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32,761 | 5d1ed33efccbc178bc3dd79e1ae25cc09afa1ac0 | (CNN) -- Gilles Simon secured his second title of the 2011 season by defeating Nicolas Almagro to lift the German Tennis Championships in Hamburg. The Frenchman beat his Spanish opponent 6-4 4-6 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes to claim his ninth career triumph. Simon's victory was his first on clay since the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in 2008 and will see him move up to 11 in the world rankings. Under the roof at the Rothenbaum Tennis Center, Simon, the number five seed, needed just one break of serve to take the opening set, after his opponent had squandered eight break points. Almagro edged the second set but an early break in the decider set Simon on course for his first title since winning the Medibank International in Australia back in January. "I feel very, very good. I had to win so many tough matches this week," Simon told the ATP World Tour's official web site. "Today, the final was really hard to win. I had to play my best tennis to win and I'm proud to win this tournament." "It was a high intensity final. I think Nicolas played very good tennis, very consistent," said Simon. "I knew before he could hit very hard, but also, he didn't miss anything, so I really had to fight hard on every point. We played almost three hours and it was a really, really hard match." "I think the first game of the third set, I didn't play my best tennis. That game, I made three mistakes in the important moments," admitted Almagro. "He played really well. I had many break points and didn't do anything on many of them. Congratulations to him as he played really good all week." | Gilles Simon beats Nicolas Almagro to win the German Tennis Championships .
Frenchman beats his Spanish opponent 6-4 4-6 6-4 in Hamburg .
Simon's win will take him to number 11 in the world rankings . |
58,938 | a732d0bbd000ac1151797cdad395603415765864 | Steven Finn is not keen to dwell on the past. But less than a year after being branded ‘unselectable’ during England’s disastrous Ashes tour, he can at least put his technical meltdown in perspective. What didn’t kill him has definitely made him stronger. With Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad both sitting out England’s one-day tour of Sri Lanka because of injury, Finn has been thrust into the role of attack leader. And, during Friday’s warm-up game in Colombo, he responded with a wicket in his second over. It bore the hallmarks of the old Finn: bounce and movement off a good length, a nick to the keeper. Steven Finn celebrates the wicket of Perera as England made a promising start to their one-day series . It was no more than a start, and there was rust: Finn also sent down four wides. But, aged just 25, it is as if he has already gone through his midlife crisis. There is, once more, a spring in his step. ‘Everyone goes through tricky times in their career,’ he said. ‘You learn a lot about yourself. Before I experienced what happened in the last 12 months I didn’t really have an understanding: I just ran up and bowled. ‘Now I have a far better understanding, so if it is going wrong or I’m halfway through a game and it doesn’t quite feel right, I can pinpoint what’s going on.’ His travails can be traced back to the summer of 2012, when South Africa captain Graeme Smith opportunistically drew the umpires’ attention to Finn’s habit of knocking over the stumps with his right knee during his delivery stride. As a result, he changed his run-up – and everything unravelled. Aged just 25, it is as if Finn has already gone through his midlife crisis in recent times . Finn prepares to bowl during the first Test match in last summer's Ashes series . In Australia, Ashley Giles – then the one-day coach – came out with the ‘unselectable’ line. Like a broken record, it stuck. ‘I think it was fair enough,’ said Finn. ‘Unselectable is a harsh and frank way to put it. But if I’m being honest I couldn’t have gone out there and done myself justice in an England shirt. ‘But it spurred me on and motivated me to become selectable again. That was my dream when I left Australia.’ Some hard work with Middlesex bowling coach Richard Johnson and a summer on the county circuit, where he claimed a respectable 48 championship wickets at 30 apiece, earned him a recall to England’s one-day side against India. It felt like the start of a career – yet this was a bowler with 90 Test wickets to his name. Finn (left) speaks with coach Peter Moores during a practice session at the Sinhalese Sports Club . Finn is impatient to turn that youthful promise into something more tangible: ‘I don’t want to feel my way back in – I want to hit the ground running when I get into an international game. ‘There’s room for improvement with my pace to get back to where I was 18 months, two years ago. But I’m in a far better place now than I was 12 months ago, and that’s going to stand me in good stead for the rest of my career.’ The good news is that, unlike some fast bowlers, Finn regards Asian pitches as an opportunity, not an obstacle. There was some rust during the warm up game in Colombo: Finn also sent down four wides . Ten one-day internationals in India have brought him 15 wickets and the respect of the local batsmen, and in the UAE against Pakistan at the start of 2012, he picked up 13 wickets at an average of 10. ‘I really enjoy bowling in subcontinental conditions,’ he said. ‘I can control a reverse-swinging ball quite well, which plays a big part out here. And these wickets will be more seamer-friendly than in India.’ These are early days in the second phase of his England career. Yet the signs are promising. Whisper it, but Steven Finn may be on the verge of becoming very selectable indeed. | Steven Finn is looking to return to his best over the winter period .
Ashley Giles said he was 'unselectable' during last winter's Ashes tour .
Finn says 'It spurred me on and motivated me to become selectable again'
England's tour opener saw them beat Sri Lanka A in Colombo . |
11,783 | 21740616419ecadbb033c0ffa246a65810ae9450 | When her culinary skills surprisingly let her down, Ruby Tandoh found a new ingredient for the Great British Bake Off judges – a flood of tears. She appeared inconsolable after making basic errors during Tuesday’s semi-final. With tears rolling down her cheeks, the 21-year-old philosophy student clearly feared she was for the chop. And whether it was the shock of messing up or a bid for sympathy, it worked. Just add water: Ruby Tandoh bursts into tears as she awaits her fate before Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry . She was spared by the judges, who put her through to next week’s final, kicking out 31-year-old Beca Lyne-Pirkis instead. However Miss Tandoh’s performance won little sympathy from viewers, many of whom have already claimed that judge Paul Hollywood favours the attractive former model. On Twitter, many criticised her weepy performance and suggested she survived only because the judges felt sorry for her. Lorenzo Cibrario wrote: ‘I really just can’t stand Ruby. Stop crying all the time.’ Beth Sykes added: ‘I swear Ruby has spent most of her time crying instead of baking.’ Cry me a river: Ruby gets a helping hand to wipe the tears from her face when a task does not go to plan . A third tweeted: ‘Poor, poor judging – poor Beca so deserves a place – complete farce that Ruby is through to the final’. Another described a spat with Hollywood over her decision to use saffron in one recipe as like ‘a lovers tiff’. This week’s challenges required the four contestants to make savoury canapés, a charlotte royale dessert and an opera cake. Miss Tandoh’s canapés were praised, with Mary Berry saying the pastry was ‘beautifully cooked’, but her charlotte royale came last and her chocolate, almond praline and saffron opera cake ‘didn’t have the finish’ the judges wanted although it ‘tasted good’. Falling flat: Ruby failed to get the height needed for the technical challenge . Made it through: Ruby was reduced to tears yet again when she found out she was in the finals . They were left unimpressed by Mrs Lyne-Pirkis’s ‘unmemorable’ canapés, although her charlotte royal beat Miss Tandoh’s. She then made a banoffee-flavoured opera cake, which scored well on presentation but poorly on flavour, meaning she missed out on a place in the final. Bookmakers have now made Miss Tandoh the favourite to beat the other two finalists, Kimberley Wilson and Frances Quinn, next week. Bake Off will move to BBC1 next year after attracting BBC2’s best audience this year with an average of seven million. | Student and ex-model through to the final of the Great British Bake Off .
However, Ruby Tandoh's tears have viewers fuming on Twitter .
Fans accuse the baker of crying herself to a place in the finale . |
109,522 | 192aaef758481797c885a9749418c35d1c27269e | By . Ryan Kisiel and Michael Seamark . PUBLISHED: . 19:04 EST, 30 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:18 EST, 31 January 2013 . She was wrapped up against the cold in a faux fur coat…but it’s a blue Chelsea shirt that most of Britain will forever associate with Antonia de Sancha. Her revelations that Tory government minister David Mellor made love to her in his club strip kept the nation amused for months. Never mind that her infamous claim, along with the toe-sucking and spanking, were made up. The damage was done and Mr Mellor eventually quit the Cabinet. Two decades later: Antonia De Sancha, 51, famed . former mistress of ex-Tory minister David Mellor, pictured outside a restaurant in west London recently (left) and at the time of the affair (right) Two decades on, the 51-year-old former soft porn actress whose affair with the married ‘minister for fun’ rocked John Major’s scandal-prone government, steadfastly avoids the limelight. Her hair unkempt sitting outside a tapas restaurant in London’s Notting Hill, cigarette in one hand and a bottle of beer on the table in front of her, Ms de Sancha happily chatted with friends. But approached outside her shabby, one-bedroom flat in nearby Willesden Green, North West London yesterday the woman who was seldom far from the headlines in 1992 was not keen to talk. She gruffly barked: ‘I don’t want to speak to any journalists,’ before slamming her front door. The minister and his mistress conducted their affair in a London flat lent to the actress by one of her friends, who bugged his own phone and sold the tapes to a newspaper. Contrast: Although she was wrapped up in a coat, the item of clothing most associate with Miss de Sancha is still a certain Chelsea shirt . The lover: David Mellor, pictured on the night he quit as Heritage Secretary in 1992, following a number of scandals, including his affair with Miss de Sancha . In the ensuing blaze of embarrassing publicity, then Secretary of State for National Heritage Mr Mellor tried to convince the world that his marriage to ever-loyal wife Judith was fine, despite Ms de Sancha’s sordid sex revelations, lining up his entire family behind the garden gate at his in-laws’ cottage in Sussex for press photographers. The minister remained in the Cabinet for several months until he quit after it was revealed that he had accepted a free holiday from femme fatale Mona Bauwens, the daughter of a Palestinian Liberation Organisation official. Two years later Mr Mellor admitted another affair, with the married Lady Penelope Cobham, and he was divorced by his wife in 1995. Ms de Sancha, the daughter of a Spanish father and Swedish mother, says she made around £30,000 for her kiss ‘n tell story - arranged by PR guru Max Clifford - and cites the affair and attendant publicity as the cause of her failed marriage to dental surgeon Clive Hager. They married in 1994 but divorced a couple of years later. Following the affair she took part in a . TV documentary The Mistress, became agony aunt of Erotic Review . magazine and imported textiles, rugs and jewellery from India and . Thailand. In a newspaper . interview in 2002 to mark the 10th anniversary of her revelations, Ms de . Sancha confessed that certain sordid details of her affair with Mr . Mellor were untrue. Rough patch: Miss de Sancha, wrapped up in a fur coat against the January London weather in notting Hill, still blames the 1992 affair for the collapse of her marriage two years later . Retraction: A decade after her saucy affair with David Mellor was splashed across Britain's newspapers, Miss de Sancha admitted she made up the Chelsea club strip, the spanking and the infamous 'toe sucking' Back to her roots: Half-Spanish de Sancha visited a tapas restaurant where she enjoyed a Spanish beer and a cigarette with a friend . ‘The Chelsea strip was made up,‘ she admitted. ‘I went along with everything at the time. It was almost like I was having an out-of-body experience.’ Asked about the spanking and toesucking, she added: ’It didn’t happen.’ She also addressed the question everyone asks her about the affair. ‘What the hell attracted me to him? That’s a question I sometime ask myself on very rare moments at awkward times in my life. ‘Oh God, absolutely nothing attracted me to him physically. But sometimes you meet somebody who is not an oil painting but you can forget about that and it’s no longer important, it’s who they are and what they’re like inside,’ she explained. ‘The excitement was, to be perfectly frank, from being with somebody who was in a peak position of power.’ Former minister turned opera critic Mr Mellor, who lives with his partner Viscountess Cobham at their Thames-side home in Wapping, remains irked by the false football strip claims. Giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into media standards last June he said he was ‘sick’ of hearing about them. ‘ It was a total invention. ‘All you will remember about me when I go to my grave is some bloody Chelsea shirt.’ When Antonia de Sancha's affair with David Mellor was revealed in 1992, it kicked off a course of events which contributed to the downfall of John Major's government. Mr Mellor was backed by the Prime Minister, and repeatedly professed his commitment to his wife in an effort to keep his job as Secretary for National Heritage. But after it emerged that he had accepted a free holiday from a glamorous socialite whose father was a Palestinian Liberation Official he was finally forced to resign. The string of scandals eventually led to the break-up of Mr Mellor's marriage to his wife Judith - and had wider repercussions within the Conservative Party. Other ministers such as Tim Yeo and Steven Norris were also revealed to have had affairs, while rising star Stephen Milligan was found dead in what was believed to be a case of auto-erotic asphyxiation. The succession of embarrassing incidents was widely held to have undermined Mr Major's 'Back to Basics' campaign which emphasised the importance of family values and other traditional Tory issues. Couple with a wave of sleaze scandals such as Neil Hamilton allegedly agreeing to ask questions in Parliament in return for a bribe, the affairs played into the hands of Tony Blair's New Labour, which swept to power in 1997 with a landslide election victory. One of the reasons Mr Mellor's indiscretions became so memorable was the addition of vivid details such as his wearing a Chelsea football shirt during sex, which was splashed over the front page of the Sun, above right. However, Ms de Sancha later admitted she had made up that particular anecdote. | Antonia de Sancha spotted at west London restaurant in faux fur .
Former mistress of David Mellor enjoyed Spanish beer and a cigarette .
Was paid £30,000 for her kiss-and-tell story of affair with Mellor in 1992 .
Has admitted making up infamous Chelsea strip, toe sucking and spanking . |
177,084 | 713bac7e93a47acdcd011eff5eb11ce89f18cf25 | (CNN) -- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia arrived in Casablanca, Morocco, on Saturday to continue his recovery from back surgery late last year, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The king, who was met by Moroccan King Mohammed VI, will undergo physical therapy in the north African country following treatment in the United States for a herniated disc and a blood clot that was causing him back pain, according to Saudi state media. He underwent his first surgery November 24 at New York's Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. A follow-up surgery to stabilize several vertebrae in his spine was performed December 3. Abdullah, 86, had been recuperating at his New York home since late December. | King Abdullah is recovering from back surgery .
He will undergo physical therapy as he continues to recuperate . |
41,268 | 7469f7ed8055fa9c7438eb7991e4376409b7342a | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Massive downpours in South Korea -- the heaviest rains in a century -- are blamed for 51 deaths, the country's Central Disaster Relief Agency reported Friday. One person is also missing, the agency said. Conditions improved Friday morning when the Seoul Gimpo International Airport reported light rain and mist with overcast skies, according to the U.S. National Weather Service's international weather conditions website. On Thursday, rain fell in some areas around Seoul at a rate of 50 millimeters an hour (two inches an hour). The most recent numbers released by the Central Disaster Relief Agency indicated that much of the death toll comes from landslides triggered by the rain. In Chuncheon, 13 people were killed by landslides, while 16 were killed by the same phenomenon in Seoul. Another 18 died in Gyeonggi province. Five neighborhoods on the outskirts of Seoul had been under evacuation orders Thursday. But officials were able to restore electricity to many thousands of homes that had lost power. Earlier, there were 116,000 homes without power, said the agency. Thursday, that number stood at 800. Earlier, the agency warned that hundreds of families had lost their homes. The weather caused major traffic disruptions across portions of the country as well. South Korea typically experiences a rainy season during the summer. | Rain falling at a rate of two inches an hour in some areas .
Agency says 51 dead after downpours and landslides .
Five neighborhoods outside Seoul are under evacuation orders .
Officials have been able to restore power to thousands . |
152,381 | 50eeca39ce4d85bdf7b89bd15e9e43fbdc6c3eb7 | DaMarcus Beasley, the first American to play in four World Cups, says he is retiring from the U.S. national team after 14 years. The 32-year-old scored 17 goals in 121 international appearances and played in every minute of the Americans' four games at this year's World Cup, where the U.S. lost to Belgium in the second round. After playing in midfield at three World Cups, Beasley was shifted to left back for this year's tournament. US football star DaMarcus Beasley has retired from international football after 14 years . The 32-year-old was the first American to play in four World Cups . Beasley made his national team debut in 2001 and appeared his finale last month in an exhibition against Colombia in London. After playing abroad for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester City, Rangers, Hannover and Puebla, Beasley signed with Houston in July. He had started his professional career in Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire from 2000-04. Beasley will continue his club career with the Dynamo. The Houston Dynamo defender spent a loan spell with Manchester City in 2006-07 . Beasley (right) also played for Scottish side Rangers during a nomadic career . | DaMarcus Beasley was the first American to play at four World Cups .
The 32-year-old has announced his retirement from international football .
Houston Dynamo star has played for clubs including PSV Eindhoven, Manchester City, Rangers and Hannover . |
169,719 | 67a53891ca8bef1babd59981db3bad06b3d32f17 | (CNN) -- The world's best female golfer, Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, has exclusively revealed to CNN that a meeting with Tiger Woods in her youth inspired her to become the player she is today. Tiger Woods and Lorena Ochoa pose at the Golf Writer's Association of America Awards in 2007. The pair first met at Tory Pines when both competing in the Junior World Championships, an event that Woods won a record six times and Ochoa has won five. The two then met again 15 years later at the Golf Writer's Association of America Awards where both were named players of the year. Ochoa, 27, told CNN's Living Golf program the meeting had a big impact on her: "You don't realize the importance of things until you're older and look back. I'm just glad it worked out the way it did for us. "He was boy and I was a girl, we were both young and we didn't know what we were doing. I didn't see him for another 15 years, but I reminded him and showed him the pictures and he was like "wow"." Ochoa, who started playing golf aged just five-years-old, has now won 26 LPGA Tour titles but said despite the success it has been harder to sustain her number one spot than it was to attain it. "It's harder to stay number one than getting there - if you get distracted or stop practicing you can very easily lose your position. Ochoa overtook Annika Sörenstam to become the world number one ranked golfer in 2007 and since has won two majors, including the Women's British Open and the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The Mexican also picked up the Honda LPGA Thailand recently but says her drive to win more remains the same: "My life has changed a lot. I've been preparing myself to get to that position so it didn't take me by surprise. It took me five years from turning professional to becoming the number on in the world. It's not easy but it's been a lot of fun and I want to stay here." The next major championship for Ochoa to set her sights on will be the McDonald's LPGA Championship on June 11-14. | Lorena Ochoa and Tiger Woods first met at the Junior World Championships .
Ochoa has won 26 LPGA titles since turning professional .
The Mexican started playing the game aged five . |
39,111 | 6e83cfe1b5692e4ccb51f9b24107c06c0810a9c8 | By . Allan Hall . Last updated at 6:20 PM on 28th June 2011 . Lawyers in Germany are preparing a groundbreaking court case aimed at stripping diplomats of immunity from prosecution. Human rights lawyers hope the case against a Saudi Arabian diplomat accused of beating an employee will be the catalyst to be able to bring prosecutions against foreign embassy staff worldwide. The German Institute for Human Rights this week published a 60-page study on the reported widespread humiliation, exploitation and abuse of private domestic servants employed by diplomats in Britain, Austria, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Germany. Widespread: The British Embassy in Berlin. A German study has revealed widespread humiliation, exploitation and abuse of private staff by diplomats in six European countries . The UK had 51 cases of abuse reported between April 2009 and March 2010. Many of those involved people who had come to the UK through people traffickers. Some 70 per cent of those employed by diplomats said in a survey, conducted by the Kalayaan Justice for Migrant Workers Group in Britain, that their passports were confiscated and they were paid and treated like 'slaves'. Belgium had 50 cases in 2009 - although only four were referred to authorities - while Switzerland was worst in the list with 62. The report mirrors another published in the U.S. yesterday, which put Britain on the 'top tier' of abuse of diplomatic employees. The landmark court case in Germany concerns a 30-year-old woman who claims she endured daily beatings with a stick for 18 months at the hands of a diplomat from the Saudi Arabian embassy in Berlin. She said she was kicked and 'humiliated like a serf'. 'Top tier of abuse': The Iranian and Ethiopian embassies in London. Britain had 51 reported incidents of abuse between April 2009 and March 2010. There is no indication the incidents took place at these embassies . Unable to speak German and with no money, the Indonesian native was a prisoner of her employer. Eventually, a Berlin group that aids trafficked women from all over the world took her to safety. Diplomatic immunity is laid down in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and makes embassy employees unanswerable to the laws governing the rest of society. The worst thing that can happen is expulsion back to their homeland. Hamburg lawyer Klaus Bertlsmann and the German Institute for Human Rights are now financing the court case which could give the right to legal redress against diplomats who exploit their staff. He said: 'Human rights are, also from the perspective of international law, a higher good than diplomatic immunity.' The woman was sent by an agency in Jakarta to work at a home in the UAE before transferring her to Saudi Arabia. In April 2009, she accompanied her Saudi employer to Germany were he was to serve as an attache at the embassy, according to the German news magazine Der Spiegel. Her duties included caring for the wheelchair-bound wife of the diplomat and his four daughters - including putting on their shoes each day, even though the eldest was 17 and the youngest 12. She worked from 7am until gone midnight every day, slept on the floor and never had a single day off in the entire time she worked for the family. She told of being punched, of the stick beatings and of how her employer encouraged his five-year-old son to hit her. An earlier court hearing rejected claims of slavery because of the diplomatic status of the alleged abuser. The next step is a hearing at the state court, followed by the constitutional court. Der Spiegel said: 'The fact that a case of modern slavery was brought before a court is already extraordinary in its own right. 'No one checks to see if members of the diplomatic corps obey the regulations regarding working hours and wages that have been in force for the past eight years. It would, after all, violate the principle of immunity.' The legal firm representing the Saudi Arabian embassy dismissed the allegations made by the woman, who has since returned to Indonesia, as 'baseless'. | Indonesian forced to work 18 hours a day serves as test case .
Court had rejected initial slavery charge because of status . |
214,457 | a1b2e9ee313f413bde7a4c09fc491474180e9306 | London (CNN) -- Steven Spielberg's political drama "Lincoln" on Wednesday led the field with 10 Bafta nominations, along with Tom Hooper's film version of the long-running stage musical "Les Miserables" and Ang Lee's "Life of Pi," which both have nine nods. The three are in the running for best film in the British movie awards, along with "Argo," (seven nominations) a thriller set during the Iran hostage crisis, and "Zero Dark Thirty," (five nods) directed by Katheryn Bigelow -- the only woman to win a best director Oscar -- about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for best actor for his role as the U.S. president who led his country during the civil war and worked to end slavery. Read how 'Lincoln' distorts history . Day-Lewis is up against "Argo" star Ben Affleck, "Les Miserables" co-star Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper for "Silver Linings Playbook" and Joaquin Phoenix for "The Master." Oscar winner Helen Mirren is recognized in the best actress category for her role in "Hitchcock," playing the wife of the British suspense filmmaker. Mirren is joined by "Amour" star Emmanuelle Riva, Jennifer Lawrence for "Silver Linings Playbook," "Rust and Bone" star Marion Cotillard and Jessica Chastain for "Zero Dark Thirty." Quentin Tarantino is nominated for best director and original screenplay for his slavery action-drama "Django Unchained." Affleck is also recognized for directing "Argo," along with Bigelow, Lee and "Amour" director Michael Haneke. Read why 'Django Unchained' stirs race debate . Javier Bardem was nominated as best supporting actor for his role as the villain in the latest and most commercially successful James Bond movie, "Skyfall," but that film was overlooked in the best film category. Bardem was among eight "Skyfall" nominations that also included best supporting actress for Judi Dench, who plays spy boss M, and best British movie. The BAFTA awards ceremony will take place on February 10 at the Royal Opera House in London. The nominations are viewed as one of the indicators for success in the Oscars, which will be announced Thursday. Golden Globe winners will be announced on Sunday. | Steven Spielberg's political drama "Lincoln" leads Bafta nominations .
Tom Hooper's "Les Miserables" and Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" also in contention .
Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for best actor for his role as U.S. president .
Helen Mirren is recognized in best actress category for role in "Hitchcock" |
69,599 | c5497e821cafc3f580e2163b6a6f2f47551b5d35 | By . Alasdair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 19:59 EST, 26 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:49 EST, 27 July 2013 . Just as one aristocratic baby George arrives, along comes another. In the latest preview shots from hit costume drama Downton Abbey, Lady Mary Crawley proudly clutches her newborn son. The last time fans of the show saw her during last year’s Christmas special, the character – played by Michelle Dockery - had just given birth and the youngster had yet to be named. ITV apparently named the fictional baby George (pictured left) after King George V . The series ended with her husband Matthew dying in a car crash, leaving the newborn fatherless. As filming on the new series started months ago, ITV clearly named the fictional baby George first - apparently after King George V. The photo will also set off wild speculation of a new romance among Downton Abbey’s many fans.Posing with his daughter Sybil, Lady Mary’s brother-in-law Tom Branson – played by Allen Leech - also lost his spouse in the last series. His wife – also called Sybil – died during childbirth. Now two of the show’s key protagonists have been left as bereaved parents, it seems they may be on the cusp of forming a new relationship. Filming on the fourth series at Highclere Castle and Ealing Studios began in February. It will be broadcast on ITV in the autumn. Last year, Lady Sybil’s tragic demise helped boost the show’s ratings to 9.5million. But some viewers criticised the show’s convoluted and dramatic plotlines. It has had five premature deaths in just three series. The choice of name couldn't be more relevant as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge presented Prince George to the world this week . Previous episodes have seen young fiancée Lavinia Swire succumb to a deadly flu virus, footman William Mason die in the Battle of the Somme, and Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk suffer a fatal heart attack in Lady Mary’s bed. Last year, the writer Julian Fellowes revealed he was forced to kill off Lady Sybil and Matthew Crawley because the actors who played them – Dan Stephens and Jessica Findlay – wanted to leave the show. He said: ‘We would have loved to keep [Stevens]. We would have loved to keep Jessica too. We have always tried to persuade him to stay. He had done fantastically well for the series and his creation of Matthew was terrific. ‘But this is life. Dan felt that this was right thing for him, and the right moment to move on to different areas.’ | Last season of the hit show ended with Matthew Crawley dying in a car crash .
Fictional newborn was named George- apparently after King George V- when filming started months ago . |
29,599 | 5423e766098c964d6ed6b28d2a5ae2b8f250361e | A primary school teacher has been accused of restraining a pupil for five minutes - by covering him with a giant beanbag and sitting on top of it. Philip Meredith restrained the child under a beanbag the size of a double bed at Ty Sign Primary School in Risca, Wales while the youngster shouted ‘get off, get off’, a professional conduct committee hearing was told. A teaching assistant working in Mr Meredith’s classroom at the time of the alleged incident told the hearing how she could see the child – named only as ‘Pupil A’ - ‘kicking’ as he tried to free himself. Philip Meredith (pictured) has been accused of restraining a pupil for five minutes - by covering him with a giant beanbag and sitting on top of it . Ellen Sheldon said ‘There was a fight between Pupil A and another child. Pupil A was put into a restraint by Mr Meredith onto the bean bag. ‘I didn’t see how he got from there to under the bean bag. I could see his feet kicking and he was shouting “Get off, get off”. ‘I would estimate he was under the bean bag for four to five minutes.’ Sobbing throughout her evidence she told the panel: ‘I’ve never had to deal with anything like this on my life and I never want to deal with it again. ‘It’s made me feel ill.’ She reported the incident - which allegedly happened on November 17, 2011 - the following month and Mr Meredith was subsequently suspended. He was later dismissed. Mr Meredith is now appearing before a General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) professional conduct committee facing seven charges of professional misconduct. It is alleged that while he was employed at the school he shouted at Pupil A, final year pupil aged 10 or 11, and spoke 'overly loudly' to him, when it was not necessary or appropriate to do so. He denies the claim but admits he has a 'naturally loud voice'. He is also accused of telling Pupil A to sit in the 'thinking chair' when the child’s behaviour did not justify the sanction. In another allegation, he is also accused of holding Pupil A on the floor with his face against the carpet. The primary school teacher is also accused of holding a second child - Pupil B - by the front of his shirt and also holding him on the floor with his face against the carpet. Philip Meredith lodged the child under a beanbag the size of a double bed at Ty Sign Primary School (pictured) in Risca, Wales while the youngster shouted ‘get off, get off’, a professional conduct committee hearing was told . He denies all of the allegations. Head teacher Alison Dacey told the hearing that Mr Meredith was appointed in September 2011 to a role which involved teaching some of the more demanding pupils at the 430-pupil school. Ms Dacey said some of the pupils 'had very challenging behaviour' and she added that 'unruly and violent behaviour' was not uncommon. She said she was very pleased with his appointment during his first few weeks in the post, describing his relationship with the children and the response he could get out of them in the early stages of his employment as 'breathtakingly wonderful'. 'There was huge potential for him,' she told the hearing. 'If he adhered to the support system in the school we wouldn’t be here today.' Numerous measures were taken to address 'a number of concerns' about Mr Meredith’s conduct and behaviour in the school that arose 'from quite early on', Ms Dacey said. These related to his teaching and classroom organisation as well as 'shouting and yelling' at pupils. She also had to speak to him about body proximity and respecting the personal space of the children. 'I was quite concerned from an early stage about the way he spoke to the children,' she said. 'He seemed to shout at them. We have a no shouting policy in the school. 'I spoke to him about it on several occasions and encouraged him to reduce the volume of his voice.' She said Mr Meredith frequently failed to write up restraint forms after incidents and there were many occasions where she was only aware of restraints when the children bragged about them. Ms Dacey recalled how on September 18, 2011, Pupil A had a red mark on his arm which he said happened following a restraint by Meredith. She said: 'It had the appearance of carpet burn and was a couple of days old and it had blistering on it. No restraint form had been completed.' The head teacher added: 'There continued to be a number of concerns about Mr Meredith. Most were relevant to his teaching and classroom organisation.' The hearing, in Cardiff, continues. | Philip Meredith restrained child under beanbag the size of a double bed, hearing told .
Alleged incident happened at Ty Sign Primary School in Risca, Wales .
Teaching assistant claimed she could hear youngster shouting 'get off, get off'
Mr Meredith is appearing before General Teaching Council for Wales professional conduct committee .
Primary school teacher denies seven charges of professional misconduct . |
60,236 | ab2ecb4107c4a332eafe9f31711d234cd11d9de6 | Rory . McIlroy has kept his mobile phone switched off and given his laptop . away. 'It's like I have been living in the seventies these last few . days,' he said. In his first round since his bombshell split from his fiancee Caroline . Wozniacki, he kept the surprises coming by shooting in the sixties - a . four under par 68 to be precise in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth . on Thursday. Boost: Rory McIlroy celebrates chipping in for an eagle during first round of the BMW PGA Championship . Lift: McIlroy is congratulated by Ernie Els after holing his second shot on the seventh hole for an eagle . Caroline Wozniacki will head into French Open action nursing a broken heart and a dodgy left knee. Rory McIlroy’s ex-fiancee has had knee trouble for a while. She tweeted: ‘It’s a hard time for me right now. Thanks for all the sweet messages! Happy I support Liverpool right now because I know I’ll never walk alone.’ It still left him some distance behind the leader Thomas Bjorn, who . shot an astounding 62, but this was some effort, given all the . circumstances. 'Everyone . know what it feels like,' said the 25 year old. 'It's tough. You're not . sleeping and I'm not comfortable standing here talking about it. But . the object now is to bury my head in my golf and for the most part I did . a pretty good job of that.' He . certainly did, from the moment he had stood in the middle of the . seventh fairway with his arms aloft and his face bathed in smiles. Amazing what a holed wedge shot from 130 yards for an eagle two can do . to lift the spirits of a man. Centre of attention: All eyes were on Rory McIlroy at Wentworth after he split up from Caroline Wozniacki . One to watch: Spectators surrounded the third green to get a look at McIlroy in his opening round . 'Wear black for Mac' was the theme of the opening day – the players . were paying their respects to the popular caddie Iain McGregor, who died . doing the job he loved in Madeira recently – and suddenly, the . predominant mood of this particular Mac was anything but black. How . he seized on that enormous slice of good fortune. His approach had . actually pitched 35ft beyond the flag before spinning back into the . hole. Five . holes later he almost came up with an even more spectacular blow, as . his five iron approach from 203 yards to the par five 12th finished . three inches away. It was certainly a much better shot. 'I've . not had an albatoss,' he said. 'It would have been nice if it had gone . in, since it's the one thing in golf my dad still has on me. He's had . one.' Those . two eagles took McIlroy to four under and on the leaderboard. He might . be struggling with commitment off the course but there was no doubting . his commitment to capitalise and return a morale-boosting score. Out in front: Thomas Bjorn leads the tournament after shooting a stunning 62 in his first round . Pin-point accuracy: This approach to the 18th set up a birdie for Bjorn - the eighth of a stunning opening round . Thomas reigns in the rain: The umbrellas were up as Bjorn holed out to complete his first round . After . all his problems here since the controversial changes were instigated . in 2010 – he's not finished in the top 20 since – wouldn't it be ironic . if this was the year he won the European tour's flagship event? Not . that he's thinking that way just yet, of course. 'My golf is good enough . but right now I' d still be happy simply being around for the weekend,' he said. A . sense of black humour was needed at the start. Itching for the relative . quiet of a round inside the ropes, what happened when he got the hoopla . of the opening hole out of the way? The siren blew heralding a . suspension of play owing to some electrical activity in the area. The . heavy showers that punctuated the day's proceedings actually helped . McIlroy when he got back out, softening the greens and turning it into a . target golf test. No-one prospered quite like Europe's renaissance man, . Bjorn. In . a game where perfection isn't possible it's hardly surprising players . invariably finish even great rounds thinking it could still have been . one or two shots better. Not Bjorn on this day. This was the 1,421st round of his long and distinguished European Tour career, and he had no trouble ranking it. 'It's the best one,' he said. 'Absolutely. To shoot 62 on this golf course, you couldn't ask for more.' Wet and wild: The rain hammered down at Wentworth as play was suspended twice . Ruled out: Sergio Garcia has been forced to withdraw from the tournament with a knee injury after an opening round of 73 . Yet . Bjorn had started out with low expectations. The Dane played horribly . in Spain last week and admitted his patience was fraying at the edges . when he continued to struggle in practice here. To complete the picture, . his pitiful record at Wentworth showed just one top ten in 16 previous . appearances. How . to explain what happened next, as one of the great ball strikers of the . last 20 years gave a consummate demonstration of his class? 'I don't . really know where to start,' he said. 'With my record here and after . last week, I certainly didn't come here thinking, oh this is going to be . a great week. I guess I've got to stick my head down now and focus on . what lies ahead.' What . lies ahead is the prospect of removing any lingering uncertainty . regarding his Ryder Cup place, although there's not much of that given . he lies third in the qualifying table. He can also consolidate his . position as leader in the Race to Dubai. After . a couple of lean years, why is it all going right again for the 43 year . old? 'Hard work and determination not to let a golf career fade away,' he said. 'You get to that stage in your life where you can see the end . and you've got to make decisions. It didn't take me long to decide I . wanted to enjoy this last bit, and I'll continue to work hard and enjoy . it for as long as my body allows.' Elsewhere, . Justin Rose showed the pride of a major champion to card a 70 after . starting with three straight bogeys while Ian Poulter, labouring all . week with a bad back, matched him. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood shot 71 . but not everyone enjoyed themselves. Defending champion Matteo Manassero . tumbled to an 80. | Rory McIlroy had two eagles in a four under par 68 in first round .
