Unnamed: 0
int64 0
287k
| id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 117
14.7k
| highlights
stringlengths 37
3.97k
|
|---|---|---|---|
47,933 | 874bfb4eda2463dbabd2075c8aa62c63072e0b18 | School pupils were given soft toy penises and vaginas by a Swiss education ministry project, sparking a referendum in the Alpine country. The initiative was the brainchild of a group of parents in the northern city of Basel that led the demand for schools to drop the 'Sexbox' education kits. The kits, which were to teach kids from primary school upwards about sex, were eventually banned after widespread protest, but the campaigners now want a country-wide ban on sex education for children under nine. A Swiss education ministry project that involved pupils being given soft toy penises and vaginas has sparked outrage. The vote was ordered after campaigners gathered more than the 100,000 signatures of voters required to put their measure to the public for approval. The campaign coalition - whose goal is the 'protection against sexualisation in kindergartens and primary schools' - handed in its petition in December and the government is now obliged to set a date for a vote. Referendums are the bedrock of Switzerland's system of direct democracy, with voters called out several times a year to voice their opinion on a host of issues at local through to federal level. Some of the iterms in the 'sexbox'. Now parents are voting on the future of sex education for children . The sexbox kits included accessories such as soft-toy penises, which the parents' group said was tantamount to handing out pornography to children . The measure stipulates that sex education is the business of a child's parents and not the school system. While it would allow classes on avoiding the risk of sexual abuse, it would ban sex education for anyone below the age of nine, while such lessons would be optional for children up to the age of 12. For older children, compulsory lessons would be permitted, but they would be required to be given by biology teachers and focus on 'reproduction and human development'. No pupil would be required to follow a class that strayed beyond the basically biological to address such themes as the social aspects of sexuality. The sexbox kits included accessories such as soft-toy penises, which the parents' group said was tantamount to handing out pornography to children, who needed protecting against sexualisations at a young age. | Parents horrified after primary school pupils were given the plush genitalia .
The 'sexboxes' were distributed by a parents group in Basel .
Uproar has sparked a huge debate and referendum in Switzerland . |
262,956 | e098f36d6268340db5cf5ac2212040d05d616c46 | By . Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 19:04 EST, 29 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:53 EST, 29 January 2013 . Millions of professionals should face mandatory drug testing at work, Britain’s most senior police officer has suggested. Anyone who failed a test and refused help to get clean should lose their job, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said as well as ‘robust’ policing of dealers, action was needed to discourage the demand for illegal substances. He said testing could take place in ‘all occupations’ but cited in particular teachers, intensive care nurses and transport staff. Drug testing: Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has said professionals in 'all occupations' should face random tests, but in particular teachers, intensive care nurses and transport staff . Workers: Sir Bernard said employers who discovered a staff member abusing drugs would not have to turn 'informant' and tell the police (file picture) In a speech to the all-party parliamentary group on cannabis and children, Sir Bernard said drug testing and the fear of losing their job would act as a deterrent for drug users. He said: ‘It seems to me we have got to plant in people’s minds something to affect the demand as well as supply. You can think of many occupations where if you were working with a colleague you would want to be sure in fact that they were drug free.’ Employers who discovered a staff member abusing drugs would not have to turn ‘informant’ and tell the police, he added. Anyone caught with drugs in their system should be offered help to stop, he said – but anyone who refused that help should suffer ‘consequences, which would probably be about their employment’. The suggestion that workers should be drug tested is likely to cause outrage among trade unions. It will also raise civil liberties concerns. In America, however, random drug testing is already prevalent – and widely accepted – in workplaces, with staff tested in the retail, financial, manufacturing, education and health sectors. Companies say that the tests are not just carried out for safety reasons, but also to identify theft risk, employee reliability and improve productivity. During his speech, Sir Bernard told the group of his concerns that parents born in the 60s and 70s when cannabis was weaker are failing to warn their children about the dangers of super strength skunk. Speech: Sir Bernard told the all-party parliamentary group on cannabis and children that he had never smoked the drug and had only smoked one cigarette, when he was seven years old . He said the potency of cannabis has increased five-fold in the last half century but many parents were unaware of the damage it can do to young brains. Teenagers who smoke new powerful strains of skunk run the risk of developing schizophrenia in later life, and must be told they are taking a ‘major’ health risk. Tests: Random drug testing in America is already prevalent - and widely accepted - in workplaces . Sir Bernard warned any move away from a ‘robust’ approach would lead to even younger children taking the drug and even more serious damage to their health. His hard line approach also marks him apart from other senior officers who in recent years have called for a more relaxed approach to enforcing drugs laws, especially around cannabis. As Chief Constable of Merseyside, Sir Bernard was credited with adopting a zero tolerance approach known as ‘Total Policing’, which included a relentless crackdown on drug dealers. Sir Bernard told the group he had never smoked cannabis and had only smoked one cigarette, when he was seven years old. His comments on Monday night are at odds with a series of parliamentary reports in recent months calling for a more permissive approach to drugs. First the home affairs select committee called for cannabis to move from Class B to Class C. Then, the all-party parliamentary group for drug policy reform called for possession of heroin and ecstasy to be decriminalised. Campaigner Mary Brett, of charity Cannabis Skunk Sense, said: ‘It is refreshing to hear a senior police officer who is deeply aware of the dangers of today’s cannabis. It is also reassuring to hear one who is unafraid of enforcing the law and taking on drug dealers.’ | Professionals should face drug testing, says Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe .
Met Police Commissioner said action was needed to discourage demand .
He said testing could take place in 'all occupations', but in particular teachers, intensive care nurses and transport staff . |
153,293 | 5211684ca7c6ebda350f3dc8653cffe570221f33 | By . Becky Barrow, Business Correspondent . and Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 01:20 EST, 28 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:46 EST, 28 June 2013 . Virginia Water in Surrey has become the first place outside London where house prices average more than £1million. And with its stunning lake views, commuting distance from London and the exclusive Wentworth Golf Club, it’s not hard to see why. But buyers hoping to join the likes of Sir Bruce Forsyth, Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Elton John – who have all bought properties in the sought-after location – will have to fork out more than £1million for the privilege. Property bubble: The leafy village of Virginia Water in Surrey now has an average house price of more than £1million . Attractive: Within an easy commute of central London and close to Heathrow and private schools, Virginia Water is a popular residential area . Millionaires' club: Property prices in Virginia Water have risen 6 per cent in the last year . The town, which has just 3,000 residents, has the most expensive homes in the UK, according to property website Zoopla. Property prices have risen by 6 per cent in Virginia Water, whose average price of £1.03million makes it £200,000 more expensive than the second most expensive place, Cobham, also in Surrey. 1. Virginia Water, Surrey £1,034,368 . 2. Cobham, Surrey £842, 806 . 3. Beaconsfield, Bucks £806, 459 . 4. Keston, Kent £785,399 . 5. Esher, Surrey £774, 779 . 6. Chalfont St Giles, Bucks £718, 229 . 7. Richmond, Surrey £718, 229 . 8. Gerrards Cross, Bucks £717, 319 . 9. Radlett, Herts £691, 211 . 10. Welwyn, Herts £687, 558 . The Property Rich List shows Britain’s most expensive street is once again Kensington Palace Gardens, West London, with an average price of £36million – which is 156 times the cost of an average British home. Close to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s home at Kensington Palace, the road has previously been nicknamed the Boulevard of Billionaires. Martin Ellis, housing economist at the Halifax Bank, said: ‘In London, when you are talking about real prime areas, it’s foreign buyers who have been coming in and looking to invest. 'They see it as a haven. But places like Virginia Water are prosperous areas too.’ Illustrious neighbours: Sir Bruce Forsyth, pictured left with his wife Wilnelia, and Sir Cliff Richard are among those who own a property in picturesque Virginia Water . Sought after: Virginia Water's prestigious Wentworth Golf Club plays host to a PGA tournament every year . Charming: Virginia Water still retains its villagey atmosphere, despite the influx of wealth into the town . Not all the houses in Virginia Water are worth millions, but their price is pushed up by the area average . Lawrence Hall, spokesman for Zoopla, . said: ‘Only the super-wealthy can entertain the notion of living on the . most expensive streets and they are paying as much for the address and . the location as they are for the size and quality of the property. 'You can find magnificent mansions in . other parts of the country for a similar price to even just average . properties in areas like Kensington. Zoopla’s report confirmed the gulf between property values in the north and the south of the UK housing market. Britain’s ten most sought-after streets are in London. Of the 8,230 streets in the UK where the average property value is more than £1million, only a quarter – 2,064 – are outside the South East. The cheapest street in Britain is Merryfield Court in Skegness, with homes valued at little more than £31,000. The Zoopla report also revealed that there are a record number of British ‘property millionaires’. Top of the pile: Kensington Palace Gardens in West London remains the most expensive street in Britain with an average house price of £36million . Here are Britain’s most expensive streets, with the average property value:1. Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8, £36,066,1482. The Boltons, London SW10, £23,375,7583. Grosvenor Crescent, London SW1X, £19,768,9634. Courtenay Avenue, London N6, £10,750,3365. Compton Avenue, London N6, £10,006,0146. Frognal Way, London NW3, £9,513,7167. Park Place Villas, London W2, £8,980,4778. Montrose Place, London SW1X, £8,980,4689. Cottesmore Gardens, London W8, £8,813,42910. Palace Green, London W8, £8,644,535 . Nearly 325,000 homes are worth more than £1million – up by 80 per cent in four years and by a third in just 12 months. The scale of the increase in ‘property millionaires’ is eye-watering. In 2009, there were 183,630, but the number has jumped by nearly 80 per cent to reach the all-time high of 323,684 today. In the last 12 months alone, Britain added 78,000 new 'property millionaires' - an average of 1,500 a week. Many homeowners bought their property for a fraction of the current value decades ago and now discover to their delight that it is worth a seven-figure sum. But many others are not so lucky. Their home may be worth more than £1million, but they have a super-size mortgage which means they have very little equity in the property. In a further sign that the market is gathering pace, average UK prices have gone up to £168,941, marking the strongest year-on-year uplift seen since September 2010. New figures from Nationwide reveal that on a month-on-month basis, house prices rose by 0.3% in June, marking a slight slowdown compared with a 0.4% rise recorded the previous month. The building society said that Government efforts to kickstart the market, as well as a lack of available homes to buy, are helping to bolster house prices. However, there are big regional divides. Prices in London now stand at a new all-time high at an average £318,214, which is 5% above their previous 2007 peak. This house in Virginia Water is typical of the homes in area - modern, luxurious, and classical in design . Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, said London 'has seen the greatest recovery in prices of any region'. By contrast, prices across the UK are still around 9% below their pre-crisis peak. Prices in England are currently 5% lower than those seen in 2007, while they are 13% down in Wales, 12% lower in Scotland and have plummeted by 53% in Northern Ireland compared with their 2007 levels. Ten out of 13 areas across the UK have seen house prices increase over the last year, while three - Scotland, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire and Humberside - have seen falls. Among England’s cities outside London, Newcastle saw the biggest housing market jump year on year, with prices up by 11% to reach £173,296 on average, while Liverpool saw the biggest annual drop, with an 8% slide taking prices to around £142,454. A string of recent studies have pointed to signs that the housing market is picking up, helped by Government initiatives such as Funding for Lending, which gives lenders access to cheap finance and has prompted a sharp increase in mortgage availability as well as lenders slashing their rates. Virginia Water is said to have been named after Elizabeth I who was known as the Virgin Queen . The first village outside London where the average house price is more than £1million, Virginia Water has a population of 6,113. Made up of a series of private roads set around the four golf courses of the Wentworth Club, it is said to take its name after Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. In truth, a cool million would probably buy you very little. Several of the palatial mansions, complete with marble kitchens and indoor pools, can go for upward of £10million. Within easy reach of central London, Heathrow and some of the most elite private schools in the country, it has been a popular retreat of the rich and famous since the Twenties. These days, such is the high value of land on the estate, many are bought to be demolished and replaced by a new-build. ‘It’s surrounded by greenbelt so there’s no new land to be had,’ says Ken Reay, of Queensgate Corporation. ‘The only option to build a new home is to buy an old one, knock it down and put one up on the site. In the past decade, land values have doubled to around £2 million per acre.’ The estate was once the preserve of golfing royalty - Ernie Elsa and Nick Faldo have both owned properties - but is now becoming increasingly popular with foreign buyers. Virginia Waters hit the headlines in 1998 when General Augusto Pinochet was placed under house arrest in one its mansions prior to his extradition. More recently, it was the setting for the dramatic death of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Other famous residents include ex-Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan, Sir Elton John and boxer Prince Naseem. | Exclusive Surrey enclave breaks £1million barrier after 6 per cent increase .
Home to celebrities including Sir Bruce Forsyth, Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Elton John .
Britain adds 78,000 homes worth more than £1million in last 12 months .
There are now 325,000 in the country - up 80 per cent in past four years .
House prices record fastest growth in almost three years, says report . |
227,160 | b2255943eaea1b112414798546e3f457ba105802 | Silent suspect: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev stopped talking when he was read his rights by police officials . The surviving suspect in the Boston marathon bombings admitted to his role in the attacks to the FBI - but clammed up when finally read his Miranda rights. It has been revealed that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, initially confessed to authorities that he and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, carried out the attacks during 16-hours of questioning over the weekend. Dzhokhar has been communicating with law enforcement officials by writing on a pad after suffering an injury to his throat during the frenzied manhunt for him which renders him unable to talk. However, the moment he was read his rights on Monday - which as a citizen of the United States entitle him to the constitutional right to remain silent and seek a lawyer - he stopped communicating. Indeed, it has been claimed that federal agents were surprised when a magistrate judge and a representative from the U.S. Attorney's office entered the hospital room and read Tsarnaev his rights, four officials and one law enforcement official said. Investigators had planned to keep questioning him. This apparent confusion came after the White House decided against treating Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant. It is unclear as to whether this will . matter in court as the FBI says Tsarnaev has already confessed to a witness. A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said: 'Before being advised of his rights, . the 19-year-old suspect told authorities that his older brother, . Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, only recently had recruited him to be part of the . attack'. Tsarnaev and his brother, Dzokhar Tsarnaev, are accused of carrying out the April 15 twin bombings that killed three people and injured more than 260 . Mr Livingstone sparked controversy by suggesting the brothers who launched the attack on the city's marathon acted 'out of anger and demand for revenge' over American foreign policy . The debate over whether suspected . terrorists should be read their Miranda rights has become a sticking point. Many Repuplicans believe they hinder intelligence gathering. The Department of Justice has said . investigators may wait until they have gathered intelligence about other . threats before reading those rights in terrorism cases. Investigators have found . pieces of remote-control equipment among the debris and are analyzing . them, officials said. One official described the detonator as 'close-controlled,' meaning it had to be triggered within several blocks of the bombs. A piece of remote control equipment has been found amongst the debris at the scene of the bombing. Experts say it would have been triggered just blocks away from the site of the bomb . Confused reports about the shootout in a Boston backyard have emerged. Officials now claim that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was unarmed as he hid in boat in Watertown. This contradicts Boston Police Commissioner's account of hour-long firefight with Tsarnaev . Dzhokhar is recovering in a hospital . from injuries suffered during a getaway attempt last Friday. Police had . previously said Dzhokhar exchanged gunfire with them for more than an . hour last Friday before they captured him inside a boat in a suburban Boston neighbourhood. But yesterday, two unnamed officials . said that he was unarmed when captured, raising questions . about the gunfire and how he was injured. The report contradicts the Boston police department's own account of Dzhokar Tsarnaev's capture - after commissioner Ed Davies describes a firefight between him and officers before the terror suspect was captured. More than 4,000 mourners at the . Massachusetts Institute of Technology paid tribute to a campus police . officer who authorities say was gunned down by the bombing . suspects. Among the speakers in Cambridge, just outside Boston, was Vice . President Joe Biden, who condemned the bombing suspects as 'two twisted, . perverted, cowardly, knockoff jihadis.' U.S. Vice President Joe Biden gives his respects to police officers at memorial services for officer Sean Collier, who authorities say was shot dead by the Boston Marathon bombing suspect . Mr Biden paid tribute to officer Sean Collier's family: 'The moment will come when the memory of . Sean is triggered and you know it's going to be OK. The purpose of . terror is to instill fear. You saw none of it here in Boston. Boston, you sent a powerful message to the world.' Investigators have said the . brothers appeared to have been radicalized through jihadist materials on . the Internet and have found no evidence tying them to a terrorist . group. Dzhokhar told the FBI that they were angry about the U.S. wars in . Afghanistan and Iraq and the killing of Muslims there, officials said. | Dzhokhar Tsarnaev questioned for 16 hours before read Miranda rights .
Confessed to plot but was not aware of right to stay silent or to a lawyer .
Pieces of suspicious remote control equipment found in bomb debris . |
58,693 | a67a50c71e58144aa8091fe92735115114f1d41e | A year before two Vanderbilt football players were convicted in a 2013 gang rape, campus officials concluded there was a lack of evidence that 'nonconsensual sexual intercourse' had occurred. The report from the Tennessee school's Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Disability Services Department led to the expulsion of Brandon Vandenburg, Cory Baty and two other players. However, Vanderbilt has refused to release its on-campus findings, leading some to wonder if the panel determined the players had, in fact, raped an unconscious female student. According to the Tennessean, the school's report concluded only that Vandenburg was an 'accomplice' in violating the woman's privacy. Scroll down for video . Guilty: A jury found Brandon Vandenburg, pictured left on Tuesday, and Cory Batey, pictured right on Monday, guilty of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery. A year before, Vanderbilt's internal review came to a different conclusion . Video footage taken during the June 2013 incident shows football players carrying an unconscious woman down a hallway and laughing as they photograph her and remove articles of her clothing. The school is now the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights for its handling of sexual violence allegations. While that investigation is ongoing, Vandenburg and Baty--both 21--face a possible decades-long jail sentence after they were found guilty last week of multiple counts of sexual assault. The two remaining defendants alleged to have joined Batey and Vandenburg in the dorm room attack, former players Jaborian McKenzie and Brandon Banks, probably helped themselves by cooperating with authorities, but their consequences loom much larger now that their former teammates have been found guilty. University officials, experts on sex crimes and survivors of sexual assault at Vanderbilt and all over the country hope the verdict's loudest signal goes out to women suffering in silence - telling them that justice is possible without destroying their own lives in the process. Most college sex assaults don't turn out this way. A recent Justice Department study found that 80 percent of campus rapes went unreported between 1995 and 2013, compared to 67 percent in the general population. An attorney for one of the ex-Vanderbilt University football players convicted of raping an unconscious fellow student says he will ask that a mistrial be declared after learning that a jury member was a rape victim. Fletcher Long says the juror was asked during jury selection about past experience with the criminal justice system, as either a victim or defendant. Long says the juror failed to disclose the rape. Long said the person 'lied to get on the jury' and 'got on with an agenda.' The juror's attorney, Sunny Eaton, said her client did not make misrepresentations. Eaton said the juror's past had 'no impact whatsoever' on decision-making at trial. The Associated Press does not generally identify sexual-assault victims. A spokeswoman for prosecutors said they do not believe the issue will overturn the verdict. Attorney: Vandenburg's lawyer Fletcher Long says he wants to find out if the juror lied during selection . Easy decision: Jurors (from left), Dr Deirdre Young, Todd Easter and Dr. Corbi Milligan said they knew they had to convict Vandenburg and Batey when they saw sickening cell phone footage of the attack . The victim said she hopes her experience will encourage others to discuss how to end campus rapes. 'I want to remind other victims of sexual violence: You are not alone,' she said in a statement read by one of the prosecutors. 'You are not to blame.' In this case, the evidence was overwhelming. Jurors saw university surveillance video and the players' own graphic cellphone images that put them at the scene. Vandenburg could be heard laughing and encouraging the attack on video he shared while it was happening. Testimony showed that he passed out condoms during the June 23, 2013 attack. Charging all four players with rape even though not all of them engaged in the act itself sends a strong message about holding people accountable, said Jane Stapleton, a University of New Hampshire professor who runs bystander intervention programs at campuses. Only two players were accused of raping the student, but all four were charged with it because prosecutors held them criminally responsible based on their actions that night. Vandenburg gets a hug from attorney Albert Perez Jr. after being found guilty. The 21-year-old was called an 'accomplice' in violating the rape victim's privacy in an internal investigation from jsut after the June 2013 incident . 'The jury has spoken. Now it is up to the court to impose an appropriate sentence on the defendants. The conduct revealed by the evidence at trial was profoundly disturbing and utterly unacceptable. 'Our heart goes out to the victim. Her testimony was forceful and brave. She has received our care and support. 'Many months ago Vanderbilt found both defendants responsible for violating our sexual misconduct policy, and we quickly discharged both of them from the football team and subsequently expelled them from the university. We are confident we acted appropriately. 'Since Vanderbilt first reported the incident to the Nashville police, we have given our full cooperation to law enforcement, including the District Attorney's office. We will continue to do so. 'The safety and security of our students is Vanderbilt's top priority. Sexual violence will never be tolerated. Incidents will be investigated, victims will be supported, and perpetrators will be punished. We will also continue our comprehensive ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of every Vanderbilt student intervening when another student is at risk or in distress.' The trial provided a rare opportunity to see what rape really looks like, experts on sexual violence said. 'There's no shortage of rape and sexual assault cases being put out in the media, but very rarely do we hear all the graphic details of a sexual assault,' said Rachel Freeman, vice president of programs at the Sexual Abuse Center of Nashville. And unlike so many other rape cases, this wasn't a matter of 'he-said/she-said.' The video made it obvious the woman was unconscious and totally incapable of consenting, so it was impossible to suggest that she was somehow to blame, Freeman said. The woman testified that the last thing she remembered was Vandenburg giving her drinks at a Nashville nightspot - and that she woke up the next morning in his dorm room, feeling sick and injured. To this day, she has no memory of the attack, she told jurors. Rumors swirled around campus, but she didn't learn what had happened until well after police came to her. The players had tried to cover it up by erasing the images. Testimony showed at least five other Vanderbilt athletes saw her in distress and did not report it. Only when Vanderbilt officials stumbled across closed-circuit TV showing players carrying an unconscious woman through the dormitory and into the room did they begin asking questions and summon the police, who recovered the digital evidence that made all the difference in court. Seeing the case through wasn't easy. The woman cried quietly throughout the trial, and doubled over and appeared to vomit at one point when Batey was testifying. But The Associated Press and other news organizations preserved her privacy, and she endured the proceedings as a Vanderbilt graduate. The attack didn't keep her from finishing her degree, and she's now pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at an out-of-state university. That a victim of gang rape managed to keep her academic career on track is a real achievement, advocates say, something Vanderbilt officials hope students everywhere will consider. Beth Fortune, Vanderbilt's vice chancellor of academic affairs, called the victim's response 'forceful and brave,' and said sexual violence will never be tolerated at the school. 'Incidents will be investigated, victims will be supported, and perpetrators will be punished. We will also continue our comprehensive ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of every Vanderbilt student intervening when another student is at risk or in distress.' 'Attackers': Jaborian 'Tip' McKenzie, left, and Brandon Banks, right, are also accused in the rape case. All four men were expelled from Vanderbilt but never accused of rape by the university . 'Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this difficult process. I'm thankful that the criminal justice system will hold the defendants responsible for their violent crimes. The hard work of the law enforcement officers, prosecutors and victims' advocates who dedicated so many months of their lives to this case has made justice possible. 'I want to especially thank detective Jason Mayo, Sgt. Mike Shreeve, Detective Chad Gish, Deputy District Attorney Tom Thurman, Assistant District Attorneys Jan Norman and Roger Moore and victims' advocates Wanda Swan, Lt. Rochelle Barrios and Teresa Shearon. You are my heroes and I am so proud of and grateful for each of you. 'I am also hopeful that the publicity this case has received will lead to a discussion of how we can end sexual violence on college campuses. Finally, I want to remind other victims of sexual violence: You are not alone. You are not to blame.' | Brandon Vandenburg, 21, and Cory Batey, 21, were found guilty of raping an unconscious student in a dorm room in June 2013 with two other men .
However, an on-campus investigation into the issue determined only that the men were in violation of sexual misconduct rules .
All four implicated men were expelled but Vanderbilt refuses to release internal records of their investigation .
Critics of Vanderbilt's opaque investigation process--and those of school's nationwide--question if the school determined a rape had, in fact, occurred . |
224,177 | ae45d61151dc998f3fb520b9f974867352a811cb | Another year, another Eurogamer. But where only hints of next-gen gaming blessed last year's meeting, this year, the Playstation 4 and Xbox One took centre stage. And generally, both fared very well. Earlier in the year, Daily Mail Games reported that PS4 exclusive Drive Club looked extremely rough around the edges - even being eclipsed in the visual department by current-gen racer, Gran Turismo 6. Out of first gear: at this year's Eurogamer, Drive Club looked far more impressive than the E3 demo . But what a difference a few months make. Dive Club is noticeably sharper, and car models have been given a much-needed spit and polish. Environments are no longer plagued with pop-up, and there's now a subtle motion blur, giving the racer a next-gen sheen. Still, Microsoft's Xbox One exclusive, Forza 5, raced ahead of the pack with regards to graphics. Pixel-perfect cars and dynamic lighting make this one of the best-looking racers yet. Critics may have noticed some of the environments looking slightly bland, but the demo is far from representative of the final game. Stunning: Forza 5 boasted the best visuals of any racer at the event, closely followed by Need For Speed Rivals . Need For Speed Rivals added a much-needed dash of arcade racing to the mix, while The Crew's intriguing multiplayer mechanism is sure to win over fans. Here, players have to work together in a pack of modified super cars to complete objectives - such as ramming a target vehicle off the road. Up close, The Crew's visuals still look slightly raw, but it's hugely impressive in motion - with Burnout-style slow-motion takedowns and intricately-detailed car models. Dark Knight rises: Origins explores a much younger Batman and his animation and fighting style reflects that . Away from the racing scene, and Batman: Arkham Origins was unveiled in all of its glory. It's extremely similar to the last two games - which may leave some fans wanting more. What is noticeable, however, is Batman's movement. He's younger in Origins and so is more agile and graceful than the blunt, heavy-handed hero we've played in the last two games. Being a current-gen game in a sea of next-gen offerings is always hard, but Origins still looked impressive. The sense of scale and the realisation of a snow-covered Gotham create the most visually-striking backdrop yet. Silky smooth: New Order was a masterclass in gaming, boasting a consistent framerate and great visuals . Although queues stretched long and far for Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Ghosts and Titanfall, it was Wolfenstein: New Order that really stood out for us. Running on middle-powered PCs, the visuals still looked breathtaking. Shooting mechanics were incredibly responsive, as were death animations, while a clever lean function emphasises the need to rely on cover (to let health regenerate) and not just running in. Lighting up next year: Dying Light is looking like a much more dynamic version of Dead Island. The free-running component is inspired, too. It's set for release next year . Dying Light, too, a mix of Mirror's Edge and Dead Island was incredibly impressive, too. You play a survivor who must scavenge for weapons and food and must use free-running to escape hordes of zombies. During the day, they are slow and clumsy, but at night they change into frenzied, merciless animals. Boasting dynamic lighting, photo-realistic textures and next-gen motion blur and draw distance, it looks to be the most impressive, open-world zombie game ever created. On this evidence, the future's bright for gamers. Follow us on Twitter: @DailyMailGames and on Facebook: Daily Mail Games. | Dying Light and Wolfenstein: The New Order shine in sea of first-person adventures .
PS4 exclusive Drive Club's visuals look much better than those seen at E3 .
Xbox One's Forza 5 looks on course to steal racing crown .
Batman: Arkham Origins looked impressive - albeit more of the same . |
143,844 | 4602783b0702f6db2d46335aed6ab3bcd949942b | Dr Ali Mao-Aweys faces being struck off after he told an undercover reporter that he could arrange for female circumcision to be carried out on two girls aged 10 and 13 . A doctor faces being struck off after he told an undercover reporter that he could arrange for female circumcision to be carried out on two girls aged 10 and 13. Dr Ali Mao-Aweys was caught on camera discussing female genital mutilation (FGM) with a female investigator, who posed as an aunt asking about the procedure for her nieces. The practice, which in its most extreme form can . involve the almost complete sewing up of a girl's vagina, has been . illegal in the UK since 1985. Dr Mao-Aweys denied offering to assist in arranging female genital mutilation, and was released without charge by police following an investigation. However, a fitness to practise panel at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester today ruled that he had offered to help the undercover reporter, and will now consider whether he should be allowed to continue to work as a doctor. Dr Mao-Aweys, who has private clinics in Birmingham and . Haringey, north London, was targeted in an undercover Sunday Times . sting masterminded by 'Fake Sheikh' Mahzer Mahmood in April 2012. The Somalian national was filmed discussing the barbaric procedure on a camera hidden in the handbag of an unknown female investigator. Posing as a patient 'Ms A', the reporter told the GP she wanted her two fictional nieces, aged 10 and 13, circumcised during a visit from Ghana. The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 made it an offence to carry out the procedure on a British female anywhere in the world. Mao-Aweys was arrested along with Birmingham dentist Omar Addow in May 2012 following the publication of the story on the investigation in the Sunday Times. Both were released without charge, but Addow was struck off by the General Dental Council last year after he was found to have offered to perform circumcision on the girls. Mao-Aweys, who denied the charges, is now facing the same fate after the fitness to practise panel ruled against him today. 'The panel decided that the recordings indicate that Dr Mao-Aweys initially considered doing the operations himself,' said chairman Dr Anthony Morgan. 'Even if Dr Mao-Aweys did not understand the English word 'nieces' he quickly established the ages and genders of the children to whom Ms A was referring. 'He then described an FGM procedure by drawing a diagram, which he referred to as a pharaonic cut [the most extreme form of FGM].' Dr Morgan added: 'It is clear that Dr Mao-Aweys knew that all FGM operations are illegal in the United Kingdom by the references he made to this fact in the consultation and by the comments of it being 'dangerous' with the possibility of going to jail. 'At no point in the consultation did he raise the issue of safeguarding children or any objections on his part to FGM. 'He did not seek to dissuade Ms A from continuing with her plans and only suggested that it would be safer (in the sense of not being illegal) for her to go abroad to have the operation carried out.' The panel saw video footage from two consultations at Mao-Aweys' Birmingham clinic as well as the transcript from a phone call made by the journalist. Target: Dr Mao-Aweys, who has private clinics in Birmingham and Haringey, north London, was targeted in an undercover sting in April 2012 . Sometimes called female circumcision, female genitial mutilation (FGM) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice, described by charity Orchid Project as an 'abuse of human, women’s and child rights', is illegal in the UK. However, it has been estimated that more than 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk in Britain every year, and that 66,000 women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM. The true figure is unknown due to the 'hidden' nature of the crime. FGM is usually carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15, most commonly before puberty starts, and many are taken overseas to undergo the procedure. It is illegal to arrange for a child to . be taken abroad for FGM. If caught, offenders face a large fine and a . prison sentence of up to 14 years. Often FGM is carried out by women with no medical training using knives, scissors, or even pieces of glass, while anaesthetics and antiseptic treatments are not generally used. There are four main types of FGM: Clitoridectomy, where all or part of the clitoris is removed, excision, where all or part or all of the clitoris and the inner labia are removed, infibulation, which is the narrowing of the vaginal opening, and other harmful procedures such as pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping and burning the area. There are no health benefits to FGM. Removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies, causing pain, bleeding, risk of infection and even death. FGM is carried out for cultural, religious and social reasons within families and communities, and is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl properly, and as a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage. FGM is often motivated by the belief that it is beneficial for the girl or woman. Many communities believe it will reduce a woman's libido and discourage sexual activity before marriage. Source: NHS . When asked about the procedure, sometimes referred to as 'cutting', he can be heard to say: 'Ah yes. I can help you.' At one point he also said: 'A Girl. Yes I do girl.' During . their meetings Mao-Aweys offered to assist the investigator in her . efforts to have two girls circumcised and said he knew a doctor in . Birmingham who could help. He told her it was a very short procedure, lasting less than ten minutes, as well as explaining the potential psychological problems and risks if the girls talked to friends or teachers. At times the doctor seems reluctant to discuss performing the operation and warns the reporter of the legal ramifications if caught. He said: 'In Gambia, Somalia - my country - it's no problem, but here they talk too much,' adding: 'I think it's best you go to Africa.' Between 12 April 2012 and 19 April . 2012 in meetings and during a telephone conversation with a reporter . working for the Sunday Times you: . a. Offered to assist in arranging an operation within the UK to effect the . genital mutilation of a female child or children knowing that such an . operation was illegal in the United Kingdom; PROVED . b. Provided information relating to a person whom you knew or believed . could arrange or undertake such an operation which you knew to be . illegal in the United Kingdom; PROVED . c. Gave advice to the journalist as to the arrangement of such an . operation outside the United Kingdom in order to assist her or another . to avoid UK legislation banning such a practice within the UK; PROVED . d. Offered to provide medication to facilitate such an operation outside . the United Kingdom in order to assist her or another to avoid UK . legislation banning such a practice within the United Kingdom. PROVED . When Mazher Mahmood phoned Mao-Aweys on April 21 to put the allegations to the doctor he denied offering to assist in FGM. He continued to deny the claims in interviews with police after he was arrested on 4 May 2012 and said he thought the reporter was referring to boys when she said nieces. During the hearing, Mao-Aweys, whose first language is German, claimed he had been 'entrapped' by the journalist and had thought he was discussing a legal FGM 'reversal' procedure or circumcision on boys. He failed to mount a full defence case when he walked out of the hearing after splitting with his legal team and losing a string of legal challenges to halt proceedings, claiming he had racked up around £250,000 in legal fees since the allegations emerged. The panel found his version of events was 'not credible or reliable' and that the recordings show he quickly established they were talking about females. 'Dr Mao-Aweys' own account of the tone of the consultation with Ms A appears to be at odds with what is seen and heard in the video footage,' said Dr Morgan. The panel will now decide if his fitness to practise is impaired due to misconduct before considering what sanction to impose. FGM is most common among some African, Asian and Middle Eastern communities and it is thought at least 66,000 girls and women in the UK are believed to be victims of FGM. The term FGM applies to a range of procedures that alter the female genitals for non-medical reasons, the most serious of which is the almost complete sewing up of the vagina. Although the practice has been banned in the UK since 1985 no successful prosecutions have been brought under British law, although two men face trial for FGM offences in January next year. Dr Dhanuson Dharmasena, 31, is accused of carrying out the procedure on a woman after she gave birth at Whittington Hospital in Archway, north London, on 24 November 2012. The alleged victim's husband, Hasan Mohamed, 40, will also face trial for allegedly encouraging FGM restoration. The hearing continues. | Dr Ali Mao-Aweys caught on camera discussing procedure with investigator .
Filmed saying he knew a doctor who could help perform circumcision .
He denied offering to assist in arranging procedure, which is illegal in UK .
Fitness to practise hearing rules against doctor, who faces being struck off . |
7,690 | 15c98bec0d7e09e8eea3a9ce914ffd368c5fc66f | By . Lyle Brennan . PUBLISHED: . 13:08 EST, 5 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:12 EST, 5 April 2012 . A police chase gone wrong has left a 25-year-old woman with 'potentially life-changing injuries' after a patrol car smashed into her hatchback early this morning. Two officers were also injured when their Ford S-Max collided with two vehicles in Danbury, Essex, at 6.39am. They were tailing a green Fiat Stilo estate which had been reported stolen from Suffolk when they hit a blue VW Beetle and a blue Toyota Aygo on the A414, Maldon Road. Destroyed: The wreckage of a Toyota Aygo stands where a high speed police chase through Danbury, Essex, ended in a multiple collision this morning . Response: Paramedics attend to one of the three people hurt in this morning's crash. The 25-year-old woman driving the Toyota was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries . Essex Police said the woman driving the Aygo was airlifted to a London hospital. Both police officers were taken to Broomfield Hospital in Essex. It is not thought that any of their injuries are life threatening. A police spokeswoman said the Fiat Stilo stopped nearby and the two people inside ran off. Two hours later, a 21-year-old was arrested in Danbury on suspicion of stealing a motor vehicle and is being questioned by detectives. Aftermath: The woman's Toyota blocks the road next to a VW Beetle also involved in the smash. The Beetle's driver was not hurt but is said to have been 'badly shaken' Investigation: A team at the crash scene document the site where a total of five cars including two civilian vehicles were damaged. Two people later abandoned the stolen car that officers were chasing . Police later confirmed the driver of the Aygo, from Maldon, Essex, suffered serious, 'potentially life-changing' injuries. An Essex Police spokesman said: 'All the thoughts of every police officer concerned are with her and her family.' The driver of the VW Beetle was 'badly shaken' but did not require hospital treatment. Police said the crash is being investigated and officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Chief Superintendent Tim Stokes said: 'Only specially trained police officers are able to carry out pursuits of other vehicles. 'Any decision to authorise a pursuit must be a reasonable and proportionate response to the crime or other issue and proper procedures must be followed, including proper command and control.' Crumpled: A police Ford S-Max lies damaged after the collision. Essex Police said they are holding a 21-year-old in connection with the stolen car that officers had been pursuing . | Essex Police holding a 21-year-old on suspicion of stealing a car in Suffolk . |
58,842 | a6e9a4347d1027b3172e1d1ac9199929721cc19b | By . Phil Blanche, Press Association Sport . Six-time Paralympic champion David Weir has pulled out of this week's IPC Athletics European Championships. Weir was due to compete in four races in Swansea against his great Swiss rival Marcel Hug but has been forced to withdraw with tendonitis in his arm. The 35-year-old won four Paralympic gold medals at London 2012 in T54 events at 800 metres, 1500m, 5000m and the marathon following two golds at Beijing four years earlier. Injury setback: London 2012 champion David Weir has suffered an injury to his arm . Main rival: Weir was scheduled to race alongside Marcel Hug of Switzerland in four separate events . Weir took a break from competition last year and missed the World Championships in Lyon but won Commonwealth Games gold in the Para-sport T54 over 1500 metres in Glasgow last month. Nearly 40 countries and over 550 athletes will be competing in the Swansea event from August 19-23, many of the British team fresh from taking part at the Commonwealth Games. And English discus thrower Dan Greaves insists there will be no let up after his Glasgow gold. Greaves hit the headlines when he won England's first track and field gold at the Commonwealth Games in the men's Para-sport F42/44 discus competition at Hampden Park. Chasing success: Dan Greaves will not be resting on his laurels after winning gold in Glasgow . The Leicestershire athlete's throw of 59.21m pushed Welshman Aled Davies into second place and now he is aiming for European gold at championships which start in Swansea on Tuesday. 'The fact that the Commonwealth Games were only a few weeks ago means I'm still in great shape,' said Greaves. 'It's not as if the Europeans have come later in the year and you have to double peak. 'It was fantastic to compete at a multi-sport Championship and to win the first gold medal for England was a great feeling.' Greaves, 31, won Paralympic discus gold at Athens in 2004 and also picked up silvers in 2000 and 2012 and a bronze in Beijing in 2008. But Greaves admitted: 'Glasgow was one of my most special medals. 'The Paralympics is the top of tree for us athletes but it was fantastic to compete in the Commonwealth Games, especially as it was held in Britain. 'I've got a picture of the medal of my phone and when I see it between training sessions it gives me a constant reminder of the motivation I need to succeed.' | The six-time Paralympic champion was due to take part in six races .
Dave Weir was preparing to take on his Swiss rival Marcel Hug .
The Brit won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month . |
200,922 | 901c6217ce638e64bc58f4cf0fe015b2c67cc649 | By . Julian Robinson . Afsor Ali, pictured, has been accused in court of keeping terror tutorials on his MP3 player . A Muslim extremist had a library of terror manuals including personal tutorials on Jihad with radical preacher Omar Bakri, the Old Bailey has heard. Afsor Ali kept a stash of Al Qaeda documents, bomb making plans, and extremist lectures on his computer, selecting some to carry with him on his MP3 player, the court was told. The 27-year-old also warned of a terrorist attack on the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and called for a Burn American Flag Day in inflammatory YouTube videos, is is said. Ali was allegedly the spokesman of banned extremist group Muslims Against Crusades when he praised the 9/11 suicide bomb attacks on America. Ali was personally counselled by Bakri, the militant cleric dubbed the Tottenham Ayatollah, and recorded two of their conversations about Jihadi fighting and martyrdom. He is on trial accused of having the Al Qaeda magazine Inspire and terrorist manual ‘39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad’ on his computers and MP3 player. Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow said Ali was a leader of Muslims Against Crusades and appeared in four YouTube videos under the alias Abu Assadullah promoting extremism. In one clip, from April 2011, Ali ‘warns the viewer not to attend the Royal Wedding since there’s the risk of an attack by Muslim groups’, he said. ‘He explains to the viewer that the British public have no one to blame except themselves because of the inability to condemn their government.’ Another clip calls for Sharia Law in the UK, while in a third Ali ‘describes 9/11 as a historic event and suggests it has exposed the American ideology to be a fallacy’. ‘He describes the 9/11 atrocity as a blessing and an eye-opener for the American people’, said the prosecutor, of the fourth clip featuring Ali. His activities were investigated after he was arrested outside the American embassy in London on December 2, 2011, while leading a violent protest against drone strikes in Pakistan. Police suspect the group of 30 masked men protesting under the name United Ummah and led by Ali were also members of Muslims Against Crusades. After a violent tussle with police, Ali was arrested and an MP3 player in his pocket was found to contain the Inspire magazine. The magazine, produced by Al Qaeda, was a special edition produced to celebrate the ‘martyrdom’ of Osama Bin Laden. Ali’s laptop and hard drive, seized from his home, in east London contained a library of extremist material, including bomb making tips and guides to using AK47s, the court heard. Afsor Ali, pictured, kept a stash of Al Qaeda documents, bomb making plans, and extremist lectures on his computer, selecting some to carry with him on his MP3 player, the court was told . ‘There was also recordings of phone calls this defendant had with Omar Bakri, a radical ideologue and leader of a militant organisation while he was here in the UK’, said Mr Glasgow. ‘The defendant’s voice has been identified by experts, and the defendant accepts it’s him on the phone speaking to Omar Bakri. ‘This defendant and a colleague were seeking advice on the duty of Muslim males to participate in Jihad, and they discussed the requirement of Muslims to travel abroad to fight for Jihad.’ The court of making warned of a terrorist attack on the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured), a court heard . He said Ali is heard saying it ‘would be sinful’ for them not to go abroad to fight. Ali was picked out at the protest as a leader of the group, shouting angrily at police and leading chanting by the others. ‘He appeared angry and was gesturing and shouting at the police officers’, said Mr Glasgow. ‘He had his fists clenched and he was shouting in anger. Ali had a library of terror manuals including personal tutorials on Jihad with radical preacher Omar Bakri (pictured), the court heard . ‘When an officer tried to detain another person from within the crowd, the defendant lunged forward and pushed the officers backwards.’ Mr Glasgow said the YouTube videos and computer material was only found after his arrest at the protest. The Inspire magazine had been transferred from the computer to the MP3 player, then back again, Mr Glasgow said, and was in a folder stored under the name Assadullah.. He told the court: ‘This defendant is likely to claim he has no idea how these files came to be saved on to his electronic devices. ‘He is likely to claim others had access to the hard disk and the MP3 player. ‘He claims anyone could have downloaded these files or it was downloaded accidentally without his knowledge. ‘If he is correct, and he had no idea what was saved on his computer, MP3 player, and external hard disk, you will want to consider with care the background to the offences. ‘If as we suggest is the case, the defendant was the spokesperson for a radical group of extremists, if the defendant was actively seeking advice from an extremist religious cleric on the duty of Muslims to participate in violent Jihad, if the defendant had a keen interest in religious Jihad and the call for violence against the West, you might want to ask yourself how the very information he was interest in was stored on his computer devices without his knowledge.’ Ali of Bethnal Green, east London, denies four counts of possessing documents containing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Afsor Ali warned of terrorist attack on wedding of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, court hears .
The 27-year-old called 9/11 attacks a 'blessing' and had library of terror manuals, Old Bailey told .
He was allegedly the spokesman of banned group Muslims Against Crusades .
