades, in the constellation Taurus. The star cluster is only 625 million . years old, and the white dwarfs are being polluted by asteroid-like . debris falling onto them, turning them into 'dirty' stars. An artist's impression of a white dwarf (burned-out) star observed by Hubble in the Hyades star cluster. At lower right, an asteroid can be seen falling toward a Saturn-like disk of dust that is encircling the dead star . Our Sun will expand outwards when its nuclear fuel runs low and will ultimately blow off its outer layers. Some of the inner planets will be consumed in the process and asteroids will be thrown out of their orbits. Asteroids that veer too close to the sun will be broken up, and the debris could be pulled into a ring around the dead sun. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found the building blocks for Earth-sized planets in an unlikely place- the atmospheres of a pair of burned-out stars called white dwarfs, which are the exhausted cores of average-size stars not unlike our Sun. 'We have identified chemical evidence . for the building blocks of rocky planets,' said Jay Farihi of the . University of Cambridge in England. He is lead author of a new study appearing in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 'When these stars were born, they built planets, and there's a good chance they currently retain some of them. 'The material we are seeing is evidence of this. 'The debris is at least as rocky as the most primitive terrestrial bodies in our solar system.' Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observed silicon and only low levels of carbon in the white dwarfs' atmospheres. Silicon is a major ingredient of the rocky material that constitutes Earth and other solid planets in our solar system. Carbon, which helps determine properties and origin of planetary debris, generally is depleted or absent in rocky, Earth-like material. This discovery suggests rocky planet assembly is common around stars, and it offers insight into what will happen in our own solar system when our sun burns out 5 billion years from now. In around 5 billion years, our Sun will expand outwards when its nuclear fuel runs low and will ultimately blow off its outer layers . Farihi's research suggests asteroids less than 100 miles (160 kilometers) wide probably were torn apart by the white dwarfs' strong gravitational forces. Asteroids are thought to consist of the same materials that form terrestrial planets, and seeing evidence of asteroids points to the possibility of Earth-sized planets in the same system. The pulverized material may have been pulled into a ring around the stars and eventually funneled onto the dead stars. The silicon may have come from asteroids that were shredded by the white dwarfs' gravity when they veered too close to the dead stars. 'It's difficult to imagine another mechanism than gravity that causes material to get close enough to rain down onto the star,' Farihi said. Hubble Space Telescope is seen in this picture taken from Space Shuttle in March 2002. It was used to spot the two 'dead' stars . By the same token, when our sun burns out, the balance of gravitational forces between the sun and Jupiter will change, disrupting the main asteroid belt, Nasa says. Asteroids that veer too close to the sun will be broken up, and the debris could be pulled into a ring around the dead sun. According to Farihi, using Hubble to analyze the atmospheres of white dwarfs is the best method for finding the signatures of solid planet chemistry and determining their composition. 'Normally, white dwarfs are like blank pieces of paper, containing only the light elements hydrogen and helium,' Farihi said. 'Heavy elements like silicon and carbon sink to the core. 'The one thing the white dwarf pollution technique gives us that we just won't get with any other planet-detection technique is the chemistry of solid planets.' Fahiri's team plans to analyze more white dwarfs using the same technique to identify not only the rocks' composition, but also their parent bodies. | Dead stars are located 150 light-years from Earth in a relatively young star cluster, Hyades, in the constellation Taurus . |
269,512 | e9178ccfe669e57390c7a4395d12f83b7995cebf | New Delhi (CNN) -- A retired gold medal-winning athlete in India is under pressure to prove she is female after her partner accused of deception and sexual assault, police said Friday. Runner Pinki Pramanik has been detained on charges of fraud and cheating after allegations by Anamika Acharya, a woman claiming to be her live-in partner, said Rajeev Kumar, the police commissioner of Bidhannagar in West Bengal State. Acharya has also accused Pramanik of being a man. If a medical examination establishes she is male, police could charge her with rape, Kumar said. Pramanik, who won gold at the 2006 Asian Games and a silver medal the same year at the Commonwealth Games, has denied the accusations and refused to undergo a gender test, Kumar said. Police have requested a court order to compel her to take the test. The maximum sentence in India for cheating and fraud is three years in prison; for rape, it is seven years in prison. CNN was unable to contact Pramanik or her representatives directly Friday. A senior official at the Athletics Federation of India said the sports organization had not received any complaint against Pramanik challenging her sexual identity. C.K. Valson, the secretary of the federation, said athletes are subject to gender verification tests only on the basis of formal complaints. During her career, Pramanik underwent drug tests that involved the submission of urine samples to female officials, Valson said. "She participated in the Asian Games and other events as a woman," he said, noting that she is now retired. Pramanik's case has revived memories in India of another female runner, Santhi Soundarajan, who was stripped of her 2006 Asian Games silver medal after the results of a gender test. Soundarajan attempted suicide in 2007, survived and became a coach. In 2009, the gender of South African athlete Caster Semenya, then 18, became the focus of international news media attention after sporting officials said they would carry out tests. Semenya was given the all-clear to compete as a woman in 2010. | Police want runner Pinki Pramanik to take a gender test .
She faces several accusations from a woman who says she was her live-in partner .
Police say that if the test concludes she is male, she could face rape charges .
Pramanik denies the accusations and refuses to take the gender test . |
266,469 | e5234020d379e96267813fcdc048f922c012e54a | United Nations (CNN) -- Rwanda will not pull its troops from U.N. peacekeeping missions despite a leaked draft report that accused Rwandan soldiers of genocide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwandan President Paul Kagame told the U.N. secretary-general Sunday. Ban Ki-moon said that he and Kagame spoke about the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mapping Report, which is to be released in October. Kagame complained to Ban about the leaks from the report, which alleges that the Rwandan military and an allied rebel group massacred ethnic Hutus in Congo between 1993 and 2003. The president put his troops on alert for a possible departure from Darfur, the troubled region of Sudan where a Rwandan general leads the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission. "Tens of thousands of Hutu civilians were slaughtered with knives, bludgeoned with hammers and burned alive as the Rwandan army and the Allied Democratic Liberation Forces swept across Congo -- then called Zaire -- leading to the toppling of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko," the draft report says. Kagame, who called the allegations "fraudulent" and "absurd," and Ban met in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this month to discuss the report, agreeing to meet later on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting. The United Nations said that Ban "was very satisfied" after Sunday's meeting "to learn that Rwanda would continue its important role in U.N. peacekeeping operations, and particularly in the strife-torn western Sudanese region of Darfur." The United Nations delayed release of the report by 30 days and agreed to allow nations named in it to add comments before publication. Kagame first took power on 1994 after the genocide of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. In the 100-day genocide, militias made up of ethnic Hutus slaughtered ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus nationwide. The killing ended when Tutsi-led militias backing Kagame ousted the Hutu government supporting the massacre. | Kagame was angry over U.N. report that accuses Rwandan troops of genocide .
U.N. agrees to allow comments to be published with report .
Ban is "very satisfied" that Rwandan troops will remain in Sudan . |
40,476 | 723f195dcdc21f927354196c15f9dc17ba942ff5 | Saturday night, and it was light entertainment time, with the World Cup version of It’s A Knockout. This time around, it was the BBC’s chance to introduce the boys from Brazil as the opening act after ITV had the honours on the opening day. Back then, Auntie had Thierry Henry as one of her main strikers. But he has now lost his place alongside Gary Lineker. With a philosophical gallic shrug - which basically said ‘I have no idea why the MLS season is starting up again during the World Cup?’ - he said adieu last week, and went back to training for his club in New York. Off the bench has come Alan Hansen. Enjoying the kind of finale to a career most of us could only dream of. Three weeks by Copacabana beach being slightly more memorable than some warm wine and nibbles in the office, I’d venture to suggest. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Hilarious Colombian commentator's reaction to Rodriguez goal . Cast: Alan Hansen joined Rio Ferdinand and Alan Shearer on the BBC panel for the start of the last 16 . Back to the day job: Henry left the BBC team to head back to America to resume the MLS season . For the occasion, he went with a rather sombre black shirt. But this was the only dark note in a quite riveting two hours or so of telly. Even if the last Englishman on the field of play in Brazil very nearly became the big story. The camera seems to really love Howard Webb. Or perhaps it’s the other way around? Either way, his already melodramatic performance suddenly took centre stage when he disallowed Hulk’s second-half goal. Now, if this were domestic coverage of the game, the following few minutes would have forensically picked the moment apart. While also giving us relentless up close and personal looks at Webb and his partner-in-crime with the flag, Mike Mullarkey. But just as Guy Mowbray was telling us us on commentary that Brazilian ‘heads are turning to monitors’ on the bench to see the damning images, so the world was being shown a substitution rather than the moment of the match. Which can often be par for the course with this kind of international event telly coverage. Because when the pictures are being used by an abundance of broadcasters, the safest option is to provide more neutral pictures, tempered with plenty of surrounding colour. Spectacle over specifics. Nevertheless, this sense of occasion can actually also make a moment really special. Such as with the epic penalty shoot-out. This was truly marvelous sport on the telly. Firstly, because the scatter gun images captured so much tension and emotion. And secondly because the BBC stuck with those shots, and had the studio provide fabulous voice-overed insight (‘I was next in Moscow’, shuddered Rio Ferdinand at the thought. ‘And my legs had gone’) into the intensity and pressure of the situation on the players. Formidable, memorable stuff. Centre of attention: Howard Webb disallows Hulk's goal, which would have put Brazil 2-1 ahead . Later that evening on ITV, it was the part two of the evening’s entertainment. And clearly Adrian Chiles and the boys had got all their clothes back from the dry cleaners. Because there they were at the top of the show, by the beach, giving the casual wear a run out. Ian Wright the only man adding a touch of decorum to the whole sorry shorts ‘n’ sandals affair by sporting a splendid panama hat. While at half-time, they were back in the studio, but now dressed like they were all set to hit happy hour as soon as the game finished. Although if the final whistle blew and we came back to them all in pyjamas, I also wouldn’t have been surprised. Somewhere in the middle of all this, of course, Columbia had seen off Uruguay with very little effort. And delivered the goal of the tournament so far, in the process. But with that goal came something of a conundrum over at ITV. All based around the scorer of the goal, Rodriguez. Soaking up the sun: ITV began their presentation of Colombia against Uruguay on the beach . Change: ITV returned to their studio at half-time during Colombia's win over Uruguay . Stars of the show: Colombia lit up the Maracana as they beat Uruguay to move into the quarter-final . In the build up to the game, Wrighty went in hard on the pronouncing of his first name, spelt simply James. Hah-mez, said Ian with a real flourish. Which seemed to meet with the approval of both Lee Dixon and Martin O’Neill alongside him. However, on commentary, Clive Tyldesley was having none of it. Indeed, when Rodriguez rattled in his wonder volley, he even added a fee extra ‘a’s’ to the very familiar pronouncing of James. Adrian then added fuel to the fire at half-time. After Ian said of the goal he could ‘watch it all day’, Adrian suggested he also thought Rodriguez ‘calls himself Ham-Mez’. Then added that perhaps after that goal, all the other James’s out there might want to follow suit? In which case, I’d just like to say to Hah-Mez May, Hah-Mez Blunt and perhaps even Bond, Hah-Mez Bond - great stuff so far, isn’t it? Even if Clive still thinks you are still all plain old James’. | Alan Hansen drafted into BBC studio for coverage of Brazil against Chile .
Hansen replaced Thierry Henry, who returned to continue MLS season .
ITV presented first part of Colombia vs Uruguay coverage from beach .
Howard Webb centre of attention after Hulk's disallowed goal .