McIlroy announced his split from Caroline Wozniacki on Wednesday .
Thomas Bjorn leads at Wentworth after an opening round of 62 . |
216,667 | a480d27949b672377e3bc4d5b14a1289c455dd71 | By . Steve Robson and Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 05:30 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 5 December 2012 . Guilty: Former laundry owner Kevin Andrews, 61, was convicted of bullying former employees including making threats to burn them in acid and setting his dogs on them . A bullying laundry owner has been fined after issuing a string of threats against his staff such asburning them in acid, setting his dogs on them and taunting female workers about rape. Kevin Andrews, 61, was found guilty of a catalogue of abuse against former workers at Mallee Laundry and Linen Services in the town of Mildura, Australia. He was convicted by magistrates in Melbourne and fined $50,000 - worth around £30,000. Between 2007 and 2009 he had repeatedly bullied works physically, psychologically and verbally, the court heard. Magistrate Hugh Radford said on one occasion Andrews asked an employee to bring his dogs . to the laundry ‘and if an employee stuffed up they would be bitten by . the dogs – that is, the employee would be locked up with the dogs in a . shipping container.’ The magistrate added that Andrews had . ‘threatened the employees that he would dissolve them in acid, a . substance that was available to them in the workplace.’ Mr Radford said that on one occasion . Andrews told a female employee a rapist was waiting for her, following . a talk that a sex offender was in the area. ‘This was clearly designed to . frighten that particular employee,’ said the magistrate, who also . referred to a fines list under which workers could be docked a week’s . wages for ‘wasting time.’ ‘In my view,’ said the magistrate, . ‘this may have been laughed off by some employees, but it was clearly . designed by the accused to psychologically bully staff.’ Andrews called one woman a ‘big fat bush pig’ and said other women were brain dead and that ‘all women are dogs’. Fourteen former employees came forward . to testify against Andrews, who was also said to have tried to scare . workers by producing a long, metal stick near them. The workers also said they had been made to work 15 straight hours and were timed during toilet breaks. Terror: Kevin Andrews is said to have left staff psychologically scarred after his abuse at the laundry service in the town of Mildura, Australia . Andrews denied bullying, an accusation brought by a government department known as WorkSafe. But the magistrate said: ‘The . accused’s response to the evidence was that it didn’t happen and was all . part of a conspiracy, which I do not accept.’ He described Andrews' behaviour as ‘disgusting and appalling’ and said it had caused his workers to suffer nightmares and depression up to five years later. | Kevin Andrews, 61, fined £30,000 for catalogue of abuse against former workers at laundry service in Mildura, Australia .
Threatened to lock staff in shipping container and set his dogs on them .
Taunted female employees about a rapist in the area . |
154,227 | 5352473f8c95b0a8d2f3c18fecbc61450c57b86f | By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 13:06 EST, 10 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:58 EST, 11 January 2013 . A chivalrous manner, respectfulness, politeness and good self-presentation are all traditional gentlemanly traits. But It seems what defines a gentleman now varies greatly from person to person. Thanks to the popularity of . international best seller Fifty Shades Of Grey, one in ten women between the ages of 25 and 54 - . the ultimate 'mummy porn' market - consider cold and complicated . Christian Grey the most perfect fictional gentleman. EL James' literary trilogy, Fifty Shades Of Grey, left, brought to life Christian Grey, who was voted most perfect fictional gentleman by one in ten women aged 25 to 54, but Mr Darcy, played by Colin Firth, right, came top . But Pride And Prejudice's dashing Mark Darcy - who was initially similarly cold and complicated to Elizabeth Bennett - won the most votes overall, and has been voted the perfect fictional gentleman overall in the nationwide poll of British women. Jane Austen's upper-crust character, brought to life by actor Colin Firth in the 1995 hit BBC mini-series, was named number one by almost a third (29.60 per cent) of British women polled. He was followed by suave British spy James Bond (12.4 per cent), first made world famous by handsome Scot Sean Connery in the 1962 movie Dr. No. Five other actors went on to play the debonair secret agent, with Daniel Craig the latest with his most recent box office smash Skyfall. James Bond, most recently played by Daniel Craig, came in second with 12.4 per cent . And proof that women love a prince in . real life or fantasy, the stock character Prince Charming was third, . stealing one tenth of the vote. The research of 1,000 women across . the UK was commissioned by Johnson Cleaners in a bid to find who and . what makes a gentleman in both fiction and reality. While . noble Noah from tear-jerker The Notebook, played by the dishy Ryan . Gosling, was the most popular fictional gentleman with women under 25. Dashing Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice has been voted the perfect fictional gentleman overall . And a quarter of women of all ages told researchers they wished their partner or husband was more like their favourite celebrity gentleman. This rose to a third of women in Northern Ireland. Paul Ogle, MD of Johnson Cleaners, said: 'It is clear that many women love an old fashioned gentleman, either in fiction or reality. The qualities that make a gentleman are timeless and classic, just like the celebrities that came top of our research.' But this figure drops to five per cent of all women in the UK insisting the infamous Christian Grey . was their perfect fictional gent. But that’s still some 1.25million ladies. Noble Noah from The Notebook, played by dishy Ryan Gosling, was most popular with women under 25 . | Ryan Gosling's character in The Notebook voted top by women under 25 .
One quarter of women wish their partner was more like their fictional hero . |
102,477 | 100dcc50ee78785bd5f5962f06f1b6e154d7abf6 | (CNN) -- "In my old school, they used to beat people. Like you have to bring firewood in school, carry the water and you have to carry all of that and you have to be there early in the morning. If you're late, you'll be given a punishment, you'll be caned or sent home for a week." The memories of 13-year-old Rebecca Ikiru are crystal clear as she considers what her life was like before meeting Lee and Carole Johnson. Five years ago, she was living in an orphanage in Lodwar, the largest city in northern Kenya, and she wanted a better education than her circumstances provided. "I told them maybe if you take me to another school, maybe I can do better," Ikiru recalls. It was her request for a better school that sparked a direct change in the lives of the Johnsons, who are Georgia natives. It all began with Lee Johnson's first trip to Kenya as a volunteer. Eventually Carole joined him, and the pair spent time volunteering for the same orphanage where Ikiru lived. As their relationship with the children in Lodwar grew, so did their personal desire to help . "My husband and I both grew up in Georgia. My husband is from rural south Georgia, and I was from rural north Georgia, a very segregated society. We grew up during the Martin Luther King era, which changed our world. I never thought when I was a child growing up that I would ever be in, ever visit Africa much less come here as often as we do," Carole Johnson says. The Johnsons came to love each one of the six children who later came into their guardianship and a part of Kenya Education for Youth. "We were very concerned that as the children aged out of the orphanage that they would return to the same poverty that they came from, and along about this time, one of the older girls that we had a very close relationship with told us she wanted to go to a better school. So we looked at the public school that she went to and there were over 100 children in a classroom," Carole Johnson says. "We started looking into the schools for the children in Lodwar (Rebecca Ikiru, Monty Esibitar and Gershom Eurpe) that we thought would be good candidates, and about that time we met two other children (Ann Njoki and Cyrus Kirwa) who were extremely gifted. We just overnight had five children enrolled in Greensteads International School, which is in Nakuru. That was two years ago, and all five of the children are either competing (with) or exceeding the children of privilege who have been in this school for their entire education." A sixth child, 10-year-old Beryl Mudeshi, was recently added and attends Mt. Kenya Academy, which is a day school in the same town. In the past year, she has blossomed academically and loves karate. "I prayed to God that he might help me find a new school, a better one so that when I grow up, I can be a missionary and help the other children. I want to be a missionary because I just wanted to help the other kids how I was helped," Beryl says. Beryl lived in rural Lodwar before meeting the Johnsons and now says her prayers were answered. "The new school is good, it's better, it's awesome." Carole Johnson feels that the personal attention each child receives from their K.E.Y. sponsor is the literal key to each child's success. "What we think really makes a difference is not just putting these children in a private school and seeing them and looking at test grades, but we feel it's extremely important to provide mentors, people in the United States who care for these kids, who are willing to contact them either through e-mail, Facebook, other social media, visit, phone calls. We think that's what sets this program apart." Each of the K.E.Y. kids has a passion for learning. Beryl wants to become a missionary and help children like herself. Ann wants to be a forensic psychologist to better understand why people commit crimes. Gershom wants to make Kenya beautiful by becoming a civil engineer. Monty is passionate about aviation and wants to become a pilot. Rebecca would like to become a doctor. And Cyrus is planning to become a neurosurgeon. Carole Johnson says Kenya Education for Youth is committed to providing an education to each one, all the way through college graduation. High school seniors Ann and Cyrus are anxiously preparing for as their school year comes to an end. "We're testing some uncharted waters with the two older ones. We have schools in the U.S. that are interested in them, so at this point, we are perusing student visas, and they'll be taking the SAT in January just to see where they can go. That doesn't mean we would not consider university in Kenya, it just so happens that for both of them the education that they would need to pursue the vocation they want, they would have to go outside Kenya either to the UK or to the U.S. "And these children, the two older ones in particular, have never had the benefit of a family, and we would very selfishly like to have them in Georgia schools so they could spend their breaks with us and be part of a family because that's, I think in the end, what matters is to have the love." "We are a family. That is, yeah we come from far, we may be different biologically; but living together we embrace each other," Cyrus says with a smile. It's a sentiment echoed by each child, including 15-year-old Monty. "They're like my brothers and sisters, like a family." And 13-year-old Rebecca says, "I feel like they are my mommy and my daddy. The way they take care of me [is] like I'm their real daughter, and I'm so happy for that." It's a love that crosses two continents, an ocean and cultural barriers with an aim to impact the world one child at a time. | Growing up, Georgia natives Lee and Carole Johnson never imagined they would visit Africa .
The couple first traveled to Kenya to volunteer with children at an orphanage .
The Johnson's founded K.E.Y. to help the children transition to adulthood and out of poverty .
Providing high-quality education and personal mentors is central to the program's mission . |
131,416 | 35efe9653eaf3cd565ca1e980efc6363d9100416 | For all Anderson's faults, you can't knock his bravery. Before taking part in the ice bucket challenge last week, the Brazilian nominated his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson to suffer the same freezing fate. It raised a few nervous chuckles inside the Manchester United camp but it would have to be an icy day in hell before Ferguson accepts this challenge, especially from a player who has flopped so spectacularly. Ferguson had such sky-high hopes for Anderson. Back in 2007, he was going to be the new Roy Keane and the long-term replacement for Paul Scholes. Decline: Anderson tries to stem the flow of goals in Manchester United's 4-0 humiliation at MK Dons . Too little, too late: Anderson tries in vain to stop MK Dons' Will Grigg from scoring their second goal . Overpowered: The Brazilian, making a rare start for United, is outmuscled by Benik Afobe . Misery: Anderson (second right) looks disconsolate after MK Dons score their second goal . To borrow the words of Ferguson's scout brother Martin, he was set to be bigger than Wayne Rooney. He was destined to become an Old Trafford icon, it was inevitable. These promises were enough to persuade Ferguson to part with £27m. Rooney had cost just £20m, Cristiano Ronaldo £12m but Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira was tipped to rise above them both. Today, Anderson is still only 26 and United can't get rid of him quickly enough. There was a time when Anderson against Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas was the new Keane-Vieira and, often, the Brazilian was emphatically the victor. Now, he is being spun around in circles by League One defenders. On top: Anderson gets the better of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas during one of the battles between the pair . Better times: Anderson celebrates one of his two goals against Schalke in the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2011 . Power-packed: Anderson was once rated as a very promising player who would excel at United . Joined Manchester United for £27m in 2007 . Honours . Premier League (4): 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 . League Cup (2): 2008–09, 2009–10 . Champions League (1): 2007–08 . FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008 . FA Community Shield (2): 2011, 2013 . United and Anderson hit a new nadir in Tuesday night's 4-0 humbling at MK Dons and to say the player was ineffective was the understatement of the season. Over the course of the last seven years, Anderson has spiralled from one of the hottest properties in world football to an overweight laughing stock. It is one of the biggest falls from grace the English game has ever seen. The man has four Premier League winners' medals and lifted the Champions League in 2008, but nobody would deem his time at United a success. He should be in the prime of his career but looks like a man winding down in the twilight years. He is washed up, unloved and unwanted, with even a few months on loan at Fiorentina last season failing to revitalise him. Belly up: Anderson celebrates with Javier Hernandez. The Brazilian has been mocked for being overweight . Vulnerable: Anderson has suffered a succession of injuries that have checked his progress . Scuffle: Fighting with Mario Balotelli after Man City's triumph in the FA Cup semi-final in 2011 . Anderson is a lost talent and the Brazilian legend Tostao summed up his demise in a recent interview with FourFourTwo magazine. 'When [Brazilians] move to the Premier League, I think they become more disciplined, get to know the importance of the collective game and develop the tactical part. 'The point is to learn all this without losing technique. If they cannot do this, it's their fault. 'Anderson is a classic case. If you remember him as a young player, he was pretty much like Neymar, but after playing there he became predictable. 'But he's the only one to blame for this. It's not down to the Premier League.' Little wonder the Brazilian national team selectors turned their back on him six years ago, they could see any skill had been sacrificed and there wasn't a lot left. For someone billed as a devoted, box-to-box midfielder, it is surprising that fitness has been such an issue. In 71 starts for United, he has finished only 20 games. Benched: With Nani on the bench at Old Trafford. It has become a familiar vantage point for the Brazilian . Unwanted: David Moyes included Anderson in just eight games before sending him out on loan . Injuries to his knee, hamstring and calf have all struck over the last four seasons but, when fit, Anderson has been unwilling to put in the effort to try and impress. Ferguson gave up on him long before his retirement and David Moyes included him only eight times, usually in short cameos from the bench. Louis van Gaal has given every member of his squad a fair hearing but his inclusion at stadium:mk came only as a result of a debilitating injury crisis. Now the future is uncertain. Anderson is part of the deadwood the Dutchman wants off the wage bill, yet no one seems willing to take him. There was talk of a return to Fiorentina for another loan spell but their interest has cooled. United will listen to any offers. It is, alas, a classic case of massive potential unfulfilled. Anderson's nomination of Ferguson for the ice bucket challenge may well be the most memorable thing he does this season. Like our dedicated Manchester United Facebook page. Italian job: Anderson spent time on loan at Fiorentina last season . VIDEO Van Gaal blames injuries, errors and luck . | Anderson was again poor in Man United's 4-0 humbling at MK Dons .
The Brazilian, who cost United £27m in 2007, has long been in decline .
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Fiorentina .
Now, he is unwanted by Louis Van Gaal and his future is uncertain .
At 26, Anderson should be in the prime of his career .
But he looks destined to spend another season on the sidelines . |
192,493 | 853262d199c1e4a1e31a70b7bae604c6fdbaa131 | On the face of it, this Mako shark may not be the prettiest creature on the planet. But would you dare say it to its face? The Mako has a reputation as one of the deadliest and fastest sharks in the ocean and could certainly make its displeasure known if it wanted to. With its seemingly lifeless eyes and terrifyingly sharp teeth the Mako has been known to stalk its prey at lightning speeds of almost 100kmh - and has even been known to attack humans. But Mexican photographer and diver Gerardo del Villar has set out to prove that the world's 'deadliest' sharks are misunderstood - by taking these stunning pictures of the shark without the protection of a cage in a bid to save the species from overfishing. Scroll down for video . The Mako shark may not be the most beautiful creature in the ocean but former matador turned photographer Gerardo del Villar is smitten . Coming this close to a bull shark would scare many of us, but Gerardo del Villar's previous career as a matador is sure to help with any nerves . Del Villar's photos, including this scarred Great White, were borne out of a desire 'to prove sharks are predators whom are wrongly tagged as killers' The photographer caught this Bull shark mid-snack during his underwater photo sessions . At up to 10 ft in length and weighing in up to a hefty 135kg, the Shortfin Mako, sometimes described as the 'peregrine falcon' of the shark world because of its speed, will not hesitate to attack especially when provoked. The shark has even been known to break free of fishing lines and try its best to attack fishermen attempting to catch it, battering their boat and sometimes leaping out of the water up to an impressive 20ft. The sharks are mainly found in relatively warm water most commonly in the Atlantic from Argentina to the Gulf of Mexico. Though they are often seen hunting around the surface, they can live at depths of up to 490ft and have a distinct advantage over their prey because their body temperature is seven to 10 Celsius warmer than the temperature of the water. But even though they are renowned for being incredible hunters, numbers of the species are diminishing because they are often the target of fishermen hoping to catch them for their lean meat and fins which are used for medicinal purposes in some cultures. Gerardo del Villar, who faced down more than 600 bulls in a 10-year career as a matador in Mexico, took these magnificent snaps to raise awareness of overfishing. As well as the Mako, Gerardo also got up close and personal with the Bull Shark, Great Whites, Sand Tigers, Oceania White Tips and the Blue shark. Sand Tiger sharks are among the creatures snapped by Del Villar, who wants to 'help create a culture that cares for and protects different species of sharks' A Bull shark faces up to Gerardo del Villar as he and another diver explore the waters off Mexico . An Oceanic White Tip shark swims despite a large injury to the side of its mouth . A Bull shark devours its dinner as its rows of teeth are on show for the camera . He said: 'I want to demonstrate to the rest of . the world that sharks are not killing machines and help create a culture . that cares for and protects different species of sharks. 'I . want to prove sharks are predators whom are wrongly tagged as killers, . they are everything but. Most of the shark attacks on humans, are caused . out of identity confusion.' Earlier this month, American . scientists claimed that sharks could face extinction if overfishing . continues with up to 100 million being killed each year. Because sharks take a long time to grow and reproduce slowly, they fear that some species could be wiped out altogether. Gerardo del Villar is no stranger to facing ferocious creatures. He faced down more than 600 bulls in a 10-year career as a matador in Mexico. He suffered nine broken ribs, a . dislocated shoulder, two fractures of the sternum, two horn stabbings, a . collapsed lung and a host of other bumps and scrapes from his time in . the ring. But fearless Del . Villar combined his passions for scuba diving and photography and . decided to dive with the 10 most dangerous sharks in the world without a . cage to highlight how misunderstood they are. A Blue shark is unperturbed by the presence of Gerardo del Villar and his diving mate . Del Villar dives without a cage to show how misunderstood 'killer' sharks, such as this Tiger shark, are . Gerardo del Villar has swapped his matador's chaquetilla (jacket) for breathing apparatus and a camera to try to change the perception of sharks as being dangerous . The bizarre flesh-like stripes hanging from the fin of the Mako shark (pictured) are likely to be parasitic copepods. There are some 1,700 species and most of the small crustaceans belong in the sea or freshwater habitat. Many of them are host specific meaning that they can only latch on to one type of creature, while others have a limited number of potential hosts. Some of the species are able to move about their host body, while some penetrate so deeply that they are permanently attached to the host. The usual size of an adult copepod is between one and two millimetres long, but some can be as small as 0.2mm in length. The longest copepods can grow up to 10mm long. They are an important part of the aquatic food chain linking microscopic algal cells to juvenile fish to other creatures the size of a whale. Copepods have a variety of sensory capabilities. The most noteworthy are bristle-like setae that act as mechanoreceptors responding to flow that causes bending. An array of such sensors allows detection of patterns of water flow around the body caused by approaching prey or predator, and the copepod can distinguish between the two. The sensors are highly specialized for sensitivity and the nerves are even myelinated for fast conduction. | Former matador Gerardo del Villar takes the stunning up-close pictures WITHOUT the protection of a cage .
Del Villar wants to save 'misunderstood' sharks from overfishing through his pictures, taken off the coast of Mexico . |
68,660 | c2b9655f6d9261d7dee6c109a32fc3409e98943a | Featherstone have signed Samoa forward Reni Maitua on a two-year deal from the Canterbury Bulldogs. The 32-year-old has 174 NRL appearances to his name and his signature is a real statement of intent from Rovers ahead of a season which sees promotion to the Super League back on the agenda. 'This is a massive signing for Featherstone Rovers,' said coach Andy Hay. Reni Maitua (right) has signed for Featherstone Rovers from the Canterbury Bulldogs on a two-year deal . Maitua has played three times for the Samoa national side and has also played for Cronulla and Parramatta . 'His playing record speaks for itself and he brings a wealth of experience to our dressing room.' Three-cap international Maitua started out with Canterbury and then had spells with Cronulla and Parramatta before going back to the Bulldogs. He made 13 appearances for them in 2014. | Featherstone Rovers are targeting promotion to the Super League .
They have signed forward Reni Maitua on a two-year deal from Canterbury .
The 32-year-old has also played for Cronulla and Parrametta . |
39,935 | 70b88d40744ff35bc0fb68c0f7ed4350a1b3eded | Gwyneth Paltrow has had her Hollywood home targeted with a series of anti-Obama posters ahead of a fundraiser that the actress is holding for the president on Thursday evening. The signs, including one featuring an image of Paltrow with the phrase 'Obama drone' on it, are the work of an artist called Sabo who creates street art with a clear Republican slant under the name Unsavoryagents. The 42-year old actress got full view of the posters as she arrived home on Wednesday. They’ve been plastered to electricity boxes and hung over the road for everyone to see around her upscale neighborhood of Mandeville Canyon, Brentwood. Scroll down for video . Gwyneth Paltrow has had her Hollywood home targeted with a series of anti-Obama posters ahead of a fundraiser that the actress is holding for the president on Thursday evening . Happy to be home? The actress didn't look best pleased to discover that her L.A. home has been surrounded by highly critical posters of her and President Obama . Another poster depicts an image of the President that has been ripped down the middle to separate him from the American flag and features Gwyneth's infamous phrase 'conscious uncoupling' on it. The @unsavoryagents Twitter account tweeted a picture of the Paltrow poster earlier this month along with the text: 'Party at Paltrow's place!!! God I wish we would do somethign to shut this thing down.' On Tuesday Sabo also tweeted that he was seeking ‘a face painter who’s willing to work for free ASAP for the Paltrow project.’ A section of Sunset Boulevard will be closed for Thursday's high-profile event, which is slated to attract some of the entertainment industry’s most prominent names. Close to home: The parody posters have been put up around Gwyneth's home and one lampoons her infamous 'conscious uncoupling' phrase . President Obama boards Air Force One prior to departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to travel on a three-day trip to California for economic events and to attend fundraisers such as that being held by Paltrow . The President was pictured leaving the White House earlier on Thursday to fly to California. He is scheduled to spend the next three days in the state attending economic events and Democratic National Committee fundraisers. Ticket prices for the event at Paltrow's home range from $1,000 to over $32,000. Sabo’s art is reminiscent of acclaimed street artist Banksy and Shepard Fairey, who designed the 2008 Obama Hope poster, although Unsavoryagents’ artwork has a very clear Republican message. For the last 15 years, the L.A-based artist says he has been creating works in an effort to be 'the other voice.' 'The left is constantly telling people that anyone (who is not left) is bigoted or misogynist,' he told Fox News. 'All of the voices (at art school) are leftist… The Republicans have a great story with no one to tell it.' Statement: The posters have been put up to coincide with a Democratic fundraiser happening at Paltrow's place on Thursday . According to the Unsavory Agents Facebook page, the company’s mission is not only to 'let the art world know that the left-wing will no longer hold art hostage' but to 'get more non-leftists interested and to participate in the arts.' 'Our art is politically minded, right-wing centric, brutal, street level, and hard edge,' the page reads. 'Our means are achieved by any creative means necessary.' Previous targets have included Jon Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson and Alec Baldwin. Paltrow is a long-standing Democrat supporter and was even an active member of Democrats Abroad when she lived in London with ex-husband Chris Martin. She previously hosted a re-election fundraiser for Obama in 2012. Is this Sabo? According to his Facebook page his mission is to 'get more non-leftists interested and to participate in the arts' | The star's Hollywood home has been targeted with anti-Obama posters ahead of fundraiser being attended by the president on Thursday night .
Posters are the work of a Republican artist called Sabo .
One poster features an image of Paltrow with the phrase 'Obama drone', while another uses her infamous 'conscious uncoupling' phrase .
Tickets for the Democratic National Committee event range from $1,000 to over $32,000 . |
20,583 | 3a654868f02f66576f6029bfe7e3bcf0977f76c1 | Amanda Todd,15, was found dead on last October after she killed herself to escape cyber bullies . An arrest has been made in the Netherlands in the case of a Canadian teenager who was blackmailed to expose herself in front of a webcam, Canadian police confirmed on Thursday. The 15-year-old girl, Amanda Todd, later committed suicide after detailing her harassment on a YouTube video watched by millions around the world. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Insp. Paulette Freill said a suspect has been arrested in the Netherlands and charged with extortion, luring and criminal harassment and possession of child pornography for the purpose of distribution. Police did not release the name of the 35-year-old man and declined to release specifics of the case but said there were other victims in Canada and internationally. Dutch prosecutors said the man is suspected of blackmailing girls in the U.S., Britain and the Netherlands. Canadian police said they would seek extradition. Amanda Todd brought the problem of cyber bullying to mainstream attention in Canada after she posted a video on YouTube in which she told her story with handwritten signs, describing how she was lured by a stranger to expose her breasts on a webcam. The picture ended up on a Facebook page made by the stranger, to which her friends were added. Haunting: Amanda posted a nine-minute video explaining her longstanding bullying on a series of notecards . Depressing: The story reveals that she previously tried to kill herself twice and is receiving help . She was repeatedly bullied, despite changing schools, before finally killing herself weeks after posting the video. It has now been viewed more than 17 million times. ‘This is truly a day we have been waiting for,’ said Carol Todd, Amanda's mother. She wiped away tears as she thanked police. Dutch prosecutors said they filed indecent assault and child pornography charges against the man. Lawyer Christian van Dijk earlier confirmed that one of the charges against his client involved a 15-year-old girl from British Columbia. Todd was repeatedly bullied, despite changing schools, before finally killing herself weeks after posting the video . The suspect, who has dual Dutch and Turkish nationality, has been in detention since he was arrested in January in a vacation house the town of Oisterwijk. He lived alone, and has no wife or children. Prosecutors first publicized his case after a preliminary hearing on Wednesday at which his detention was extended for three months. ‘The suspicions against the man are that he approached underage girls via the Internet and then seduced them into performing sexual acts in front of a webcam,’ prosecutors said in a statement. ‘He is suspected of subsequently pressurizing them to participate in making new material.’ Suicide: Todd was found hanged in her home on October 10 - just one month before her 16th birthday . They noted the suspect is also thought to have blackmailed adult men in a somewhat similar way, by convincing them that he was an underage boy, convincing them to perform sexual acts on camera, and then threatening to turn the images over to the police. Lawyer Van Dijk said he doesn't believe prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict his client, and said that even if there is evidence of unlawful activity on his computer, it may have been hacked. ‘Prosecutors seem to think they have a big fish here, but if I see the evidence, it's not much,’ he said. ‘Lots of references to IP addresses and such.’ Dutch prosecutors said they were cooperating with other national authorities, including the British.Van Dijk said U.S. and Norwegian authorities are also involved in the case. He said no country has sought to have his client extradited, and so far he hasn't entered any plea.‘He's exercising his right to remain silent.’ | Police have confirmed that a Dutch/Turkish national has been arrested in the case of a Canadian teenage who was blackmailed to expose herself .
Amanda Todd, 15, killed herself last October after detailing her harassment on a YouTube video watched by millions .
The unnamed man has been charged with extortion, luring and criminal harassment and possession of child pornography .
He is suspected of blackmailing girls in Britain, the U.S. and the Netherlands .
Canadian police plan to seek extradition to bring him to trial . |
210,625 | 9cc8bbebde113db437e93c535ad7aa2420e97b6c | By . Michael Zennie . A Philadelphia community college was thrown into chaos and had to be evacuated on Wednesday after a student pulled a gun on a classmate - and police have revealed it was all because of a fight over a woman. Authorities arrested Ryan Fitch, 23, on the campus of the Community College of Philadelphia after he allegedly threatened a classmate for a comment he made about Fitch's girlfriend. The weapon caused panic in the chemistry classroom - that spread to students across the campus. Busted: Ryan Fitch, 23, is pictured here being carried away from the Community College of Philadelphia in handcuffs after allegedly pulling a handgun on a classmate . Chaos: Students were forced to evacuate two buildings on campus and nearby schools went into lock down as officers searched for Fitch . Two buildings were evacuated and nearby schools were placed on lock down while police searched for Fitch. 'It was chaos!' student Elisha Buckingham told WCAU-TV. Buckingham said she and her classmates locked the door to their classroom and pushed the desks against the door to barricade themselves inside. Many students feared an active shooter scenario and were especially on alert after last week's rampage near the University of California at Santa Barbara. She and others at the community college are furious that administrators waited 19 minutes to send out an emergency alert - after many of them had heard about the incident from social media and news reports. The incident was reportedly over this woman, Fitch's girlfriend. She refused to speak to the media . 'Any moment, a student or a staff member could have walked into a situation and had no clue what they were getting themselves into. 'Even though people on the outside knew, but we didn't want we were in the situation.' Fitch's step-mother told WCAU she is shocked by the allegations and called Fitch 'a good guy.' Fitch was licensed to carry the gun, but the Community College of Philadelphia bans weapons on their campus - making the weapon illegal to even possess. | Ryan Fitch allegedly pulled out a gun in a chemistry class at the Community College of Philadelphia .
Students barricaded themselves inside their classrooms, fearing a mass shooting . |
197,986 | 8c485a062fcf6c737cf82c13996029d389b518d9 | Captain Henry 'Rocky' Skillern, 63, suffered a heart attack . Plane from Houston to Seattle made an emergency landing in Idaho . Mandatory retirement age for pilots is 65 . Army resident on the plane who attempted CPR estimated his weight at over 300lbs . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:31 EST, 27 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:51 EST, 28 September 2013 . A United Airlines flight had to be diverted after its '300lb' captain suffered a fatal heart attack late Thursday night, forcing an off-duty pilot to take over control of the plane. The Seattle-bound flight 1603 from Houston had to make an emergency landing in Boise airport with the help of an off-duty pilot - who just happened to be a passenger on the plane - while others stepped in to help a doctor performing CPR. Captain Henry Rockwell Skillern, of Humble, Texas was still alive when he arrived at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center but later died, spokeswoman Jennifer Krajnik said on Friday. Sad passing: Captain Henry Skillern, 63, was identified as the United Airlines pilot who died from a heart attack mid-flight . Emergency: A Seattle-bound United Airlines flight had to be diverted to Boise airport after its captain suffered a fatal heart attack last night . Passenger Ken Martin told Seattle TV . station KOMO that a first-year resident doctor sitting next to him . volunteered to help perform CPR. She was one of two Army radiology residents on the flight who tried to save the captain. She told Martin the pilot appeared to . weigh over 300lbs and was taken from the cockpit into the first . class cabin where the CPR was performed. Globe-trotter: Skillern, better known to his loved ones as 'Rocky,' married 49-year-old Miranda Moris in September 2007 and lived for a time in Mexico . She was visibly upset, Martin told KOMO, when she returned to her seat as they could not revive him. Two Madigan . Army Medical Center doctors onboard performed CPR, according to Jay Ebbeson, a . spokesman for the hospital at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Ebberson said the two are captains and radiology residents who were . returning to the base near Tacoma, Wash., from a medical course at Fort Sam . Houston in San Antonio. As the medical emergency unfolded somewhere in the skies between Houston and Seattle, the plane's first officer gave air traffic controllers an update on the situation. ‘We got a man down, chest compressions going on right now,’ the crew member said over the radio. ‘I'm not sure too much right now on status.’ United Airlines spokeswoman Christen David said another off-duty United Airlines pilot was onboard and helped land the plane. Despite the emergency, passenger Bryant Magill described a calm scene on-board. 'I'm really impressed with all the . flight attendants,' Magill told KOMO. 'They kept themselves calm. They . kept it professional. There was no panic on the plane.' 'I am sad to confirm that our . co-worker passed away last night. Our thoughts are with his family at . this time,' Miss David said in an email. The coroner indicated that Mr Skillern died from an acute myocardial infraction and listed the cause of death as natural, the station KBOI2 reported. Another off-duty United pilot was onboard and helped land the plane, David said. Pilots are required to get medical . certificates that show they don't have major heart problems, according . to the Federal Aviation Administration website. In 2007, the mandatory pilot retirement age was raised from 60 to 65. Emergency: There were 161 passengers and six crew members on board United Airlines Flight 1603 on Thursday night who departed Boise Airport for Seattle just before midnight . FAA regulations call for a medical examination every six months for pilots over age 40 and annual EKG tests after they turn 40. There . were 161 passengers and six crew members on board the flight, which . then left Boise Airport for Seattle just before midnight. According to online records, Henry Rockwell Skillern, better known to his loved ones as 'Rocky,' married 49-year-old Miranda Moris in September 2007. His tragic death comes only a week after the couple's six-year anniversary. His Google+ account indicates that Mr Skillern graduated from University of Texas at Austin and lived for a time in Acapulco, Mexico. | Captain Henry 'Rocky' Skillern, 63, suffered a heart attack .