Court hears he was personally counselled by militant cleric Omar Bakri . |
192,581 | 854a9649acf657302c6085fda893b36a175fa98a | Apple fans should be able to get their hands on the Apple Watch in March, but if you can't wait that long, a firm has created an online demo. The interactive watch is modelled on official images released by Apple, and lets people see how their messages, emails and homescreen will look and work. The demo also shows how push notifications will appear, and lets users control music on the virtual watch. The interactive watch (pictured) is modelled on official images released by Apple, and lets people see how their messages, emails and homescreen will look and work. Clicking the crown on the right of the watch brings up the homescreen, featuring a host of circular app icons . It was created by designers at Pipes, an app that lets people track news stories and trending topics. Clicking the crown on the right of the digital watch brings up the homescreen, featuring a host of circular app icons. Clicking the mouse and moving it to the left and right will swipe through pages on the watch's face. And clicking an individual icon will open that particular app. Reports suggest that supplies of the iPod Shuffle are dwindling. Apple's online store quotes a delivery time of between seven and 10 days. By comparison, other iPod products are shipped within 24 hours. Apple fan site 9to5Mac said Apple has warned its retail employees Shuffle supplies will be short for an 'unspecified period of time'. For example, clicking the iTunes icon opens a music player screen and lets users press play and pause, and change the volume. On the left-hand side of the demo are options that let users see how push notifications will appear, as well as how Apple's Glances feature works. Glances is a summary of the apps the user open the most, such as Facebook, the weather app, emails or maps. The feature is similar to Google Now, and on the physical version of the watch, Glances will be accessible by swiping up from the bottom of the watch face. In the demo, Glances shows the weather, news articles from Mashable, and Pipes' Top Stories menu. It's a basic demonstration, but gives users an idea of how popular apps will appear on the watch's 1.5-inch display. Clicking the mouse and moving it to the left and right will swipe through pages on the watch's face. And clicking an individual icon will open that particular app (Messages app pictured left). For example, clicking the iTunes icon opens a music player (right) and lets users press play and pause, and change the volume . The demo was created by designers at Pipes, an app that lets people track news stories and trending topics. It's a basic demo, but gives users an idea of how apps will appear on the watch's 1.5-inch display (pictured) Earlier this week, reports said Apple is 'finishing up' work on the Apple Watch’s software and it could go on sale in March. Apple fan site 9to5mac said sources familiar with the product’s development believe the device will ship in the US by the end of the first quarter of 2015. Glances feature (picutred) shows info users would like to see, similar to Google Now, and is accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen . So far Apple has refused to reveal exactly when it will be released, although a statement made to Apple employees suggests the release will be in 'the spring.' It has previously been claimed that suppliers were struggling to make enough screens and processors. Now 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman said Apple Store employees are set to be trained in February. 'One or two representatives from many Apple Stores in the United States, depending on store and market size, will be sent to Apple offices in either Cupertino, California or Austin, Texas to learn first-hand about the Watch,' he claimed. 'These training programs will take place between 9 February and 16 February.' The employees will then train the rest of their store's staff, it is believed. Unveiled on 9 September at Apple's iPhone 6 launch event, the Apple Watch is the company's foray into wearables. Samsung, LG, Sony, Motorola and Microsoft have already launched their own smartwatches, but Apple is expected to face unprecedented demand for its timepiece. Quanta, which is building the watch, has upped its number of workers from 2,000 to 10,000 and is ultimately aiming for 20,000. The initial round of shipments will be 3 to 5 million watches. Apple anticipates a total of 24 million watches to be shipped during 2015. During the announcement in September, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook didn't announce exactly when the watch would be available, but said it would go on sale 'early next year.' A 'source close to Apple' told The Information in November that the firm 'would be lucky to ship [the watch] before Valentine's Day'. Despite the range of impressive features unveiled by Mr Cook, there was something he failed to mention: battery life. Apple's chief executive Tim Cook (pictured) unveiled the watch at a launch event in September. Earlier this week, reports said Apple is 'finishing up' work on the watch’s software and it could go on sale in March . Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications . The watch has a completely new user interface, different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown.' Users can turn the crown to zoom in and out on a map, or scroll a list. The crown can also be pressed to take the user back to the home screen. Different areas on the watch face can be customised with taps and swipes, and force touches. The Glances feature shows info users would like to see, similar to Google Now, and is accessed by swiping the screen up from the bottom. Music can also be controlled on an iPhone through the Apple Watch. Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications. It understands questions in messages and then offers pre-selected answers, and messages can be dictated to the iPhone. Users can also talk to the watch and send a voice reply, or have it transcribed to them. There is no keyboard on the watch, and messages can only be sent through dictation, or emoji. Siri also is built into the Apple Watch. The telling omission suggests the watch’s battery life will be the Achilles Heel of the device when it eventually does go on sale. Apple is said to be unhappy with the watch's battery life, and the long lead time before the $349 (£216) product ships could mean the device will be more functional once it's released early next year. Most existing smartwatches on the market, such as Pebble and MetaWatch, tend to last up to a week on a single charge. The closest Cook came to talking about the battery life for the Watch was saying that users would ‘charge it at night.’ During an interview in Bloomberg Business Week, Apple's senior vice president of operations Jeff WIlliams said: 'We want to make the best product in the world. The watch has a completely new user interface (left), different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown' (right) presented by chief executive Tim Cook . The company's chief executive added the Apple Watch ‘can be worn all day, for any occasion,’ but hourly figures were notably absent. The long lead time before the $349 (£216) product ships could mean the device will be more functional once it's released early next year . 'One of our competitors is on their fourth or fifth attempt, but nobody is wearing them.' The company's chief executive added that the Apple Watch ‘can be worn all day, for any occasion,’ but hourly figures were notably absent. A source said Apple is unhappy with the watch's battery life, according to Re/Code. Another source confirmed to the technology site that that the battery life ‘is about a day now.’ A spokesperson for Apple declined to provide battery details to MailOnline and said they will be revealed closer to launch next year. | The interactive watch is modelled on official images released by Apple .
It lets people see how their messages, emails and homescreen will look and work.The demo also shows how push notifications will appear, and lets users control music on the watch.
Apple Retail staff expected to undergo training in February .
Software for watch is almost finished, according to blog 9to5mac . |
164,831 | 6122f0d6a215f10b68a567accf872a29b1ce1a0b | Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic is poised to wrap up his move to Schalke over the coming days. Sportsmail revealed Schalke's interest last month and that of AC Milan. The Italians have failed to follow up with any substantial bid as they push their finances towards other priorities and Schalke are hopeful of concluding an initial loan with a view to a permanent £10million signing. Nastasic, 21, has 16 caps for Serbia and was considered to have a promising future when he arrived from Fiorentina for £12m. However, he has failed to establish himself and the arrival of Eliaquim Mangala has limited his prospects further. Manchester City outcast Matija Nastasic is poised to join German side Schalke over the coming days . Arsenal and Inter Milan showed interest initially but Schalke coach Roberto Di Matteo has pressed for Nastasic and the German side will conclude a deal shortly. City are continuing to look for a left-sided defender but that is more likely to be for the summer. They remain confident of James Milner signing a new contract with them and are waiting for Aston Villa to improve their offer for Scott Sinclair. Manchester City are waiting for Aston Villa to improve their offer for winger Scott Sinclair . Chelsea starlet Lewis Baker has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan after they won a three-way tussle for his signature with Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest. The England Under 20 international is one of Chelsea's brightest prospects and the three Championship sides were eager to add him to their squads to improve their chances of promotion. Jose Mourinho said that he would have failed as a coach if Baker, 19, did not become an England international under his management. The stylish midfielder has been a key member of Chelsea's U21 side, where he acts as a midfield general cajoling and pushing his side forward with simple, effective passing and good movement. He made his senior debut a year ago against Derby County in the FA Cup as a late substitute. Sheffield Wednesday beat Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers to loan signing of Chelsea's Lewis Baker . Chelsea's Todd Kane signed for Forest on Thursday. Meanwhile, Barnsley are discussing a deal for former Chelsea forward Milan Lalkovic. The 22-year-old Slovakia U21 international was born in Kosice but was signed by Chelsea at 16. He never made an appearance but had various loan spells before moving to Czech side Mlada Boleslav and Danny Wilson is keen to bring him back to England. Inter Milan are continuing to press for Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva. Inter Milan, managed by former Man City boss Roberto Mancini, are pressing for Liverpool's Lucas Leiva . The Brazilian is on around £85,000 a week and has a lengthy contract. Inter, who are ready to offload troublesome striker Dani Osvaldo, are close to signing Xherdan Shaqiri from Bayern Munich but want a reliable midfielder like Lucas to protect their defence. Liverpool have been linked with a move for Roma's Miralem Pjanic but initial signs are the midfielder is not keen on a move to Anfield. Roma's Miralem Pjanic has been linked with Liverpool but doesn't fancy a move to the Anfield club . Arsenal have gone cool on a deal for St Etienne's Loic Perrin after his club asked for £8m for the 29-year-old defender. Villarreal's versatile defender Gabriel Paulista has since been put forward to Arsene Wenger and is a player all the scouting staff like but a work permit would seem improbable. The 24-year-old Brazilian has not been capped by his country and reportedly has no dual passport. He is expected to join Brazil's future squads but that will struggle to get him past an appeal. His team-mate Bruno Soriano has also been discussed. Arsenal have been told any deal for West Ham United's Winston Reid would cost them £7m in a transfer fee and they are weighing up their options. Arsenal are weighing up defensive options having been told West Ham United's Winston Reid will cost £7m . Eccentric Sampdoria owner Massimo Ferrero wants Samuel Eto'o from Everton. Ferrero, a film producer, has cut a controversial and sometimes comical figure in the Italian media with outspoken comments and marketing ideas. He has attempted to engineer a return to Italy for Mario Balotelli with his out-of-contract goalkeeper Sergio Romero going the other way and is now looking at Everton striker Eto'o. After the recent match against Lazio, representatives from the club met with the player's agent, Claudio Vigorelli. The Everton striker, who also has tentative interest from Valencia, is understood to be willing to listen to their offer as he considers whether to remain at Goodison Park for another season. The big obstacle for Sampdoria is his wages with 33-year-old Eto'o reputed to be earning £2.35m a season. Sampdoria's eccentric owner Massimo Ferrero (right) is keen to sign Everton forward Samuel Eto'o . Blackburn Rovers are looking for around £6m for striker Rudy Gestede as West Browmich Albion show interest. The 6ft 4ins striker has scored 12 goals in 23 games this season which prompted Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp and Kevin Bond to check on him when Blackburn played at Brentford last month. He scored again but QPR decided, with their transfer budget, that Gestede was not for them. Tony Pulis, however, believes he may be a player worth taking a chance on. Gestede's team-mate Jordan Rhodes continues to draw scouts to Ewood Park also but the likes of Southampton have yet to follow up with a bid. Albion, meanwhile, have also checked on Sheffield Wednesday's French defender Claude Dielna, 27, who can play centre back and le t-back. He scored his only goal in the 2-1 win over Blackburn last month. West Bromwich Albion have shown an interest in Blackburn Rovers striker Rudy Gestede . Tottenham Hotspur are willing to make an offer for Burnley striker Danny Ings in this window but Sean Dyche is hopeful the England U21 international will still see out his contract. Leicester City have already bid £8m for the 22-year-old but the prospect of moving to Tottenham now is more tantalising. Burnley would still make £3m in compensation should Ings leave at the end of his deal in the summer but the player is having to consider whether Tottenham will move on to other targets by that stage. Tottenham expect to lose Kyle Naughton to Swansea City and are waiting for West Brom and others to place serious bids for Aaron Lennon. Albion and Southampton also have an interest in Ings. Burnley will announce the permanent signing of Michael Keane from Manchester United over the next 24 hours. Tottenham's former striker Jermaine Defoe is training with the club's development squad for the next week 'to maintain fitness during MLS close season'. Tottenham are interested in Burnley's Danny Ings but Sean Dyche hopes the striker will see out his contract . Leicester and Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping a check on Basford United winger Blair Anderson. The Midland FL Premier Division club are managed by former Stoke City striker Martin Carruthers and Anderson has ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie playing alongside him. Scouts from League One clubs have also been following his progress this season and believe Anderson can make the step up into league football. Rotherham have completed the signing of Leicester's Jack Barmby, 20, on loan for the rest of the season. Rotherham have completed the signing of Leicester City's Jack Barmby on loan for the rest of the season . Red Star Belgrade are close to signing former QPR winger Josh Parker. The 24-year-old has had a colourful career. He was born in Slough but has been capped by Antigua and Barbuda and has been playing for Domzale in Slovenia where his return of 14 goals in 42 games caught the attention of scouts and Red Star, now known as Crvena Zvezda, have offered him a contract. Millwall are in discussions to sign Wales and Charlton striker Simon Church on loan. Portsmouth and Mansfield Town are interested in taking Oxford United midfielder Alfie Potter on a permanent deal. The 25-year-old has made over 130 appearances for Oxford since joining from Peterborough. He has scored three goals this season. Newport striker Christian Jolley is attracting interest from Dover Athletic and Eastleigh. The 26-year-old former Wimbledon player had a recent spell on loan at Forest Green. | Matija Nastasic has failed to establish himself at Manchester City .
The Serbia international is set to join Schalke over the coming days .
Inter Milan are keen on signing Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva .
Miralem Pjanic has been linked with the Reds but is not keen on moving .
Sampdoria owner Massimo Ferrero wants Everton forward Samuel Eto'o . |
57,976 | a4485e69e7a098273b40962c3111efd5e8c90b85 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 18:20 EST, 24 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:39 EST, 25 December 2012 . Brussels sprouts weren’t the only thing in short supply on Christmas Eve. Parking was such a premium at one supermarket, a shopper took the nuclear option and left his car in a trolley bay. The motorist, known only as Jim, had joined the late rush to buy some extra supplies of beer at his local Asda in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Amazing: This impatient driver was so desperate to get to the supermarket they parked in a trolley bay . But he found himself driving around . searching in vain for an empty space. Thanks to an impressive piece of . parking, he squeezed his Peugeot 107 into the trolley bay and went into . the supermarket. The customer would normally have been . fined £75, but the stunt caused such hilarity among staff and shoppers . that the manager let him off. Jim said: ‘There was just loads of . traffic, I thought I would just park it in the bay as there were no . trollies in it. ‘It’s only a small car so it fitted in fine. I have to admit it was a bit of a struggle to get out of the car.’ 'When I got back there was a huge crowd . looking at my car, the manager of Asda was even there. They said there . would normally be a £75 fine, but it was so funny they would let it go. 'She said they wanted to frame it in their office. I was only going there to buy some beer.' An amazed passer-by snapped the parked vehicle and posted it on Twitter, where it immediately went viral. But he was shocked when he returned with his beer to find a crowd had gathered to marvel at his feat. Laughs: A selection of comments after the picture spread through Twitter . Simon Freeman, 34, who was at the car park, said he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the car. He said: 'It's amazing he even managed to get out of the car, I'm sure he must have had to climb out of the sunroof. 'It was pretty busy in there I must admit, but the rest of us just drove around waiting properly. 'There were certainly some annoyed . people bringing their trolleys back but I think their anger faded after . the looked at the achievement for a bit.' An amazed passer-by snapped the unusually-parked black Peugeot and posted it to Twitter, where it quickly went viral. Staff and other shoppers are seen staring in utter bafflement at the unusual sight. Because of the tweet Asda became one of the top trending topics across the UK. One tweet said: 'Apparently someone really wanted a space.' Quips on Twitter included: 'Ha ha. They must be off their trolley', 'The best supermarket parking you will see today', 'No parking at Asda - no problem, just park in the trolley bay' and 'The lengths we go 2 for a turkey'. 'The lengths we go 2 for a Turkey!' One twitter user's take on the unusual scene . | Frustrated driver dumps car in the Nuneaton Asda's trolley bay .
Pic of car and flabbergasted shoppers and staff becomes viral hit .
One Twitter user said: 'The lengths we go 2 for a turkey' |
139,668 | 409e2e3ac84a128d0dc0276df81d5e4bbcd227be | Mystery spin bowlers have bamboozled English batsmen for years but on Thursday at Lord’s the deception for once will be on the other hand when Sri Lanka will be forced to counter the unorthodox in this summer’s First Test. Moeen Ali will become the first England spinner with the doosra in his armoury to play Test cricket when he faces the kings of the unconventional and attempts to fill the massive gap left by the retirement of Graeme Swann. To add to the irony of England being the team with something outside of the ordinary in their ranks for this two-Test Investec series, it is a spinner who has long been their nemesis who provided Moeen’s inspiration. Mystery man: Ali has been working on his doosra, the off-spinner's delivery that goes the other way . Man in form: Moeen Ali is set to make his test debut on Thursday having impressed in the shorter forms . Saeed Ajmal has been both successful and controversial in equal measure against an England team traditionally suspicious of what can be viewed as a dark art, but he may have done them a huge favour in mentoring Moeen, 26, at Worcestershire. ‘I’ll be ready,’ said Moeen at Lord’s on Tuesday, as he prepared to become one of three Test debutants in the England team, along with opener Sam Robson, 24, and all-rounder Chris Jordan, 25. ‘I know what I need to do as a spinner and I’m sure I can do a good job.’ Swann’s job has been handed, for now at least, to a man who is principally a stylish middle-order batsman but who is adamant he can become a good enough spinner to dispel England’s specialist slow-bowling concerns. ‘I’m not here to try to replace him,’ said Moeen of stepping into Swann’s shoes. ‘I’m here to do exactly what I’ve been doing at Worcester. I’m a batsman who bowls, at the moment, but I’m more than a part-time bowler and I have the potential to be a top spinner.’ He will try to do it, almost uniquely among Englishmen, by employing the doosra, the off-spinner’s delivery which turns away from the right-hander but which has always raised questions about its legitimacy. Dual role: Ali says he sees himself primarily as a batsman but can develop into a top quality spinner . Swing bowling all-rounder Gary Gilmour, who tore through England in the semi-final of the first World Cup in 1975, has died at 62. He battled health problems for years and complications escalated after a recent fall. The left-armer took six for 14 against England in the 1975 World Cup semi-final at Headingley. Gilmour (right) had a liver transplant in 2005 when former captain Ian Chappell and some old team-mates raised money for the surgery. ‘He was at the front of the queue when they were handing out talent, but unfortunately he was right at the back of the queue when they handed out health and good luck,’ said Chappell yesterday. Former Australia Test cricketer and popular broadcaster Kerry O’Keeffe said in a tweet: ‘Gus Gilmour has passed away... a sad day... had not an enemy in the game.’ Moeen told Sportsmail last month that he was prepared to bowl the wrong ’un this season after working on it at New Road with Ajmal, and now he is ready to unleash it on Sri Lanka after a successful experiment in county cricket. The visitors, meanwhile, will rely on orthodox slow-left armer Rangana Herath. ‘It’s coming on well and if I have a couple of good days of practice I’ll be ready to bowl it in this match,’ said Moeen, who estimates he has bowled eight doosras in County Championship cricket this season and five or six in each Twenty20 game. But with Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake being the latest mystery bowler to be reported for having a suspect action, during the fourth one-day international at Lord’s only last month, is Moeen confident it is legal? ‘The umpires have told me so far they can’t see the difference, so that’s a positive,’ said Moeen. ‘A lot of people have said they think it’s pretty sound and I can bowl it. I can’t wait to get my first wicket with it. Saeed told me once you get one or two wickets with it, you start bowling it a lot more.’ He is quick to praise Worcestershire’s overseas player. Doosra danger: Senanayake (left) has had his action questioned but Ali is confident in his own doosra . Swann song: Moeen insists he is not going to replace Graeme Swann but can offer something different . ‘Saeed has helped me loads,’ said Moeen. ‘He’s pushed me and given me a lot of confidence because it does take a bit of time to master it. You can’t beat the training I do with him.’ Clearly not everyone in the England camp agrees. Only last month, Stuart Broad appeared to question Ajmal’s action on Twitter, forcing the ECB to remind him of his social media responsibilities. Did Saeed have any message for Stuart? ‘No, he was just a little bit upset,’ admitted Moeen. ‘I haven’t spoken to Stuart about it. It’s none of my business. I just let them carry on.’ The wider significance of Moeen’s debut, as he explained to Sportsmail last month, is his determination to be a positive role model for young Muslims who, like him, grew up in inner-city areas with potential problems such as Birmingham. The beard he wears proudly as a sign of his Islamic faith — ‘the beard that is feared’ as a Worcestershire marketing slogan has it — should be an inspirational symbol for British Asians as he walks down the famous pavilion steps at Lord’s. Young guns: Chris Jordan (left) and Sam Robson (right) could both be in line to make their debuts this week . ‘The beard is a label for us to show we are Muslim, just as you would wear a school uniform,’ said Moeen, whose famous cricketing family will all be in attendance at Lord’s. ‘It represents being on your best behaviour all the time. It means a lot to me and to other people too. ‘In terms of trying to inspire other people with faith to play cricket, I am very proud of that.’ He is a significant as well as highly promising England cricketer. | England face Sri Lanka in first test on Thursday .
Ali set for debut as middle order batsman and mystery spinner .
Worcestershire man grateful for Saeed Ajmal's influence, but doesn't see himself as replacement for Graeme Swann .
Opener Sam Robson and all-rounder Chris Jordan could also make debuts . |
69,567 | c530fac8326da1bbe6ade2eb938fba3a452ea97a | (CNN) -- Ger Jansen is puzzling about how to fit a windshield. His problem is not installing it in a car, but hanging the glass in thin air and keeping it hovering for a prolonged display. This is a fairly typical challenge for the Dutch engineer, who along with his daughter Angela runs Crealev, a leading levitation design firm. The mysterious art of floating has been largely confined to ultra-specialist industry applications and magician tricks, but the Jansens have developed a repertoire for any occasion; from lifting a model's top hat for a fashion shoot to a giant rock in a striking art display. They have given sneakers air for Nike, and produced a range of self-suspending lamps for the home. These are all given flight by patented modules that induce magnetic levitation. The kit is comprised of two parts: a magnetic disc that can be integrated into the chosen object, and a base containing sensors that pin it in space. The latest and most heavy-duty module can support up to 10 kilograms to a height of nine centimeters, but bespoke services are available for unlimited height and weight. "Our customers drive us by requesting more demanding solutions," says Jansen. "For the higher and heavier loads we have to combine the largest levitation modules." The company is also developing programming to make the magnets smarter, more responsive and capable of more sophisticated movement. "People don't want something to just float but also to interact with it. What should happen then is that sensors around the object move depending on the movement of people, so the object is more intelligent." Jansen is flooded with requests to make every conceivable item levitate. One popular option for illusionists and thrill-seekers is to make a human float, which he is pursuing with some reservations. "You could have magnets inserted into clothes but it would not feel like resting on the clouds ... If you have these magnets working together it's a giant force. It can hurt the skin. There need to be safety precautions." The Chairless Chair, an invisible chair that you can wear . The Jansens are not alone as there is a growing market of levitating applications for consumers. A Californian company has released a set of floating speakers, promising a unique experience for the listener. Czech designers have produced a computer mouse buoyed by magnetic levitation, designed to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome. But the limiting factor of magnetic levitation is requiring a base to float over, effectively requiring that objects are stationary. This largely puts paid to the hoverboard dream inspired by "Back to the Future" -- another of the Jansens' most common requests -- and explains why transport seems the best placed industry to make use of the technique. Until recently, "Maglev" trains were expected to revolutionize public transport, promising increased speeds over 300mph. But the high cost and energy consumption has slowed their growth and today only China and Japan operate such a system. That could change with the advent of superconductor-powered vehicles, able to generate greater magnetic force with lower power consumption. High concept projects such as China's 'Super Maglev' would use this system for supersonic transport, and it could even support space missions. Dr. Ludwig Schultz of Dresden' Institute for Metallic Materials works with maglev vehicles and feels superconduction offers significant advantages. "It gives you much more freedom. The energy storage is more efficient, and there are no moving parts. It can be extremely fast with frictionless motion." Schultz has developed his own superconducting levitating vehicle -- the "Supratrans," a lightweight buggy that hovers above tracks, held in place with a self-stabilizing mechanism. He imagines it being used for rapid transfers in airports, although one research area looks at creating routes and vehicles for private use. The spaceship reinvented for new frontiers . The applications from superconductors need not be limited to transport, says Schultz. He has consulted on projects to float a 60-ton stage, and to enhance gravity in space, among other ambitious plans. Another levitation breakthrough has come at the micro level, and by a different method. This year, Japanese scientists used acoustic levitation to manipulate small objects with three-dimensional capability for the first time. Researchers created a "moveable ultrasonic focal point" that allowed them unprecedented control with sound waves. Experts hailed the potential impact for molecular analysis for chemistry and medicine, but lead researcher Yoichi Ochiai of the University of Tokyo also foresees wider applications: "I would like to draw huge levitated graphics in stadiums or concerts," he said. "Or for use in our daily lives such as floating interactions at home and small object levitation." In many cases, levitation technologies have yet to find meaningful functions, either serving novelty purposes or yet to break out of the research stage. But the possibilities are multiplying, and the applications are becoming established in fields such as entertainment and transport. If the spread continues, magicians may need to learn some new tricks. The Chairless Chair, an invisible chair that you can wear . The spaceship reinvented for new frontiers . Lighting on the wall: World's most spectacular video projections . | New technology makes levitation a reality for home furnishings, vehicles, and... rocks?
Magnetic levitation technology is already allowing Japanese trains to travel at over 500km/h .
Advances in superconduction could soon take maglev technology to the next level . |
267,612 | e694f085ba231e6e7d9aa330b437e3a03c30ec6a | Force India have followed Williams in unveiling their 2015 Formula One car on Wednesday at an event in Mexico - with drivers Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg revealing the new design. The new VJM08 model will make its debut at the second pre-season testing in Barcelona next month - sporting a striking new colour scheme. Made up largely of silver and black shades, the car also has orange flashes along its sides. Force India drivers Nico Hulkenberg (right) and Sergio Perez unveiled the team's 2015 car in Mexico . The 2015 car - the VJM08 - sports a new colour scheme of black and silver with orange flashes . Force India's new car will make its debut at the second pre-season testing day in Barcelona next month . Hulkenberg (left) and Perez (right) pose with Force India team principal Vijay Mallya and the new car . The two drivers stand behind the car at its launch in Mexico ahead of the new 2015 F1 season . Interestingly, Force India - who finished sixth in last season's constructors' championship - have also revealed the car will have new cooling intakes, an updated rear hydro-mechanical suspension system, as well as modified sidepods. Vijay Mallya, the team principal, said at the launch on Wednesday: 'The 2015 car is a refinement of what we learned in 2014. 'Another major step forward is the technology change, in that we are now using a 60 per cent windtunnel in Cologne, Germany which is a far bigger step than we have ever taken before. Hulkenberg sits on top of the tyres of the car with a Soumaya museum illuminated in the background . Force India finished sixth in last season's constructors' championship but will be hoping to improve in 2015 . Perez stands in front of the new 2015 edition of Force India's car at its unveiling on Wednesday . 'Traditionally we have been in Brackley, England, where we used to develop our car with a 50 per cent model and an outdated windtunnel. 'With this new and important tool available to use, we hope the 2015 challenger will really prove its worth in competing with the big boys of F1 when we start the European season. 'We are lucky to have two exceptional drivers who will hopefully steer the Sahara Force India challenger to the front of the grid, and hopefully a few podiums during the current year.' The car was unveiled by the drivers at an event in Mexico on Wednesday . Force India followed Williams, who also unveiled their new car for the 2015 season on Wednesday . | Force India followed Williams in unveiling their 2015 car on Wednesday .
Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg revealed the new design in Mexico .
Formula One car has a new colour scheme of silver, black and orange .
New VJM08 model will make its debut at pre-season testing in Barcelona . |
210,521 | 9ca36c9dbfc38a9286bbbd233a73dee5356e4147 | Terror plot: Texan Everett Adam Livvix, 30, was arrested in Israel last month for allegedly plotting to bomb Muslim holy sites . A Texas man has been arrested and indicted in Israel on weapons charges for allegedly plotting to bomb Muslim holy . sites, . The Israeli domestic security service Shin Bet and the Justice Ministry identified the suspect Tuesday as Adam Everett Livvix, 30, of Texas, and said he was wanted in the US on unrelated drug charges. Livvix, who was arrested November 19, was charged Monday . with conspiring with his roommate, an Israeli soldier, to steal 3lbs of explosives from the Israel Defense Forces. The Israeli authorities said an undercover police agent uncovered the alleged terror plot and that ammunition and weapons . material stolen from the military were found in Livvix's possession. A gag order on details of the case, being heard in a court . in the central Israeli city of Netanya, was lifted Tuesday. 'Under questioning, Livvix admitted ... he had weighed . various ideas about committing terrorist attacks at different . venues and even gave preliminary thought to the possibility of . attacking venues (of) Islamic holy places in Israel,' the Shin . Bet said, without identifying them. The suspect's attorney told reporters that the Shin Bet was exaggerating the security implications of the case, which coincides with high Arab-Jewish tensions in Jerusalem over access to a holy site where the al-Aqsa mosque now stands in place of biblical Jewish holy sites. The Justice Ministry said the court has ordered Livvix to . undergo a psychiatric examination prior to entering a plea. Israeli authorities said Livvix is a Christian and that he . arrived in the region in 2013, living first in the Palestinian . cities of Hebron and Bethlehem in the West Bank and . then residing illegally in the State of Israel. Fugitive: Livvix was wanted in multiple US jursdictions on unrelated drug and theft charges . According to Livvix's public arrest records, the 6-foot-tall, 200lbs man was wanted in Indiana for failure to appear in court on marijuana possession charges. He was also named most wanted criminal in Crawford County, Illinois, in connection to failure to appear and theft charges. The indictment against Livvix, made public Tuesday and cited by The Jerusalem Post, recounted how while living in the West Bank, the Texan was allegedly approached by a Palestinian operative who tried to recruit Livvix to assassinate President Barack Obama during his visit to the region last March. Livvix was allegedly offered sniper rifles to carry out the plot on Obama's life, but he refused. He then illegally crossed the border into Israel and settled in Netanya, where he passed himself off as a member of an elite Navy SEAL commando unit, the court documents stated. In mid-November, police were tipped off about Livvix's whereabouts, resulting in his arrest. Assassination: Livvix was allegedly approached by a Palestinian in the West Bank last year about killing President Obama during his March visit, but the Texas man refused . When officers kicked down the door to his apartment on November 19, Livvix attempted to flee by leaping from his seventh-floor window and landing on a sixth-floor balcony, but he was quickly apprehended. During questioning, the American fugitive admitted to committing fraud and plotting to carry out terrorist attacks on Muslim holy sites. When officers searched his apartment in Netanya, they allegedly discovered ammunition and spare gun parts stolen from the military. According to his indictment, Livvix had encouraged his soldier friend to steal six stun grenades, smoke grenades and tear gas canisters from an IDF base. | Everett Adam Livvix, 30, was arrested in November in Netanya, Israel, and charged with weapons possession .
He allegedly admitted to police to plotting to carry out terrorist attacks on unspecified Muslim holy sites .
While living in West Bank, a Palestinian tried to recruit Livvix to assassinate President Obama during his March 2013 visit .
Livvix is accused of encouraging a soldier friend to steal weapons from the military . |
192,441 | 85258325220806ff7c937ccae4da0c2c57877b46 | Germany have suffered a blow ahead of their World Cup quarter final clash with France after it was revealed a number of the squad have been hit by illness. Seven members of Germany’s squad are reported to be suffering from flu, coach Joachim Low confirmed that the players were ‘slightly ill’. Low attempted to play the issue down, betraying only that most of the affected players had ‘sore throats’. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Thomas Muller previously lead Germany's training session . Fit? Thomas Muller is chasing the Golden Boot but has shown 'symptoms of the flu' recently . Traveling: The players are forced to travel a lot during the World Cup which could add to illness spreading . On the move: Muller (left) and Bastian Schweinsteiger get on their coach to travel during the World Cup . Fit? Muller is among those worryingly suffering from a case of the flu at the World Cup for Germany . Blow: Seven Germany players have been hit by illness ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash . Together: Germany face France on Friday in a bid to make the final four of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil . VIDEO Team Profile: Germany . ‘It’s not that bad at the moment,’ he said, ‘I don’t want to over-dramatise it.’ But given the number of players it has affected, there are concerns that the issue may be more serious than Low is letting on. Mats Hummels and Christoph Kramer are considered to be among those suffering after Hummels missed Germany’s second round tie against Algeria, while Kramer sat out an entire day of training this week. Hummels, certainly, was hit by more than a sore throat, with Low admitting that the Dortmund star was bed ridden for the Algeria match, his condition having worsened the night before. Thomas Muller is also suspected to be among those affected. His coach admitted that the Bayern forward had shown 'symptoms of the flu' even before Germany’s last game. As for the reasons for the sudden plague, Low blames the climate in Brazil, and the constant necessity to travel. ‘We’re constantly having to travel . between different climate zones,’ the Germany boss complained. 'It’s . understandable that the guys get a bit under the weather, and that it . starts to spread.' Concerned, Joachim? Low blames the climate in Brazil and the constant necessity to travel for the illnesses . 5 - James Rodriguez (Colombia) 4 - Thomas Muller (Germany), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Neymar (Brazil) 3 - Karim Benzema (France), Arjen Robben (Holland), Robin van Persie (Holland), Enner Valencia (Ecuador), Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland) Those in italic are out of the World Cup. Germany have certainly seen some extreme weather during their stay in Brazil. For their opening game against Portugal, they were forced to endure thirty degree heat, while their win over the USA was played out in the flooded city of Recife. It is a particularly sensitive issue for this German team, given that fitness has been one of the major issues surrounding their World Cup campaign. Several of their key players, including Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose, arrived in Brazil having only just returned from long term injury. With Shkodran Mustafi ruled out of the rest of the tournament, and seven other players gripped by what the Germans call ‘Grippe’, Low’s hopes of having a team at 100 per cent physical fitness are now little more than a pipe dream. Fitness: Several key German players arrived in Brazil having only just returned from long-term injury . | Seven Germany players hit by illness ahead of Friday's World Cup quarter-final clash with France .
Among those suspected of falling ill include Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels and Christoph Kramer .
Germany manager Joachim Low plays it down saying they are 'slightly ill' with 'sore throats' but admits Muller showed 'symptoms of the flu'
Low blames the climate in Brazil and constant traveling . |
53,528 | 97d6edfd18349635ef6923937b8c98f16b3a0561 | An Iraqi refugee who made ‘dubious’ claims about having cancer, falling and injuring himself, and his father dying so he could continue to receive disability welfare while overseas finally came unstuck when the Department of Social Services refused to believe he’d received death threats from Iraqi insurgents. Ali Mahmood, who has a degree in chemical engineering but has never worked in Australia, first legitimately claimed Disability Support Pension - which can be $800 a month - for his spinal scoliosis in 2003 when he arrived in the country on a humanitarian visa. However, over the past decade Mr Mahmood left Australia to visit Iraq on four separate occasions –remaining outside of Australia for longer than the 13-weeks allowed in order to still receive DSP. Each time he sought extensions to his ‘portability period’ with excuses such as his father had died (it later turned out to be his divorced wife’s father) and that he had cancer, which there is no medical record of. Ali Mahmood's appeal to keep his disability welfare has been rejected after a tribunal concluded he did not have any evidence to prove his life was threatened in Iraq that stopped him from returning to Australia . It wasn’t until his final trip to Iraq, on 30 November 2012, that the 54-year-old came unstuck for his absences when the Sunni Muslim claimed his life was in danger from Shia Muslims in his home country. Mr Mahmood did not notify Centrelink that he was going overseas this time and after email correspondence - where he asked to be allowed to still claim - Centrelink refused the request and decided that the DSP should be cancelled from 1 March 2013. His Family Tax Benefit (FTB) instalments were also cancelled as of 22 March 2013 after he failed to provide an estimate of his income. After the Social Security Appeals Tribunal agreed to stop his payments on the recommendation of Centrelink, a determined Mr Mahmood took his case to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Residence in Australia is a pre-condition for receipt of a DSP. If recipients go overseas they are required to notify Centrelink in advance. There is a 13-week portability period - the period you can still claim while overseas - for DSP. He arrived back in Australia on 1 March 2014 and claimed he was unable to leave Baghdad before because of death and kidnapping threats made by insurgents. Senior Tribunal Member D Letcher QC said in an Administrative Appeals Tribunal, in Adelaide on October 24, that he ‘did not accept the applicant’s account for a number of reasons’. The reasons included the fact Mr Mahmood made no contact with the Australian embassy in Baghdad ‘and resisted all efforts to have him contact it. I infer that this was because he knew that any embassy enquiry would show he was not under any threat’. The judgement went on: ‘The applicant has a history of overstaying his absences and seeking extensions of the portability period for dubious reasons and, having regard to all the evidence before me, I consider that this is what occurred on this occasion.’ Mr Letcher said there was ‘no independent corroboration’ and that ‘the applicant was a very unsatisfactory witness, being evasive, contradictory and inconsistent in his demeanour and responses to questions’. Mr Mahmood refused to attend the hearing in person for cross-examination. ‘I do not accept that he received any threat to his life or well-being in Baghdad,’ Mr Letcher concluded. In the Administrative Appeals Tribunal the full list of outrageous claims Mr Mahmood made to the Department of Social Services over ten years to try and keep his welfare payments while overseas were also revealed. In 2007, he claimed he left Australia because his dad was very ill and died two days after he arrived. ‘At the hearing, the applicant (having given evidence that his father was alive in 2012) said that the deceased in 2007 was his wife’s father. I note that the applicant and his wife separated in 2006, were divorced on 23 January 2007, and the applicant professed to know nothing of his wife’s whereabouts or activities “for the last 8 years”,’ Mr Letcher said. During the 2008 trip, he claimed that he had fallen and hurt himself, and was granted another extension. On 23 February 2010, he advised that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving chemotherapy. Extensions to his portability period were granted until April, and then June and, finally, August 2010. His further application for an extension on 30 August 2010 was refused because he did not provide any current treatment information. He appealed that decision to the SSAT but was unsuccessful. ‘In evidence to this Tribunal, the applicant said that his abdominal cancer had been diagnosed on biopsy in Damascus and chemotherapy commenced. ‘Later, he consulted doctors in Jordan and was told that it had all been a mistake and he had no cancer. He did not bring back to Australia any hospital or medical reports, x-rays or pathology results,’ Mr Letcher revealed. | Ali Mahmood arrived in Australia in 2003 and started receiving Disability Support Pension for his spinal scoliosis .
Over ten years he travelled to his home country of Iraq four times .
Each time he visited he applied for an extension on the time he could be outside Australia and still receive his welfare payments .
The maximum time is ordinarily 13 weeks but from 2012 he left for 78 weeks .
He claimed his life had been threatened by insurgents and he couldn't get back to Australia .
A tribunal didn't accept his excuses and called his previous stories 'dubious' |
143,371 | 4569d5ff9054e3ce1d249172e121d5838ea52b34 | Imagine plunging off an 876-foot-high bridge with only a parachute as a lifeline. Now imagine doing it in a wheelchair. That's what Lonnie Bissonnette will be doing Saturday for a second time. He even manages to stay in the wheel chair during the landing. Daredevil: Lonnie Bissonnette was left paralysed following a previous base jumping accident but still enjoys the extreme sport. The 48-year-old is pictured throwing himself off a bridge in China . Passionate: Mr Bissonnette can be seen in his wheelchair jumping from the New River Gorge. The Canadian has travelled to Norway, China and America to enjoy his hobby . Last October, Lonnie Bissonnette landed his wheelchair after going off the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge during the Bridge Day festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia. He is going to repeat his feat this weekend . Tumbling: As well as base jumping, Mr Bissonnette enjoys bungee jumping.He can be seen bungee jumping off Whistler in British Columbia, Canada . Paralyzed below the waist since a 2004 parachuting accident, Bissonnette will return to southern West Virginia for another chance to launch himself on wheels from the New River Gorge Bridge. Tens of thousands of people will watch him and scores of other parachutists, zip liners and rappellers Saturday during the annual Bridge Day festival in Fayetteville. 'It's scary every single time for me,' Bissonnette said. 'And I think that's part of the lure, is the exhilaration after the jump. If I didn't have that fear before the jump, I think then the jump wouldn't be so exhilarating.' The New River Gorge Bridge, the third-highest bridge in the United States, opened in 1977. Bridge Day started three years later. BASE jumpers from around the world flock there the third Saturday of every October, the only day of the year that the bridge is open to pedestrian traffic. BASE stands for building, antenna, span and Earth, the fixed objects from which jumpers leap. Passion: Mr Bissonnette says base jumping is his life . Damaged: This shows an X-Ray of Lonnie Bissonnette's neck, right, after the accident that left him paralyzed. This X-Ray image, left, shows his knee held together with a metal plate following the accident . Fun: Mr Bissonnette can be seen on the back of another man wing suit flying off Kjerag mountain in Norway . Bissonnette, 49, has been a BASE jumper for 20 years and doesn't let anything stop him from enjoying his beloved hobby -- not even a terrible accident 10 years ago at a bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho, that left him permanently paralyzed . Matthew Kaye is a University of Vermont chemist and served with the National Guard in Afghanistan. He's made more than 300 skydives and 100 BASE jumps. And he's scared of heights. 'Horrified,' Kaye said. 'I've been shot at. I've been rocketed. Nothing spooks me more than staring over the edge of an abyss.' He's one of about 450 BASE jumpers signed up to participate. For experienced BASE jumpers looking for an extra kick, a steel catapult equipped with a seat will send some of them hurtling backward to start their journey. 'It allows them to relive their first jump all over again,' said Bridge Day jump organizer and catapult designer Jason Bell. 'You can see the fear in their eyes before launching.' Bissonnette found a way to adapt existing BASE jumping technology to his wheelchair, with a strap system that keeps the wheelchair next to him when he jumps, but allows a quick release if he has to ditch it during the fall . Taking the plunge: The extreme sports fanatic can be seen skydiving in Ontario, Canada . Extreme: Mr Bissonnette says he knows the risks involved in base jumping but carries on because it's his passion . Life on the inside: A rare moment captures Mr Bissonnette when he is on the inside of a plane and not jumping out of it! Bissonnette is making his 19th trip to Bridge Day. Ten years ago while BASE jumping in Twin Falls, Idaho, his parachute lines tangled around his foot as he was doing a flip. Despite being left paralyzed, he was BASE jumping again a year later. He began using a standard wheelchair for BASE jumping in 2010. He's made about a dozen jumps with it — some at Bridge Day and others in Austria, China, Malaysia, Spain, and Twin Falls. About half of his landings have sent him tumbling — his front wheels tend to dig into the ground and stop his momentum. Last year's Bridge Day landing, though, was perfect. 'The chair's not designed for what I put it through,' he said. 'Landing on all fours and not flipping over and crashing is difficult.' Bissonnette has added larger front wheels to help with the landing, but he'd like to find a sponsor to get a custom-made chair to withstand the punishment. 'It's pretty amazing what he does,' said Bell, adding that watching Bissonnette land safely in 2013 'was pretty neat and a lot of emotion for a lot of people.' Head for heights: The 48-year-old can be seen base jumping off Skylon Tower in Niagra Falls, Canada . Base jumpers jump off the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia during Bridge Day . Tens of thousands of people will watch scores of parachutists, zip liners and rappellers during the annual Bridge Day festival, this Saturday in Fayetteville . Bissonnette may be an inspiration to others, but he doesn't see himself that way. In fact, the label doesn't sit well with him. 'That's never been my motive,' he said. 'For many years I would tell people that I'm nobody for anybody to be inspired by or to be looked up at. I see myself as just someone who's really passionate about what I do — and literally too stupid to quit. Because a smart guy would have given up after my accident.' Not only did Bissonnette refuse to quit, he is a daredevil on multiple levels. The resident of St. Catherines, Ontario, plans to leave after Bridge Day for Calgary to start training for competitive bobsled racing, which might become a demonstration sport at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. | Lonnie Bissonnette has jumped from bridges and cliffs .
The Canadian has also glided at speeds of up to 80-miles-per-hour .
He is unable to walk or use left arm because of previous accident . |
194,066 | 8737885a5f98e31748f44cd4e2e993088f93ff3b | Alastair Cook will lead England on their seven-match one-day international tour of Sri Lanka. Cook's position as ODI, and therefore World Cup, captain has been the subject of much conjecture over the past two months - with critics citing his mediocre strike-rate at the top of the order as a significant concern. But England's selectors have kept faith, naming him on Wednesday in a 16-man squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in November and December - meaning Cook can begin planning in earnest his team's World Cup campaign in Australia and New Zealand early next year. Alastair Cook’s will lead England on ODI tour of Sri Lanka and more than likely the World Cup . National selector James Whitaker and his panel of head coach Peter Moores, Angus Fraser and Mick Newell met to agree the strategy for the winter and decided to stick by the 29-year-old – even though England have lost five One Day series while he has been in charge. Pundits like Geoff Boycott, Michael Vaughan and Graeme Swann have all demanded change and pointed out Cook’s poor form in ODIs – he hasn’t made 80 in a 50-over match in more than two years. But they decided that with Eoin Morgan and Joe Root the only possible alternatives there was nothing to be gained by dumping the skipper. Opening batsman Cook's place in the one-day side had come under intense scrutiny in recent months . VIDEO Big win for Cook . | Alastair Cook's will captain England for one day international tour of Sri Lanka .
Batsman had come under increased scrutiny after dismal summer .