James Rodriguez scored for Colombia but pronunciation of his name proved tough for ITV pundits . |
24,410 | 4540c51d1aac1650faa0df303c2e70cd7d7d9b41 | (CNN) -- Small arms fire targeted U.N. monitors in Syria as they tried to get to the scene of another massacre, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday. No one was hit, said a spokeswoman for Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, head of the U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria. The incident came as Ban, international envoy Kofi Annan and others implored the U.N. General Assembly to stop the violence in Syria, which started 15 months ago when a tough Syrian crackdown against peaceful protesters developed into an uprising. The latest massacre occurred on Wednesday in the village of Qubeir, west of Hama, and included reports that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed. Massacre details are eerily familiar . Ban said the U.N. monitors had been denied access to the area but were working to get to the scene. "I just learned a few minutes ago that while trying to do so, the U.N. monitors were shot at by small arms," he said. Mood said observers heading to the village to verify reports of the killings had been blocked by soldiers and civilians. Residents told observers they would be at risk if they were to enter the village. "Despite these challenges, the observers are still working to get into the village to try to establish the facts on the ground," Mood said. "UNSMIS is concerned about the restriction imposed on its movement as it will impede our ability to monitor, observe and report." Annan, the joint U.N.-Arab League special envoy tasked with forging peace in Syria, told assembly members Thursday that Syrians could face worse troubles if peace isn't made. Speaking before the U.N. General Assembly, Annan said his six-point plan isn't working and the "crisis is escalating." "If things do not change, the future is likely to be one of brutal repression, massacres, sectarian violence and even all-out civil war," Annan said. "All Syrians will lose." The violence is worsening and the country is becoming more polarized and radicalized, he said. "Despite the acceptance of the six-point plan and the deployment of a courageous mission of United Nations observers to Syria, I must be frank and confirm that the plan is not being implemented," he added. Annan said Arab League ministers he addressed Saturday had "offered concrete ideas on how to increase pressure for compliance." "Clearly, the time has come to determine what more can be done to secure implementation of the plan and/or what other options exist to address the crisis," he said. He spoke in the wake of the killings in Qubeir and, two weeks ago, in Houla. More than 100 people, including women and children, were killed in Houla. Opposition activists blamed government forces and allied militia, an assertion denied by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "Those responsible for perpetrating these crimes must be held to account," Annan said. "We cannot allow mass killing to become part of everyday reality in Syria." Militia does regime's 'dirty work," analysts say . He said he urged al-Assad nine days ago to "change his military posture and honor his commitments to the six-point plan." But Assad "believed the main obstacle was the actions of militants," Annan said. "Clearly, all parties must cease violence. But equally clearly, the first responsibility lies with the government." Though Syria has released some detainees and there has been agreement "on modalities for humanitarian assistance," more is required, Annan said. Since he and Assad spoke, "shelling of cities has intensified" and "government-backed militia has free rein with appalling consequences." Annan said armed opposition forces haven't seen a "reason to respect cessation of hostilities" and "have intensified their attacks." Referring to bombings in Damascus and Aleppo, he said the situation is "made more complex" by attacks that are "indicative of the presence of a third actor." Some analysts say jihadist groups are responsible for those acts. Annan called for "consequences if compliance is not forthcoming," and said "a clearer course for a peaceful transition" must be charted to resolve the crisis. Annan was to address the Security Council in New York. Syrian Ambassador to the U.N. Bashar Jaafari reiterated that anti-government terrorists, and not the regime, are responsible for the bloodshed. The government said terrorists timed the latest massacre to coincide with the U.N. meetings in order to make the regime look bad. He added that Syria "is ready to receive an investigation committee from neutral countries that respect the U.N. charter and reject any intervention in the Syrian affairs," according to the government's Syrian Arab News Agency. Jaafari said Syria is open to reform and to dialogue, and that it has no problem with the opposition. However, he said, some opposition forces composed of outside elements are taking up arms and have no desire for reconciliation. Opposition activists accuse forces loyal to al-Assad of the killings at Qubeir, and they placed the number of dead at 78. Regime forces shelled Qubeir before militias used knives, guns and AK-47 rifles to kill residents, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. About 40 victims of the attack were buried in a mass grave Thursday, according to a youth activist whom CNN is not naming for safety reasons. Shabiha -- or pro-government gangs -- took other bodies to neighboring villages, the activist said. More than half of those killed were women and children, said a local activist who reported having carried bodies. CNN cannot independently confirm reports from within Syria because the government limits access by international journalists. The recent violence has revived calls to isolate the regime and toughen sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meeting Thursday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, called the latest violence "simply unconscionable." She reiterated the U.S. stance that al-Assad must go and the international community must unite around a plan for Syria after al-Assad. Clinton said it is important to give Annan's peace initiative "the last amount of support we can muster." Davutoglu, whose country has been critical of the al-Assad regime's actions, said all members of the U.N. Security Council must work together to stop the regime's actions. China and Russia, regime allies, have stressed their opposition to outside interference in Syria while continuing to back Annan's plan. As permanent Security Council members, the two nations have used their veto powers to block draft resolutions against the regime. Meeting Thursday in Shanghai, leaders of Russia, China and four Central Asian nations signed a statement opposing outside intervention in Syria. The statement calls for "dialogues that respect Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity." China, Russia call for non-intervention . The United States plans to send a delegation to Russia this week to press for tough action against the Syrian regime, a senior State Department official said. At least 15 people were killed Thursday in Syria, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. The United Nations for months has said more than 9,000 people have died in Syria. But death counts from opposition groups range from more than 12,000 to more than 14,000. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Faith Karimi contributed to this report. | U.N. observers visiting village of Qubeir, west of Hama, are shot at by small arms .
Dozens of people, including women and children, reportedly were killed in Qubeir .
U.S. secretary of state says the world community must unite around a transition plan .
Russia, China and four allies sign a statement opposing outside intervention in Syria . |
137,629 | 3dfe0a0ad76a65e54b33113f53f204dbf5993bd9 | By ANTHONY BOND . Last updated at 7:32 AM on 17th October 2011 . On first glance they appear just like normal pictures. But these stunning images - featuring the late Apple founder Steve Jobs and American Democrat Stephanie Tubbs Jones - are extraordinary 3D sculptures. The clever creations are made of several layers of recycled materials - including bullet-proof glass. Stunning: A life-like 3D sculpture of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs by artist Michael Murphy . Clever: The creations - including this one of Steve Jobs - are made of several layers of recycled materials including bullet-proof glass. Each are then hung up, or placed on platforms, to build a portrait in stunning detail . Each are then hung up to build a portrait in amazing detail. Artist Michael Murphy can take up to one year working on the pieces, which measure between three feet and a staggering 22 feet in size. Mr Murphy, who teaches Art and Technology at Georgia College, America, said his inspiration came from video projection. The 36-year-old said: 'In 2000 I was projecting images on to sculpted surfaces. Impressive: Artist Michael Murphy, pictured, can take up to a year working on the pieces . 'Through that work I was able to combine two-dimensional images with three-dimensional forms. 'My inspiration for this work came from there.' Mr Murphy, from Milledgeville, Georgia, uses photographs as a base. The initial layout and design is completed on computer software Adobe Design and then each of the shapes are hand cut. Realistic: This image shows American Democrat Stephanie Tubbs Jones . Different perspective: This portrait of Stephanie Tubbs Jones is viewed from an angle so the different layers can be seen . He said: 'Most of the hanging pieces . are made from recycled materials, for outdoor projects I use more . permanent materials such as stainless steel. 'I have been using a large supply of acrylic that I found in a bin at a plastic company.' He added: 'The time it takes to put the pieces together varies depending on the materials and scale of the project. 'Size ranges anywhere from three feet tall to 22 feet and I can spend anywhere between a week to a year putting them together.' Mr Murphy's pieces are currently on display at gallery nine5 in New York. Five of his larger, permanent creations can also be seen in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr Murphy added: 'I like to get positive reactions from a wide range of people - regardless of their age or education in art.' | Artist cleverly captures the look of late Apple founder Steve Jobs . |
133,090 | 381414381d1b20f227fa6b1e4ed3b3f15582c344 | Luis Suarez's stunning double has left Manchester City clinging to their Champions League dream after Barcelona beat them 2-1 at the Etihad. Suarez scored twice in the first half for Barca on his return to English football before Sergio Aguero brought City back into the tie with a goal in the 69th minute. Lionel Messi, the game’s outstanding player, missed a 90th minute penalty when Joe Hart saved and the Barcelona forward sent the rebounded wide. Joe Hart saves Lionel Messi's penalty in stoppage time to keep Man City within touching distance of Barcelona for the second leg . The Uruguayan celebrates after putting his side 2-0 up in the first half and quietening down the Etihad Stadium . Luis Suarez (right) fires home the first of his two goals with an excellent finish past the helpless Joe Hart to put Barcelona ahead . Manchester City chief Manuel Pellegrini said: ‘It was a very important save and it was a very unnecessary penalty. ‘It gives us more chance to win in Barcelona because 3-1 would have been a very difficult score to try to erase. ‘It is important for this team to continue in the Champions League as far as possible. ‘It is possible for us to demonstrate we can compete at this level. This tie isn’t over until the game ends in Barcelona. We can analyse it then. We haven’t invested more in the team than them: Suarez, Neymar, Messi was a big investment by Barcelona.’ The former Liverpool striker (right) pokes home his second after excellent build-up play involving Messi and Jordi Alba . Messi was brought down by Pablo Zabaleta but was unable to beat the formidable Hart, who denied the away side on many occasions . City will be without Gael Clichy, tormented throughout by Messi, for the second leg in the Nou Camp after he was sent off for two reckless bookings. They will need to score twice to stand any chance of progressing to the quarter-final and one bookmaker had odds of 1/25 against City getting through to the next round. Pellegrini added: ‘Barcelona managed to get through the game without committing errors. We committed mistakes. Until the goal the game was quite even. Gael Clichy was tormented throughout by Messi and was sent off for two reckless challenges which will see him miss the second leg . Hart celebrates after saving Messi's penalty and seeing the rebound bounce wide of the post to keep City in the tie . ‘With the way we play, I think we can do it. In the second half we demonstrate we are a good. ‘It is important not to make the same mistakes. We cannot have a player sent off every game against Barcelona. ‘We played two different games: the first half and the second. Until the first goal was a very normal game and after that we concede an easy goal and played very bad until the first half finished. ‘In the second half I think we played well, we scored one goal and had two or three more chances to draw. ‘After that we repeat the same mistake as last year, which was to have one player sent off. ‘It is very difficult to play against Barcelona with 10. We finished with the penalty and Joe saved very well. ‘In the first half we couldn’t put three passes together and there was a bit of confusion. ‘We committed a very soft error for the first goal. We managed to be calmer in the second we pressed well and did well to hang on and almost get something from the game.’ Despite the best efforts of Hart, the former Liverpool man scored another double past the England man after his World Cup heroics . Sergio Aguero fires past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to halve the deficit and give City a chance in the second leg at the Camp Nou . The Argentine was City's most dangerous player throughout and gave them hope heading into the tie in Catalonia . Manuel Pellegrini admitted that the result was disappointing but he's confident his side can upset Barcelona at the Camp Nou . The gracious Andres Iniesta doesn't think Manuel Pellegrini's side should be written off after their first leg win in Manchester . | Joe Hart saved Lionel Messi's stoppage time penalty to keep the score at 2-1 heading to the Nou Camp .
Manuel Pellegrini also believes that City still have a chance of upsetting the Catalan side in Spain .
Luis Suarez scored a first half double before Sergio Aguero halved the deficit in the second half .
Gael Clichy was sent off for two yellow's before Messi missed from the spot after being fouled by Pablo Zabaleta .