Plane from Houston to Seattle made an emergency landing in Idaho .
Off-duty United pilot on board the plane took control and landed aircraft .
Mandatory retirement age for pilots is 65 .
Army resident on the plane who attempted CPR estimated his weight at over 300lbs . |
276,063 | f1ae8f2356a9b7419c98d8b2210cc5beb5376480 | By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 04:48 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 16 October 2013 . Holidaymakers and business travellers faced travel chaos after heavy rain caused a power cut at one of the country's busiest airports. Frantic airport staff were forced to use flipboards as make-shift departure boards after the power went out at Gatwick's busy South Terminal, used by thousands of passengers every day. Workers also had to use megaphones instead of tannoy announcements after the power to the terminal's check-in, baggage systems and parts of the . departure lounge was cut off. Fog on the Tyne: Commuters on their way to work this morning in Newcastle were met with the Tyne's legendary fog which descended on the city . Hard work: The early start can't have been much fun for these hard-working rowers as they battled through the misty Cam . London fog: Commuters stroll across Westminster Bridge in London through the heavy fog . Early theories suggested that heavy rain could have caused a short circuit at the airport. A . statement from Gatwick said: 'We are currently experiencing a . power outage affecting some operational systems in the South Terminal. 'Unfortunately this is causing some delays for passengers and we apologise for any inconvenience this is causing. 'We are working to fix the problem and looking at what contingencies we can put in place in the meantime to minimise disruption. 'We . advise all passengers scheduled to fly out of the South Terminal today . to check the status of the flight with their airline first and check the . flight information on our website. 'We are also advising passengers to expect some delays.' One passenger, Lance Price, tweeted: 'Chaos at Gatwick. Water got into the electrics, power out and no flights going anywhere. Announcements via megaphone and a whiteboard!' Another tweet, from a Sandy Holford, said: 'Complete bedlam at Gatwick, almost all systems down and those that are up show the wrong info.' Other passengers took to Twitter to describe their various predicaments. Ian Graham said: 'Just back from Croatia and stuck on plane due to flooding and power cut at Gatwick.' Adrian Simpsonwrote: 'You can add rain to the list of things that @Gatwick-Airport can't handle. Stuck in plane with airport flooded and no power. Fun.' Sunny start: The glorious sunrise over Hogganfield Loch near Glasgow after a cold night in Scotland where temperatures were close to zero . Shepherd's warning? Swans enjoy the sunrise at Hogganfield Loch, although Scotland was set for chilly temperatures and rain . Birds of a feather: Pigeons bask in the early morning sunrise near Glasgow after the cold night . Air passengers had already faced long . delays and cancellations after most of the country was coated in a . blanket of thick early-morning fog. The . poor visibility led to disruption at Gatwick, as well as at Heathrow and London City airports, with British Airways among the many airlines affected. The . weather was set to bring more woe over the course of the day, with . heavy rain due to sweep across the country as autumn set in. Heathrow said that BA had been forced to cancel seven flights at Heathrow because of the fog. 'There's . been fog this morning and there has been some disruption to flights at . Heathrow, London City and Gatwick,' said a spokesman from the airline. Passengers were being advised to check on their flight status at London City Airport with some journeys facing delays. A London City spokesman said: 'Due to . low visibility this morning, flights to/from London City Airport are . experiencing disruptions. 'Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for more information.' Meanwhile, on the railways, a freight train derailment meant disruption to all routes running through Gloucester. This was affecting passengers travelling with the Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry and First Great Western train companies. And rail commuters were left facing disruptions for the remainder of the week, with engineers predicting that repairs to the line may not be completed until Sunday. Walkers on Parliament Hill this . morning were left shrouded in mist, while the iconic Tyne Bridge in . Newcastle was also coated in the celebrated 'fog on the Tyne'. Forecast: A band of heavy rain will sweep across the UK in a north-easterly direction, while tomorrow will be dry in England and Wales . Row your boat: Rowers make their way through the fog on the River Cam in Cambridge . Cold snap: Many Brits woke to a misty and foggy start this morning as the Autumn days set in . Lucky break: These rowers will be glad they took the the water early as rain is expected across much of the country . Bicycle race: This young family took to the banks of the River Cam by bike . The River Cam in the university city of . Cambridge was shrouded with mist as rowers practised on the water, . whilst drivers on the busy A14 faced foggy conditions as they drove to . work. Weather forecasters . were predicting that this morning's fog would make way for a band of . heavy rain and strong winds, set to sweep across the country from . Cornwall and up in a north-easterly direction. 'We have got a front moving across the country today,' said a Met Office spokesman. 'It's moving from the south towards the north east. 'We have got a line of wet and . windy weather moving across the country, it has been moving up through . the South West this morning, there has been heavy rain, a lot of cloud . and a bit of fog around.' Despite the chilly start, experts at the Met Office were predicting warmer temperatures for later in the day. However, while the south will become brighter and . milder as the fog clears, the North was set to remain grey, cold and windy . with some heavy rain showers. Morning view: A dog walker on a fog covered Parliament Hill in Hampstead, London . One man and his dog: A runner takes on the thick fog on Parliament Hill as poor visibility meant traffic chaos . An eerie start: Temperatures took a dip this morning with the foggy start, although Thursday is set to be warmer . 'As the rain and fog clears, coming up behind it is a brighter forecast with warmer temperatures of around 16 to 18 degrees across the south of the country where it will be a bit warmer. 'Once it has moved through we will see some sun and windy showers across the south west and Wales, the front is moving quite slowly - it won't rush through as it moves across north Wales and the North East. 'Northern Scotland will stay fairly cold and cloudy and will get a little bit colder as the front moves across.' Tomorrow (Thurs) northern areas are due to stay cloudy with outbreaks of rain and a chance of wintry showers . in the Scottish mountains. The rest of the country is set to see a mix of . locally heavy showers and sunny spells, with temperatures slightly . higher than average in some places with highs of 18C. The mild weather will remain on Friday and into the weekend, with highs of 19C on Saturday. Friday and Saturday are expected to be a mix of clear and bright spells and scattered showers. Misty morning: Heavy fog meant traffic in Hampstead, north London was shrouded in mist, while poor weather caused delays and cancellations at major UK airports . No ray of light: Forecasters were predicting that this morning's fog, pictured in north London, would be followed by heavy rain . Commuter trek: Drivers on the A14 in Cambridge faced foggy conditions as they made their way to work . | Rain blamed for power cut at Gatwick .
Power to South Terminal's check-in and baggage systems cut off .
Staff use flipboards as make-shift departure board .
Passengers had already faced long delays at airports due to fog .
Fog gives way to heavy rain sweeping across UK . |
215,856 | a368bf2d53c2a30fe683761677d69946dec5e824 | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 09:36 EST, 29 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:08 EST, 29 July 2013 . A schoolgirl from Wales has become the first child in the world to be diagnosed with two different types of leukaemia. Lauryn Robinson, seven, suffers from what doctors term as 'Dual Hit Leukaemia'. She suffers from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia as well as Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Doctors treating Lauryn at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital are having to treat her cautiously because they have never seen a case like hers before. Lauryn Robinson is thought to be the only girl in the world suffering from Double Hit Leukaemia, meaning she is suffering from two different type of the disease. She needs a bone marrow donor to come forward urgently . Lauryn's mother Emma, 34, said: 'We had never even heard of Dual-Hit Leukaemia but that's what the doctors told us she has. 'Lauryn's condition is so rare that doctors are taking her treatment one step at a time - it is new ground for them. 'They are consulting with experts up and down the country because they've never seen this in a child before.' Lauryn was classed as a fit and healthy seven-year-old until March this year when her parents noticed her face seemed swollen one day after school. Lauryn was classed as a fit and healthy seven-year-old before she started to exhibit strange symptoms . Lauryn's mother Emma (pictured) said her condition is so rare that doctors are taking Lauren's treatment one step at a time. She said: 'They are consulting with experts up and down the country because they've never seen this in a child before' Dual Hit Leukaemia is the term used when a person develops two types of leukaemia at the same time. It is incredibly rare and has only ever been recorded in a couple of hundred people in medical history. It is estimated that the risk of developing the condition is one in two billion. When her eyes became puffy and raised they took her to the family GP who referred her to hospital. Tests were carried out and doctors diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia which affects hundreds of children every year. However, the chemotherapy made her condition worse and caused Lauryn to suffer from seizures and a mini-stroke. More tests were then carried out and doctors discovered only-child Lauryn also has Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, another type of leukaemia. The chances of developing Double Hit Leukemia is so rare that it affects only one in two billion people. Emma, 34, said: 'She's still really young so we've tried to protect her to some extent. But she knows that she is poorly and that she needs lots of rest and medicine to get better.' In March this year Lauryn's parents noticed her face seemed swollen one day after school. When her eyes became puffy and raised they took her to the family GP who referred her to hospital . Tests were carried out and doctors diagnosed Lauryn with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia which affects hundreds of children every year. But strangely, chemotherapy made her condition worse and caused Lauryn to suffer from seizures and a mini-stroke. sh was later diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma . Lauryn is undergoing treatment at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital where her mum and dad Emma and Andrew, are keeping a bedside vigil. Emma said: 'Lauryn has stayed so upbeat throughout her treatment. 'Our focus is getting her cancer into remission with chemo so that she's ready to receive a bone marrow transplant when the time comes.' Lauryn has stayed upbeat throughout her treatment. Doctors want to get her cancer into remission with chemotherapy so that she can receive a bone marrow transplant when the time comes. They are desperately seeking donors . Emma and Andrew have both had their bone-marrow tested but neither is a match for Lauryn and there is no exact match for her on the worldwide bone marrow register.But the pair, from Mold, North Wales, are hoping that if more people sign up to the register a perfect match can be found. School secretary Emma said: 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere but by my daughter's side. 'She . still smiles her way through every day. Me and her dad are so proud of . our brave girl. Her dad works in the week but rushes to be with us . evenings and weekends. Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research said that only a couple of hundred cases worldwide have been reported in medical journals of adults being treated for dual-hit leukaemia-lymphoma. Lauryn, as a child, is a first . 'All my energy is spent getting Lauryn better. She asks when she can do back to school and it breaks my heart that I don't know. 'We desperately need people to register as blood and bone marrow donors. 'If the word spreads far and wide enough . then hopefully, God willing, there will be a match for Lauryn and we . can get back to normality.' Ken Campbell, clinical information . officer at Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research said: 'Only a couple of . hundred cases worldwide have been reported in medical journals of adults . treated for dual-hit leukaemia-lymphoma. Mother Emma said that Lauryn (pictured before becoming ill) keeps asking when she will be able to return to school and that it breaks her heart she cannot tell her when or if she will return . 'To the best of our knowledge Lauryn is the first child ever to have been diagnosed with this incredibly rare type of blood cancer.' Ann O'Leary, Head of Register Development for Anthony Nolan, said: 'A bone marrow transplant can be the last chance of survival for someone with blood cancer. 'But sadly we can only find a suitable donor for around half of those who need one. 'We urgently need more people to join the register and help give blood cancer patients like Lauryn the chance of a future.' | Lauryn Robinson, seven, has been diagnosed with two types of leukaemia .
Originally diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia but doctors later realised she also suffered with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma .
She is the first child in the world to suffer from Dual Hit Leukaemia, which is so rare it has only been diagnosed around 200 times medical history .
Once she goes into remission she will need a bone marrow transplant .
Mother Emma, 34, is urging more people to sign up to become a donor . |
267,454 | e65e76bd03488866c1997a8622749489f923fe95 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:13 EST, 10 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 10 February 2014 . A basejumper has captured the stomach-churning moment he launched himself off a 5,000ft high cliff, and filmed it using a handheld camera. Daredevil Chris McDougall films his rapid descent to the ground as he plummets through the air - holding the camera steady the whole while. The thrilling result allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the fall and appreciate the incredible views as they watch Mr McDougall, 37, plunge towards the ground. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . This is the stomach churning footage filmed by basejumper Chris McDougall as he threw himself off a 5,000ft high cliff . The footage was filmed on a handheld camera by the daredevil, allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in the fall and appreciate the incredible views as they watch him plunge towards the ground . Extreme sports enthusiast Chris, completed his first base jump from the West Gate Bridge in his hometown of Melbourne Australia in 1997 and has been hooked ever since . Mr McDougall said he films his jumps to remember his experience and help him improve on his technique . The extreme sports enthusiast completed his first base jump from the West Gate Bridge in his hometown of Melbourne Australia in 1997 and has been hooked ever since. He said he films his jumps to remember his experience and help him improve on his technique. This particular footage was captured on a 1600metre jump in France. Mr McDougall said: 'I was a surfer, skateboarder and then I just went to do one skydive and that skydive changed my life forever, I then did my first basejump and have never looked back. Mr McDougall - who has also been a surfer and a skateboarder - captured this particular footage on a 1600 metre jump in France. He said one skydive changed his life forever . Mr McDougall said that as this jump was quite technical, he 'stayed quite high' for the wing suit base jump . 'What I love about basejumping is the friendships, the exotic locations and being responsible for your own destiny and the freedom. 'With every single jump I do, I am super scared but fear is your friend in this sport if you use it correctly. 'This particular jump was in France, it was my first time on this jump, it is quite technical that is why I stayed so high off the ground so I could check everything out. 'It is a very beautiful place, the jump went perfect and I was very happy. 'I film most of my jumps, it provides memories and it is a learning tool to get better at the sport.' | Daredevil Chris McDougall films his rapid descent to the ground as he plummets through the air from cliff in France .
Thrilling result allows viewer to immerse themselves in fall .
and appreciate the incredible views as he plunges down .
Said he films his jumps to remember experience and help improve on his technique, then uploads to YouTube channel . |
270,088 | e9caebb95b2eea0781d84ba1cbad985c51dc2da0 | (CNN) -- Nigeria's state oil company rejected criticism from a leading human rights group Wednesday, calling an Amnesty International report "inaccurate." File image of Shell's oil and gas terminal on Bonny Island in southern Nigeria's Niger Delta. "We have issues with the report," said Levi Ajuonoma, a spokesman for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Amnesty said Tuesday that pollution and environmental impacts from the oil industry in the Niger Delta are creating a "human rights tragedy" in which local people suffer poor health and loss of livelihood. Governments and oil companies are failing to be accountable for the problems, Amnesty said in its report, called "Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta." But the state oil company said it was local communities who cause much of the environmental damage by vandalizing pipelines for monetary gain. "We take environmental damage very seriously," Ajuonoma said. "Pipeline damage is a major cause of pollution," he argued, blaming "communities who... vandalize pipelines and make claims on the oil company operating in the area." Amnesty leveled a wide range of charges in its report. "People living in the Niger Delta have to drink, cook with and wash in polluted water," said Audrey Gaughran, who co-authored the report. "They eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins -- if they are lucky enough to be able to still find fish. The land they farm on is being destroyed. "After oil spills, the air they breathe smells of oil, gas and other pollutants. People complain of breathing problems and skin lesions, and yet neither the government nor the oil companies monitor the human impacts of oil pollution." The report looks at oil spills, gas flaring, waste dumping and other environmental impacts from the oil industry. The majority of the evidence in the report relates to Shell, the main oil company operating in the region. "Despite its public claims to be a socially and environmentally responsible corporation, Shell continues to directly harm human rights through its failure to adequately prevent and mitigate pollution and environmental damage in the Niger Delta," Gaughran said. A Shell spokesman said the company shares Amnesty's concern for the people in the Niger Delta but disputes the group's assessment of its corporate accountability. "We feel that the root causes of the Niger Delta's humanitarian issues are poverty, corruption, crime, militancy, and violence. This report does not acknowledge these issues to any substantive degree, but concentrates on oil and gas issues in isolation, and as such, its value is limited," said a spokesman at the company's headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, who asked not to be identified per company policy. "This report brings no new insights or analysis to help oil companies such as SPDC improve managing the issues of the Niger Delta," the Shell spokesman said. "Instead, in parts it draws wide-ranging and superficial conclusions from a number of these deeply complex issues, offering little underlying analysis to support those conclusions." SPDC is the Shell Petroleum Development Company, the national oil and gas company in Nigeria. Shell owns a 30-percent stake in the company while the Nigerian government owns 55 percent. The Niger Delta is a region in Nigeria consisting of nine oil-producing states. It has a land area of about 46,500 square miles (75,000 square km) -- about the same size as the Czech Republic or the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). An area of rich biological diversity, the region contains the world's third-largest wetland with the most extensive freshwater swamp forest, according to the UNDP. More than half the area contains creeks and small islands, while the rest is rainforest, the UNDP says. At the same time, the Niger Delta produces the oil wealth that accounts for the bulk of Nigeria's foreign earnings, the UNDP says. Amnesty says the majority of people living in the Niger Delta depend on the natural environment for their food and livelihood, particularly through agriculture and fisheries. Shell said it is not responsible for some 80 percent of the pollution in the oil-rich area, because that pollution is the result of attacks and sabotage of Shell operations in the Niger Delta. "Over the past four weeks alone we had eight attacks," he said. "These attacks had a substantial impact on the environment, and assets, and most importantly for the people that live and work there." About 85 percent of the oil spills from Shell operations are the result of attacks and sabotage, he said. Nigeria's main militant group, the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on the region's oil infrastructure in recent months. MEND said Sunday it had attacked an offshore facility and that it was engulfed in flames. Last week, the group said it had destroyed a pipeline owned and operated by the Italian gas company Agip. Also last week, MEND claimed to have destroyed Shell's main trunk line in Bayelsa state and a Chevron oil station in the region. MEND demands that more of Nigeria's oil wealth be invested in the Niger Delta instead of enriching those whom the militants consider to be corrupt politicians. Last year, a series of MEND attacks forced Nigeria to cut its oil exports by as much as 40 percent. Amnesty's report acknowledged that armed groups and communities have worsened the pollution problem by vandalizing oil infrastructure or stealing oil, but it said the scale of the problem is not clear. Shell said plans are under way to deal with the problem of gas flaring, which happens when crude oil is brought to the surface along with the large volumes of gas that have been trapped with it. The gas used to be burned off safely in a process called flaring, but that process is now considered a waste of resources and revenue for the government, Shell says. A $3 billion program to reduce the gas flares has already been able to cut them by 30 percent, the company said. The Amnesty report also pointed the finger at governments and said they have failed to be held accountable for the situation of the people. The Niger Delta covers 185 different local government areas, according to the United Nations Development Program. "The government must address the human impact of oil industry pollution," said Gaughran, of Amnesty. "They have a duty to protect their citizens from human rights abuse or harm by businesses and they are failing in that duty." Shell supports "collaborative solutions" between communities, governments, corporations and non-profit groups as the only way to address the problems listed in the Amnesty report, the spokesman said. "The SPDC definitely shares Amnesty International's concern that the people in the Niger Delta haven't benefited from the extraction of the oil and gas as they should," the spokesman said, "but this has been the opinion of the SPDC for a number of years." CNN's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report. | Amnesty: Oil industry in Niger Delta creating "human rights tragedy"
People living in Niger Delta have to drink, cook, wash in polluted water, it says .
Nigeria's state oil company: Local communities causing much of the damage .
Niger Delta a region in Nigeria consisting of nine oil-producing states . |
189,562 | 81782d8ded139d5658534aa9887015384f7d9648 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 03:14 EST, 23 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:05 EST, 23 June 2013 . A spy plane equipped with a thermal imaging camera has flushed out hundreds of migrants living illegally in sheds and garages. Slough borough council spent £24,000 on flights to build up a precise 3D map of every building in the Berkshire town. The plane criss-crossed streets, picking up heat signals from outbuildings which could signify they are being used as ‘sheds with beds’. An analysis of a small part of the two-hour flyover identified 210 suspicious dwellings. Example: This thermogram image shows the sort of data a thermal imaging camera will capture by flying over Slough . Illegal: Slough Council hopes to crackdown on rogue landlords turning sheds into illegal living accommodation, such as this conversion, pictured . The council now estimates that between 300 and 3,000 people are living illegally in the town. Anyone caught living illegally in . outbuildings faces eviction and their landlords hefty fines. Many . tenants pay as much as £100 a week to live in primitive conditions with . no water or heating. The council commissioned geographic imaging company Bluesky International to produce a thermal map of the town, which officers will use to pin-point warm areas in outbuildings. An analysis of a small part of the two-hour flyover identified 210 suspected illegal dwellings. Over the next few weeks officials . will issue penalty notices, similar to parking tickets, to landlords . with so-called beds in sheds, levying fines of £200 for each day that . tenants remain. In extreme cases the sheds will be demolished. UK first: A plane equipped with thermal imaging cameras flew over . the town of Slough, Berkshire, to track sheds being used to illegally . house immigrants (computerised image) Up above: The thermal imaging cameras on the plane (stock image) is able to locate where people are living in the town by their body heat. The plane criss-crossed streets, picking up heat signals from outbuildings . Ray Haslam, head of environmental . services and resilience for Slough Borough Council, said: 'Our primary . concern is making sure people aren’t living in unsafe conditions, with . little or no heating, or in places that do not comply with building or . fire safety regulations. 'Aerial photography is one of a range of tactics we’re using to crack down on this problem and we hope evidence of heat in outbuildings will help us build a true picture of how many sheds are being lived in and where they are. 'Some of these buildings are perfectly . habitable but others are not compliant and we will take action to amend . their use or have them removed.' Cllr James Swindlehurst . 'We will be able to cross-check and see whether they have valid Energy Performance Certificates which are required by law for places where people live. 'If they don’t, we will be speaking to landlords and offering some advice and guidance, and enforcing the law if we need to. 'One option is to repeatedly fine a landlord for not having an EPC. The fine is £200 a day, making it very expensive for people to continue using the outbuilding.' Cllr James Swindlehurst, deputy leader and commissioner for neighbourhoods and renewal, said: 'The people living in them generate waste, they use council services and they have a cost to the council that isn’t being paid for by taxation. Growing problem: Slough Council estimates there are up to 3,000 'beds in sheds' in the Berkshire town. It has been granted extra Government funding to help improve the condition of houses in multiple occupancy . Cut backs: Slough Council says people living in these illegal conversions use council services but do not contribute any council tax towards them . Some of the buildings uncovered may be allowed to remain a dwelling but others will be demolished . 'It causes pressure on parking and driveways and we get neighbourhood complaints about densely built gardens. 'Some of these buildings are perfectly habitable but others are not compliant and we will take action to amend their use or have them removed.' Slough Borough Council is one of a handful of local authorities who have been granted extra money from the Government to help improve conditions in houses of multi occupancy and reduce the number of sheds being used as accommodation without permission. The occupants of sheds in Slough are believed to be mostly single adults or childless couples with low incomes. Long-term, it is hoped, the thermal imaging data will also used to improve energy efficiency in homes across the borough. Last August it was announced that . Slough council had been given more than £200,000 to tackle rogue . landlords who house people in converted sub-standard outbuildings. Last . year it was announced that Slough Borough Council had been selected by . government housing minister Grant Shapps in May for funding to 'flush . out dodgy landlords' who are 'trapping vulnerable people' in converted . sheds. The council is . targeting key problem wards including Baylis and Stoke, Central and . Chalvey and has employed an additional planning enforcement officer, a . barrister to pursue legal action and has taken on a part-time . administrator to co-ordinate and liaise with officers across five . council departments. Mr . Shapps said last year: 'I'm determined to flush out criminal landlords . who think they can make an easy buck from cramped, cockroach-ridden . outhouses. The scandal of 'beds in sheds' must come to an end.' | Slough borough council spent £24,000 building up 3D map .
Up to 3,000 believed to be living illegally in Berkshire town . |
192,805 | 859ac2c5a95c26a39adf35c0ed91a5f950600a76 | By . Mike O'brien . UPDATED: . 04:05 EST, 5 December 2011 . Another exhausted Central Park carriage horse has collapsed on a busy New York street - bring the total to three in just six weeks. The horse fell to the ground late afternoon on Sunday on 59th Street and Central Park South. The area was filled with tourists at the time, who looked shocked as the horse lay motionless. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Exhausted: The horse colllapsed on 59th Street and Central Park South on Sunday . Eye witness Mary Xanthos told MailOnline: 'I saw the horse laying on its left side for a few minutes. 'Then about six people managed to get the horse back on his feet, which also took a minute or two. 'The horse was apparently taken back to the stable. 'I just hope he'll receive a proper veterinary exam.' Distressed: The carriage horse fell after a long day of ferrying tourists around Central Park . Another horse fell in Manhattan in early November, reigniting tensions over the horse-drawn-carriage industry. The debate had flared two weeks earlier when a horse died, and was said to be in terrible pain. The accuracy of that was called into question when the same vet changed her statement days later, saying that animal rights groups pressured her to hint the animal was abused. Though representatives from the Horse and Carriage industry say that the most recent incident was not caused by illness or neglect and was simply an accident, many animal rights activists are calling for the complete end of the historic industry that caters to tourists. Tumble: A horse fell after tripping on the carriage mechanism in early November, making it the second carriage related accident in two weeks . Traffic: The accident was on Broadway near Columbus Circle by Central Park, right in the heart of the evening traffic . The horse that tumbled Friday in Columbus . Circle, on the south west side of Central Park, is still alive after . his hind leg got caught in the carriage shaft, causing him to hit the . ground. 'Yet again it's another illustration of why these horses do not belong on the streets of New York City,' said Carly Knudson. Friday night's incident comes just two weeks after another horse, named Charlie, collapsed and died on his way to Central Park on October 23. The American Society for the . Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) paid for Charlie's initial . autopsy, and released a statement saying that the horse suffered from a . stomach ulcer and a fractured tooth. Tragic: The New York carriage horse collapsed and died in the street as it made the early morning commute from its stables to Central Park to begin its shift . Outrage: Campaigners argue that the number of collisions and the suffering of the animals make the cost of the industry too high . Dr Pamela Corey, speaking on behalf of . the ASPCA, then released a statement saying that that they were 'very . concerned that Charlie was forced to work in spite of painful maladies'. Ms Corey has since been fired from her . job because she later released a correction, lessening the severity of . the ASPCA's first statement, creating another drama amid the debate. Dead: The horse that died in New York on October 23 is covered with a tarpaulin before being loaded into a police vehicle . In her correction, Ms Corey tried to . clarify that any statements saying that it was false to interpret that . Charlie was abused. She said instead that the ulcers were common among . working horses, and that there was no way to know if the animal was . feeling any pain. Native: Lea Michele grew up in New York and said that putting an end to hansom cabs was the first issue she wanted to work on with PETA . 'I was under a lot of pressure during . the writing of that press release and that the mistake and the need for . the correction is the result for that pressure,' Ms Corey said in her . second statement. She was promptly suspended without pay. After Charlie's death, a representative . from the Horse and Carriage Association of New York said: 'It's not . something that happens regularly - our horses are taken care of.' The continuation of horse drawn . carriage has been a point of contention with animal activists for years, . though the debate truly picked up steam this year as four horses have . fallen since late July. Singer Pink and actresses Pamela . Anderson and Lea Michele have worked with the group People for the . Ethical Treatment of Animals for years and both issued statements . condemning the practice. Ms Michele, a native New Yorker, wrote an open . letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg after the death of Charlie, calling . hansom cabs dangerous. Attention-grabber: Actress Pamela Anderson has been a longtime supporter of PETA and has posed for many of their campaigns . Mr Bloomberg has long been a supporter of the industry, saying it promotes tourism and helps the horses. 'Most of them wouldn’t have been alive if they didn’t have a job,' the Mayor said of the horses. As an alternative, there is a city . council bill that would replace the horse drawn carriages with . vintage-replica electric cars. The thought is that the cars would still . provide the economic tourism boom typically earned by the horses and be . safer for the city's residents- both human and animal. WATCH VIDEO HERE: . | Third horse fell after busy Sunday ferrying tourists .
Another white horse died in Manhattan in October .
Death caused public fury but Mayor backed industry . |
42,450 | 77b130f12dc416cd32645ecc7b36e5f9d360763e | PINEDALE, Wyoming (CNN) -- Call it modern horse-trading. Balancing the nation's energy needs with its interests in protecting wildlife and habitats. An antelope grazes near a gas well in Jonah Field, one of the hot spots for natural gas in Wyoming. The practice is playing out in Wyoming, where energy companies pumped 2.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the ground last year -- produced in 20 of the state's 23 counties. That's enough gas to heat every home in Michigan for seven years. And good-paying jobs, public works projects and money for higher education have benefited Wyoming. But there's a trade-off: Wildlife populations are taking a hit. Populations of the West's iconic mule deer are down where drilling is prevalent; the sage grouse, a bird which conservationists consider a harbinger of how other wildlife are faring, has seen adult populations plunge near gas rig sites. If grouse aren't surviving, biologists say, that means bad news for animals like antelope, bighorn sheep and pygmy rabbits. Five years ago, there were about 10,000 wells spread across Wyoming. By the end of 2007, the federal Bureau of Land Management estimates that 30,000 wells will be pumping natural gas. Watch a bird's eye view of a natural gas field » . Companies such as Shell, EnCana, BP and Questar operate the rigs. "The West is the last unexploited frontier for gas reserves in the U.S.," said Fadel Gheit, an Oppenheimer and Co. senior energy analyst. "Market prices are skyrocketing. We've drilled the Gulf of Mexico down to Swiss cheese." But Gheit concedes, "It's not good for the environment, no question." On a June morning, standing in the middle of one of Wyoming's largest gas fields, Brian Rutledge, a wildlife biologist and the executive director of the Audubon Society of Wyoming, surveys acres of endless sage brush and rigs in the distance. "These lands are some of the last vestiges of the American West we have, home to hundreds of species who won't survive if their habitat is fragmented by rigs," he said. "Once it's gone, it's gone. A boom goes bust eventually." "We have to ask ourselves, 'Is getting cheaper gas now worth the future cost to the land?' " Recent studies have shown the sage grouse and mule deer are in jeopardy, their habitat hurt by gas drilling, biologists say. Power lines are convenient places for raptors and other grouse predators to perch. Rigs sit on sagebrush, the grouse's primary food source. And loud activity disrupts the grouse's mating rituals. Mule deer are down by 42 percent in areas where drilling is prevalent, according to a 2006 study conducted by independent ecologists and biologists and paid for by gas corporation Questar. Gas corporations are required to perform wildlife analysis of lands where they intend to drill. Between 2001 and 2005, University of Montana biologist David Naugle attached radio collars to birds in and outside gas fields in northeast Wyoming. He found as much as an 80 percent reduction in adult birds inside the Powder River Basin, a hot spot of gas production. Matt Holloran performed his doctoral thesis at the University of Wyoming on the effect of gas drilling on the grouse on the Pinedale Anticline. "It's getting worse over time," said Holloran, now a senior ecologist with a private conservation firm. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opted not to classify the bird as endangered in 2005. But a representative said the recent numbers are alarming and the agency may move to reassess the decision. See a sample of endangered species around the country » . So concerned by the grouse's dwindling numbers, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal called a summit on the bird last month, drawing hundreds of conservationists, scientists and gas industry executives. "We have a bull's-eye on our back," Freudenthal said. "I see it as an imbalance. The BLM has one objective and that is drilling. It wasn't always this way. There used to be some concern for habitat preservation, and I'm worried that's gone out the door." Freudenthal's comments were echoed in more than 90,000 letters the public submitted to the BLM in June objecting to the agency's plan to allow 8,000 more gas wells on 1.6 million acres in a field near Pinedale. But BLM spokeswoman Cindy Wertz said biologists are performing thorough wildlife and habitat assessments before drilling commences and gas companies are required to repair the land when drilling ends. And gas companies are spending money to repair the damage they do, like replanting sage brush, which is food for animals. "We are drilling more, yes, and the sage grouse numbers are challenging. But our wildlife protections are the same as they've always been," Wertz said. That, however, is not what a 2006 internal BLM document stated. It said the agency failed for six years to monitor air pollution caused by drilling on public land in the West. The BLM provides "no evaluation, analysis or compiling" of data tracking drilling affects on the environment, it reads. BLM's lead biologist in Pinedale between 2004 and 2006, Steve Belinda, quit because he says the agency values gas development over wildlife protection. "The habitat used to be treated as a valuable resource," he said. "Now the BLM biologist acts as a support person to get permits processed, period." The majority of the wells in Wyoming are on two fields in Pinedale, a town with one grocery store and a weekly newspaper. Folks here talk about a popular bumper sticker: "Lord, thank you for the boom, may it not go bust." Lauren McKeever, an assistant to Pinedale's mayor, has watched the town's classrooms double, filled with children of gas employees who have moved here. Many of those children enjoy the town's new multimillion-dollar aquatic center, bought with gas industry revenue. See how gas drilling has changed Pinedale » . "I think the vast majority of folks here understand that our country is in dire need for energy resources," she said. "But, at the same time, I don't think many of us are willing to destroy priceless values in the process of obtaining the natural gas." Recently, the state Legislature approved giving $2 billion from gas revenue to public schools over the next two years and taxes on groceries have been eliminated. Last year, an endowment created by gas industry taxes grew to $500 million, enabling every Wyoming high school student with above-average grades to attend college in the state. Around the corner from the aquatic center, Levi Licking has just returned home from his job operating a front-end driver for Questar gas. The 30-year-old father of two makes $20 an hour, more money than Licking believes he could earn at any business within 80 miles. "The gas industry is the best thing that ever happened to Pinedale," he said. "This is the same place it was before -- only with more money." E-mail to a friend . | In 2006, Wyoming provided enough natural gas to heat 27 million homes .