England go to Australia and New Zealand for next year's World Cup . |
256,009 | d761072b3f37adf61cb9441c32fc9341915b9890 | A small plane carrying six people, one of them Vittorio Missoni, a director of Italy's famed Missoni fashion house, is missing off the coast of Venezuela, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol Torres said. The search for the missing aircraft continued Saturday, an Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Missoni confirmed in a statement that Vittorio Missoni, son of fashion house founders Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, was on the plane with his wife. "The small plane they were traveling on has disappeared. This is all the information currently available," the company statement said. Vittorio Missoni, 58, runs the company with his siblings, Luca and Angela. The plane was carrying four Italian nationals who were on vacation, Reverol said in a statement Friday. The Venezuelan Interior Ministry identified the two other Italians as Guido Foresti and Elda Scalveuzi. A pilot and co-pilot also were on board. The plane left Los Roques, an archipelago and resort, Friday morning bound for the international airport outside Caracas, about 90 miles away, Reverol said. Italian authorities are in touch with their Venezuelan counterparts and the families of those missing, said a spokesman in the Italian Foreign Ministry's media office. The ministry called on the Venezuelan authorities to do all they can to locate the missing plane and those on board, he said. Missoni, which boasts such celebrity clients as Katie Holmes, Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie, is a high-end fashion label known for its patterned knitwear and signature zigzag stripe. The private company, based in Milan, has estimated annual sales of between $75 million and $100 million. The brand, first created in 1953 as a knitwear workshop in Gallarte, Italy, has gone on to expand from apparel to housewares, a fragrance line and a chain of hotels. Stefano Tonchi, editor-in-chief of W magazine, called the Missonis "one of the most important Italian fashion families," crediting their move to Milan in the late 1960s with helping make the northern Italian city the fashion hub it is today. Vittorio Missoni and his siblings took over the brand in 1996 with an eye toward marketing to a younger consumer. The fashion house partnered with Target in 2011 to produce a more budget-friendly collection for the discount retailer, which prompted Target's website to crash due to the high demand. | Missoni: Company director Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing off Venezuela .
Search continues for the plane, carrying six people, which vanished off the coast .
The plane took off from Los Roques archipelago, north of Caracas, Friday morning .
Missoni brand has expanded in recent years . |
110,062 | 19e58876dddd4b4c310b523c1d6e8dafd3c72ab7 | A mansion described as the 'finest newly constructed house in London' has had its asking price slashed by £30 million in a staggering cut-price deal. The luxury home in St John's Wood, just a stone's throw from Lord's cricket ground, has 11 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, five reception rooms and a leisure complex. It boasts a marble-lined entrance, a ten-passenger lift, flamed mahogany panelled study and an underground car park with enough room for five vehicles. Bargain: The mansion at 40 Avenue Road in St John's Wood, pictured, has 11 bedrooms and ten bathrooms . Marble-lined: Guests enter through a marble-lined entrance, ten-person lift and a mahogany-panelled study . The property is spread across five floors and measures an enormous 21,600sq/ft - more than 20 times the size of the average new UK home. It was originally listed for sale with an asking price of £65 million. But this has now been reduced by a staggering £30 million, with the home now being marketed for 'in excess of £35 million'. The reduction prompts fears the . high-end property bubble is about to burst, with one expert saying the . queue for buyers has 'reduced to a trickle'. High end: The property is built to the 'highest imaginable specification' with deluxe gold sofas and chandeliers . Cinema: The homeowner can treat their guests to a film in the cinema with space to seat 10 comfortably . Relax: The £35m house has a leisure complex with hot tub (pictured) and geometric sofas to recline on . Buying . agent Henry Pryor revealed there are a number of multi-million pound . homes for sale on the same road, including one which has been reduced by . 24 per cent over the past 12 months. He said: 'The market has softened in . the past year and people can't be so cavalier with their asking prices. It can punish those who are over-ambitious. 'Canny . buyers now appreciate that you no longer have to pay ticket price and . the queue of potential buyers for these mega-sales has reduced to a . trickle. Plush: The entire house, including the master bedroom, is coated in gold satin and velvet with art and flowers . High end: The initial asking price of £65m made it 209 times the sale price of £167,000 for a typical English house . Wine cellar: The basement is as glittering as the house upstairs, with custom-made fridges and crates . 'Those selling need to put their egos to one side and listen to the advice of their agent. Price for today, not for yesterday.' The home on a leafy street near Lord's cricket ground in St John's Wood, is being marketed by high-end estate agents Savills and Knight Frank. Neither agent would comment on the mansion, which has a teak-panelled games room with a snooker table, cinema and temperature-controlled wine cellar with bar and tasting areas. The brochure says the house has been 'built to the highest imaginable specification and designed with impeccable taste'. The home in a leafy street near Lord's cricket ground in St John's Wood, is being marketed by high-end estate agents Savills and Knight Frank . The cut-price home boasts a marble-lined entrance, 10-passenger lift, flamed mahogany panelled study and an underground car park for five vehicles . It is described as London's finest new home and built to ambassadorial standards. The reduction is thought to have attracted the attention of the Candy brothers, who are behind One Hyde Park, and the developer Marcus Cooper. But its drop in price proves claims the high end of the market is experiencing its own recession, one estate agent claimed yesterday. Trevor Abrahmsohn, who runs Glentree Estates and specialises in selling multi-million pound trophy homes, says business is down 50 per cent this year. The house is just a short walk from the home of cricket, Lord's, above . The super-agent claims the hike in . stamp duty on homes above £2 million from five to seven per cent along . with the loom of a mansion tax and introduction of a capital gains tax . for foreign investors has caused major problems. He . said: 'It is easy to think increasing stamp duty from 5 per cent to 7 . per cent is only a small amount but this is a 40 per cent increase and . that is a lot of money on these properties. 'If you're buying a home for £2 million, you're paying £40,000 extra in stamp duty and it is putting buyers off. 'Speak . to anyone in London and they will say there is a bubble but speak to a . lot of agents and they'll tell you they're doing badly.' | Luxury home in St John's Wood, north London, was put on market at £65m .
Initial asking price is 209-times the cost of average British home, £167,000 .
That amount has now been reduced to 'offers in excess of' £35m .
Property boasts 11 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a cinema and a 10-person lift . |
193,406 | 86625a94b50161213c431fb6d9dc4b0e695c5da2 | By . Alasdair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 23:34 EST, 23 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:20 EST, 24 August 2012 . BBC's Will Gompertz brands the board 'hysterical' The BBC's own arts editor has called the corporation's Arts Board 'hysterical' – as he confessed it was just like BBC sitcom Twenty Twelve. The Corporation employs a raft of executives to manage its arts coverage, including its highly paid creative director Alan Yentob. However, its arts editor Will Gompertz has labelled the board 'hysterical', admitting it has completely failed to produce an 'arts strategy'. Mr Gompertz, 46, was the media director at the Tate group of galleries before he was poached by the BBC in 2009. And in damning comments, he revealed that Arts Board members - paid a combined £1.7million - spend much of their time deciding which arts events to avoid. He also compared their fruitless conversations to BBC2 Olympics satire Twenty Twelve, in which Hugh Bonneville played the hapless leader of the Games' 'deliverance team'. Appearing on BBC Radio Five Live, Mr Gompertz said: 'I also get to sit on something called the BBC's Arts Board, which is hysterical. 'It's like being on an episode of Twenty Twelve, when people like Alan Yentob and all the rest of them come in. 'We talk about the BBC's arts strategy. And there isn't one, it transpires. It is great fun to talk about it. 'It really is like being in an episode of Twenty Twelve. There are quite a lot of conversations about what arts events people might be able to miss, not go to.' The Arts Editor likened the board to the satire Twenty Twelve, where bumbling staff are put in charge of the Olympics 'deliverance team' In his surprisingly frank admission, Mr Gompertz also mocked the Cultural Olympiad, originally designed as a four year programme of cultural activity in preparation for the Olympics. He said: 'There's been lots of conversations about the Cultural Olympiad. Are people aware of the Cultural Olympiad? No. Alan Yentob has built up a £6.3million pension pot on top of his total package of £183,300 for his role . 'The BBC have been very involved in the Cultural Olympiad. And then it got narrowed down to something called Festival 2012, which has been very good.' The BBC's Arts Board was created in 2009 to coordinate arts commissioning across its radio, TV and online channels. Overseen by 'arts co-ordinator' Mark Bell, its members include Mr Yentob, who has built up £6.3million pension pot on top of his total remuneration package of £183,300. Earlier this month, Mr Yentob claimed £1,216.05 for taxis for the period and a total of £722.81 for discussions about 'projects' and 'BBC films', although executive expenses were down four per cent. Other key figures on the board include BBC One controller Danny Cohen, who draws a £270,400 pay package, and his BBC2 counterpart Janice Hadlow, paid a total of £235,050. With the controllers of Radio 3 and Radio 4, director of audio Tim Davie, and Mr Gompertz himself - paid £150,000 a year - the total pay package of the board members exceeds £1.7million. Describing his own role in the BBC, Mr Gompertz appeared to have an attack of modesty. He said: 'It really is a fancy title for quite a straightforward job, which is to be the correspondent for the arts in the news. That's really what the job is.' Described by one BBC source at the time as a 'complete maverick and an eccentric', he had almost no journalistic experience before taking over the role. In the past, he has performed a one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe, during which he asked the audience to draw pictures of penises. The BBC declined to comment. | Branded the board 'hysterical' and compared them to bumbling staff on satire Twenty Twelve .
Board members are paid a combined £1.7 million . |
227,410 | b272a5792b222bb2c9a54110d64b3646752f6bca | Spain's Interior Ministry has come under fire for a crime prevention campaign in which all the burglars are black... but attempted to defend itself by saying it was inspired by the Three Wise Men. The safety warning was criticised by anti-racism campaigners and opposition politicians after a series of posters warning against burglars only featured figures with black faces. In one of the posters three of the figures can be seen riding on a camel, while another shows what appears to be a woman with a black face, arms and legs carrying a bag of money. The Spanish Interior Ministry has defended itself against allegations of racism by saying a poster campaign in which all the burglars are black was inspired in part by the Three Wise Men . The ministry has attempted to dismiss the allegations by saying the characters are wearing balaclavas - but their argument failed to impress critics who pointed out the characters also had black hands and legs . The ministry has attempted to dismiss the allegations by saying the characters had been wearing balaclavas. Their argument failed to impress critics however who pointed out the characters also had black hands and legs. Asked why in one poster the characters were riding on a camel, the ministry claimed in a written statement that the picture was a play on the image of the Three Kings who in this case were not bringing gifts, but were coming to rob the house. The ministry said: 'The image is not actually of the Three Kings with black skin but three criminals in balaclavas. The posters, which have been put up across the country, have also come under fire from Spain's main opposition party, the socialist PSOE . One of the posters shows a character in a grey suit, which was said by critics to be a burkha-wearing burglar . 'We want to warn people that crooks could try to pass themselves off as something legitimate to try and rob people's homes.' Ruyan Torres Veliz, from the Spanish Youth Against Racism, said: 'As well as not explaining why these people had black hands and feet, including the woman in a dress, it should be pointed out to the Interior Ministry that it isn't Christmas which is usually the time the Three Kings are out in force.' The posters, that have been put up across the country, have also come under fire from Spain's main opposition party, the socialist PSOE. A party spokesman said: 'The association is clear, if you are burglar, you are black.' | Spanish Interior Ministry forced to defend itself following fury over campaign .
Safety campaign came under fire after all of the burglars featured were black .
Ministry dismissed allegations by saying characters were wearing balaclavas . |
213,078 | 9ff0ac19696aeb211a4a701ef10b441756485997 | A man has gone on trial accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl before going on to rape her daughter two decades later. Lee Crutchley, 45, denies a string of 16 sex offences against five girls including indecent assault, sex with a girl under 13 and two charges of rape. Crutchley is accused of indecently assaulting one of his victims in the mid 1990s when she was about 13, the court heard. He is also accused of sexually assaulting and raping her daughter at a later date. Crutchley denies eight counts of indecent assault, two of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, three of assault by penetration, one of buggery and two of rape at Sheffield Crown Court (pictured) David Gordon, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday, said Crutchley, of Dinnington, South Yorkshire, took advantage of his victims' innocence and naivety. He said Crutchley targeted his first victim when she was 13 and he was in his mid twenties. Another of his victims was 12 or 13 when the alleged offences took place and she later fell pregnant but suffered a miscarriage, the court heard. Mr Gordon told the court: 'He told her not to tell anyone what was going on. He had sex with her over a four-year period several times a week.' Mr Gordon claimed Crutchley did not force himself on the girl but she was unable to consent because of her young age. Crutchley denies eight counts of indecent assault, two of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, three of assault by penetration, one of buggery and two of rape. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | South Yorkshire's Lee Crutchley accused of molesting young girl in 1990s .
Prosecutors claim he then abused her daughter more than 20 years later .
Crutchley, 45, denies 16 sexual offences against five alleged victims .
His trial, at Sheffield Crown Court, continues . |
219,768 | a8796a6989509e1ecb9bcb488791120ec5c4cc2c | The 'kill mission' against Islamic State boss Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi carries chilling echoes of TV show Homeland where the chief terror suspect Haissam Haqqani is supposedly killed in a drone attack. In the Channel 4 series, the Taliban mastermind battling CIA station chief Carrie Mathieson is very much alive, pulling the insurgent strings from his perfect hiding place and spinning a web of lies to dupe the Americans. I wonder if al-Baghdadi was doing the same. It would certainly suit him to play dead for a while - plus, he's risen from beyond the grave before. Even now, the Pentagon is seeking to confirm whether coalition air strikes have critically injured or even managed to kill the elusive 'caliph'. Scroll down for videos . Parallels? The 'kill mission' against Islamic State boss Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (left) carries chilling echoes of TV show Homeland where the chief terror suspect Haissam Haqqani (right) is supposedly killed in a drone attack . A scene from Channel 4 series Homeland after Haqqani was targeted by missile strikes on a farmhouse . This afternoon, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced: 'The leader of the ISIS group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdad has been transported to Syria after he was injured in an air strike that resulted in 40 casualties among ISIS militants. 'The air strike targeted a meeting held between the ISIS leader and his key aides in an area near al-Kanadi school in al-Sa'ada district.' 'The leader of the group, known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been injured while his key aide Abu Huzayefa al-Adnani was reportedly killed. Senior leaders and experts in explosive devices were also killed in the attack including Omar al-Absi and Ahmed Salem al-Salmani, known as Abu Omar, the leader of Ashbal al-Jannah within the ISIS group.' But will his injuries make any difference to the terror group? Normally so effusive on social media, ISIS are being strangely coy about the losses it may have sustained this weekend, though it has started arresting former members of the Iraqi army lest they are providing the US with actionable intelligence. It was telling too, that reports of his demise originally leaked out apparently from Isis sources. ISIS is probably scouring their deep substitute bench for replacements for anyone killed. In the Channel 4 series, the Taliban mastermind battling CIA station chief Carrie Mathieson (pictured) is very much alive, pulling the strings from his perfect hiding place and spinning a web of lies to dupe the Americans . Baghdadi has made a lifelong virtue of anonymity, especially since his Al Qaeda mentor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. bombing raid in 2006. Except for his brief appearance in Mosul in July to proclaim himself Caliph (an office that fuses political and religious leadership), Baghdadi has kept a low profile, so that the fate of ISIS does not appear to hinge on his personal survival. It also offers the perfect cover should Baghdadi wish to disappear for a while, Homeland-style. For Baghdadi has been careful to organize ISIS in such a way that power is highly decentralised, with a clear division between those responsible for administering territories the terror group controls and those who direct its military operations. ISIS has been careful to include many Sunni tribal figures in administration, precisely to pre-empt any U.S. attempt to trigger a tribal uprising against them, a strategy the Americans pursued against Al Qaeda in Iraq (ISIS's forerunner) in 2007-08 with some success. Targeted: Baghdadi was reportedly wounded on Friday night when American warplanes hit a ten-car ISIS convoy like this one southwest of Mosul, which functions as ISIS's capital in northern Iraq (file picture) ISIS's military command includes at least two Sunni Muslim Iraqi army generals on the run since the Saddam era, who clearly have considerable tactical ability. ISIS has used lightning advances and exemplary terror as well as suicide bombers to destroy enemy command and control centres. They also use the destruction of bridges and controlled flooding to shape battlefields to their choosing, and the deployment of roadside bombs and embedded tanks to inhibit countermoves by their Iraqi or Kurdish opponents. So far, the U.S. response has been to remove the unpopular Shia prime minister of Iraq, to reduce the alienation of the country's Sunni and limited efforts to restore the fighting morale of the Iraqi national army, which, poorly led, effectively fled from this ferocious opponent. The only effective obstacles to ISIS taking over the country have been Shia militias in Baghdad and further south, and the Kurdish peshmerga in the north. Although the U.S. has added a further 1,500 military advisers, bringing their total strength to over 3000, they have to be careful since the same Shia militias are restive about a renewed U.S. 'occupation' of Iraq. American airstrikes have been criticised as a drizzle when what is required resembles a cloud burst in a thunder storm. Taken out: According to Iraqi sources, parallel attacks on Qaim in Anbar province (above) killed one of the terror group's top strategists in a predominantly Sunni region where ISIS has made huge military advances in recent weeks as the world's attention was distracted by its relentless siege of Kobane in northern Syria . So far there have been an average of five strikes a day, compared with 50 in Libya in 2011, 85 in Afghanistan, and 800 a day in Iraq itself during the 2003 US-led invasion. So far, only 800 of the 3, 200 sorties over Iraq and Syria have actually involved dropping bombs or firing missiles. Until these raids at the weekend, there has been an absence of actionable intelligence from the ground, while Pentagon lawyers are being ultra cautious about avoiding any civilian casualties. The long distance planes have to fly from bases in Qatar or the UAE, or from carriers in the Persian Gulf, also makes it hard for them to loiter looking for targets of opportunity. So while it would be a significant blow to ISIS to lose its self-styled Caliph, he is replaceable in what in practice is a collective leadership with many experienced and hardened personalities. Prisoner: al-Baghdadi, shown before his rise to power, was held as a prisoner by the U.S. during the occupation of Iraq . Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi is the relatively discreet leader of the Islamic State extremist group. He used to play for his mosque's soccer team and has a PhD in Islamic history. But after spending four years in a US camp during the Iraq occupation, he emerged as one of the most brutal terrorists in the world. The government placed a $10 million bounty on his head in 2011 when intelligence identified his movements as critically dangerous. This warrant was publicized once more following the beheadings of US nationals James Foley and Steven Sotloff as well as Britons David Haines and Alan Henning. He maintained a low profile for months as ISIS, the group's original name, rose to global infamy and Al Qaeda denounced them as 'too extreme'. But he finally revealed himself to the public with a speech, filmed and posted on YouTube, in the first week of July this year. Born Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri al-Samarri in 1971 near Samarra, Iraq, he came from a Sufi family - a tolerant form of Islam. In the 1990s, he completed a PhD in Baghdad and played soccer with friends. But he fell out with mosque leaders and fled to Anbar province where he joined Sunni groups protesting the US occupation. American forces detained Baghdadi at Camp Bucca in 2005 shortly after the Iraq invasion. He was released when the camp closed in 2009. He was thought to be 'bad but not the worst' sources told The Daily Beast. But he then joined the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria, and rose up the ranks rapidly. After allegedly killing the leader, Abu Omar Baghdadi, he took hold of the terror group. | Islamic State chief believed to have been hit in U.S. strike on convoy in Iraq .
But the Pentagon is still seeking confirmation three days after the attack .
Suspicions aroused after news of his death was apparently leaked by ISIS .
Chilling echoes of Homeland plot where terror chief fakes death to fool U.S . |
74,025 | d1e46051886359d78884d6ae2404cfe0c035c64d | Teachers are wasting valuable lesson time dealing with pupils playing with their mobile phones, a report has found. Children swinging on chairs, making silly comments to get attention and passing notes were other problems staff said they face. The Ofsted report, based on a survey of teachers and parents – as well as more than 3,000 school inspections – found that a vast amount of learning time is wasted because staff are struggling to control problem pupils. An Ofsted report has found teachers are wasting valuable lesson time dealing with pupils playing with their mobile phones, a report has found . And many teachers complained that when they do attempt to dole out discipline, head teachers are failing to back them up. In light of the findings, the chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw will warn this week that poor behaviour in classrooms is dragging down standards. He said the chances of pupils enjoying a well-ordered learning environment had become ‘something of a lottery’ – and that many teachers have come to believe bad behaviour is an inevitable part of life in the classroom. However teaching unions have accused Sir Michael of ‘talking nonsense’ by suggesting that teachers accept poor discipline. Chris Keates, general secretary of union NASUWT, said her members acknowledge there is a problem with low-level disruption. But she added: ‘The chief inspector is talking nonsense to suggest that teachers accept this and are failing to address it. What teachers do say is that... they are frequently unsupported by school leaders.’ Russell Hobby, of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that according to Ofsted ‘behaviour in the vast majority of schools is good and continually improving’. | An Ofsted report found teachers are wasting time dealing with pupils .
The main cause of disruption was pupils playing on their mobiles .
Many teachers complained that that heads were failing to back them up .
Chief inspector will warn that poor behaviour is dragging down standards . |
108,657 | 181bc6e97c664b0fb50c678053edb13635e461ea | Google has launched a much anticipated version of its YouTube app aimed at children. The app contains content from DreamWorksTV, Jim Henson TV and National Geographic. The free app is available today on Android devices. Scroll down for video . The home screen comprises eight tiles showing different videos as well as four icons (pictured): a TV set for popular TV shows such as Yo Gabba Gabba, a light bulb for educational programmes, a radio for pop songs and a light bulb for popular videos . Along with favorites from DreamWorksTV, Jim Henson TV, Mother Goose Club, Talking Tom and Friends and more, your kids can watch new series from YouTube channels they already like. National Geographic Kids; Reading Rainbow; and Thomas the Tank Engine leave the world of Sodor for the first time in 70 years to travel the globe. 'Like most parents, I love helping my kids learn more about something they're interested in,' said Shimrit Ben-Yair, mother of two and YouTube Kids Group Product Manager. 'For example, right now, I spend a lot of time on YouTube with my 3-year-old son, who loves watching videos of car washes, Super Simple Songs, and about the universe. 'Today, we’re introducing the YouTube Kids app, the first Google product built from the ground up with little ones in mind. 'The app makes it safer and easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore, and is available for free on Google Play and the App Store in the U.S.' The app includes a timer to limit kids’ screen time, sound settings to turn off background music and sound effects, and search settings to limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen. Ben-Yair, the project's group product manager, told USA Today that the site has seen a 50 per cent increase in viewing time year-on-year, but that the growth has been around 200 per cent for family entertainment channels. ‘Parents were constantly asking us, can you make YouTube a better place for our kids,’ she said. In answer, the company has come up with an app that is simple to use and eliminates features such as viewer comments from the design. The home screencomprises eight tiles showing different videos as well as four icons: a TV set for popular TV shows such as Sesame Street, a light bulb for educational programmes, a radio for pop songs and a light bulb for popular videos. The categories are called: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore. ‘The images are big as are the tap targets for small fingers, and since most younger children can't type they can search with voice,’ Ms Ben-Yair said. MailOnline has learned the app will launch with content from Jim Henson TV, DreamWorks, National Geographic, and a handful of popular YouTubers and new series, such as Thomas the Tank Engine. A stock image of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street is shown . If children try and search for a raunchy video, for example, the app simply blocks the request and a box that reads ‘Try something else’ pops up. They will be able to search for topics they are curious about though, such as spaceships and find how-to-make a volcano and maths tutorials, for example. Research show that children are just three clicks away from adult content on YouTube . The app will also give parents more power over their children’s viewing habits. It will give them features to control the time children spend on the app so that it shuts down after a number of minutes or hours. It can be re-started again once a password is entered. There will also be an option to mute videos - a feature tested by families and NGOs. MailOnline has learned the app will launch with content from Jim Henson TV, DreamWorks, National Geographic, and a handful of popular YouTubers and new series, such as Thomas the Tank Engine. 'The news that YouTube plans to launch a kid-friendly video app will be welcomed by security savvy parents,' said David Emm, principal security researcher, Kaspersky Lab. 'Our research shows that children can be as little as three click away from inappropriate or adult content on the video platform. 'Examining YouTube’s "suggested" videos which sit visibly alongside clips or episodes of popular children’s television programmes such as Peppa Pig, Rastamouse and Dora the Explorer, our researchers have found that, on average, users are just three clicks away from content better suited to a more mature audience.' The child-focused app will in part compete with Netflix’s Kids service and Vine’s child-friendly app showing age-appropriate video clips. The move would appear to be part of Google's strategy to appeal to younger users. YouTube is owned by the search giant. Google recently acquired Launchpad Toys, which is behind the iPad app Toontastic, and has previously announced plans to make child-friendly versions of some of its products such as Chrome and Search, as well as YouTube. Toy manufacturer Mattel has worked with Google to develop a new version of the View-Master, which will rely on a smartphone to deliver its optical trickery. The virtual reality device makes use of Google’s Cardboard to deliver immersive scenes such as Alcatraz prison in San Francisco, called ‘360 degree photospheres’. To release the phone’s virtual reality features, an Android smartphone running Mattel’s app is needed. View-Master gets a make-over! Toy manufacturer Mattel has worked with Google to the new toy, which will rely on a smartphone to deliver its optical trickery. An illustration of the new device is shown . The smartphone needs to be inserted into the device along with a reel,meaning that parents will have to surrender their handsets while children play. The gadget uses augmented reality and animations to make the scenes feel immersive. Mattel says that its View-Master is an affordable platform enabling children to take ‘engaging field trips’ so they can explore famous landmarks, natural scenes and planets, for example, in ‘photospheres’. By pairing an ‘experience reel’ with a smartphone, children ‘will immediately experience an imaginative and interactive learning environment,' the company says. The device itself is set to be released in autumn for $30 (£20), with reels sold in themed packs of four for $15 (£10). Mattel told MailOnline the toy will come to the UK early next year. | App will collate child-friendly videos, songs and educational resources .
Content by DreamWorks, National Geographic and YouTubers will feature .
Homescreen has been simplified with four icons to suit little fingers . |
268,484 | e7c283ffe7a9303cf2bdf127f7077f9aaac2cc20 | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea is urging its people to show allegiance to the death for new leader Kim Jong Un. State media KCNA published North Korea's annual New Year's Day message, saying, "The entire army should place absolute trust in and follow Kim Jong Un and become human rifles and bombs to defend him unto death." The editorial is jointly published in the North's leading newspapers and is often scrutinized by South Korean and foreign officials for any signs of the North's intentions and policies for the year. The editorial called "U.S. aggressor forces" the main obstacle to peace in the Korean peninsula and called for their withdrawal. It criticized "every move of reckless military provocation, arms buildup and war exercises against the North." The United States currently has around 28,500 military personnel stationed in South Korea, which North Korea claims is the main impediment to reunification of the Korean people. The United States fought on the side of the South during the 1950-53 war and keeps troops in country as a deterrent against the North. The editorial also renewed the attack against the Lee Myung-bak government in the South, calling government officials "traitors" for not allowing more delegations to Pyongyang to pay respects to the late Kim Jong Il. Friday, KCNA quoted a National Defense Commission statement saying Pyongyang "will have no dealings with the Lee Myung-bak group of traitors forever." South Korea's Unification Ministry said it found the statement "regretful. However the ministry's basic principle towards easing tensions in inter-Korean relations and resolving problems through dialogues remains still." The editorial also claimed North Korea is "at the epochal point of opening the gates of a thriving country." For North Korea, 2012 is an important year was it marks 100 years since the birth of founder Kim Il Sung and the year the "juche," or self-reliance policy, will bear fruit, according to the government. The article published the slogan, "Glorify this year 2012 as a year of proud victory, a year when an era of prosperity is unfolding, true to the instructions of the great General Kim Jong Il." However, North Korea is still asking the international community for food aid, as it does not have enough food for its people and its economy has been crippled by years of neglect and bad decisions by the leadership. North Korea did not mention its nuclear weapons program, a program that the United States and leaders in the region are pressing North Korea to cease in return for food aid. | North Korean media publish annual New Year's message .
New leader deserves "absolute trust," editorial says .
It says 2012 will usher prosperity . |
203,467 | 9362d29ab42bfbd2115f862f466c7403feb17102 | Celtic manager Ronny Deila praised the 'world-class' ability of Leigh Griffiths as he revealed that another striker, John Guidetti, had delayed talks over his long-term future. Griffiths has started the last two games - his first starts in the Scottish Premiership since August - and rewarded Deila with a goal in Wednesday's 4-0 victory over Motherwell, which sent the Hoops top of the league. Guidetti has not got off the bench in either of those games as he continues to wait for his first goal since November, a barren run that contrasts sharply with his prolific start to his Parkhead career, which saw him net 11 times in 10 matches. John Guidetti has been in good form this season for Celtic but has been linked with Southampton . Celtic are believed to have agreed a fee with Manchester City to sign the striker on a permanent deal at the end of the season but the Swede is keeping his options open amid reported interest from Southampton. Deila, who is '100 per cent sure' that Guidetti will complete his season-long loan, said: 'We've been speaking with John for a long time but he's decided now he wants to wait to see what his options are until March or April, maybe longer, so there won't be any final decision this month. But we know we have him until the end of the season.' The 22-year-old recently boasted he would hit a hat-trick in the QTS Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers on February 1 but he might not get in the team if Griffiths continues to impress Deila against Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday. The former Hibernian player had been linked with a return to Easter Road but looks to have won over his sceptical manager. Deila said: 'There is big competition up front and it's also about the opponents we meet but Leigh has made improvement in a lot of things. He looks sharper now and needs even more confidence. Ronny Deila is '100 per cent sure' that Guidetti will see out his loan deal with Celtic . 'I believe in him. I think he's a very exciting player and his left foot is world-class, I've not seen any player have a better left foot in my life. 'He has skills but again you have to perform over time when you play at Celtic. 'I wouldn't play him if I wanted him to leave. 'We made some demands of him and he has really, really worked hard to tune into that. He still needs to improve, everybody does, but he is getting to a new level. 'You saw yesterday how much he works for the team, how sharp he is, and he scored a very nice goal as well. So he is going in the right direction. 'He has played the last two games and we have won the games and he has played well, so he has in a better position than three or four weeks ago.' With the likes of Charlie Mulgrew and James Forrest returning to fitness, Deila is pleased with his options, a situation highlighted by the fact that right-back Mikael Lustig struck two goals against Motherwell on his comeback from a hamstring injury after coming on for Adam Matthews, who netted against Hamilton in their previous game. Leigh Griffiths (right) heads in Cletic's second goal during the Scottish Premiership 4-0 win against Motherwell . So he does not appear desperate to sign players in January. 'In January it's hard but to keep the players is most important now that we have consistency through the season,' he said. 'We're getting a better level in the team so it's important to keep it. That's more important than getting players in but if we can add some in as well then it will be perfect.' One player Deila has missed out on is 16-year-old Martin Odegaard, who has moved from the Norwegian manager's former club, Stromgodset, to Real Madrid. Deila said: 'I met him, but he had some options. It was tough choice for him, there were so many clubs. 'I gave him his debut at 15 years old. He is a special, special boy.' | John Guidetti scored 11 goals in his first 10 games for Celtic .
But the striker has not scored again since November .
Despite his goal drought, Southampton are reportedly interested in the Manchester City loanee . |
4,316 | 0c734f82bc2264c320276e069de1faf455c0f5f0 | By . Tom Worden for MailOnline . An ex-rugby league player died following a struggle with police after he fell from a hotel balcony in Spain. Luke Rhoden, 25, died from a cardiac arrest after being restrained by officers on the party island of Ibiza. Police said Mr Rhoden fell from a first-floor balcony at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in the resort of San Antonio last night. Tragic: Luke Rhoden died in Ibiza after an altercation with police. He had fallen from a first floor balcony . Cause of death: Rhoden, 25, pictured with an unnamed female, died from a cardiac arrest after being restrained by officers . He then picked himself up before running through the hotel screaming 'someone's trying to kill me', a police source said. Officers from the Civil Guard restrained him and put him into an ambulance to be sedated. Rumours circulated on Twitter that Mr Rhoden had been beaten up by police before his death. But a Civil Guard source said: 'Our officers do not beat people up. 'They restrained him for his own safety and helped him into the ambulance where he was sedated.' Paramedics spent 40 minutes trying to revive Mr Rhoden but he died at the scene. Police were called to the hotel after Mr Rhoden plunged from the balcony at around 10.30pm last night. Keen sportsman: Mr Rhoden (third right) with Wigan Warriors Academy Under-18s and Wigan Reserve Grade players in 2007 . The police source said: 'He was acting wildly and from his behaviour we believe he may have been taking drugs. 'He was a guest at the hotel. He jumped from the hotel balcony onto a patio below, then picked himself up and ran through the hotel screaming like a madman that someone was trying to kill him. 'Our officers restrained him for his own safety and put him into an ambulance so he could be sedated. 'The paramedics tried to revive him but he died in the ambulance. An autopsy will reveal the cause of death.' The autopsy will also determine whether Mr Rhoden had been taking drugs. Mr Rhoden, from Wigan, played prop forward as a junior for rugby league side Wigan Warriors and for England's under 17 side. Staff from Ibiza Rocks were today comforting friends and family at the hotel. Probe: An autopsy will also determine whether Mr Rhoden had been taking drugs . A source at the hotel said: 'Mr Rhoden's a big, big guy and it took a lot to restrain him. 'Several of our staff witnessed him being restrained but nobody has reported seeing the police use excessive force or beating him. 'He had fallen from a balcony and then made his way through public areas of the hotel acting very strangely. 'He made it out into the street where the police took over.' A spokesman for the hotel said: 'We can confirm there was a fatality in Ibiza last night and our sincerest and heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the individual concerned at this very difficult time. Popular: Mr Rhoden enjoying a night out with friends . 'We continue to assist the Spanish Police with their investigation and cannot make further comment about the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident until a full enquiry into the cause of death is complete.' Thomas Brindle wrote on Twitter: 'I am devastated to hear the news about Luke Rhoden, former team mate and top bloke. 'Very sad times. RIP.' British consular staff were today offering assistance to family members. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We can confirm the death of a British national in Ibiza on 3 September. 'We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.' This summer tourists were warned of a dangerous new mind-bending drug circulating on the island said to send some users into a crazed rage. The drug, known as bath salts or 'cannibal', contains the powerful stimulant MDVP. His former club Wigan Warriors said: 'Wigan Warriors are saddened to hear of the death of former youth player Luke Rhoden. 'Having come through the club's scholarship system Luke played for the Warriors academy in 2007 and 2008 before moving on to play semi-professionally at Oldham.' | Luke Rhoden, 25, died from a cardiac arrest after an altercation with police .
The tragedy happened in Ibiza after Rhoden fell from a hotel balcony .
Rumours circulated on Twitter that Mr Rhoden had been beaten up by police .
But a Civil Guard source said: 'Our officers do not beat people up'
Mr Rhoden played as a junior for rugby league side Wigan Warriors . |
161,702 | 5d17af368d708e94db7459bec6224659b294ab7c | Angry: Alana Willetts with her son George, nine, who has been banned from using Black Country dialect at school . Children at a primary school in the West Midlands have been told to speak proper English instead of the Black Country dialect to halt a ‘decline in standards’. Those who say they ‘cor do that’ – ‘can’t do that’ – will not be punished, but they will be corrected every time they utter an outlawed phrase. Angry parents criticised the ban at Colley Lane Primary School in Halesowen, claiming it is ‘snobbish’ and ‘insulting’. A letter posted to parents last week said the school wanted pupils to have the ‘best start possible’. It added: ‘Recently we asked each class teacher to write a list of the top ten most damaging phrases used by children in the classroom. We are introducing a “zero tolerance” in the classroom to get children out of the habit of using the phrases on the list.’ The Black Country includes Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and southern parts of Wolverhampton. Other words and phrases on the prohibited list include ‘ay’, meaning ‘pardon’, and ‘I day’, meaning ‘I didn’t’. Alana Willetts, 30, whose nine-year-old son George goes to the school, said staff should be teaching pupils about the Black Country and its dialect. ‘Some of my friends have gone on to be doctors and lawyers and I’m an engineer – [the accent] doesn’t affect you as a person,’ she said. ‘I think it is patronising and insulting to say that people with a Black Country accent are disadvantaged. All the parents are outraged.’ Ann Mills, 62, who has two grandchildren at the school, added: ‘I was raised here and I’m proud of the way we speak.’ Colley Lane Primary School, in Halesowen, West Midlands, where staff have have drawn up a list of offending Black Country phrases that have been banned in the classroom . Here are the phrases pupils at Colley Lane Primary School, in Halesowen, have been banned from using: . 1. 'They was' instead of 'they were.' 2. 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that.' 3. 'Ya' instead of 'you.' 4. 'Gonna' instead of 'going to.' 5. 'Woz' instead of 'was.' 6. 'I day' instead of 'I didn't.' 7. 'I ain't' instead of 'I haven't.' 8. 'Somefink' instead of 'something.' 9. 'It wor me' instead of 'it wasn't me.' 10. 'Ay?' instead of 'pardon?' But Zheyan Kareem, 31, who moved to . the UK eight years ago and whose seven-year-old son is a pupil, . supported the ban, saying: ‘English is my second language. So for . me … it is good if my child speaks English in the house and not slang . picked up at school.’ The . primary school, which has 592 children aged four to 11 and was judged . ‘good’ at its last Ofsted inspection, defended the move. Headteacher . John White said: ‘We value the dialect but we want to encourage children . to learn when to use it and when not, like for a job interview.’ The Black . Country includes the three Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and . Walsall and the southern parts of the city of Wolverhampton, but does . not include Birmingham. Headteacher John White said: 'I think we are seeing a decline in standards of English when children come into school. 'We are seeing that some children coming in are not able to speak very much at all to be honest. 'I . think some of the changes in society - the amount of time people sit . around and talk together and the amount of screen time - seem to be . having an effect on how confidently children speak when starting school. 'We . want to pick them up on that and improve their standards in English. It . is important because it is the foundation of everything. The letter staff at Colley Lane Primary School, in Halesowen, West Midlands, sent out to parents . 'If they can't say it, it is likely they can't read it, and even less likely they can write it. 'We value the dialect but we want to encourage children to learn when to use and when not, like for a job interview. It is, of course, fine to use in other situations and we would celebrate that. 'We know it is a topic lots of people will be interested in, but I'm positive about it. If it starts to get people talking about the issue, that can only be a good thing. 'We will correct children if they get the words wrong.' The school was rated as either Good or Outstanding in a Ofsted inspection report in 2010. The distinctive Black Country dialect of the 'Yam Yams' is spoken in towns like Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Tipton and Dudley, and can be very confusing to outsiders. Scholars find it fascinating because it has preserved grammar from Early Modern English and even Middle English. 'Thee', 'Thy' and 'Thou' are still in use, as is the case in parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire. 'Ow B'ist', meaning 'How beist thou?' is a common greeting, with the typical answer being 'Bay too bah', meaning 'I bayn't be too bad'. 'I haven't seen her' becomes 'I ay sid 'er'. Black Country dialect often substitutes the word 'ar' for 'yes'. Several word pronunciations are also different: 'you' is pronounced 'yow' (pronounced yo with a silent w), whereas 'go', which is often pronounced 'goo' or 'gooin'' for 'going', is more in line with pronunciations in the Midlands. It is also quite common for broad Black Country speakers to say 'agooin' instead of 'going'. Inhabitants are proud to be known as Black Country 'folk' and resist hints at any relationship to people living in Birmingham, calling Birmingham 'Brum-a-jum' (Birmingham's colloquial name is 'Brummagem', a corruption of its older name of 'Bromwicham' and hence West Bromwich) or 'Birminam' (missing the g and h out and saying it the way it's spelt). Residents of Birmingham ('Brummies') meanwhile often refer to their Black Country neighbours as 'Yam Yams', a reference to the use of 'Yow am' (or yow'm ) instead of 'You are', and not because they say 'I yam' instead of 'I am'. Dudley residents often refer to the people of Birmingham as 'Dummy Brummies'. Also, the town of Walsall can be pronounced either 'War-sall' or 'Wor-sull', with a strong Walsall accent considered to be typical 'yam-yam'. The strong Black Country dialect is less commonly heard today than in the past. However, a stronger variation of the dialect (than the one frequently used) appears to be heard quite often in conversations between older Black Country folk. The word endings with 'en' are still noticeable in conversation as in 'gooen' (going), 'callen' (calling) and the vowel 'A' is pronounced as 'O' as in 'sond' (sand), 'hond' (hand) and 'mon' (man). Other pronunciations are 'winder' for window, 'fer' for 'far', and 'loff' for 'laugh' exactly as Chaucer's English was spoken. Local dialect was (and probably still is to a lesser degree) quite distinctive between the different towns and villages of the Black Country. Although most outsiders to the Black Country can't tell this difference, Black Country folk can quiet fiercely defend the difference between the accent. Here is a glossary of Black Country vocabulary: . Aive - Lift, heaveBawk - ConfuseBeesum - A pert young womanBibble - Pebble, stoneBlithyed - A foolBowler - A large mothBoffle - To hinderBonk - A small hillBroo'us - A breweryCagmag - A gossipy old womanCaw - CannotChicklings - Pig's intestines (a Black Country delicacy)Codding - JokingFizog - FaceFlen - A fleaJed - DeadKench - Back strainMiskin - An outside toiletCarradiddle - A lie, fibTranklements - Miscellaneous items, paraphernaliaWerit - Worry . | Staff at the West Midlands primary have drawn up list offending phrases .
They include 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that' and 'Ay?'
Parents and local residents have branded the move as 'snobbish'
But the school says it wants it children to have 'the best start possible' |
64,722 | b7d1ad3f60b780c3313605389cea53aed32df64f | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 10:58 EST, 15 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:58 EST, 15 May 2013 . First we had breast milk ice cream. Then there was breast milk jewellery. And now pairs of tiny baby booties made from donated breast milk have been created by British designers. Simple kitchen equipment was used by Nick Gant and Tanya Dean, both lecturers at the University of Brighton in East Sussex, to transform proteins in the milk into a hard plastic-type material which was then moulded into the booties. They cannot be worn, but they have been created using milk donated by a mother to promote World Breast Milk Donation Day this Sunday. The tiny, one-inch booties were created using donated breast milk, from which proteins were extracted and then used to create a hard plastic-type material . The inch-long booties are not the first type of sustainable footwear to have been created by the innovative designers. The pair have made other sorts of shoe from . unusual waste materials. They . have created children's slippers from dog hair, flip flops from beach . waste collected by volunteers, recycled wine corks into men's brogues , Cinderella glass slippers . and they have 3D-printed a shoe from recycled office paper. Designer Tanya Dean shows the one-inch-long baby booties she has co-created with Nick Gant, using donated breast milk at the University of Brighton in East Sussex, to promote World Breast Milk Donation Day . The pair - described as 'masters of material manipulation' - have worked with brands including Absolut Vodka and Vivienne Westwood, and are currently working on producing a trainer using chip fat. Of their breast milk project, Mr Gant said: 'The aim is to highlight the importance of breast milk donation, and more broadly to challenge people's perceptions about so-called waste products. 'We want to show that they can be used to raise awareness and communicate issues about material culture, ethics and sustainability. 'Turning waste material like breast milk which couldn't otherwise be used, but which is embedded with meaning and personal history, into something new, gives the products created greater meaning and value.' Tanya Dean and Nick Gant have created other upcycled footwear, including children's slippers made from dog hair and flip flops made from plastic found on the beach . The process to create the booties was relatively simple. It involved gently heating some breast milk, then adding some vinegar to help form a congealed curd cluster, similar to mozzarella. It was then pressed into silicon moulds and dried over the course of four days. Also in their repertoire are men's brogues made from cork . There are plans for five more pairs of booties to be made. The first pair will be presented to a donor to mark World Breast Milk Donation Day. Mr Gant and Ms Dean worked with Gillian Weaver, manager of the milk bank at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London, and chairwoman of the UK Association for Milk Banking's national forum. The milk bank, run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, provides specially heat-treated breast milk collected from volunteer donor mothers for use in feeding sick and premature babies. Ms Weaver said: 'Seeing these tiny booties made from breast milk is a unique reminder of the valuable role that breast milk plays in helping premature babies to survive and grow.' Along with breast milk booties, left, Nick Gant and Tanya Dean have made slippers from dog hair, right . The pair have also created sustainable flip flops from plastic found on the beach and in the ocean which they turned into thread . Jewellery made from breast milk proved an unlikely hit among new mothers in April. Mommy Milk Creations is just one of several stores on craft site Etsy.com to plasticize breast milk samples so that it can be transformed into wearable keepsakes such as pendants and bracelets. Allicia . Mogavero from Southern Rhode Island in America, who runs the online store, . instructs buyers to send two tablespoons of their milk in a zip-lock . bag, so that she can preserve it in resin. Parenting trend: Mommy Milk Creations is just one of several stores on Etsy, which uses breast milk to create wearable keepsakes such as pendants, lucky charms and bracelets . The mother-of-three told MailOnline that she can 'barely keep up' with orders and the response has been 'overwhelming'. Customers tell her that the . jewelry 'is a gorgeous reminder of such a special time' and a great way . of commemorating 'the bonding experience you had with your child.' On receiving a breast milk sample, Ms Mogavero 'plasticizes' it, then molds it into miniature shapes such as hearts, moons, stars or tiny feet and hands. The 'milk bead' is then set in . clear resin and silver hooks and chains are added. The child's name . or a special message can also be included. Personalization: Mothers can choose to have their child's name added alongside the 'bead' of breast milk . Ms Mogavero warns that the color of the . finished piece will vary depending on the sample of milk and no two . pieces are ever the same. 'Some milk is more yellow than others, . other milk is very thin and will create a less bright bead, if you . will,' she writes on her website. 'There may be some areas in your breast milk bead that appear . slightly darker or whiter than the rest of the bead. This is because milk has fatty and non-fatty parts. 'For the most part your bead will look . like a uniform color but under very close inspection you may see the . slight color variations or speckles.' A restaurant in London sold breast milk ice cream to customers in a cocktail glass in 2011. Icecreamists, based in Covent Garden, named the £14 dish Baby Gaga... until Lady Gaga launched a lawsuit against them. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds provided the first 30 fluid ounces of milk which was enough to make the first 50 servings. The recipe blended breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest. A costumed Baby Gaga waitress . served the ice cream in a martini glass filled . with the breast milk ice cream mix. Liquid nitrogen was then poured into . the glass through a syringe and it is served with a rusk. Martini glass: Victoria Hiley, 35, has provided her breast milk although the restaurant are looking for more donors . Bizarre: Company founder Matt O'Connor, 44, and the Lady Gaga waitress in the central London store . Ms . Hiley added: 'It wasn't intrusive at all to donate - just a simple . blood test. What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mothers . milk in an ice cream?' Victoria works with women who have problems breast feeding their babies. She . said she believes that if adults realise how tasty breast milk actually . is, new mothers will be more willing to breast feed their own newborns. 'You can kid yourself that its a healthy ice cream!' said Victoria. Donor: Victoria Hiley, 25, provided 30 fluid ounces - enough to make the first 50 servings . 'But it is very nice it really . melts in the mouth. I teach women how to get started on breast feeding . their babies. There's very little support for women and every little . helps. 'I'm passionate about the good that breast feeding does for babies.' | Made by 'sustainable designers' Nick Gant and Tanya Dean .