Click here for all the latest Manchester City news . |
39,679 | 700c105a4bdcb434aa59d6c8239ca44b349fe13b | Shot dead: Maxwell Gadau lost his life on September 28 in Chicago after walking to a drug deal with a 17-year-old girl, who was also shot . A fifth teenager has been arrested by police investigating the fatal shooting of a Chicago high school student Maxwell Gadau. The arrest of the suspected gunman, 17, comes just one day after four other teens, including two of the teen's friends were charged in connection with the death of Gadau and a 17-year-old girl last month. The fifth teenager, who so far has not been named, was taken into custody during a class at Harlan High School after apparently being named by the four other suspects. According to Skokie Police Commander David Pawlak, two of the four named suspects, Dzevad Avdic and Jeremy Ly were friends with Gadau and are being held without bond along with Myles Hughes and Nicholas Smith. They are all 19. The arrests came just hours after a memorial service for Gadau and his mother, Patricia Gadau said the news had brought her 'great relief'. 'That to me is a blessing. On the day of his service, I know no other child will be harmed by these boys,' said Patricia Gadau to the Chicago Tribune. 'The community will feel safe again.' Speaking to the newspaper, Gadau said that she was devastated at the 'betrayl' from her son's friends. 'It’s sad because I know their parents raised them here in Skokie to protect them from what we’ve been exposed to,' said Gadau to the Chicago Tribune. Charged: From left to right: Myles Hughes, Nicholas Smith, Jeremy Ly and Dzevad Avdic. A fifth teen has been charged but his photograph has not been released, nor has he been named . Relief: Patricia Gadau (left) has said her son's (Maxwell Gadau, left) death has left her devastated, but the arrest of five men over the past two days has come as some consolation . During the first court appearance on Sunday of Avdic, Ly, Hughes and Smith, prosecutors alleged that shooting was a drug deal for marijuana that went wrong. Patricia Gadau told NBC that her son was asked by the girl to go with her to the deal for 'protection'. 'Max went to front of the house, to the car, where they were approached by two men on foot and they shot him,' she said to NBC. 'She wanted him to protect her and he did, and he lost his life for it.' Grief: The community of Skokie has been left devastated by the death of the popular high school student . Respect: Family and friends gathered Sunday at a memorial service in Evanston. in the north of Chicago . Prosecutors have alleged that Avdic was behind the robbery and Ly was the one who suggested they try to mug the 17-year-old girl. They further allege that Avdic was responsible for the deal using text messages and drove Hughes, Smith and the 17-year-old arrested on Monday to the pre-arranged point where the shooting took place. Gadau was shot in the back and the teen girl was shot in the face. The girl remains hospitalized and is on a respirator, officials said. According to prosecutors, the teens smoked drugs as they sped away from the scene. Gadau said one of the teens was even on the same swim team as her son. An attorney for Nicholas Smith, Edgar Howard, said his client is innocent. 'He was just a passenger in the car,' said Howard to NBC. | Maxwell Gadau, 17, was shot dead in September in Chicago .
Was allegedly accompanying a 17-year-old girl to buy drugs .
Four teens arrested on Sunday for the fatal shooting - including two of his friends .
Fifth teen, believed to be the shooter, arrested in class on Monday . |
246,815 | cb6bd932f7a9e1c4845bd0d974f8983f2d5d6968 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:21 EST, 14 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 14 February 2013 . Enabled: Confessed serial killer Israel Keyes was given a razor blade in his Alaska jail cell allowing him to commit suicide in December it's been revealed . A razor blade was mistakenly issued to confessed serial killer Israel Keyes in his jail cell allowing him to slash his wrists and commit suicide, the Alaska Department of Corrections has admitted. Keyes was found dead in his cell on Dec. 2, months before he was to have gone on trial for the 2012 slaying of 18-year-old Anchorage barista Samantha Koenig. The razor was never found. Outraged by this latest report, Ms Koenig’s family are calling the security lapse no mistake after only three months earlier Keyes, believed responsible for at least eight murders across the U.S., was found possessing an object modified into a handcuff key. That discovery heightened Keyes’ security, segregating him from other inmates and subjecting him to daily . strip searches and cell searches. ‘I . don’t think it was mistaken at all,’ Ms Koenig’s father James Koenig . angrily reacted to Keyes’ supplied razor. ‘How do you mistakenly give . someone in segregation a real razor blade?’ He . accuses the Corrections Department of robbing his family of their day . in court, on Wednesday saying he doesn’t believe the official version . released by the agency. Keyes . slit his left wrist with a razor blade and tied a noose around his neck . and right foot, according to the Correction’s report, which says the . exact cause of death is unknown although it has been classified as a . suicide. Justice: Family of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig who was abducted from a coffee shop, raped and murdered by Keyes, he has admitted, say he wrongly escaped justice through his own suicide . Abduction: Video surveillance seen here captures the moment Keyes approached Koenig in the coffee shop and forced her outside and into his parked Silverado . The state had previously denied an open records request from The Associated Press for details of events surrounding Keyes’ death. Corrections spokeswoman Kaci Schroeder told the AP that officials later decided to take another look at the case and see what could be released publicly. Schroeder said officials are not discussing what disciplinary actions, if any, were taken, over the lapse. However, she said because of this, any restriction for inmates are being posted on the cell doors in addition to being noted in a prisoner log. Before he died, Keyes told investigators he had killed Koenig and at least seven other people across the country, including Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, Vt. Investigators believe there could be more victims. Keyes was set for a March trial in federal court in the abduction and killing of Koenig. Authorities aren't certain when Keyes' crime spree began or ended. But they have a haunting image of his last known victim. Snippets of a surveillance video show the first terrifying moments of Koenig's abduction. Keyes is seen as a shadowy figure in ski mask and hood outside Common Grounds, a tiny Anchorage coffee shack then partially concealed from a busy six-lane highway by mountains of snow. More victims: Keyes is believed responsible for at least eight murders across the country, including Bill and Lorraine Currier of Vermont, Bill's mother and his wife Lorraine seen here . It's February 1, 2012, about 8pm, closing time. Koenig is shown handing Keyes a cup of coffee, then backing away with her hands up, as if it's a robbery. The lights go out and Keyes next appears as a fuzzy image climbing through the drive-thru window.Authorities outlined his next steps: . Monster: After Keyes killed Koenig he sent her family a picture of her body that made them believe she was still alive if they sent him ransom money . Keyes forced Koenig to his Silverado; he'd already bound her hands with zip ties and gagged her. He hid her in a shed outside his house, turned on loud music so no one could hear if she screamed, then returned to the coffee shack to retrieve scraps of the restraints and get her phone. On February 2, Keyes raped and strangled Koenig. He left her in that shed, flew to Houston and embarked on a cruise, returning about two weeks later. He then took a photo of Koenig's body holding a February13 newspaper to make it appear she was alive. Keyes wrote a ransom note on the back, demanding $30,000 be placed in her account. He texted a message, directing the family to a dog park where the note could be found. Her family deposited some money from a reward fund. The abduction gripped Anchorage as investigators held out hope that she remained alive. Keyes was arrested in March in Lufkin, Texas. He had sought a ransom and used Koenig’s debit card throughout his travel across country. Three weeks after the arrest, Koenig’s dismembered body was found in a frozen lake north of Anchorage. Koenig and the Curriers were the only victims named by Keyes. Admittance: The murder of Bill and Lorraine Currier were the only other murders Keyes specifically admitted to outside of Koenig's . Keyes was in state custody in Anchorage because there are no federal prisons in Alaska. But as those who knew Keyes revealed, his secret double-life was never once hinted at or revealed by him. ‘I never got any bad, weird, scary, odd vibe from him in any way, shape or form,’ says Paul Adelman, an Anchorage attorney who first hired Keyes as a handyman in 2008. Keyes' live-in girlfriend also was floored to learn of his double life, according to David Kanters, her friend. ‘He had everyone fooled,’ Kanters told The Associated Press in an email. ‘THAT is the scary part. He came across as a nice normal guy.’ (She did not respond to numerous requests for comment.) Shock: Family and friends of Keyes say there was nothing to lead them to believe he had such a secretive second life as a self-admitted serial killer . The corrections report says Keyes was last seen alive at 10:13 p.m. on Dec. 1. A number of security checks were conducted periodically throughout the night and early morning. Security officers are required to look into each cell and verify the prisoner is present and their status, the report says. ‘Procedures . call for security staff to visually observe the prisoner’s uncovered . skin. Keyes’ death was not observed during those security checks,’ the . report says. At 5:57 . a.m., Dec. 2, an official found what appeared to be blood along Keyes’ bunk and floor. The report says this was only noticed after lights came . on; before that, an LED nightlight in the overhead fixture was the only . light source. Medical personnel were called, and Keyes was declared dead at 6:13 a.m. Digging for clues: In this April 12, 2012 photo, state police investigators sift through dirt and debris at a dig site off Vermont 15 near Lang Farm in Essex, Vermont . State police investigators paused to allow a dog to inspect dirt and debris at the dig site off Vermont 15 near Lang Farm in Essex, Vermont . Keyes attempted to escape from the federal courthouse on May 23, 2012. After that, enhanced security measures were used on Keyes, including full restraints, a two-officer escort any time he was out of the cell, and restrictions on possession of razors and pencils. He also was subjected to daily strip searches and cell searches. On Sept. 11, the report says, Keyes was found guilty of possessing an object which had been modified as a handcuff key. A disciplinary board found him guilty, and he had to serve 60 days — with 45 days suspended — in punitive segregation. That sentence began Nov. 28, and his access to personal property was restricted. | Israel Keyes is believed to have killed at least eight people across the U.S. before taking his own life in December .
Outraged family of 18-year-old victim, Samantha Koenig, accuse provided razor blade as being no mistake .
Three months earlier Keyes was found with a makeshift handcuff key . |
145,641 | 485305876d44b23bb854aeac924abdaa38d7e203 | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 06:47 EST, 17 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:18 EST, 17 July 2012 . Nasa could lose touch with its latest Mars rover just as it attempts to land on the red planet on 6 August. The Curiosity vehicle, which is the size of a car, is aiming for a deep depression known as Gale Crater. The US space agency will be tracking the descent with satellites, but today admitted its key craft could be in the wrong place. Engineers have been tackling a fault on the Odyssey satellite and it is no longer in the best observational orbit. Artist's impression of Nasa's Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars . The team are now in a frantic race to move it back in the next three weeks, or Nasa will lose signal to the rover just as it is about to touch down. Engineers today tried to play down the gaffe, claiming it will not affect the outcome of the landing because Curiosity's descent manoeuvres are all performed automatically. 'Odyssey right now looks like it may not be in the same spot that we'd expected it to be,' said Doug McCuistion, the director of Nasa's Mars exploration programme. 'There may be some changes in real-time communication. We'll let you know as this develops; we still have more work to do. But keep in mind, there is no risk to [Curiosity] landing. It does not have an effect on that.' The yellow oval shows the elliptical landing target for Nasa's Curiosity rove in the Gale Crater area of the red planetr. A recent study suggested that just digging inches beneath the surface could . uncover complex organic molecules that could show that life once existed . on Mars. The rover, in a protective capsule, will hit the top of the Martian atmosphere at 20,000km/h (13,000mph) and attempt to slow to just one metre per second to execute a soft touchdown. The landing system includes a supersonic parachute and a rocket-powered crane. It was expected that the Odyssey orbiter would track the whole descent, relaying UHF signals from the rover right up to the landing and for a few minutes beyond. The scoop on . Curiosity, which is due to arrive on Mars in August, will dig four . inches beneath the surface - enough to find the complex building blocks . of life, particularly in new craters excavated by recent asteroid . impacts. Some scientists such as Jay Melosh of . Purdue University believe that life may even have originated on Mars, . then been carried to Earth on asteroids. Stick . a shovel in the ground and scoop. That’s about how deep scientists need . to go in order to find evidence for ancient life on Mars, if there is . any to be found, a new study suggests. Nasa's Mars Rover Curiosity . The . results suggest that, should Mars harbor simple organic molecules, . NASA’s prospects for discovering them during Curiosity’s explorations . are better than previously thought, said Alexander Pavlov of the NASA . Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, lead author of the . study. Complex organic molecules could hint more strongly at the possibility of past life on the planet. These molecules, made up of 10 or more carbon atoms, could resemble known building blocks of life such as the amino acids that make up proteins. However, within 2 to 4 inches beneath the surface, the amount of radiation reduces tenfold. Although that’s still extreme, the team reports that simple organic molecules, such as a single formaldehyde molecule, could exist at this depth -- and in some places, specifically young craters, the complex building blocks of life could remain as well. ‘Right . now the challenge is that past Martian landers haven’t seen any organic . material whatsoever,’ Pavlov said. ‘We know that organic molecules have . to be there but we can’t find any of them in the soil.’ Its . assignment is to investigate whether conditions have been favorable for . microbial life and for preserving clues in the rocks about possible . past life. The goal of the . mission is to assess whether the landing area has ever had or still has . environmental conditions favorable to microbial life. Curiosity . will land near the foot of a layered mountain inside Gale crater, . layers of this mountain contain minerals that form in water. The portion of the crater floor where Curiosity will land has an alluvial fan likely formed by water-carried sediments. Curiosity will also carry the . most advanced load of scientific gear ever used on Mars’ surface, a more . than 10 times as massive as those of earlier Mars rovers. Curiosity . is about twice as long and five times as heavy as NASA’s twin Mars . Exploration Rovers, . When . evaluating how deep organic molecules might persist beneath the . surface, previous studies have mainly focused on the maximum depth, . approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet), that cosmic radiation reaches because . beyond that point organic molecules could survive, unharmed, for . billions of years, Pavlov said. Curiosity . is set to land in Gale crater on August 6. Whether this . 3.5-billion-year-old crater has fresher craters within it is uncertain. However, Pavlov hopes that his team’s findings will at least help guide . NASA on where to drill once the rover has landed and influence where . future generations of rover landers will touch down. | Car-sized probe to arrive on planet on August 6th .