Biologists say the increased pace of drilling is hurting wildlife, habitat .
Studies show sage grouse down by 80 percent; mule deer down by 42 percent .
Communities say they want balance between drilling and habitat protection . |
276,399 | f21ded783c8ce4d97ad0053a3dae181bd8825193 | Once described as the 'grandest house in Scotland', Britain's most expensive repo home is being sold for a knockdown price of £1.6 million. Melville House with its 11 main bedrooms, seven reception rooms and stunning architectural features has become one of the greatest bargains on the housing market. The pile, set in 16 acres at Monimail, near Cupar, Fife, Scotland, is the former home of the politician who helped Prince William of Orange take the throne. It was on the market for £4.5 million, but now just £1.6 million is being asked for it. Melville House: It was once valued at £4.5m, but failed to find a buyer and became Britain's most expensive repossession in 2005 . One of seven reception rooms at Melville House, Fife, Scotland which is on the market at a knockdown price of £1.6 million . It was built in 1697 using the wealth accrued by Protestant sympathiser George Meville, who became Secretary of State for Scotland through his loyalty to the king in the 17th century Glorious Revolution. He was later given an earldom. It was built by the Surveyor of Royal Works James Smith, who also helped build the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Drumlanrigg Castle. But the pile, endured a chequered history over the centuries. It was once valued at £4.5m but failed to find a buyer and became Britain's most expensive repossession in 2005. The current owners bought the property in 2009 after it was repossessed by a South African bank from its previous residents. Agents Knight Frank: 'The most enchanting tree house has been built to keep lookout over the front drive' The wow factor: Melville House has five bathrooms . Now it's for sale again, complete with all the furniture and fittings, including the billiard table. Estate agents Knight Frank describe it as: 'An imposing Grade A listed, Neo-Palladian mansion house set within beautiful Fife countryside. 'Further to the main house are two cottages and two pavilions providing additional accommodation. The mansion is set in 16 acres at Monimail, near Cupar, Fife, Scotland . Melville House is one of the most significant houses in Fife with 11 main bedrooms, a staff flat, two self-contained wings and charmingly converted Pavilions. The accommodation is entirely flexible. 'Commercial kitchens in the basement allow for outside catering.' Adjacent courtyard stables and coach houses were once converted to provide classrooms with a central stage and games hall, but they are being upgraded to provide a cinema, gymnasium, showers and treatment rooms. Bargain price: One of several grand reception rooms - the mansion is stylishly furnished . Downtime: a beautiful pool table and furnished room . The cricket lawn and tennis court are also being upgraded and, adds a Knight Frank spokesman: 'The most enchanting treehouse has been built to keep lookout over the front drive.' The chequered history of the building started with the first owner: George Melville only lived in the house before he died and the estate was passed on to his family who owned it until 1949 when it was sold. It was turned into a private school for children with special needs for almost 50 years, although the Army used it as a hospital and temporary barracks during World War II. Grand staircase: Mirrors and frames cover the hall with its dark wooden staircase . Entertaining on a grand scale: with spectacular views over Scottish countryside . | Once valued at £4.5m but failed to find a buyer and became Britain's most expensive repossession in 2005 .
Estate agents: 'An imposing Grade A listed, Neo-Palladian mansion house set within beautiful Fife countryside'
During the Second World War, the mansion served as a hospital and temporary barracks for the Army . |
264,504 | e29682b95ab5784cc3acc31995144aea42105e9a | Cricket took a step into the unknown last week. It was a funny kind of unknown, because everyone knew it was coming. But it was still a step into the unknown. We talk, naturally, of the appointment as ICC chairman of Narayanaswami Srinivasan. Sporting politics can be as dry as a stick. It’s why this story hasn’t received the coverage it should have done, especially in England, where we should be up in arms. But this story matters. And it goes beyond the question of Srinivasan’s involvement – or lack of it – in the IPL spot-fixing scandal currently being investigated by India’s Supreme Court. Let’s begin by reiterating a basic argument: it’s not OK for a man who has been instructed by the highest court in his land to stand down as president of his national board to then assume control of the world game. If Srinivasan is considered unfit to run the BCCI, he should not be handed the reins at the ICC, an organisation which – in theory at least – sits higher up the food chain. Chief: Newly elected International Cricket Council chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan (left) This is not to judge him guilty in . advance. It is simply to adhere to the basic tenets of good governance, . as spelled out by Lord Woolf in his 2012 report into the way the game . was being run. Needless to say, his report has been all but ignored. No . competent or credible global organisation would dream of appointing . Srinivasan until the question marks hanging over him had been dispelled. That this is even up for debate is part of cricket’s problem. But, . like we said, it goes deeper than this. For it is a question of trust. Do we trust Srinivasan to run world cricket with a multilateral touch, . with more than lip-service paid to the notion that world cricket means . more than India, England and Australia? Do we trust Srinivasan at all? Certainly, . Justice Mudgal was unimpressed with his explanation of the extent of . his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan’s involvement with Chennai Super . Kings. When Srinivasan’s . coronation was rubber-stamped last week in Melbourne, he was asked about . the Supreme Court’s decision to force him out of his BCCI position, . however temporarily. Srinivasan claimed he had ‘voluntarily’ stepped . down. This came as news to . many observers, because the same man who claims he volunteered to be . removed from the BCCI presidency actually appealed against the decision – . twice. Who was he appealing against? Himself? Srinivasan . also poured cold water on the idea that the BCCI would have walked away . from the ICC had they not been able to force through – with the help of . England and Australia – the financial restructuring of the game’s . governing body. The BCCI, he insisted, would not have ‘dreamed’ of such . behaviour. This presented . other administrators – Srinivasan’s own allies, no less – with a problem . on two fronts. Both the ECB and Cricket Australia have tried to spin . the line that their cooperation with the BCCI was necessary in order to . prevent India absconding from cricket’s high table. Question of trust: Srinivasan was forced out of the BCCI over his son-in-law's involvement at Chennai . For more cricket-related snippets, feel free to go to twitter.com/the_topspin . As . luck would have it, of course, this arrangement was also of financial . benefit to the English and Australian boards. But we’re quite sure this . had nothing to do with their decision. No, it was all about keeping . India inside the tent – a tent which, according to Srinivasan, they had . no intention of leaving anyway. Or . did they? In early June, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said: ‘We told . [the ICC] that if India is not getting its proper due and importance . then India might be forced to form a second ICC of its own.’ Either . the ECB and CA exaggerated the threat of the BCCI walking away, or . Srinivasan was stringing them along. Both possibilities reflect poorly . on the men who now run our game. Then . there is the question of the executive committee – ‘ExCo’, to give it . its appropriately Orwellian nom de plume. India and its ever-faithful . courtiers England and Australia have a permanent seat on this five-man . committee, which will decide pretty well everything that matters in . cricket. To be invited on . board is to win the acceptance of the Big Three – a ticket to . respectability and influence now that the other Full Member nations of . the ICC have been persuaded into voting for reform. So well done, for . the time being, to Pakistan and West Indies, whose representatives will . make up the initial five. Corrupt: Former India bowler Sri Sreesanth is serving a life ban from cricket due to spot fixing in the IPL . Delivery stride: Sreesanth in action for India in 2011 . Yet . on all the other committees (finance and commercial affairs, governance . review, development, and anti-corruption), there is not a single seat . for the South Africans. Even Peter Chingoka gets to sit on the . development committee, which will raise an eyebrow among those who have . observed with dismay the basket case that is Zimbabwean cricket. Why . this absence of proper democracy in the new all-democratic ICC? No . doubt it has absolutely nothing to do with the identity of Cricket South . Africa’s chief executive Haroon Lorgat, who was a constant thorn in . Srinivasan’s side when Lorgat was chief executive of the ICC. The . upshot of making three countries more powerful than the rest – and, . let’s face it, of making one of those three more powerful than the other . two – is that the concept of checks and balances vanishes altogether. It . never attracted more than a fleeting acknowledgement in the first . place: the old veto owned by England and Australia, followed by India’s . dominance, saw to that. But cricket has now given the thumbs up to a . scenario in which the notion of an independent executive has been tossed . aside like an old pair of batting gloves. Who, . frankly, will look after the global interests of cricket if every . nation is driven primarily by their desire to claim a chunk of the power . and cash handed out to them by the Big Three? Srinivasan . claimed in Melbourne that cricket didn’t have an ‘image problem’. Apparently he wasn’t joking. But he might want to consider this: as FIFA has discovered, when the administrators become the story, you know it’s . time to worry. THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS . Telling it like it is… and isn’t . There’s . no question that Kevin Pietersen’s new column in the Daily Telegraph is . required reading, as much for the between-the-lines interpretations as . for the words themselves. His column on Saturday contained plenty of . salient points, especially about the captaincy of Alastair Cook. But was . there a hint of revisionism about his critique of Cook’s second-innings . declaration during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s? Pietersen . was scornful about Cook’s decision to set Sri Lanka 380 in a day, . arguing that ‘setting out for a target of 320 would have been enough’. Yet when he arrived at Lord’s that day, he tweeted: ‘Want to see SL out . 460 & ENG bat positively to a 380 lead then declare…entertain today . pls, Cook’s men!’ Miserable run: England captain Alastair Cook lost the Test series against Sri Lanka this month . Critic: Former England star Kevin Pietersen in action for Surrey in the Natwest T20 Blast . In the . event, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 453 (tick), before England scored at . 3.86 runs per over (tick) to lead by 380 (tick) before declaring . (tick). Part of Pietersen’s beef, he now makes clear, is that Cook . should have declared before stumps, yet the excellence of Shaminda . Eranga that day meant England were forced to recalculate. Sometimes, the . other team can play well too. Pietersen . also claims England scored at ‘3.4 an over’ at Lord’s. Not so. In their . first innings, the figure was 4.4; overall in the Test, it was 4.2. There . are plenty of reasons to worry about this England team, and Pietersen . nails a few of them. But his case would be strengthened if he a) took a . consistent line, and b) got his facts right. Jimmy’s tears . Was . the emotional reaction of Jimmy Anderson after the Headingley defeat by . Sri Lanka evidence, as Pietersen suggested, of an unhappy . dressing-room? Possibly – though it feels like a slightly literal . reading of lachrymosity. This . column feels Cook is no longer the right man to lead England, but . Anderson’s tears are not part of the problem. If anything, a team that . can come within two balls of batting throughout the last day after . beginning it five wickets down is full of spirit. The . issue is not that they want to do well for England – it’s that they are . playing under the wrong man. Another interpretation of Anderson’s . response is that he cares deeply. In other words, all hope is not yet . lost. Hurt: Jimmy Anderson shed tears after England's thrilling, last-gasp Test defeat against Sri Lanka . Brace yourselves… . Why . doesn’t the NatWest T20 Blast come close to replicating the razzmatazz . of the IPL – or even the Big Bash League? There are many reasons, and we . were reminded of one of them last week, when it was made clear that . England’s players, with the exception of Moeen Ali, would not be . released to represent their counties. On . one level, this is understandable: a five-Test series against India . begins next week, and the administrators have deemed it reasonable to . squeeze this into 42 days’ playing time. But let’s not kid ourselves . about the wow-factor of our domestic Twenty20 tournament when the . wow-players tend not to take part. Lone star: Moeen Ali is the only big-name England Test player who will play in the T20 Blast . Damp squib . The . BCCI were in such a rush to send out a self-congratulatory press . release following the appointment of N Srinivasan as ICC chairman that . they neglected to update the subject heading of their email. Thus, a . missive hailing a ‘proud and historic moment for Indian cricket’ (well, . one out of two ain’t bad), will forever sit in our inboxes with the . title: ‘Fwd: Media Release: Pre-departure Media Conference.’ | Narayanaswami Srinivasan is new ICC chairman .
Srinivasan potential involvement in IPL spot-fixing is under investigation .
His appointment calls into question cricket's commitment to members other than India, England and Australia .
Kevin Pietersen bends truth in criticism of Alastair Cook .
Jimmy Anderson tears are sign of hope for England .
Natwest T20 Blast lacks razzmatazz of Big Bash . |
208,415 | 99d440f89d93c1e250cde10e2062b01dbe777e1b | (CNN) -- The head of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families resigned Tuesday following the deaths of three children the agency was charged with protecting. The resignation of Olga Roche, who has more than three decades in child welfare, comes after state lawmakers and the public called for the embattled commissioner to step down after the deaths of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, 4-week-old Aliana Lavigne, and 2-week-old Bailey Irish. "For DCF to move on ... there must be accountability for the tragedies," Gov. Deval Patrick told reporters Tuesday. "That's the only way the agency earns the public's confidence." Patrick, who named Roche acting commissioner in April 2013 and permanently appointed her in October 2013, expressed faith in Roche, but said the controversy over the recent deaths of the two infants and the disappearance of a toddler whose body was later found made it impossible for her to stay. The deaths have sparked outrage. On Monday, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray and Attorney General Martha Coakley all demanded Roche's resignation. "The vast majority of the time, DCF gets it right," Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz told reporters. "Sometimes, no matter how diligent or carefully a family is supervised, a tragedy can happen." Polanowicz said he accepted Roche's resignation "because I believe it is not possible for the agency to move forward in this environment with her at the helm." In a statement, the Massachusetts Human Service Workers Union, SEIU Local 509, said the change at the helm represented a "critical opportunity" to institute reforms and investments in the agency. Members of the union, which represents social workers, investigators, supervisors and more than 17,000 other human service workers and educators throughout the commonwealth, took to the streets last week in a protest demanding the hiring of more social workers. "At DCF, we face a caseload crisis that worsens each day," chapter President Peter MacKinnon said in a statement. "Policy changes and accountability measures are desperately needed. Communication barriers and outdated technology continue to slow our efforts in the field." Erin Deveney, former chief of staff at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, was named interim commissioner. Roche, who did not attend Tuesday's press conference, was not immediately available for comment. Patrick said Roche, despite her experience, "can no longer command the trust of the public or the confidence of her line staff." A day earlier, a visibly angry Patrick described the death of Aliana Lavigne as "intolerable" after learning that social workers misplaced a police officer's faxed complaint about the suspected neglect of the infant, according to CNN affiliate WCVB. Aliana was dead by the time a social worker investigated. "I'm upset as anyone about the loss of these children," Patrick said. "My confidence in the whole organization has been rattled." Police told WCVB that officers filed a written report of suspected abuse or neglect -- known as a 51A -- after a visit to the home of Andrea Lavigne on April 3. But DCF officials said the officers did not follow up with a phone call as required by law. The fax was discovered days later. Police officials insisted officers did what they were supposed to do. Lavigne stopped breathing April 11 while sleeping in her mother's bed, WCVB reported. The case was assigned to a social worker one day before the child's death. Earlier this month, the body of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver was found off a highway in central Massachusetts after a seven month search, WCVB reported. His family was under DCF supervision at the time of his disappearance. Authorities said 16-day-old Bailey Irish was brought to the hospital on Saturday morning by her parents, who were under DCF supervision. She was pronounced dead a short time later. | Massachusetts' top child welfare official resigns amid controversy .
Olga Roche steps down after deaths of 3 children .
Governor Deval Patrick: "There must be accountability for the tragedies" |
5,154 | 0ea43c2568698a7f6d4b47d59eef8324a0560291 | The captain of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 received a two-minute call shortly before take-off from a mystery woman using a mobile phone number obtained under a false identity. It was one of the last calls made to or from the mobile of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah in the hours before his Boeing 777 left Kuala Lumpur 16 days ago. Investigators are treating it as potentially significant because anyone buying a pay-as-you-go SIM card in Malaysia has to fill out a form giving their identity card or passport number. Scroll down for video . Family man: Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah with his wife Faizah Khan and two of their three children . Introduced as an anti-terrorism measure following 9/11, this ensures that every number is registered to a traceable person. But . in this case police traced the number to a shop selling SIM cards in . Kuala Lumpur. They found that it had been bought ‘very recently’ by . someone who gave a woman’s name – but was using a false identity. The . discovery raises fears of a possible link between Captain Zaharie, 53, . and terror groups whose members routinely use untraceable SIM cards. Everyone else who spoke to the pilot on his phone in the hours before . the flight took off has already been interviewed. Hunt: The mystery object in a Chinese satellite image, inset, some 80 miles from the previous search zone . Today, . planes and ships were scrambled to find a pallet and other debris . in a remote patch of the southern Indian Ocean as the search resumed . for the missing jet. The . pallet was spotted by a search plane yesterday, but has not been closely . examined. Wooden pallets are commonly used in shipping, but can also be . used in cargo containers carried on planes. It . was the latest in a series of clues experts and searchers are trying to . pin down to solve the mystery of what happened to Flight 370 when it . disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board. In . a separate development, The Mail on Sunday has learned that . investigators are now poised to question Captain Shah’s estranged wife . in detail. They have waited two weeks out of respect, but will now begin formally interviewing Faizah Khan following pressure from FBI agents assisting the inquiry. Searching: Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss (right) and Dan Gillis, senior search and rescue officer involved in the search, look at monitors at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's centre in Canberra . Although the couple – who have three children – were separated, they had been living under the same roof. A source said: ‘Faizah has been spoken to gently by officers but she has not been questioned in detail to establish her husband’s behaviour and state of mind in the days leading to the incident. The latest release of a war-themed computer game – centred on a passenger plane that crashes on to a desert island in the South China Sea – has been delayed as the search for missing flight MH370 continues. Battlefield 4 Naval Strike, an update for the Battlefield 4 game which has sold millions of copies worldwide, was due for release last week – but has now been put back until Tuesday. ‘This is partly for cultural reasons. It is not considered appropriate in Malaysia to subject people in situations of terrible bereavement to the stress of intensive questioning.’ The softly-softly approach has been challenged by the team of FBI agents working with Malaysian police. They have pointed out that she may hold ‘vital clues and information’ to Zaharie’s mental state. ‘The whole world is looking for this missing plane and the person who arguably knows most about the state of mind of the man who captained the plane is being left alone,’ said a source close to the FBI team. The source added: ‘If we want to eliminate the chief pilot from the inquiry, we must interview her in detail to find out what his state of mind was.’ The mystery caller emerged when Malaysian investigators examined the phone records of both Zaharie and his co-pilot, 27-year-old Fariq Abdul Hamid. Investigators were keen to trace the caller and interview them, although they have stressed that the fact the SIM card was registered to a non-existent ID card does not necessarily indicate a criminal or terrorist connection. Political activists in Malaysia sometimes use SIM cards bought with bogus identity cards if they fear that their phones may be bugged by the country’s authoritarian ruling party. Up and away: A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion takes off at RAAF Pearce Base to join the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in Perth, Australia . Looking: Crew on board a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion, searching for the missing flight in the southern Indian Ocean . The Mail on Sunday revealed last week that Zaharie is an avid supporter of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, a distant relative, and may have attended a controversial court hearing where Anwar was jailed for five years. It took place only a few hours before the flight. 'The whole world is looking for this missing plane and the person who arguably knows most about the state of mind of the man who captained the plane is being left alone' Source close to FBI team . The timing of the call has intensified scrutiny on Zaharie as investigators struggle to establish whether the cockpit crew, a catastrophic accident or hijackers are to blame for Flight MH370’s disappearance. Meanwhile FBI experts in the US are continuing to examine the hard drive of a flight simulator seized from Zaharie’s home after it emerged that programs he used on it had been deleted. Zaharie used the home flight simulator to practise extreme landings, including on remote Indian Ocean islands such as the US air base in Diego Garcia, investigators have revealed. Good luck: Ground crew members wave to a Japanese Maritime Defense Force P3C patrol plane as it leaves the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang heading for Australia to join the search and rescue operation . Looking: This graphic shows the approximate position of the objects seen floating in a Chinese satellite image in the southern Indian Ocean on which the AMSA is concentrating its search . The hard drive was flown to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, at the end of last week after Malaysian investigators failed to retrieve the deleted files, which they suspect may have been ‘buried’ in an elaborate process to cover the user’s tracks. The delay in handing the computer hard drive to the FBI has proved to be a source of friction between the Malaysian and US investigators, the source close to the FBI said, adding: ‘We have the technology to do this work quickly and effectively and they simply don’t.’ Malaysia’s acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday said investigators are coming under increasing pressure as they are aware that time is running out – the black box voice and data recorder only transmits an electronic signal for about 30 days before its battery runs out. But he claimed a thorough investigation of the plane’s cargo manifest had not shown ‘any link to anything that may have contribution to the plane’s disappearance’. By IAN GALLAGHER . A mystery object has been spotted in the Indian Ocean search zone – 80 miles from an earlier sighting of debris. Measuring 74ft by 42ft, the object appears in a new image taken by a Chinese satellite.Ships have been sent to investigate but a ferocious cyclone was yesterday hampering efforts to locate the possible wreckage. The news came two days after debris was detected 1,550 miles south-west of Perth in Australia. An Australian Orion aircraft was sent to scour area where satellite imagery pinpointed possible debris . The satellite picture of the possible debris was handed over by China and given a new focal point for search . Since the announcement, Australian search teams scouring the remote area reported seeing a number of small objects including a wooden pallet. Malaysia¿s acting transport minister, Hishammuddin Hussein revealed the image at a press conference . A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion plane with specialist electro-optic observation equipment was diverted to the location, arriving after the first aircraft left, but reported sighting only clumps of seaweed. The Chinese satellite discovery was revealed yesterday by Malaysia’s acting transport minister, Hishammuddin Hussein at a press conference. He made the announcement after being handed a handwritten note. He said: ‘The Chinese ambassador has received satellite images of floating objects in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to investigate.’ China is one of 26 nations involved in the search for flight MH370. Most of those on board the aircraft were Chinese nationals. The Xinhua state news agency said the latest image was taken by China’s Gaofen-1 satellite at about 4am GMT on March 18 and showed objects some 80 miles ‘south by west’ from the first site. The announcement came after the first Australian Orion aircraft to make a sortie over the target zone returned without success. Flying Officer Peter Moore, the Orion’s captain, said a combination of ‘less than ideal’ weather and sea conditions had closed in on the flight. He said they covered their entire search area but had not seen any evidence of wreckage. | Call was made to Captain Shah just hours before he took off in MH370 .
Pay-as-you-go phone which made the call was bought with fake ID .
Fake ID was used to get around security measures put in place after 9/11 .
Increases fears Captain Shah may have links to terrorism .
Investigators will soon question the captain's estranged wife in detail . |
113,618 | 1e9c120c940980e09bdf5608067054dc0c5315e6 | By . Jenny Hope . PUBLISHED: . 11:20 EST, 12 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 12 November 2012 . Babies given Calpol and other forms of paracetamol are more likely to develop asthma before going to school, say Danish researchers . Babies given Calpol and other forms of paracetamol are more likely to develop asthma before going to school, say researchers. More exposure to the drug resulted in a greater chance of developing the condition. The latest study from Denmark adds to mounting evidence of a link between the painkiller and asthma, with previous research into adults and babies suggesting its use increased the risk of the disease. Scientists believe paracetamol may cause changes in the body that leave children more vulnerable to inflammation and allergies. The study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology says paracetamol has not been proven to cause asthma. But senior researcher Hans Bisgaard, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Copenhagen, advised parents to only use the drug when needed, such as when a child has a fever. ‘We would like to stress that the use of this drug indeed is beneficial in the appropriate circumstances,’ he said. The study included 336 children who were followed from birth to age seven. All had mothers with asthma, which put them at increased risk for the lung disease themselves. Overall, 19 per cent of the children had asthma-like symptoms by the age of three, meaning recurrent bouts of wheezing, breathlessness or coughing. Prof Bisgaard's team found the risk generally went up the more often a child was given paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen in the first year of life. Scientists believe paracetamol may cause changes in the body that leave children more vulnerable to inflammation and allergies . For each doubling in the number of days a baby received the drug, there was a 28 per cent increase in the risk of asthma symptoms. The link disappeared, though, by the time the children were seven years old. At that point 14 per cent of the children had asthma, and the risk was no greater for those given the drug as babies. Researchers said children with asthma tend to get more severe respiratory infections so may have been given more medication as a result. One recent study found that children given other common pain medications, including ibuprofen and naproxen, also had an increased asthma risk. The researchers said that suggested children with asthma symptoms were simply more likely to need the medications. ‘We think it is too early to conclude a causal relationship, but the findings should encourage further research into a ‘plausible biological mechanism’. An international study, covering 300,000 teenagers in 50 countries, also found paracetamol users were more likely to suffer from the skin disorder eczema and allergic nasal conditions. | Danish study adds to mounting evidence of a link between the painkiller and asthma .
Drug may cause changes in the body that leave children more vulnerable to inflammation and allergies .
Only give when really necessary, say researchers . |
236,842 | be8d2444364c03afc19059b29521bc21376fdeed | By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 12:27 EST, 4 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:27 EST, 4 July 2013 . A plastic surgeon has launched a brand of lingerie designed especially for women with mastectomies. So far, New York-based Dr Sharon T McLaughlin-Weber, who had reconstructive surgery herself after a lymphoma diagnosis at 13, has released two intimate sleepwear bras and one bikini top for Courage Couture. The items are designed to accommodate various weights of prosthetics, scarring and other issues associated with mastectomies. Bras for a cause: New York-based plastic surgeon Dr Sharon T. McLaughlin-Weber has launched Courage Couture, a lingerie brand for women who have had mastectomies or reconstructive surgery . 'I hope that one of my bikini designs . will be featured in Sports Illustrated and be worn by a model that has . had a mastectomy,' she told Fashionista, adding: 'She can be every bit as sexy as the next woman.' Earlier this year, a Change.org petition was launched petitioning Victoria's Secret to design a similar line of lingerie for women who have had mastectomies. Despite the petition amassing over 120,000 signatures, in the end the brand opted not to go through with the line, claiming that the creation of mastectomy bras is 'complicated and truly a science'. But Dr McLaughlin-Weber said that she . doesn't understand why Victoria's Secret opted out of the opportunity, . especially since it would have involved just a slight tweak to the . designs they already have. 'I don't think brands have a responsibility to help women with mastectomies, but I would think they'd want to' '[Victoria's Secret's] statement does not make any sense to me,' she said. 'They have the funding, facilities, designers and consultants to produce anything they want to produce.' She added that the brand's Pink lace bralette is 'three quarters of the way there' anyway. Courage Couture lingerie, which costs . $85 an item, is made from an elastic fabric which helps accommodate for . different weights of prosthetics. Inspiration: Dr McLaughlin-Weber has used her own expertise as a plastic surgeon, as well as her experience having had reconstructive surgery after a lymphoma diagnosis at the age of 13 . Special design: Courage Couture lingerie, which costs $85 an item, is made from an elastic fabric which helps accommodate for the different weights of prosthetics . The bras and bikini also feature an . adjustable bust, so that women with scars can choose how much or how . little cleavage they want to show. 'The line was designed to allow woman to reveal more if they wanted to,' says the Courage Couture website. 'A woman with a mastectomy can be every bit as sexy as the next woman' 'After all, our breasts may be altered but the rest of our body is the same as every other woman.' The bras are also aimed at women who have uneven breasts - either from birth or from surgery. While she is baffled by Victoria's Secret's decision not to launch a collection for women with mastectomies, Dr McLaughlin-Weber says she is happy to step in. 'I . do not think mass brands have a responsibility to help fill the needs . of women with mastectomies,' she said. '[But] I would think they would . want to.' | New York-based Dr Sharon T McLaughlin-Weber used her expertise as a plastic surgeon to launch Courage Couture lingerie .
She also has undergone a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery herself, after being diagnosed with lymphoma at 13 . |
222,002 | ab5a2f9b4db726b0a30768a09fce8a15ae7b285a | This year's mass emergence of mayflies in the Mississippi Valley was one for the record books. The annual swarm rose above La Crosse, Wisconsin from the river on Sunday evening in a dark cloud so dense it caused a three-car roadway collision, blacked out the sun and even lit up area weather radar. The nuisance occurrence always causes headaches but experts say this year's swarm was bigger than normal, though like every year the insects die off just as quickly as they emerge. Scroll down for video . Living blanket: This year's mayfly emergence in the Mississippi Valley focused near La Crosse, Wisconsin was bigger than usual -- but as always became a stomach-turning nuisance . Atmospheric anomaly: The swarm was so thick and dense it appeared much like a rain storm on weather radar . And according to experts, the sizable swarm is a positive sign for water quality and after the many millions of bugs mate and die off within a day or two they'll become a long-awaited feast for famished fish. While millions of protein and fat-filled bugs dying off is great news for fish--and, later, fishermen--the news is not so good for drivers. In addition to the swarm briefly darkening out the sun this year, the less fortunate mayflies that find themselves smashed on the road become a thick, oily sludge that can and does lead to car accidents. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that a Wisconsin road became so slick from the mayflies Sunday evening it caused at least one of the drivers involved in a three-car crash to lose control of her vehicle. They also noted the limited visibility at the time of the crash. Two people were injured in the crash, but only one person was taken to a local hospital. The problem has been so serious in the past that authorities have had to dump sand onto roadways and bridges to improve traction, much like salt and sand are used in the snowy months. One of the most striking things about this year's Mississippi emergence was its marked radar echo. Like a freak rainstorm in reverse, the emergence began to show up as a raucous blue and green around La Crosse at about 8:45 on Sunday. The mayflies quickly moved along with a northerly wind up the Mississippi and appeared on radar screens just as a light-moderate rainfall might, according to NOAA. Over the course of around three hours, the radar faded as the mayflies spread out. By midnight, they were all but gone. And by no later than Tuesday, they were all dead, having mating and laying eggs to ensure next year's hatch. Left . behind, of course, are their millions of gossamer bodies, piled in . heaps along the riverbank, in parking lots and on porches and all over . businesses and homes. Dangerous? This year's emergence of the little bugs took place Sunday evening and quickly enveloped the Mississippi River town, even causing car accidents . Gross: The nuisance bugs cover just about everything once they emerge and nearby residents are warned to cover their mouths and noses . Slick conditions: A car accident involving three vehicles was reported this year after the protein and fat-rich bugs created a greasy mush on the road. No serious injuries were reported, however . Authorities are sometimes forced to use sand on the roads, much as they do during the snowy months, to prevent accidents caused by the greasy bug slicks . Messy: The bugs are a blessing for hungry wildlife but a curse for home and business owners who have to deal with the aftermath . Over the course of around three hours, the radar faded as the mayflies spread out. By midnight, they were all but gone. And by no later than Tuesday, they were all dead, having mating and laying eggs to ensure next year's hatch. Left behind, of course, are their millions of gossamer bodies, piled in heaps along the riverbank, in parking lots and on porches and all over businesses and homes. The mayfly (Ephemera) looks innocent enough...when there's just one . While the bugs are large and can be a nuisance, people are urged not to kill them because they omit an unpleasant fishy odor when squashed. Mayflies are an important source of nutrition for many species, including a wide variety of fish and birds. They’re an annoyance because they stick to clothes and sometimes land in hair. However, they do not bite humans. The mayfly population goes through cycles, said Don Schloesser, a researcher at the Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Some years they come earlier than others. This year along the Mississippi the emergence came later than usual, possibly due to earlier flooding. Mayflies typically live for a day or two before dying. But the life cycle actually lasts two years. Mayflies begin as eggs on the water’s surface before the eggs sink to the bottom of the lake. The larvae hatch and burrow into the mud. Later, they wriggle out of their burrows and take off from the water. Die-off: The bugs die off and pile up in clumps after just a day or so, creating heaps of insect carcasses to clean up . It's a good thing? The mayflies are annoying but indicate a healthy waterway. They also make the environment even more vibrant by feeding hungry fish . | The mayflies were concentrated near La Crosse, Wisconsin, often a focal point for annual swarms .
Their crushed bodies make roadways greasy - this year's Mississippi caused at least one car accident .
Two people were injured in the crash and one was taken to the hospital .
The species, hexagenia bilineata, is a positive sign for water quality within the Mississippi Valley and a feast for sport fish .