Both are lecturers at University of Brighton, East Sussex .
They have also made shoes from cork and slippers from dog hair .
Also flip flops from plastic found on beach and Cinderella glass slippers . |
51,776 | 92a3e6774bf63e007a18b0bf8c463e4a03557528 | (CNN) -- A pirate was killed and several others were detained after a security team thwarted an attack in waters off Somalia, authorities said Wednesday. The incident happened Tuesday as a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, the MV Almezaan, was headed to Mogadishu, said the European Union Naval Force. A private security team that was on board the ship returned fire when pirates tried to attack the vessel. The security team was able to repel two attack attempts. The EU naval force was called in, boarded the three pirate ships and detained six suspects. They also found one pirate who had died of a gunshot wound, the naval force said. No further details were immediately available about his death. The waters off the Somali coast -- the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean -- have been plagued by Somali pirates. The international community has adopted measures such as escorts and monitoring to crack down on piracy. Two cargo ships were seized in the area on Tuesday, the EU naval force reported. Hijackers took control of one ship in the Indian Ocean and were apparently taking it to Somalia, EUNAVFOR said. The MV Frigia, a Turkish-owned and Maltese-flagged cargo vessel, had been headed east from Port Said in Egypt to Kaousichang in Thailand. The ship was moving west and appeared to be heading toward one of the so-called pirate ports off the coast of Somalia. There are 21 crew members on the ship, 19 Turkish and two Ukrainian. Also, the Bermuda-flagged and Virgin Islands-owned MV Talca was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, EU NAVFOR said. That hijacking took place off the coast of Oman and 180 miles south of Mazera. The ship had been heading from Sokhna, Egypt, to Busheir, Iran. Twenty-three crew members are from Sri Lanka, one is from the Philippines and another is from Syria. | Private security force on cargo ship repels two attacks by pirates near Somalia .
EU naval force called in, boards three pirate ships, detains six suspects .
One suspected pirate found dead on attackers' ship, EU says .
Two other ships reported seized by hijackers Tuesday in waters near Somalia . |
602 | 01c0a9d2ec6df2fe80dcc9ebd0138f702891539a | The father of Ibragim Todashev, who was shot by an FBI agent a week ago while being quizzed over his links to the Boston bombers, revealed the extent of his son's injuries in gruesome photographs of his dead body today. Outspoken Abdul-Baki Todashev called for an investigation and possible legal action against the agent involved at a press conference in Moscow where he showed the images of his son's body lying in a morgue with up to seven gunshot wounds, including one to the back of the head. His angry calls for justice came as a report claimed the 27-year-old native Chechen was unarmed in the clash with a federal agent in Florida on May 22. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . Anger: Abdulbaki Todashev says his unarmed son was shot up to seven times including once to back of the head . Gruesome: The father showed images of his son's bullet-riddled body laying in a Florida morgue . Previous reports claimed the US citizen went for the agent with a knife while being interrogated in his home. However, a report by the Washington Post yesterday cited law enforcement officials saying he had no weapon. He allegedly did become violent when . police quizzed him over links to Tamerlan Tsarnaev and an unsolved 2011 . triple homicide but he did not have a knife as previously claimed. 'Today I want justice. I want an investigation, so that these people (the FBI) are sued under US laws,' he said. 'These are not FBI agents. These are bandits and they must appear in court.' He said he received the 16 images of his son's body from a friend in the US. Graphic: Todashev said he had been emailed 16 images of his son's corpse from a friend in Florida . Shot dead: The father called for justice in the shooting of his son who was a US citizen . Todashev is pictured lying in a Florida morgue. His father claims they show brutal injuries from up to seven bullets including one to the back of the head. 'This is not a shot that you fire when you come under attack. This is a shot you fire to execute someone,' he said. 'Couldn't they just handcuff him? At the very least, they could have wounded him in the foot or shoulder. And here he was – killed execution style.' Deceased: Ibragim Todashev was fatally shot by an FBI agent. Initial reports said he had a knife but that was not true . He added that his son must have had information they didn't want him to reveal. 'They silenced him', he added. He . now plans to journey to the US to pick up his son's body and said he . had been to the US embassy in Moscow to apply for a visa to do so. Authorities were pressuring the younger Todashev to make a full confession to the murders of three men found in an apartment in Waltham, Mass. on the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001. It is known Tamerlan Tsarnaev was close friends with one of the victims and the FBI have been looking into whether he was involved. Law enforcement sources told NBC that Todashev and Tsarnaev carried out the 2011 killings when a drug deal that turned violent. The suspects didn't want the three victims to be able to identify them, so they slit their throats, according to the network. It is that evidence which apparently led them to Todashev and his Orlando apartment not far from Universal Studios on May 22. He had questioned for some hours before he allegedly flipped and the shooting came as one agent stepped out of the room, leaving Todashev alone with one officer, the Post said. Shot dead: Ibragim Todashev, a 27-year-old mixed martial arts fighter, right, was killed by an agent in his Florida home . The FBI had questioned Todashev in the past . regarding his ties to Tamerlan Tsarnaev (right). Tsarnaev's younger . brother, Dzhokhar, (left), has been charged in connection with the . bombings . Investigation: An FBI evidence response team enters an apartment after an agent shot and killed Ibragim Todashev who was questioned in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings . Tsarnaev's mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, confirmed to the New York Times on Wednesday that her older son knew Todashev. In a telephone interview from . Dagestan, Tsarnaeva said Todashev moved from Boston to Florida about two . years ago. She said she is devastated to learn that he has been killed. 'Now another boy has left this life,' she told the newspaper. 'Why are they killing these children without any . trial or investigation?' The FBI has been . investigating Todashev for the last month, questioning him several times . regarding his ties to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed by . police in a shootout following the deadly April 15 marathon bombings. Authorities said they have no reason to believe that Todashev had any involvement in the marathon bombings. Todashev . was arrested in an unrelated incident on May 4 for aggravated battery . after he left a man unconscious in the parking lot of a shopping mall. Victim: Brendan Mess was one of three victims in a triple slaying that Todashev allegedly confessed to police that he and Tsarnaev had committed in September 2011 . According to the arrest affidavit, Todashev had gotten into an altercation with a man and his son over parking space. Todashev told police that the man . 'got into his face' so he pushed him and then the man's son 'got . involved' and Todashev began fighting him. A mall security officer arrived on . scene to find the son unconscious and lying in a pool of blood on the . ground just as Todashev was pulling away in a white Mercedes. The officer chased down the Mercedes, ordered Todashev out at gunpoint and arrested him. The son was later treated at a hospital with a split upper lip, several teeth knocked out and head injuries. Friends and family members of the 2011 murder victims reacted to news of that Tsarnaev and Todashev were involved on social media. On a Facebook page dedicated to . victim Raphael Teken, someone wrote, 'Whether we ever know exactly what . happened, there is one thing we surely know and that is that Rafi . deserved a much better fate.' Facebook user Tony Porter wrote, 'I'm disappointed that we will never really get to experience true justice for our friend or know the reasons for what happened despite the fact that both alleged suspects are now deceased. 'I don't know how you are supposed to feel when your friend's killer gets killed, but I don't feel "relieved" like I thought I would.' Murdered: Raphael Teken (left with a friend) and Erik Weissman (right) were also killed in the 2011 triple slaying . Todashev met Tsarnaev while he was living in Boston because they were both involved in mixed martial arts and boxing . | Ibragim Todashev, 27, reportedly turned violent during an FBI interview .
He did not have a knife as previously said .
He had allegedly confessed to the FBI that he and Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev had played a role in a triple slaying in the Boston area in 2011 .
Todashev, from Chechnya, was shot dead by the agent just after midnight on May 22 .
Todashev had met Tsarnaev while he was living in Boston and last spoke him about a week before the bombing . |
253,155 | d3ab248af8e46ae9d2548d632936399c93a61bb9 | By . Amanda Williams and Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 04:59 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 17 October 2013 . Staff at a school for problem pupils have been giving out cigarettes to children as young as 11 and allowing them to smoke in the playground. The cigarettes are taken off the youngsters at the start of the day but given back to them during their morning break and at lunchtime. The controversial policy, approved by a headteacher, was put in place to stop pupils from leaving the site to have a cigarette – as staff are obliged to do. Staff at the Elmete Central School in Roundhay, Leeds, have given children between 11 and 16 permission to smoke their cigarettes during break and lunchtimes on school grounds . But the education authority has . launched an investigation and a newly-appointed head at the Elmete . Central School in Leeds has agreed to end the practice and ban all . smoking on the premises. The school for 75 pupils aged 11 to 16, who have behavioural and . emotional problems, is attended by some of the city’s ‘most challenging . young people’. They had been allowed to smoke between 11.10 and 11.20am and from 12.20 to 1.10pm until the policy was changed on Wednesday. 'Pupils handed in their cigarettes and possessions each morning and were handed back their cigarettes, at the allocated times each day. 'Considering the youngest are only 11, it does not seem right. Staff have to go some way off the school grounds if they wish to smoke.' It is understood the policy was put in place by the previous head teacher as a compromise as some of the children were not attending school and were occasionally leaving the premises when they did attend. It is thought pupils were allowed to smoke in a controlled environment and to keep them on site. The current head teacher has only been in charge for a few days and has agreed to ensure the policy does not continue. Anti-smoking health campaigners have labeled the decision 'inappropriate, wrong and unethical'. And Leeds City Council education chiefs have launched an investigation at the school for 75 pupils with behavioural and emotional difficulties. Deborah Arnott, chief executive of UK anti-smoking health charity ASH, said: 'Allowing children to smoke at school is wrong in so many ways. 'It is illegal to sell tobacco to young people under the age of 18 precisely because tobacco is so hazardous to health and wellbeing. 'It is totally inappropriate and unethical to allow children to smoke in a school environment. 'The . school wouldn’t allow children to drink so why are they allowing them . to smoke? We urge the school to urgently review this policy.' It is believed cigarettes were confiscated at the beginning of the day but then handed back to pupils by staff later in the day . Scott Crosby, regional tobacco control policy manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, added: 'By the age of 15, around one in eight school children have become regular smokers. just one cigarette can make children more likely to start smoking several years later. 'Children who smoke often become regular adult smokers of which half will die as a result of their habit. 'Children will also suffer immediate health consequences from smoking, coughs, increased phlegm, wheeziness and shortness of breath, and take more time off school’. Anti-smoking health campaigners have labelled the decision 'inappropriate, wrong and unethical' Paul Brennan, deputy director for children’s services, at Leeds City Council said: 'We take this issue very seriously and as soon as it was brought to our attention we spoke to the school and issued an instruction that it must stop immediately. 'We are confident that this practice has now ceased. 'The recently appointed headteacher has agreed to review any such practices and to make sure this does not happen in the future we will conduct unannounced visits by local authority staff. 'We have a strict no smoking policy in all of our schools and encourage them to promote healthy lifestyles to all pupils.' The school regularly invites health professionals into school to talk about the dangers of smoking and offers help and advice to stop. The schools website states: 'All staff, including support staff work to remove barriers to learning, and support the pastoral needs of learners.' It also states they work to provide positive role models. A recent Ofsted report noted that the confidence young people have in staff was high. | The Elmete Central School in Roundhay, Leeds, is being investigated .
Staff gave children between 11 and 16 permission to smoke at break .
Cigarettes were confiscated at the beginning of the day then handed back .
The school educates 'some of the city’s most .
challenging young people' |
52,356 | 94567f6133151b2223173f30def92770bdbaa878 | (InStyle.com) -- Is there anything as romantic as a classic big screen kiss? Even today -- when most Hollywood movies don't exactly fade to black after the lovers lock lips -- the best kisses still have the power to send shivers down the spine. In honor of Valentine's Day, InStyle chose the most memorable cinematic embraces: upside down, on a boat, and in the pouring rain. "Gone with the Wind" "You need kissing badly," Clark Gable, as Rhett Butler, told Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara in this 1939 epic. "You should be kissed, and often. And by someone who knows how." Later on, while proposing to the twice-widowed Scarlett, he proves he's the man for the job. See all 25 iconic movie kisses . "Lady and the Tramp" She was the original uptown girl; he was a lovable drifter. But when these two crazy pups came together over a very long piece of spaghetti in this 1955 animated film, it was forever. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Truman Capote's original 1958 novella wasn't exactly a love story, so the author was less than thrilled with the 1961 big screen adaptation. (For one thing, he'd wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly.) But audiences adored this stylish film, particularly for the final scene, in which Holly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul (George Peppard) make a rainy New York City alley seem as romantic as any pink-streaked sunset. InStyle.com: The most stylish celebrity couples . "When Harry Met Sally" This 1989 comedy made numerous witty contributions to the romantic lexicon -- and kickstarted a (still-raging) debate as to whether men and women could "really" be friends -- but it was the pair's New Year's Eve reconciliation that moved viewers to tears. As Billy Crystal (Harry) told Meg Ryan (Sally): "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." "Pretty Woman" "I don't kiss on the mouth," Vivian (Julia Roberts) warns Edward (Richard Gere) at the beginning of this 1990 movie. So when she does, it's pivotal -- the audience understands that she's come to regard Edward as much more than a client. But even that kiss can't beat the one at the happy ending, after Edward "rescues" Vivian on her fire escape and she promises to "rescue him right back." InStyle.com: Julia Roberts's Transformation . "Ghost" Technically, in this scene from the 1990 film, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is making out with Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg). But because Oda Mae is channeling Molly's late boyfriend Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze), it's Sam that Molly -- and the viewers -- get to see. "Titanic" Director James Cameron initially planned to cast "an Audrey Hepburn type" to play the female lead in this 1997 epic, and Leonardo DiCaprio nearly turned down his role. It's still captivating to see him woo Kate Winslet's Rose, even if, as DiCaprio said in a recent interview, kissing Kate is "like kissing a family member." InStyle.com: Kate Winslet's Transformation . "Spiderman" The upside down kiss that Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) shared with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) in this 2002 flick was breath-taking for Maguire, but not for the reasons you might think. "The whole time I had rainwater running up my nose," he said. "Then, when Kirsten rolled back the mask, she cut my air off completely." "Slumdog Millionaire" It was easy to see why Jamal (Dev Patel) was so hung up on his childhood friend Latika (Freida Pinto). When they finally kiss on a Mumbai train platform, it's a moment as exuberantly optimistic as the goofy dance scene that follows. Bonus points for still being a couple to this off-screen day. InStyle.com: Freida Pinto's Transformation . "Twilight" Even the most diehard members of Team Jacob can't deny the romantic power of Bella and Edward's first kiss. Kristen Stewart -- who's almost uniformly closemouthed about her off-screen relationship with costar Robert Pattinson -- did offer "I get to kiss Edward Cullen," when asked to name a few of her favorite things about the gig. See if your favorite movie kisses made our list in our expanded gallery at InStyle.com! Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "I don't kiss on the mouth," Vivian warns Edward at the beginning of "Pretty Woman"
"When Harry Met Sally" kickstarted the debate as to whether men and women can be friends .
"You need kissing badly," Rhett Butler told Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" |
86,961 | f6ce91e3c48f9fe122e2b6a78e27931a82d3bc5c | Click here for updates on Phil Hughes' condition after his injury . Reaction from across the cricket world to the incident . The cricket world is in shock after the news that Phil Hughes is in a critical condition after being hit on the head by a bouncer playing for South Australia against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. Not only shock because of the extent of the Australian’s injuries but because this is an incident of unprecedented seriousness, certainly since helmets were introduced more than 30 years ago to significantly reduce the risk of being hurt while batting in cricket. While what happened in the historic surroundings of the Sydney Cricket Ground can legitimately be called a freak incident perhaps the biggest surprise is that this sort of thing is, thankfully, so rare in the great game. WARNING Some pictures and video in this story may be distressing . Phil Hughes reacts after being hit on the head by a delivery from pace bowler Sean Abbott . Hughes turns away from Abbott's bouncer and the ball hits him on the side of the head . A cricket ball is a seriously hard, dangerous weapon when propelled at close to a 100 miles per hour by the best bowlers in the world and perhaps the most sobering thought after a truly horrible affair is that injury on this scale doesn’t happen more regularly. Batsmen have been hit on the head and been badly hurt over the years - of course they have, and incidents involving Australian Rick McCosker, New Zealand’s Ewan Chatfield, Mike Gatting, Ricky Ponting and England’s Stuart Broad only last summer come to mind - but no-one that I can recall has been as badly hurt as the stricken Hughes. There is no point blaming the safety equipment because cricket, as with so much sport, comes with an inherent risk and the great strides that have been made ever since Mike Brearley first appeared in the Seventies with a sort of skull cap and Dennis Amiss wore a motorcycle helmet have been huge. Stuart Broad is hit by a ball that got through his grille against India last summer . The England man tries to stop the bleeding from his nose (left) and lines up for a team photo some days later . Cricketers have always sought protection and there were tales of batsmen using towels, scarves and padded caps before Patsy Hendren was one of the first to use a self designed protective hat in the 1930s. World Series Cricket saw the first helmets being worn regularly, most notably by Warwickshire and England batsman Amiss, while Australia’s Graham Yallop was the first to wear a helmet in a Test, against West Indies in 1978. The design and level of safety has evolved ever since but even last summer more moves were made to protect batsmen after Broad had been struck in the gap between his safety grille and the peak of his airtek helmet, commonly regarded now as the safest design, at Old Trafford against India and was lucky to escape serious injury. Ricky Ponting is hit by a Steve Harmison delivery at Lord's in 2005 (left) and his cut is clearly visible . Mike Gatting holds his face and throws away his bat after being hit by a Malcolm Marshall bouncer in 1986 . Gatting returns to the pavilion at Sabina Park, Jamaica, with blood pouring from his nose . But they cannot be foolproof and those batsmen who reach the very top will tell you that fear never enters their head. The last thing Hughes would have been thinking of was getting hurt as he attempted to pull a short ball from New South Wales' seamer Sean Abbott on Tuesday morning. Lesser players would have simply got out of the way. He and all other international batsmen would not be successful if they did worry about injury and fear is more likely to be found at a much lower level, where club players can be seen putting self-preservation ahead of the need to score runs, certainly lower order batsmen. There is a theory that helmets have actually increased the risk of injury in a weird sort of way, because they encourage the very best batsmen to go for more audacious shots than they would ever have attempted bare headed. Mike Brearley (left) wearing his prototype cap-style helmet against Australia in 1977 . Australian Graham Yallop batting in a crash helmet, the first person to wear such headgear in a Test match, and ducking a bouncer from West Indies paceman Colin Croft in Barbados during the 1977-78 tour . Former England batsman Dennis Amiss in the nets in 1978 wearing his helmet . The art of ducking and weaving, for instance, as batsmen would have had to master against the great fast bowlers of a bygone age like Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, has almost disappeared in an era when batsmen, highly protected and with huge heavy bats, are dominant and bowlers are rarely as quick as they once were. None of which is particularly relevant to the plight of the talented and highly popular Hughes, a well regarded figure in the English county game as well as of an opponent of England’s, as he fights for his life in a Sydney hospital. His has been an up-and-down career at the highest level and he has not played a Test for Australia since struggling against England in the 2013 Ashes and scoring just one and one in the last of his 26 Tests to date at Lord’s. But he was on the way back as far as Australia were concerned and was expected to play in the first Test against India because of injury to his friend and captain Michael Clarke, who was at his bedside on Tuesday after the horrific incident. There is huge sympathy too for young fast bowler Abbott, 22, who was being comforted and offered psychological support after his unwitting part in this tragic affair. He will know that no-one blames him for beating Hughes' defences but that will not make him feel any the less distraught. For now, the cricket community has come together in their support of one of their own. The world’s thoughts are with Phil Hughes and his family. New Zealand batsman Ewan Chatfield (near right) turns away after being hit by a Peter Lever delivery . | Cricket world in shock after Phil Hughes in intensive care following Sean Abbott bouncer in Sheffield Shield match .
That type of incident very rare nowadays thanks to helmets .
Stuart Broad, Ricky Ponting and Mike Gatting have suffered head injuries while batting, despite wearing helmets .
A cricket ball is a dangerous weapon when hurled down at nearly 100mph . |
93,138 | 03d12108571c5ca36b5ec12529bd8bddb745f09a | By . Associated Press . Prosecutors and a Phoenix woman reached a deal on Friday that would allow her to avoid prosecution for leaving her two young sons alone in a hot car while she was at a job interview. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said his office and 35-year-old Shanesha Taylor have an agreement under which he'll dismiss two felony child abuse charges against her if she meets several conditions. Those include completing parenting and substance abuse treatment programs and establishing education and child care trust funds for her children. Shanesha Taylor, 35, (pictured in her police mugshot) has reached a deal with prosecutors today to dismiss felony child abuse charges against her if she completes parenting and substance abuse treatment programs . Authorities arrested Taylor after bystanders in Scottsdale reported seeing her two sons alone in her car in March. Taylor told police that she wasn't able to find a babysitter for the boys, who were 2 years and 6 months old at the time. A witness found the infant crying hysterically and sweating profusely as temperatures inside the SUV exceeded 100 degrees. According to court documents, firefighters found the vehicle's windows rolled down an inch and no running air conditioning to keep the children cool. While Montgomery has said his focus was on how the children were treated, Taylor drew sympathy from people who saw her as a single mother trying to get work. An online fundraising website set up by a New Jersey woman brought in thousands of dollars in donations for her. Authorities arrested Taylor after bystanders in Scottsdale reported seeing her two sons alone in her car in March . 100F: Police claim the keys were in the ignition but the air conditioning was off, so the fan was blowing hot air . Montgomery called the agreement a 'just resolution' that holds Taylor accountable while serving the best interests of her family. Taylor, who previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, appeared in court Friday for what had been scheduled as a settlement conference. Judge Joseph Welty of Maricopa County Superior Court accepted the agreement but warned Taylor that it included an admission that she had endangered her children. That admission could be used against her if the case ends up being prosecuted in the future, the judge said. Taylor, who spoke little during the proceeding, acknowledged she understood what the judge said. In May, a court commissioner granted her visits with both children under the supervision of a Child Protective Services worker. She has been able to maintain steady visits since then, Taylor's defense lawyer Benjamin Taylor said. The two are not related. Shanesha Taylor has used some of the money to secure a new place to live, her lawyer said. | Shanesha Taylor, 35, will have two felony child abuse charges .
against her dismissed if she meets several conditions .
Authorities arrested Taylor after bystanders in Scottsdale, Arizona reported seeing her two sons alone in her car in March . |
191,493 | 83fa5b86dec3e53bc8359d045404c310a6e35b7c | American lawyers have never been accused of lacking creativity in seeking to justify the nefarious deeds of their clients. Texas defense attorney Scott Brown, however, appears to have raised the bar to a new level by asserting the newly minted defense of "affluenza" to obtain leniency in a tragic vehicular homicide case arising out of the reckless driving of his very drunk and very rich 16-year-old client, Ethan Couch. Affluenza may be a contender for a collection of odd and unlikely defenses that can trace their lineage back to the infamous (and some even say apocryphal) "Twinkie defense." The notorious junk food defense was asserted in psychiatric testimony as part of a broad claim of diminished capacity caused by depression with at least some success in the 1979 trial of Supervisor Dan White for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Although White was charged with murder, the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. The current claim in Fort Worth, Texas, is that the condition of affluenza, a combination of the words "affluence" and "influenza" should immunize Ethan Couch from full responsibility for his actions in killing four people and critically injuring two others. The Oxford Dictionary defines the condition as "a psychological malaise supposedly affecting young people, symptoms of which include a lack of motivation, feelings of guilt, and a sense of isolation." Defense attorney Brown apparently succeeded in convincing soon-to-be retired juvenile Judge Jean Boyd that this spoiled rich kid syndrome diminished Ethan Couch's capacity to distinguish right from wrong. 'Affluenza': Is it real? In the face of prosecution demands for 20 years in the slammer, the judge responded with a sentence of 10 years of probation and rehabilitation. Couch's rich daddy proposes to fund a trip to a $450,000 a year California rehab facility that offers treatment to those with way too much cash and free time on their manicured hands. I wish I was kidding about this, but I am not. Defense psychologist Dr. G. Dick Miller testified that poor Ethan Couch was never properly disciplined by his wealthy parents, eventually driving at age 13, abusing alcohol, and coming to believe that money could buy him out of pretty much any situation where he hurt someone. Affluenza, the shrink suggests, diminished Ethan's capacity to obey the law and tragic consequences followed. Miller's offensive analysis fails to explain why this strange condition is not mentioned in the diagnostic bible of the psychiatric profession, the DSM-5 and its predecessor volumes. Rich kid syndrome, or the more succinct label affluenza, seems to be made of the same empty calories that made the Twinkie defense so offensive to the public at the time it was served up in a 1970s San Francisco courtroom. The facts of the case are as disturbing as one can imagine in a criminal prosecution. A night that would end in manslaughter and mayhem began with Couch and his friends stealing beer from a Walmart and then jumping into his flatbed Ford. Then an intoxicated Ethan Couch recklessly drove the truck at 70 mph in a 40 mph zone and smashed into the four helpless victims, ending their lives and shattering the lives of their families. Opinion: All the injustice money can buy . When Couch's Ford F-350 truck finally stopped, the carnage was stunning. The young driver, whose blood-alcohol level tested at three times the legal limit (.24), had snuffed out the lives of Brian Jennings, a 43-year-old youth pastor; Shelby Boyles, 21, and her 52-year-old mother, Hollie Boyles; as well as 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell. Two of the seven teens who were riding in Couch's truck were also critically injured. One of them, Sergio Molina, who had been riding in the bed of the truck, was paralyzed. After emerging from a coma, he can reportedly only communicate through eye-blinking. Judges are human and they make mistakes as we all do. Juvenile proceedings are particularly difficult, because the judicial system seeks to rehabilitate rather than punish children who make mistakes. Here, though, the crime is so serious and the explanation of affluenza so transparently preposterous, the judge demeans the entire justice system by affording it any legitimacy. In a system where rich and poor are supposed to be treated equally, affluenza as a defense is an insult to us all. Lady Justice, displayed in courthouses across the nation, wears a blindfold to immunize her from the impact of wealth and power as she weighs only the relative strength of evidence on her justice scale. The wrong message has been sent in this case about wealth, power and the penalty for killing others while recklessly driving in an intoxicated state. The law exists to rehabilitate but also to deter unlawful conduct by the rich as well as the poor. A wise judge presented with the claim of affluenza as a defense to manslaughter would have responded in a very different way. Ethan Couch, his lawyer and his wealthy father should have been told that the cure for affluenza is a solid dose of state-inflicted poverty in a prison cell where Ethan Couch would learn that his money can't buy justice. In fact the only thing it should buy is junk food in the prison commissary -- maybe some Twinkies if any remain on the shelf after all these years. | Texas teenager won't go to jail for drunk driving incident that killed four people .
Paul Callan says lawyer is citing a defense of "affluenza," not an acceptable argument .
He says judge should have refused to accept deal, should have blasted "affluenza" idea .
Callan: Justice is supposed to be impartial, not a tool to allow rich to escape responsibility . |
214,976 | a24de7e9c2a764c079015570594de498cf075b0c | Brutal: Human rights lawyer Samira Salih al-Nuaimi (pictured) was publicly executed in the Iraqi city of Mosul after she criticised ISIS on Facebook . ISIS terrorists have publicly executed a human rights lawyer in the Iraqi city of Mosul after she criticised the group on Facebook for destroying religious monuments. Samira Salih al-Nuaimi was seized from her home on September 17 shortly after she allegedly posted messages on Facebook that were critical of the militants' destruction of religious sites in the city. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, al-Nuaimi was tried in a Sharia law court for apostasy, before being tortured for five days and eventually being sentenced to public execution. News of al-Nuaimi's shocking death emerged after a coalition of American and Arab forces carried out a third night of deadly airstrikes against ISIS targets which have already killed scores of militants. Al-Nuaimi was killed on Monday, according to a statement released by the UN mission today. Her Facebook page appears to have been deleted since her death. 'By torturing and executing a female human rights' lawyer and activist, defending in particular the civil and human rights of her fellow citizens in Mosul, ISIL continues to attest to its infamous nature, combining hatred, nihilism and savagery, as well as its total disregard of human decency,' Nickolay Mladenov, the UN envoy to Iraq, said in a statement, referring to the group by an alternative name. The militant group captured Iraq's second largest city Mosul during its rapid advance across the country's north and west in June, as Iraqi security forces melted away. The extremists now rule a vast, self-declared caliphate straddling the Syria-Iraq border in which they have imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law which they claim justifies massacring opponents. In the once-diverse city of Mosul, the group has forced non-Muslims to convert to Islam, pay special religious taxes or face execution - a policy that has caused tens of thousands to flee. The militants have also enforced a strict dress code on women, going so far as to veil the faces of female mannequins in store fronts. Scroll down for video . Radicals: ISIS supporters slogans as they carry the group's flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, Iraq. Samira Salih al-Nuaimi was executed for criticizing ISIS' governance of the city . Strong presence: Military leaders have said about two-thirds of the estimated 31,000 Islamic State militants were in Syria. The U.S. has also been increasing its surveillance flights over Syria, getting better intelligent on potential targets and militant movements . In August, the group destroyed a number of historic landmarks in the town, including several lavish mosques and shrines, claiming the locations promoted idolatry - the practice of worshiping objects or icons instead of God. It appears to have been this campaign of destruction that led al-Nuaimi to post the critical Facebook messages that ultimately resulted in her death. The Gulf Center for Human Rights yesterday said that al-Nuaimi had worked on issues relating to poverty and the rights of detainees while living and working in Mosul. The Bahrain-based rights group said her death 'is solely motivated by her peaceful and legitimate human rights work, in particular defending the civil and human rights of her fellow citizens in Mosul.' Residents buy bread from a bakery in Tel Abyad on the Syrian-Turkish border yesterday. The area, which is in the heart of the Raqqa countryside, has been the subject of numerous coalition airstrikes . Defiant: A fluttering ISIS flag is flown over a hill in Tel Abyad, on the Syrian-Turkish border yesterday. The area, which is in the heart of the Raqqa countryside, has been the subject of numerous coalition airstrikes . Extreme violence against women who do not conform to the group's primitive ideals is a hallmark of ISIS' approach to governance. In the nearby town of Sderat, militants broke into the house of a female candidate in the last provincial council elections, killed her and abducted her husband, according to the UN. On the same day, another female politician was abducted from her home in eastern Mosul and remains missing. ISIS' brutally oppressive treatment of its four million citizens, as well as the sickening filmed murders of two American journalists and a British aid worker, eventually prompted the US to launch airstrikes against the group in western Iraq last month, and in its Syrian stronghold earlier this week. The U.S. Air Force has worked alongside a coalition of five Arab nations - Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan - in an effort to degrade and eventually destroy the Islamist terror group. Desperate militants are believed to have freed 150 prisoners in the group's de facto capital Raqqa overnight, in the hope it will convince America and its Arab allies to end the airstrikes. The militant stronghold is widely thought to be a base for the group's senior figures - including leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - and where British hostages Alan Henning and John Cantlie are being held. The prince was joined in the skies by the United Arab Emirate's first female air force pilot, Major Mariam Al Mansouri (pictured), 35, whose F16 fighter was one of several from a group of Arab nations that are blitzing Isis . Force: A handout picture made available by the US Department of Defense today shows a formation of US Navy F-18E Super Hornets refueling having carried out airstrikes on targets linked to ISIS . The news came as a fresh wave of airstrikes from the United States and its Arab allies hit ISIS oil refineries overnight, killing at least 14 militants and striking at the heart of the terror group's funding. ISIS generates up to $2million a day from the sale of oil, employing highly trained engineers to extract thousands of barrels a day from the vast swaths of Syria and Iraq under the terror group's control. Nearly a dozen countries have also provided weapons and training to Kurdish peshmerga fighters, who were strained after months of battling the jihadi group. In other developments Thursday, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen visited northern Iraq for talks with Kurdish leaders about the fight against Islamic State extremists and Berlin's efforts to help with arms deliveries. Thursday also marked the start of German arms deliveries to the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, with the ultimate goal of supplying 10,000 Kurdish fighters with some 70 million euros ($90 million) worth of equipment. | Samira Salih al-Nuaimi was taken from her home after criticising ISIS online .
She posted Facebook messages condemning destruction of religious sites .
Was brought before a Sharia law court before being tortured for five days .
She was eventually sentenced to public execution and was killed on Monday .
Al-Nuami was a well-known campaigner for human rights in Iraqi city Mosul .
ISIS militants seized control of Iraq's second largest city back in early June . |
74,494 | d330f988b376cb7d47dc14afd0847b323c733cba | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 8:00 PM on 14th October 2011 . A 13-month-old baby boy died this morning after swallowing pills from a prescription bottle he was given to play with as a rattle, police said. Edwin Perocier Jr, of the Bronx, New York, was found unconscious in his crib by his parents at their home around 8am on Friday morning. His 22-year-old mother, who has not been identified, called 911 and the baby was taken to Lincoln Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Tragic: A 13-month old baby boy died this morning after swallowing pills from a prescription bottle he was given to play with as a rattle, police said (file picture) Edwin’s parents told police they gave him the bottle to play with then took it away when they saw the lid had come off, reported the New York Post. The couple said they noticed pills had fallen out of the bottle and were scattered around. The mother then called 911 for an ambulance. His father - identified by the New York Post as 49-year-old Edwin Perocier - and the mother were being questioned by police on Friday. A New York police spokesman confirmed to MailOnline on Friday afternoon that neither of his parents had been charged as of 2pm. Bronx centre: The boy's 22-year-old mother called 911 and the baby was taken to Lincoln Hospital where he was pronounced dead . One local newspaper had reported the parents were charged with reckless endangerment, but the NYPD spokesman said this was incorrect. The spokesman identified the baby but said his cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner and a police investigation continues. The parents live in Longwood, a low-income part of the Bronx, on Southern Boulevard near the intersection with East 156th Street. A Lincoln Hospital spokesman provided no further details, but the medical examiner's office told MailOnline an autopsy will take place on Saturday. | Edwin Perocier Jr found unconscious in crib by parents .
They noticed bottle lid had come off and pills spilled out .
Bronx parents questioned by police but not charged . |
186,246 | 7d3a6567a6078ba7733e96fde1199d621c8ec479 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 11:06 EST, 16 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:27 EST, 17 September 2013 . A girl who cannot feel pain has enabled scientists to find a gene mutation that influences pain perception . A girl who cannot feel pain has enabled scientists to find a gene mutation that influences how we feel pain. The German researchers hope that the finding may lead to the creation of new painkillers that work by blocking pain signals. The scientists compared the gene sequence of the girl, who has congenital insensitivity to pain, with the gene sequences of her parents who do not have the condition. The girl's condition means that she can feel touch but not pain and, as a result, is liable to burn herself - because she cannot tell if something is too hot to touch - and suffer frequent injuries. This comparison allowed Dr Ingo Kurth, at Jena University Hospital in Germany, to find a mutation in the SCN11A gene, New Scientist reports. The gene influences the creation of channels on pain-sensing neurones. Ions pass along these channels causing the development of electrical nerve impulses that go to the brain. These nerve impulses cause the brain to register pain. The mutation in the girl’s SCN11A gene means that the charge neurones need to transmit an electrical impulse cannot build up. As a result, the body cannot detect pain. To ensure that their suspicions were correct, the researchers bred mice with the mutated SCN11A gene and then tested their ability to detect pain. They found that these animals were much more likely to suffer injuries than ordinary mice are, suggesting that they are also unable to feel pain. These mice were also much slower to react to pain when their tails were exposed to a hot light. The scientists have already begun work on a drug that blocks the SCN11A channel. The German researchers hope that the finding may lead to the creation of new painkillers that work by blocking pain signals . ‘This is a cracking paper, and great science,’ Professor Geoffrey Woods of the University of Cambridge told New Scientist. ‘It's completely unexpected and not what people had been looking for,’ he added. Congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) is a rare condition that means a person cannot feel pain. People with the condition are able to feel touch but cannot feel pain. They often suffer unnoticed infections and injuries which can become serious as they are not treated. The condition can be caused by a gene mutation but it can also be caused by the brain over-producing endorphins. Congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) is a rare condition that means a person cannot feel pain. People with the condition are able to feel touch and temperature but cannot feel pain. They often suffer unnoticed infections and injuries which can become serious as they are not treated. The condition can be caused by a gene mutation but it can also be caused by the brain over-producing endorphins. CIP is so rare that only about 20 cases have been reported in scientific literature. | Girl has congenital insensitivity to pain, which means she can't perceive pain .
Scientists looked at her gene sequence and compared it to those of her parents who do not have the condition - found mutation in SCN11A gene .
This influences the creation of channels on pain-sensing neurones .
Ions pass along these channels causing development of electrical nerve impulses that go to the brain - these cause the brain to register pain .
New painkillers could block this channel . |
83,239 | ec048f816bd6142e90923c6685cd1f0053044b97 | By . Sadie Whitelocks . Big move: Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband David have been revealed as the buyers of Annie Leibovitz's cut-price New York City home . Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband David have been revealed to be the buyers of Annie Leibovitz's cut-price New York City home. The celebrated photographer put her 10,200-square-foot, seven-bedroom, 13-fireplace abode on the market in December 2012 for a cool $33million but was forced to reduce the price to $28.5million after no buyers came forward. It was listed as 'sold' last month, and now the New York Post reports that Lauren Bush Lauren, the niece of former President George W. Bush, and her spouse, David Lauren, the son of fashion mogul Ralph, are the purchasers. The couple, who married in the fall of 2011, live just a stone's throw away from the massive West Village townhouse, making the moving process a little easier. Their new marital home, located at 755 Greenwich Street, consists of three separate townhouses which Ms Leibovitz bought for $6.1million and gut-renovated. She used one for living, one for office space and one as guest quarters. The red brick buildings, which Ms Leibovitz began assembling in 2002, date back to the 1830s, and are surrounded by a slate patio and private courtyard garden. Inside the main home, a key feature is Ms Leibovitz's wide-plank wood floors, which are offset by high ceilings. There is also a formal dining room and chef's kitchen. The building that includes a photography studio also features a large reception room. Photographers lair: Ms Leibovitz was forced to cut the price of her West Village home, which she lived in for a decade, by $4million to $29million after no buyers came forward . Million dollar mansion: The compound is composed of three separate townhouses - one for living, one for office space and one as guest quarters . Listing . broker Paula Del Nunzio, of Brown Harris Stevens, previously said of . the property: 'It's very rare to have something like this. She created . it.' She revealed that Ms Leibovitz was selling up because she wanted to move uptown to be closer to the school of her three daughters - Sarah, who was born in 2001, and her twin girls, Susan and Samuelle, who were born to a surrogate mother in 2005. Greek Revival style: The brick buildings date back to the 1830s, and include 13 fireplaces in all, with a combined total of more than 10,200 square feet . Labor of love: Ms Leibovitz, 63, created the compound after she purchased all three buildings on the corner of Greenwich Street in Manhattan for $6.1million, and gut-renovated all three homes . Although many speculated that the famed snapper was looking to satisfy her debt problems. In 2009 she was sued over a dispute over the terms of a loan repayment that involved her townhouses and photo archives, which creditors claimed she had put up as collateral, and saw her narrowly miss having to file for bankruptcy. She had borrowed $15.5million after experiencing financial challenges due to the then recent loss of her father, her mother, and her long-time partner, Susan Sontag, as well as the addition of twins to her family, and the controversial renovation of the three West Village properties. Rare find: Listing broker Paula Del Nunzio, of Brown Harris Stevens said 'It's very rare to have something like this. She created it' Accents: Inside the main home, a main feature is Ms Leibovitz's wide-plank wood floors, which are offset by high ceilings. There is also a formal dining room and chef's kitchen . Manhattan backyard: The buildings surround a slate patio and private courtyard garden . At the time, The New York Times noted . 'one of the world’s most successful photographers essentially pawned . every snap of the shutter she had made or will make until the loans are . paid off.' Icon: Ms Leibovitz is best known for her portraits of celebrities such as a Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt, a pregnant Demi Moore . A breach of contract lawsuit against Ms Leibovitz was filed by Art Capital Group for $24 million regarding the repayment of her loans. However Art Capital Group withdrew its lawsuit against Ms Leibovitz a few months later in 2009 and extended the due date for repayment of the $24 million loan. Under the agreement, Ms Leibovitz . continues to retain control over her work, and is still the 'exclusive . agent in the sale of her real property (land) and copyrights.' The sale of her home will likely cover a majority of what she still must repay. 'It’s a big step on her road to financial recovery,' a source said. 'She waited long enough and made a really good deal.' Lauren Bush Lauren's mother, Sharon Smith Bush, a broker at the property management compant Corcoran, apparently helped represent her during the home buying process. The 29-year-old model and designer does not have any children with her husband - 13 years her senior - but their spacious new home would be the perfect place to start a family. However . Art Capital Group withdrew its lawsuit against Ms Leibovitz a few . months later in 2009 and extended the due date for repayment of the $24 . million loan. The compound's sale would likely cover a majority of what Ms Leibovitz still must repay. 'It’s a big step on her road to financial recovery,' another source said. 'She waited long enough and made a really good deal.' Under the agreement with Art Capital Group, Ms Leibovitz . continues to retain control over her work, and is still the 'exclusive . agent in the sale of her real property (land) and copyrights.' According to multiple sources, Ms Leibovitz plans to move uptown to be closer to the school of her three . daughters - Sarah Cameron Leibovitz who was born in 2001, and her twin . girls, Susan and Samuelle, who were born to a surrogate mother in 2005. Once moved in, her home's new owners . will be privvy to the property's wide-plank wood floors, which are . offset by high ceilings. There is also a formal dining room and chef's . kitchen. One of the buildings includes a photographer's studio and a large reception room. Listing broker Paula Del Nunzio, of Brown Harris Stevens said: 'It's very rare to have something like this. She created it . | Celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz put her 10,200-square-foot abode on the market in 2012 for a cool $33million .
She reduced the price to $28.5million after no buyers came forward .
Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband David, who conveniently live around the corner in New York's West Village, reportedly snapped up the property last month . |
88,575 | fb63972004e2fcb725b04d72c09db4b2710390a1 | By . James Rush . An 80-year-old grandfather has had an equal sign tattooed on to his wrist to show solidarity with his gay grandson. Grandfather Frank was filmed as he got the tattoo, a month after his grandson Joe got the same symbol tattooed on to his abdomen. In the video, Frank explains how his grandson Joe came out to him about five years ago and says the pain of the tattoo 'is nothing [compared] to what my grandson went through when he first came out'. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . An 80-year-old grandfather, called Frank, has had an EQUAL sign tattooed on to his wrist to show solidarity with his gay grandson . In the video, Frank explains how his grandson Joe came out to him about five years ago . Joe's partner Will Wrench, who posted the video to YouTube, wrote: 'About a month ago, Joe got an equal sign tattoo in support of human equality, and Grandpa Frank wanted to show his love and support, too. 'The world is really blessed to have people like Frank, who not only love unconditionally, but also accept everyone for who they are.' During the video Frank explains how he wanted to show support for his grandson. He said: 'Actually my grandson came out to me, and he thought it was a big deal and I said I didn't think it was, I thought it was fine, you know?' During the video Frank explains how he wanted to show support for his grandson Joe . Joe's partner Will Wrench, who posted the video to YouTube, wrote: 'About a month ago, Joe got an equal sign tattoo in support of human equality, and Grandpa Frank wanted to show his love and support, too' Frank explains how the whole family supported Joe when he first came out. He goes on to say: 'Well actually this pain is nothing to what my grandson went through when he first came out. 'That had to be traumatic. But for the whole family to come together and support him, it was just fantastic.' | Grandfather was filmed as he got tattoo to show solidarity with grandson .
Will Wrench posted video of his partner Joe's grandfather on to internet .
In the video Frank says how pain of tattoo 'is nothing to what my grandson went through when he first came out' |
132,935 | 37e25567180d6650b2b1875bcf96a9cca818163a | (CNN) -- Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has hailed the performance of his teammates after the Spanish giants beat Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley on Saturday to lift their third Champions League trophy in six seasons. Messi produced a scintillating performance to enhance his reputation as being the world's greatest player, scoring Barcelona's second goal and tormenting the Manchester United defenders throughout the 90 minutes. However, the 23-year-old Argentine preferred to pay tribute to the players around him, telling the official UEFA website: "We're very happy to lift another trophy. It was a difficult season, but we showed how good we are. Champions League crown for Barcelona . "We were the better team. To be the man of the match is the least important thing because it was incredible how we played. We were very good in all areas." Messi added: "This team is incredible. I think we can't really fully appreciate what we're doing, what we are achieving. "We want to keep winning trophies and we can keep going further and further. We were superior against Manchester and deserved the win. "It is another cup for us and I managed to score a goal again. Now we're going on holiday -- after taking the cup home to our people -- then we will start thinking about what we can achieve next season." Meanwhile, Brazilian international Dani Alves paid tribute to fellow-defender Eric Abidal, who made a remarkable recovery from a liver tumor operation to play against United -- with the Frenchman being handed the honor of lifting the trophy. "Even before all of this we all said that our biggest victory, our most important trophy, was the recovery of Abi," Alves told UEFA's website. "We put on a spectacle for everyone who is passionate about football and who loves football -- and I think that people who really like football will be very happy because they have seen a great match." Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets added: "We suffered a bit at the beginning, and at the end, but by then the match was already decided for us. "I think it was an almost perfect game -- we had lots of possession and moved the ball very well. Thanks to that we managed to win." | Lionel Messi hails the performance of his Barcelona teammates at Wembley .
Argentine striker Messi starred as Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 .
The victory earned Barcelona their third Champions League trophy in six seasons . |
231,674 | b7f33f6b1624026c6f3c865fddf44e390f317d6a | By . Daniel Martin, Whitehall Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 10:56 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:11 EST, 5 December 2012 . The Chancellor pledged a crackdown on firms who get out of paying their fair share in corporation tax. George Osborne acted following growing fury over multinational companies like Google, Amazon and Starbucks who paid nothing or very little despite huge sales. In his Autumn Statement, he said he would give HM Revenue and Customs a further £77million to fight tax avoidance by wealthy individuals and global firms. Chancellor George Osborne pledged a crackdown on firms who get out of paying their fair share in corporation tax as he delivered his Autumn Statement to the Commons today . And he claimed the crackdown will raise another £2billion a year which can be used to cut the deficit. The Chancellor told MPs that he wanted a 'tax system where the richest pay their fair share'. 'The vast majority of people, rich or otherwise, pay their taxes and make their contribution,' he said. 'But there are still too many who illegally evade their taxes, or use aggressive tax avoidance in order not to pay their fair share.' Anger over tax avoidance reached a head last month when it emerged that coffee chain Starbucks had paid corporation tax in the UK over the past 15 years despite millions of pounds in sales. Internet companies Google and Amazon have also been accused of 'immoral' tax regimes which means profits are diverted to other jurisdictions with lower tax rates. Facing a higher tax bill: Amazon, whose warehouse in Swansea is pictured, will be one of the firms which pays a relatively small amount of tax to be targeted . A Starbucks worker hands out hot chocolate to shoppers in London's Oxford street today as Mr Osborne pledged to get tough with the company's tax avoidance regime . Mr Osborne said hundreds of millions of pounds of tax loopholes would be closed, and the HMRC would investigate the abusive use of partnerships. He reminded MPs that the government would introduce the first-ever 'anti-abuse rule', and pointed out that a new treaty with Switzerland means that from next year for the first time there will be money flowing from Swiss bank accounts to the UK than the other way round. The Chancellor said he expects to receive £5billion over the next six years from the undisclosed Swiss bank accounts of UK residents. He added: 'HMRC will not have its budget cut over the next two years, unlike other departments. Instead we will spend £77million more on fighting tax avoidance – and not just for wealthy individuals. 'We want the most competitive corporate tax system of any major economy in the world, but we expect those corporate taxes to be paid. 'So today we are confirming that we will put more resources into ensuring multinational companies pay their proper share of taxes. And we are leading the international effort to prevent artificial transfers of profits to tax havens.' He said he would be working with France . and Germany to crack down on companies' tax avoidance. It will be 'an . important priority' of Britain's G8 presidency next year. Cutting some slack: The Chancellor also announced that the main rate of corporation tax will be cut by a further 1 per cent to 21 per cent for April 2014 . 'We expect the action we announce today will increase the amount of money collected from tax evasion and avoidance by a further £2billion a year,' he told the Commons. Starbucks announced today that it will now hand over £10million to the Treasury after finally caving in to pressure. But its decision, after it admitted . 'it needed to do more' on tax in the UK, may not placate boycotting . consumers unhappy about its financial position. The company grips one third of the UK . coffee market but recorded no taxable profits last year and so did not . have to pay any corporation tax. Since 1998 the company has enjoyed . £3billion in sales. Although their new payment of up to . £10million will be seen as a victory for the Government, it is only a . tiny proportion of the amount of cash Starbucks generates in the UK. The Chancellor also announced that the main rate of corporation tax will be cut by a further 1 per cent to 21 per cent for April 2014. Labour Treasury spokeswoman Catherine McKinnell said: 'This funding is welcome, but it's a tiny proportion of the over £2billion of deep cuts to HMRC that George Osborne has pushed through. 'If the Government was serious about tackling tax avoidance, they'd rethink their plan to cut a further 10,000 HMRC staff, which risks being a false economy. 'Despite all the rhetoric about tackling tax avoidance, the progress made by this Government is limited at best. The deal struck with Switzerland is less transparent than a similar deal struck with Liechtenstein by the last government. 'The latest National Audit Office report showed what can be achieved when a government is serious about tax avoidance and praises Labour's disclosure laws for closing down avoidance opportunities and bringing in £12billion of extra tax since they were introduced.' | George Osborne claims move will raise another £2bn a year to cut deficit .
He told MPs he wants 'a tax system where the richest pay their fair share'
Comes after multinational firms were accused of 'immoral' tax avoidance .
Main rate of corporation tax to be cut by a further 1% to 21% for April 2014 . |
33,936 | 6077c87e38a0233735052102a652767244ef92d0 | Sharon West texted a friend at 5.20am before her cellphone died . Texas rancher found skull in an empty canal close to town where she went missing . The body parts of a missing teenage girl have been found scattered across a field, authorities confirmed. Investigators said the remains found in a field last October belonged to Sharon West, 14, who went missing on July 30. The girl had been staying with a family friend when she went missing in Fannett, Texas, a small town of around 100 people, an hour north of Houston. A rancher called authorities three months . later to report he had found a human skull in an empty canal on his . property close to the town. Tragic outcome: The remains of Sharon West, 14, who was missing for six months, were found in a field in Fannett, Texas, close to where she was staying with a friend . The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed last Friday that the remains were of Sharon West, who had been identified using dental records. The girl's mother Sandra West confirmed that pyjama shorts and glasses found with the remains belonged to her daughter. An autopsy was underway to determine the teenager's cause of death along with toxicology reports. Missing: Sharon West as a child (left) and a more recent picture of the teenager . The night before she went missing, Miss West's boyfriend, Austin Meaux, said he had last seen her at the home of the family friend whom she had been living with on a short-term basis while her mother looked for work. He told police that he was still at the home after the rest of the family went to bed at 2am. The last contact with Miss West was at 5.20am when she texted a friend to say she was at a soccer field, a few miles from where she was staying. The spot was a popular hang-out for young people. She sent another text 40 minutes later before the signal for her cellphone died. Desperate search: Sharon West had been missing for six months when police confirmed that the remains found scattered in a Texas field belonged to her . Sandra West had set up a Facebook page while her daughter was missing. On October 20, the mother wrote: 'Sharon has been missing since July 30, 2011. She literally just vanished. There are so many stories, rumors, and scenarios about her disappearance. 'None of that matters. The only thing that matters is finding her. She has family and friends that love and miss her terribly.' A memorial service for Sharon West will be held on January 28 in Hamshire, Texas. | Sharon West texted a friend at 5.20am before her cellphone died .
Texas rancher found skull in an empty canal close to town where she went missing . |
16,626 | 2f2600ed52e8ed085ddb770e42dae71aa52cef98 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 12:37 EST, 23 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:07 EST, 24 September 2013 . As Lady Grantham, she wears lavish dresses and flamboyant outfits that are perfetcly suited to the luxuries of Downton Abbey. But away from the set, Elizabeth McGovern seems to opt for a more casual look. The American star was pictured wearing a black coat and trousers as she took her dog for a walk near her home in West London. Not quite Lady Grantham: Downton Abbey actress Elizabeth McGovern in a more casual attire as she walks her dogs in West London . Elizabeth, who plays Cora Crawley in the . ITV drama, was also pictured doing some very un-lady like chores, as she . picked up her pet's mess with an orange poo bag. It is a far cry from her on-screen character, who has an army of maids and cleaners to clean up after her. The fourth season of the drama started last night with the family looking to pick up the pieces following the death of Lady Mary's husband Matthew Crawley. Very un-ladylike: There are no house maids in sight as Elizabeth McGovern cleans up after her pet dog near her home in West London . Plain: The Downton Abbey star wore a black coat and trousers as she walked her dog through the streets, carrying the orange refuse bag in her right hand . Lady Grantham was seen trying to talk her daughter out of six-month period of mourning while showing her nastier side towards the end of the episode, when she sacked the newly-appointed nanny. The show drew a peak audience of 10.5 million viewers, despite only taking home one award from last night's Emmy's. Elizabeth first starred in Downton when the series began in 2010, playing the wife of Robert Crawley, The Earl of Grantham. Dressed-down: The American actress changed her orange refuse bag for a green handbag as she went for a walk around the streets of London . Lady Grantham: Elizabeth McGovern is more recognisable in lavish dresses and hats on the set of Downton Abbey . Flamboyant: The American actress has played Cora Crawley in the ITV drama since 2010 . Share what you think . The comments below have been moderated in advance. CFRoe, . Paris, France, . 1 day ago . I'm so glad that Liz McGovern beat out the number one contender for the role of Lady Grantham. Joan Rivers just wasn't right for this role. Punched, . Manchester, . 1 day ago . She was fantastic in "Once Upon a Time in America" A great actress! Jane, . London, . 1 day ago . Don't know why people treat these 'Downton' actors & actresses as though they're something absolutely extraordinary. I haven't seen any top-notch acting from them; it's mediocre. bingybongo, . uk, . 1 day ago . She has one facial expression only. - carolyn6360 , Toronto, Canada, 23/9/2013 21:15 . yep it's called "once upon a time in america" expression :) Stonemaiden, . Staffordshire, . 1 day ago . I thought it was the nanny who was the nasty one. MrDrummle, . Newcastle, . 1 day ago . She's naturally pretty. It's nice to see she's growing older gracefully rather then disgracefully with botox because it leaves her with her natural beauty. SJ, . Yorkshire, United Kingdom, . 1 day ago . She's a really nice and stylish person. She was with her band the other day. Very talented. Me!!, . somewhere, . 1 day ago . How amazing was Downton????!! martin, . Socialist UKIP life member, United Kingdom, . 1 day ago . Ditches her early 20th century look for a more up to date look. Emma, . Somerset, United States, . 1 day ago . Love that she is unaffected by her fame. She's a brilliant actress. Love the programme! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. | American actress was pictured near her West London home .
Exchanged her handbag for a poo bag so she could clean up after her dog .
Plays the wife of The Earl of Grantham in the hit ITV drama . |
237,440 | bf4d7bd350c8f22e573442ad26cb9383bf86aced | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:09 EST, 3 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 22:11 EST, 3 December 2012 . An emaciated pitbull puppy was allegedly left outside of a veterinary clinic in the freezing cold and no one from the clinic went to retrieve it. Two paramedics later found the dog lying on the frigid pavement last Wednesday and brought it to an SPCA shelter wrapped in blankets. The dog was so weak, she couldn't even raise her head, they said. Scroll down for video . On the verge of death: This emaciated pitbull puppy was found outside of a veterinary clinic in the freezing cold . Saver: Rural-Metro paramedic Norine Hock of the Buffalo New York region found the dog lying on the frigid pavement and took it to an SPCA shelter . ‘As my partner was pulling into the driveway, all of a sudden, she started going, 'Oh my God! Oh my God!'’ paramedic . Norine Hock told WIVB in Buffalo, New York. ‘It was, like, 32 degrees outside, and she was skin and bones. ‘Seconds later, she probably would have been frozen to death.’ The dog was found lying in the parking lot of the Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital. ‘A gentleman came to the door, and he said, “I know she's there. I called the SPCA. They're on their way,’” Hoch told the local news channel. The man then slammed the door in her face, she says. Left out in the cold: No from the Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital came to retrieve the dog . Prior case: In 2009, a malnourished cocker spaniel named Kenny lay outside the same hospital for over 24 hours before anyone at the clinic called the SPCA . Dr. Hector Anderson's clinic had been accused of refusing help for a sick animal abandoned on its doorstep on another occasion, WIVB reports. In 2009, a malnourished cocker spaniel named Kenny lay outside the hospital for over 24 hours before anyone at the clinic called the SPCA. Kenny was put to sleep three days later and the SPCA filed a complaint against Dr. Anderson, who runs the clinic. The SPCA Serving Erie County is again investigating the Anderson Inner City Animal Hospital, this time for neglecting the starving pitbull puppy. The paramedics said they planned to give their statements to investigators. The pitbull puppy is very ‘touch-and-go,’ the SPCA said. They are keeping her warm with hot water bottles. Vets have been doing tests to see if the dog’s internal organs are still functioning and they told WIVB that it is impossible to determine if she will survive. Watch video here: . Starved dog found at clinic's doorstep . | An emaciated pitbull puppy was allegedly .
left outside of a veterinary clinic in the freezing cold and no one .
from the clinic went to retrieve it .
Two paramedics found the dog and brought it to an SPCA shelter .
wrapped in blankets .
Vets say it .
is impossible to determine if the dog will survive . |
40,638 | 72af936beee58c5cac3c2e92c50f9103ea156a9c | When travelling abroad, the familiar sight of your favourite fast food menu can be a comforting thing. But beware. Selecting your favourite burger from the board above the counter could leave you at higher risk of suffering a stroke, heart attack or heart failure, depending on where you are. A new study has compared 19 iconic products from global retailers McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Kelloggs and Nestle, and found salt levels vary dramatically. Experts have criticised the 'chaotic approach' by manufacturers to the levels in various foods, which include a Big Mac, Cornflakes, KFC Twister burger, Bacon Double Cheeseburger and Fitness cereal. Scroll down for video . A Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger bought in Canada contains 2.85g of salt per burger, while one bought in the New Zealand contains much less salt at 1.92g of salt per burger . Their findings reveal that selecting a KFC Fillet Burger in the Middle East, for example, will mean a person devours three times as much salt than if they had eaten the same product in Malaysia. And choosing a Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger in Canada means you are consuming almost 1g more salt than someone eating the same burger in New Zealand. The international study, conducted by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH), highlights these vast disparities in salt content, prompting experts to call for the food giants to reduce their salt levels. The average daily recommended intake for an adult is currently 6g, but is set to reduce to 5g by 2025 on the advice of the World Health Organisation. Professor Graham MacGregor, WASH chairman, and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Wolfson Institute, Queen Mary University of London, said reducing salt levels in food is 'the most cost-effective measure' known to reduce the number of people suffering a dying from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. A number of the retailers told MailOnline salt levels in food is a 'complex issue' which is 'influenced by a variety of factors, including culture and individual preferences', that are considered on a product-by-product basis. But while the variation may appear to be the result of different taste preferences, experts at WASH said the theory is disproved by the findings. A spokesman for WASH said: 'Global taste preferences cannot be blamed for the difference in salt content, as no one country consistently has the saltiest foods. 'For example, the USA has the most salty Kellogg's Special K, but the least salty Kellogg's All Bran.' Clare Farrand, international programme lead at WASH, said the study shows food retailers are able to make their products using less salt, but choose not to. A KFC original Fillet Burger in the Middle East contains 3.5g of salt per burger, three times as much as the same product sold in Malaysia, which has 1.05g of salt per burger . 'Manufacturers are clearly able to make products with less salt, but deliberately choose not to, despite salt damaging their customer's health,' she said. 'This study also highlights a lack of consistent nutrition labelling and portion size across the world which is adding to consumer confusion, as people cannot choose the less salty options, even if they want to. 'Consistent front of pack nutrient labelling should be provided on ALL products to allow consumers to make better-informed choices.' She said there has been a positive change over time, with salt levels falling in some products since WASH last conducted the study in 2006. For example, Kellogg's Cornflakes in Denmark and Belgium have seen salt levels reduce from 2.38g per 100g in 2006 to 1.30g in 2014 - a reduction of almost half the salt. A possible explanation is that the product is now being manufactured in the UK, where salt targets have been set, and sold in Europe. The WASH spokesman said: 'The fact that they (salt levels) are acceptable for consumers across Europe further highlights, quite clearly, that reductions in salt contents are not noticed by the population and can easily therefore be achieved across the world.' Another finding of the survey was that salt levels in Subway's Club six-inch sandwich has been cut in all countries included in the study. Kellogg's Cornflakes sold in Venezuela contains 1.90g of salt per 100g compared to the same cereal sold in the UK at 1.25g of salt per 100g - a difference of more salt than a standard packet of ready salted crisps . The biggest reduction was seen in the UK, dropping from 3g of salt to 1.7g per portion - a reduction of 43 per cent. Meanwhile the salt content in a KFC Twister has also fallen in all countries since 2006. In Canada levels have fallen from 3.83g to 2.3g salt per portion - a fall of 1.5g. But researchers said it is 'disappointing' to note some products have not altered the levels of salt across in eight years. Salt levels in Kellogg's All Bran cereal in the US and Australia has remained at 0.65g per 100g and 0.95g respectively. And in Canada a McDonald's Big Mac still contains 2.55g salt per portion. Alarmingly some products have seen salt levels increase since 2006. McDonald's Big Mac in Malaysia, Singapore and Portugal has gone up in the last eight years. In the UK the salt content of the Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger has increased on average since WASH's last survey, from 2.2g per portion to 2.64g - a 20 per cent rise despite calls to reduce the population's salt intake. However Ms Farrand said the UK is 'leading the way in salt reduction'. 'The UK has set salt targets for over 80 categories of food, however this survey shows that more still needs to be done,' she said. Nestlé Fitness cereal has 2g of salt per 100g in Russia, while consumers in Chile can eat the same product with less than half the salt at 0.72 of salt per 100g . 'It is also clear that greater focus needs to be put on the out of home food sector. 'Salt should be going down, not up. 'This is a major problem, especially with so many people grabbing food on the go.' Professor MacGregor, said: 'Reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure that we know to reduce the number of people suffering and dying from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. 'At the World Health Assembly in May 2013 it was unanimously agreed that all countries should reduce their daily salt intake by 30 per cent towards a target of up to 5g per day, by 2025. 'Our study has shown that many global food manufacturers are not doing enough to help achieve this target, which is completely unacceptable. 'Indeed this survey reveals a chaotic approach by these world renowned iconic brands and immediate action is required now. 'Salt should be reduced in all their products to the lowest level in all countries, and further if we are really going to tackle the huge and burdening problem of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. 'These companies need to take a much greater corporate and ethical responsibility for what they are doing to their customers.' Reducing salt levels in various products across the world is a 'complex issue', the retailers told MailOnline. Reducing salt levels in various products across the world is a 'complex issue', the retailers told MailOnline . A Burger King spokeswoman said the company, which operates in 98 countries, is 'committed to providing menu options' to meet individual nutritional needs. She said they have 'successfully reduced the sodium content in many products around the world'. 'As part of its global menu innovation process, BKC develops standards for its menu items,' she told MailOnline. 'Due to varying local regulations, BKC allows for some flexibility in its menu specifications in certain countries. BKC’s approach ensures that all BURGER KING restaurants have items that meet our stringent food quality standards in each region.' Spencer Swartz, for Nestle, said: 'Salt reduction in food is influenced by a variety of factors, including culture and individual preferences. 'This is why Nestlé takes a product-by-product approach to its food reformulation efforts to cut salt.' He said the company has achieved a double-digit percentage reduction in salt from more than 2,400 Nestle products, including cereals, since 2005, when the sodium reduction policy was introduced. 'The reduction since 2005 represents around 14,500 tonnes of salt and we will be doing more,' he told MailOnline. 'We have set the objective to cut salt in our products by a further 10 per cent by 2016. 'Nestlé also fully supports the WHO target for salt intake of no more than 5g per person, per day by 2025. 'The challenge in all of this is to cut salt in our foods without consumers resorting to salt shakers or choosing saltier foods. This is why awareness raising of this issue and partnership with a variety of stakeholders, including governments, is so important.' A spokeswoman for Kellogg's added: 'Since 1998, Kellogg’s has been engaged in a voluntary effort to reduce the amount of salt contained in our cereals in Europe. 'Worldwide, Kellogg’s is continually seeking ways to improve the nutrition profile of our foods – including lowering salt– without compromising taste or quality. 'These plans vary by geography for many reasons, including raw material supplies, product renovation schedules and cultural and consumer taste preferences.' A spokeswoman for the SUBWAY brand said with more than 42,000 branches across the world, 'exact product formulation differs between countries dependent on specific suppliers'. 'The SUBWAY brand works hard to reduce salt wherever possible, not just in the UK but worldwide.' A McDonald's global spokesman, said: 'While McDonald’s is a global company, we operate as local businesses in a decentralised manner. 'Different countries have different menu choices, ingredient combinations, and portion sizes that depend on, for example, customer taste preferences, local regulations, local restaurant ingredient reporting requirements, supply chain capabilities, and the competitive marketplace. 'McDonald’s is working to reduce sodium in our menu items. 'The timing and reduction amounts vary by country and menu item. Because nutritional values vary around the world, McDonald’s markets have different baselines for measuring sodium content and different opportunities to reduce sodium.' He said they have made progress in Europe, where they have reduced salt in French fries by at least 20 per cent, and levels in Chicken Nuggets by 14 per cent. MailOnline has also contacted McDonalds and KFC for comment. | Study carried out by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) surveyed products by McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Nestle and Kelloggs .
Iconic food included Big Mac, Bacon Double Cheeseburger, Twister burger, Cornflakes, Fitness cereal and Club six-inch sandwiches .
None of the 19 products showed consistency in salt levels across the world .
KFC Fillet Burger in Middle East has three times as much salt as Malaysia .
Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger in Canada has 1g more salt than the same product in New Zealand .
Kellogg's Cornflakes in Venezuela have 0.45g more salt than those in the UK - equivalent to a standard bag of Ready Salted crisps .
WASH experts called on food manufacturers to cut salt content in all food .
Professor Graham MacGregor said reducing salt levels is the 'most cost-effective measure' known to reduce strokes, heart attacks and heart failure . |
191,927 | 8483c297bde8c9d2dde3969fef1dc7b61915e278 | By . Leon Watson . Police in Russia are hunting a babysitter who dumped a toddler in a hair salon after going in for an expensive cut. Marina Kougadova, 24, was hired to look after two-year-old Lena Kouranova long-term after the child's mother Yulia got a new job. Mrs Kouranova, 28, was offered the chance of a six-month contract in the tourism industry and was unable to take the girl with her. But after taking the girl to a hairdressers in the city of Tolyatti in the south-western Russian province of Samara Oblast, Kougadova abandoned her and left without paying. Scroll down for video . Two-year-old Lena Kouranova was left in a hair salon in the city of Tolyatti in the south-western Russian province of Samara Oblast . Hair salon owner Pelagia Yurieva said: 'The little girl sat there quietly while the woman who I thought was her mother was getting her hair done, and when it came to pay, she said she had forgotten her money in her car and would leave the girl with me while she went to collect it. 'It was really surreal when she didn't come back and at 9pm at night I was still sitting there with a girl.' The hairdresser said she had not immediately called authorities as she kept expecting the customer to come back and could not work out what had happened to her. But after two weeks of having her at the salon every day she had reported the matter to police, and social workers had taken the child into care. The head of the custody and guardianship department of the Kirov district, Lyudmila Bobowa, said: 'She was brought to us without any identity papers and apart from her name, Lena, she wasn't able to tell us anything else. The two-year-old girl Lena (left) whose babysitter left in hairdresser for two weeks . Lena's mother was offered the chance of a six-month contract in the tourism industry and was unable to take the girl with her . The child's mother now faces an agonising wait to make sure that she can have her daughter back . 'We immediately tried to find her relatives and to clarify the situation, but it was quickly clear that this wasn't going to go anywhere. 'It was only when we put out an appeal through the media including images that the girl's mother got in touch. 'This was seen by the girl's mother originally got in touch and told us she thought the child was safely with the babysitter. 'She said that she had regularly called the babysitter who had always pretended that the child was well. On the occasions when the mother asked to speak to her, the babysitter always said she was refusing to come to the phone or sleep, which she accepted because of her age. 'The girl is well-groomed, well-developed, and has honestly been looked after. She can even read nursery rhymes and speaks reasonably well for her age despite the fact that she didn't know any more than her first name. 'Our impression was that she was from a good family so we couldn't understand how it was that her mother at abandoned her. The fact that it was apparently the babysitter helps to explain a lot.' The child's mother now faces an agonising wait to make sure that she can have her daughter back after it was revealed officials had already started the proceedings of giving the child out for adoption, and they now need it to consider the application for the mother to have her daughter back. Bobowa said: 'It will probably be okay for to have her daughter back but we still need to go through the paperwork and process a formal application.' | Marina Kougadova, 24, was hired as a long-term babysitter in Tolyatti .
But it appears the job was too much for her, and she dumped the child .
It happened in the city of Tolyatti in the province of Samara Oblast . |
158,534 | 58f39b97e06ccd1fc7f0cc66c27335852d7064cb | By . Simon Tomlinson . Young One Direction fans have been left 'inconsolable' after buying standing tickets for the band's hotly anticipated arena tour only to discover that under-12s must be seated. Parents have been treating their children to tickets for the group's concerts, but some have failed to read the small print which includes restrictions for the youngest fans. One of those is Lynsay Short who bought her eight-year-old daughter Ruby Lynn a £50 ticket to see the band at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland next month. 'Inconsolable': Eight-year-old Ruby Lynn is devastated after being bought standing tickets to see her idols One Direction on their arena tour only to learn that under-12s must be seated at their gigs . Ruby, who has a shrine to 1D in her room, was all set to see her idols on May 28 with her mother, aunt Sharon, 42, and cousin Abbiegail, 11, who is also banned from the standing area. But last week Mrs Short, of Grangetown, near Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, saw an article in their local paper about how under-12s would not be allowed into the standing stalls. Mrs Short, 36, said she hadn't read the small print on the website when she paid for the tickets. She said: 'Ruby is inconsolable and she hasn't stopped crying. It is so cruel to raise a little girl's hopes like this only to dash them. 'When I saw it in the paper I contacted the stadium to double check it was correct. I can see absolutely no reason why kids aren't allowed in the standing area. Glum Direction: Ruby had been all set to see her idols on May 28 with her mother Lynsay Short (left), aunt Sharon, 42, and cousin Abbiegail, 11, who is also banned from the standing area . Shrine: Ruby has been a One Direction fan since they were on the X-Factor four years ago . 'It is absolutely ridiculous, they say it is for health and safety reasons, but that is just stupid. 'I would have been right beside Ruby the whole time, and if there had been any trouble I could have just picked her up. 'We have been in the standing area of concerts before and it is absolutely fine. 'I am not sure if One Direction are involved, but the stadium have said it is not their policy, it has come from One Direction. 'I don't think this will stop Ruby from liking One Direction, but I am certainly not happy with them.' Mrs Short says is now desperately trying to sell her tickets online and says she cannot bear to attend the concert without her daughter. Rules: Age restrictions have been put in place at every gig by One Direction (above) for safety reasons . Venue: One of the gigs is being held at Sunderland football club's Stadium of Light ground (above) She believes that the terms and conditions should have been made a lot more clearer on purchase. Ruby has been a One Direction fan since they were on the X-Factor and her favourite is Louis. She was also left devastated last year when her mother failed to get her a ticket because they had all sold out. One Direction's management, Modest Management, were approached for a comment but did not respond. A spokesperson for the Stadium of Light said: 'The age restrictions apply to every One Direction show at every UK venue, they are not specific to the Stadium of Light and have been put in place centrally to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone attending the concerts. 'The terms and conditions of sale of the tickets, along with FAQ's on the various ticketing websites, clearly state the age restrictions at point of purchase.' | Parents blast 'ridiculous' health and safety rules hidden in small print .
Ruby Lynn, 8, left 'inconsolable' after being bought a standing ticket .
Her mother says the regulations should have been made clearer .
Restrictions apply to all gigs on the band's UK-wide stadium tour . |
236,891 | be9da99ba09bfc113185cac7de3446b591fe25a4 | Wilfried Bony has finally arrived at Manchester City after a visa issue stalled his eagerly anticipated start to life at the Etihad. The striker's £28million move from Swansea was confirmed a month ago but Bony was not able to train with his new club until Monday as the former Swansea striker had to renew his visa before returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. The Ivorian is settling into life with his new club and is available for selection ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash against Newcastle. Wilfired Bony arrives for his first training session with new club Manchester City on Monday . Bony (right) shares a joke with Samir Nasri (centre right) as they warm up during the sessions . The Ivory Coast international (centre) will be hoping to make his City debut against Newcastle on Saturday . Bony (right) moved from Swansea in a £28million deal during last month's transfer window . Bony, along with new City team-mate Yaya Toure, was part of the Ivory Coast side that claimed their their first Africa Cup of Nations since 1992 in dramatic fashion after beating Ghana 9-8 on penalties in the final. There has certainly a buzz around the Etihad since Bony's arrival was confirmed with City forward Jesus Navas stating last week that the the former Swans frontman reminds him of former Manchester City team-mate and friend Alvaro Negredo. Navas is hoping the 26-year-old's arrival will help bring a new dimension to Manuel Pellegrini's side as they look to bridge the gap on league leaders Chelsea. Bony (left) and Cheick Tiote of the Ivory Coast toast their Africa Cup of Nations title triumph . Bony carries goalkeeper Boubacar Barry on his shoulders as they celebrate 2015 AFCON win in Bata . Bony will join strikers Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic at the Etihad as Negredo, nicknamed the Beast, is on loan at Valencia. Navas told mcfc.co.uk : 'Bony is a top striker who has always performed very well when he's played against us. 'He is powerful, has good technique and excellent movement so I'm really looking forward to playing alongside him. 'He is a great addition to the strikers we already have and I think he will do really well at City. Wilfried has similar strengths to Alvaro (Negredo) in that they both play very well with their back to goal' City forward Jesus Navas has likened Bony (centre) to former team-mate Alvaro Negredo . | Manchester City signed Wilfried Bony from Swansea for £28million .
Bony has yet to feature for City despite signing for the club in January .
The Ivorian has been away on Africa Cup of Nations duty .
Bony helped his country claim their first title since 1992 .
The Ivory Coast beat Ghana 9-8 on penalties in the final .
Bony had to renew his visa before reporting for duty at the Etihad . |
201,833 | 914ce910b04f589c3b73c695d9c72bdf9037fc6b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:34 EST, 24 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 24 January 2013 . Shot: Jamarcus Allen, of Akron, Ohio, is believed to have shot himself accidentally with his father's gun on Wednesday . A 4-year-old boy shot himself dead with his father's gun in Ohio on Wednesday. Jamarcus Allen, remembered as an energetic boy who loved superheroes like Spider-man and Batman, first found his father Terrance's pistol last week, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. It was usually hidden in the bathroom of their family home on McKinley Avenue but Jamarcus's older brother Tyree, 18, discovered him playing with it. His mother, Jamella Allen, scolded her youngest son and ordered her husband to get rid of the weapon. However, it appears he didn't and the curious 4-year-old got hold of the same weapon again while traveling in his father's car on Wednesday morning. The pair were returning from dropping off Tyree at school when it appears Jamarcus accidentally shot himself in the head. Witnesses told the local paper a single bullet hole was visible in the car roof above the passenger seat as well as a pool of blood in the foot-well. Jamarcus was rushed to Akron Children's Hospital but died of his injuries. 48-year-old Allen has now been charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony child endangering, having weapons under disability and tampering with evidence. Police Lt. Rick Edwards said investigators recovered the weapon inside the sedan, according to the Journal . Scene of the shooting: Jamarcus Allen was in his father's car driving back from his brother's high school in Akron, Ohio, when he is believed to have shot himself . Write caption here . 'It appears the child got ahold of the gun and shot accidentally inside the car,' Edwards said. Allen pulled over at 9.30am on South Arlington Street and flagged down a passing police car. Witness Robert Leslie told the newspaper: 'The cop approached the vehicle and the guy just laid on the ground and he had a child in his arms. He was talking to the guy, I don’t know what he was asking him, and then all of a sudden, the officer finally yanked really hard, grabbed the [boy] and ran to the ambulance and the ambulance just took off like crazy.' Jamarcus' mother said her son just didn't know the reality of firearms. 'Jamarcus was a child, he liked guns, but he didn’t know it was real,” she said . 'Jamarcus wouldn’t stop. He was so full of life. The only way he would stop was when he would fall asleep. That’s the only thing that would slow him down. Car shooting: Jamarcus Allen was rushed to hospital after allegedly shooting himself in his father's car by accident on Wednesday morning but didn't survive his injuries . Charged: Jamarcus' father Terrance Allen has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following the shooting in his car on Wednesday. It is believed his 4-year-old son accidentally shot himself with his gun . 'I love him to death. He would say, ‘I love you, Mommy’ all the time. He was a fun-loving little boy and now he’s gone.' 'I don’t know. I’m going crazy wondering what happened,' she added. The boy’s grandmother, Shirley Colvin, added: 'Jamarcus was a beautiful person. He was so sweet. I just loved him and he loved everybody.' Jamella and Terrance Allen had previously requested a divorce but were said to be working through their difficulties, according to the report. They still lived together in the home alongside Jamarcus and his brother, Jamella's 18-year-old son Tyree Ruggs . According to the report, Terrance Allen had a prior felony burglary conviction which barred him from carrying or owning a firearm. | Jamarcus Allen had previously discovered the weapon at the family's Akron home and had been scolded for playing with it ahead of the shooting on Wednesday .
Terrance Allen has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his son appears to have killed himself with a single bullet to the head .
Devastated mother, Jamella, recalls her Batman loving baby who would always tell her how much he loved her . |
123,661 | 2be0503922da340702a513ee469cbf8637cd1a53 | By . Kieran Corcoran . A vinyl cat has become an internet sensation after she was caught on video manipulating a record playing like a DJ. Two-year-old Furby was enticed to a record player by the sounds of Bob Marley's Is This Love, which her owner James Corballis, 27, had put on at home in Galway, Ireland. And once she had come face-to-face with the spinning record, she decided to take matters into her own paws by moving the record back and forth. Scroll down for video . Music whizz: Furby, a two-year-old cat, was filmed by her owner 'mixing' a Bob Marley record on his vinyl player . She speeds the track up, slows it down as well as seeming to 'scratch' the record in the manner of professional DJs. However, her curiosity quickly gets the better of Furby, and she climbs onto the player, knocking the needle off and leaving her spinning round on the player. Mr Corballis managed to capture the moment on his phone's camera. After uploading being uploaded to YouTube the video amassed more than a million hits over three days. Choosing her moment: Furby had never seen the record player before when she was tempted over by the sounds of Is This Love . On top of the situation: Furby later abandoned her musical aspirations and took a ride on the record player . Spin me right round: Furby unfortunately knocked the needle away when she climbed on board, but has maintained a keen interest in music . Mr Corballis said: 'I was just sitting around at home one day and put on a Bob Marley record. Furby had never seen the record player in action before and took an immediate interest in it. 'The video was a complete one off and there will be no attempt to do a follow up. I believe the best viral videos happen by chance.' 'After the video went viral, I played the music in the house regularly. She would run over to the computer every time she heard Is This Love so it's safe to say she's a big Bob Marley fan.' | Furby, aged two, from Galway, Ireland, was tempted by Bob Marley song .
She climbed over to decks and sped, slowed and scratched a record .
Video of her exploits by owner James Corballis, 27, quickly went viral . |
236,018 | bd8adc4adb5bb1e17a6015fd9e0ea4dc431b3eb3 | By . Damien Gayle . Five Indian airmen died today when their Hercules cargo plane fell out of the sky during a training mission in the heart of the south Asian country. The C-130J Hercules plane plummeted to the ground near a village in Madhya Pradesh state, 72 miles west of Gwalior air base, sparking an emergency rescue mission. But when air force personnel, police and firefighters reached the scene they found that all those on board had perished in the crash. Tragic: Indian villagers crowd around the debris of an Indian air force cargo plane that crashed while on a training mission near the village of Karauli in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh today . Expensive: The plane that crashed was one of six C-130J aircraft that India bought from U.S. arms company Lockheed-Martin at a cost of £1.1billion three years ago . It is the latest in a series of accidents that have hit the Indian military, which has embarked on a modernisation programme that has made the country the world's biggest arms importer. The plane that crashed was one of six C-130J aircraft that India bought from U.S. arms company Lockheed-Martin at a cost of £1.1billion three years ago. Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha told the Associated Press that the plane had been used in tough situations since then, including rescuing people from floods in the Himalayan foothills and landing in harsh terrain on the border with China. India also sent two C-130J planes to participate in the search for a Malaysia Airlines plane lost in the southern Indian Ocean. It was not immediately clear if the plane that crashed had been involved in the search. Marshal Raha, who is head of India's air force, dismissed the possibility that the crash might have been the result of a mistake by a pilot. 'Needless to say, the best pilots have been chosen to fly these aircraft,' he said. Sameer Patil, a security expert with the Indian Council on Global Relations, a Mumbai-based think tank, said the crash would be a major setback for the Indian air force. 'After years of delay, the fleet is undergoing expansion in critical airlift capabilities. Hence, a loss such as this is particularly worrisome,' said Patil. India has become the world's biggest . arms importer as it pushes to modernize its military and replace its . obsolete Soviet-era weapons. The . purchases were also spurred by crashes of almost 55 per cent of its . frontline MiG fleet acquired from the former Soviet Union. 'The best pilots have been chosen to fly these aircraft': Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, head of India's air force, dismissed the possibility that the crash might have been the result of a mistake by a pilot . An Indian air force helicopter buzzes around the wreck of the plane, which had been in service for three years . The . Hercules crash today comes after navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned . last month to take responsibility for a string of accidents at sea. Days later, a gas leak on a destroyer being built at a Mumbai dockyard killed a navy commander and sickened two workers. Last . August, another Russian-made diesel-powered submarine caught fire after . an explosion and sank at port in Mumbai, killing all 18 sailors on . board. In December, the INS . Talwar, a Russian-built stealth frigate, slammed into a trawler off . India's west coast, sinking the boat and tossing 27 fishermen into the . sea. All of the fishermen were rescued. Another . navy frigate ran aground near the Mumbai naval base in January, . damaging some equipment. And the INS Airavat, an amphibious warfare . vessel, ran aground earlier last month. With national elections starting in less than two weeks, opponents were quick to attack the government for the accidents, saying it had to investigate if there was any negligence involved. 'This is absolutely a shocking incident,' said Prakash Javadekar, spokesman of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. 'The Hercules is such a sturdy aircraft it doesn't meet with such kind of accidents. The government needs to own responsibility for this state of affairs,' he told reporters. | Cargo plane was one of six bought from Lockheed-Martin three years ago .
India's air force chief dismisses suggestion crash was due to pilot error .
The country is the world's biggest arms importer . |
241,620 | c4b933a081e0465eec1e05cb53b0af8679b3e458 | (CNN) -- Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks played a role in the surprise ending of a domestic assault case in Los Angeles, according to defense attorney Andrew Flier. Hanks had been serving as a juror in the trial since it started last week. Flier's client was facing up to a year in jail and the attorney was prepared to offer closing arguments in the case on Wednesday. Instead, as proceedings wrapped Tuesday, the prosecuting attorney revealed that another lawyer in the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office had interacted with Hanks outside the courtroom, thanking him for his service. As a result, Flier asked the court for a mistrial, citing prosecutorial misconduct. In a hearing on Wednesday morning, lawyers on both sides of the case convened and settled on a reduced charge for the defendant: disturbing the peace and a $150 fine. City Attorney's Office spokesperson Frank Mateljan confirmed the interaction with Hanks, saying, "The city attorney has been appraised of the situation and will be reviewing it." CNN reached out to representatives for Hanks for comment, but has not heard back. The alleged victim's reaction to the resolution was unavailable. Prosecutors do not identify those who makes claims of domestic violence, and the parties involved have made no public statement, Mateljan said. Flier said he was initially concerned that having a Hollywood star on the jury would unfairly influence the case's outcome. "I think because of his celebrity status and because of his personality, I think (the jury) would have followed him." But after interviewing Hanks in jury selection, Flier decided he was a good fit for the final slot on the jury. "He never looked or made any statements like he wanted to get off jury duty. So based on everything, he seemed like a very fair juror," Flier said. Hanks' appearance didn't only affect proceedings inside the courtroom. Flier said the star also drew quite a crowd of photographers and fans outside the courthouse afterward. "Everyone was taking photographs. He was smiling. He welcomed anybody," Flier said. If the case hadn't ended in a plea, Flier said he doesn't know how Hanks would have voted. "He looked at me like he always had, smiled and said, 'I was going to vote the way of justice.' So he never disclosed what that justice was headed for, the defense or the prosecution." CNN's JD Cargill contributed to this report. | Oscar winner Tom Hanks serves jury duty in Los Angeles .
As the case was wrapping up, a lawyer thanks him for his service .
Lawyers and jurors cannot interact outside of the courtroom .
The case was settled, rather than decided by jury . |
155,825 | 556da577a560ad490be15aff9f8a62cd78bb5ef2 | By . John Mcgarry . Southampton have sounded out Oscar Garcia about a possible move to St Mary’s – with Celtic so far reluctant to grant the Spaniard his dream switch to Glasgow. Garcia, the former Maccabi Tel Aviv and Brighton manager, last week told Sportsmail of his desire to succeed Neil Lennon in the hot seat in Glasgow’s East End. Malky Mackay, Owen Coyle, Henrik Larsson and Steve Clarke have also been linked with the Celtic post together with Michael Laudrup, whose representatives were asked earlier in the week if the job would be of interest him. Up for the job: Garcia, who left Brighton after narrowly missing out on promotion, has put his name forward for the Celtic role . Roy Keane is also in the running for the job and bookmakers yesterday were cutting the odds on the fomer Manchetser United captain. Celtic’s problem in recruiting Lennon’s successor appears to be the reluctance of some potential candidates to show their hand – with the current vacancies at Southampton and West Brom muddying the waters. The south coast club are now compiling a shortlist for the successor to Spurs-bound Mauricio Pochettino and last night they broke cover to ask ex-Barcelona midfielder Garcia if he would be interested in talking to them. It’s believed, however, that Garcia’s preference would be a crack at the Champions League with Celtic. Laudrup and Mackay are also thought to be on Saints’ chairman Ralph Krueger’s short-list together with Lennon, Ronald Koeman, Murat Yakin, Steve McClaren, Gus Poyet and Rafael Benitez. Garcia, who resigned from Brighton after missing out in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs, is also attracting interest from Malaga. Double act: Will Michael Laudrup (left) be united with Morten Wieghorst at Celtic? Laudrup has an offer from Primera Liga strugglers Granada but has so far not committed. Keane’s link to the managerial vacancy at Celtic surfaced again last night following a flurry of bets placed on the Irish assistant manager. The odds on Keane being appointed as the next Celtic supremo were dramatically slashed from 33/1 to even money – one firm, BetVictor, went 8/11. While betting indicators are not always reliable, Sportsmail understands that Keane is firmly on the radar of the Parkhead hierarchy. Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has predicted Keane will return to front-line club management and has stated he would not stand in his way should his right-hand man express a desire to move on. Keane is due to speak to the media at the Aviva Stadium later today ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Italy at Craven Cottage. It’s likely one item will dominate the agenda. Winning pedigree: Laudrup won the Capital One Cup with Swansea in 2013 . Earlier this week, Keane spoke of his admiration for Celtic, for whom he played half a season for at the end of his career, but declined to push himself forward as a candidate. ‘They are a brilliant club, an absolutely fantastic football club, one of the best in the world. But I have got a job,’ he said. Since becoming Irish assistant manager, Keane has been linked with jobs at Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, as an assistant to Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United, and now Celtic. His profile has also risen with his ITV work where his presence guarantees high ratings. Celtic’s major shareholder, Dermot Desmond, is a close friend of O’Neill and has direct access to discussing Keane’s suitability for the Celtic job, if required. The FAI refused to comment on the rising speculation. New man in charge: Mauricio Pochettino has been named as the new manager of Spurs . | Southampton keen on recruiting former Brighton boss Oscar Garcia .