Fault on the Odyssey satellite means Nasa may lose touch during landing .
Frantic race to move satellite with three weeks .
Landing system includes a supersonic parachute and a rocket-powered crane . |
162,522 | 5e1f05bd2a08e9bd0fdb6054aad904c0098e92bb | Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill is confident No 2 Roy Keane will benefit from his joint role as Aston Villa's assistant manager. O'Neill has revealed he spoke to Villa manager Paul Lambert about the demands the position would make on Keane's time before sanctioning the move, which will see the former Manchester United captain combine the two jobs. 'My view is if it doesn't impinge on the job here with Ireland, then in actual fact it will end up being good for him,' O'Neill said. Dual role: Roy Keane is working under Paul Lambert at Villa and Martin O'Neill at international level . 'I know that if we couldn't have made it work, he wouldn't have taken the job in the first place. 'If his commitments to us - both on the commercial side and certainly from my viewpoint in terms of the time working with players - is not impinged at all, then I'm happy for it to go ahead, genuinely happy. And O'Neill says Villa are more than welcoming to Ireland's demands on Keane ahead of European Championships qualifying. Green: Keane and O'Neill on international duty together - Keane will not quit his Ireland role . New signing: Keane poses with a Villa shirt shortly after starting work at the Midlands club . 'Villa have agreed to give him all that time with us and therefore I don't really have a problem with it. I spoke with Paul to see how he felt it was going to work,' he told the Irish Independent. 'He said that he gives the players, the senior players who are not involved at international level, a lot of time off anyway during that time [international breaks] and even if they did come back for a day or two, they could cope with that.' Word from the wise: Keane and Lambert lead training at Aston Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground . VIDEO Yorke can't see Keane working as a no.2 . | Keane is working as assistant for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland .
O'Neill spoke to Paul Lambert before sanctioning the dual role .
Ireland boss thinks Keane's experience will benefit the national team .
And he believes Keane will have enough time for both camps . |
3,066 | 08e34c89a6816e9eaa823081341197b870db4c62 | QPR midfielder Joey Barton believes this current Rangers side is 'poles apart' from the one that finished bottom of the Barclays Premier League two years ago. Barton spent the campaign on loan at Marseille as Rangers finished 15 points adrift of safety in 2013 and paid the price for a lack of cohesion on and off the field. Harry Redknapp was unable to rescue the west Londoners after taking over in November that season but his side have made a positive start to their return to the top flight. Joey Barton (centre) celebrates with Charlie Austin after the QPR striker's goal against Burnley . A 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday - their third win in four games at home - saw Rangers climb out of the bottom three for the first time since September. 'The performances we have put in at Loftus Road have been exceptional, even in defeat sometimes,' Barton said. 'The team spirit and togetherness of the football club is poles apart from that side which went out of the league with a whimper. 'We came up and we want to give a good account of ourselves. Slowly but surely we are doing that." Barton continued: 'To look at the table and see yourselves not in the bottom three is always heart-warming. Barton (centre) gets physical with PSG's David Beckham (right) during his loan spell at Marseille in 2013 . 'Hopefully at the end of May that's the case because that will be job done and goal achieved. There's a long way to go. This is the 15th game. 'After the defeat at Swansea the other day I asked our analyst to pull the table up from the year that QPR went down, the year I was in France. 'After 14 games we only had five points and I think it took them 16 games to win a game. So comparatively we're light years ahead.' Rangers' impressive form at home is in stark contrast to their results on the road where they have lost to Tottenham, Manchester United, Southampton, West Ham, Chelsea, Newcastle and Swansea this season. Redknapp's side are the only team in England's top four divisions yet to register a single point away from home and Barton admits it's a problem that needs addressing. Harry Redknapp (left) took up the to job at QPR in 2013, but he could not save the club from relegation . 'We have lost seven out of seven on the road but without making excuses, we haven't been to the easiest places,' Barton said. 'We haven't played teams in and around us. That will be the test for us. We've been to some of the tougher places in the league. 'I think everyone we've played away has been in the top 10 at the time we've played them. 'We're very mindful that we've got to improve our away form." Rangers' awaydays do not get any easier as they travel to Everton and Arsenal before the end of the year either side of home games against West Brom and Crystal Palace. The bottom half of the table remains congested ahead of the busy Christmas calendar with only five points separating QPR in 17th and Aston Villa in 11th. 'If you string back-to-back wins together in this league you can propel yourself up the table,' Barton said. 'That's how tight it is. That's why people tune in. The Premier League is so competitive. Redknapp, however, managed to guide Barton (above) and his QPR side back to the Premier League last term . 'Chelsea's "Invincibles" all of a sudden go to Newcastle, Newcastle with their eighth-choice goalkeeper or whatever - and all of a sudden he comes on and they go on and beat Chelsea. 'There's not many other leagues where that happens. I've just seen on the TV, Real Madrid (have recorded an) 18th straight win. 'Arsenal went unbeaten for a year but I can't see anyone banging 18 wins out on the spin, not in this league, not with how competitive it is. 'There's a different element here, which is why people tune in from all over the globe.' Second-half goals from Leroy Fer and Charlie Austin ensured Rangers took maximum points against Burnley but there was disappointment too as Austin was sent off and will subsequently miss next Monday's match at Everton. 'He's our top scorer, he's been the difference for us at various times this season,' Barton added. 'To be without him is going to be a massive loss.' | Joey Barton spent QPR's 2013 campaign on loan at Marseille .
QPR were relegated that season after finishing 15 points adrift of safety .
Harry Redknapp's side defeated Burnley 2-0 on Saturday .
It was QPR's third win in four game at home .
QPR are out of the bottom three for the first time since September . |
248,439 | cd738d7310c1259119dc82875e36fc148920a183 | (CNN) -- Jenson Button snatched a sensational victory at a rain-affected Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday as world champion Sebastian Vettel made a mistake on the final lap in Montreal. The German had been poised to claim his sixth victory in seven Formula One races this season after avoiding the earlier chaos behind him, but locked his wheels at a corner to let 2009 world champion Button to complete remarkable fightback. The English driver had an early collision with Lewis Hamilton that ended his McLaren teammate's race, and received a drive-through penalty for speeding while the safety car was out. Then, following a delay of more than two hours due to a downpour, Button suffered a punctured tire after a collision with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso that resulted in Spain's two-time world champion crashing into a wall -- and the incident will be investigated by race stewards. F1 championship standings . "Even if I hadn't won I would have enjoyed this race immensely, but it's a win, definitely my best," Button told reporters. "I'm definitely going to be celebrating. I'll have a good night and enjoy what I achieved. A big thank you to the team for what they've done." Vettel, who has not finished outside the top two this season, admitted he was disappointed not to win in the circumstances after starting the race in pole position. "I was probably too conservative at the last safety car and I did not open up enough of a gap. Then when it came down to the fight at the end the mistake was down to me, I locked up the rear," he said. "It is still a good day as many mistakes were made and cars did not finish, yet we've picked up good points." Vettel claims pole ahead of Ferrari pair in Montreal . Button moved up to second place in the drivers' standings, 60 points behind Vettel, whose Red Bull teammate Mark Webber denied seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher his first podium finish since returning from retirement last year. Hamilton, who dropped to fourth overall, was also involved in an early incident with Webber in the fifth lap soon after the safety car departed. The race started behind the guide vehicle due to the poor visibility, and it made lengthy returns due to the wet weather and subsequent accidents. The stewards will also be investigating a clash between Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Force India's Adrian Sutil. With the drivers behind him switching tires as the conditions changed, Vettel was able to wait until the 54th lap before changing to slicks and managed to come out still in front. A frantic battle was going on for podium placings as Schumacher took advantage of a tussle between Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi to claim second. The German survived one attack from Webber, who had to give back the advantage after illegally cutting across a corner to go through, but Button managed to get past both of them to earn a crack at Vettel. The 31-year-old reduced Vettel's lead to just 0.9 seconds going into the final lap as he continued to set the fastest times in a race in which he made six pit-stops. His 23-year-old rival buckled under the pressure, giving Button the chance to surge past and claim the 10th win of his career and his first since China in April 2010. Vitaly Petrov finished fifth for Lotus Renault while Massa edged Kobayashi for sixth place, Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari were eighth and 10th, while Williams' veteran Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was ninth. | Former world champion Jenson Button claims victory on final lap in Montreal .
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had led for every lap after starting in pole position .
Race was delayed for more than two hours by rain, with several drivers crashing .
Vettel's teammate Mark Webber claims third place ahead of Michael Schumacher . |
20,270 | 39868bc60ed40c246f14323dcea53bf431f406cd | (CNN) -- Former Olympic fencer Bob Anderson, the man who wielded Darth Vader's light saber, died Sunday at 89, according to the British Academy of Fencing. Anderson's film work began when he was a swordfight stunt double and coach for Errol Flynn in the 1953 movie "Master of Balantree," but perhaps his best-known job was when he put on Vader's helmet in "Star Wars" for the famous duel with Luke Skywalker, according to the Internet Movie Database. He represented Britain in the 1952 Olympic fencing competition, according to the 2009 documentary "Reclaiming the Blade." "He was truly one of our greatest fencing masters and a world-class film fight director and choreographer, and both the fencing community and film world will miss him," Philip Bruce, president of the British Academy of Fencing. Anderson "passed away peacefully this morning at 4 a.m. in hospital," Bruce said in a posting on his group's website. He also served as swordmaster and trained the lead actors in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "Pirates of the Caribbean," according to IMDb.com. His credits include the 1993 remake of "The Three Musketeers," "The Mask of Zorro," "The Legend of Zorro," "Die Another Day," "The Princess Bride" and "The Parent Trap." | Bob Anderson's early film credits include stunt double, fencing coach for Errol Flynn .
He's best known for performing Darth Vader's 'Star Wars' swordfight .