Just as quickly as they emerge, the bugs die off in about a day after mating . |
135,631 | 3b7afcf2559c5d88248fdb7098bc621cd25a8d4c | Everton boss Roberto Martinez expressed his 'immense pride' for the club’s 'incredible' fans after a turbulent 24 hours building up to Thursday evening’s 0-0 Europa League draw at Lille. The contest had been preceded by trouble in the French city involving Toffees supporters, including an attack on some of them at a bar by a group of at least 50 men on Wednesday night, and a subsequent flare-up in the main square around Thursday lunchtime which saw French police use gas against them. The Group H game itself was witnessed by around 5,500 Everton fans in the away end of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but there was talk that as many as twice that amount in total had made the trip to Lille. Almost 6,000 Everton fans were in the away end of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy to see their side secure a 0-0 draw . Some Everton supporters were caught up in clashes with riot police ahead of the Europa League clash . Everton manager Roberto Martinez was extremely complimentary of his side's travelling support in Lille . Martinez did not comment on the specific incidents of trouble that had occurred, saying in his post-match press conference when asked about them: 'I heard something was reported, but don’t know any details about it.' But he also said with regard to the fans: 'I can only speak from my point of view and the first thing I feel is immense pride and an incredible feeling of seeing what we are as a football club. 'The support doesn’t stop amazing me day to day - it is incredible. 'I have seen full families coming across, some without tickets just wanting to be near the hotel and wish the players well. 'It really meant something for thousands of them, and you keep getting closer to understanding what the Evertonians deserve. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard pays tribute to the visiting supporters after the final whistle in Lille . Everton stalwart Tony Hibbert vies for the ball with on-loan Liverpool youngster Divock Origi . 'I would say this will be an incredible memory and that we will be talking about this trip for a long time. 'It gives even more strength to everyone at the club to keep fighting, making sure Everton can carry on progressing and keep having nights like this and success. The support we have is quite unique around Europe.' Martinez was pleased enough to secure a point that takes his side to five from three Group H games and keeps them top of the pool. But he was critical of the state of the pitch and admitted he could only really be half-satisfied given his team - like Lille - had not been able to create much in attack. Martinez had particular praise for Phil Jagielka, who did a fine job of keeping at bay the likes of Origi . Ross Barkley was ordered off the field of play after sustaining a cut above his left eye in the 0-0 draw . 'For us, it is about performing well and getting a positive result,' the Spaniard said. 'I was pleased in terms of players coming in (he made six changes to his first XI) and performing to a high standard, but I think the pitch didn’t help either side - I think with a better pitch, we would have seen a lot more brilliant attacking football from both. I think all in all a draw was a fair result. 'If you could measure the pleasure at the end of the performance, it would be at 50 per cent because I thought we were fantastic defensively. But I did think we couldn’t be ourselves (going forward) - the condition of the pitch didn’t allow us to take risks.' Martinez had particular praise for Everton skipper Phil Jagielka, who did a fine job of keeping at bay the likes of Divock Origi, the forward loaned back to Lille after joining Liverpool over the summer. The manager said of centre-back Jagielka: 'Nothing affects his level of performance. 'I think the last few weeks he has been immense. I do think he is a step ahead of where he was before.' Martinez also confirmed Toffees midfielder Ross Barkley required stitches for a head injury but is expected to be fine for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Burnley. 'It was a cut on his eyebrow and he was bleeding heavily,' Martinez said. 'I think there was a collision - an elbow or forearm. 'The Lille player was trying to block his run and caught him. I don’t think it was anything really malicious, but I think if the referee had seen it, he would have been punished.' | The Everton manager hailed the club's supporters who travelled to France .
Some fans were tear-gassed in build-up to kick-off following scuffles .
More than 7,000 supporters made the trip to watch the Europa League clash .
Everton remain top of Group H are seeing out a goalless draw in Lille . |
282,838 | fa5b9336bce727e33234cc343b95485987692c5a | (CNN) -- A deal designed to end months of anti-government protests in Yemen suffered a setback Sunday when embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh rejected the opposition signature, officials said Sunday. Saleh, who was due to sign the deal Sunday, refused to recognize the opposition signature on it from the day before. "President Saleh invited the JMP (opposition alliance) to sign the ... proposal at the presidential palace at 3 p.m. today. We hope the JMP accepts President Saleh's invitation," said Tareq Shami, a spokesman for Yemen's ruling party, the General People's Congress (GPC). He insisted that the demand is not a complication, but rather common sense. "Any agreement should never take place in closed-door meetings. This is commonly known and Saleh does not want to start the transition period in such a way," Shami said. Opposition officials rejected Saleh's proposal. "This is Saleh. His words are never trusted. No agreement is respected by him," said Mohammed Qahtan, a spokesman for the JMP. Yemen, a key al Qaeda battleground and U.S. ally, has been roiled by protests for most of the year amid the background of anti-government demonstrations across much of the Arab world. | President Ali Abdullah Saleh wants the opposition to sign the agreement at the palace .
They refuse, saying he is not to be trusted .
Yemen, a key al Qaeda battleground, is a U.S. ally . |
134,604 | 3a15335c4929a13988b395f328eb615cc464bca2 | Country kids are taking over the big city, with chief executives categorised well above 10 per cent in rural areas, new data shows. The Market Index found 21 of Australia's CEOs in the top 100 companies were born and raised in regional towns, including Bathurst, Broken Hill, Tamworth, Dubbo, Mount Isa and many more. The list of high profile luminaries featured Woolworths Grant O'Brien from Tasmania's Burnie, BlueScope Steel's Paul O'Malley, born in NSW's Dubbo and Fortescue Metal's Neville Power, a banana bender from far north Queensland's Mount Isa and DuluxGroup Patrick Houlihan who grew up on a dairy farm in Victoria, according toSydney Morning Herald. Country kids are taking over the big city, with chief executives categorised well above 10 per cent in rural areas, new data shows . The number of country-born bosses have questioned how country kids are rising to the top with almost a quarter of the nations top CEO's grew up in rural areas. Korn Ferry CEO Katie Lahey told Sydney Morning Herald that those who grew up in the country tend to be excellent at 'managing and getting on with people'. 'The lowest person in the shearer's shed knows the top grazer. If you are a leader, you have to feel comfortable with people at all levels. The figures showed 21 of Australia's CEOs in the top 100 grew up in regional towns, including Bathurst, Broken Hill, Tamworth, Dubbo, Mount Isa and many more . Fortescue Metal CEO Neville Power was born and raised on a Queensland cattle station and was home schooled until he was 12 . Korn Ferry CEO Katie Lahey said those who grew up in the country tend to be excellent at 'managing and getting on with people' Ms Lahey added that a propensity to travel and the ability to talk to people of all levels of society were key characteristics of country people which translated well to management. 'If you have been through seven years of drought, the chances are you've got a bit of backbone,' Ms Lahey told Sydney Morning Herald. 'Children from the country have to come to the city to further their education or start even earlier at boarding school, so already they have left home and learnt about being independent. It also gives you that mobility factor which is so important for CEOs.' Another prime example is Fortescue Metal CEO Neville Power, 55, who was raised on a Queensland cattle station and was home schooled until he was 12. He left school at the age of 15 before he did an apprenticeship as a diesel fitter, according to the Australian Financial Review. With his farm upbringing, Mr Power's butchering skills has benefit both his resourcefulness and his uniqueness as a CEO. DuluxGroup Limited CEO Patrick Houlihan poses for a photo with an Old English Sheep Dog. He grew up on a dairy farm in Winslow on the south-western coast of Victoria . Korn Ferry CEO Katie Lahey said: 'Children from the country have to come to the city to further their education so already they have left home and learnt about being independent' BlueScope Steel Managing Director and CEO Paul O'Malley was born and raised in Dubbo in the Orana Region of NSW . | Country kids are rising to the top with almost a quarter of the nations top CEO's grew up in rural areas .
The Market Index found 21 of Australia's CEOs in the top 100 were born and raised in regional towns .
Korn Ferry CEO Katie Lahey said those who grew up in the country tend to be excellent at 'managing and getting on with people' |
132,153 | 36e8c001d66142cc33efdd92b487473b2742e527 | Bike thefts have been slashed at Newcastle University simply by putting pictures of staring eyes above cycle racks. The two-year experiment was carried out by a security manager at the campus who had seen similar studies suggest that people behave better when they feel they are being watched. Academics found that bike racks which had eyes placed above them experienced 62 per cent fewer thefts than the previous year, while those without eyes saw thefts increase by 63 per cent. Watching you: Bike thefts have been significantly reduced simply by putting pictures of staring eyes above cycle racks, researchers said today . Eyes: The two-year experiment at Newcastle University was mooted by a security manager at the campus who had seen similar studies suggest that people behave better when they feel they are being watched . The crime-fighting idea is now being trialled by British Transport Police (BTP), with train company C2C, on a route between London's Fenchurch Street station and Southend in Essex. Professor Melissa Bateson and Professor Daniel Nettle, of the Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, and Ken Nott, of Newcastle University's security team, talk about their findings in the journal PLoS ONE. For the first year the team monitored the level of bike thefts from all racks across campus for a control figure. Crime fighting: Ken Nott, one of Newcastle University's security team with the signs that the University have put up around their campus . They then placed the eye signs in three locations, leaving the rest of the racks without signs. They monitored all the sites for a year to measure the impact on the level of crime, and noticed a major drop for racks with eyes but an increase at those without. A 2006 study found that staring eyes made people pay almost three times as much into a tea-room honesty box. And research in 2010 showed that people using a canteen were more likely to clear away their tray after a meal when there were eyes watching them. Lead author of the paper Prof Nettle said: 'We don't know exactly what is happening here but this just adds to the growing evidence that images of eyes can have a big impact on behaviour. 'We think that the presence of eye images can encourage co-operative behaviour. One strong possibility is that the images of eyes work by making people feel watched. 'We care what other people think about us, and as a result we behave better when we feel we are being observed.' Mr Nott, who is deputy team leader for security in the estates security service at Newcastle University, said: 'Anything we can do to reduce the level of theft on the campus is very welcome. 'I had followed previous work done by this team and thought it might be able to make a difference to levels of crime, so I decided to suggest this experiment. 'The results were clear and we have now put these pictures up across all the bike racks on the campus.' Barry Sharp, from BTP's London North Area Crime Team, said: 'Research shows that this sign has had some promising results at Newcastle University, and we are always looking at new ways to tackle cycle theft at rail stations. 'As well as signs at stations and increased patrols at hot-spot locations, we aim to crack down on cycle thieves across Essex.' | Two-year experiment was carried out at Newcastle University .
Crime-fighting idea is now being trialled by British Transport Police . |
232,670 | b9440566db30c741e1808d8470b21b0e0491e0d3 | (CNN) -- Five people died when an air ambulance crashed in west Texas shortly after midnight Sunday, authorities said. A patient, the patient's family member, two nurses and the pilot died when the Cessna 421 plane crashed and exploded around 12:18 a.m. CT (1:18 a.m. ET), the Texas Department of Public Safety said. The plane crashed just one mile south of Alpine, Texas, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said. It had taken off from Alpine and was headed for Midland, Texas, she said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The plane was registered to the O'Hara Flying Service out of Amarillo, the FAA said. The Texas Department of Public Safety said victims of the crash were: Ted Caffarel, 58, of Beaumont, Texas; Sharon Falkner, 49, of Fort Davis, Texas; Tracy Chambers, 42, of Alpine, Texas; Richard Folger, 78, of Midland, Texas; and Mary Folger, 59, of Midland, Texas. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | Air ambulance crashes a mile from Alpine, Texas .
Patient, family member, nurses and pilot killed .
Officials are investigating the crash . |
227,106 | b212f2bd099d1131787a7e5f8f15e09af22e4510 | By . Zoe Szathmary . One thirsty feline can't get enough of his spray bottle in a new video. YouTube user Hilary D uploaded a video of her cat Joey on Thursday, titled 'Joey Runs For His Water Bottle.' In the video, Joey is seen running down a flight of stairs and meowing loudly as a woman repeatedly shakes a spray bottle. Scroll down for video . Siren call: Joey comes running when he hears the noise of his spray bottle . Pounce! Joey jumps to get closer to the bottle . Joey moves toward the woman and hops up on a nearby table to lap up some water. The thirsty cat is seen wrapping his paws around the bottle, as the water is sprayed into his mouth. 'My cat Joey loves drinking water from his bottle,' Hilary D wrote on YouTube. 'He can be completely asleep but the moment you shake it, he's awake and running to you.' In that video's description, Hilary D wrote that Joey does not suffer from a medical condition. 'I give him fresh water in a big bowl every day - this is just his favorite way to drink it!' she added. Hold tight! Joey wraps his paws around the bottle as his owner sprays the water into his mouth . This isn't the first video which shows Joey drinking water from a spray bottle. Hilary D uploaded a video on March 2 which showed him drinking from a bottle - as well as from a pitcher, a faucet, an even from the shower. 'He's been drinking water this way since he was a kitten,' she wrote at the time. 'When he was a kitten he didn't want to drink from his bowl, so out of desperation I tried to "bottle" feed him with his spray bottle and he loved it!' | Joey the cat runs down of stairs to drink water from a spray bottle .
YouTube user Hilary D, who is his owner, has also uploaded a video of him drinking water from a faucet and from a shower head . |
271,851 | ec24b3c16d14ff393a915115c3b3ffa900910659 | (CNN) -- When it comes to golf's sentimental favorites, Thomas Bjorn would have to be near the top of the list. The Dane famously blew a late lead at the British Open in 2003 and Ben Curtis took advantage to claim his lone major. It wasn't a collapse to match that of Jean Van de Velde in 1999 -- the Frenchman crumbled on the final hole and eventually lost in a playoff -- but the Claret Jug was in sight for Bjorn since he led by two shots with three holes to play. Bjorn's double-bogey five on the 16th at Royal St. George's in Sandwich, England effectively ended his hopes of capturing a maiden major and allowed the little known Curtis to triumph. Bjorn finished tied for second. He will get another opportunity to win the British Open and his first major after being given an exemption Monday for this year's tournament at Muirfield in Scotland that begins next week. Bjorn was one of five European Tour players to earn the exemption based on their Race to Dubai ranking. Since 2003 Bjorn has only finished in the top 40 at the British Open once, in 2011. He was fourth when the Open was once again held at Royal St. George's. And his only top-20 finish in any other major in the last 10 years came at the 2005 PGA Championship when he tied for second. But in his last five European Tour events, Bjorn registered three top-five finishes and sits 13th in the Race to Dubai. Among the other four European Tour players to be granted exemptions was South Africa's Richard Sterne, who finished second at the French Open after struggling on the back nine Sunday. Five spots went to PGA Tour counterparts based on their FedExCup ranking, with Billy Horschel highest in the standings at No. 5. Horschel tied for fourth at last month's U.S. Open and won the Zurich Open in New Orleans in April. Sweden's Jonas Blixt, meanwhile, led a list of eight players who earned their entry through the world rankings. Blixt won Sunday's rain affected Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia to see his ranking rise from 103rd to 51st. | Thomas Bjorn was one of five European Tour players to earn an exemption into the Open .
Bjorn held a late lead at the 2003 tournament in England before faltering at the 16th hole .
Jonas Blixt, who won the Greenbrier Classic, earned his spot through the world rankings . |
67,641 | bfdff8988e0429f47321849bc6dd980a419fb297 | The United States and the European Union "stand with the people of Ukraine" in their fight for the right to choose alliances with countries other than Russia, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday. His comments come after a week of political tumult in which Ukraine's Prime Minister and Cabinet have resigned, a controversial anti-protest law has been repealed and the President has signed off on a contested amnesty bill for anti-government protesters. "Nowhere is the fight for a democratic, European future more important today than in Ukraine," said Kerry, speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. "While there are unsavory elements in any chaotic situation, the vast majority of Ukrainians want to live freely in a safe, prosperous country. They are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realize their aspirations -- and they have decided that means their futures do not have to lie with one country alone. "The United States and EU stand with the people of Ukraine in that fight." The protesters have been in Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan, since November, when President Viktor Yanukovych reversed a decision to sign a long-awaited trade deal with the European Union and turned instead toward Russia. The government's attempts to crack down on protests appear only to have strengthened the opposition's resolve. Violent confrontations flared after the anti-protest law was signed two weeks ago, followed by an uneasy standoff on the streets as the battle in the political arena has heated up. Kerry also had a word of advice for Moscow, which has accused Europe of meddling in Ukraine's affairs while denying itself exerting undue influence on Kiev. "Russia and other countries should not view the European integration of their neighbors as a zero-sum game," Kerry said. "In fact, the lesson of the last half-century is that we can accomplish much more when the United States, Russia and Europe work together. But make no mistake: We will continue to speak out when our interests or values are undercut by any country in the region." Kerry added that while U.S. democracy was "a work in progress," he was not going to shy away from calling out "a disturbing trend in too many parts of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans" where people's aspirations "are once again being trampled beneath corrupt, oligarchic interests." After his address, Kerry met with three Ukrainian opposition leaders -- Arseniy Yatsenyuk of the Fatherland party, Vitali Klitschko of the UDAR party and Petro Poroschenko of the "Euromaidan" street protest movement -- the State Department said. 'Time is on our side' European Council President Herman Van Rompuy also highlighted events in Ukraine as he opened the second day of the conference Saturday. "Today Ukraine is on all our minds," he said. " As people across the country are taking to the streets, Ukraine's political destiny is still in the balance." Van Rompuy said he and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso had had "a frank exchange" with Putin this week at an EU-Russia summit in Brussels, Belgium. "We answered his concerns about the impact on Russia of closer economic ties between Ukraine and Europe. We also pressed the point of the rights of independent countries," he said. "Whatever the geopolitics, we have offered Ukraine a closer association with the European Union, the countries to its west. Not for free, but upon conditions -- which were close to fulfilled. And not against the great neighboring nation to its east, with which it shares a history and culture. "The offer is still there. And we know time is on our side. The future of Ukraine belongs with the European Union." But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented a rather different take in his remarks to the conference. "What does incitement of increasingly violent street protests have to do with promoting democracy," he asked. "Why don't we hear condemnation of those who seize and hold government buildings, attack the police, torch the police, use racist and anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans? He suggested European politicians were encouraging Ukraine actions that they would punish as violations of the law in their own countries. Lavrov also said the United States and the European Union appeared to be trying to push their own ideas on Ukraine. "Freedom of choice is being imposed, and Russia is not going to engage in this," he said. Torture claims . Meanwhile, Ukraine's opposition parties continue to call for constitutional reforms to shift power away from the President. They say the new amnesty bill -- which only comes into force if protesters vacate seized government buildings and unblock roads and squares -- is unacceptable. Yanukovych, who has been out on sick leave since Thursday, has resisted calls for him to stand down and defended the government's handling of the political crisis. On Friday, Western leaders voiced growing concern over reports of the kidnap and torture of opposition activists in Ukraine. One, the visibly battered Dmytro Bulatov, reappeared Thursday, more than a week after he went missing. He told reporters he'd been kidnapped and tortured by his captors -- who, he claimed, "crucified me" by piercing his hands -- before being dumped in a forest. Both EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and White House press secretary Jay Carney condemned his cruel treatment. "We are deeply concerned by increasing reports of protesters disappearing and being beaten and tortured, as well as by attacks on journalists," Carney said. "It is especially concerning that some of these reports have suggested the involvement of security forces." Ukraine's Interior Ministry has said it is investigating what happened to Bulatov. Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, is home to 45 million people. The clashes earlier this month were an escalation of weeks of largely peaceful public protests prompted by Yanukovych's decision in November to spurn a planned trade deal with the European Union and turn toward Russia. He and Putin agreed on a $15 billion deal for Russia to buy Ukrainian debt and slash the price of natural gas. | U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with senior Ukrainian opposition leaders .
Kerry: Nowhere is the fight for a democratic, European future more important than in Ukraine .
Russia's Sergey Lavrov questions Western support of anti-government protesters .
European Council chief says he had "frank exchange" with Russia's Vladimir Putin . |
5,799 | 1071e826dd7ffdb3ba07bd0996eca8dfe572faaa | Independent Melbourne musician Chet Faker didn't just win the top gong for his song, Talk is Cheap, in triple j's Hottest 100 for 2014 - he also scored the seventh and eight position in the top ten. But the real moment every music fan had been waiting for was whether US pop sensation Taylor Swift managed to sneak into the world's biggest music poll as rumours spread that the singer being banned from the annual countdown was part of a hoax. Despite the huge online campaign, #tay4hottest100, to include the American star's smash hit, Shake it Off, in the prestigious countdown - the chart topper, who garnered so much support that her single was expected to be voted in at number 12, was disqualified due to her affiliation with KFC following triple j's strict policy on artists not benefiting from commercial ventures that could influence votes from fans. Scroll down for video . Independent Melbourne musician Chet Faker didn't just win the top gong for his song, Talk is Cheap, in triple j's Hottest 100 for 2014 - he also scored the seventh and eight position in the top ten . Taylor Swift was disqualified for a number of reasons, including KFC's decision to offer a $19.89 voucher, in reference to the pop stars latest album 1989. This violated Triple J's strict rules of entry . Although the award-winning artist didn't quit make the cut, Australian electronic music duo, Peking Duk, bagged two top five positions with High (featuring Nicole Millar) landing second place and Take me over (featuring Safia) in fifth spot. 1. Chet Faker - Talk is cheap . 2. Peking Duk - High (featuring Nicole Millar) 3. Hilltop Hoods - Cosby Sweater . 4. Milky Chance - Stolen Dance . 5. Peking Duk - Take me over (featuring SAFIA) 6. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (featuring Bruno Mars) 7. Chet Faker - Gold . 8. Chet Faker - 1998 . 9. Sia - Chandelier . 10.Asgeir - King and Cross . While Australian hip hop band, Hilltop Hoods, who got their big break thanks to triple j's early support, came third with their single, Cosby Sweater. The other two songs by Faker that were voted into the top ten were Gold, at seventh place with eighth spot going to 1998. Before the music countdown began, there was a drum roll and Triple J's Lewi McKirdy announced that Taylor Swift will not be appearing in this year’s list ‘for a whole range of reasons’. An article with a comprehensive explanation for the decision was put on the Triple J website, but very few are privy to this information as the website crashed just a minute after it was posted. Daily Mail Australia viewed the post which is titled 'eight hilarious but totally true reasons you didn't hear Taylor Swift in the Hottest 100'. The humorous article, laden with sarcasm, has copied the format of the website 'Buzzfeed' which lead the #Tay4Hottest100 campaign. 'Their #Tay4Hottest100 campaign bought Taylor a one-way ticket to bansville,' a Triple J author wrote. Although they did wish to clarify, 'triple j doesn't have beef with Taylor Swift.' 'She's smart, she's cool and she has excellent taste in BFFs,' in reference to Swift's friendship with Lorde, who made numerous appearances in last year's Hottest 100 countdown. Australian electronic music duo, Peking Duk, express their gratitude on Instagram for bagging two top five positions on the Hottest 100 . The Triple J website crashed just a minute after a link was posted explaining the decision to disqualify Taylor Swift from this year's Hottest 100 . Before the music countdown began, there was a drum roll and Triple J's Lewi McKirdy announced that Taylor Swift will not be appearing in this year’s list ‘for a whole range of reasons’ However, they did point out that a Taylor Swift song was not played on Triple J at any point in 2014. The Triple J author explains that they took issue with the fact Buzzfeed, an international media company worth $850 million and the allegedly the leading source of cat GIFs, was 'throwing their weight around to influence a publicly voted music poll'. 'It's not legit for other media to try and troll the poll,' Triple J wrote. Triple J has strict rules which promise to 'remove artists from the list who have benefited from competitions or commercial campaigns that incentivise fans to vote for them'. The article then points out the number of 'trolls' who voted for Taylor Swift to 'prod the hipsters for lulz', meaning they did not vote for the young muso because of a genuine interest in the countdown. 'Do we really want to be talking about this every year?' Triple J asked. They argue that if the Taylor Swift campaign was successful it would have a long-term impact on their music poll, with other campaigns inevitably set to follow in future years, supporting people like 'Rebecca Black, Crazy Frog and Paris Hilton'. That would be a 'sh***y, sh***y tragedy.' KFC were also pointed out as being partially responsible for their decision after the fast food chain launched a campaign endorsing the pop icon in the lead up to the annual Australia Day countdown. 'Not every KFC idea is a good one,' pointed out Triple J in their 'Triple J Feed' post. The fast food giant jumped on the frenzied social media attempt to include the starlet in the Triple J Hottest 100, a campaign which has sparked both waves of support and fury from polarised music lovers. The fast food chain offered a $19.89 voucher, in reference to the pop star's latest album 1989, to customers who posted their favourite Swift song- a move which may breach the countdown's strict policy of banning artists who give their fans incentives to vote. '"We'd prefer that people vote for the love of music, not the love of cholesterol",' Triple J responded on Australian Day, hitting out at the fast food chain after they tried to cash in on the Hottest 100 hype. An article with a comprehensive explanation for the decision was put on the Triple J website, but very few are privy to this information as the website crashed just a minute after it was posted . triple j confirmed that the voucher was in direct violation of the Triple J Hottest 100 voting rules, which clearly state that the station will 'remove artists from the list who have benefited from competitions or commercial campaigns that incentivise fans to vote for them'. While ABC declined to comment officially before the countdown, former Triple J announcer Angela Catterns told The Drum on Monday that Swift had been disqualified. Last week, unconfirmed rumours were rife that Taylor Swift had been disqualified because of this campaign. 'You probably know that there was a push to get a Taylor Swift song in (the Hottest 100), which has now been disqualified because a fast food chain became involved in the whole process,' Ms Catterns said. Following the announcment, Social Media was bombarded with posts – some celebrating the decision, others devastated by Swift’s exclusion. ‘Dear @triplej why do you hate joy and puppies and kittens and bubbles and good things YOU MONSTERS,’ wrote Aya Reina. ‘Is it too cliche to tell @taylorswift13 fans to shake it off?’ said Chris Matthews-Darby . ‘Now the people who were waiting for Taylor Swift, but have never listened to @triplej can go away now,’ said Ren. Almost in direct response, Dylan Malloch posted ‘So, @triplej just ensured I won't be listening to any of the #hottest100 this year by not including #taylorswift.’ Harsh: In retaliation, extreme alternative music fans with a penchant for violent threats then took to social media to intimidate Taylor supporters . The response to the potential blow KFC may have dealt to the #tay4hottest100campaign has been as divided as the movement itself. 'Thank you KFC!!! You just invalidated this song from being in the hottest 100 by commercially incentivising it!!!' said one Facebook user. 'I hope that was your plan all along this just made my day as now I know the hottest 100 wont be tainted by this rubbish'. 'You've ruined #Tay4Hottest100 KFC! Arrghh!!!' said another user. Other social media commentators were pleased with the seemingly unintended outcome. 'Fantastic. For the first time ever KFC has done something useful and gotten Taylor Swift disqualified from the hottest 100,' said one Facebook user. 'if this is the reason swift gets disqualified from the hottest 100 then I hereby pledge to only eat KFC when I have that fast food craving....' said another. A spokesperson for KFC spoke out about the campaign, denying accusations of 'incetivising' people to vote for Taylor Swift in the Hottest 100. 'We know many of our fans are music lovers and our recent post has caused a bit of a stir so to avoid any more confusion we have removed the post.' 'The post simply asked our fans to tell us what their favourite Taylor Swift song was for the opportunity to win a voucher, we were not incentivising people to vote for the Hottest 100. Earlier on Tuesday, an unofficial poll shed some insight into who might take home the coveted Triple J Hottest 100 crown, with Swift making the cut despite the controversy. Taylor Swift was given a number 75 ranking on the Social Hottest 100 which has proved an inaccurate prediction, many hipsters nationwide may well hurl into fits of rage come Australia Day when the ABC radio station's annual alternative music poll hits the airwaves. Nasty: 'I hope you die a slow, painful death,' one wrote to a voter, while another compared a fan to ISIS . Too cool for school: The campaign to get Taylor on the list kicked off after super fan Joe McKenzi tweeted ABC boss Mark Scott (pictured) about the omission of Swift's hit Shake It Off from the voting list . | Chet Faker won triple j's Hottest 100 for 2014 with his song Talk is Cheap .
Taylor Swift was disqualified from appearing in the annual music poll .
A viral campaign encouraged members of the public to vote for Swift so she could top the Australia Day countdown .
The triple j website crashed a minute after an article explaining the decision was posted .
KFC jumped on the #tay4hottest100 campaign to include Taylor Swift in the annual triple j Hottest 100 countdown .
The move may breach the strict voting rules, which disqualify artists who offer fans encouragement to vote for them .
Former triple j presenter Angela Catterns said Swift had been excluded based on 'a fast food chain be involved in the process' |
37,959 | 6b6c6d7db9995bd9d9c0c3bfb82fad550496d433 | By . John Drayton . Leroy Fer may have been relegated with Norwich last season but his suitors will be impressed by his dancing feet. The Holland midfielder, a target for Premier League new boys QPR, tied the knot with partner Xenia Schipaanboord at the weekend and showed off in front of friends and family with a first dance with a difference. The happy couple eschewed the traditional slow dance for a choreographed routine, amazing their guests, although Fer's choice of song was somewhat bizarre as he danced to Chris Brown's hit tune These Hoes Aren't Loyal. Groovy nights: Norwich's Leroy Fer takes to the dancefloor with his new wife . Syncronised dancing: Fer must have rehearsed his moves with his wife before they took to the dancefloor . Crowd pleasers: Fer and his wife were applauded for their superb dance routine . Get jiggy with it: Fer twists and turns during his first dance with his wife Xenia Schipaanboord . Fer could be on the move in a different sense with QPR ready to offer Karl Henry plus cash to snap up the Norwich man. The Canaries have already rejected a bid of around £4m for 24-year-old Fer and value him closer to £7m. Rangers . boss Harry Redknapp has confirmed an interest in Hamburg's Rafael van . der Vaart but is keen to bring in a striker after seeing a £5m bid for . Troy Deeney fall well short of Watford's £10m valuation. Nightmare: Norwich were relegated from the Premier League at the back-end of last season . | Norwich midfielder Leroy Fer took to the dancefloor with his newlywed wife .
Fer and his wife were in syncronisation during their first dance .
The Dutchman has been linked with a move away from Carrow Road . |
156,051 | 55b8c26005cd0be06c662fc5b066d37b15b1f026 | German Chancellor Angela Merkel seemed less than amused during a performance ahead of the Carnival season where the dancers wore next-to-nothing from the waist down. The Chancellor made a disapproving face and looked away as the young ladies performed headstand splits, however the two men flanking her looked both pleased and impressed. Ms Merkel was treated to the performance at the Chancellery in Berlin prior to the start of the annual carnival season, and joined several of the performers on the floor when they were done with their routine. Not amused: German Chancellor Angela Merkel appears to disapprove as she watches a traditional Carnival performance at the Chancellery . So it begins: The Chancellor was surrounded by a 'court' of Carnival Princes and Princesses from every German state that celebrates Carnival . Ms Merkel appeared to cheer up when the girls got back on their feet, but poignantly looked away again when another headstand came along . It is tradition for the Chancellor to receive the Carnival Princes and Princesses from Germany's 'Carnival Clubs' ahead of its start. Carnival, known as Karneval, Fasching or Fastnacht, is mainly celebrated in Cologne and the Rhineland but also in other parts of the country and Austria. Carnival season officially starts on the 11th November at 11.11am, but properly kicks off in the new year. Mardi Gras-style festivities, which sees each Carnival town elect a Prince and Princess, culminates on Ash Wednesday ahead of Lent, with some regional differences. The German Carnival tradition dates back to medieval times and the biggest party is held in the city of Cologne, where Carnival has been celebrated since 1234. It is tradition for the Chancellor to receive the Princes and Princesses from Germany's Carnival Clubs ahead of the Carnival season . Time to party: Germany's Carnival season officially starts on the 11th November at 11.11am, but properly kicks off in the new year . Ms Merkel lightened up as she posed with members of the Tanzsportgarde Coburger Mohr dance troup during the reception . Party all around: Carnival, known as Karneval, Fasching or Fastnacht, is mainly celebrated in Cologne and the Rhineland but also in other parts of the country as well as Austria . The German Carnival tradition dates back to medieval times and the biggest party is held in the city of Cologne ahead of Lent . | Angela Merkel joined by Carnival Princes and Princesses at Chancellery for pre-season celebrations .
Ms Merkel pulled some interesting faces as a troupe of young female dancers took to the floor .
It is tradition for the Chancellor to receive Germany's Carnival Clubs ahead of the season . |
1,480 | 04485e9153e34405313ab73d82b5bba20aad0034 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 04:18 EST, 19 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:56 EST, 19 April 2013 . This young Jack Russell got a jolly good barking at when his lively antics went a step too far. The three-month-old puppy, appropriately called Jackie, was pinned up against the wall by his seven-year-old mother Morha after he became a bit too boisterous. His mother decided to step in to deal out the rough justice after Jackie had been harassing his ten-year-old grandmother Mowa. Ticking off: Jackie the three-month-old Jack Russell is 'told off' by its mother . Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured the action while walking with a friend and their pets on holiday in Halwill, Devon. The telling-off didn't last too long however as they started to play together before carrying on with their walk. He said: 'The dogs were making the most of the sun and the little one was bothering its grandmother. 'When Jackie's playful nature got a bit boisterous, his mother stepped in and seemed to tell him off by pressing him against the wall. 'But it was all in good fun as they had a play with each other before trotting on.' The pictures offer a revealing insight into the relationship dynamics between dogs and their parents. Rough justice: Jackie was given the stern telling-off after his mother became fed up of his boisterous behaviour . Sorry mum! Jackie appears a little sheepish after his telling off . Abashed: With his head bowed, Jackie walks off with his mother after she told him off for being boisterous . After the dog has been given its stern telling off he appeared a little crest-fallen, but quickly gather his wits before moving on. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise the young dog needs keeping in line every now and again - Jack Russell's are notorious for wanting to be the centre of attention. They also have masses of energy and will always try to challenge authority. No wonder Jackie's mother was not willing to let him get away with his boisterous antics for too long. In the dog house: Jackie the 3-month old Jack Russell puppy faces his grandmother Mowa (left) and his mother Morha (right) Mother and son: Morha and Jackie quickly made up after the telling off and were soon carrying on with their walk . Insight: Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured the action while walking with a friend and their pets on holiday in Halwill, Devon . | Puppy Jackie was pinned up against the wall by his mother Morha .
Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured images while walking with friend .
But telling off didn't last too long as they soon started to play together again . |
206,901 | 97e6944226a6b8ca7596e6e115d4d9bcce116bd4 | A man who found a phone in a lake was amazed to discover it still worked - despite spending a quarter of a year submerged. Roger Nilsson contacted the Facebook page of Nokia Sweden to tell them about how he found his Lumia 800 - lost three months ago - wedged between two rocks in the lake. Intrigued, he took the phone, which was encrusted with mud, shells and other waste, back to his home and cleaned it up, took it apart and left it to dry on his radiator. Tough: This Nokia smartphone was found in a lake by Swede Roger Nilsson. Despite three months in the water, it still works . When he reassembled it he was stunned to discover it was able to make calls and even the camera still worked. The battery too had lost none of its potency, lasting two days from a full charge, reports the Times of India. What makes the discovery even more incredible is the phone is not designed to be any more water resistant than any other smartphone on the market. Even phones marketed as water-resistant are only rated to survive under water for a maximum of 30 minutes, let alone more than three months. Drowned: The Nokia Lumia 800 smartphone is not even designed to be water-resistant . He posted: '(I) took it home and started to clean as best I could, shells and muck on display, green goo around the entire phone and some other stuff. Let it dry on a radiator and then I put in the charger cable. Nokia Sweden was impressed with his story, posting: 'Woaw! Really nice story, thanks for sharing it with us'. Nokia user Ashif Chowdary was also impressed, writing: 'Absolutely incredible, as most other phones break when you drop them from the coffee table height.' Nokia has a legacy of making durable handsets, from the old 3315 to the new Lumia range. | Roger Nilsson lost the Nokia Lumia but chanced upon it three weeks ago .
He cleaned and dried it out, before plugging in the charger .
The phone, camera and battery all still function perfectly . |
249,718 | cf2d998521254dd677af3797e058cff733d5380e | By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:54 EST, 14 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:28 EST, 16 August 2012 . Women around the world went wild for David Beckham's last series of ads for H&M. And if an early look at his new campaign is any indication, the second promises to be just as popular. The London-born footballer poses in a white vest and underpants in the image, offering a smouldering gaze at the camera. Some might argue that it is not unlike the famous Blue Steel expression of Ben Stiller's much-loved make model character, Derek Zoolander. Model behaviour: A heavily tattooed David Beckham poses in a white vest and underpants in a promotional shot for his underwear range . First look: David Beckham strikes a pose in a behind-the-scenes glimpse from the shoot for his latest ad campaign for his hugely successful H&M bodywear line . And this new series of ads, which launches on Thursday, will be followed by many more, if Mr Beckham has anything to do with it. Giving his best Blue Steel: Ben Stiller in the title role in 2001 film Zoolander . 'I'm very happy that so far people seem to like it and the first season was incredibly successful,' he says. 'The challenge is to keep it going and establish a brand that will last many years. That is my ambition.' The launch will coincide with a 'statue stunt' with larger-than-life Beckhams . going up in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco . It will promote new products that will be added to the collection later this year. The 37-year-old father-of-four, who . is married to Spice Girl-turned fashion designer Victoria, says the . formula for the H&M bodywear line is largely about his personal . preference for 'comfort and fit.' And . he's not just talking about T-shirts. Apparently, he doesn't mind some . downtime at home, and that's why there will be more cosy and warm items . heading into stores. Brand power: The footballer says he is thrilled with the success of the last collection and campaign images . Best of British: The footballer's image was projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover to help welcome tourists flying into London during the Olympics, which ended on Sunday . He explained: 'It's important to me that bodywear means more than just briefs and tees. It's about all the pieces I like.' Designer duo: Mr Beckham with his Spice Girl-turned fashion designer wife, Victoria, in May . Mr . Beckham says he values the input of H&M designers, especially when . it comes to their technical expertise, to get products to the point . where he wants his name on them. 'Working with a team has always been a key part of my life,' he says. But, he adds, he didn't have any help getting in shape so he could feel comfortable minimally dressed in front of the cameras. 'I did nothing different,' he says. 'I'm naturally fit of course as an athlete so there is nothing out of the ordinary I do!' The footballer took . centre-stage at the London Olympics Opening Ceremony last month, . carrying the torch on its final leg along the Thames in a boat. And his H&M ads were projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover by way of a welcome for tourists flying into the UK for the Games. 'I was incredibly honoured to be part of the team that helped bring the Olympics to my home borough, city and country,' he said. 'I always knew we would put on a fantastic event but it has exceeded even my most optimistic expectations.' Mr Beckham had hoped to play for Britain's soccer team at the games but to many of his fans' shock, he was not selected for the squad. | The footballer's smouldering gaze could be likened to that of Ben Stiller's famous male model character, Derek Zoolander . |
231,269 | b76f15b2cc5b289f893c3813402e37f1f272d79f | By . Kerry Mcdermott . Jesus Christ remains the world's most influential figure over 2,000 years after he walked the earth, according to new research. Academics at U.S. university MIT used data gathered from online encyclopedia Wikipedia to rank famous figures through history in terms of their global reach. While the likes of pop icons, sports stars and 50 Shades of Grey author E.L. James dominated Time Magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people this year, religious figures, Greek philosophers and scientists prevailed in the Wikipedia-based top 20. Wikipedia reach: Jesus Christ, left, was at number one on the list of history's most influential people, followed by Chinese philosopher Confucius, right, at number two . The Macro Connections group, from the MIT-based Media Lab, described its list as a 'socio-cultural mirror'. The researchers focused on influential people born before 1950, and used data from all language editions of Wikipedia. 'Proxies for culture': Researchers said entries such as physicists Sir Isaac Newton, left, and Albert Einstein, right, offered an insight into global knowledge of the cultures of their respective countries' cultures . Chinese philosopher Confucius, whose teachings focused on personal and governmental morality, justice and sincerity, was at number two, followed by English physicist Sir Isaac Newton at number three. 1. Jesus Christ: Prophet and central figure of Christianity . 2. Confucius: Chinese philosopher . 3. Sir Isaac Newton: British physicist . 4. Gandhi: Indian politician and activist . 5. Albert Einstein: German physicist . 6. Aristotle: Greek philosopher . 7. Vasco da Gama: Portuguese explorer . 8. Leonardo da Vinci: Italian artist . 9. Plato: Greek philosopher . 10. Archimedes: Greek philosopher . 11. Mao Zedong: Chinese communist revolutionary . 12. William Shakespeare: English playwright . 13. Socrates: Greek philosopher . 14. Karl Marx: German philosopher and socialist . 15. Michaelangelo: Italian sculptor . 16. Gautama Buddha: Nepalese spiritual teacher . 17. Nelson Mandela: South African politician . 18. Galileo Galilei: Italian physicist . 19. Julius Caesar: Roman emperor . 20. Joseph Stalin: Soviet leader . Communist leaders Chairman Mao and . Joseph Stalin both made it on to the list of influential figures, at . numbers 11 and 20 respectively. South Africa's Nelson Mandela, who is at number 17, is the only living entry on the list. The group took into account factors . like the number of language editions in which an individual has a page, . and the number of people known to speak those languages, when compiling . the rankings. But Macro Connections is more interested in what the list reveals about global knowledge of an individual country's culture than a specific historical figure. 'It shows you how the world perceives . your own national culture,' Cesar Hidalgo, head of the Macro Connections . group, told Wired Magazine. For example, playwright William Shakespeare's position at number 12 on the list can be viewed as an indication of worldwide knowledge of a central figure in England's national culture. 'We use historical characters as proxies for culture,' Mr Hidalgo said. 'It is easier to track knowledge about Shakespeare than about each of the characters he created in his writing.' The list is part of the group's ongoing research into how culture 'assembles itself'. Mr Hidalgo and his colleagues are using this quantitative approach to test hypotheses such as whether cultural development is structured or random. The group will be considering questions such as whether it would be possible to have a figure such as Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs in a country that has not generated enough science and technology. | List of the most influential people born before 1950 compiled using data from all language editions of Wikipedia .
Jesus was at number one, followed by Chinese philosopher Confucius at number two and Sir Isaac Newton at number three . |
213,024 | 9fdd99deaf8f979b880124c48a9cc8ad442f5add | (CNN) -- Top seed Rafael Nadal made short work of fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco on Thursday to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Open with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win. Mikhail Youzhny now stands between Nadal and his first final at Flushing Meadows after the Russian edged out Stanislas Wawrinka in five sets, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Five-times winner Roger Federer will face Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the other semifinals after the Swiss second seed battled high winds to beat fifth seed Robin Soderling in a repeat of their 2009 quarterfinal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Nadal started slowly on a cold and windy evening in New York and dropped his serve for the first time in the tournament early in the first set. But he finished the match with just 16 unforced errors to complete a routine victory over eighth seed Verdasco. "It's great news for me, especially this year without losing a set," Nadal said. "Today I played, for the conditions, I think I played a great match against very difficult opponent like Fernando. "So for me, to be in semifinals is amazing. But I have to keep going and keep playing better if I really want to have a chance to be in the final." Federer's victory reaffirmed his dominance in the tournament; the five-time champion has not dropped a set in New York, and remains on course for a record-breaking sixth U.S. Open crown. Federer beat world number three Djokovic in the 2007 final at Flushing Meadows and in the semifinals the past two years. "Here we go again," Federer said in comments carried by AFP. "He has been playing great. He's hungry to make a breakthrough. It's going to be a tough match." Home hopes distant ahead of U.S. Open . Soderling's only victory over Federer came in the French Open quarterfinals this year, ending the Swiss champion's run of 23 consecutive grand slam semifinals. Federer saved three break points in the second game of the match and another in the sixth before snatching the set by converting his first break point. The Swiss broke again in the fifth game of the second before closing out for a 2-0 lead. Soderling broke in the eighth game of the third and served for the set, but Federer came roaring back with four straight games to surge into the last four. "I just feel happy that I played a good match under tough circumstances against a player who's really hard to beat these days, especially on the hard courts," Federer told the U.S. Open website. "It really favors his game, and he's had a wonderful run the last couple of years. For me, this is obviously a big victory." Djokovic earlier thrashed Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals amid high winds 7-6 (2), 6-1, 6-2. Rock'n'Roll tennis in the Big Apple . The Serb came from a break behind to take the opener on a tie-break before running away with the second and third sets against the 17th seed from France. "Maybe the wind helped me a little bit more because it neutralized his serve," the U.S. Open's Web site quoted Djokovic as saying. Monfils, meanwhile, was playing in his third grand slam quarterfinal after becoming the first Frenchman into the last eight at this event since Arnaud Clement in 2000. | Nadal beats Fernando Verdasco to reach U.S. Open semifinals .
Federer beats Soderling in quarterfinal; will face Djokovic in last four .
Federer has yet to drop a set in this year's U.S. Open in New York .
Federer remains on course for record-breaking sixth U.S. Open crown . |
197,662 | 8bd56dc4e13dba40146727eb9183e7992a5e7cf6 | By . Associated Press . Former Boston crime boss James 'Whitey' Bulger is appealing the federal conviction that sent him to prison for life last year, arguing that he was unable to fully present his defense. Bulger, who's 84, was convicted and sentenced on racketeering charges that tied him to 11 murders and other gangland crimes from the 1970s and '80s. In an appeal filed Thursday in the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Bulger's lawyers Henry Brennan and James Budreau argue he was 'deprived' of a critical defense in his trial: that a now-dead federal prosecutor had given him immunity from his crimes. Scroll down for video . Appeal: Attorneys for the former Boston crime boss say they expect to file an appeal Thursday of the convictions that sent crime boss Whitey Bulger to prison for life . Bulger had been an FBI informant against the rival New England Mafia, which his lawyers say allowed him to avoid prosecution for almost 25 years while his Winter Hill Gang consolidated power and built a criminal enterprise that took in millions of dollars through drugs, gambling, loansharking and other illegal activities. Bulger's case ultimately became a black eye for the FBI and the basis for recent Hollywood movies after it was revealed that corrupt federal agents had accepted bribes and protected him over the years. But, during the trial last year, Judge Denise Casper ruled Bulger couldn't raise the immunity claim because he offered no hard evidence to support it. The judge also said prosecutor Jeremiah O'Sullivan, who died in 2009, didn't have authority to grant such immunity. This 'constitutional error' affected the fairness of Bulger's trial and must result in reversal, his lawyers wrote in their appeal. Immortalized: Bulger (left) and the corrupt FBI agents who protected him are the subject of an upcoming film, Black Mass, starring Johnny Depp (right) 'If Mr. Bulger had been permitted to testify about his immunity defense in his own words, then the jury would have the opportunity to weigh his credibility with that of the government's witnesses,' they wrote. '... His testimony alone could have made a difference in the verdict.' Bulger's lawyers also argue they had been prevented from showing how the government's plea deals with three key witnesses — a gangster, a hit man and a Bulger protege — 'deeply inspired' the former associates to blame their boss for 'any and all crimes, regardless of the truth.' Bulger's lawyers hone in on hit man John Martorano, who admitted killing 20 people but served only 12 years in prison in exchange for testifying against Bulger. Bulger's lawyers say they should have been allowed to explore allegations Martorano had been committing new crimes since his release from prison. Prosecutors have said the allegations had been investigated and found untrue. Bulger fled Boston shortly before his 1995 indictment after being tipped off by a former FBI agent. He was one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives for 16 years until his 2011 arrest in Santa Monica, California. Following a 35-day trial, a federal jury last August found Bulger guilty of 31 of 32 counts, including racketeering, money laundering, extortion and firearms violations. The jury also found prosecutors had proved Bulger participated in 11 of the 19 murders of which he was accused. Bulger was sentenced in November 2013. | James 'Whitey' Bulger, 84, is appealing his conviction and life sentence on racketeering charges .
His lawyers say he was not permitted to use the defense that a prosecutor had given him immunity for his crimes for being an FBI informant .
During his trial last year, the judge ruled that Bulger could not raise that line of defense because he had no hard proof .
The judge also said the prosecutor did not have the authority to grant Bulger immunity . |
114,611 | 1feca09192d9a867a35c5a38eb76d2ce2bb7ab76 | It's the horror wedding story which turned a couple's perfect day of celebrations into a horror story. Matt and Laurie Young had returned home to celebrate their Canadian wedding with their Australian friends, inviting them to a guest hall reception at Narabeen, on Sydney's northern beaches, where they asked for cash and vouchers as gifts, instead of presents. But during the celebrations - when they were joined by up to 100 guests - thieves ransacked their wishing well and stole thousands of dollars donated to them by loving friends and family. Scroll down for video . Matt and Laurie Young are putting a call out to others to be wary of opportunistic thieves at weddings . The money was to be the helping hand the couple needed to start their new life together and put it towards a new home. But instead the Youngs have been left shattered by the thought that someone close to them could have potentially taken the cash. Now they are warning of others celebrating their special day of opportunistic thieves thinking of doing the same. 'We were in complete shock and disbelief,' Mrs Young told The Sunday Telegraph. The pair had left their money in the hall overnight where they presumed it would be safe until they re-visited the following day. 'We were in complete shock and disbelief' Mrs Young and her husband were shattered by the thought that it could have been someone close to them who took the money . But when they returned to collect their wishing well to take home, they noticed their was much less than they remember seeing the night before. 'We were opening our presents at home and realised there were only two cards, far less than we remember seeing the night before. 'After making a few calls to family members we realised that a lot of the cards were missing.' It's a story familiar with wedding and event hire company Wishing Wells Extraordinaire, whose owner Bree Martini said brides are now requesting padlocks to secure novelty storage units such as bird cages and treasure chests. People are requesting padlocks for their wishing wells so people don't steal money . 'People have told me about incidents where someone has stolen an entire wishing well, and other cases where people have removed money from open suitcases,' Ms Martini said. Mrs Young and her husband were shattered by the thought that it could have been someone close to them, and hoped that it was just a 'random' who sneaked in unnoticed. 'We are really hoping it was a random person who managed to sneak in unnoticed and take the cards,' she said. A police spokesman said: 'While these type of incidents are rare, newlyweds are warned that when it comes to money there is always the potential for opportunistic theft.' | Matt and Laurie returned from a wedding in Canada to celebrate their reception with friends and family back in Sydney .
The couple, who live on Sydney's northern beaches, spent the night celebrating at the Narabeen Scout Hall .
They asked guests to bring cash and vouchers to put toward a new house .
The money was left in the hall overnight but when they returned the following day noticed most of it had been stolen .
They are warning other people of opportunistic thieves looking to do the same . |
212,281 | 9ee2e85c20ea3d857b906b54248f077546fb53a0 | Ever wondered what it would be like to run like a dog with the wind gushing against your fur as you rush past obstacles on the beach before diving into the Sicilian sea? Well one video certainly gives an insight into the excitement of being let off the lead, showing an Italian dog sprinting to the beach has been uploaded to YouTube. Walter, a golden labrador, knows the best route from his home down to the beach and takes the viewer along for the exciting ride before he plunges into the sea. The footage was captured on Monday at Walter’s owner’s house in Sicily using a GoPro camera which was attached to the dog’s back. During the 40-second video Walter can be seen leaving his owner's home, sprinting down steps, running past hedges and trees and squeezing past sunbathers and rocks on the beach. GoPro has recently released its first ever mount for pets, the Fetch mount. The company says the special cameras are the 'perfect device to document life from a dog's point of view.' Walter the labrador leaves his owner's house for a quick run to the beach . The adventurous labrador runs towards the gates as he begins his 30 second run . Walter reaches the gates as he prepares to scale down a series of steps during his journey . The sea is visible from Walter's dog's eye view as his running takes him closer to the beach and the sea . Walter descends a multitude of steps in seconds as he rushes off to the beach . The labrador then entires the beach area and he runs through a rocky area before he reaches the sand . Walter then squeezes through a number of sunbathers as the sea stretches out in front of him . Walter reaches the sea in just 30 seconds after he avoids sunbathers and rocks on the beach . The labrador splashes in the water and cools down after his energy sapping run . | Dog's eye view gives viewers a unique snapshot of Walter's run .
Labrador avoids obstacles such as trees, hedges, rocks and people .
Exciting and fascinating footage was filmed on new specialised camera . |
99,266 | 0bdbdba0c4b5a504896c43ef8843a1761226cdaa | Bobbi Kristina could have been submerged for as long as 15 minutes before she was found face-down in a bathtub on Saturday, according to reports. The 21-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston remains in a coma in Emory University Hospital after she was found unconscious by her partner Nick Gordon and friend Max Lomas in her Roswell, Georgia home. 'It seems like it might've been 10 or 15 minutes that she must have been alone,' Lomas' attorney Ashleigh Merhant told E! News. 'But we don't know at what point she actually ended up in the tub during that time.' Tragic: Bobbi Kristina, pictured with her partner Nick Gordon, was found unconscious on Saturday morning . 'The odds are against her': Bobbi Kristina's cousin Jerod Brown wrote on his Instagram page on Thursday that 'doctors don't see any hope for change' in her condition as he called for prayers . Lomas found Bobbi Kristina after he went looking for her when a cable man knocked at the door, E! reported. When she did not respond, he went in and found her, his attorney said. She was rushed to hospital and her family has remained tight-lipped about her condition, but on Thursday, her cousin took to Instagram to provide friends a heartbreaking update. 'Though it seems the odds are against her,' Jerod Brown wrote, 'though doctors don't see any hope for change, though we might want to play detective and find out how she got there, though it looks impossible for her to stand again STILL PRAY FOR BK.' On Thursday, DailyMail.com learned that Bobbi's life-support machine was switched off. 'The plug on Bobbi Kristina has been pulled,' a police source said. It is possible for a patient to survive despite artificial assistance being withdrawn. Bobby Brown did not respond directly to the claims but slammed reports saying that the family were preparing to say goodbye to his youngest daughter. 'This is false, just as is the vast majority of the other reporting that is currently taking place,' he said in a statement on Thursday. Denial: Bobby Brown, pictured leaving Emory University Hospital on Thursday, has denied reports that the family is preparing for the worst. On Thursday, a police source said her life support had been removed . Staying positive: Brown, seen giving a 'thumbs up', has remained hopeful that his daughter will pull through . Support network: Bobby Brown, right, and his wife Alicia Etheredge, left, leave the hospital on Thursday . 'If we issued a statement every time the media published a false report regarding this matter, that's all we would be doing 24 hours a day.' The last official word on Bobbi's condition from the family came on Tuesday when they said in a statement that she was 'fighting for her life and is surrounded by immediate family'. On Thursday, he briefly told Access Hollywood that his daughter was 'good'. He appeared tired and his eyes were red as if he had been crying, the program reported. 'We're praying,' he added. Bobbi's 'devastated' grandmother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney, was also seen arriving at the hospital, according to Radar Online, having flown in from her New Jersey home. 'Cissy was so traumatized losing Whitney and the pain is still raw from that,' a source told the website. 'Watching Krissy in the hospital and in the coma is almost more than she can handle. This is almost too much sadness for her to bear.' Vigil: Gordon was pictured outside the North Fulton Hospital, where Bobbi Kristina was first taken, on Sunday . Scene: Bobbi Kristina was found in the bathtub at this townhouse in Roswell, Georgia on Saturday morning . Meanwhile, Houston's mentor Clive Davis says he's been in touch the family and is praying for Bobbi. Davis said he's offered his support and and 'they're so grateful.' 'Of course it's heartbreaking to see the family go through this pain once again,' Davis said at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston died in 2012 and where he will hold a pre-Grammy gala Saturday. 'They just ask that the public respect their privacy.' Houston died in a bathtub from an 'accidental' drug overdose almost exactly three years ago, in tragically similar circumstances. Authorities found a dozen prescription drug bottles in her Beverly Hills Hotel suite and listed heart disease and cocaine use as contributors, but concluded that she accidentally drowned. Bobbi Kristina was found in eerily similar circumstances on Saturday morning. Questions still remain over what part drugs - if any - played in Saturday's incident; police reportedly found narcotics in the home during a second search last weekend. Police said she was found by her purported husband, Nick Gordon, and a friend, Max Lomas. Lomas' lawyer has since said he was the one who found Bobbi Kristina and started CPR. Missed: Bobbi's mother Whitney Houston, pictured together in 2007, died in a bathtub from an 'accidental' drug overdose almost exactly three years ago, in tragically similar circumstances . Bobby Brown spoke out earlier this week to correct reports that his daughter had married Gordon. Bobbi Kristina and Gordon were brought up like brother and sister after Houston took Gordon in when he was 12. But following her death, the duo announced they were in a relationship. Then last January the couple announced that they had got married, and Bobbi Kristina posted photos of their 'wedding rings' on social media. But on Tuesday a lawyer representing Bobbi's father released the following statement: 'We are currently investigating the events that led to the hospitalization of Bobbi Kristina.' 'To correct earlier reports, Bobbi Kristina is not and has never been married to Nick Gordon,' added Christopher Brown of Brown & Rosen LLC. Relations between Gordon and other family members have been rocky and he remains subject to a protective order barring him from being within 200 feet of Bobbi Kristina's aunt, Patricia Houston. | An attorney for the friend who found Bobbi Kristina on Saturday says she had been on her own for 15 minutes before he checked on her .
Her cousin Jerod Brown said that 'it seems the odds are against her .
Her father has denied reports that they are preparing for the worst .
Bobby Brown told Access Hollywood on Thursday: 'We're praying' |
82,853 | eaeb84af578bcda2e7880afdbbf031fb59649426 | There may be many things we don't understand about the universe, but one thing we can be certain of is that the speed of light cannot be exceeded. Right? Not necessarily, according to one scientist. He claims that a certain effect may be capable of producing the illusion that 'spots' of light travel faster than lightspeed. And his research says that when this occurs, the spots produce a phenomenon known as a 'photonic boom'. A scientist from Michigan Tech University studied faster than light effects. Dr Robert Nemiroff said a laser swept across the moon (telescope laser shown) will appear to break light-speed. This is because it will move from one end to the other before light on the surface could make the same journey . The controversial study was carried out by physics professor Dr Robert Nemiroff from Michigan Tech University, and he recently presented his research at the 225th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle. He claims that if you shine a powerful enough laser pointer on the moon from Earth and sweep it across the surface, the 'spot of light' could appear to move faster than the speed of light. This is because, in this hypothetical scenario, if another person standing on a moon attempted to shine a light across the moon at the same time, it would take longer. When a plane travels faster than the speed of sound, the sound waves it creates are unable to propagate away as normal and instead build up, creating a sonic boom of noise. A similar effect can also be observed with regards to light, emitting something known as Cerenkov radiation in the process. Note that this is different to the 'photonic boom' effect described by Dr Nemiroff. The Cerenkov radiation effect occurs when something travelling at, or near, the speed of light in a particular medium - such as air - moves into a medium where the speed of light is slower - such as water. In air, the speed of light is about 984 million feet (300 million metres) per second. In water, however, it is less at 738 million feet (225 million metres) per second. This means that if particles move from air to water they can break the speed of light in the water. The moment they do this they slow down to the new speed, but in the process release a particular type of radiation - known as Cerenkov radiation. The effect occurs in nuclear reactors, which are encased in water. When neutrinos leak out, they slow from the speed of light in air to that in water. In the process they emit Cerenkov radiation, which appears as a blue glow. 'The stream of particles (photons) from your laser pointer can sequentially impact the moon so that another light beam - confined to the surface of the moon - could not keep up,' Dr Nemiroff told MailOnline. In his paper he explained that, although light takes about 0.0116 seconds to cross the moon, a person standing on Earth can sweep a laser pointer across the moon's surface in less time. Such sweeps in the universe are known as 'superluminal sweeps' - superluminal meaning faster than light. And when this spot first strikes the moon, Dr Nemiroff said it can create a flash to an observer, which he calls a photonic boom. Although not the same as a sonic boom, this would be an indicator that the spot is moving faster than the speed of light. Dr Nemiroff further explained that the 'spot' moving across the moon is not actually a physical object - so it is not breaking any laws of physics. 'Each photon that strikes the moon is unconnected to other photons that strike the moon,' he said. But while the photons in the beam move at the speed of light, the spot itself seems to move faster. 'Nothing physical is moving faster than the speed of light,' he added. 'In this sense, the superluminal motion inherent in a photonic boom is an optical illusion brought about by the timings of unrelated photons striking - and being scattered by - the moon. 'One analogy is the sonic boom as when a supersonic airplane flies by overhead, people at different locations will hear the sonic boom at different times.' This graphic reveals the effect in action. It takes light about 0.0116 seconds to cross the moon, said Dr Nemiroff, but a person can sweep a laser pointer across the moon's surface in less time . The laser effect is only a trick - but it could reveal hidden details.When the light first hits the object it creates a 'photonic boom'. Comparing this to the sweep of light over the surface could reveal properties of the object it is striking. For example, sweeping light over an asteroid thousands of times could reveal its mass . While the laser beam on the moon analogy might seen simplistic, it is actually relevant to other events in the universe. Namely, pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars, may sweep their own beams across cloud of dust and gas and creating the superluminal effect. 'The photonic boom effect has never yet been identified as such out in the cosmos,' Dr Nemiroff said. 'One reason is that no one has thought to look for it. The research says the effect probably occurs and should be looked for.' When a superluminal sweep occurs, it is thought to start with a flash known as a 'photonic boom' - so-called because they are analogous to sonic booms and breaking the sound barrier. The crux of Dr Nemiroff's research is that by comparing these sweeps with the scattering of the beam, characteristics on the origin of the beam - and the object it is striking - can be observed. For example, to reveal the size and surface features of asteroids passing near Earth, a laser beam could be swept across the rock's surface thousands of times a second. Each sweep would create a photonic boom and, recorded with high-speed cameras, could map out major features on the asteroid. A similar phenomenon is observed in pulsars shining on dust clouds (illustration shown). Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of light, and the glow they create on dust clouds has been observed by astronomers. The sweeping motion could appear to travel faster than light, according to Dr Nemiroff . Dr Nemiroff said photonic booms could be observed in the universe, such as in Hubble's Variable Nebula, pictured. Here, he said shadows cast by clouds moving between a bright star may reflect dust and move so fast that they might create photonics booms visible for days or weeks . The physics that create a photonic boom is tied to the faster-than-light sweep speeds of the illuminating spots and shadows. Specifically, a flash is seen by an observer when the speed of the scattered spot toward the observer drops from above the speed of light to below the speed of light. The phenomenon is possible only because the spots contain no mass and so cannot only move faster than light, but decelerate past the speed of light without violating Einstein's theory of special relativity. The effect hinges on the interplay between the time it takes for a sweeping beam of light to cross an object, and the time it takes for the light beam to traverse the depth of the object. 'Photonic booms happen around us quite frequently - but they are always too brief to notice,' said Dr Nemiroff in a separate press release. 'Out in the cosmos they last long enough to notice - but nobody has thought to look for them!' When neutrinos leak out of nuclear reactor, they are travelling above the speed of light in water and briefly break the 'light barrier'. As they slow, they release something called Cerenkov radiation, which appears as a blue glow. Pictured is the glow from the Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) core . Photonic booms should not be confused with the well-known Cerenkov radiation, which is emitted when an object breaks the speed of light in a particular material. The speed of light is different in various mediums - for example, it moves slower through water than it does in air. So, if a particle moving at the speed of the light in air moves into water, it produces the radiation as it slows to below light speed. This effect can be observed in nuclear reactors, which are kept underwater. | Scientist from Michigan Tech University studied faster than light effects .
He said a laser swept across the moon can appear to break light-speed .
This is because it will move from one end to the other before a beam on the surface could make the same journey .
The effect is only a trick - but it could reveal hidden details .
Similar phenomenon could be observed in pulsars shining on dust clouds .
When the light first hits the object it creates a 'photonic boom'
Comparing this to the sweep of light over the surface could reveal properties of the object it is striking .
For example, using high-speed cameras to observe a light moving over an asteroid thousands of times could reveal its mass . |
168,511 | 65f54ab8a1facde7ce9991dcab0bb4f8dd652606 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 4:57 PM on 21st December 2011 . Research In Motion has turned down takeover overtures from Amazon and other potential buyers because the BlackBerry maker prefers to fix its problems on its own, according to sources. Amazon hired an investment bank this summer to review a potential merger with RIM, but it did not make a formal offer, said one of the sources. It is not clear whether informal discussions between Amazon and RIM ever led to specific price talk, or who else had approached RIM about a takeover. Talks: Amazon considered buying RIM, but made no formal offer, say industry insiders . RIM's board wants co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to focus on trying to turn around the business through the launch of new phones, better use of assets such as BlackBerry Messaging and restructuring, two sources said. They did not want to be identified as the discussions are private. RIM and Amazon declined to comment. At the moment Blackberry is trying to make sure that delays to its new touchscreen phones don’t harm the business. Trouble ahead? Blackberry's new phone (not shown) has been delayed until late 2012, which analysts say could damage profits . The new devices are designed to update the smartphone brand for consumers used to iPhones and other touch handsets such as Android, but have been delayed until the end of next year. It's a delay that some analysts predict could be disastrous for the company. The touchscreen BB10 phones were crucial to updating the brand. The co-CEOs insisted that BlackBerry can hold out - but admitted that BlackBerry sales were falling month by month, and that net income had fallen 71 per cent. Earlier this year, BlackBerry also ran into trademark difficulties for the new operating system - BBX - and renamed the phones BB10 to avoid a dispute. No official name or spec for any of the handsets has yet been revealed. Shots of an angular handset supposedly known as BlackBerry London leaked earlier this month. The phones will run an operating system that's mid-way between the simple, old-style operating system of current BlackBerries, and the more iPad-esque OS of the recent BlackBerry PlayBook. PlayBook was another disaster for the company, with the seven-inch tablet sold at a damaging loss after customers failed to take an interest. PlayBook required a BlackBerry phone 'tethered' to it for email to work - unlike any other tablet on the market. Peter Misek, an analyst at Jefferies & Co in New York, said the company needs to get its new phones out fast. Mike Lazaridis, one of the company's co-CEOs, said the BlackBerry 10 phones will need a new chipset that will not be available until mid-2012, so the company expects the new phones to ship late in the year. 'We've experienced a delay,' he said. Analysts say RIM's future depends on the new software. | Blackberry's income has fallen 71 per cent .