Garcia wants Celtic job but the club have not yet offered him a role .
Celtic are in the market for a new manager following Neil Lennon's resignation . |
276,911 | f2bddf06436b51d2dfefa77ca68fc44306eccb2a | By . Sarah Griffiths . Forget barefoot shoes and complex carbohydrates, the biggest improvement to your running times could come from this smart jacket. The Glowfaster sports jacket syncs with a runner’s smartphone and then uses lights to indicate whether they are running at the right pace. It can also make its lights flash in time to music to motivate runners to keep their pace and warns other pedestrians and vehicles of the runner’s whereabouts. Scroll down for video . The Glowfaster sports jacket (pictured) synchs with a runner's smartphone and then uses flashing lights to indicate whether they are running at the right pace . Lights: The jacket flashes lights to indicate if a person is running at the right pace. Built-in lighting strips can also flash in time to music to motivate a runner. They are held in place with 'double zip attachments' that can be swapped with another colour or upgraded. The lights are designed to help runners train more 'instinctively'. Design: The jacket is designed by Joanna Kent, who created clothes for Abercrombie and Fitch. App: An iPhone app works with the jacket to track a runner's performance. Runners can set goals, look at their biofeedback and stats from optional heart rate monitors. Music can be controlled via the app and games like the Bleep Test are compatible. Material: The jacket is waterproof, windproof, breathable and washable. Cost: £99 with 10% of profits going to charity. Ex-marine Simon Weatherall came up with the idea of the jacket, which has been designed by Joanna Kent, who has created clothes for Abercrombie and Fitch. The first prototype was a home-made jacket with lights stuck on with Velcro and sticky tape, but the garment now has zip-off lighting strips that react according to a runner’s performance, The Telegraph reported. The ‘double zip attachment’ means that people will be able to upgrade their lights or add different colours. The lighting pattern on the jacket lets runners recognise and respond ‘intuitively’ to feedback, according to the start-up, which originally set out to raise money on crowd-funding website Kickstarter. The company said: ‘Using our smart-jacket . can help you train more instinctively. It allows you to sync your . body’s biomarkers such as your heart rate, or measure speed versus . target via GPS, letting you know when you are at your target.’ A Glowfaster iPhone app (pictured) currently works with the jacket and an Android app will soon be added so that users can track their performance, look at biofeedback and set goals . Mr Weatherall claims that people respond naturally to lights on the jacket and are motivated by them, allowing themselves to go all-out when exercising. ‘You will continue to react and the biofeedback loop will keep your body and your motivation going. Your motivation and confidence will grow as your workout progresses,’ he said. The jacket has zip-off lighting strips that react according to a runner's performance. The 'double zip attachment' (pictured) means that people will be able to upgrade their lights or add different colours . A Glowfaster iPhone app currently works with the jacket and an Android app will soon be added so that users can track their performance, look at biofeedback and set goals. The jacket can integrate with GPS trackers and heart rate monitors and feed the information to the app via Bluetooth. The company said: ‘Our app comes fully loaded to connect to your smart jacket. You can set your running pace and sync it with your jacket, set you target heart rate, flash the light in time with training aids and sound driven games like the Bleep Test - you can even link up to music on your iPhone.’ The jacket's lights are powered using a Bluetooth receiver called a Gizmo (pictured alongside a heart rate sensor). The jacket is waterproof, windproof and breathable and will cost £99 . The jacket’s lights are powered using a power pack and Bluetooth receiver called a Gizmo. The jacket is waterproof, windproof and breathable and will cost £99. It could be the first of other wearable technologies designed by the duo. Mr Weatherall, who fought in the Iraq war, said he will donate 10 per cent of profits from the jacket to the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. | The Glowfaster sports jacket syncs with a .
runner’s smartphone and then uses flashing lights to indicate whether .
they are running at the right pace .
The £99 jacket, which claims to be waterproof and breathable, was created by an ex-marine and features zip-off lighting strips .
It works with an app that tracks a person's performance, look at biofeedback and set goals . |
99,401 | 0c0565e94244039d675ec1d269904caa603b4c3a | A former Playboy bunny today accuses embattled comedy legend Bill Cosby of drugging and raping her - and sexually assaulting 12 other Playboy bunnies. P.J. Masten, from New Jersey, said she was in her 20s and working at Playboy's famous Chicago club in the late 1970s when she met the star, who then invited her out to lunch. A dinner date soon followed, at the end of which, she claims she woke up naked and bruised in a bed after being drugged and attacked by Cosby, adding: 'There were bruise marks all over me. I knew I was raped.' And in shocking claims, Masten - real name Patricia - told CNN: '(There are) 12 former bunnies that I know of that are ashamed to come forward, frightened to come forward, married with families (and) don't want to come forward. But they were also drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.' Fresh claims: Former Playboy bunny P.J. Masten is the latest woman to claim Bill Cosby drugged and raped her . Allegations: P.J. Masten, pictured with Cosby, first met the star in the Playboy club in Chicago . Coming forward: P.J. Masten say she was prompted to come forward by Judy Huth, who claims Cosby attacked her when she was 15 at the Playboy mansion . P.J. Masten donned the famous bunny ears, tight-fitting corset and fluffy tail for her job as a waitress at the Chicago club. She started working for Playboy in 1972 in her home state of New Jersey and went on to work in LA and Chicago for the organisation. She said she first met Cosby in Chicago and he invited her to lunch, telling CNN how he jumped behind the counter to make hot dogs, saying: 'Everybody was in there laughing. It was a lot of fun.' The next day, she said the comic called and asked her to dinner and told her to meet her at the Whitehall Hotel. Email: [email protected] . Going up to his room, she was greeted by four of his friends who were watching sports with the star, and smoking cigars and playing cards. Cosby asked Masten if she wanted a cocktail before dinner and she drank a glass of Grand Marnier and ice he handed her. 'The next thing I knew, it was 4 o'clock in the morning,' she told CNN: 'I woke up in a bed naked, bruised. He was laying next to me, and I slithered out of the bed... I got myself together, I went downstairs, I got in a cab, and I went home.' Asked if she knew what had happened, Masten said: 'There were bruise marks all over me. I knew I was raped.' Masten said she told her supervisor at the Playboy club soon after the alleged assault, only to be told: 'You know that's Hef's best friend, right?', referring to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Masten recalled: 'I said, 'Yes.' She said, 'Well, nobody is going to believe you. I suggest you keep your mouth shut'.' The blonde said she's been in therapy for years - but said she had been prompted to come forward decades later by Judy Huth, who claims Cosby attacked her at the Playboy mansion in LA when she was just 15 in 1974. Huth is suing the star for sexual assault - but Cosby is suing her, calling her claims 'absolutely false' and accusing her lawyer of extortion. Lawsuit: Bill Cosby is accusing Judy Huth, who says he attacked her when she was 15, of extortion. She has launched a lawsuit against him for sexual assault . P.J. Masten speaks to CNN's Alisyn Camerota . Former Playboy bunny Carla Ferrigno in circa 1980 in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. She claims Cosby assaulted her too . Victoria Valentino, a former Playboy Playmate in 1963, has come out to say Bill Cosby raped her as well. However, Masten said: 'That was it for me. This man has to be held accountable. He's a serial rapist. He's been that way since the '60s.' And she is convinced there are other Playboy bunnies with similar experiences of Cosby. She said Cosby has come up at a recent reunion of Playboy bunnies, as well as in blogs and Facebook pages restricted to them. The public allegations stirred up lots of private conversations, involving a number of women, Masten says. Demands: Attorney Gloria Allred is flanked by Bill Cosby accusers at her office on Wednesday, from left, Chelan Lasha, Beth Ferrier and Helen Hayes . Weeping: Chelan Lasha, now a grandmother, breaks down on Wednesday afternoon as she claims that Cosby drugged and assaulted her when she was 17 . 'A couple of (them) private messaged me and said, 'He did me too. It happened to me, too',' she told CNN. Cosby, now 77, is accused of attacking 20 women, and has so far remained silent amid the myriad of claims. However, his lawyer Marty Singer launched legal action against Judy Huth this week, accusing her of making up claims of assault and demanding $33,295 in damages. In another link between Playboy and Cosby, another accuser, Carla Ferrigno, says she was an 18-year-old Playboy bunny when she went with a male friend to Cosby's Beverly Hills home in 1967 and he kissed her roughly after her date left the room. Meanwhile, Playboy playmate Victoria Valentino says a friend introduced her to Cosby hoping to help her get work on his show I Spy in the late 1960s. She alleges he gave her pills at dinner to 'cheer up', after which she felt 'stoned' as he took her to another place. There, Valentino said Cosby pushed himself near her mouth, before turning her around and raping her. Asked by CNN why she didn't speak out about the incident until recently, Valentino said, 'As a playmate, I thought, who would believe me?' Attorney Gloria Allred has challenged Cosby to pay $100 million in damages to the women who claim he sexually assaulted them. The lawyer this week introduced three alleged victims - two who have never spoken before - and as they broke down in tears, she told Cosby he could waive the statute of limitations so all the women accusing him of assault could have their day in court. The woman who started it all: Andrea Constand, a former basketball player, sued Cosby in 2005 and settled later on. Beth Ferrier was Jane Doe No 5 in Andrea's civil court case . Emotional: Former supermodel Janice Dickinson says Cosby drugged and raped her in 1982 . Alleged victims: Tamara Green (left) and Barbara Bowman (right) join the ranks of woman who claim Cosby assaulted them . If not, she said, he could stump up $100 million - and the money would be handed out to the women by a committee of retired judges. Speaking at her California law offices, Miss Allred said she had been forced to tell many women who had contacted her to report abuse at the hands of the comic legend that they were too late to file a lawsuit due to the statute of limitations. However, she said: 'Today, I am here to propose two new solutions to this public dilemma and a away to determine if Bill Cosby is a saint of a sexual predator.' She said that if Cosby is 'confident' he has done nothing wrong, he could waive the statute of limitations, adding: 'Then his alleged victims would have an opportunity to have their allegations dealt with on their merits. 'Bill Cosby would have an opportunity to address there allegations in a court of law and the victims and Mr Cosby would have an opportunity to have a judge and jury decide who should be believed.' Chelan Lasha, from California - now believed to be a 46-year-old Grandmother- claimed that Cosby attacked her when she was just 17 in 1986 when she was an aspiring model. 'I laid down,' she said: 'He laid down next to me on the bed and began pinching my left nipple and humping my leg while he was grunting. 'I could not open my eyes. I couldn't move or say anything. I felt something warm on my legs. Then I blacked out.' 'Thirteen to sixteen hours later I woke up by hearing Mr Cosby clapping his hands and saying 'Daddy says wake up'. He gave me $1500. He said the money was to buy something nice for me and my grandmother and he also invited me to go to the Temptations show with my grandmother. 'My grandmother went but I did not go because I was too sick. Then he invited us to his show. My grandmother really want to go. I did not, but I went with her and heckled him. As a result, I was fired from my job.' No comment: Bill Cosby yesterday thanked Whoopi Goldberg and singer Jill Scott for their support on Twitter - but has made no public statement . Chelan was joined by two other women, Helen Hayes, who claims Cosby fondled her breast after stalking her and her friends 'like a predator' after they met in the summer of 1973. Beth Ferrier, meanwhile, who has already come forward, alleges that she had an affair with Cosby, which ended in him drugging and raping her - and leaving her to come to in her car in an alleyway. She was Jane Doe 5 in the civil suit brought against Cosby by Andrea Costand, the first woman to allege he had attacked her, in 2005. Former basketball player Andrea ended up settling out of court. | Former Playboy bunny P.J. Masten says star attacked her in 1970s .
She claims many more bunnies claim to have suffered same experiences with him .
She says she was prompted to speak out after Judy Huth claims Cosby raped her at Playboy mansion when she was 15 in 1974 .
Two other former Playboy bunnies, Victoria Valentino and Carla Ferrigno, say Cosby also attacked them . |
81,493 | e6e18ab37963a8c075a503055061a3ca6745abdc | A visibly angry Sen. John McCain grilled the head of America's border patrol on Wednesday over a policy that limits what members of Congress can do at detention facilities where the government is holding thousands of illegal immigrant children. 'I have never seen anything like your instructions, signed by your name. ... Are you telling me that [when] I visit a detention facility, that I can't bring a cell phone with me?' the Republican asked. 'Are you saying that? ... I am not allowed to take photographs?' 'I want it fixed immediately! Understand?' McCain boomed at Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske. Scroll down for video . Angry: Arizona Republican Senator John McCain ripped into the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol commissioner on Wednesday for refusing to let members of Congress tour detention facilities with their cell phones . Defensive: CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske (L) insisted that thousands of illegal immigrant children have 'a right to privacy,' even where senators are concerned . Deplorable: The photo that launched a thousand news articles: Breitbart.com obtained the first leaked photos from inside a Homeland Security holding facility where hundreds of illegal immigrant children languished in squalid conditions . The policy, called an 'Interim Protocol for Visitation and Tours,' requires all visitors to turn over their phones and restricts contact with the detained children and staff members. McCain ripped into Kerlikowske for applying the rules to him even though the Nogales, Arizona facility is in the state he represents. 'People from Arizona elected me, and I'm not supposed to even carry a cell phone with me?' he demanded. 'Mister, you have overstepped your responsibilities and your authority.' 'I want those instructions revoked, as far as members of Congress are concerned, and I want it done today.' The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, was embarrassed in June when Breitbart.com published the first leaked photos showing the inside of then-secret facilities where thousands of children were being held after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally and alone. The images showed overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, and immediately turned the flood of children into the U.S. southwest into a national controversy. Since . then, CBP has allowed Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar to take pictures . inside a facility in southern Texas. The images showed children tightly . packed in small rooms, often using sheets made of foil for warmth. No Republican lawmaker has been permitted to take such photographs. MailOnline has also published exclusive photos showing children streaming in and out of the Nogales facility. Foil blankets: Reuters got rare pictures from inside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Nogales Placement Center, but MailOnline has learned that the photographer was shadowed by a government official who controlled what was photographed . Fate unknown: Thousands of child detainees live and sleep in crowded holding cells until a relative can be found to claim them; DHS told MailOnline that no effort is made to determine whether the adult guardians are themselves in the U.S. illegally . Secrets: This photo, taken from a security video monitor in May, shows the fate of underage Central Americans when they enter the United States . The Reuters news agency was permitted to take rare pictures inside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Nogales Placement Center, but MailOnline has learned that the photographer was shadowed by a government official who controlled what was photographed. On Wednesday McCain also ripped into Kerlikowske for a policy that restricts 'physical or verbal contact' with children and staff at holding facilities. The commissioner offered to make 'special arrangements' but defended the policy. During a June visit to the Nogales facility, McCain was told not to speak with children or staff. 'I view that as a violation of my responsibilities,' he said. 'I want it fixed, and I want it fixed immediately. Understand?' | Arizona senator's tirade came during Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on border crisis involving thousands of illegal immigrant children .
A Customs and Border Patrol 'protocol for visitations and tours' memo forbids congressmen from talking to the children of staff .
Also required legislators to turn over their cell phones before entering .
'I am not allowed to take photographs? Why not? Why not? Why am I not allowed to do that?' McCain vented .
CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske insisted the children have 'a right to privacy' |
76,423 | d8bf4d0d7cc0ec595ae911f82590a81414f57364 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 18:45 EST, 5 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:45 EST, 5 February 2013 . Facebook frustration: Two-thirds of Facebook users say they're spending less time on the site due to its 'drama' and boredom . Too much drama, boredom and scads of irrelevant information are just some of the reasons Facebook users give for taking a break from the world's biggest social networking site for weeks at a time, according to a new study. A report from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project found that some 61 per cent of Facebook users had taken a hiatus of at least several weeks for a myriad of reasons, whether they were weary from an onslaught of gossip, or for the more pious, the arrival of Lent. Yet the use of Facebook, whether constant or not, is pervasive in America. Of the American adults who use the Internet, 67 per cent are on Facebook, Pew found. That compares with 20 per cent who use LinkedIn and 16 percent who are on Twitter. But users do come and go, some temporarily, and some for good. Twenty per cent of those with Internet access said they used the site at one point, but no longer do. By its own count, Facebook Inc. has 1.06 billion users worldwide who check in at least once a month. This includes millions of duplicate and fake accounts. More than 150 million users are in the U.S. The largest slice of users, 20 per cent, said that they were simply too busy with their own lives to follow the constant stream of status updates, George Takei quotes and baby photos. Privacy and security concerns, which have received plenty of media coverage, were low on the list. Only 4 per cent of people gave these . reasons, combined with concerns about ads and spam, as their 'Facebook . vacation' motivation. Obsession? Of the American adults who use the Internet, 67 per cent are on Facebook . Firing back: In response to the report, Facebook said that its growth and user engagement remains strong . Lee Rainie, director of the Internet and American Life Project said privacy is more of a big policy question that people do not concern themselves with day-by-day. Rather, people are contemplating how they spend their time and allocate their attention. 'People are making interesting calibrations and recalibrations' about how they spend their time, and the worth of constantly staying connected to friends, family and others on line, Rainie said. And while people do take Facebook breaks, Internet users are logging in more frequently than ever, the study found. Responding to the report, Facebook said that its growth and user engagement remains strong. 'As we announced last week, Facebook has grown daily active users across all regions, ending the year with more than 1 billion monthly active users, 618 million daily active users and 680 million people accessing Facebook from mobile devices,' according to a company statement. 'Our announcement came on the heels of independent analyst reports which concluded that Facebook is the most downloaded mobile app in the U.S., and that time spent on Facebook accounts for over 20 percent of all time spent on mobile apps in the U.S.' The Pew study of 1,006 U.S. adults was done in December. It has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points. | 67 per cent of American adults have Facebook accounts, according to Pew study .
Among them, 61 per cent take breaks from the social networking site that sometimes last weeks . |
225,007 | af5b7d37e0339b35d73e5b3722b9625ab9f2c1ac | (OPRAH.com) -- I gaze up at the flourescent strip lighting in the surgeon's office, willing the Beatles on my iPod to keen even louder for Dear Prudence to "come out to play." I need them to drown out the sound of hypodermic needles being stripped from their wrappers, to out-sing the crisp clack of some giant stapler-like thingy being readied to pierce flesh. I begin to make deals with God: If it's benign, I'll sponsor an Indian schoolgirl's education. If it's benign, I'll help Julia really nail her multiplication tables. I'll call my mother more, do more dishes, compost for our nonexistent garden. Oprah.com: Not-so-perfect marriage that makes us believe in love . Biopsies are recent inventions, but negotiating with God must be among man's most ancient ones. Of course, my prebiopsy bargaining was just pleading in disguise: faux brokering between the entirely powerless -- a supine woman, clinging to the paper strip down the middle of a doctor's examining table -- and the all-powerful, whether one calls it God, the Fates, or "the luck of the draw." To cut a real deal, both parties need some power. Gangsters and parents both know this well. When Marlon Brando, as Don Corleone, promises to make someone "an offer he can't refuse," it's a bargain struck at gunpoint, another deal-that's-not-one. As a mother, I've used this thuggish tactic more than I'd like to admit. "That's the deal" is a common slogan in our home. When my husband or I use it, our daughters know they've reached a red line, not to be crossed. It is bedtime. That gerbil cage needs cleaning. Time was, women cut far fewer deals than they do today. In the past, when they remained dependent on their fathers or husbands, their lives were less about striking deals than hoping for the best. Fairy princesses -- those perfect models of traditional passivity -- don't cut deals. Whether they're sweeping floors while their sisters swan off to the ball or marrying the prince, both drudgery and love fall on them from great heights. Deals don't happen in dictatorships, where, let's face it, most of those princesses live. Oprah.com: Master the art of making a deal . Real live women negotiate. Over the past century, we got the vote, the Pill, washer-dryers, and antidiscrimination laws, giving us choices, freedoms -- and the ability to strike any number of deals. Nowhere is this more true than in the arena of relationships: . In November 2009, the Obamas revealed in The New York Times that their own partnership is a series of negotiations, a deft balance between his political ambitions and her own professional and familial ones. When Michelle said that the equality of a union "is measured over the scope of the marriage; it's not just four years or eight years or two," it seemed clear that the post--White House era could very much be hers. Their bald acknowledgment of the brokering involved in their marriage wasn't a sign of two lawyers at work but two equals in love. Oprah.com: 3 tricks for a happier marriage . To be sure, the traditional blueprint for "marrying well" -- her beauty, his paycheck -- still proves popular. In my leafy London neighborhood, I know women who have made such deals. They often seem calmer than I am, and they're inevitably sleeker, with taut skin and trainer-honed bodies. Many of their husbands leave the house before dawn to catch the Hong Kong markets when they open, returning home late, ruffling their kids' hair while they sleep. These women vacation on small and exquisite islands, but they're never sure when they'll reach them, as they are tethered to their husbands' timetables. That's the deal. Oprah.com: Confessions of a semi-happy wife . When I met the man I was to marry, he certainly didn't seem like a deal. Lacking height, a hearty handshake, and career ambitions, he didn't conform to the traditional notions of a catch. Antony was a slight, suburban-born Englishman, a dead ringer for Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh. When we met, he was languidly pursuing a history doctorate, but his keenest aspiration was really to reread Proust -- for the umpteenth time -- and see as many movies as possible. His vast stores of warmth took time to find, guarded as they were by those twin emotional weapons favored by the British male, irony and reserve. I spent a weekend parsing a document that turned out to be a love letter but which I'd thought was some sort of philosophy essay laced with liner notes from a Prince album. He was low-key, this Antony. While I suggested we move -- to New York, New Delhi, anywhere, really, for an adventure -- he was happy to stay in his hometown, London, and to abandon his doctorate for a quiet job in the British civil service. Once I fell for him, I knew I'd have to plan on a life outside the United States. It wasn't just his job that was strictly British. His character was, too. I knew that it wouldn't be easy to make the switch from his calm, structured life to the cut-and-thrust of the American job marketplace. In the land of Let's Make a Deal, nobody would have the patience to wait for Ant's brilliance to shine through his self-effacing manner. Sometimes I'm stupid enough to think we should make a more conventional deal. During the boom, with millions making millions, my husband remained content with his modest take-home pay. "You're smart," I'd occasionally nag. "Why not be a banker and make us rich?" His reply was succinct: "Nine weeks of vacation, and job security." In my heart, I knew they were both key to my own treasured freedoms: to travel, and to freelance. And when the financial market crashed, and FOR SALE signs blossomed in London's bankers' neighborhoods, I was reminded once again of his wisdom and my foolishness. Oprah.com: 7 deals you should never make . His ambitions were tame -- except those he had for me. When I got a chance to leave London to study in New York, he said, "Go." Once there, when I was offered a Manhattan-based magazine job, he was hardheaded: "Stay." When the chance for a summer in Cairo came up, he said, "Go." Even now, 15 years on, married, with two children, he still wants me to keep going. The other week, as I planned a few days in Pakistan for a story, he was busy arguing that I should tack on a short hop to Kabul. "Go," he urged. "Go." "Are you trying to get me killed?" I teased him. No, he just knew a few days there would help me with a book I'm writing. I didn't go, fretting I'd miss home too much. That panicked him, for he worries I'll get so enmeshed in our family that I won't do the two other things I love to do: write and report. "I want you to stay the woman I married," he'll murmur. "You need to hit the road again. Go." These urgings, of course, only make me want to stay. That said, I know that even if love lasts, deals don't. To stay married we'll doubtless have to broker new deals, and newer ones after that...till death do us part. Making deals with God may be a nonstarter. Done right, making deals with your spouse never ends. Oprah.com: How a healthy relationship really works . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2010 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Writer says brokering deals with your spouse is part of a lasting marriage .
She gives up her "dream" man for a man who loved and understood her .
He likes quiet life in London but wants her to continue to be woman he fell in love with .
She travels and sometimes lives elsewhere in the world while writing . |
234,151 | bb214e8bbefe49eef6df9920d2a8853af32cf0fb | Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool will target an FA Cup victory at Wembley as the perfect send-off for departing hero Steven Gerrard. Two goals from Gerrard clinched a 2-1 win at AFC Wimbledon last night and set up a fourth round tie against Bolton, in a competition which reaches its climax on his 35th birthday, on the final day of the domestic season. 'It would be nice,' said Rodgers. 'The FA cup final is on his birthday isn't it, and for him it would be a wonderful send-off. Steven Gerrard scored twice as Liverpool beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in the FA Cup third round on Monday . Brendan Rodgers, speaking to Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley, wants to send Gerrard off with an FA Cup win . 'There's a lot of games between now and then but the idea is to get a cup if we can do. We've targeted a cup victory and progress in the league this season and if we can do that it would be really special, of course. 'He was outstanding in the game, it was a brilliant individual performance from him and it was the catalyst overall. He scored two and if he was a selfish player might have got on the ball and got a hat-trick.' It was Gerrard's first performance since confirming plans to leave Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the season. He scored the opener with a diving header and the winner with a free-kick, either side of an equaliser from Adebayo Akinfenwa. 'That's what dreams are made of,' said Gerrard, when asked about a possibility of going out with an FA Cup triumph. 'I always enjoy FA Cup. I grew up loving the competition. It'll be the last time so I want to make the most of it and go all the way.' Liverpool captain Gerrard fires his side into the lead with a stunning free-kick at Kingsmeadow on Monday . The FA Cup final this year falls on the same day as Gerrard's 35th birthday - it would be the perfect send-off . | Steven Gerrard scored twice as Liverpool beat AFC Wimbledon on Monday .
The Reds will now play Bolton in the fourth round of the FA Cup .
The final of the competition, in May, falls on Gerrard's birthday this year .
It would be the perfect send-off for the departing Liverpool captain . |
23,182 | 41c93ca292543c95a8b7e0ae4116b26fd934c396 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 20:33 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:38 EST, 11 March 2014 . Dallas Star forward Rich Peverley fell unconscious after collapsing on the bench at last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. When the 31-year-old fell unconscious his team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice while the game was going on to get attention. Peverley was hurriedly carried into a tunnel where medics carried out chest . compressions and defibrillated him as well as using electric shock electricity to . bring a rhythm back to his heart. Dallas Star forward Rich Peverley, seen here left, collapsed on the bench at last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets . When the 31-year-old fell unconscious his team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice while the game was going on to get attention . Peverley was stabilized, transported to a hospital and in good condition Monday night. The Stars stood in stunned silence, clearly in distress, unsure what had happened to a player just six months removed from undergoing a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat. 'When he dropped, it was red alert,' Ruff said after the game between Dallas and Columbus was postponed with the Blue Jackets leading 1-0 in the first period. 'Don't worry about the game. It was about getting the doctors. The players don't want to play, and I don't want to coach the team right now.' Stars forward Erik Cole tried to rush into the tunnel just after Peverley was carried through, only to be turned away. He then gnawed at the thumb on one of his gloves while he waited for word on what the players would do next. Sergei Gonchar stared blankly near fellow defenseman Trevor Daley, who was hunched over on the bench, wiping his face with a towel. 'I was scared,' Ruff said. When the 31-year-old fell unconscious his team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice while the game was going on to get attention . Play was halted at 6:23, and the postponement was announced about 30 minutes later . Play was halted at 6:23, and the postponement was announced about 30 minutes later. Many in the hushed crowd lingered long after the postponement was announced 'as a result of the emotional state of the players on both teams caused by the medical emergency.' The NHL didn't say when the game would be rescheduled. Peverley's wife, Nathalie, accompanied him to a hospital, and the Stars essentially told the Blue Jackets they were not keen on finishing the game. 'They're shaken and they want to reschedule. We understand that,' John Davidson, the Blue Jackets president of hockey operations, told Fox Sports Ohio. 'They were shaken to the core.' Peverley missed the preseason and the season opener because of a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat, a condition diagnosed during a training camp physical. He made his Stars debut on Oct. 5 against Washington. 'We monitor him closely for a different type of arrhythmia he has,' said Dr. Gil Salazar of UT Southwestern Hospital. 'He does have a pre-existing condition, and the condition - a normal quivering of the heart that does not allow him to send blood to places where he needs to, in his brain and heart.' Peverley sat out last week's game at Columbus because of an irregular heartbeat. He had felt strange after last Monday's game and couldn't fly. He played in Dallas' next two games before Monday. 'There wasn't any concern,' Ruff said. 'Our doctors have done a fabulous job monitoring the situation.' In 62 games this season before Monday, Peverley had seven goals and 23 assists. He was acquired last July from Boston with forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Ryan Button for forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser, and defenseman Joe Morrow. 'The first thing (Peverley) asked me was how much time was left in the first period,' Ruff said. The Stars went to the airport after the postponement, and even had a scheduled departure for St. Louis that was earlier than it would have been if the game was played. Dallas is scheduled to play the Blues on Tuesday night. 'He's going to be OK,' Ruff said. 'The care he's getting and the care going forward is the most important thing.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Rich Peverley, 31, collapsed on the bench at last night's game .
Team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice to get help .
Medics carried out chest compressions and defibrillated him .
Peverley was stabilized, transported to a hospital and is in good condition . |
106,753 | 15b671ecce50bec38aed0b9c0a03ec4c10497c15 | (CNN) -- Actor Ron Palillo, who played class clown Arnold Horshack on the 1970s television comedy "Welcome Back, Kotter," has died at age 63, his agent said Tuesday. Palillo died of a heart attack in the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, area, where he had moved to live near his mother and was active in the theater, his agent, Scott Stander, told CNN. He was best known for his role as one of the "Sweathogs" -- remedial students at a Brooklyn high school -- on the 1975-79 show, which starred Gabe Kaplan and launched the career of fellow Sweathog John Travolta. Palillo's "Oooh! Oooh!" appeals for attention became the character's catchphrase. Stander called Palillo "upbeat, fun, a great friend who loved theater, loved the fans and had a great sense of humor." He taught acting to high school students at the G-Star School of the Arts, a charter school in West Palm Beach, Stander said. Palillo made numerous guest appearances on television in the following decades, including playing himself in three episodes of the Ellen DeGeneres comedy "Ellen" in 1996. He also appeared on the reality show "Celebrity Boxing" in 2002, losing by a TKO to former "Saved by the Bell" actor Dustin Diamond. Another of the original Sweathogs, Robert Hegyes, died in January at age 60. Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein, also played a detective in the late 1980s police drama "Cagney & Lacey." Obituaries 2012: The lives they lived . CNN's David Daniel contributed to this report. | Palillo played Arnold Horshack on "Welcome Back, Kotter"
He died of a heart attack in Florida at age 63, his agent said .
He had been teaching acting to high school students . |
276,512 | f23e51b3e8a184218d05dbbbdee74115f5a560cf | By . Damien Gayle . The teacher in charge of the hundreds of pupils caught in the South Korean ferry disaster killed himself because 'surviving alone is too painful', according to a note found in his wallet. In his poignant last words, Kang Min-Gyu said he hoped he would become a teacher once again in the afterlife for his charges whose bodies had not been recovered. The 52-year-old was found dead days after he and 75 of his young charges managed to escape from the stricken ferry Sewol as it sank off the south coast of Korea. 'I take full responsibility': Kang Min-Gyu, 52, who is believed to have hanged himself in shame after surviving the ferry disaster - more than 300 of his pupils were on board when it went down off Korea's south coast . Fourteen of the schoolchildren have . been confirmed dead and another 236 remain unaccounted for, as dive . crews today began pulling corpses from the vessel. Police . found Mr Kang, deputy head of Danwon high school, Seoul, hanging by his . belt from a tree early yesterday afternoon, just outside the gymnasium . where families of the victims were staying. After . initially claiming he had left no suicide note, police later released . part of a two-page letter they said was found in his wallet. It . said: 'Surviving alone is too painful while 200 remain unaccounted for. I take full responsibility. I pushed ahead with the school trip.' The . note added: 'Burn my body and scatter my ashes at the site of the . sunken ferry. Perhaps I can become a teacher for the missing students in . my next life.' 'I will once again become a teacher in the afterlife for my students whose bodies have not been discovered.' Police . cut down the teacher and his body was taken to the nearby Jindo funeral . parlour where it was cremated, the Telegraph reported. Waiting: He was found hanged outside this gym, where relatives are waiting for news of the missing . Search: Rescuers are still searching for victims. This inflatable buoy marks the position of the wreckage . The . Sewol sank off South Korea's southern coast on Wednesday with 476 . people aboard, most of them pupils on holiday from a single high school. More than 270 people are still missing, and most are believed to be trapped inside the 6,852-ton vessel. The . confirmed death toll from the Sewol disaster has now reached 32, after . divers working in tough conditions finally managed to reach the inside . of the ship and begin pulling out bodies. The . ferry's captain, Lee Joon-seok, 68, was arrested this morning along . with one of the Sewol's three helmsmen and the 25-year-old third mate. Lee . has been charged under maritime law with negligence and failing to . ensure the safety of his passengers. He has faced fierce criticism for . abandoning ship while so many were left on board. Many . found themselves trapped below decks as water flooded in after he . delayed the order to evacuate the vessel because of cold waters and . strong currents. | Kang Min-gyu, 52, was found hanging from a tree in Jindo, South Korea .
He was a senior teacher at Danwon High School in Anwan, near Seoul .
His students made up the majority of the 475 ferry passengers . |
53,207 | 96ec87938b9f36f55d6572f7e967d7cd1936705a | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 13:18 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:21 EST, 10 May 2013 . Michael Fay worked fraudulently as a commercial airline pilot, flying passengers into Gatwick Airport without the proper licence and medical documentation on eight occasions . A conman who faked a pilot’s licence to get a job flying holidaymakers to the UK is being hunted by police after he failed to appear in court for sentencing for fraud. Michael Fay, 59, a US national who settled in Alton, Hampshire, worked fraudulently as a commercial airline pilot, flying passengers into Gatwick Airport without the proper licence and medical documentation on eight occasions. The former US Air Force pilot was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison at Winchester Crown Court on Friday May 3 for fraud. A Hampshire police spokesman said: 'Police were alerted to Fay’s scam when another pilot became suspicious while chatting to him on an internet forum. 'He had been operating Airbus A320 aircraft for eight months on behalf of Libyan company Afriqiyah Airways at the time of his arrest on February 3, 2011, having forged his pilot’s licence and medical certificates. 'Fay is believed to have fled the UK and may be seeking work as a pilot or flying instructor.' Hampshire Constabulary, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and overseas law enforcement are working together to bring Fay back to the UK to begin his sentence. Detective Constable Chris Thorne said: 'Michael Fay is a clever and resourceful man who clearly shows no concern for public safety if he’s willing to work without the correct licences and medical certification. 'He targeted Libyan aviation at a time when the country’s political and economic standing was vulnerable and volatile. 'Had it not been for the quick thinking of a genuine pilot on the internet forum, Fay may have continued to put the public at risk in this manner unnoticed. 'We are working closely with the CAA and other organisations outside of the UK to locate him and bring him to justice. 'Public safety is paramount so it is important people are aware that he may be trying to gain work as an airline pilot or flying instructor overseas.' Fay worked for Afriqiyah Airways from June 1, 2010 to the day of his arrest, February 3, 2011. Fay had been operating the Airbus A320 aircraft (pictured) for eight months on behalf of Libyan company Afriqiyah Airways at the time of his arrest . A spokesman for Afriqiyah Airways said: 'Afriqiyah Airways can confirm that Michael Fay was employed as a contracted pilot on our Airbus A320 aircraft. 'We are currently investigating this matter but we understand that his engagement with us may have been arranged through a third-party broker who should have vetted his documentation and credentials before recommending him as a contractor with Afriqiyah Airways. 'The apparent use of forged documents by Michael Fay to secure his engagement with Afriqiyah Airways has also made us an unwitting victim in his criminal endeavours. Fay flew passengers into Gatwick Airport (pictured) on eight occasions . 'At no time did his behaviour or demeanour draw attention to his ability or competence to fly the aircraft either with his colleagues or the station staff at Gatwick. 'Since the resumption of the airline’s European services in July 2012, as part of our continuous improvement programme all flight-deck crews have been assessed for competence in the UK, Germany and other EU states by flight simulator checks and revalidation on type as necessary. 'As a major national carrier, we place great emphasis on the safety and integrity of our crews and aircraft, and we will treat the investigation of this matter with the utmost seriousness it deserves.' Airbus A320 aircraft seats up to 180 passengers, and has a top speed of 537mph at an altitude of 36,000ft. They measure 123ft long and have a wing span of 111ft. | Michael Fay faked his licence to work as a commercial airline pilot .
Flew into Gatwick without correct licence and medical documents .
Was sentenced in absentia to three years on Friday, May 3, for fraud . |
230,409 | b6616cd538d5a1bcf7c847c5a0aba40da5615f41 | (CNN) -- Police are searching for any other alleged victims of a Sunday school teacher accused of raping and killing an 8-year-old girl from Tracy, California. Melissa Huckaby is charged with killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was a friend of her own daughter. "We are asking the public if they have any indication that any of their children may have had inappropriate contact with [the suspect] to contact us," Tracy Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said Tuesday evening. "There has been no indication that this has happened. But she is a Sunday school teacher and did have contact with children, so that is why we are asking." Melissa Huckaby, 28, was arrested and charged with killing and raping 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, a friend of her 5-year-old daughter. Huckaby, wearing red jail scrubs over a white T-shirt, was in court Tuesday for an arraignment. She was charged with murder, kidnapping, the performance of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14 and rape by instrument. If convicted, Huckaby would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, San Joaquin County District Attorney James Willett told reporters after the hearing. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made later, he said. Huckaby did not enter a plea or speak during the court hearing, although she flinched when Sandra Cantu's name was spoken, and she cried at times. Sandra's body was found April 6, stuffed into a suitcase and submerged in a pond at a dairy farm. Huckaby was arrested Friday night after questioning by police. Sandra was last seen alive March 27 in the mobile home park where she lived with her family -- the same mobile home park where Huckaby lives with her daughter. The two children were close friends and played together frequently, police said. Huckaby is the granddaughter of Clifford Lane Lawless, pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church near the mobile home park, and she taught Sunday school at the church, police have said. The church was searched as part of the investigation into Sandra's disappearance and death. Before her arrest, Huckaby acknowledged to a newspaper reporter that she owned the suitcase that contained Sandra's body. But Huckaby said the suitcase had been stolen. Willett declined to comment on any of the evidence or allegations in the case, saying evidence would be presented in court. A memorial ceremony is scheduled for Sandra at 1 p.m. Thursday at a high school in Tracy, police said. -- CNN's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report. | Police comb community for other possible victims .
Melissa Huckaby was arrested and charged with killing and raping Sandra Cantu .
Sandra, 8, was friends with Huckaby's 5-year-old daughter . |
70,468 | c7b7a471f85934e0902d916f690f471ea5e5d7c3 | By . Alex Lazcano for Daily Mail Australia . Brisbane police have revealed that a hostage incident in Bracken Ridge as actually a hoax. This has sparked fears within the force that the prank may have been influenced by the phenomenon that has become somewhat popular in the US. Swatting is a trend where a false crime is reported to police, the crime is usually a hostage situation or something similar in order to draw out the swat team to the scene. A trend that started in the US may be making its way to Australia. 'Swatting' is when pranksters pretend there is a hostage situation to ensure a swat team turns up to a fake sitation (stock image) Police were called to the Bracken Ridge home after reports a man was making threats inside a home. The call was places after 2pm on Saturday, the call threatened that a 15-year-old boy was being held against his will. Special Emergency Response Teams and the dog squad joined officers at the residence but two hours later officers discovered that it was all a prank. The dog squad was also called to the hoax situation on Saturday in Brisbane where it was believed a 15-year-old was being held hostage . It's been confirmed by police that the boy inside the home did not place the call to the police. Brisbane Regional District Officer Inspector Rob Graham was outraged at the hoax. 'This is a very dangerous game to play - it’s potentially tying up lifesaving resources,' he said. 'If we had a real circumstance anywhere in Brisbane we probably would have been stretched thin.' He said police would always respond to reports of an emergency situation but “swatting” was a frustration for officers. | A hoax hostage situation in Brisbane has police fearing copycats will follow .
The prank endangering a teenager brought out a swat team .
Police believe this crime may have been influenced by the 'swatting' prank trend in America . |
132,289 | 371611556b2cf51b0b11fed579bba08ba828e80c | (Entertainment Weekly) -- They have come to glimpse the miracle. They have come to witness the revolution. They have come for "Watchmen" -- the allegedly unfilmable superhero movie, the long-awaited adaptation of the comic book that changed the face of comic books forever. Billy Crudup plays Dr. Manhattan, a powerful superhero in "Watchmen." On this warm July morning, over 5,000 fans attending the annual geek pop summit known as Comic-Con have assembled inside the San Diego Convention Center for a first look. Many spent the night on the sidewalk. Some have come in costumes. Behind the stage, indie-movie icon Kevin Smith parks himself in front of a closed-circuit TV, a happy grin on his bearded mug. "You have to understand, I've been waiting for this moment for years," says Smith. "This is it, man. This is the pinnacle." All this, for a violent, ironic superhero epic that doesn't like superheroes in the first place. Directed by "300's" Zack Snyder, "Watchmen" presents a set of familiar superhero archetypes -- and then subverts them completely. Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) is like the Spirit ... except he's a joyless, hard-line misanthrope. The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is like Captain America ... but loyal only to sadistic thrills and a corrupt worldview. Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) is part Batman, part Iron Man ... except he's also a schlubby, impotent coward. Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) is the resident genius ... who's built an empire on superhero toys. (You see what we mean by irony.) Says Billy Crudup, whose blue, naked Dr. Manhattan is an almighty Superman dangerously detached from his own humanity: " 'Watchmen' is a kind of thrilling thought experiment. What would people who dress up in costumes to fight crime actually be like? Well, they'd probably be fetishists who lived on the fringes of society. They'd all be a bunch of freaking lunatics." Yet for all its self-awareness and cynicism, "Watchmen" isn't some cheap-and-silly "Scary Movie" parody. Adapted faithfully, if not completely, from the celebrated 1986 comic-book series, Snyder's film is visually and intellectually ambitious, filled with heady ruminations about savior figures, pop culture, and the politics of fear. At a time when superhero stories are commonplace and our shaken country is pinning its recovery on an idealistic new president, "Watchmen's" director believes his movie can serve as a bracing blast of healthy skepticism. "Someone asked me if I thought that because Barack Obama had been elected president, the movie was no longer relevant. I said, 'Wow, that's a very optimistic view of the future!' " says Snyder. "The movie, like the comic, says, 'These superhero stories you've been feasting on? What if we took them seriously?' ... That's the fun." But fun for whom? When "Watchmen" hits theaters on March 6, the comic-book cognoscenti will be there in droves -- although some are already sweating the heresy of dramatic changes. EW: What didn't make it? And, for mainstream moviegoers, such talk of "subverting superhero archetypes" is liable to elicit a great big "Huh?" EW: A "Watchmen" primer . "Watchmen's" financial backers are clearly hoping the success of "The Dark Knight" has primed the market for sophisticated superhero films -- especially one that's two hours and 41 minutes long. But where "The Dark Knight" transcended genre conventions, "Watchmen" wallows in them. Violently. Created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, "Watchmen" is most often praised as the comic book that brought respect and maturity to a medium long dismissed as juvenile. It was the fanboys' "Catcher in the Rye" -- and maybe their first Playboy, too. "I was 13 when I read 'Watchmen,' and it came to represent my coming of age," says "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof. "I felt like 'Watchmen' was this very, very bad thing that I shouldn't be reading, and if my mom caught me with it I'd be f---ing doomed." Hollywood was similarly struck by "Watchmen," but has been much less successful at avoiding the doom. In 1986, Twentieth Century Fox acquired the comic's rights for producer Larry Gordon, but could never get an adaptation rolling. Over the next decade, "Watchmen" bounced among many studios and between many before finding what appeared to be a happy ending at Paramount. But in 2005, with helmer Paul Greengrass deep into preproduction, a Paramount regime change killed the project. Certainly, it's a hard project to get your head around. "Watchmen" is set in the year 1985. The U.S. and the Soviet Union are on the brink of nuclear war, and the president is Richard Nixon, whose success at ending the Vietnam War (he asked Dr. Manhattan to blow up the Vietcong) has earned him five terms of office from a grateful nation. Conservative politics are popular, as are Indian fast food and pirate comics. But costumed heroes, once all the rage, are now outlawed. When the Comedian gets murdered, Rorschach tries to round up his old allies to investigate. They eventually uncover an insidious conspiracy hatched by an unlikely villain, one whose grand ambition isn't world domination but something else altogether. iReport.com: Will you watch 'Watchmen'? And that's only half the comic. Hence, "Watchmen's" rep as the Unfilmable Graphic Novel. But tides changed in late 2005 when Warner Bros. acquired the property from Paramount (or at least they thought they did) with the hope of rolling on "Watchmen" ASAP. (Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner, as is CNN and Entertainment Weekly.) The studio turned to Snyder. At that point, the director had only done stylish TV commercials and the 2003 zombie remake "Dawn of the Dead." But he was also deep in the middle of shooting the studio's action epic "300," another adaptation of a brilliantly brutal comic, and the execs liked what they were seeing. Snyder's approach was simple: He would remain religiously faithful to the comic. "We treated that thing like a freakin' illuminated text," says the director, who embraced all the peculiar idiosyncrasies, from the Nixonian alternative America to the deep-dive digressions into character origin stories. (None of this faithfulness can please Moore, who feels that no adaptation can do his work justice and has taken his name off the film.) The director also believed that an "adult" superhero epic needed to be explicit about its "adult" content. He wanted to hear the characters' philosophical musings. He wanted to see the blood spurt. And instead of the chaste kisses of most superhero movie romances, he wanted to see some naked getting-it-on. "I wanted to make sure everyone understood: This is not a kid movie," says Snyder. "Violence has consequences. And doing that with a PG-13 just dilutes that message." And then there was the worry that all that effort was all for naught. Last February, Twentieth Century Fox sought to stop Warner Bros. from moving forward with "Watchmen's" release, claiming via lawsuit that Warner Bros. had not properly acquired the distribution rights. The dispute exploded in the media last August when a judge declared that Fox's lawsuit had merit. "How do you not know whether or not you have the right to make a movie?" says Crudup. "Hilarious." But after months of intense press coverage that put "Watchmen" in the mainstream eye, the two studios reached a settlement. (Warner Bros. and Fox both declined to comment. As for producer Gordon: "It was unfortunate," he says simply.) Now Team "Watchmen" waits to see if any of that notoriety can help make them some money. With a $100 million-plus budget and a running time of 161 minutes, "Watchmen" will need to launch with a big opening weekend and strong reviews. So, will geek love -- and geek dollars -- be enough? Snyder hopes so. He says he made the film for that crowd. "I don't think there ever has been a movie more custom-made for them. Not at this scale," he says. "And now they have an opportunity to really influence pop culture in a serious way, just as the comic influenced comics. They can say: 'These stories can be used to say something about the world. Give us more of them.' " This is an edited version of Entertainment Weekly's cover story on "Watchmen." For the complete story, click here. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "Watchmen" movie, after years in the works, finally coming out March 6 .