British fencing president calls him "one of our greatest fencing masters"
Anderson competed for Britain in the 1952 Olympics . |
62,493 | b1822751716f90b477aea6351746865409078a65 | Parents may worry that their children aren’t getting enough quality sleep. But now there’s a smart bed that alerts parents when their child is asleep - as well as if they are venturing out of bed - to provide adults with sleep data via a smart app. The SleepIQ bed by Sleep Number in Minneapolis can also be adjusted to make it more comfortable if a child is tossing and turning. The SleepIQ bed (pictured) has built in sensors to alert parents when their child is asleep and out of their bed, providing them with sleep data via a smart app. It automatically adjusts to make the bed more comfortable if a child is tossing and turning . The bed made its debut at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and claims to be the only one in the world that adjusts with children as they grow. Children don’t need to wear a smartband or alternative wearable gadget in bed. Instead, the quality of their sleep is measured by sensors integrated in the bed, which monitor their presence, average breathing rate, heart rate and movement. It uses a full-body algorithm to assess quality of sleep. They are given a SleepIQ score for each night’s sleep, which parents can see using an accompanying app. An accompanying app has features for parents and children. It shpws their sleep data (pictured centre), including a nightly score called a SleepIQ to document the quality of a night's sleep (left) as well as check-lists for children when they wake up (right) The Bed comes with built-in sensors to measure a child’s average breathing rate and heart rate as well as their presence and movement, by using a full-body algorithm to assess quality of sleep. Data is shown in the accompanying ‘sleep dashboard’ app, which shows how well a child slept. Parents can also receive alerts via the app if their child has got out of bed, or is moving around a lot, perhaps indicating they are having a nightmare. The firmness of the bed can be adjusted to support children as they grow. The mattress can be tilted up for reading. Fun features such as a monster-detecting app and a light to guide children if they have to get up during the night are included. It also allows parents to monitor routines that affect sleep, such as exercise, caffeine and screen time, helping them to develop a routine that promotes a good night’s shut-eye. The bed sends an alert to the app when it detects a child is out of bed or is restless, such as if they are having a nightmare. Its firmness can be adjusted to change the level of comfort and support to suit children as they grow. A ‘head tilt’ feature for reading is built in and parents can remotely turn a light our after reading time using the app. There are also fun features such as a ‘monster scanner’ which uses a mobile phone to check for and fight monsters under the bed. An automatic light guides children if they need to get up in the middle of the night. The bed is available online and at Sleep Number stores in the US from around $1,000 (£659). There are also fun features such as a ‘monster scanner’ (illustrated) which used a mobile phone to check for and fight monsters under the bed and an automatic light to guide children if they need to get up in the middle of the night . | SleepIQ bed has sensors in it to monitor movement and sleep quality .
Data is sent to an app for parents, including alerts if their child is out of bed .
They receive a SleepIQ score for each night’s sleep to inform sleep routine . |
283,243 | fae7f2fdd15cb2f8bcf7e7af928712474a9ad87d | The Los Angeles Police Department has released surveillance video showing a vicious attack on a woman by a serial purse snatcher who has been on a prowl in the Koreatown section of the city for nearly two months. Police issued a plea Tuesday asking the public for help in catching the suspect, who they believe is responsible for at least four attacks that took place between November 9 and December 30. Each time, the assailant, believed to be a Hispanic man, followed a lone Korean woman into an apartment building elevator, beat and robbed her. Scroll down for video . String of robberies: The Los Angeles Police Department has released surveillance video showing a vicious attack on a woman (left) by a serial purse snatcher (right) inside a Koreatown building . Brutal attack: The video was recorded November 9 at around 4.25am inside an apartment building in the 300 block of Alexandria Avenue . The video made public this week by the LAPD was recorded November 9 at around 4.25am inside an apartment building in the 300 block of Alexandria Avenue. The 17-second footage shows a woman of Korean descent laden with parcels walking through the lobby towards the elevator. Moments later, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and shorts follows the woman into the elevator off camera, punches her and hurls her to the ground with such force that her body is sent spinning. The victim tries to put up a fight before the attacker yanks the purse hanging around her neck, leaving the woman lying on the tile floor. In a news release, police wrote that the attacker struck again two weeks later, this time punching and robbing a Korean woman in an apartment elevator in the 500 block of Hobart Boulevard. Two more attacks followed on December 23 and December 30. In the former, the victim was sexually battered before being punched numerous times and robbed of her purse inside a building in the 300 block of Alexandria Avenue. Assaulted: The footage shows a Korean woman being hurled to the ground and punched by a man in a grey hooded sweatshirt and shorts . Struggle: The victim tries to put up a fight before the attacker yanks the purse hanging around her neck, leaving the woman lying on the tile floor . Repeat offender: LAPD says the Hispanic man is responsible for four attacks on Korean women that took place between November 9 and December 30 . In the latest attack, which played out just before 11pm in the 400 block of Westmoreland Avenue, the victim had a sharp object pressed to her neck before the assailant slammed her to the ground, punched and kicked her several times to make her let go of her handbag. ‘That’s the concerning part. This is escalating to the point where it’s becoming quite violent, and we really want to take him into custody right now, Los Angeles police Officer Jack Richter told KCAL. The suspect is described as a 20-30 year-old male Hispanic. He stands at approximately 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches and weighs about 130-170lbs. Anyone with information about the robberies or who recognizes the suspect is urged to call LAPD Olympic Division Robbery Detectives at (213) 382-9460. | LAPD says a Hispanic man is responsible for four attacks on Korean women that took place between November 9 and December 30 .
Surveillance video from inside a Koreatown apartment building shows the assailant hurl a woman to the floor and snatch her purse .
In December 23 attack, the suspect sexually battered and repeatedly punched his victim .
The latest attack involved the robber threatening a woman with a sharp object pressed to her neck . |
40,445 | 722b4b23fcecb057f11a412bf4791d50515eb5da | Pacemakers could soon be powered by energy from the beating heart, finally ending the need for a battery. A prototype of a battery-free cardiac pacemaker has been developed by a Swiss researcher based on an automatic wristwatch. The technology harvests energy from the motion of the heart with the help of 200-year-old principles used to power self-winding watches. One of the current kind of pacemakers (pictured) could become redundant after researchers make a prototype for a battery-free cardiac pacemaker and they could soon be powered by energy from the beating heart . This means it could remove the need for operations to replace pacemaker batteries about every seven to ten years. It would also do away with leads that connect the pacemaker inserted in the chest wall with the heart, sending programmed electrical pulses that keep the heart beating regularly. About 40,000 people in England had a pacemaker to control abnormal heart rhythms fitted last year. Researcher Adrian Zurbechen, from the Cardiovascular Engineering Group at the University of Bern in Switzerland, said laboratory experiments show the idea can work. He said ‘Pacemakers have two weak spots. ‘Leads are prone to fracture and the lifetime of batteries is limited. ‘Replacing batteries with alternative power sources would spare patients from repeated interventions and make leads obsolete.’ Mr Zurbechen revealed details of the experimental device at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona, Switzerland. The technology is based on a traditional clockwork wristwatch which winds automatically because the rotor inside is turned whenever the watch accelerates due to the movement of the wearer’s arm. This rotation progressively winds a mechanical spring that, once fully charged, unwinds again and spins an electrical micro-generator. To develop a pacemaker that operated in a similar way, the researchers copied the wristwatch mechanism, removing unnecessary parts to reduce weight and size and developing a custom-made housing with eyelets so it could be stitched directly onto the heart muscle tissue. Four years ago Professor Rolf Vogel, a cardiologist and engineer at the University of Bern, had the idea of using an automatic wristwatch mechanism to harvest the energy of heart motion. Mr Zurbechen said ‘The heart seems to be a very promising energy source because its contractions are repetitive and present for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ‘Furthermore the automatic clockwork, invented in the year 1777, has a good reputation as a reliable technology to scavenge energy from motion. The new pacemaker means it could remove the need for operations to replace pacemaker batteries about every seven to ten years and do away with leads that connect the pacemaker inserted in the chest wall . ‘Batteries are a limiting factor in today’s medical implants. Once they reach a critically low energy level, physicians see themselves forced to replace a correctly functioning medical device in a surgical intervention. This is an unpleasant scenario which increases costs and the risk of complications for patients.’ To test the prototype, the researchers developed an electronic circuit to transform and store the signal into a small buffer capacity and then connected it to a custom-made cardiac pacemaker. The system worked in three steps. First, the harvesting prototype acquired energy from the heart. Second, the energy was temporarily stored in the buffer capacity. And finally, the buffered energy was used by the pacemaker to apply minute stimuli to the heart. It was then implanted into pigs where it has successfully restored heartbeat to 130 beats per minute. Mr Zurbechen said ‘We have shown that it is possible to pace the heart using the power of its own motion . ‘The next step in our prototype is to integrate both the electronic circuit for energy storage and the custom-made pacemaker directly into the harvesting device. This will eliminate the need for leads.’ ‘Our energy harvesting system is located directly on the heart and has the potential to avoid both disadvantages by providing the world with a batteryless and leadless pacemaker.’ He said the technology has the potential for use in many similar devices, including defibrillators and drug delivery pumps. | Swiss researcher has developed cardiac battery-free pacemaker prototype .
Based on an automatic wristwatch it uses technology from motion of heart .
Means it could remove need for operations every seven to ten years .
40,000 people in England had pacemaker to control heart fitted last year . |
84,681 | f04276515680e6e4e6ba9165b856b6b620da73bb | By . Sarah Womack . Most people arriving at a long-running anti-fracking protest are there to 'disrupt and intimidate' locals and antagonise police, a police chief said today. More than 80 people have been arrested at a drilling site in Barton Moss on the outskirts of Salford, Greater Manchester. Of the 82 people held, 62 are from outside the Greater Manchester area and many are from the south of England, according to Greater Manchester Police. Most people arriving at an anti-fracking protest near Salford are there to disrupt and intimidate people, and don't even live locally, said Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts . A number of those detained have been arrested before at Barton Moss or other protest sites, the force said. Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts said: 'At the start of this protest the majority of protesters were peaceful and law-abiding, but over the past couple of weeks local residents and officers have seen a distinct change to this. 'It now seems that the majority of people who are arriving at the site are not there to protest against fracking, but are there to disrupt and intimidate the local community and to antagonise police.' The people arriving at Barton Moss are there to 'antagonise police', says police chief Mark Roberts . A protestor at the anti-fracking protest. More than 80 people have been arrested at a drilling site in Barton Moss. Police and ambulance crew at Barton Moss. Mr Roberts said the force had recorded offences of assault, damage, harassment of residents and workers, a flare fired at the police helicopter and threats to kill. 'I attended a residents’ meeting last week and people there were close to tears and have had enough of this daily disruption to their lives,' he continued. 'Locals, who initially supported the protesters, out walking their dogs and driving down Barton Moss Road have been approached by protesters in balaclavas and have been questioned by them, which has been extremely intimidating. 'Officers are verbally abused on a daily basis, one has even been spat at and another officer required stitches to his hand after trying to get a protester down from a fence.' Since November around 60 tents and caravans have sprung up along the farm track leading to the site, between Barton Aerodrome and the M62. Environmentalists claim there is indisputable evidence that fracking causes air and water pollution and leads to earth tremors. The Government and industry say it is safe, and will create jobs. Meanwhile no fracking will take place at a site in West Sussex which was at the centre of large-scale protests last year, energy company Cuadrilla told residents. Hundreds of anti-fracking activists set up camp last summer after Cuadrilla started exploratory drilling on the outskirts of Balcombe. In a letter to Balcombe residents from Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan, he said the rock underneath the drill site, at Lower Stumble, was already naturally fractured, and the company had no intention of fracking there. However, although Mr Egan ruled out fracking at the site, Cuadrilla’s association with Balcombe is by no means at an end. In his letter, published by Balcombe Parish Council, Mr Egan said Cuadrilla had submitted a new planning application to West Sussex County Council to complete flow testing of oil from the exploration well. Over the summer, the firm drilled horizontally for some 1,700ft through Micrite formation, a type of limestone, at a depth of around 2,350ft below ground level. Mr Egan wrote: 'We were expecting to - and did indeed find - oil in the Micrite. However, without testing we cannot be sure at what rate the oil may flow to the surface.' This week it was revealed that the cost to taxpayers of policing the lengthy anti-fracking protests at Balcombe was nearly £4 million. | More than 80 people arrested at drilling site in Barton Moss near Salford .
But Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts says majority don't live locally .
He says they're not even there to protest against fracking .
Residents are 'close to tears' over disruption and have had enough .
In Sussex, Cuadrilla says no fracking will take place at protest site there .