New 'BB10' smartphones to be delayed until 'late 2012' |
223,249 | ad031c16a3d42bca5b342efd2a3167e7937e2c54 | By . Chris White In Los Angeles . Shelly Sterling is as racist as her husband Donald and their separation is a fake to save him from losing the LA Clippers. That's the shocking claim of long time ex-family friend Cheryl Bogart. According to Bogart, Shelly is Sterling’s ‘right-hand man,’ and runs his affairs ‘like a brothel.’ Earlier this week, Bogart and her brother, Phillip Scheid, revealed exclusively to MailOnline that Donald Sterling paraded around his mansions naked, threw around racist remarks to his kids and their friends, claimed Christians are stupid and beat his own son, . Twisted: Former family friend Cheryl Bogart claims that Shelly Sterling, seen here with Donald Sterling at a Los Angeles Police Awards Dinner in August 2011 is as racist, and that her separation from the Clippers owner is a fake . Explosive claim: Ms Bogart says Shelly is Sterling's 'right-hand man' and runs his affairs 'like a brothel' Explosive claim: Ms Bogart says Shelly is Sterling's 'right-hand man' and runs his affairs 'like a brothel' So far, Shelly has managed to ride on the wave of public sympathy. Former LA Clippers player Ron Harper even said: “The only bad part is I know how much his wife loves the team and mostly I feel sad for her.’ But Cheryl says that no one should have sympathy for Shelly; she’s just as bad as her husband. The 37-year-old Cheryl, who has known Shelly all her life, says: ‘She was very well aware of the racist issues. The fact that she’s saying she wasn’t is a lie. She’s Donald’s right hand man. They’ve been married 50 years. You don’t think she’s aware of this? 'It’s a joke. She’s a liar. I don’t know why the Clippers and manager are sticking up for her, I know Shelly. ‘She’s totally a racist. When you live with someone for that long, how can you not be aware? There are court documents saying she called someone a “black motherf*****r"' Court documents discovered by the Los Angeles Times name Shelly as part of a discrimination lawsuit filed against the couple by their former tenants, with one African American resident claiming that she called him a 'black motherf*****' during an argument. Establsihed pattern: According to the ex-friend, Sterling always comes back to his wife after his daliances, and the two of them then sue his paramours as it happened with V. Stiviano (right) Cheryl says the Clippers know that Shelly is a racist too. ‘She’s trying to come out of this whiter than white, but she’s as dirty as him. It doesn’t take a genius to work that out. ‘When they say they’ve been separated, that’s so ridiculous. The only times they’re separated is if one is at their Malibu home and the other in Beverly Hills. They’ve never been apart. ‘They’re making out like they’re separated and doing everything they can for the sake of the team and for themselves. They don’t have any plans for divorce, no way. "After all the things that have happened to them, all the stuff she knows, all the secrets, you understand what I’m saying? There’s too much stuff they’ve done together and against people that could ever be made public. She will never divorce him. ‘One day she says my husband is racist, prejudice, and she doesn’t share those views, then the next she’s at a steakhouse with him saying: “No he’s not a racist.” That just shows her character. It’s black and white.’ Cheryl claims that Sterling even asked Cheryl’s mother, Terri, a top realtor in Beverly Hills, to lie for him during his lawsuit against mistress Alexandra Castro, whom he paid $500 a pop to have sex with during from 1999 to 2002. Sterling had transferred title of a Rodeo Drive property to Castro and her mother, but he sued to get it back after Castro broke off their relationship. Cheryl, who’s writing a book on her experiences in Beverly Hills, says that the lying and suing mistresses is all part of the game for the Sterlings. Cheryl says: ‘Alexandra Castro was one of my mom’s really best friends, Donald Sterling asked my mother to lie and perjure herself for him. Donald told her that he could make her very rich and to remember this and put it in your pocket for another day. Shelly Sterling tried to warn Terri, pictured far right next to her son son Phillip and daughter Cheryl, about speaking to the press . To legally transfer the house into the names of Alexandra Castro and her mother they needed a realtor. They did it through Terri. Donald Sterling gave the house to Alexandra, no money changed hands apart from fees to Terri. When Alexandra dumped Sterling, he tried to sue her and claim that she took the house from him. This was 2003 and it went to court. Sterling asked Terri to lie on his behalf and say that he didn’t give the house to Alexandra. She refused. He lost the case and ended up paying out to Alexandra. While it was Donald Sterling who sued Castro, Cheryl explains, it was Shelly who was instrumental in him suing her. He gets caught with his pants down, lavishes gifts on his mistresses, then goes running back to his wife telling tales, then they sue whoever it is. It’s happened with Castro and with V. Stiviano. ‘They love doing this, there’s a pattern. It's like she's running a brothel and she likes it. She knows her husband is doing these things with these women, then he'll come and complain to her, then she'll sue them. 'We only know about these two, but how many others do we not know about? There could have potentially been more, but it's been buried away. They’re really, really good at making things disappear.’ Earlier this week, Cheryl and her brother, Phillip Scheid, spoke about the devastation the Sterling family had caused to their own lives. In 2005, Cheryl was left in a wheelchair after she was drugged and fell out of a window at a party where Sterling’s son Scott was dealing drugs. Six years earlier, wayward Scott had blasted his former best friend Phillip, 34, in the back and legs 12 times with a shotgun. Scott eventually died of a drug overdose on New Year’s Day last year. Strong words: Cheryl claims that Shelly Sterling deserves no sympahy because she is just as racist as her husband, pictured here in 2011 next to boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr at a Clippers game . Bizarrely, even though the families have had their legal and personal battles, they’ve always remained entwined, with Cheryl’s mom Terri still speaking to Shelly. Cheryl says that the Sterlings have been controlling her family like ‘animals locked in a cage’ for the last twenty years. Shelly even spoke to Terri on the day that her children spoke out about their bitter experiences and tried to warn them against speaking to the press. ‘Shelly and mom talked this week. Mom had 16 reporters on her and she called Shelly, who said: “Why are they calling you? You’re not the NBA.” Shelly said she would take care of us in the future. This is just absurd. She just always promises things and it never happens. Deceit: Sterling allegedly asked Cheryl's mother to lie for him during his lawsuit against mistress Alexandra Castro (pictured right) ‘Mom asked her what she should do and Shelly said: “Now that is everything is out, don’t talk to the press, as they’ll investigate you.” She was trying to gag the family once again. I feel like we’ve had duct tape on our mouths, we all feel we don’t have to hide anymore. They’ve manipulated and controlled our family. ‘My mom was scared, every time she gets scared, she calls Shelly, which is the wrong thing to do. She still feels Shelly is her extended mother even though she’s done nothing for her. She’s like a wicked mother. She’s so much older than my mom, who looked up to her. ‘I’m not happy that my mom is contacting her. My mom has been manipulated by Shelly; she’s the master manipulator. She tries to make my mom feel good for the moment and, because she’s a really good person, she falls for it. She doesn’t know any other way. ‘Shelly’s so selfish and a liar. She’s been saying this stuff for years, that she’ll take care of us. She said she’d give me an apartment in Chinatown, why would you offer me this? She offered me the apartment building during the time I was suing her family for putting me in a wheelchair. I just thought it was so bizarre, it didn’t make any sense to offer this on the side. ‘We were scared. They had so much power, they made sure we kept our mouths shut, we were just like animals locked in a cage. I’m happy to be unlocked from all of this and now we can finally heal.’ | Long time Sterling family friend Cheryl Bogart claims that Shelly Sterling is a secret racist who 100 percent knew about her husband’s views on blacks and shares his views .
Shelly is well aware of Sterling's numerous mistresses. She covers up for her husband and then sues the women as she did V. Stiviano .
She acts as his 'right-hand man', and only days ago tried to shut up family friends from speaking out against the couple .
Cheryl claims that Sterling even asked .
Cheryl’s mother Terri, a top realtor in Beverly Hills, to lie for him .
during his lawsuit against mistress Alexandra Castro .
Cheryl says that the Sterlings have been controlling her family like ‘animals locked in a cage’ for the last twenty years. |
21,662 | 3d92cc7821191fa6a89ddb64ce21a5d31a3a7517 | A graduate who was on a work placement in California has been killed after getting on the back of a motorbike with an alleged drunk and speeding driver. Rebecca Dempsey, 21, of Chelsfield in Kent was spending four months in Mammoth Lakes and was due home next week. Rebecca, known to her family and friends as Becki, had been at a bar where she worked on Sunday evening when she decided to get on the bike with a man, who is believed to have been drunk. Rebecca Dempsey, 21, who was killed while riding on the back of a motorbike in Mammoth Lakes, California on Sunday . After crashing, the emergency services were called but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The male driver, 31, who has been named by a local newspaper as Edgar Lee Weaver Junior, has been arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence. A Mammoth Lakes Police Department report said the investigation into the crash 'indicates that excessive speed and alcohol were involved.' Speaking at the family home near Orpington, Miss Dempsey's mother Karen told of her heartbreak at her daughter's death saying it had been difficult to get full details about what happened. The 51-year-old said: 'We don't know the details. It seems like the whole community has closed down - nobody is talking to us. 'It's devastating and the fact he's survived doesn't seem to make sense. We understand he had been drinking and was speeding. 'I've been told there were no other vehicles involved. The 21-year-old known to her family and friends as Becki, had been at a bar, where she worked on Sunday evening when she decided to get on the bike with a man . Miss Dempsey's mother Karen told of her heartbreak at her daughter's death saying it had been difficult to get full details about what happened . 'But we don't really know. Apparently people told her not to go, I don't think she knew the guy very well.' Mrs Dempsey explained that her daughter 'may have been at a loose end' getting home so accepted the lift. She added: 'Becki will be so missed - she didn't waste a day and crammed so much in and always had a smile on her face. 'We were really looking forward to her coming home.' Miss Dempsey was on a four-month work placement after finishing her degree course in media with a 2.1 at Staffordshire University. She had attended Coopers School in Chislehurst in Kent and dozens of her friends from school and university have flooded social media with tributes to her. | Rebecca Dempsey was spending four months in U.S. on a work placement .
Had been at the bar where she worked and accepted a lift from a man .
It is believed he was drunk and speeding when he crashed his motorbike .
The 21-year-old from Kent died at the scene and driver has been arrested .
Her mother Karen has spoke of her heartbreak paying tribute to her daughter . |
36,712 | 6802ebef9cf3cb43bac5167f6f6721ecdb618f96 | (CNN) -- For days, the wounded just kept coming to the 60-bed central hospital in Misrata, a city under siege from forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. But there were no empty beds, no electricity -- only generator power. No anesthesia or painkillers. A doctor said 109 people have died in Misrata over the past week. Six were killed Thursday by Gadhafi's rooftop snipers -- unseen but too often precise. More than 1,300 others have been wounded since the protests erupted in the western city last month. People flooded the hospital, wounded in war that has raged between the opposition and Gadhafi's forces. The strongman's tanks have been pounding the city and bombs fell Thursday near the hospital, the doctor said. Residents reported a reprieve after coalition airstrikes targeted the Libyan military. But rooftop snipers kept taking aim. And the doctors kept doing their work. They treated patients in corridors, and operated on them even without anesthesia. They sent people with what the doctor called lesser injuries home to recuperate -- including people whose legs and arms were amputated. "We don't have the space," he said, the weariness in his voice apparent even on a poor phone connection from Libya. Snipers surrounded the hospital, he said. Thursday, patients were to a clinic. But the injured in the city could no longer seek help at the hospital. The snipers were shooting at the ambulances. The coalition began airstrikes last Saturday and has been able to establish a no-fly zone that spans from east to west along Libya's coastline. But Gadhafi's forces are far from defeated. They camped on the periphery of Misrata, trying to wrest it from opposition control, and leaving its people, including those at the central hospital, in a dire situation. | A doctor tells CNN that 109 people were killed in Misrata over the past week .
More than 1,300 people have been wounded .
The hospital only has 60 beds and doctors are operating in corridors . |
107,830 | 1701823f51af79e15940845919591619131bc180 | The girlfriend of a promising young star at a Michelin-starred restaurant who died in her arms after he was hit by a black cab has revealed the pair planned to marry. Hubert Mallet, 25, assistant manager of Sketch Gallery brasserie, in Mayfair, was knocked over by a taxi while on a night out in Shoreditch, east London, at just after 2am on Monday. His girlfriend Maria Gabriela Ellery, 20, lay beside him in the road, urging him to keep fighting as paramedics battled to save his life. Hubert Mallet (left), 25, assistant manager of Sketch Gallery brasserie, in Mayfair, was knocked over by a taxi while on a night out in Shoreditch, east London, at just after 2am on Monday. His girlfriend Maria Gabriela Ellery, 20, (right) lay beside him in the road, urging him to keep fighting as paramedics battled to save his life . Drama student Miss Ellery, 20, said her boyfriend of one year died in her arms as she prayed for him to live . Miss Ellery has told of the moment her boyfriend of one year died in her arms as she prayed for him to live. She told MailOnline: ‘He crossed the road to speak to a friend and didn’t see the car . ‘I was quite far away. I wasn’t sure if it was him. 'I started running and calling his name – hoping he was in the crowd of people running with me. ‘And then I realised it was him. ‘I lay next to him and I asked him to stay with me and stay strong. I saw him die in front of me.’ The pair met while on a night out a year ago. She said she was instantly attracted to Mr Mallet's eyes and his 'incredible dancing.' She said: 'On our first date he said I was his girlfriend and would never let me go. I loved him with every part of me and I cannot believe he's gone. The pair met while on a night out a year ago. She said she was instantly attracted to Mr Mallet's eyes and his 'incredible dancing' 'He told me he would follow me anywhere. He never wanted to let me go. We were going to be together forever. He asked me to marry him, and apologised that he didn't have enough money to buy me a ring. 'I am very close to his family. His mother called me and kept thanking me for making her son the happiest man on earth . ‘He was the best person ever. The best thing that ever happened to me, the most precious person I have ever met in my life. 'Everyone has such love for him - no-one had anything bad to say about him.' Mr Mallet was from Normandy, France, but moved to London four years ago. His girlfriend said the couple had been planning to move back to France or to America once she had graduated. Friends who were out with Mr Mallet at Trapeze Bar in Great Eastern Street said he was not drunk. A Scotland Yard spokesman said police were called by London Ambulance at 2.06am on Monday to Great Eastern Street following reports of a collision between a car and a male pedestrian. She said: 'He never wanted to let me go. We were going to be together forever. He asked me to marry him, and apologised that he didn't have enough money to buy me a ring' Friends who were out with Mr Mallet at Trapeze Bar in Great Eastern Street said he was not drunk . A spokesman added: 'London Fire Brigade and London's Air Ambulance also attended. The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 2.20am.' No arrests have been made and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Sketch paid tribute to Mr Mallet and said staff were 'devastated' by his death. Sinead Mallozzi, sketch CEO, told MailOnline: 'Naturally we are all devastated at the loss of a much loved and respected member of the sketch family - Hubert worked at sketch for four years and his passing will change our lives irrecoverably. 'Our priority now is to ensure that the team receive the appropriate counselling and care that is required during this terribly sad time.' Any witnesses should call 0208 9919 555 Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. | Hubert Mallet, 25, was assistant manager of Sketch brasserie, in Mayfair .
He died after he was knocked over by taxi while on night out in Shoreditch .
His girlfriend Maria Gabriela Ellery, 20, lay beside him in the road .
She urged him to keep fighting as paramedics battled to save his life .
But Mr Mallet, from Normandy, France, died in her arms on Monday night . |
115,209 | 20acddb0c23325a6869aaa8a6f2e2dff5810519f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:52 EST, 18 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:24 EST, 18 October 2012 . Vintage: Mort Bank sold a gallon of 1992 McDonald's McJordan sauce on eBay for more than £6,000. If you're dining in upmarket restaurants of the kind owned by superstar chefs like Gordan Ramsay, you expect to pay for the privilege. But one well-heeled shopper with a thing for fast food decided he would rather spend $10,000 - about £6,000 - of his hard-earned cash on an old tub of McDonald's sauce. The condiment - a creation named McJordan sauce after basketball star Michael Jordan - languished on auction site eBay for months. Then seller Mort Bank added a 'Buy it now' price and shopper's mouths started to water. Mort told North Dakota's Bismarck Tribune: 'I had this barbecue sauce on the shelf for 20 years. 'It’s probably edible.' It might not taste as fresh as when it was made though. Mort, who owned five McDonald’s restaurants in Bismarck-Mandan and two in Minot, saved the sauce after selling his restaurants in 1996. 'It was in my basement and I would look at it occasionally,' he said. 'I thought it would be worth something some day.' It was only sold in Chicago and Minneapolis. Jordan famously played for the Chicago Bulls. Mort’s ad on eBay for the sauce read: 'A once in a lifetime chance to own the rarest of rare Michael Jordan and McDonald's collectible!' He thinks it is the only tub of it's kind still about. 'I don’t imagine anybody else has one,' he said. The McJordan was a quarter-pound hamburger with smoked bacon, cheese, McJordan barbecue sauce, onions, mustard and pickles. Bank claimed the sauce also is special because Jordan was the first person to have a McDonald’s sandwich named after him. Hungry to win: The sauce was for the first burger named after anyone - the McJordan. It contained a quarter-pounder, smoked bacon, cheese, McJordan barbecue sauce, onions, mustard and pickles. He tried to sell the sauce by auction for four months before he switched to a fixed 'Buy it Now' price. 'All of a sudden everybody was looking at it,' he said. The buyer is from Chicago. Mort thought he was probably a Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan fan. The Bismarck Tribune said Mort still has 'at least three storage units' full of McDonald’s memorabilia he has been trying to shift on eBay for three years. His daughter, Margaux Braun of Fargo, writes the words and takes the pictures. He sells and ships them. Items have gone to China, Japan, Brazil and around Europe. The McJordan sauce was his most expensive item. 'I'm pretty ecstatic,' he said. 'You never know what is going to be a hot item.' Happy Meal toys are popular. After selling his stores he had a lot left. 'A lot of them are unopened,' he said. 'I saved them instead of throwing them away.' At the moment he is eBaying a McDonald’s edition 'Wayne's World' VHS tape, a Hamburglar flag and a Ronald McDonald alarm clock. 'If I didn't start selling them I'd be sticking the kids with them,' he said. 'I decided I should start lowering the inventory for the kids' sake.' | Ketchup languished until 'Buy it now' price was added by seller Mort Bank .
Gallon tub was sat on basement shelf for 20 years but 'probably edible'
Mort says it is probably the only tub of McJordan sauce left on the planet . |
37,457 | 6a1851638f91c96e8730b4fd014c443a097f1321 | Students at Beverly Hills High School back for the start of a new semester were evacuated after a bomb threat was called in, police said. The high school received the bomb threat around 11:10am on Monday, the Beverly Hills Police Department said Monday morning. Beverly Hills students were evacuated into Roxbury Park, which is located across the street from the high school. Police had asked parents not to show up either at the park or the high school. No device was discovered on the school's premises, authorities said. Evacuation: Students were led to Roxbury Park after Beverly Hills High School was evacuated Monday over a bomb threat that was called in . Monday was the first day of the second semester at the high school. KTLA reported that both a K-9 unit and three police officers entered a building on campus as part of the search - and that 'hundreds of students' were evacuated Monday. Police later said Monday afternoon that 'The Beverly Hills High School campus has been cleared by officers and determined to be safe.' Police also stated the high school's administration decided to cancel classes for the rest of the day in a precautionary measure. Students were being reunited with parents Monday afternoon by the administration, authorities said. The high school is known for counting dozens of celebrities as its former students, a handful of which include Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage, Lenny Kravitz, Leighton Meester, Richard Dreyfuss and Jamie Lee Curtis. Several movies, including It's a Wonderful Life and Clueless, have also filmed at the school. On the big screen: Several movies, including It's a Wonderful Life and Clueless, have filmed at Beverly Hills High School . | Beverly Hills High School received the bomb threat around 11:10am on Monday, police said .
Students were evacuated into Roxbury Park, which is located across the street from the school .
No device was discovered on the school's premises, police said .
Monday was the first day of the second semester at the high school . |
276,949 | f2cbb9e59795a71daf7e1fe53255746fd082d0a3 | A murder investigation has been launched after a teenager who was shot in the eye over an apparent dispute about a girl died in hospital from his injuries. The 18-year-old man, who has not yet been named by police, was taken to hospital after being shot in Rotherhithe, south east London, on Sunday afternoon. Police said he died from his injuries just before 4.45pm yesterday and confirmed two men had been arrested in connection with his death. The incident is not believed to be gang-related. The 18-year-old man, who has not yet been named by police, was taken to hospital after being shot in Rotherhithe, south east London, on Sunday afternoon. Pictured: A forensic tent at the scene of the incident . Police said investigations remain ongoing at the scene and confirmed a murder probe had been launched . A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'A 36-year-old man was arrested at an address in south London in the early hours of Monday. 'A 21-year-old man was arrested after he handed himself in at a south London police station. Both men have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.' A 19-year-old man injured in the same incident has now been released from hospital following treatment. He was allegedly beaten with a medieval-style mace in the attack. Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn, of the Met's homicide and major crime command based at Lewisham, said: 'We are retaining an open mind as to the motive behind this incident, but there is nothing to suggest at this stage that it was gang-related. 'A crime scene remains in place at the scene.' Earlier, witnesses told how they saw the shot teenager writhing in agony after being hit in the eye in the 'dispute over a girl.' He was initially knocked unconscious by the shot before coming around as residents went to his aid. Two men have been arrested in connection with the man's death and remain in custody at a London station . Officers could be seen combing the spot for evidence yesterday as it emerged the victim had died in hospital . Nigel Fletcher, 46, described seeing the victim lying in a pool of blood wearing trainers, jeans and black coat. He said: 'I looked out and saw the guy lying on the floor in a pool of blood. 'The others obviously fled as quick as they could. 'He was just lying there still as a bat - he wasn't moving at all. I just assumed he was dead, dead instantly. There was blood everywhere. 'I heard the shooting, it sounded like two shots. There was a big bang, like a firework, but it was obviously a gun. It echoed around the estate. 'My missus came down and just said "someone's been shot". She told me she's heard arguing outside and then heard the shots and saw one or two of them running away. 'I've never seen anything like it. Things like this don't happen around here.' A 19-year-old man was also allegedly attacked with a medieval-style mace in the broad daylight attack . The road and footpath remained shut to the public yesterday as police investigations continued at the scene . Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: 'I looked out of my window because I heard a noise. 'A blue car sped away and there was a lot of shouting. One group ran one way and others ran through the car park. 'I didn't realise someone had been shot. I only realised when my neighbour said. I called for an ambulance and went down with a towel. 'He was white and I did see he had an injury to his eye. He was huddled over. He was alive but he was groaning. He was conscious. 'It all happened so quickly. I have lived here for two-and-a-half years and never seen anything like this before.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The 18-year-old man was shot in the eye in Rotherhithe, south east London .
He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries yesterday, police said .
19-year-old released from hospital after allegedly being beaten with a mace .
Two arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Sunday's incident . |
22,630 | 404005c6d0526040f8467dedad47d8041d7eb670 | By . Steve Hopkins . With Brazil's World Cup nearing the final kick-off, football fans will soon be turning their attention to the next host nations and wondering if they can deliver such a striking tournament. Despite an ongoing investigation into the bidding process, claims about worker conditions and potential air-conditioning problems, preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar continue ahead of schedule. Russia will host the next World Cup in 2018. Even Qatar's attempts to dazzle football fans with their designer stadiums, hasn't gone to plan. Scroll down for video . An artist's impression, supplied by Qatar 2022, of the dazzling Doha Port stadium which is one of 10 stadiums being built . The Al-Wakrah stadium complex which was the first to be unveiled and featured a 40,000 stadium which was meant to resemble an ancient dhow boat . The Al Wakrah stadium which was compared to a woman's private parts after design blueprints were revealed . Pictures of the first stadium unveiled, the 40,000 Al Wakrah stadium, went viral for all the wrong reasons. It was meant to resemble an ancient dhow boat that Qataris traditionally used for pearl diving. But as blueprints for the state-of-the-art climate-controlled stadium were unveiled it was soon being compared to something else entirely - a woman's private parts. Qatar have also released plans for the second of 10 stadiums being built. FIFA imposes a minimum requirement of eight stadiums for World Cup host countries, with at least one 80,000-seater to host the final. The Doha Port staduim, as viewed from the outside, is surrounded by water and is eliminated by blue lights . The Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor City is designed to resemble Bayt Al Sha'ar, a traditional black-and-white tent used by nomadic people in Qatar . An artist's impression of Qatar's University stadium; officials have earlier said that six stadiums are in the latter stages of the design process . An artist's impression of The Al-Shamal stadium, which will see fans just a short walk from the beach and in resort-like surrounds . The Al-Gharafa stadium, which resembles a colourful washing basket; FIFA require host national to build at least eight stadiums with at least one 80,000-seater . The Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor City, just over 30 miles north of the capital Doha, is designed to resemble Bayt Al Sha’ar, a traditional black-and-white tent used by nomadic people in Qatar. It is expected to be ready by 2018, well ahead of schedule, and officials have earlier said that six stadiums are in the latter stages of the design process. Qatar's World Cup plans have been dogged with controversy since they won the bid in December 2010 amind accusations of corrupt voting procedures. Players' union FIFPro has said it will urge its members not to take part if it is played in Qatar's summer, even if air conditioning is installed in the stadiums. But it seems the host nation are making progress in this regard, with reports of cooled fan zones for those watching the current World Cup being trialed at Katara Cultural Village and Aspire Zone Foundation in Doha. The Al-Khlor stadium in Qatar; the host nation is still being investigated over claims of corrupt voting procedures when it won the bid in December 2010 . The Al-Rayyan stadium whose capacity was extended to 40,000 and which boasts a modular top tier that can be removed after the World Cup . Umm Slal stadium; Qatar's building projects have been hit by allegations that migrant construction workers have not being given enough food or water . The Lusail Stadium, which is surrounded by water, will seat in excess of 86,000 football fans and will host the opening match of the tournament . A handout image of the Sports City stadium which is designed to look like a traditional Arabian tent . The venue at Katara has a retractable roof and is cooled using a prototype of one of the systems it plans to use during the World Cup. During the bidding process, Qatar built a small solar-powered prototype stadium which could seat 500. Qatar's building projects have also been hit by allegations of migrant construction workers not being given enough food or water. Overall, the tiny gas-rich state plans to spend about $140 billion on a rail system, a new airport, a seaport, and hundreds of kilometers of new roads for the tournament, in addition to the stadiums that will host the matches. | Qatar is building ten stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, but questions still remain about their ability to host it .
And an investigation into allegations of corrupt voting procedures during their bid continues .
Qatar's first stadium, Al Wakah, was meant to resemble a boat, but was compared to a woman's private parts . |
111,896 | 1c506ee24fff7f007cfe461c371161b39968e3f4 | Britons blew away their New Year hangovers by enjoying a dip in the seas and rivers as temperatures soared to near record levels yesterday, but forecasters warned chillier climes would return today with wintry rain in the north. The Met Office said yesterday's highest temperature of 15.1C was recorded at Murlough, County Down, with peak figures in England reaching 13.9C at Bude in Cornwall. They were close to the record set almost a century ago in 1916 when Bude in Cornwall saw 15.6C (60f). However last night was wet and windy in the South East, with showers most frequent in western Scotland and snow expected over the hills. Today south-east England will see early mild and damp conditions clear, joining the rest of the UK in a chilly and breezy day. Northern parts will see the coldest and windiest of the weather, including wintry showers, but much of the UK will see decent amounts of winter sunshine. Scroll down for video . Looks cold: Swimmers at the Whitley Bay New Year's Day Dip for the Panama Swimming Club's annual fundraising event in Tyne and Wear . Making a splash: The swimmers were taking part in the Whitley Bay New Year's Day Dip at Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear . Hampshire dip: Hundreds of daring swimmers plunge into the icy Solent for the annual New Year's Day swim in Stokes Bay, Gosport . Bikinis and fancy dress: The 2015 celebrations continue with early morning dippers venturing into the freezing North Sea at Whitley Bay . Wet wet wet: Hundreds of people - and this dog - turned out for the annual dip in the freezing cold North Sea in Scarborough, North Yorkshire . Soaked: The Formidable Lyme Lunge participants in fancy dress on Lyme Regis beach in Dorset today . Calum MacColl, meteorologist for the Met Office, told MailOnline: ‘Friday will be a very nice day for southern areas with plenty of winter sunshine, but in Scotland and the North a few showers. ‘There will probably be an early maximum temperature tomorrow in the South East, but as the day wears on it cools off. At 8am yesterday temperatures observed in Britain included 11C (52F) in Cardiff, 10C (50F) in Edinburgh, 9C (48F) in Belfast and 8C (46F) in London. But as of 4pm, the Met Office said the top temperature recorded so far was only 14.1C (57F) in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the morning, dozens of brave swimmers took to the North Sea for their annual New Year's Eve dip off the coast of Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. About 50 members of the Panama Swimming Club, based in the North Tyneside town, shrieked as they entered the chilly waters. Some wore wigs while one girl was dressed as a Santa's elf and other costumes included a giraffe and Father Christmas. In contrast a group of young women frolicked in the ocean wearing nothing but bikinis despite the frosty weather. But the Met Office issued a yellow ‘be aware’ severe weather warning for wind in north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland. And the Environment Agency has two flood alerts out - for the coast at Bridlington, East Yorkshire, and the area around Grantham, Lincolnshire. Exposed coastal areas were also battered by rain and wind, with gusts reaching up to 60mph in some areas. A Met Office spokesman said the changeable weather would continue over the coming days. Santa hat: Swimmers take a dip in the icy waters of Lake Windermere during a charity swim to welcome in the New Year in Cumbria . North Somerset: Swimmers prepare to enter the water at Clevedon Marina, where dozens of people are taking part in a New Year's Day swim . River Dove: Despite organisers cancelling this year's jump, a group of rebel jumpers leapt from the bridge at Mappleton, Derbyshire, today . Freezing: These two young women were clearly feeling the cold during the New Year's Day swim in Scarborough, North Yorkshire . That's got to be chilly: Swimmers are taking part in a New Year's Day swim at the Victorian seaside town in North Somerset . Huntsman: David Jukes leads his hounds in Greta Bridge, County Durham, today as the Zetland Hunt gets underway . Mr Jukes leads his hounds from the Morritt Arms Hotel today as the Zetland Hunt gets underway for their traditional New Year's Day meet . Speaking to MailOnline yesterday, Mr MacColl said of the weather: ‘Today it’s very mild for the time of the year across a large part of the country. ‘Temperatures could reach 14C (57F) and even 15C (59F) in the likes of north-east Wales and the east of the Pennines too. ‘Temperatures are well above where they should be for the time of year. For most of the country we’ll be seeing temperatures into double figures. ‘There will be very mild temperatures, but I’m sure a lot of people will prefer tomorrow’s set-up with a lot more sunshine.’ Glorious start: The first sunrise of 2015 on New Year's Day today at the Angel of The North in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear . Forecast: Northern parts will see the coldest and windiest weather tomorrow, but much of the UK will see decent amounts of winter sunshine . Warnings: The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for wind today (left), while there are two Environment Agency flood alerts (right) Dressed up: The London New Year's Day Parade makes its way along Piccadilly in the centre of the capital . Cloud and rain looks set to push eastwards across southern parts of the UK on Saturday, and the north will be bright but cold. It will be dry and fine for many on Sunday, albeit chilly, while cloud and patchy drizzle may push into western parts later. The wettest UK area yesterday was Achnagart in the Highlands with 1.15in (29.2mm) of rain, while Wittering, Lincolnshire, was sunniest with 5.8 hours. The coldest area was Farnborough in Hampshire at -6.7C (20F), and the warmest was Kinlochewe, Highlands, at 12.4C (54F), reported BBC Weather. | Current New Year's Day record dates back almost a century to 1916, when Bude in Cornwall saw 15.6C (60F)
Met Office issues severe weather warning for wind in north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland .
Environment Agency has two flood alerts out today - for the coast at Bridlington and area around Grantham .
The highest temperature of 15.1C was in Murlough, County Down, with peak figures in England reaching 13.9C . |
239,165 | c1a0f02c05c7bfc9e20aa60bf279ace43ff5954e | Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is fit to lead Portugal against Germany tonight. If he is on song then Portugal, who are 25-1 outsiders to win tournament, could emerge from the pack. There is not a lot more than can be said about the world footballer of the year, who has been quite stunning over the last few years at Real Madrid. Ready: Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo insists he is ready to face Germany in Salvador . But in case you didn’t know, Ronaldo was named after US president Ronald Regan and his timed 'kick speed' is around 130 kilometres an hour, which is 31.1metres per second. That's more than four times that of Apollo 11 rocket's launching speed, which was the first rocket flight that landed man on the moon. So he really is Rocket Ronnie! Those coaches from the Premier League who are out in Brazil on scouting missions should get down to Curitiba for the clash between Iran and Nigeria. Iran have a 19-year-old wonderkid called Sardar Azmoun, who has been dubbed the 'Iranian Messi'. Currently with Rubin Kazan in Russia, he has already attracted the attention of Arsenal. Prospect: Iran's Sardar Azmoun (front row, second from right) has been described as the 'Iranian Lionel Messi' Iran boss Carlos Queiroz will be looking for a job at a Premier League or Championship club next season. Queiroz, who Sir Alex Ferguson rated as the best of his assistant managers at Manchester United, will leave after the finals because the Iran FA can no longer afford his £2million-a-year wages. Could Emmanuel Emenike become Nigeria’s Paolo Rossi? In 1982 Rossi returned to Italy after a long ban for an alleged betting scandal and became top scorer with six goals as he led the Azzurri to victory. Two years ago Emenike was in exile in the wake of match fixing allegations in Turkey, but back at Fernerbahce last season he hit 12 goals. Nigeria are unlikely to go all the way in Brazil but Emenike could be a Golden Boot dark horse, especially if he gets off to a flyer against Iran. Danger man: Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike will be hoping to open his account against Iran . Daniel Sturridge indulged in his brand of funky dance celebration when he scored for England against Italy but if Ghana notch against the USA then the Liverpool striker’s moves will look rather stilted. Even during training sessions the Ghana players have been making a habit of collectively breaking out in traditional dance and song known as Azonto. Some even do backflips. Middlesbrough’s Albert Adomah said: 'If we score then everyone will break out into dance and song. It’s just spontaneous.' Forward planning: Ghana winger Albert Adomah says his side will sing and dance is they score against the USA . Today’s clash against Portugal is Germany’s 100th at a World Cup - the most appearances of any nation. They have reached the final on seven occasions, the same amount as five-time winners Brazil. Germany have won the trophy on three occasions. The Germany vs Portugal clash is so hard to call. But . given that Miroslav Klose is one short of Brazilian Ronaldo’s World Cup . record of 15 goals at finals, the 36-year-old German deserves a tickle . at 5-1 to be opening scorer. Cristiano Ronaldo is also 5-1. In some respects the 2-1 defeat to Italy has not affected England's perceived requirement to reach the knockout stage. Before England played Italy, the prevailing wisdom was that a solid opening draw against Andrea Pirlo and Co would leave Roy Hodgson’s men needing a point against Uruguay and a win against Costa Rica to make the last 16. Thanks to Costa Rica's shock 3-1 win over Uruguay, the form book suggests that England now need a draw against Uruguay and a win against Costa Rica to make the last 16. Of course Costa Rica are no pushovers as they have proved, but often unfancied teams that come out of the blocks flying eventually falter at the final hurdle of the group. And on the two occasions that England have lost their first games (in 1962 and 1986) they went on to reach the quarter-finals. Upset: England will probably need to beat Joel Campbell (left) and Costa Rica in their final group game after defeat to Italy in Manaus . World Cup memory . This tournament has perhaps the strongest collection of African nations at a World Cup finals. Pele once predicted an African team would win the World Cup at the turn of the 21st century. That breakthrough has yet to come and, despite their strength, Group G is tough group for Ghana to emerge from. But the fact they are considered a threat to Germany and Portugal emphasises how much African football has progressed since Zaire were the first black African nation to make a finals. Making history: Zaire, pictured here in action against Scotland during the 1974 World Cup, were the first African nation to compete at a finals . After losing 4-0 to Brazil and 2-0 Scotland they were trashed 9-0 by Yugoslavia. The Brazil game is best remembered for the mad moment when Zaire defender Mwepu Illunga rushed out from the wall and cleared a free-kick before Brazil had actually taken it. Combined with that defeat to Yugoslavia, who needed a big win to progress at the expense of Scotland, Zaire did no favours for the image of African football. But Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana are all being taken very seriously this summer. | Real Madrid star Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates will face Germany in their first World Cup game .