Film based on classic graphic novel that influenced many .
Film does not shy away from controversial themes, violence in novel . |
60,463 | abdf43d958fc53db9214707ba58a86db7feaa123 | Northern California residents were bracing for a powerful storm expected to be the biggest in five years as a torrent of atmospheric moisture originating near Hawaii barreled toward the West Coast Wednesday. The National Weather Service issued a high wind and flash flood warning for areas in and around the San Francisco Bay and north up the western Washington coast. The storm was expected to pelt the region through Thursday. It could overwhelm waterways and roadway drainage systems, possibly leading to flash flooding. This storm is 'expected to be one of the strongest storms in terms of wind and rain intensity' since storms in October 2009 and January 2008, respectively, said the National Weather Service in Monterey. 'Pineapple express': An atmospheric river of moisture was expected on Wednesday to bring a massive storm capable of dumping the most rain seen since 2005 on some areas of Northern California . Lashing: The storm was expected to start lashing western Washington on down to the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday . Good and bad: Flash flood warnings were issued by the state of California, but heavy snowfall was expected to benefit the state as forecasters said it would fall in areas hit hard by three years of drought . Heavy rainfall is expected, especially in the North Bay. According to Accuweather.com, Sacramento could see as much as six inches of rainfall in just a couple of days--the most in that period of time since 2005. Overall, the heaviest rainfall totals are expected from western Washington to Northern California, with numerous 3- to 5-inch rainfall totals expected. Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, issued a warning that the storm will present a risk of flash flooding and debris slides. 'This year was also a significant fire season for Northern and Southern California and burned areas are especially at risk for debris slides. Even regions that don't experience regular seasonal flooding could see flash flooding during this intense storm system, which could be the largest to date of this year's rainy season,' he said in a statement. High winds from 20 to 40 mph are expected, with gusts of 40 to 60 mph. Authorities are warning motorists to avoid driving through standing water; stay clear of outside roadway lanes, especially at night; keep headlights on at all times; and drive slowly to prevent hydroplaning. People should also have emergency contacts available and a stock a small emergency kit that can sustain each person for three days. Some projections said rainfall in Sacramento could reach levels not seen since a 2005 storm . The so-called 'Pineapple Epxress' is an atmospheric river of moisture that often brings major weather events to North America's Pacific Coast. The system is named for its origins in Hawaii, around where it gets its massive moisture content. Via NOAA.gov: . Atmospheric Rivers (AR) are relatively narrow regions in the atmosphere that are responsible for most of the horizontal transport of water vapor outside of the tropics. While ARs come in many shapes and sizes, those that contain the largest amounts of water vapor, the strongest winds, and stall over watersheds vulnerable to flooding, can create extreme rainfall and floods. These events can disrupt travel, induce mud slides, and cause catastrophic damage to life and property. However, not all ARs cause damage – most are weak, and simply provide beneficial rain or snow that is crucial to water supply. An average of between 30 to 50 percent of the total precipitation for the year on the West Coast comes from ARs. The biggest events among them can transport in the form of water vapor between 7.5 and 15 times the average flow of liquid water at the mouth of the mighty Mississippi. How a typical Pineapple Express 'atmospheric river' event works . Farther north, a series of strong weather fronts with high winds and heavy rains could lead to flooding and landslides this week in western Washington state. The National Weather Service expects as much as 14 inches of rain between Monday and Thursday in the Olympic Mountains west of Seattle. And it expects as much as 13 inches of rain in the North Cascades east of the city. Saturated soils will bring the risk of mudslides, while winds could topple trees. Last week, a different Pacific system brought three days of rain to Southern California. There was some flooding and evacuations near hillsides stripped bare by wildfires, but the Los Angeles area avoided major damage despite some huge rainfall totals. An exceptional 14.5 inches fell between Tuesday and Thursday at Yucaipa Ridge in the San Bernardino Mountains, the National Weather Service said. Most other parts of the state received 2 to 4 inches of rain. The storm dropped snow in mountains key to the state's water supply and made signature waterfalls flow at Yosemite National Park, including the 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls that had slowed to a trickle in mid-July. Meanwhile, Southern California was hit by a different storm system just a week before. That system hung around for days and caused mudslides in areas of Ventura County where wildfires had stripped vegetations . Darren Travels gets sprayed near Highway 4 in Antioch, California on December 2 when heavy rain from a powerful Pacific storm swept through Southern California, prompting both relief in the drought-stricken state but also concern about flooding and mudslides on denuded slopes . | High wind and flash flood warnings have been issued from western Washington State down to points south including the San Francisco Bay .
The storm was expected to make landfall Wednesday and deluge the region with rainfall exceeding 5 inches in some areas by Thursday .
Just last week a days-long storm walloped drought-stricken Southern California, which will experience this week's storms last licks Friday AM .
The storm was expected to bring the most rain some areas had seen in a decade . |
220,992 | aa13ee702f32a846b65ea44935cd34eb2336c88e | By . Matt Morlidge . Follow @@MattMorlidge . Forget Luis Suarez, Snoop Dogg will be the biggest star to be wearing the Barcelona shirt this summer. The American hip-hop star posted pictures on his Instagram boarding a plane to the Spanish city for a gig. And before fans start claiming 'Snoop Lion' is a Barca fan, he has also been pictured in several other sporting jerseys over his career. New fan: Snoop Dogg poses in a Barcelona shirt ahead of boarding his private jet . Happy to be here: The American hip-hop star poses in a club wearing the away strip . But who does he really support? Snoop Lion has also been pictured in Manchester United and England shirts . Ajax, Manchester United, Liverpool, Cardiff, Brighton, England. And that's not all. Celtic, QPR, Birmingham, Juventus, Chivas, Spain, Croatia are other football clubs who Snoop Dogg has modelled for. Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and the Yankees, as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. It's safe to say Snoop Dogg has done it all. | Snoop Dogg poses in Barca strip ahead of travelling for gig .
Also wears away kit during DJ set in the Spanish city .
But he has worn several strips over the year, including England's . |
98,626 | 0b01264350b8ca8a3a2c742e4d7e40217e5f90e2 | By . Associated Press . A Bitcoin trader that went bankrupt after claiming hackers had stolen $488million of the digital currency has found almost a quarter of the missing haul... in one of its own accounts. Online currency exchange Mt. Gox declared itself insolvent in February claiming BTC850,000 ($488million) had gone missing, most likely as a result of theft. But in a humiliating U-turn today, the Tokyo-based firm revealed administrators have unearthed BTC200,000 ($115million) on March 7 in one of its 'old format' digital wallets. Anger: Bitcoin trader Kolin Burges stands in protest outside Mt. Gox's offices in Tokyo after it claimed to have lost BTC850,000 last month . The announcement was made on the group's website by its head, Mark Kapeles, who said the bitcoin stash was found in a bitcoin wallet that was using one of the older formats, and therefore escaped the exchange's initial searches. The online exchange for the virtual currency was unplugged in late February as rumors of its insolvency swirled, adding to doubts about the viability of bitcoins overall. We found it: The announcement was made on the group's website by its head, Mark Kapeles, who said the bitcoin stash was found in a bitcoin wallet that was using one of the older formats, and therefore escaped the exchange's initial searches . Bitcoins: The price of Bitcoins has been volatile . It then filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and said nearly all its 850,000 bitcoins were missing, most likely as a result of theft. About 750,000 of the bitcoins belonged to people who used the Mt. Gox exchange. Bitcoin is a distributed peer-to-peer digital currency that functions without any central authority, such as the Bank of England. The currency was launched in 2009 and is traded within a global network of computers. Bitcoins can be bought with near anonymity, which supporters say lowers fraud risk and increases privacy. But critics say that also makes Bitcoins a magnet for drug transactions, money-laundering and other illegal activities. Its popularity soared at the end of last year as websites, shops and pubs around the world began accepting it as a form of payment, while US regulators clamped down on those using it to buy drugs and illegal goods. The value of a single Bitcoin broke through the $1,000 barrier for the first time at the end of November, having been worth around $120 for most of the year. Bitcoin is now trading around $575. 'I am sorry for the troubles I have caused all the people,' Karpeles, a Frenchman, said in Japanese at a Tokyo court. Karpeles had not made a public appearance since rumors of the exchange's insolvency surfaced. The loss was a giant setback to the currency's image because its boosters have promoted bitcoin's cryptography as protecting it from counterfeiting and theft. Just hours before the bankruptcy filing, Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso had scoffed that a collapse was only inevitable. 'No one recognizes them as a real currency,' he told reporters. 'I expected such a thing to collapse.' Japan's financial regulators have been reluctant to intervene in the Mt. Gox situation, saying they don't have jurisdiction over something that's not a real currency. Bitcoin proponents have insisted that Mt. Gox is an isolated case, caused by the company's technological failures, and the potential of virtual currencies remains great. At current prices, the rediscovered bitcoins have a market value of about $115 million. Mt. Gox's problems have been a setback for bitcoin, a virtual currency that has grown in popularity since its 2009 creation as a way to make transactions across borders without third parties such as banks. The restoration of some of the missing virtual currency is potentially good news for bitcoin enthusiasts who invested at Mt. Gox but also raises further questions about the running of the exchange. Mt. Gox's statement said the 200,000 bitcoins had been moved to offline wallets. It didn't specify the type but offline wallets include USB sticks and paper documents. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | MT Gox went bankrupt last month claiming BTC850k ($488m) was stolen .
But today it revealed it unearthed BTC200k ($115m) in forgotten account .
It was found in an 'old format' wallet, not searched in initial investigation . |
109,439 | 190bea77b16d3c787656698fe47c2828f028c97b | (Rolling Stone) -- Britney Spears received the loudest, longest applause at the start of her first taping as a judge on Fox's "The X Factor" on Thursday, but it was fellow newcomer Demi Lovato who appeared ready to steal the spotlight during the second season of the popular talent search show. During the first of two days of tapings in Austin, Texas, the panel of four judges -- Spears, Lovato, producer L.A. Reid and series creator Simon Cowell -- listened to 31 singers and groups audition for a chance at a $5 million recording contract, with the four music industry vets critiquing the performances and deciding who should advance to the next round in Los Angeles. Spears' addition to the show -- along with Lovato, she was announced as a new judge at television upfront meetings with advertisers earlier this month, with a rumored $15 million contract -- has drawn plenty of speculation about how the pop star would mesh with the other judges. Wearing a tight, fluorescent salmon pink dress, Spears was the last judge introduced to the 4,000-plus crowd at the Frank Erwin Center. She received sustained cheers as she sat down to the right of Cowell, the departed creator of Fox's "American Idol" (and normally the biggest star at the judges' table). When her turn came to critique singers, Spears remained encouraging and positive, giving the most "yes" votes of any of the judges and keeping her comments short and declarative instead of engaging with contestants. Of a teenage male performer she offered, "You could be bigger than the next Justin Bieber," and in complimenting a moving, soulful female singer on her confidence she said, "You were flawless." When a performance demanded critical remarks from Spears, she replied with a simple "pass," or "I think you need someone to teach you to sing better." After a sub-par song from a rapper who bore more than a passing resemblance to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, Spears said only, "I like your hat." While Cowell talked to Spears off microphone between many of the performances and asked her to lead off critiques several times in an apparent attempt to draw her into exchanges, the 19-year-old Lovato needed no such prodding. Playfully flirting with male contestants ("she is single now" became a common refrain from Cowell) and giving insightful comments at every chance, the teen star drew laughs and cheers from the crowd, along with several stunned, open-mouth stares from Cowell as the two verbally sparred. It was those times when the interaction between the contestants and the judges produced the types of moments that show executives hope will increase ratings following the ouster of first-year judges Cheryl Cole, Nicole Scherzinger and former "Idol" judge Paula Abdul. Take the moment when Cowell, 52, admitted to taking a liking to a charismatic 22 year-old contestant, who returned his affection. "It's too bad we didn't meet 10 years from now," Cowell said with a wink before Lovato drily countered, "More like 30 years." Startled and momentarily silenced, Cowell responded, "Demi, you're going into the naughty chair." It was the first of at least three such utterances on the day that Cowell lobbed at Lovato, suggesting viewers and audiences can expect many more charged jabs between the two this season. See the full story at RollingStone.com . Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid, Simon Cowell listened to 31 singers .
The first of two days of tapings took place in Austin, Texas .
Demi Lovato drew laughs and cheers from the crowd . |
277,637 | f3ab1bc8d758bf6937a599d4ff91882b5693e7da | By . Annabel Fenwick Elliott . Style icon and occasional-designer Olivia Palermo has collaborated on a capsule collection of shoes for luxury Italian footwear label Aquazzura. Named Aquazzura x Olivia Palmero, it consists of six styles - including over-the-knee boots and snakeskin pumps - and will hit 12 global retailers in September, ranging in price between $600 and $1,625. 'Everything is so expensive these days,' Ms Palermo, 28, aptly stated to WWD. 'And you still want to have things that you can find and have quality and the design aesthetic and be happy.' Style icon: Olivia Palmero, pictured last month wearing a pair of Aquazzura heels, has collaborated on a six-piece shoe collection for the Italian label, which will cost between $600 and $1,625 . Ms Palermo, who tied the knot with dishy model Johannes Huebl, also 28, last month, has long been a fan of the Florence-based label's elaborate footwear. 'Olivia basically has been our unofficial ambassador,' said Aquazzura designer Edgardo Osorio. 'She’s always wearing the shoes. 'We’re friends and we were talking more than a year ago about a small capsule that would be Olivia’s eye and aesthetic but with the Aquazzura style.' One pair of jewel-encrusted stilettos was inspired by a vintage Victorian necklace belonging to Ms Palermo, and the collection also includes gladiator sandals, pumps, and a suede bootie, according to the publication. Label Devotee: Ms Palmero's feet are often seen decked out in Aquazzura's fine shoes, as seen last November (left) and with her brand new husband Johannes Huebl (right) Saks Fifth Avenue will stock the Fall collection, as will Lane Crawford, Tsum and Holt Renfrew; while Net-A-Porter will be the only online retailer to sell them. It's not the newlywed socialite's first foray into the arena of designer collaborations. In 2010, she launched a jewelry line with Roberta Freymann, and the following year, she was invited by Stuart Weitzman to design a shoe for charity. 'Olivia basically has been our unofficial ambassador. She’s always wearing the shoes' Last month, she designed a capsule collection of sunglasses for Westward Leaning, retailing for $210 a pair. If her apparent Midas touch with Westward Leaning's wares is anything to go by, her Aquazzura collaboration is likely to be a storming success. 'No other person... has the kind of conversion power that Olivia has,' Westward Leaning's co-founder Robert Denning said last month. 'When Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez broke up, he left wearing the pair of sunglasses we’d gifted Selena. 'I thought it would lead to a huge spike in sales, but didn’t move the dial at all.' | The six-piece collection will hit 12 global retailers in September, including Net-A-Porter .
The range is priced between $600 and $1,625 . |
227,253 | b241548d1c3ed7e8758a3a2ef8d6d34cb0e8ef08 | Burnley are set to be without their two top strikers, Danny Ings and Sam Vokes, for at least a month. Last season’s 26-goal top scorer Ings is expected to be sidelined for four weeks after suffering a hamstring injury at Crystal Palace last weekend. And manager Sean Dyche dismissed reports suggesting that Vokes, who weighed in with another 21 goals as Burnley won promotion, is close to returning from the knee ligament injury he suffered in March. ‘It’s factually wrong,’ said the Burnley boss. ‘Sam’s just on his way back. There’s certainly no rush on him. He’s out on the grass and moving nicely, but he’ll be under no pressure from us. Danny Ings is out for at least a month with a hamstring injury as Burnley operate with their top strikers . Ings has a 'straightforward hamstring injury', says Burnley boss Sea Dyche . ‘I’m not thinking that he’s thinking he’s going to be ready in the next month, because he’s not. Sam Vokes is not close to a return from a knee ligament injury, says Dyche . ‘With Danny, it’s a straightforward hamstring injury. It will heal naturally but we won’t put a timescale on it. We thought it was that but I’m just pleased that scans showed something straightforward.’ The Clarets are still waiting for their first win of the season after drawing at Crystal Palace last weekend when Scott Arfield had a late penalty saved. With Ings and Vokes sidelined, Dyche said that it will be up to the players who takes the next one. ‘Normally the players (decide) amongst themselves,’ he added. ‘Last year with Ings and Vokes, it was deemed that if one got tumbled over he took the penalty. But they both practised them. Scott Arfield practises them. ‘You could tell from his whole body language last week that he was desperate to take it. He struck it well but the keeper made a great save. ‘You’ve got to look at the people who want to take them. I’m not going to demand someone takes them. I took one once and I didn’t want to take it, so I don’t put anyone under pressure.’ Despite the winless start, Dyche insists that spirits remain high at Turf Moor as they prepare to face Sunderland at home on Saturday. ‘It’s never a question of morale here, that’s always good,’ he said. ‘We’re close to getting our first win. We’ve arguably deserved one and haven’t got one. The performance levels are good but I’m not naive, we’ve got to win games. Crystal Palace keeper Julian Speroni brilliantly saves a penalty from Burnley's Scott Arfield . ‘I’m only human. Of course you want to lay your head down on Saturday with your first win and three points are in the bag. ‘But it’s the reality, the Premier League, a step up, a hard task. We delivered a very good performance and missed a penalty, that’s the obvious one. But it’s nip and tuck and some games are like that. It was a good point away from home – we can’t be too greedy. ‘I put enough pressure on myself so outside opinion is not something I find too taxing. We don’t want to be here for fluff – “oh good old Burnley” – we want to achieve things. Last year was promotion, this year is different. We’re all learning and developing.’ | Danny Ings has a 'straightforward hamstring injury,' says Sean Dyche .
Reports that Sam Vokes will soon return are wrong, says the Burnley boss .
Dyche says he won't be rushing to get either goal-scorer back .
Ings scored 26 goals last term while Vokes added 21 . |
177,225 | 716b1307ad214be55267773a2e51608b96397082 | By . Neil Ashton . Follow @@neilashton_ . Sol Campbell's claims are just sinking in with Paul Ince when he starts rattling off the names of some England captains down the years. ‘There’s been me, Adams, Pearce, Seaman, Shearer, Terry, Ferdinand... that’s a lot of big names with a lot of big egos,’ declared Ince. ‘Sol’s a clever, articulate man and he’s a friend of mine but he wouldn’t have been England captain for 10 years — nobody is. Main man: Ince played 53 times for his country, scoring twice, and was England's first black captain . New dawn: Ince was made England's first black captain in 1993, and went on to skipper the side seven times . ‘He has obviously had different experiences to me as a footballer and I can only really talk about my own.’ Ince . knows what it takes to lead the country: a fiery, competitive warrior . who was first named England captain in 1993 against the USA in Foxboro, . Massachusetts. He was the first black England player to wear the armband and yet Ince has mixed views about the stir it caused. ‘For . me it was the pinnacle of my career when Graham Taylor made me captain, . but I can remember feeling uncomfortable with the questions. Maestro: Former Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder Ince earned 53 England caps, scoring twice . Big names, big egos: Ince (left) believes the likes of Pearce (right) were made captain because of character . Rare: Campbell was captain for three friendly games in 1998 and 2005 but never received it long term . ‘I . just wanted to be the England captain, I didn’t want to be remembered . as the first black England captain because I didn’t look at it in that . way. Bobby Moore 90Billy Wright 90Bryan Robson 65David Beckham 59Alan Shearer 34John Terry 34Steven Gerrard 33Kevin Keegan 31Emlyn Hughes 23Bob Crompton 22Johnny Haynes 22Eddie Hapgood 21 . ‘Then, after the game, I . began to look at it in a different way because I had a lot of parents . from the ghetto sending me letters telling me it had inspired their . children to get jobs or to start playing football. ‘I . don’t know whether they were black, white or Asian or whatever, but it . didn’t matter. That meant a lot, to think that somehow I had inspired . people I had never even met.’ Campbell . has made some startling claims, chief among them the idea that the . game’s governing body in this country is institutionally racist. The . former England defender, who was named captain three times during a . distinguished international career, has convinced himself that his . colour prevented him leading his country more often. Trusted: Ince was made captain for England's crucial World Cup qualifier in Rome against Italy by Glenn Hoddle . Wearing the armband: John Terry (left) barks instructions as Alan Shearer (right) celebrates scoring . ‘We can make too much of the captaincy and what it means,’ added Ince. ‘I . was captain of pretty much every team I played for — Manchester United, . Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolves and England — so my . colour didn’t come into it. ‘Sol is a friend of mine and he was around for Euro 96 under Terry Venables and again at the World Cup in 1998. ‘I . didn’t deal with the FA often enough, but there was never any issue . over my skin colour with my team-mates or people I came across within . the organisation. ‘I have no . reason to believe they are racist — who are we talking about? I loved . people like David Davies (former executive director at the FA) and I . just never encountered it. ‘Sol . has every right to his view and we all have opinions, but in my . experience I just didn’t see it. I was an England player, an England . captain, I didn’t think about it.’ Friends: Campbell with former England captain Alan Shearer, who skippered his nation on 34 occasions . Skipper: Campbell with fellow centre-back Tony Adams, who captained England 15 times . Ince . captained England seven times, famously leading the country to the . World Cup finals in 1998 in a blood-stained shirt after a typically . combative performance alongside Paul Gascoigne against Italy in Rome. ‘Adams, . Gascoigne, Southgate, Wright and Sol all played in that game and I had a . responsibility to wear the armband against a very good Italy team. ‘I . can remember the night before the Italy game. I was with Ian Wright and . we were both so nervous that we couldn’t sleep because we didn’t want . to let the country down the next night. ‘I . felt a responsibility to the country, but the captaincy would have . meant nothing to me if I didn’t have the respect of the other players. That was important to me. ‘My . England team-mates didn’t look at me and think, “Paul Ince is a black . England captain”, and neither did the manager. Why is that an issue? Leading the pack: Rio Ferdinand (front centre) is the only black player to be England's official leading captain . Influential: The former Tottenham, Arsenal and Portsmouth defender won 73 caps with England . ‘Glenn . Hoddle was the manager and he chose the person he felt could do the job . the best at that particular time — he could pick who he wanted. Glenn . was the manager and should have been for a lot longer. He chose the . captain, as Graham Taylor and Terry Venables did before him and the FA . never had any say in it.’ Paul Ince... 7 (inc 6 friendlies)Sol Campbell... 3 (3)Rio Ferdinand... 7(4)Ashley Cole... 1 (1) TOTAL... 18 (14) Ince represented his country 53 times and retired from international football after England’s Euro 2000 exit. He . went on to become a manager with Blackburn, Macclesfield and, most . recently, Blackpool but fears that a number of top, former black . England players are being lost to the game. Ince, now 47, added: ‘We have lost a lot of good black players out of the game, such as Sol, Wright, Bright. ‘We . have to give them inspiration to stay involved because this is the 21st . century. I was 32 when I started thinking about what was next for me. Back then: Campbell celebrates scoring against Sweden in the 2002 World Cup . Finally: Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole captains England against Ireland in May after earning 100 caps . ‘I . understand there are obstacles in the way because we have to be . prepared to do our A licence and our Pro Licence if we want to be . managers. ‘I have had five jobs now and I think I have done well at all of them and still think I should be manager of Blackpool. ‘It . would have been easy to sit on my a**e for five years and wait but I . didn’t want to do that. I wanted to prove I could do it and I have done . that at clubs with limited resources. ‘People like Keith Alexander, RIP, did so much for the game and showed black players that they could go on to become managers. ‘Last . year there was a lot of talk about the Rooney Rule, giving an ethnic . minority candidate the opportunity to make a case for a job. We jumped . on that and then it’s all gone away. ‘Maybe . Sol needs to decide what he wants to do with his career now that he has . stopped playing and commit to whatever it is he wants to do.’ Pioneer for the game: Ince notes how Keith Alexander opened up doors when he was made the Football League's first full-time black manager in the summer of 1993 when appointed Lincoln City boss . Claim: Campbell argues he was ignored for the England captaincy because of the colour of his skin . Sensitive issue: Campbell's claim has ignited many opinions from the world of football . | Paul Ince was the first black player to captain England in 1993 against USA .
Ince: ‘We can make too much of the captaincy and what it means'
The FA never had a say in who was England captain, insists Ince .
Sol Campbell, who led England three times, says FA is 'institutionally racist'
Campbell: 'If I was white I would have been England captain for 10 years'
But Ince says no one could hold the England captaincy for a decade .
Ince, captain seven times, says the colour of his skin never came into it . |
155,678 | 553b3a40bfa5627bdd618112ece2f91319b4bdeb | Curled up together in an adorable pose, all these cuddly leopard cubs want to do is snuggle with their teddy bear. The clouded leopard cubs were born at Houston Zoo in Texas earlier this year, but these are the first pictures released of the pair. They were born in June but since then, have received 24-hour care by the zoological team in the veterinary clinic. Scroll down for video . The adorable clouded leopard cubs were born in June, but these are first pictures of the pair . They are the offspring of Suksn and Tarak, both aged two - the year clouded leopards begin reproduction . They were born in June but since then, have received 24-hour care by the staff at the zoo in the veterinary clinic . As the cubs are so rare, it is common practice in zoos to hand-raise all newborn clouded leopards . The cubs - listed as vulnerable by ICUN - are the first ever clouded leopards at Houston Zoo, in Texas . The cubs are the first ever clouded leopards at Houston Zoo and are the offspring of Suksn and Tarak, both aged two, the year they begin their reproduction. Clouded leopards - the most talented climbers among the cats - are classified as 'vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) and its total population is no more than 10,000. This is down to factors such as deforestation, illegal trading, and poaching commercially. Some parts, such as claws, skin, and teeth are also consumed for decoration purposes. The cubs at Houston Zoo seemed more keen to play with their teddy bear than pose for pictures . A zoo keeper shows off the tiny clouded leopard cubs, which are most commonly found in Asia . As such, it is important to do as much as possible to ensure the health and well-being of the threatened animal. It is common practice in zoos to hand-raise all newborn clouded leopards. The cat is most commonly found in the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China. | The cubs were born earlier this year but these are the first images of the pair .
They are the first ever clouded leopards born at Houston Zoo, in Texas .
Clouded leopards are classified as 'vulnerable' by the ICUN .
It is therefore common practice to hand-raise new cubs in zoos . |
6,882 | 1380b4d75e4e87aa9cd9b18cd37e725687e47e47 | Pet owners looking to launch the next online sensation or just longing for a new view of their dog's dashing and digging won't have to shop for long to find the perfect holiday gift. Wrap up a dog harness that holds any durable, wearable camera and watch Frisbee fetch, lazy lap naps and every memory in between come alive. GoPro Inc.'s Fetch dog harness fits over Fido's chest or back and holds the small, waterproof camera known for attaching to helmets, surfboards, cars and wrists to film rugged adventures. Sony, Garmin and Kurgo also make camera mounts for dogs. The device is among a legion of gifts that retailers have rounded up for pet wish lists this year. Narrowing it down is tough, but the harness tops the more unique options and creates footage that lasts. Doggone awesome: A dog wearing two GoPro cameras, one on his back and one on his chest is held on by what is known as a Fetch dog harness . Bark up someone's else's tree: Thor, a French bulldog, wears what is marketed as an 'ugly' sweater, created by Bret Michaels for his Pets Rock Line . The most pet-friendly camera in the GoPro Inc. line is the Hero4, which allows people to decide what the dog records and control all the functions with a touch screen, company spokeswoman Kelly Baker said. The camera sells for $399, and the mount costs $59. The chest harness captures bone-chewing and digging, while the back mount films running and jumping, Baker said. They adjust to fit dogs weighing 15 to 120 pounds. The canine camera view has proved popular. A video went viral of an eager Labrador strapped with a camera sprinting through trees and across rocks to an Italian beach, where it leaps into the ocean. John Duffield of Santa Monica, California, loves the footage he got from the GoPro he mounted on his two dogs. He got enough shots to make a short video shortly before his chow-Labrador-Akita mix, Lupa, died. But Duffield didn't strap the camera to his Chihuahua, Pup, three months ago when he and his wife brought their newborn daughter home from the hospital. 'Pup is like a member of the family, too,' Duffield said. 'He belonged in this picture because he was welcoming home part of his family.' Those looking for pet gifts besides the traditional treats, new bowls and beds can give something unexpected such as: . UGLY SWEATERS . They are the rage this year, so PetSmart Inc. will hawk ugly sweaters for cats and dogs from Bret Michaels' Pets Rock line ($15.99), said Shelly Albrecht, spokeswoman for the national retailer. Swath pets in sweaters stitched with gingerbread men and Christmas trees and they could win worst-dressed at those seasonal ugly sweater parties popular with people. Icy paws no more: PetSmart is selling leg warmers for dogs, saying it's a throwback to the 1980s . PetSmart also is selling leg warmers online and in stores from Top Paw and Luv-A-Pet. 'STAR WARS' GEAR . Dogs will 'use the force' with Petco's line of 'Star Wars' toys and clothing. Dress up dogs like Princess Leia with a headband sporting her signature bun hairstyle. The Death Star won't menace when it comes as a treat dispenser ($7.49) or tug-of-war toy ($5.99). Plush squeaker toys feature favorite characters — R2-D2, Chewbacca and Darth Vader — for less than $10. And don't forget the cats — the Millennium Falcon flies at the end of a teaser toy string for less than $5. DEVICES FOR OLDER DOGS . Make it easier for your senior dog to get around safely with equipment from Solvit Pet Products (www.solvitproducts.com ). Help them avoid injury in the car with a Department of Transportation-tested safety harness ($30) and ease their way out of the vehicle with a ramp for those who can no longer jump ($159). Keep them close on a bike ride with a bicycle trailer or stroller ($399) or with a wicker basket ($89). GOURMET FARE . After romping in the snow, pets can warm up with San Diego-based Honest Kitchen's Winter Warmers Broths. Just add hot water to the dehydrated mixes in chicken consomme, beef and bone, and turkey stock flavors. The company, which focuses on natural food good enough for people's palates, offers the $19.99 three-box sets for a limited time. Puppy love: In this undated photo provided by Solvit Pet Products, people push their dog in a bicycle trailer with strolling kit and their dog seems to be enjoying sticking his head out of the wondow . Buckle-pup!: A canine is used to demonstrate the Department of Transportation tested pet safety harness . | GoPro Inc.'s Fetch dog harness fits over Fido's chest or back and holds the small, waterproof camera for attaching to the dog to film its activities .
Dogs will 'use the force' with Petco's line of 'Star Wars' toys and clothing like Princess Leia with a headband sporting her signature bun hairstyle .
After romping in the snow, pets can warm up with gourmet fare like San Diego-based Honest Kitchen's Winter Warmers Broths . |
198,939 | 8d88e9ff8abb43d81260f9092cc9bc1e38735076 | An angry mother has accused a primary school of denying her child water on one of the hottest days of the year for fear of upsetting pupils observing Ramadan. Kora Blagden, 32, claimed a teacher at her son Luke’s school refused to let the 10-year old drink from his water bottle because it was unfair to fasting classmates. Many pupils at Charles Dickens Primary . School, Portsmouth, Hampshire, are fasting during Ramadan, which means . they refrain from taking food or water between sunrise and sunset for . around 30 days, depending on the moon. The school has said pupils had been reminded to be respectful to classmates who were fasting but added it would 'never prevent' children from having access to water . Kora Blagden (left) has complained to the school as she says her son Luke (right picture, stood on the left) was told he could not drink water in case it upset pupils who were fasting . Mother-of-four Kora said: 'Just before bedtime me and my sons Luke, ten, and Alfie, eight, were talking about Ramadan as we had seen it on the news. Luke said to me he was told he wasn’t allowed to drink in class by his teacher. 'The reason being, a child who is fasting had a headache and the teacher said it would be unfair if the other children drank in front of the pupil. 'They normally have their bottles on their table but they were kept in a tray by the teacher. He went along with it but he was thirsty and didn’t want to offend the other children. Alfie said he was allowed to drink in the morning but not in the afternoon. 'Luke was dehydrated when he got home and drunk three glasses of water straight away.' Headteacher Craig Duncan has said water was available to students who had been 'reminded to be respectful' to classmates who were fasting. He said: . 'School staff do everything that we can to ensure the welfare of all of . our children and we would never prevent them from having access to . water. A number of pupils at Charles Dickens Primary School, Portsmouth, Hampshire, are fasting during Ramadan . 'In . this case, water was available and pupils were just reminded to be . respectful to their classmates who were unable to drink in this hot weather.' Ms Blagden spoke to deputy head Lisa Florence before lessons began today and was given a verbal apology for the incident. She said: 'I spoke to the deputy head and told them what Luke had said to me and I asked why this was allowed. 'The deputy head said it was not what they had been told to do and it is only what children of Muslim faith do' - Kora Blagden . 'She said it wasn’t fair my son was refused a drink in lesson and therefore drank nothing in lesson time all day. 'She said they will be speaking with Luke and the teacher, and stated she was sorry my children felt they could not drink. 'The deputy head said it was not what they had been told to do and it is only what children of Muslim faith do. 'I have no problem with that but I don’t wish my sons to be told they can’t drink water. 'Personally I think it is very wrong.' Charles Dickens is an inner-city school just streets away from the birthplace of the world-famous author of the same name. Portsmouth City Council, which runs the 300-pupil school, declined to comment. | Kora Blagden claims her son was told he could not drink water .
She says teacher told him it could be unfair to fasting classmates .
Said teacher made decision on Thursday when temperatures hit 28 degrees .
Headteacher has said pupils were not prevented from having water .
He said pupils were 'reminded to be respectful' to those fasting . |
144,497 | 46dfaeea7b43fb41ea6a62bbdcff6643847c7a01 | By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:02 EST, 16 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:02 EST, 16 November 2013 . Madonna yesterday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release 30 Greenpeace crew members jailed after a protest against oil exploitation in the Arctic. The singer said in a message to Greenpeace: ‘These people are in prison for staging a peaceful protest. Let’s bring them home.’ The so-called Arctic 30 are held in St Petersburg on hooliganism charges carrying a maximum seven-year sentence after being moved from a bleak detention centre above the Arctic Circle. Plea: Madonna has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release 30 Greenpeace crew members jailed after a protest against oil exploitation in the Arctic . Protest: The Greenpeace ship 'Arctic Sunrise' was boarded by Russian authorities after a peaceful protest against Arctic oil drilling . Meanwhile, Greenpeace protesters yesterday gathered at petrol stations across the UK to plead for the release of the Arctic 30. The environmental group targeted Shell outlets following reports the firm is to join with Russian oil giant Gazprom in drilling in the Arctic. Prime Minister David Cameron last week urged President Putin to treat the Arctic 30 fairly. Swoop: Footage was found which showed the moment the Greenpeace ship was raided by Russian special services . On the move: A Russian policeman stands guard on a train believed to contain members the 'Arctic 30' as they were transferred to St Petersburg . | 'Arctic 30' are being held in St Petersburg on hooliganism charges .
Crew members were arrested after protest against Arctic oil explotation .
Singer said in message to Greenpeace 'Let's bring them home' |
283,971 | fbe630bb3c935de84111ab12446af3c05da0e883 | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 14:54 EST, 19 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:50 EST, 19 July 2013 . They are the bane of every driver's life, but today one traffic warden proved that they can be kindhearted after all. On an upmarket street in Kensington a traffic warden made the decision to help a driver that had parked in the wrong place. The brown Volkswagen Passat was parked in a bay that had been suspended while work was carried out. Unusual: The car was taken to a different parking space 30 metres down the street . Tow: The driver was given a ticket, meaning he avoided the £200 release fee from a council car pound . Warning: Eyewitnesses say there were signs showing that the bay had been suspended . Kensington and Chelsea council workers then moved the car at 11am to another space rather than take it to the pound. Witnesses say that the bay was marked off with signs and that the car was taken approximately 30 metres. The driver was left with a standard £60 parking ticket,saving the costly sum of the £200 pound release fee. Luxury: The street is one of the most upmarket in the capital with residents such as Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant . Suspension: Kensington and Chelsea Council temporarily suspend bays when construction work is being conducted in the vicinity . One eyewitness said: 'There was a suspended bay for a removal van or something and the car was parked there. But they picked it up and moved about 30 metres up the road. 'Ive never ever seen anything like it before in my life. It was really quite unusual. 'They did the same to another car and took it round the corner.' The car was parked in an upmarket area in the borough where Liz Hurley, Shane Warne and Hugh Grant live. Kensington and Chelsea Council temporarily suspend bays when construction work is being conducted in the vicinity. | Brown Volkswagen was taken from one space to another in the same street .
Car had been parked in a bay that was suspended due to work taking place .
It was moved 30metres and given a ticket rather than taken to the pound .
Upmarket area has residents such as Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant . |
217,488 | a590731fe88ac1081197616a3789d2eaca2308ae | The death of a 7-year-old Virginia girl from a suspected peanut allergy at school has raised questions about how prepared school officials are to handle sudden reactions in children. First-grader Ammaria Johnson died Monday after breaking out in hives and complaining of shortness of breath at recess. School authorities called paramedics after she was taken to the nurse's office, said Lt. Jason Elmore, a spokesman for the Chesterfield County Fire Department in suburban Richmond. "From what we understand, she possibly had gotten something outside," Elmore said. The clinic had no medication to give her and called 911, he said. "It's very straightforward. There is no magic to this," said Maria Acebal, the head of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. "It's just proper education, how to recognize it, and how to treat it." Acebal said 8% of American kids -- including one of hers -- have food allergies. "When consequences can be life-threatening, then you've got to have schools prepared for an allergic reaction," she said. Shawn Smith, a spokesman for the Chesterfield County school district, said administrators have extensive guidelines for treating students with severe allergies, and details of those guidelines were sent to parents last year. Parents have to provide any prescribed medication to the schools, along with a one-page form authorizing them to administer it in case of an emergency, he said. "When any or all of the resources are not provided, the public health nurse makes contact with the family in an effort to obtain the necessary medication," Smith said in a written statement to CNN. One common treatment is the use of an epinephrine injector, a penlike device that administers the drug for a severe reaction. Those have to be prescribed by a doctor, and the school had no such device for Ammaria, Elmore said. The girl's death remains under investigation, Chesterfield County police spokeswoman Elizabeth Caroon told CNN. Caroon said the body has been turned over to state medical examiners for an autopsy, but it was not clear whether that procedure had been performed Wednesday. "It's absolutely doable to keep kids with food allergies safe at public school, but it requires education and preparedness," Acebal said. Ammarie's death "just underscores the need for all teachers to have the basics of food allergy safety as part of their orientation and continuing education." | First-grader Ammaria Johnson died of a suspected peanut allergy .
The school called 911 but had no drugs to treat her, firefighters say .
Keeping kids safe at school takes "education and preparedness," an expert says . |
186,074 | 7cf900fb0f57fb327797013e04337b4256768c03 | By . Anthony Hay for MailOnline . Follow @@Anthony_Hay . Liverpool new boy Mario Balotelli has taken to Instagram to thank his AC Milan team-mates and fans of the Serie A side for supporting him during his time at the club. Balotelli, who sealed a £16million move to Liverpool on Monday, revealed his gratitude towards the club he represented since leaving Manchester City in January 2013. The Italian striker stated on his arrival at Liverpool that he was pleased to have sealed a move back to the Premier League. Goodbye message: Mario Balotelli is delighted with the way he was treated at AC Milan . New signing: Former Manchester City forward Balotelli will wear the No 45 shirt at Liverpool . Fond farewell: Balotelli took to Instagram to reveal his admiration for his former side . However that did not stop the 24-year-old from saying a fond farewell to his former side. 'As I am about to enter a new chapter, I would like to thank AC Milan fans who have shown incredible loyalty and faith in me,' wrote Balotelli. 'I also want to thank the great staff who have shown exceptional patience and guidence over the years. 'Most importantly, I want to express endless gratitude to my team-mates who supported me on and off the pitch, just like my family does. 'Your camaraderie will be forever appreciated, as I've learned so much from you all. I leave Milan with sadness, but know that I will still make you all proud going forward. I'm forever grateful.' Balotelli, who was forced into watching his new team-mates lose 3-1 to former side Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night, will be in contention to make his Liverpool debut against Tottenham at White Hart Lane this weekend. Preparation: Balotelli will be hoping to feature in Liverpool's upcoming Premier League match at Tottenham . Viewpoint: Adam Lallana and Balotelli watched their side lose 3-1 against the Premier League champions . | Mario Balotelli thanks AC Milan for supporting him during his time at the club .
Liverpool's latest recruit watched his new side lose 3-1 against Man City .
The Italian could make his Liverpool debut against Tottenham on Sunday . |
2,780 | 0825faf95914f2d3f16c307d0660342563ecf442 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 05:05 EST, 20 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:18 EST, 20 January 2014 . A dog walker got the shock of her life when her pet ran towards her with a fake hand grenade. Beverley Milner-Simonds was strolling along a beach in Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset, when she threw a ball and her inquisitive puppy, Thatcher, chased off to fetch it. But seconds later the 39-year-old saw her dog digging in the sand and then coming running back straight at her - with what looked like a wartime hand grenade in its mouth. Look what I found! Thatcher the dog started running back with what looked like a hand grenade in his mouth . No danger: The dog's owner Beverley Milner-Simonds realised the object was actually a harmless plastic toy . The volunteer coastguard feared for her and her pet’s life - before realising the object was actually a harmless plastic toy. Mrs Milner-Simonds said: ‘I was walking our puppy when I got the shock of my life. She’d been happily chasing her ball when she got distracted in amongst some debris on the high water mark. ‘Like most coastal areas we have had a lot of rough seas recently and there was quite a mix of flotsam and jetsam. ‘I reached down to pull her away and saw the crack in the side and realised to my relief that it was just a toy. For a split second though, I feared for my life.’ Scary moment: Beverley Milner-Simonds (right) - pictured with her civil partner Sarah (left), 39, whom she entered into a civil partnership with in 2005 - feared for her and her pet's life . She added that the scare felt even more real because she has previously been called out to deal with real explosives with her role as a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer. 'I realised to my relief that it was just a toy. For a split second though, I feared for my life' Beverley Milner Simonds . Tris Newey, Severn sector manager for HM Coastguard, said: ‘A number of real ordnance devices have been uncovered on beaches around the country in recent weeks following the storms, so I’m relieved that this particular item turned out to be harmless. ‘We would always advise beach users who find suspicious objects to be cautious and dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. 'We never mind getting called out if there are genuine concerns and people’s safety is at risk.’ | Beverley Milner Simonds threw a ball for her puppy Thatcher to chase .