But the firm submits new planning application to council . |
80,660 | e49ee1972f5a214fc898b82ad9137de3f9fa7be4 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 12:23 EST, 13 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:29 EST, 13 November 2013 . Cutting edge 3D printing technology is being used to recreate the severely injured face of a road accident victim. A team of British surgeons are poised to carry out a pioneering operation, which will restore the symmetry of a man’s face, using new parts produced by a printer. The unaffected side of the biker’s face has been used to create a mirror image, which will enable perfect facial reconstruction. A computer image of 'scaffolding' for a human ear. The model was created by Wake Forest University in North Carolina, but a similar one will be used to create the 3D printed part of the unknown man's face . Computer images are being used to create titanium implants using Additive Manufacturing, which commonly known as 3D printing. The images are used both to design guides to cut and position facial bones with pinpoint accuracy and create tailor-made implants for the patient. The guides and implants are being produced in medical-grade titanium in Belgium, at one of the world’s few specialist 3D printing facilities. Surgeons in Swansea, south Wales, used an X-ray CT scan to create minutely detailed three-dimensional images to design the bespoke implants. The futuristic work is led by consultant maxillofacial surgeon Adrian Sugar, at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, run by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board. A scaffolding nose is pictured, which could help patients who needs reconstructive surgery. It relies upon using the patient's own cells so that the body is less likley to reject a new osy part. Unlike the nose pictured, the guides and implants used in the upcoming operation are being produced in medical-grade titanium . The unaffected side of the biker’s face has been used to create a mirror image. Surgeons in Swansea used an X-ray CT scan to create minutely detailed three-dimensional images. These images are used both to design guides to cut and position facial bones and create tailor-made implants for the patient. The guides and implants are being produced in medical-grade titanium in Belgium. The work is considered so groundbreaking and radical it already features in an exhibition at London’s Science Museum, even before the operation itself has been carried out. Peter Evans, a reconstructive scientist and Maxillofacial Laboratory Services manager, said: 'The patient suffered trauma and had multiple injuries across his body, including some quite severe facial injuries. 'He underwent emergency surgery at the time and we are now at the stage where we can do a proper reconstruction of his face.' The project is the work of the Centre of Applied Reconstructive Technologies in Surgery (Cartis), established in 2006 as a partnership between Morriston Hospital’s Maxillofacial Unit and Product Design and Research (PDR) based at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Cartis aims to make Wales a world leader in the research, development and application of advanced medical technologies in surgery. Mr Sugar and Mr Evans worked with PDR’s Sean Peel and Ffion O’Malley to virtually plan the complex surgery, which will involve repositioning the patient’s facial bones. Here, a finished ear, which consists of a coiled antenna inside a cartilage structure, is pictured. Two wires lead from the base of the ear and wind around a helical 'cochlea' - the part of the ear that senses sound - which can connect to electrod. It is just one example of a 3D printed organ . Mr Evans added: 'We have done everything up to the point of surgery. The concept of the operation has been virtually designed and we hope to do the work very soon. 'The patient’s facial symmetry will be restored so he should be back to normal as far as his facial looks are concerned.' Discussions are now taking place to plan when the surgery itself will take place. The identity of the patient concerned has not been revealed. Referring to the London exhibition, Mr Evans said: 'The exhibition is all about cutting-edge activities in this area of work so to have this case appear there is amazing.' Called 3D: Printing The Future, the exhibition continues at the Science Museum until July 1 next year. | Unaffected side of the biker’s face has been used to make a mirror image .
Adrian Sugar, at Morriston Hospital, Swansea is leading the project that uses CGIs to create titanium implants .
The surgery is planned to take place soon so that the patient’s facial symmetry will be restored . |
172,426 | 6b2409ccb666cbbcd9e5226688e3e4fcc9671374 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 05:53 EST, 9 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:15 EST, 9 September 2013 . Many cat owners recognise their feline friends have a killer instinct, but a scientist believes pet owners are partially responsible for cultivating their cat's wild streak. A British anthrozoologist said that as many owners spay or neuter their tame pets and most kittens are born of stray or feral cats, felines effectively evolve in the wild. He said cats are not as in-tune with human behaviour as their canine counterparts, as dogs have lived alongside humans since the late stone age and are more domesticated. John Bradshaw said that as cats have only been domestically bred for a few thousand years, they are caught in a generic 'grey area' somewhere in between being a prehistoric killer and a domestic pet . John Bradshaw said that as cats have only been domestically bred for a few thousand years, they are caught in a generic 'grey area' somewhere in between being a prehistoric killer and a domestic pet. He said human are partly responsible for cats' genetic situation as the less desirable or wild parts of their character stems from humans 'counter intuitive' way of breeding the animals, Medical Daily reported. Dr Bradshaw of Bristol University said tamer cats that are most suited to the domestic environment are the least likely to have kittens as 88 per cent of pet cats are spayed or neutered by careful owners. While this has been billed as responsible practice, he said cats do not become tamer as a domestic generic lineage is largely not allowed to emerge. In fact, 80 per cent of kittens are born . to stray or feral cats, meaning cats effectively living in the wild . pass on their more primitive traits and pets do not become more . domesticated, according to Dr Bradshaw. Dr Bradshaw said 80 per cent of kittens are born to stray or feral cats, meaning cats effectively living in the wild pass on their less domestic traits and pets do not become tamer. He believes the way kittens play is a clue to cats' killer instinct . The anthrozoologist said cats are not as in-tune with human behaviour as their canine counterparts, as dogs have lived alongside humans since the late stone age . He said that geneticists have found a small number of genes that define the domestic aspects of a cat and 'if we can identify those, then maybe we'll generate a cat that is more suitable for urban living than the current model is'. Dr Bradshaw said that while cats might look regal and sophisticated and owners like to think of them as intelligent and independent, their inscrutable behaviour might occur because of the mixture of modern and ancient animal instinct. 'The cat's domestication is incomplete, in terms of its need to continue hunting and also in terms of its ability to socialise. 'One of the consequences of that is it has a rather unexpressive face.' He also noted that the way cats play indicates they are not completely tame as even as kittens they systematically map their environment and hunt for prey - whether it's rodents or a ball of string - before striking. | A British anthrozoologist said as many owners spay or neuter their tame pets and most kittens are born of stray cats, felines evolve in the wild .
Believes cats are not as in-tune with human behaviour as their canine counterparts because they have been common pets for a shorter time .
He said the cat's domestication is incomplete, in terms of its need to continue hunting and also in terms of its ability to socialise . |
6,266 | 11c68801bff1c21e04ca83f68e1f5a5a960290dd | Archaeologists are set to excavate the buried remains of a sixth century chapel - which could be Britain's oldest place of Christian worship. St Piran's Oratory near Perranporth, Cornwall, has been encased in a concrete bunker for decades to protect it from the elements. But experts have finally been granted permission to remove the casing so they can begin excavating and preserving the medieval site. St Piran's Oratory is pictured in its protective shell in 1955. James Gossip, an archaeologist at Cornwall Council, said: 'This is a very important site and it will be amazing to see what is under the sand' Saint Piran was an early 6th-century Cornish abbot and saint from Ireland. He is the patron saint of tin-miners and the patron saint of Cornwall. Legend has it that the heathen Irish tied him to a mill-stone, rolled it over the edge of a cliff into a tempestuous sea, which suddenly became calm. He then floated safely over the sea to land upon the sandy beach of Perranzabuloe in Cornwall. He was joined at Perranzabuloe by many of his Christian converts and together they founded the Abbey of Lanpiran, with Piran as abbot. Saint Piran 'rediscovered' tin-smelting - tin had been smelted in Cornwall since before the Romans' arrival, but the methods had since been forgotten - when his black hearthstone, a slab of tin-bearing ore, had the tin smelt out of it and rise to the top in the form of a white cross. This white cross then came to be the symbol of Cornwall. According to legend, St Piran, the patron saint of tinners, built the chapel and forged a white cross in a fire which went on to become the symbol of Cornwall. Engulfed by sand in the Middle Ages, the remains of the oratory were first discovered in the late 18th Century. There were two major digs in 1835 and 1843 that uncovered a number of skeletons - including one of large, headless man. However, the remains were buried and encased in a large bunker in 1910 to protect them. The . shell was further reinforced in 1980 but now the St Piran's Trust has . finally convinced authorities to let archaeologists tear down the . concrete and explore the site. Saint Piran was an early 6th-century Cornish abbot and saint from Ireland. map . Here St Pirian's Oratory in pictured in 1910. Excavation work took place at the time for the building of its protective shell, that would shield it from the elements . There were two major digs in 1835 and 1843 that uncovered a number of skeletons (one is pictured) - including one of large headless man . Legend . has it that the heathen Irish tied him to a mill-stone, rolled it over . the edge of a cliff into a tempestuous sea, which immediately became . calm. He then floated safely over the sea to land upon the sandy beach of Perranzabuloe in Cornwall. He . was joined at Perranzabuloe by many of his Christian converts and . together they founded the Abbey of Lanpiran, with Piran as abbot. Ian Saltern, of the trust, said: 'We are uncovering more than a building here. It is a cultural site of enormous importance. It is intricately tied to the history of Cornwall. James Gossip, an archaeologist at Cornwall Council, added: 'This is a very important site and it will be amazing to see what is under the sand.' The excavation is due to being in February. According to legend, St Piran, the patron saint of tinners, built the chapel (ruins pictured) and forged a white cross in a fire which went on to become the symbol of Cornwall . | St Piran's Oratory near Perranporth, .
Cornwall, has been encased in a concrete bunker for three decades to .
protect it from the elements .
According to legend, St Piran, patron saint of tinners, built a chapel and forged a white cross .
in a fire which became the symbol of Cornwall . |
190,559 | 82b5671b9ddadf032bab81fc48622f96c86327c4 | Click here for your ultimate stats guide from the game including the move for Everton's opening goal scored by James McCarthy. The clamour for Ross Barkley's inclusion in England's World Cup squad has been aimed mainly at Roy Hodgson, but it would appear Roberto Martinez has heeded it as well. As a native of Catalonia, the Everton manager could be forgiven if his international loyalties lay with Spain, rather than England. But he showed a commendable regard for his adopted country's prospects in Brazil this summer by omitting Barkley and John Stones from Everton's final Barclays Premier League game of the season to ensure they would be fit for international duty. It could yet be the Under 21 tournament in Toulon, but Barkley, in particular, must have high hopes of a senior call-up when Hodgson names his 23-man squad for the World Cup at 2pm on Monday. Stones, too, could be a surprise selection, given injury concerns over Phil Jones and Kyle Walker. Lashed home: James McCarthy (second left) gave Everton the lead in their 2-0 win at Hull on Sunday . Jumping for joy: Steven Naismith (left) and Seamus Coleman (right) celebrate McCarthy's goal . Parting gift? On-loan forward Romelu Lukaku doubled Everton's lead in the 46th minute at Hull . Stellar season: Lukaku's (left) goal was his 15th strike of the 2013-14 Premier League campaign for Everton . Swansong? Lukaku applauds the Everton fans after the game in what could be his last match for the club . Hull City (4-4-2) – McGregor 6.5; McShane 6 (Rosenior 63, 6), Bruce 6, Davies 6.5, Figueroa 5.5; Elmohamady 6, Huddlestone 6.5, Livermore 5.5, Quinn 6; Jelavic 5 (Fryatt 54, 6.5), Aluko 5 (Koren 73). Subs not used: Boyd, Sagbo, Long, Harper. Everton (4-2-3-1) – Howard 6.5; Coleman 5.5, Jagielka 6, Distin 6, Baines 6.5; McCarthy7, Barry 7; McGeady 6 (Deulofeu 68, 6), Naismith 6.5, Osman 7.5 (Pienaar 77); Lukaku 7 (Traore 89). Subs not used: Robles, Hibbert, z Alcaraz, McAleny. Goals: McCarthy 9, Lukaku 46 . Booked: Jagielka . Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire) Attendance: 24,848 . *Player Ratings by JOHN EDWARDS . 'Ross and John were two of the players . I had to protect,' said Martinez. 'We get so many stats and information . about players' physical condition and how they are coping, and . sometimes the message is there is a risk of injury if you play them. 'These . two boys have played a lot of football recently and needed a rest. It . was in the interests of their health, but it is also the case that, as a . club, we are happy to produce as much English talent as we can. 'That . was one of the reasons we had to look after them. We made sure they . didn't go into the summer with the risk of injury. 'They . are going to be busy, one way or the other. 'I honestly have no idea . whether it will be with the seniors or Under 21s, but, either way, we . will be very proud to see Everton players pulling on the England jersey. 'Any . manager you ask in the Premier League will be biased and say their . players should be in the national team, but I am not going to go down . that route. 'I trust Roy Hodgson's vision, I am a big admirer of his . experience, and whatever he does will be part of a plan.' Rested: John Stones wasn't included in Everton's matchday squad as a precaution for the World Cup . Whipped in: Aiden McGeady (left) delivers a cross for Everton ahead of Maynor Figueroa's challenge (right) Curled effort: Nikica Jelavic (third right) came close to scoring against his former club at the KC Stadium . Hurdled: Naismith (right) rides the challenge of Alex Bruce (left) during Everton's 2-0 win at the KC Stadium . Colossal battle: Lukaku (left) tussels with Paul McShane (right) for the ball during their end of season match . Cracking campaign: Roberto Martinez has enjoyed a great debut season at Everton finishing fifth in the league . Everton were . firmly in control from the moment James McCarthy fired them ahead with . his first goal for the club in only the ninth minute. Set up by Romelu . Lukaku and Steven Naismith, the midfielder's angled drive was too hot to . handle for fit-again keeper Allan McGregor, who got a glove to it but . couldn't keep it out. Hull . rarely threatened, other than a late Robert Koren shot that brought the . best out of Tim Howard, and slipped further behind when Lukaku marked . his farewell appearance in familiar style in the 46th minute. The . on-loan Chelsea striker, who is due to return to Stamford Bridge, latched on to a pinpoint pass from Leon Osman and fired past . McGregor, after holding off Paul McShane's challenge. On the ball: Gareth Barry (right) attempts to stop Jake Livermore's (left) run in Sunday's match . McGregor . looks to have played his way into Steve Bruce's FA Cup final line-up, . after returning ahead of schedule from a serious kidney injury, but it . was one of few bright spots for the Hull manager. 'We . will see how he feels after today, but he has done everything he . possibly could to earn a place at Wembley,' said Bruce. 'The chairman is . going to be disappointed with finishing 16th. It's £1.2million prize . money for each place, and we could have been a few places higher with a . win, and that could have meant a new player for next season. 'We . have had an awful end to the season, and the distraction of the Cup . final is largely to blame. The performances since the semi-final just . haven't been us, and that has been disappointing.' In pursuit: Phil Jagielka (left) closes down Stephen Quinn (right) during Everton's clash at Hull on Sunday . Moving on: Hull boss Steve Bruce they can still end the season on a high in Saturday's FA Cup Final vs Arsenal . Martinez saluted Lukaku's contribution and offered Hull some tips on how to spring a Wembley upset against Arsenal, 12 months after plotting Wigan's Cup final triumph against Manchester City. 'In any loan deal, all you want is for it to be a success, and Romelu has been,' he said. 'I’ve seen him grow as a man and player, and I think he’s developed unique memories with Everton. The fans will always have a great mental picture of Lukaku’s talent. 'I think the parent club will delighted with the progress he has made this season, and we’ve benefitted from having him. It couldn't have gone much better. 'It is a real achievement for Hull to reach the final, and it is in their favour that they go there as underdogs. They found it difficult in the semi-final because they were favourites, but it is the opposite this time. If they can control their emotions and be themselves, they can really embrace what will be a fantastic opportunity to spring a surprise.' | Roberto Martinez's Everton end the Premier League in fifth .
John Stones and Ross Barkley rested ahead of World Cup .
Hull have lost four of their last five Premier League games .
Steve Bruce's side face Arsenal in the FA Cup final on Saturday . |
245,583 | c9de6433e6a6fb965a92ea9370367000563273c4 | (CNN) -- The whole world watched Thursday as a lighter-than-air craft set loose by a 6-year-old boy floated above eastern Colorado. Several media outlets offered to help track the balloon with their helicopters, a sheriff's spokeswoman says. Web sites as diverse as Al-Jazeera and Australia's Sydney Morning Herald carried news of the wayward aircraft with reports that authorities feared the boy, Falcon Heene, was inside. The Web sites for The Sun, Britain's largest newspaper, as well as the BBC, posted by-the-minute updates on the aerial odyssey, as did many international sites. The story was a bonanza for social networking sites. Facebook, in a little more than an hour, had three fan pages and three groups dedicated to "Balloon Boy." Members were piling on as the story developed. After the balloon landed near Colorado Springs, law enforcement authorities found it empty, according to CNN affiliate KMGH, which cited a police report. But while the aircraft was airborne, it was the saucer seen round the world. Watch "unbelievable" footage of "homemade flying saucer" » . Michael Karns, director of marketing at Zazzle, an online customized products platform tied to trends and ideas, said the balloon excursion sparked the creation of 6,000 "products," (shirts, bags, shoes, doggie attire, etc.) tied to the news event. "What's interesting about this story is that it played out over a significant period of time," Karns said. "Expressions [on the T-shirts] changed from "Go, Falcon, Go" (when the boy was believed afloat) to "I Believe" (when he was reported missing) and once it came clear the kid, Falcon, was hiding in the attic, the products changed to sort of making fun of the whole thing." Karns said the Redwood City, California, company received about 200 orders of shirts related to the event by 8 p.m. ET Thursday. Karns predicted the "Balloon Boy" may become a hot Halloween costume as well. The attention it garnered also gave some indications of how a real-life flying saucer, an unidentified flying object, may be documented in a high-tech world. Watch report on shifting attitudes towards ''balloon boy' saga » . Twitter was inundated with news about Falcon, with the updates occupying seven of the 10 trending topics on the site from 3:30 p.m. to nearly 5 p.m. ET. While most of the tweets were repeating national headlines about the balloon, some people expressed their opinions along the way. Mleswan tweeted, "Oh sweet irony. The kid's name is FALCON?!?! Oh that's classic." Tmilewski tweeted, "I call both horrible parenting AND horrible craftsmanship on this one!" On Reddit, a social networking site known for its hilarious discussion threads about news events, the topic elicited fun and fast dialog. Neoncow said: "I don't care what they say. A father who builds a flying saucer hot air balloon with his son is a good father." Lyrus said: "What did Beyonce say to the parents of the 6-year-old kid that flew away in a balloon? If you liked it then you should have put a string on it." Mossyskeleton: "I wonder if his dad is going to ground him when he gets back." Falcon's parents, identified as science enthusiasts and storm chasers Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured earlier this year on ABC's prime-time program "Wife Swap," ABC said. The Heene family was involved in "scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm," the network's Web site said. Richard Heene, who has posted at least one iReport, calls himself a general contractor, published scientist and inventor. The aircraft, which appeared to be a Mylar-coated helium balloon, had been tethered to the Heene home in Fort Collins, Colorado, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said. Falcon evidently untied the rope anchoring the balloon, and it was feared that he had fallen from the craft. Authorities say that after ground and air searches, he was found hiding in a box in the attic of his family's home Thursday. | Facebook had fan pages, groups dedicated to "Balloon Boy"
International Web sites tune in as family's wayward aircraft captivates the world .
T-shirt campaign quickly adapts to the changing news event .
Parents ID'd as science enthusiasts, storm chasers Richard and Mayumi Heene . |
109,035 | 18903802c043b18bc0e5a70eff3d9b61994cc845 | By . Oliver Todd . Follow @@oliver_todd . British hopeful Shanaze Reade has dropped out of next week's UCI BMX World Championships after breaking her elbow in a painful crash at her Denmark training camp. Reade, who was aiming for her fourth gold medal in Rotterdam, also suffered injuries to her face after vaulting the handlebars during practice - and posted evidence of her injuries online. The Olympian rider is now targeting a comeback to secure a US national title - where she currently sits top of the series on points. Crash, bang, wallop: Shanaze Read shows off her battle scars after she came off her bike in Denmark . Ouch: Reade gets checked out at hospital after flying off her bike over the handlebars . The 25-year-old already has World Championships titles from Victoria in 2007, Taiyuan in 2008 and at Adelaide in 2010 but she will miss the chance to add to that impressive string of medals in Rotterdam on Tuesday. But despite the sad end to her hopes, Reade wished her fellow Brits well in Holland, posting: 'Good luck to all the Brits going to Worlds!!' Battered and bruised: It looks as if Reade's Red Bull-sponsored helmet took some real damage in the crash . Big jump: Reade during the Olympics above the Velodrome at London 2012 . | Three-time gold medal winner misses out on Rotterdam competition .
She broke her elbow and suffered facial cuts in crash at training camp .
Reade went over handlebars but hopes to be back for USA national title .
Brit was favourite for gold medal at London 2012 Olympics but missed out . |
77,586 | dc00cc9676176a0511fc91947f5d8c8045c352ca | Actress Rose McGowan was left shocked this evening after a man climbed out of a sidewalk grate, threw a smoke bomb into a crowded New York restaurant and fled back down the grate. The suspect, who has not yet been caught, apparently emerged from the subway grate outside Bar Pitti in Greenwich Village, where MacGowen was dining, just before 6pm. Donning a baseball cap and a T-shirt featuring an American flag, he reportedly tossed a smoke bomb into the restaurant's patio area, before climbing back into the grate and fleeing. Scroll down for video . Attack: A man climbed out of a sidewalk grate, threw a smoke bomb into Bar Pitti in West Village, New York, and fled back down the grate, police said this evening. Above, red smoke fills the air following the attack . Actress: Rose McGowan (pictured), who dining at the restaurant at the time, was left shocked by the attack . Expressing her shock: The 41-year-old, who initially thought two smoke bombs had been thrown, tweeted: 'Someone just threw two smoke bombs into the restaurant I was eating in. Eyes are burning. #NYCWHAT' Despite landing on an outdoor table, the explosive which sent thick red smoke into the air, did not injure anyone, according to Eyewitness News. It was removed from the venue by a waiter. McGowan, 41, who initially thought two smoke bombs had been thrown, took to Twitter to express her shock just minutes after the bizarre attack. She told her 533,000 followers: 'Someone just threw two smoke bombs into the restaurant I was eating in. Eyes are burning. #NYCWHAT.' Police were called to the scene following the attack at the popular Italian restaurant, situated on Sixth Avenue between Houston and Bleecker Streets, which apparently left many diners 'shaken'. Police: Despite landing on an outdoor table, the smoke bomb, which apparently resembled a red safety flare, did not injure anyone.Above, an Instagram user captured this image of police at the restaurant this evening . Target: An eyewitness, who was walking past Bar Pitti (pictured) when the bomb was thrown, described the incident as 'pretty scary'. He said: 'People started panicking. The employees seemed really confused' An eyewitness, who was walking past the restaurant when the smoke bomb was thrown, described the incident as 'pretty scary'. He told MailOnline: 'I saw something get thrown right into the front door and red smoke started pouring out. The waiters looked really shocked. 'It was actually pretty scary because one of them picked it up and dropped it into the street where the smoke finished pouring out. 'People started panicking, but as it dispersed, some started taking pictures. The employees seemed really confused about what was happening. ' Famous faces: Bar Pitti has catered for dozens of celebrities, including singer Beyonce (pictured with Jay-Z) Diners: It has also played host to model Agyness Deyn (left) and Colombian actress Sofia Vergura (right) He added: 'There was definitely general disbelief and there were a few outside tables at the restaurant next door where customers were yelping.' Sara Bond, who was sat in the restaurant at the time, told NBC: 'We were just trying to relax and have a nice dinner, and then there was smoke and a bunch of policemen.' Australian tourist Tina Millet added that the incident caused 'quite a big commotion'. It is thought that the suspect would have had to enter the subway at either Spring Street or W 4th station, before walking through a series of tunnels to access the grate and carry out the attack. Actor: Australian tourist Tina Millet, who was sat in the restaurant at the time of the attack, said the incident caused 'quite a big commotion'. Above, Jim Carrey is pictured at the Italian restaurant in West Village . Designer: The attack has sparked concerns over the safety of the city's subway network, with one local saying: 'I guess they're going to have to do more security or something, right?' Above, Calvin Klein at Bar Pitti . Since its opening in 1992, Bar Pitti has catered for dozens of celebrities, including fashion designer Calvin Klein, actress Lindsay Lohan, actor Jim Carrey Colombian actress Sofia Vergura. It has also played host to model Agyness Deyn, singer Beyonce and actress Amanda Seyfried. The attack has sparked concerns over the safety of the city's subway network, with one local saying: 'I guess they're going to have to do more security or something, right?' The suspect has been described by police as a man in his thirties with blonde hair. An investigation is ongoing. | Man reportedly climbed out of sidewalk grate outside Bar Pitti, New York .