But he ran back along beach in Burnham-On-Sea with hand grenade .
Volunteer coastguard realised the object was a harmless plastic toy . |
34,871 | 631764dfff2043378d424f7dafe4f0ec6fae7b3b | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 07:13 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:55 EST, 14 October 2013 . Forget listening to music, a new slow motion video helps you see your favourite tracks by using paint to show how the sound waves move. Oxford-based SlowMoGuys, also known as Gavin Free and Daniel Gruchy, poured different coloured paints onto a speaker driver cone. As music is played through the speaker, a video shows the the paint bouncing in time with the vibrations created by the music to give a visual representation of the track. Scroll down for video . Speaker driver cones vibrate back and forth to create a change in air pressure, that ultimately creates a sound wave. When these waves hit a listener's eardrums, it causes the drum itself to move forward and backward in a similar motion. This causes the person to hear the sound exactly how its being produced. The cone is moved using an electromagnetic process created by a coil of wire, called the voice coil, at the base of the cone. Electrical . impulses coming from the amplifier, or amplifiers, move this voice . coil, which then interacts with a permanent magnet attached to the . speaker’s cone. In the video, SlowMoGuys, also known as Gavin Free and Daniel . Gruchy, turn the speaker of a 1980s Sony cassette player on its side before pouring the paints onto the speaker driver cone. Music on a cassette tape is then played at full volume through the speakers to highlight which areas of the cone move as the song plays. For copyright reasons, Free and Gruchy don't play the actual song but replace it with stock audio. The green paint is showing rising and falling the most because, as Free explains, it is the most watery, while the more viscous orange paint stays still. During a second test, Gruchy mixes up the various colours so that they each have a similar consistency. Free then adds a macro lens to a Phantom Flex camera and shoots the paint at 2500fps to capture 'the initial blobs of paint just as they rise to the top and look cool.' As the speaker cone vibrates and the paint bounces, the colours mix together and form a cream colour. Oxford-based duo SlowMoGuys put paint on speakers and filmed how the liquid moved as loud music travelled through it. The video was shot at 2500 frames per second using a Phantom Flex camera. As the speaker cone vibrates, streams of different coloured paint bounce and gradually mix together, pictured . During a second test, Gruchy mixes the colours so that they each have a similar consistency. Free then adds a macro lens to a Phantom Flex camera and shoots the paint at 2500fps to capture 'the initial blobs of paint just as they rise to the top and look cool,' pictured . | Video by SlowMoGuys was filmed at 2500 fps using a Phantom Flex camera .
It shows different coloured paints poured onto a speaker cone .
Music is played through the speakers to show how the cone vibrates .
Different coloured paints behave according to their consistency .
Vibrations cause the streams of paint to bounce and mix together . |
81,417 | e6ae6b9dbfaeb8f8828278af81aaf12ffc6d9b5b | PUBLISHED: . 11:35 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:44 EST, 19 December 2012 . Robert H. Bork, who stepped in to fire the Watergate prosecutor at Richard Nixon's behest and whose failed 1980s nomination to the Supreme Court helped draw the modern boundaries of cultural fights over abortion, civil rights and other issues, has died. He was 85. Son Robert H. Bork Jr. confirmed his father died Wednesday at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va. The son said Bork died from complications of heart ailments. Brilliant, blunt, and piercingly witty, Robert Heron Bork had a long career in politics and the law that took him from respected academic to a totem of conservative grievance. Brilliant, blunt, and piercingly witty: Robert Bork had a long career in politics and the law that took him from respected academic to a totem of conservative grievance . Along the way, Bork was accused of being a partisan hatchet man for Nixon when, as the third-ranking official at the Justice Department he fired Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox in the Saturday Night Massacre of 1973. Attorney General Elliot Richardson resigned rather than fire Cox. The next in line, William Ruckelshaus, refused to fire Cox and was himself fired. Bork's drubbing during the 1987 Senate nomination hearings made him a hero to the right and a rallying cry for younger conservatives. The Senate experience embittered Bork and hardened many of his conservative positions, even as it gave him prominence as an author and long popularity on the conservative speaking circuit. 'Robert Bork was a giant, a brilliant and fearless legal scholar, and a gentleman whose incredible wit and erudition made him a wonderful Hudson colleague,' said Kenneth Weinstein, head of the Washington think-tank Hudson Institute where Bork was a distinguished fellow. Known before his Supreme Court nomination as one of the foremost national experts on antitrust law, Bork became much more widely known as a conservative cultural critic in the years that followed. With President Reagan in 1987: Bork's failed Supreme Court nomination amassed the largest ever negative vote . His 1996 book, 'Slouching Towards toward Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline,' was an acid indictment of what Bork viewed as the crumbling ethics of modern society and the morally bankrupt politics of the left. 'Opportunities for teen-agers to engage in sex are ... more frequent than previously; much of it takes place in homes that are now empty because the mothers are working,' Bork wrote then. 'The modern liberal devotion to sex education is an ideological commitment rather than a policy of prudence.' Bork, known until his death as 'Judge Bork,' served a relatively short tenure on the bench. He was a federal judge on the nation's most prestigious appellate panel, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, from 1982 until 1988, when he resigned in the wake of the bitter Supreme Court nomination fight. Earlier, Bork had been a private attorney, Yale Law School professor and a Republican political appointee. At Yale, two of his constitutional law students were Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham. 'I no longer say they were students,' Bork joked long afterward. 'I say they were in the room.' Nixon named Bork as solicitor general, the administration's advocate before the Supreme Court, in January, 1973. President Gerald Ford, left, introduces Supreme Court nominee Bork, center, at confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill in 1987. Ford praised Bork as being 'uniquely qualified' Bork served as acting attorney general after Richardson's resignation, then returned to the solicitor general's job until 1977, far outlasting the Nixon administration. Long mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee, Bork got his chance toward the end of Ronald Reagan's second term. He was nominated July 1, 1987, to fill the seat vacated by Justice Lewis F. Powell. Nearly four months later the Senate voted 58-42 to defeat him, after the first national political and lobbying offensive mounted against a judicial nominee. It was the largest negative vote ever recorded for a Supreme Court nominee. Reagan and Bork's Senate backers called him eminently qualified - a brilliant judge who had managed to write nearly a quarter of his court's majority rulings in just five years on the bench, without once being overturned by the Supreme Court. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., summed up the opposition by saying, 'In Robert Bork's America there is no room at the inn for blacks and no place in the Constitution for women.' Critics also called Bork a free-speech censor and a danger to the principle of separation of church and state. Bork's opponents used his prolific writings against him, and some called him a hypocrite when he seemed to waffle on previous strongly worded positions. Bork was accused of being a partisan hatchet man for Richard Nixon when, as the third-ranking official at the Justice Department he fired Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox in the Saturday Night Massacre of 1973 . Despite a reputation for personal charm, Bork did not play well on television. He answered questions in a seemingly bloodless, academic style and he cut a severe figure, with hooded eyes and heavy, rustic beard. Stoic and stubborn throughout, Bork refused to withdraw when his defeat seemed assured. The fight has defined every high-profile judicial nomination since, and largely established the opposing roles of vocal and well-funded interest groups in Senate nomination fights. Bork would say later that the ferocity of the fight took him and the Reagan White House by surprise, and he rebuked the administration for not doing more to salvage his nomination. The process begat a verb, 'to bork,' meaning vilification of a nominee on ideological grounds. In later years, some accused Bork of borking Clinton nominees with nearly the zeal that some liberal commentators had pursued him. Bork denied any animus, and said he was happy commenting, writing and making money outside government. Even friends did not entirely believe that. 'He was very embittered by the experience,' said lawyer Andrew Frey, a longtime friend who worked for Bork in the solicitor general's office. 'He was not well treated, and partly as a result of that he did become more conservative.' Robert Bork has died, aged 85, from heart complications . | After a long career in politics and the law, Robert Bork has died aged 85 from heart complications .
Served as attorney general under Richard Nixon after firing Watergate prosecutors at the president's behest .
His Supreme Court nomination in 1987 failed after he received the largest ever negative vote .
The ferocious campaign against his 1987 nomination begat the verb 'to bork' meaning the vilification of a nominee on ideological grounds . |
95,639 | 06eaa892b9727da032163f4205612b2d98915d10 | The three American hikers who were imprisoned for more than a year after accidentally crossing into Iran are telling their side of a the story in new book 'A Sliver of Light'. Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal wrote about the holiday they took to Kurdistan in 2009 that quickly turned into a nightmare when a guide led them astray. The guide mistakenly led them into Iran, and the three college-friends were arrested. The two men spent more than two years in prison while Shourd spent most of her year behind bars in solitary confinement. Mix-up: Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were imprisoned after accidentally hiking into Iran in 2009 . Shourd became severely depressed during her imprisonment, but there were a few periods of unexpected joy. Like the time Bauer proposed to Shourd, his girlfriend, using strings he pulled rom a towel fastened with a staple. Life behind bars: Bauer, Fattal and Shourd tell the story of their imprisonment in new book 'A Sliver of Light' In the prison yard one day, Bauer pulled her away from the surveillance cameras to pop the question. 'Baby, I didn't want to do this here,' he said. I wanted it to be somewhere beautiful, but...will you marry me?' Following their release, Shourd and Bauer were married in May 2012. They also share another fond memory from their period of imprisonment. One night, while being housed next to each other, Bauer snuck out of his cell to have sex with his girlfriend but Shourd initially protested. 'if you're caught they'll separate us, Shane. We'll lose everything,' she said. 'Please, Baby, let me do this. I need to see you,' Bauer responded. The two were never caught, but in the confusion of sneaking back to his own cell, Bauer mistakenly took Shourd's pants instead of his own. The next day, Shourd saw her boyfriend in the prison yard and laughed out loud when she noticed his mistake. But Shourd and Bauer's romantic moments were rare exceptions in the long period of a distressing confinement. Life got even worse when the trio were transferred to Evin, the Tehran prison notorious for holding political prisoners. At one point, the two men were terrorized by a guard they nicknamed 'AK'. AK initially threw Fattal, blindfolded, down a set of stairs before putting Bauer in a headlock and throwing him against the wall. Shourd was released after a year while her friends were kept behind bars for an additional year. Above, a rally for the hikers outside the United Nations in July 2011 . After a year behind bars, Shourd was released for a 'medical condition' and she joined the many on the outside championing for her friends' release. At a dinner with Sean Penn and then-girlfriend Scartlett Johanssen, Shourd got the actor to promise to ask Hugo Chavez about her friends' wrongful imprisonment. Chavez, the then-president of Venezuela was personal friends with Iran's then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the end, the hikers were convicted of illegal entry and espionage and sentenced to eight years in prison. But Bauer and Fattal were released in September 2011 after Omani officials posted $500,000 bail. reunited: Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd wave in delight while boarding a flight back to the U.S. in September 2011 . Bauer. Shourd and Fattal speak at an event in February 2012. Bauer and Shourd were married in May 2012 . | Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested in 2009 after accidentally crossing into Iran during a hiking trip .
Shourd spent a year behind bars, while her male companions were held captive for more than two years . |
80,618 | e47beef4a62f9ce5313f4fa613bf3cf2b2fb2a5c | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Another teacher has been arrested at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles on allegations of lewd acts on young pupils, authorities said Friday. Capt. Mike Parker of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said that Friday's arrest is "quite different" from the arrest earlier this week of another teacher, Mark Berndt. Berndt, 61, was accused of taking bondage photos of more than two dozen students in his classroom, some showing suspected semen-filled spoons at the children's mouths, authorities said. Investigators from the special victims bureau arrested the second teacher, Martin Bernard Springer, 49, of Alhambra, California, on Friday, Parker told reporters. Springer's arrest came after investigators received "new information" on Thursday morning that led them to the teacher. Authorities say that the allegations involved two young girls "who were allegedly fondled in the classroom" by the suspect, Parker said. The girls were about 7 at the time of the alleged offenses, which occurred "during the past three years," Parker said. Springer's bail has been set at $2 million, according to Parker. Los Angeles County prosecutors are reviewing whether to file charges against Springer, a spokeswoman said Friday. "We'll see have to see how far the evidence goes in the latest arrest," spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons told reporters. Aside from the two teachers being assigned to the same Los Angeles school, "I'm not aware of any connection" between them, Parker said. Parker said he didn't know whether the two teachers allegedly committed offenses against the same pupils. Berndt, a 30-year teaching veteran, is being held on $23 million bail: $1 million for each of the 23 counts he faces of lewd acts on a child. Berndt's attorney is a public defender, but Los Angeles County Chief Deputy Public Defender Stanley Shimotsu was not immediately available for a comment Friday. On Friday, about 15 angry parents gathered outside the school, complaining that administrators failed to apprise them of the investigation into the second teacher. One mother, Isadora Arrellano, told CNN that she will transfer her 5-year-old deaf son to another school at the end of the academic year. "Right now I'm really worried for my kid," Arrellano told CNN. "I leave my son and I go home and I don't know what's going to happen to him," she added. "He's deaf, so he cannot speak, so that's why I'm worried. I've lost all trust in this school." Another mother, who identified herself by her middle name of Gloria, told CNN that Berndt tried to force her daughter to eat a cookie with "something white" on it. Berndt also took a photo of the girl with the cookie next to her mouth, the mother said. "I'm worried something could have happened to my daughter because of something he gave her," the mother said. Berndt assigned his pupils to bring cockroaches and insects to class, the mother said. The investigation into Berndt began in October 2010, when a CVS drugstore photo technician in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County told the Redondo Police Department about finding disturbing images of blindfolded children in a processing order, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott. The case was turned over to the sheriff's office, and after an initial investigation, investigators notified school authorities, who removed Berndt from his classroom in January 2011. About 400 photographs collected by investigators show children blindfolded, with tape over their mouths, Scott said. At least 23 children in the images have been identified, while another 10 are unidentified, he said. Some photos show female students with "what appeared to be a blue plastic spoon, filled with an unknown clear/white liquid substance, up to their mouths as if they were going to ingest the substance," authorities said. Scott said a search of Berndt's classroom included a blue spoon like the one in the pictures. The spoon and small container recovered from the classroom were sent to a criminal laboratory for DNA testing. It took seven months for investigators to identify the sample as semen, Scott said, and authorities got a sample of Berndt's DNA. He declined to reveal how. "It took us another six to seven months to process Berndt's DNA and match it with the classroom DNA sample that tested positive for semen," he said. Processing the DNA, identifying the children in the photos and conducting in-depth interviews with potential victims was time-consuming, Scott said in response to criticism over the year that passed before Berndt was arrested. "We always had our eyes on him, and there was never a chance he would get away from us," Scott said. The young students "didn't realize they were victimized," Scott said. "They thought they were being blindfolded and gagged as a game." Berndt's public defender has not spoken to reporters about the case, which is set for arraignment on February 21. CNN's Tom Larson, Stella Chan, Alan Duke and Stan Wilson contributed to this story. | NEW: Angry parents gather outside school; one mom plans to transfer deaf son .
A second Miramonte Elementary teacher is arrested .
He allegedly fondled two girls about age 7, police say .
His case is "quite different" from that of another teacher also charged with lewd acts . |
206,616 | 978210dcb4c32f6da85c18537914f0199c07da29 | By . Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 07:14 EST, 9 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:00 EST, 9 May 2012 . More than 100 City bankers today won . their High Court battle for £42million in unpaid bonuses from the . German banking giant Commerzbank AG. They had accused the bank of broken promises over their share of a . guaranteed bonus pool announced by Dresdner Kleinwort Ltd (DKL) in August 2008. The case comes at a time of continuing political and public anger at fat cat bank bonuses. But Mr Justice Owen said while the . subject of such bonuses was a matter of public interest, these . claims depended on a contractual clause and did not . involve the wider concerns in the banking industry today. More than 100 London investment bankers today won their High Court battle for £42m in unpaid bonuses from Commerzbank . The individual claims brought by 104 former DKL employees against the company and its new owner - which bought it in 2009 - ranged from £12,000 to £1.6milion. In January, Andrew Hochhauser QC told Mr Justice Owen the bonuses should have been paid for the year ending December 31, 2008, from a guaranteed minimum bonus pool of £320million because of 'binding and enforceable contractual promises' made between August and December 2008. They were to be allocated to front- and middle-office employees in the usual way, taking into account individual performance, and paid in full in cash in January 2009. 'Put briefly, those promises have not been honoured and that is why we are here today,' he said. 'Although the defendants accept that the statements which we rely upon were made, they deny that they amounted to contractual obligations.' Mr Hochhauser said the pool was created in August 2008 in order to retain staff in the face of a mass exodus, and was formally communicated to them by Dr Stefan Jentzsch, then chief executive of Dresdner Kleinwort Investment Bank. Martin Blessing, CEO of Commerzbank, said: 'If the court rules that it was contractually binding, of course I will accept it and pay' Dr Jentzsch said the pool would remain 'no matter what', irrespective of financial performance. Mr Hochhauser said the promises made by . Dr Jentzsch were aimed at stabilising the investment banking division . and had that effect - all of the claimant bankers did stay and continued . to work hard. But, having allocated discretionary bonuses from the pool in December . 2008, the bank subsequently decided to 'move the goalposts' and . introduce a material adverse change (MAC) clause. Commerzbank vigorously defended the claims, saying that Dresdner Bank . was entitled to reduce the bonuses in the light of the significant . deterioration in the investment bank's performance in late 2008. It said that the August announcement was . neither intended to have contractual effect - nor had such effect - but . amounted to no more than the provision of information as to the bank's . genuine intentions, while the claimants merely continued to do the jobs . they were well paid to do. The judge said that he was satisfied that the promise made by Dr Jentzsch gave rise to a contractual obligation. The average pay of bosses at . Britain’s biggest public companies rose by 11 per cent last year to . £3.65million, according to research published yesterday. The study, compiled for the BBC by Manifest, the adviser to . shareholders, looked at the annual reports of 60 of the companies in the . FTSE 100 index. On . average, a chief executive gets a basic annual salary of £840,000, a . long-term incentive plan of £1.14million, a cash bonus of £689,000 plus . several other lucrative perks, according to the research. But the average worker in the private sector is losing ground, according to a report from the pay experts Incomes Data Services. The average pay rise handed out by bosses to their cash-strapped workers . between January and March was 3 per cent, it says. It comes at a time . when inflation is 3.5 per cent. The report found that 8 per cent of . workers, who typically are employed in manufacturing, construction or . the not-for-profit sector, had their pay frozen. If the claimants had not won on that point, they would have succeeded on . the MAC clause issue which, he added, was introduced in breach of the . implied terms of the contracts of employment. Today, the judge said: 'I have come to the conclusion that the claimants are entitled to payment of bonuses provisionally awarded to them. 'I would simply add . that, whilst these claims arose in 2008 against the background of the . major crisis in the international banking industry and whilst the . subject of bonuses paid to those employed in the banking sector remains a . subject of intense public interest, the issues to which these claims . gave rise arose within a narrow ambit and concern the nature and . existence of contractual obligations owed to the claimants by their . employer. 'They did not concern wider issues as to the structure of remuneration within the banking industry.' During the hearing, Commerzbank CEO . Martin Blessing said: 'If the court rules that it was contractually . binding, of course I will accept it and pay.' However, a spokesman for the bank said later: 'We are disappointed with the court’s decision and will seek leave to appeal. 'The bank believes that the decision to reduce discretionary bonuses in light of £5.2billion of losses at Dresdner Kleinwort for 2008 was responsible and justified. 'The main argument revolves around whether the announcement on August 18 amounted to a legally binding agreement. 'It is the Bank’s submission that there is every prospect that the Court of Appeal would come to a different view on this matter.' As well as being ordered to pay the . bonuses, Commerzbank could face a legal bill of up to £20million for a . hearing lasting more than three weeks. But they immediately announced . plans to appeal. Later, Mark Levine, a partner at law firm Mishcon de Reya, which represented 21 of the claimant bankers, said: 'We welcome the High Court's decision today confirming the Bank's contractual obligation to pay retention awards promised to our clients in exceptional circumstances in 2008. 'Dresdner made repeated promises to employees prior to its sale to Commerzbank in an attempt to avoid a mass exodus of staff - namely that they would be financially rewarded from a guaranteed retention pool for remaining at the bank and performing well. 'We welcome the High Court ruling that these promises constituted a binding contract and, with the staff having performed their side of the contract, that the bank breached it by refusing to honour the payments it had promised. 'This case is likely to have significance whenever employment contracts are varied, particularly on the basis of verbal commitments or actions. | Win for 104 London investment bankers .
Case brought by ex-employees of Dresdner Kleinwort against new German owner Commerzbank AG .
Claims ranged from £12,000 to £1.6million .
Commerzbank faces legal costs up to £20million . |
101,826 | 0f3af6cf60eb23bb5e1c159623b5c6dd2a6c73d6 | New research suggests that aspirin may not have any heart-health benefits for older people who long believed a small daily dose of the drug might prevent heart attacks and stokes. Using a pool of more than 14,000 Japanese people ages 60 to 85, researches saw no major differences in heart-related deaths and strokes between those regularly taking aspirin and those who didn't bother. However, the study's authors caution people to talk to their doctors before leaving their pills behind. New research suggests that aspirin may not have any heart-health benefits for older people who long believed a small daily dose of the drug might prevent heart attacks and stokes . 'Patients need to discuss this with their doctor, because I think it's difficult to do that calculation of benefit and risk without consulting a health care professional,' said Dr. Michael Gaziano, a Harvard Medical School professor who co-authored commentary on the study, tells CBS News. He suspects that due to the differences between Japanese and American populations, there is little chance the study will have lasting impacts on aspirin use in the U.S. The study was performed by doctors randomly prescribing low-doses of aspirin to older patients who suffered from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes and tracking those who experienced health problems compared to people not taking the drug. The patients were tracked on an average of 5 years. The study's co-author, Dr. Kazuyuki Shimada, of the University of Shin-Oyama City Hospital in Japan, presented the findings Monday in Chicago at the American Heart Association's annual meeting. Doctors suspect that due to the differences between Japanese and American populations, there is little chance the study will have lasting impacts on aspirin use in the U.S. 'It indicates that primary prevention with daily low-dose aspirin does not reduce the combined risk in this population,' he tells CBS News. During his presentation he added that: 'the possibility that aspirin does have a beneficial effect cannot be excluded,' as the trial ended earlier than anticipated due to the low number of heart attacks or strokes. People who avoided aspirin were more likely to experience 'mini-strokes' and chest pains but people using aspiring were more likely to have dangerous bleeding. Those that have a high risk of heart problems could still benefit. 'For all those people, they should take aspirin for the long haul, because the benefits outweigh the risk,' Gaziano said. 'But if you're very low risk, the benefits of aspirin likely don't outweigh the risk.' | Study was done over 5 years with more than 14,000 Japanese people ages 60 to 85 .
Study authors believe information will have little impact on aspirin use in the U.S. due to differences between Japanese and American populations .
Findings presented Monday in Chicago at the American Heart Association's annual meeting . |
144,541 | 46ed35802a3af1992fcd465bea14cf9426904430 | (CNN) -- West, Texas, isn't just a town. It's a family. That's why it hurt so much one year ago Thursday when an enormous explosion at a fertilizer plant claimed 15 lives while destroying 120 homes and damaging 200 others across 37 blocks, shattering windows well beyond that. The blast was earth-shattering, registering on seismographs as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake and shaking homes 50 miles away. The 10-foot crater the blast left behind pales in comparison to the holes left in the hearts of the town's 2,800 residents. "No one's life was untouched," says Mimi Montgomery Irwin, owner of the Village Bakery, a local gathering spot. Everyone felt the blast: Those who buried loved ones and the neighbors who consoled them. The displaced students learning Shakespeare in trailers because their schools were condemned. Homeowners left without a home and the friends who took them in. Mayor Tommy Muska is "not surprised at all" by how his community came together. Some might attribute this spirit to the resiliency of the Czechs who helped settle and still help define the community. Others may credit the strong faith of its residents. Or it may be a product of life in a place where everyone knows everyone and won't leave their neighbors behind. It's telling that, in a town of 2,800, very few left. "(Residents) pulled themselves up, shook themselves off and started moving forward." Muska says. "They just did what needed to be done." Thanks to this hard work, this unity, these values -- not to mention well-placed, much-needed government assistance -- the mayor says, "We're going to have a new normal someday." But that day isn't here. And the old normal in West isn't coming back. Newly released video shows moment of deadly blast . War zone now a construction zone . Still, the evidence is everywhere that West is rising again. It is happening brick by brick, shingle by shingle, prayer by prayer. What once looked like a war zone is a construction zone. Already, 25 new homes are finished, with about 60 others nearing completion, according to the mayor. A new emergency services facility has replaced a tiny construction trailer. Work has begun on rebuilding the West Rest Haven, a nursing home and once one of the town's biggest employers. Downtown storefronts, which last year had boarded windows, are bustling with business. "We can see something happening," says Dr. George Smith, West's director of emergency medical services. "There is light at the end of the tunnel." The view was hard to envision that fateful Wednesday night last spring. Smith was in West Rest Haven, where he is medical director, when the building's ceiling and windows collapsed on him. Somehow, he and the facility's residents were able to escape. The very next morning, city officials, including the mayor and several council members who themselves had been left homeless, went to work. Nonprofit groups from the Red Cross to faith-based groups to volunteers who just wanted to help flocked to the small town. In the three days after the blast, the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team treated more than 120 animals -- horses, sheep, chickens and a cow and her calf in the field, household pets like dogs, cats, rabbits, even a bearded dragon -- says spokeswoman Angela Clendenin. Twelve months later, authorities still haven't pinpointed the cause of the blast, but an electrical malfunction, a spark from a golf cart or an intentional act haven't been ruled out. For now, the state fire marshal's office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will only say their joint investigation "is active and ongoing." While nothing publicly has changed on the investigative front since May, the status of federal assistance took a big step forward in August when President Barack Obama's administration issued a disaster declaration that paved the way for funding for things like new infrastructure and millions of dollars for new schools. When they open in fall 2015, those new school buildings will be better than what they replaced. There will also someday be a park and memorial. The 120-bed nursing home is expected to be state-of-the-art. New infrastructure and homes likewise will be improvements. As Smith notes, "In the long run, we're actually going to be better" as a town in many ways. Muska concurs, while in the same breath adding: "Anything we get as a benefit for this is too much a price to pay for the 11 firemen, two civilians who helped out and two civilians killed." Loss of lives hits small town hard . In a community full of strong people, the mayor said among the strongest are the 13 women who lost their husbands. "They are doing as well as can be expected," Muska says, acknowledging that Thursday's memorial may reopen some of the wounds. "It's not going to ever go away. The sting of losing a loved one radiates long after they are gone." Adds Montgomery Irwin, whose bakery specializing in kolaches and other Czech foods is a frequent meeting place for residents, "Time does heal. But you don't forget." Even with reconstruction abounding, she adds, "From an emotional standpoint, it seems like it was just yesterday." Some say the tragedy contributed to more than the initial loss of life. West Rest Haven's residents dispersed to about 10 facilities after the explosion, leaving their friends and caretakers behind. Over the past year, these elderly people died at about twice the rate that would have been expected, Smith says. "People ask me if it had anything to do with the explosion," he says. "And I say, 'Yes, it certainly does.'" The loss of the nursing home didn't just affect its residents. Emil "Sonny" Fridel, 91, misses his almost daily trips to visit friends at West Rest Haven and misses the weekly masses there, according to his daughter, Mary Ann Kubacak. A reunion a few months ago cheered up the nursing home's former residents, as did the recent groundbreaking on the new facility. Their feelings are similar to many others displaced by the blast, Smith says: "Most of them want to get back to West as soon as possible." Ray Snokhous lost two cousins, both firefighters, in the explosion. A lawyer who returned a decade ago to West, where his father had been the town blacksmith, Snokhous says, "It's difficult to put into words" how his and other families are able to rebound emotionally. But reflecting on the town's history of settlers who fled oppression in Europe and of sending men like himself, a Korean War veteran, to serve in the U.S. military, Snokhous said the people of West have shown their resilience time and again. "We're survivors," said Snokhous, who is the Czech Republic's honorary consul general in Texas. "And we are also fighters. ... God gives us a wake-up call every so often, and we respond to it." 'We will put it back together' Residents say their faith has been instrumental in understanding and dealing with last April's tragedy. Montgomery Irwin says the anniversary falling so close to Easter -- with its message of resurrection and renewal -- is especially appropriate for the people of West. Snokhous lauds not just his own Catholic church, but churches of other denominations that helped heal the mourning community. "What I have seen is a community come together like (one) could have never imagined," he says. "... We have the blessings of the life remaining. And we will put it back together." Whoever one talks to, that word -- community -- comes up again and again. Notes Kubacak, who grew up in the town and still visits regularly, "The people of West have always helped each other." Montgomery Irwin was living and working in New York, where she was a vice president in Macy's marketing division, after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The scale of the destruction and suffering was immense, but even then there were many people in the city who didn't know anyone personally affected. That's not true for West, to which Montgomery Irwin returned seven years ago after her father's death. It's still a place where everyone seemingly runs into each other every day, be it at her bakery, the supermarket, the hardware store or church. A lot of people don't readily complain or ask for help, but they now more than ever realize their neighbors will open their doors, wallets and hearts when it's needed. What's most different now is that, through this terrible tragedy, people the world round have gotten to know West. It's not just a town on the east side of I-35, a dot on the map between Dallas and Austin. "People know now that West is truly a place," says Montgomery Irwin. "And actually, quite a special place." CNN's Jason Morris and Jessica Ravitz contributed to this report. | 15 died, hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged in West, Texas, blast last April .
Official: Death rate higher for displaced nursing home residents after explosion .
Since then, many homes have rebuilt; so, too, will the nursing home, 2 schools .
"We're going to have a new normal someday," mayor says . |
211,725 | 9e2db5a33ace5538db56fd5a1d77988583438511 | (CNN) -- On January 6, 1367, at the Abbey of St. Andrew in Bordeaux, a royal baby was born. It was a boy. His father was the Prince of Wales, Edward of Woodstock (known to history as the Black Prince). His mother was a fabulously glamorous princess called Joan of Kent. The child's grandfather was the aging King Edward III, and although at the time of his birth little Richard of Bordeaux had a brother, the elder child would die, and Richard would grow up to be king of England himself, crowned as Richard II in 1377, when he was just 10 years old. His reign would be more or less a disaster, but we needn't delay ourselves too much with that right now. Richard of Bordeaux's birth was a moment of broad international interest. It mattered to the French, with whom the English were engaged in the Hundred Years War. It mattered in what we now call Spain, where the Black Prince was waging a brutal military campaign. It mattered to the other dignitaries of Europe. Richard's baptism was attended by three monarchs: Jaime IV, king of Mallorca; Richard, king of Armenia; and Pedro, the deposed king of Castile. In short, insofar as a medieval royal birth could be a world news event, this was. Cohen: How to raise a royal baby . Where I stood today at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, where Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Monday gave birth to a baby boy, there were no foreign kings and queens hanging about to take part in the pageantry. But the birth of the royal baby was a world news event all the same. There were rolling news crews from all over the world, beaming back to every inch of the globe pictures of ... well, of rolling news crews from all over the world. They knocked shoulders with tourists and well-wishers, who ranged from idle passersby to devoted monarchists wanting to drop off gifts for mother and baby. A few actual patients of the hospital leaned in doorways or rolled around in wheelchairs, looking bemused. It was a sweaty, heaving scrum. Why? How is it that when the power of the English royal family is a nano-fraction of what it once was, that the Windsors' celebrations and reproductions still captivate the world just as the births of Plantagenet and Tudor babies once did? 'Wicked' author: Royal baby stands for hope . The news crew with which I was filming today told me that they had also interviewed a sweet couple from Indiana, who said they thought that the British monarchy was marvelous. Given half a chance, said these beaming visitors and arbitrary bellwethers of American sentiment, they would gladly have a king and queen of the United States. Did someone say 1776? No? Thought not. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but in Britain it is fairly easy to analyze our own continuing fascination with, and popular enthusiasm for, the monarchy. Trite as it is to say, the royal family is a living link with our national history. Our history is built -- or taught, at any rate -- around reigns and dynasties. Our wonky constitution has largely evolved around the monarchy, from Magna Carta in 1215 to this year's Succession To The Crown Act, which provides (now, it seems, unnecessarily), for a girl to inherit royal power on equal standing in precedence to a younger brother. Opinion: Why I wouldn't want to be royal baby . Culturally, monarchy has also become a form of very upmarket reality TV show: a magazine-shifter and a newspaper-seller, whose present season has some really good characters, both old and young. There is human sympathy for the royals as "real people" who have been through "tough times," but there is also the sneaking voyeurism attached to a family anointed, inescapably, with mystical celebrity. Who needs the Kardashians? We have the Royals, and they've been going for nearly a millennium. And then, of course, we secretly recognize that the royal family is virtually the only surviving relic of the rigid class system of the British past. Even if (most of us) don't miss it in practice, there is a shared snobbish pride among swathes of the conservative middle Britain in being able to present ourselves to the world as a land of ranks and titles, blue blood and high birth, a nation that still has a nonsensical strain of privilege at its heart. Opinion: Baby helps make a monarchy better . The very fact that this seems to fly in the face of every liberal credo of our times -- equality, democracy, meritocracy, openness, transparency, fairness -- only makes it more delicious. There is something medieval at the core of modern Britain, and I think we rather like the fact that the whole world is still prepared to sit up and celebrate it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dan Jones. | Dan Jones: Royal births in past were world news events, as they were key to world politics .
He asks: Why, when Windsors have so little sway now, does a birth still captivate world?
He says Brits care: royal family a link to nation's history; Americans' interest less clear .
Jones: Monarchy like reality show; a tie to old class system. Brits jazzed that world cares . |
195,660 | 89418bc1d66d0a0923d1ec866fba4ba811babf7f | (CNN) -- The anti-regime demonstrations pulsating across Syria have resulted in a security hunt for snipers and a wave of arrests Saturday. Syrian security forces are searching for members of an "armed group" that killed "a number of citizens and security forces" in the Damascus suburb of Douma on Friday, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported on Saturday. SANA cited an unidentified official source as saying that snipers from the group fired at civilians and security forces from rooftops. This is disputed by activists and eyewitnesses who told CNN that government snipers fired shots at unarmed protesters and government forces beat demonstrators. "Security forces are pursuing the members of the armed group that terrorized the citizens through firing randomly," SANA reported, citing the source who doesn't identify the group in question. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces in the volatile southern city of Daraa and in Homs arrested on Saturday about 20 people who had demonstrated the day before. Protests on Friday swept through Syria, one of the latest Arab countries to endure grassroots discontent. At least 10 people, nine of them in Douma, were killed on Friday, according to human rights activists. Another person was killed in Al Sanameen near Daraa. SANA reported that a girl was killed when the armed group opened fire on civilians in the city of Homs. Along with the protests in Douma, Daraa, Homs, and Al Sanameen, people also took to the streets in Latakia, Baniyas and Kamishli on Friday, activists told CNN. Before Friday's fighting, dozens of people were killed in the last two weeks across Syria, with many deaths reported in the southern city of Daraa, where popular demonstrations started, and the coastal city of Latakia, activists say. Demonstrators, say they are oppressed and have poor living conditions under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad regime, and that they have been targeted for simply expressing themselves. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is calling for "authorities to release all prisoners of conscience in Syrian prisons, and stop political practice of arbitrary detention against political opponents and civil society activists and human rights, and carry out all procedures to ensure that the citizens of their legitimate right to peaceful assembly and expression of opinion and not to restrict these rights." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Saturday he is "deeply concerned" about the unrest in Syria, "where more civilian deaths have been reported during the latest popular demonstrations. Ban condemned the violence "against peaceful demonstrations" and said Syria should heed international human rights obligations. He added his voice to demonstrators who are calling for change, saying "there is no alternative to an immediate and inclusive dialogue on comprehensive reforms." Activists are upset that al-Assad failed to announce the lifting of the country's state of emergency during a national TV address on Wednesday and didn't properly address, in their view, complaints and concerns of people in the streets. On Thursday, however, Syria said it will study the idea of lifting the country's state of emergency and promptly investigate the deaths of civilians and troops in Daraa and Latakia. Al-Assad ordered the Supreme Judicial Council to form a committee that would conduct "an immediate investigation in all cases that killed a number of civilians and military personnel." The committee exploring the lifting of the emergency law is expected to complete the study before April 25. It will be made up of senior lawyers, SANA reported. One of the key demands of the demonstrators who have taken to the streets in the country's major cities is the scrapping of the law, which has been in place since 1963. The emergency law allows the government to make preventive arrests and override constitutional and penal code statutes. It also bars detainees who haven't been charged from filing court complaints or from having a lawyer present during interrogations. CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report. | Syria searching for members of 'armed group'
At least 11 people were killed on Friday .
Around 20 arrests made in Daraa and Homs . |
212,883 | 9fa97e7e11c1d261c5639afc1b35e8a6d1549b36 | (CNN) -- A Delta Air Lines flight reporting an engine problem made an emergency landing Thursday at the Colorado Springs, Colorado, airport, officials said. Two passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, said John McGinley, assistant director of operations and maintenance at the airport. Flight 1921, a Boeing 757, was flying from Detroit to Phoenix when the captain saw a light indicating possible problems with one of the engines, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said. The pilot diverted the flight, and during the landing, the captain received another indicator light showing overheating to the rear wheel, Black said. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said there was a fire in the main landing gear when the plane landed. Passengers were evacuated on slides from the side of the aircraft. CNN affiliate KRDO said the injuries occurred during the evacuation. CNN's Sally Holland contributed to this report. | Delta flight makes emergency landing in Colorado .
The pilot had reported a possible engine problem .
A fire is reported in the main landing gear when the plane touches down . |
79,313 | e0d5e79de89963fb4038d1e30923e3f65cc54e9f | Recent thunderstorms in NSW could have a direct impact on the number of Sydney rock oysters available in the lead up to Christmas. Heavy rain has halted harvesting of the oysters grown in the majority of waterways on the NSW far south coast from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border, the ABC reports. Growers, who have been forced to stop harvesting until storm water run-off subsides, now fear they won't meet Christmas demand for oysters. The harvesting of oysters on New South Wales' south coast has halted due to heavy rain . Wholesalers may be forced to source rock oysters from Tasmania and South Australia if the harvest is delayed by long periods. Farmer Andy Baker said the torrential rain caught him off-guard and he wasn't able to bring in the oysters at his Pambula Lake farm prior to the storms. 'I've been at this job a long time. I read it wrong on Saturday,' he said. Oyster farms like this one in Coffin Bay have been affected by the recent rain storms . 'I thought we might have got up to 25 millimetres of rain but I didn't think we'd get over 70 millimetres as quickly as we did.' Mr Baker and several other farmers managed to bring in several oysters prior to the storms. 'Pambula Lake is probably going to be shut for at least a fortnight,' he said. A few farmers were able to save their oyster harvest by storing them before the storms hit . While Mr Baker admits he might not be open again until the New Year, he is remaining optimistic. 'There's money in mud and this is an inconvenience at the moment, but in the next weeks and months and even the season ahead, this rain is a blessing,' he said. Oysters could now be off the menu at Christmas because of the bad weather . | Heavy rain has halted oyster harvesting on NSW's far south coast .
Growers now fear they won't meet Christmas demand for oysters .
Wholesalers may need to source food from Tasmania or South Australia .
Farmer Andy Baker said torrential rain at the weekend caught him off-guard . |
231,171 | b74cc4d844cc58ed0e3139e417e253b81f8acfd6 | (CNN) -- The Bush and Obama administrations' extraordinary program of targeted killing has resulted in the deaths of as many as 4,400 people to date. Books such as Daniel Klaidman's "Kill or Capture" and David E. Sanger's "Confront and Conceal" are appearing thick and fast, focusing on the program and particularly on the use of drones to carry it out. The belated scrutiny is welcome. Yet it still fails to critically assess the essential question: Is this killing occurring in war? Both Presidents Bush and Obama have attempted to justify thousands of drone attacks as part of a "war" or "armed conflict." But is that correct? The question must be answered in terms of international law. When the United States kills people in foreign, sovereign states, the world looks to international law for the standard of justification. In war, enemy fighters may be killed under a standard of reasonable necessity; outside war, authorities are far more restricted in their right to resort to lethal force. Independent scholars confirm that many drone attacks are occurring outside war zones. These experts know the legal definition of war, and they understand why it is important to know it: Above all, protecting human rights is different in war than from protecting them in peace. News: Pakistan spy agency chief to tell CIA: End drone strikes; ID targets for us to attack . Admittedly, this dual standard for justifiable killing makes the law protecting the right to life more complicated than the law protecting other fundamental rights. Torture, for example, is absolutely prohibited in international law at all times, in war and peace. The law on killing is different. The human right to life codified in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States is a party, prohibits the "arbitrary" deprivation of life. It does not prohibit absolutely all taking of life. The military may use lethal force against enemy fighters during an armed conflict if the use of force meets the requirements of military necessity, and if it will not have a disproportionate impact on civilian lives and property. Countries may lawfully initiate armed conflict in self-defense if the state is the victim of a significant armed attack, as long as the self-defense is carried out against the state responsible for the armed attack. President Bush declared a "global war on terror" after 9/11 to, presumably, gain the advantage of more relaxed rules on killing and detention. Some of the same lawyers who tried to develop legal cover for the use of torture produced an even flimsier analysis of why the entire world was a war zone, so that the president could authorize killing and detention of individuals worldwide. Lawyers in both the Bush and Obama administrations have reportedly prepared memos that according to the media assert the CIA may lawfully conduct so-called "targeted killings" of the "war on terror" without violating President Reagan's ban on assassination. Legality seems to turn in this analysis on the president personally approving a "kill list." In November 2002, the first killings occurred under this "global war" assertion. Six people, including a 23-year-old American, were killed by Hellfire missiles in Yemen fired from CIA-operated drones based in Djibouti. The UN special rapporteur for extra-judicial killing condemned the attack as an arbitrary deprivation of the right to life, but it would take over six years and a change of party in the White House before human rights advocates, international law scholars, moral philosophers, theologians, and others would begin to focus on targeted killing as they had focused on the use of torture. Why has it taken so long to focus on so many questionable deaths? As already indicated, the law is more complicated on killing than on torture. To make the legal argument against targeted killing requires sophisticated knowledge of a broader range of international law than is involved in defending a human right such as the right to be free from torture. Also, the Bush administration carried out fewer targeted killings: Of the 336 attacks as of July 2012 in Pakistan, 284 have occurred under Obama. Bush officials were better able, therefore, to suppress discussion. Also, human rights advocates had their hands full with the more visible problems of the Bush era: torture, Guantanamo Bay and military commissions. A number of them then joined the Obama administration; rather than condemn targeted killing as the violation of international law that it is, some former critics are defending it, presumably as part of their job. Opinion: Civilian casualties plummet in drone strikes . The job of the International Law Association is to report on international law in a scholarly and objective fashion. The ILA has had a Committee on the Use of Force for decades. From 2005 to 2010, when I was its chair, the 18-member committee, including members from five continents, undertook to produce a report on how "war" is legally defined. That report assesses hundreds of violent incidents over a period of 65 years. It concludes that under international law, war or armed conflict exists only when there is intense inter-group fighting by organized armed groups. These are objectively verifiable criteria that cannot be fabricated by politicians. The International Committee of the Red Cross recently invoked them with respect to the violence in Syria. The situation in Syria became a civil "war" when organized armed groups were fighting with intensity of some duration. Targeted killing with drones in Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan have generally violated the right to life because the United States is rarely part of any armed conflict in those places. The human right to life that applies is the right that applies in peace. Complete coverage of drones on CNN's Security Clearance blog . Today, the United States is engaged in armed conflict only in Afghanistan. To lawfully resort to military force elsewhere requires that the country where the United States is attacking has first attacked the United States (such as Afghanistan in 2001), the U.N. Security Council has authorized the resort to force (Libya in 2011) or a government in effective control credibly requests assistance in a civil war (Afghanistan since 2002). If the president has been advised otherwise with regard to his "kill list," he should read "What Is War?" Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mary Ellen O'Connell. | O'Connell: U.S. drone strikes have killed as many as 4,400 people since 2002 .
Many drone attacks are occurring outside war zones, says O'Connell .
Those attacks have generally violated the right to life, she says .
O'Connell: A legal argument against targeted killing requires international law . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.