He 'threw a smoke bomb at restaurant before escaping back down grate'
Bomb landed on outdoor table just before 6pm, but did not injure anyone .
Eyewitness said that diners 'panicked' as red smoke 'started pouring out'
Actress Rose McGowan, 41, was at popular Italian venue at time of attack .
Police hunting suspect, described as in his 30s and wearing baseball cap . |
177,259 | 7176ce87495e0234b77b2e680ccfa100b49d2980 | (CNN) -- The fatal shooting at a Reno, Nevada, medical building this week does not appear to be a random act of violence, police said without elaborating Wednesday. Police identified the three victims and were waiting to release the deceased shooter's name until his next of kin was notified. Dr. Charles Gholdoian, 46, was killed, and patient Shawntae Spears, 20, was wounded, Reno Deputy Police Chief Mac Venzon said at a news conference. Dr. Christine Lajeunesse is in critical condition, but conscious, a spokeswoman for the city told CNN on Wednesday night. Spears and Lajeunesse suffered single gunshot wounds. Spears also is in critical condition at Renown Regional Medical Center. The investigation, which includes interviews with 29 witnesses, indicates the shooter walked past the front desk to a patient exam room area and fired five rounds from his 12-gauge shotgun. He later killed himself with the weapon, Venzon said. The shooting occurred at the Urology Nevada office on the third floor of a medical building near Renown, leading investigators to believe it wasn't random, Venzon said. Asked to explain, the deputy chief said the shooter passed the first and second floors, and making "his way to the third floor of the building would indicate to me this is not a random event." He further said that it did not appear the shooter had a relationship with any of the victims, but the matter is still under investigation. Police don't have a motive. Kat Raco, an ophthalmic technician who works on the second floor of the Nevada Advanced Medicine building, told CNN that she heard at least two large booms and then the sound of scampering feet above her. Raco said she and others in her office were seeing patients when the shooting occurred and first thought someone or something had fallen. Police were there quickly, she said, telling them to lock the doors and not let anyone in. About 10 minutes after that, more police escorted everyone on the second floor to a catwalk between the building and a parking garage. A plainclothes officer asked questions before staff was allowed to leave about 45 minutes after the shooting. "The police handled it in the best way possible," Raco said. "They were very professional and calm. Everyone (in the office) stayed pretty calm." Raco said there are no armed guards in the building. The medical center describes itself as the only Level II trauma center in that region of Nevada and is home to the area's only Children's Hospital, its website says. The facility also offers the region's largest number of clinical research trials. Last month, there was a hospital shooting in Wisconsin when police shot and wounded an armed man on the neonatal intensive care floor of a Milwaukee-area children's hospital, authorities said. Milwaukee police had gone to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to arrest the man on a felony warrant and found him holding a child in the intensive care unit, authorities said. Instead of surrendering, the man took out a handgun and fled down a hallway, prompting police to shoot him. Colorado school shooter planned larger attack, Sheriff's Office says . Newtown shooting a year later: America reflects . CNN's Mayra Cuevas, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Chandler Friedman and Steve Almasy contributed to this report. | NEW: City official identifies third victim as Dr. Christine Lajeunesse .
Dr. Charles Gholdoian killed, and patient Shawntae Spears is in critical condition, police say .
The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say .
They say the shooting wasn't random but decline to speculate on a motive . |
41,847 | 75fdbf801248488a47ffd5d7fe86941296a2392c | (CNN) -- The college students who showed up with bare midriffs and never contributed to discussions during Faye Rogaski's communication classes were surprised when they weren't picked for coveted internships and jobs. They would also e-mail the public relations executive without so much as a greeting but with demands such as "I need a reference," or "I need a letter of recommendation." No "please," no "thank you," no face-to-face handshakes, introductions or follow-ups after classes. These same students would "friend" Rogaski on Facebook -- it was a class about branding yourself, after all, so the social networking site genuinely came into play from an academic standpoint. But Rogaski would find her Facebook newsfeed filled up with updates from these young adults posting salacious statements and tagging one another in drunken and/or raunchy photos. Rogaski was taken back by their behavior and wondered whether the students realized she was a potential future boss or colleague. That's when it clicked for her: Teach basic social skills to children because if they want to get far in life, manners are a requirement, not an option. She started socialsklz:-) to help kids learn what they were not being taught at school. Socialsklz:-) logo includes a smiley face icon to convey its fun, interactive, hip relevance. Rogaski is quick to point out that these are not fancy manners and etiquette classes. "It's not pinkies-up and pearls at high tea," Rogaski told CNN. She likens it more akin to "Life Skills 101." During a class for children 4 to 7, they were taught about the importance of eye contact and a firm, but not too tight,handshake. They were also led through basic greetings as well as proper phone etiquette when calling friends. The children practiced with each other in interactive scenarios. After being taught the principles of writing letters, they wrote thank you notes to their parents to highlight the importance of being thoughtful in life. In the coming weeks, they will learn online and text messaging etiquette as well as table manners and much more. Rogaski politely corrected kids on some basic errors, such as when one little girl kept saying "ax" when she really meant "ask." The 'tween group of 8- to 12-year-olds was slowly but surely being taught to drop their penchant for saying "um," incorrect usage of the word "like" and uttering the dreaded phrase "ya know." The kids were issued cards called Frownies when they broke Rogaski's "like, um, ya know" rule and cards were counted up at the end of class. One little boy racked up 11 "um" Frownies. The 'tweens also went on a field trip to Dunkin' Donuts. On the way, one of the boys held the elevator for everyone while another held doors open. Each child ordered his or her own doughnut of choice and had to speak clearly and enunciate. Rogaski also encouraged them to have their selections ready so as not to hold up the line. The teen group, which meets for two hours a week, learns social graces as well as skills needed for college and job interviews. Penny Loretto, a career counselor at Skidmore College, warns the first few minutes of a job interview can mean the difference between getting a job or not. "Appropriate dress attire, a firm handshake, a relaxed smile and maintaining direct contact are all essential elements of a good interview before the actual process even begins," says Loretto who previously worked in Human Resources for a large institution. And don't go to an interview without doing something else important she warns. "The advice I usually give students and my adult clients is to be sure to practice, practice, practice," Loretto says. "Practicing is the only way to become better at interviewing, and it's something all job candidates must take the time to do." The socialsklz:-) teen students are also taught about e-mail etiquette and about the perils of posting something on a blog that they might regret later. They also learn the do's and don'ts of posting material on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Young job seekers have to transition from being a family member, friend or student to a professional in their online communications, warns Jill Ferrall, assistant dean for career development in the School of Business at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She says don't be too casual and write things such as "Hi FirstName," "hey," "thx," "np." And don't send a recruiter a friend request on Facebook. But within 24 hours after an interview with a potential employer, Ferrall says, the job applicant should write a thank you note. Rogaski said the real reward is when parents approach her and tell her that they see their kids using their newly acquired social skills out in the real world. She is also proud when she sees first-hand the confidence that her classes instill in her students. | Social skills are important to form as children to be successful later in life .
Teachers, career counselors and HR workers cringe at applicants' unsocial behavior .
Faye Rogaski started socialsklz:-) to teach children better manners . |
101,057 | 0e39a67d645ea2f004f68fa797d61136e458e6c3 | Dolo, Somalia (CNN) -- The World Bank has pledged more than $500 million for famine victims in Somalia as the United Nations met in emergency session Monday to address the aid response in Somalia, the hardest-hit nation in the region. "Immediate relief and recovery is the first priority, and it is important to act fast to reduce human suffering," World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick said in a news release. Also Monday, representatives of 191 member countries of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization met in Rome to devise a plan to head off the imminent food crisis, which the UN has said is affecting more than 12 million people. Two regions in southern Somalia are suffering famine. "World leaders have no excuses for not generously responding," Oxfam Chief Executive Barbara Stocking said in a statement. "This should not be happening. It is a colossal outrage that the warnings went unheeded, that the lessons of previous famines have been ignored. Yes, we need to save lives today, but we also need to ensure that people have a future. Above all, we need to build a global food system that allows everyone enough to eat." But such efforts will take time to translate into aid on the ground for the many people in Somalia whose needs are immediate. In Dolo, across the border from Ethiopia, World Food Program workers were registering women and children Monday in a rocky square in this dusty town dotted with thorn bushes. In a visit Monday by CNN, no one appeared to be receiving aid, and no one was receiving medical help -- they were just getting registered. Aid officials said they hoped to get food to areas in need in the coming days. They said that some people who had fled across the border into neighboring Ethiopia or Kenya were returning after hearing that distribution was set to begin soon. At a second registration point nearby, neat lines of women, their children and grandchildren also waited to get registered. Mixed with the town's residents were people who had fled from other parts of the country in search of aid. Children were drinking water from an oil drum perched atop a donkey. CNN's journalists reached the town by driving in a convoy protected by armed militia members aligned with the government. The militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is designated a terrorist group by the United States, is less than 50 miles away and could easily move into this area if they wished, according to UN security officials on the scene. Al-Shabaab has reversed a pledge to allow foreign aid agencies to operate in famine-struck regions in the nation. The group originally banned the aid agencies from areas under its control in 2009, describing them as Western spies and Christian crusaders. "We are building up in Mogadishu, where we are reaching up to 300,000 people," Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program, said about the violence-ravaged capital. "But the World Food Program has lost 14 people since 2008, just trying to get kids food. It's dangerous, and it's risky, and we are committed to going to where the people need the most." The World Food Program has airlifted supplies to Dolo, which borders Ethiopia. "One thing that is important is to get the supplementary nutritional foods to these children, because children get very weak quickly on these treks," Sheeran said. The International Committee of the Red Cross said operating in the nation is a challenge. "We have teams deployed throughout the country," said Yves van Loo, a spokesman for the Red Cross. "Logistically, it is very complex to operate in Somalia." More funds are needed to expand aid, the spokesman said. "We are covering most of the most vulnerable people in the areas we reach, but more needs to be done," he said. "If we can get more money, we can do it." He said the ICRC was continuing to operate throughout Somalia, as it has for the past 20 years, without encountering problems with Al-Shabaab. "We are deployed in all provinces, while most of the organizations have just a few spots," he said. The World Bank announced Monday that it is providing more than $500 million to assist drought victims and $12 million in immediate aid to the hardest-hit areas. The drought has led to starvation and the loss of crops and livestock. Food prices have nearly tripled in some areas since last year, worsening the crisis. The funds will go toward battling the worst drought in 60 years in Horn of African nations, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti, the World Bank said. The pledge comes as international aid groups warned that most Somalis have no access to food, and failure to reach them puts children most at risk as their parents trek for days in search of help. "Women have been telling us throughout the area that they've had to leave children along the road who can't make it, who are too weak to make it and have died along the way," Sheeran said. As the crisis escalates, relief agencies are scrambling to find ways to deliver supplements to areas that are hardest-hit. About 60% of the Somali population is not getting aid, Sheeran said. Aid groups are hoping to reach Somalis in the country before they flee to overcrowded camps in Kenya and Ethiopia for help. "When children have to move long distances, their bodies deteriorate very quickly," Sheeran said. "For children under 5 years old, their bodies and brains can't grow normally." CNN's Tom Watkins contributed to this report. | NEW: In Dolo, people are getting registered but the aid had not yet arrived .
The World Bank will provide more than $500 million for famine victims .
The United Nations plans to hold an emergency meeting Monday in Rome .
The meeting will address the famine and the emergency response in Somalia . |
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