Sardar Azmoun has been dubbed the 'Iranian Lionel Messi'
Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike could follow in the footsteps of former Italy striker Paolo Rossi .
Albert Adomah says Ghana will sing and dance if they score against the USA .
African football has developed hugely since Zaire's World Cup debut in 1974 . |
92,289 | 02b5824901359c2a844c5d90410585c6ee105e61 | By . Arthur Martin for the Daily Mail . and Ben Spencer for the Daily Mail . Created: . 17:02 EST, 27 August 2014 . Rotherham's crime tsar quit the Labour Party last night following a day of calls for him to resign from his £85,000-a-year post in the wake of the child exploitation scandal. Shaun Wright pre-empted attempts to sack him by resigning from the party – but vowed to remain in his role as an independent Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire. He shrugged off any blame for the scandal, despite having been the Labour councillor responsible for children’s services in Rotherham from 2005 to 2010 when the abuse of vulnerable girls by Asian men was at its worst. Scroll down for video . Rotherham's crime tsar Shaun Wright was yesterday urged to quit his £85,000-a-year post by his own party over the child exploitation scandal . In a statement on his website, he wrote: ‘I entered into public service over 20 years ago to make a positive difference. ‘Protecting vulnerable people has been my number one priority as Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire. ‘I . have had to make the difficult decision to stand down from the Labour . Party and it’s with deep regret that I’ve come to that decision.’ Mr . Wright sparked incredulity yesterday by claiming the damning report . highlighting the abuse of at least 1,400 girls over 16 years came as ‘a . huge surprise’. In an astonishing interview, he said: ‘I don’t think any of this was my direct fault.’ Earlier, Labour had warned it would suspend him from the party if he had not resigned by this morning. Mr Wright insisted he had taken action to prevent the sickening attacks . and was ‘proud of the progress South Yorkshire Police has made’ – even . though it has brought few abusers to justice. He . went on to claim he had not received the three key official reports . that described growing child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. Mr Wright shrugged off any blame for the scandal, despite having been the Labour councillor responsible for children's services in the town from 2005 to 2010 when the abuse of vulnerable girls by Asian men was at its worst . Asked by Sky News whether he had seen them, he said: ‘It was not escalated to senior management level. ‘I didn’t see any of the reports in 2002 or 2003. The report in 2006 didn’t come to me.’ But . the investigation into the scandal, commissioned by the council from . Professor Alexis Jay, says he received a report entitled Protection Of . Young People From Sexual Assault In Rotherham in June 2007. He also received two further reports on sexual exploitation in 2008 and a further one in 2009, according to Professor Jay. She . said that when he took over responsibility for the protection of . vulnerable young people in 2005, councillors and senior officials at the . authority were fully aware of the sexual exploitation in the town.Seminars for senior managers at the council presented the abuse ‘in the most explicit terms’, Professor Jay added. He claimed he had not seen the previous three official reports, published in 2002, 2003 and 2006, which described growing child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. But the investigation into the scandal, commissioned by the council from Professor Alexis Jay, says he received a report . After . council leader Roger Stone quit on Tuesday, senior Labour and Tory . politicians yesterday called on Mr Wright to resign, too. A Labour Party . spokesman said: ‘The report into child abuse in Rotherham was . devastating in its findings. ‘Vulnerable . children were repeatedly abused and then let down. In the light of this . report, it is appropriate that South Yorkshire police and crime . commissioner Shaun Wright should step down.’ Shadow Chancellor Ed . Balls, who was children’s secretary in the last Labour government, . admitted the party could not force Mr Wright to quit. He . told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: ‘The Labour Party has no power to . compel somebody who has been elected as a police and crime commissioner . to stand down. ‘But it is absolutely our view that he should do so. That . is something which has been communicated to him today. We need to show . that we, not just in Rotherham but across the country, can command . public confidence to keep children safe. ‘Lessons . have got to be learned. But when you have a failure of this magnitude . and catastrophe, people have to take responsibility.' Children as young as 11 were doused in petrol and threatened with fire and told not to speak out in the town (pictured) the report revealed . Shadow . Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added: ‘We have said we think the police . and crime commissioner should stand down, just as the leader of the . council has done, because 1,400 children were abused and they were let . down badly by the authorities.’ Home . Secretary Theresa May said: ‘Shaun Wright obviously has had involvement . in this, both as his role as a councillor and obviously he’s now the . police and crime commissioner. ‘It’s . not my job as Home Secretary to hire and fire police and crime . commissioners ... I believe he has real questions to answer and I think . in the circumstances he should heed those calls.’ During . a series of interviews with broadcasters yesterday, Mr Wright said he . quit his role on Rotherham Council in 2010 when the scale of sexual . abuse began to emerge. He said there was no need for him to resign again . over the same issue. Mr . Wright said: ‘I take my share of the responsibility. There was systemic . failure and I only wish that I knew more at the time. ‘If . I knew then what I know now, then clearly more could have been done. I . think I took appropriate actions where that was available. I’m . completely astonished by the scale of the issue that has been . identified. ‘I’m just as disgusted as any other right-thinking person in Rotherham and across the country to the scale of this problem. 'I . have sought to do everything in my power during any role that I have . held, both as a council cabinet member and now as South Yorkshire PCC to . make that difference and to protect and safeguard more children.’ Mr . Wright, who lives in Rotherham, wrote about himself on his website: . ‘People who know me describe me as a man of integrity with a strong . track record in championing ordinary people.’ He also promised to ‘protect the most vulnerable in our society’. Denis Macshane said he did not look further into . the town's child abuse sex scandal because he is a 'true Guardian reader . and liberal leftie' and 'did not want to rock the multi-cultural boat' Political correctness stopped left-wing politicians and council officials from doing more to expose the abuse scandal, Rotherham’s former MP said yesterday. Denis MacShane accepted he should have done more but said his own ‘liberal leftie’ background made him reluctant to speak out over abuse allegations against Muslim men. The shamed former Labour politician, who was jailed over the expenses scandal and is no longer a member of the party, said: ‘I should have burrowed into this. Perhaps, yes, as a true Guardian reader and a liberal leftie I suppose, I didn’t want to raise that too hard.’ Mr MacShane blamed a ‘culture of not wanting to rock the multi-cultural unity boat’ for the failure by numerous agencies and individuals to expose the child exploitation. He has previously admitted that he, like other politicians, had feared losing Muslim votes if he aired ‘the dirty secrets about bad practices in the Kashmiri Muslim community’. The damning report into the scandal said council staff feared they would be branded racist if they discussed the allegations with the Pakistani community – even though the victims had described the majority of the men involved as Asian. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, the son of Pakistani immigrants, yesterday said it could ‘definitely not’ have been considered racist to investigate the abuse. Muhbeen Hussain, founder of British Muslim Youth, told the BBC the ethnicity of the majority of the abusers did not mean the scandal should have been kept quiet. Children’s Commissioner for England Maggie Atkinson said she considered it racist for the issue not to have been raised within the community. She told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: ‘It’s actually racist for anybody to consider that – were you to approach that community – it wouldn’t take seriously what you were raising.’ Mr MacShane, who was jailed for six months after he admitted submitting fake invoices in his expenses, told World At One the abuse was never raised with him personally in his 18 years as Rotherham MP from 1994 to 2012. He admitted he was aware of the allegations from Press reports. In his book Prison Diaries, published earlier this year after his release from Brixton, Mr MacShane said he was one of many politicians who chose not to speak out about ‘dirty secrets’ because of the fear of losing Muslim votes. He wrote: ‘I feel ashamed that I too, like so many MPs, preferred to keep silent on some of the dirty secrets about bad practices in the Kashmiri Muslim community.’ Claims were made last night that some Labour councillors may have turned a blind eye to child sex abuse because they needed the Asian vote. Former Labour sources described a culture where councillors acted as ‘Mafia bosses’ and told their constituents that they could ‘do anything for them’ to keep them on side. They told the Mail: ‘Rotherham Council is horrendously corrupt. There is a large Asian contingency and a strong Labour vote among the ethnic community so they may have turned a blind eye to things to keep their votes.’ | Shaun Wright responsible for .
children’s services in Rotherham between 2005- 2010 when abuse of vulnerable girls by Asian men was worst .
Mr Wright is now the police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire .
Said report highlighting abuse of at least 1,400 girls was ‘huge surprise’
In interview, he said: ‘I don’t think any of this was my direct fault’ |
23,770 | 4380b871c715f27a277ed8d11339905083a929ca | By . Michael Seamark . Andy Coulson and five others are facing prison for their roles in what prosecutors called a ‘pervasive’ culture of phone hacking at the News of the World. Under Mr Coulson’s editorship, the phone messages of actors, celebrities, and politicians were intercepted on ‘an industrial scale’. Police identified 4,000 possible victims. The hacking scandal began to unravel in 2007, when royal reporter Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for intercepting the voicemails of members of the Royal Household. Scroll down for video . Facing jail: Former News of the World editor and No.10 spin doctor Andy Coulson may face jail along with five others, after he was found guilty of phone hacking . Initially News International insisted the practice was limited to one ‘rogue reporter’. But that defence crumbled after emails disclosed in a series of civil actions for damages exposed a wider conspiracy. By last October – at the start of this trial – the scale of the hacking plot became clear when the Old Bailey was told that three former news editors at the newspaper were among five men who pleaded guilty to their part in the hacking plot. Senior executives Greg Miskiw, 64, James Weatherup, 58, and Neville Thurlbeck, 52, all admitted playing a part in a six-year campaign of phone hacking which targeted politicians, pop stars and members of the Royal Family. Mulcaire, 43, who was paid £100,000 a year by the paper to arrange the hacking, admitted intercepting the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, among a host of other victims. Close friends: Event: Rebekah Brooks, Charlie Brooks, with Andy Coulson and his wife Eloise in 2009. The court heard how Brooks and Coulson had a series of affairs . At an earlier hearing, he also . admitted three counts of conspiracy to commit phone hacking after police . found ‘thousands and thousands of pages’ of notes relating to his . victims. And reporter Dan . Evans, who appeared as a witness for the prosecution in the hacking . trial, confessed to hacking Sienna Miller’s messages on actor Daniel . Craig’s phone. He has admitted conspiracy to hack phones at the Sunday Mirror between February 2003 and January 2005, and the same offence at the News of the World between April 2004 and June 2010. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice. They will be sentenced alongside Coulson after he was found guilty yesterday of conspiring to hack phones. Targets: Actors Jude Law and Sienna Miller's phones were hacked (pictured in 2004) They each face a maximum sentence of two years for the phone hacking. The former News of the World Editor, whose affair with Mrs Brooks was sensationally revealed during the trial when excerpts from a deeply personal letter from his co-defendant were read to the jury, will face sentencing shortly after the trial finally ends. At that point, it is likely that Miskiw, Weatherup, Thurlbeck and Mulcaire will be brought back to court to be told their fate. The jury heard that phone hacking was so widespread at the News of the World that senior journalists even used a special hotline for ‘do-it-yourself hacking’ and targeted rival journalists. Celebrities who were hacked include Sir Paul McCartney and his then wife Heather Mills, as well as Jude Law and Miller, his girlfriend at the time. Kate Moss, Will Young and Joanna Lumley were targeted too. Mulcaire admitted recording voicemail messages belonging to former Home Secretary David Blunkett and British nanny Louise Woodward, who was convicted of killing a child in the US in the 1990s. News UK – the British newspaper publishing arm of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire – said it had put in place measures to ensure that the wrongdoing at the News of the World could not happen again. ‘We said long ago, and repeat today, that wrongdoing occurred, and we apologised for it. ‘We have been paying compensation to those affected and have co-operated with investigations,’ the company said. ‘We made changes in the way we do business to help ensure wrongdoing like this does not occur again.’ Brian Cathcart from lobby group Hacked Off, which campaigns for state-imposed regulation of the Press, said: ‘For years the Murdoch press clung to the story that one rogue reporter was responsible for phone hacking. We now know this was a lie. ‘Far from being an isolated incident involving a few “bad apples”, the trial has shown that the entire orchard was rotten.’ By James Chapman . Guilty verdict: Andy Coulson at the Old Bailey on Tuesday . David Cameron endured . searching new questions yesterday over the failure of officials to vet . disgraced spin doctor Andy Coulson to the highest level. Coulson . – who became Downing Street’s chief spin doctor in 2010 – was not . security-vetted to the same level as his predecessors and successors. Instead, . the former tabloid editor was vetted to ‘security check’ level, which . allows only supervised access to the most secret government documents. He resigned before a stricter ‘developed vetting (DV)’ clearance process . had been completed. Of the . Downing Street communications directors before Coulson, three were . already vetted to the DV level, two others were granted the status three . months after starting the job and another after seven months. Mr . Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne hired Coulson as the . Conservatives’ director of communications only weeks after he quit the . News of the World in 2007, saying he took ‘ultimate responsibility’ when . royal editor Clive Goodman pleaded guilty to phone hacking. Labour . leader Ed Miliband revelled in Coulson’s downfall yesterday and asked . why he had not gone through the full vetting process earlier. Mr . Miliband said: ‘I think David Cameron must do much more than an . apology. He owes the country an explanation for why he did not act on . these allegations against Andy Coulson, why – as the evidence piled up – . he didn’t do anything about. ‘He . doesn’t seem to have received the most comprehensive security vetting . and clearance. We need to know why that didn’t happen.’ Mr . Coulson’s background had been probed by a private company contracted by . the Conservative Party when he began work as its head of communications . in 2007. But it was decided to commence ‘developed vetting’ of Mr . Coulson only after he had to brief the media on a terror alert at the . East Midlands airport in October 2010. This had not been completed when . Coulson resigned in January 2011. Under . Mr Cameron’s premiership, current director of communications Craig . Oliver has been develop vetted, as has Gabby Bertin – Coulson’s deputy. No . 10 pointed out that Lord Justice Leveson concluded in his inquiry . report that the Civil Service decides what levels of security clearance . staff require. Last night . Gordon Brown’s spin doctor Damian McBride, who resigned over a smear . campaign against opponents, attacked the Tories for ’equating my . behaviour – however reprehensible – with the criminal activities for . which Andy Coulson has just been convicted’. He added: ‘I had to undergo . the developed vetting process, and have my finances, love life and past . activities thoroughly looked through by the security services. I was . not allowed to start doing the job properly until I’d received my DV . status. ‘Why was Coulson not put through developed vetting for the director of communications job in No 10?’ But . Whitehall sources said it was unlikely a ‘developed vetting’ process . would have uncovered any fresh evidence about Coulson and phone hacking. The . Tory leadership had been dreading the conclusion of the Coulson trial . for months, since Mr Cameron had vowed to make a full public apology if . he was convicted. Mr Cameron admitted at the Leveson Inquiry that his . decision to hire Coulson had ‘haunted’ them both. Coulson, . however, insisted the question of voicemail interception was raised . only once by Mr Cameron during his recruitment – in a phone call while . he was on holiday in Cornwall. Downing . Street said Coulson had given assurances to the police, Press . Complaints Commission and a Commons select committee that he knew . nothing of hacking. Mr . Osborne said: ‘I too am very sorry for the decision we made to employ . Andy Coulson. He gave us assurances that turned out not to be the case. We gave him a second chance but, knowing what we now know, it’s clear . that we made the wrong decision.’ Mr . Clegg said he warned Mr Cameron about the hiring of Coulson. He said he . took the PM to one side when the Coalition was formed in 2010 and . questioned why Coulson was a Downing Street communications director. | Ex-spin doctor Andy Coulson found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones .
Phone hacking took place while he was the editor of the News of the World .
Police identified 4,000 possible victims of phone hacking by NotW .
Three senior executives, reporter and private investigator could face jail .
Prime Minister offered 'full and frank apology' for employing Coulson . |
102,618 | 104179529c26d3e03b2855e8fed4440570088d3a | By . Alex Gore . PUBLISHED: . 18:15 EST, 6 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:04 EST, 6 February 2013 . An almighty row broke out in Naples when a church procession was stopped in its tracks by a driver's calamitous attempts at a three-point turn. There were plenty of raised voices and wild hand gestures as the clumsy motorist struggled to turn his white Fiat around in the narrow street in the southern Italian city. Video footage of the incident shows a priest opening his arms wide and looking to the heavens with delight when the car finally wriggles out of the tight spot. Scroll down for video . Gridlock: Crowds gather around the white Fiat as the driver struggles to complete a three point turn . Road hog: The motorist's embarrassment is confounded as a large crowd begins to gather . Praise the Lord: A priest and fellow onlookers are delighted when the car finally gets on its way . Easy does it: The driver begins his u-turn while the road is clear, unaware of the trouble he is about to cause . The vehicle blocked dozens of road-users and pedestrians and by the end had drawn a large crowd of onlookers intrigued by the commotion. Some got angry and shouted at the motorist, while others laughed at his expense and took pictures. But a few also got involved by trying to help the man and his passenger out. They included a police officer and traffic officals. The driver had started off by blocking two cars heading in opposite directions along what had been as a quiet road. Road block: Two cars arrive on the scene and their drivers soon realise the will be there for a while . Hold-up: A group of motorcyclists are the next to be held up by the vehicle in the narrow Naples street . It gets worse: As if the driver was not having a bad enough day, a church procession soon arrives . Why me? The motorists wonders how he got him and his passenger into such an awkward situation . Get out the way: The motorist was understandably frustrated at his predicament . But the car became trapped in a sideways position between two parked vehicles while he attempted the painfully slow turn. And . as horns began sounding, the tailback grew with the arrival of a group . of motorcyclists, who were forced to dismount and lend a helping hand. The motorist's embarrassment was confounded when the church procession appeared but was unable to pass the blockage. Passing . pedestrians also stopped and stared, while residents living in neighbouring houses . emerged onto their balconies to see what all the fuss about. Applause and chants of 'Bravo' broke out . when the driver finally completed the u-turn and was able to continue his delayed journey. Frenzy: They crowd had a mixture of anger and amusement, with people eventually applauding the driver . Laughing stock: Other motorists laugh at the driver's expense and some even take pictures . Helping hand: A priest and traffic official attempts to help the driver out of the tricky position . Road rage: A passing moped rider has little sympathy for the man, who brought traffic to a standstill . | Narrow streets of southern Italian city prove too much for clumsy driver .
Priest looks to the heavens with delight as the car finally gets on its way . |
87,348 | f7d3f7c11d47838c3882ae87f5ddd81aa1b63c35 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 07:19 EST, 29 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:53 EST, 29 January 2013 . Certain cosmetic procedures can be administered by practitioners who aren't medically trained . Patients undergoing cosmetic surgery should not be given false hope and told they will look better after treatment, medical experts have warned. Under new guidelines issued today, anyone providing treatment will have a duty to manage a patient's expectations and not imply they will feel ‘better’ or ‘look nicer'. Instead, they should use unambiguous language like ‘bigger’ or ‘smaller’ to . describe what that patient is trying to change. They should not imply that having treatment will . improve a patient’s psychological wellbeing. The guidance has been issued by the Royal College of Surgeons, who are urging the Government to make . the rules compulsory. It also states that only surgeons should provide cosmetic surgery and only doctors, dentists and nurses who have undertaken appropriate training should provide non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as Botox. Currently certain cosmetic treatments can be administered by anyone, anywhere with no medical training. The guidelines state that as standard . practice, practitioners should discuss relevant psychological issues . (including any psychiatric history) with the patient to establish the . nature of their body image concerns and their reasons for seeking . treatment. The new professional standards for cosmetic practice, as the guidance is known, also states that bargains and offers should be banned. The college is urging ministers to make . the rules compulsory as a review into regulation of cosmetic surgery . prepares to report in the spring. Professor Norman Williams, President of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), said: 'We have serious concerns that not all . those who offer cosmetic procedures are adequately qualified, or that . patients are getting accurate information prior to treatment.' Instead, the guidelines state that anyone considering treatment should have a 'stringent psychological assessment' beforehand. Pre-procedure discussions should include . the disclosure of relevant psychiatric history such as eating disorders . and the practitioner should document any signs or symptoms of Body . Dysmorphic Disorder. Currently, non-surgical procedures such . as laser treatments or injectables can be administered by people with no . healthcare qualifications whatsoever. At-home cosmetic procedure parties should be banned, leading doctors have said. So-called 'Botox parties' or 'filler . parties' - where groups of friends gather to receive the treatments at . home - are 'wholly incompatible' with professional standards, the Royal . College of Surgeons (RCS) said. Treatments should only be carried out . on licensed premises with resuscitation equipment readily available in . the event of an emergency, according to new RCS guidance. Many companies offer 'at home' cosmetic treatments, with special discounts for the event host. But the RCS said such parties are entirely at odds with the standards set out in its new Professional . Standards for Cosmetic Practice. The RCS recommends that only . licensed doctors, registered dentists and registered nurses who have . undertaken appropriate training should provide any cosmetic treatment. Only those who have qualified as a medical doctor and undertaken . post-graduate surgical training should carry out invasive procedures . such as breast surgery or liposuction. Professor Williams added: 'While the Colleges and professional organisations involved in cosmetic practice are neither regulators nor legislators, the profession has a responsibility to provide standards to which we would expect our members to work. 'We hope these standards will feed into the ongoing review of the industry led by the NHS Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh, and improve quality of care for patients going forward.' Steve Cannon, chairman of the working party which developed the guidance, added: 'As the majority of cosmetic procedures are not available on the NHS, we must ensure that commercial interests do not compromise patient safety. 2012 figures released yesterday by the British Association of Plastic Surgeons revealed that women had: . Breast enlargments: 9,854 . Eyelid surgery 6,071 . Face/neck lift 5,324 . Breast reduction 4,217 . Nose job 3,228 . Tummy tuck 2,882 . Fat transfer 2,641 . Liposuction 2,638 . (Figures for BAAPS surgeons only) 'With the demand for cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatments rising year on year, it is crucial that the highest level of professionalism is maintained amongst practitioners.' The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said the new guidance was a 'step in the right direction' but called for more stringent recommendations on cosmetic surgery advertising. Baaps president Rajiv Grover said: "The marketing and advertising of cosmetic procedures is neither educating nor informing, but an exercise squarely aimed at achieving sales. This clearly puts economics ahead of patient care. Dr Tony Falconer, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), added: 'In the case of female genital cosmetic surgery, the majority of procedures are undertaken in the private sector with little regulation. The demand for cosmetic surgery is increasing, however, there is little evidence on its long term effects. 'We are concerned about the growing number of young women opting for cosmetic gynaecological surgery as under the age of 18 the external genitalia may still be developing. 'Both women and gynaecologists should be aware of the variation that exists in genital appearance and think carefully about exploring the idea of surgery if it is not clinically necessary.' | Practitioners should not imply patients will 'look nicer' or feel 'better'
Should instead use unambiguous language like 'bigger' or 'smaller'
Patients should also have psychological screening before treatment .
Plus 'Botox parties' should be banned, as staff often untrained . |
17,683 | 321a84a4300c664742a2498c802c3f941f66d78f | Each year, more than 8 million animals are put up for adoption in shelters across the US alone. Now, a New York-based app is hoping to make matching these animals with potential owners much easier – using a model similar to dating site Tinder. Animal lovers can browse the profiles of pets, swiping left and right through pictures, save their favourites, and contact the shelters directly. Called AllPaws, the listings on the free app (pictured) predominantly come from shelters across the US and Canada, although a number are made by individuals. There are more than 200,000 pets at any one time. Users browse profiles, or search based on type of animal, breed and shelters within a certain region . Called AllPaws, the listings on the free app predominantly come from shelters across the US and Canada, although a number are made by individuals. There are more than 200,000 pets listed at any one time, and this includes birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, as well as horses, ‘small and furry’ animals, reptiles, and even pigs. Users browse profiles, or search based on type of animal, breed and shelters within a certain location. Other filters include the age and size of the pet, whether it’s been vaccinated and neutered, and its compatibility with other animals. Animals available for adoption includes birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, as well as horses, ‘small and furry’ animals, reptiles, pigs and other barn yard pets. The free service is only currently available in the US and Canada, and on iOS devices . These animals can then be stored as favourites (picutred left), or shared with other users on Twitter, Facebook and through email. Once a user finds an animal they’re interested in adopting (pictured right), they can message the shelter directly, for free, through the app to arrange a viewing . There are more than 200,000 pets on the free app at any one time. This includes birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, as well as horses, ‘small and furry’ animals, and even pigs. Users browse profiles, or search based on type of animal, breed and shelters within a certain location. These animals can then be stored as favourites, or shared with other users on Twitter, Facebook and through email. Once a user finds an animal they’re interested in adopting, they message the shelter directly, for free, through the app to arrange a viewing. These animals can then be stored as favourites, or shared with other users on Twitter, Facebook and through email. Once a user finds an animal they’re interested in adopting, they message the shelter directly, for free, through the app to arrange a viewing. ‘AllPaws.com is already responsible for thousands of adoptions, and there is no doubt in our mind that adding an iPhone app for pet adoption will help more pets get adopted’, explained the developers. ‘The AllPaws iPhone app also features the ability to share pets, increasing the likelihood of animals finding a home.’ The free service is only currently available in the US and Canada, and on iOS. App founder Darrell Lerner told MailOnline that an Android app is in the pipeline, and his team is looking to expand the service outside of the US, but he couldn't provide timings. 'Android is something we'd like to build for as soon as possible given the overwhelming reception the iPhone app has received,' said Mr Lerner. | Shelters across the US and Canada use the app to list animals .
This includes cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots and horses - among others .
Each animals has a profile, and there are more than 200,000 to choose from .
Search function helps users find different breeds in certain locations .
Users save their favourite animals, and can share listings on social networks .
They then contact shelters to request more information and meet animals . |
166,438 | 633b10246cf055fbcf5c183903508c6cbac10939 | The Premier League is now so wealthy that all 20 clubs from England’s top flight last season are among the richest 40 clubs in the world by income — even relegated Norwich City. There are five English clubs in the top 10 of the football ‘Rich List’, published on Thursday by accountants Deloitte. Manchester United are back up to No 2 behind Real Madrid. Half of the top 40 wealthiest football clubs are from the Premier League, according to a new survey . Champions League winners Real Madrid are the wealthiest club in the world . United’s income of £433million in 2013-14 left them behind the Spanish giants, who brought in £459m, but ahead of third-placed Bayern Munich (£407.7m), Barcelona in fourth (£405.3m) and Paris Saint-Germain in fifth (£396.6m). Real Madrid have now been the richest club by earnings for 10 years in a row. Manchester City (£346.5m), Chelsea (£324.4m), Arsenal (£300m) and Liverpool (£255.8m) are next in the top 10. Newcastle and Everton squeeze into the top 20, with West Ham and Aston Villa just below them. Southampton are the 25th richest club in the world (on £106.1m), with Sunderland, Swansea and Stoke inside the top 30. The rest of last season’s Premier League teams earned more than the £80m necessary for a top-40 place. This was largely down to lucrative new 2013-16 TV deals which began to pour into club coffers last season. Austin Houlihan, senior manager at Deloitte, said: ‘This is testament to the huge appeal of the Premier League globally and the equality of distribution the clubs enjoy relative to their European counterparts.’ 1. Real Madrid - £459.5m . 2. Manchester United - £433.2m . 3. Bayern Munich - £407.7m . 4. Barcelona - £405.2m . 5. Paris Saint-Germain - £396.5m . 6. Manchester City - £346.5m . 7. Chelsea - £324.4m . 8. Arsenal - £300.5m . 9. Liverpool - £255.8m . 10. Juventus - £233.6m . 11. Borussia Dortmund - £218.7m . 12. AC Milan - £208.8m . 13. Tottenham - £180.5m . 14. Schalke 04 - £178.9m . 15. Atletico Madrid - £142.1m . 16. Napoli £137.8m . 17. Inter Milan - £137.1m . 18. Galatasaray - £135.4m . 19. Newcastle United - £129.7m . 20. Everton £120.5m . 21. West Ham United - £105.3m . 22. Aston Villa - £101.9m . 23. Marseille - £100m . 24. Roma - £97.7m . 25. Southampton - £97.3 . 26. Benfica - £96.6 . 27. Sunderland - £95.7m . 28. Hamburg - £92.2m . 29. Swansea City - £90.5m . 30. Stoke City - £90.1m . Manchester United have moved up to second on the list despite not even being in the Champions League . There are five English teams (Manchester City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool) in the top 10 . | The latest Premier League 'Rich List' has been published .
Half of the teams that make up the top 40 come from the UK .
Half of the top 10 are English, Manchester United are second overall .
Real Madrid top the list, Bayern Munich third, Barcelona fourth . |
50,863 | 8febf7555ba690467a203d027a73190c893a2ee6 | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 15:20 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:15 EST, 17 October 2013 . Two brothers ordered a man to strip naked and cover himself in cooking oil before branding him with two red hot irons during a five day attack. Darius and Dainus Svedskas and a third man, Sarkis Muradjan, held the 22-year-old victim captive at a house in Nelson, Lancashire, and whipped him with a belt and electric flex. Darius Svedskas, 34, and Dainus, 24, have been jailed for four years and four months and four years and five months respectively at Preston Crown Court and Muradjan was sentenced to three years. Darius (left) and Dainus Svedskas (right) have both been jailed for more than four years each for the brutal attack on a 22-year-old, who was forced to walk on all fours and beaten with a belt and electric cable . The court heard the victim suffered permanent scald marks from being burnt with both a . travel and soldering iron after he was taken captive and battered for . pleasure by the two brothers he had previously regarded as friends. During his ordeal, the unnamed Lithuanian victim was ordered to walk on all fours around the house and was beaten about the head with a wooden chair causing serious head injuries. The victim's younger brother, 17, was also held captive by the group but managed to smash his way through a ground floor double glazed window and raise the alarm at a nearby factory. Both victims, who came to the UK to study and work, have returned to Lithuania. Sarkis Muradjan was also jailed for three years for his part in the attack . Darius Svedskas pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, false imprisonment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm whilst Dainus Svedskas admitted false imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm. Muradjan, 32, also of Nelson, admitted false imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm. The attack happened in May after the victim was befriended by the three men, Lancashire Police said. His younger brother arrived in the UK to study on May 26 and was unaware of his brother's suffering until he too was held captive and brutally beaten. The teenager was subjected to several assaults over a two day period on May 28 and 29 where he was slapped and punched several times. Lancashire Police said the iron attack occurred whilst the older victim was cowering in a bathroom. He was ordered to strip naked, cover himself in cooking oil before being burned with a travel iron and soldering iron, and also whipped with the buckle end of a belt. The victim was then summoned downstairs where the assault continued and he was hit with electric cable and ordered to walk around on all fours. The ordeal only stopped when the 17-year-old, who feared for his brother's life, managed to escape by jumping through the thick plate glass window causing cuts to his face and body. Police said the two victims suffered 'physical and psychological abuse.' Following sentencing, Det Sgt Phil Pilkington from Lancashire Police said: 'I am pleased with the sentences handed down to Darius and Dainus Svedskas, along with Sarkis Muradjan, that reflect the seriousness of the violent assaults they carried out, along with keeping two innocent men against their will. 'The two victims were in the country to study and work and have been left terrified by their ordeal, especially the 22 year old who was the main subject of violence, threats and intimidation. During the five day ordeal, the Svedskas brothers forced the victim to strip naked and cover himself in cooking oil before they branded him with hot irons . 'The assaults that were inflicted on him were particularly degrading and prolonged and I praise the 17-year-old who showed bravery in escaping the situation to call for help for his brother. 'The brothers have now returned to their home country of Lithuania but have been left with permanent, visible scars that will be permanent reminders of their horrendous ordeals. 'I hope that the sentencing has given them sort of closure so that they can move on with their lives. 'Let these results serve as a warning to those who think it's acceptable to use violence against others - we will not tolerate it and you will be brought before the courts and punished.' | Lithuanian victim, 22, beaten with electric cable and buckle end of belt .
His brother, 17, also held captive but managed to escape and raise alarm .
Brothers Darius and Dainus Svedskas jailed for more than four years each .
Third man Sarkis Muradjan also jailed for three years for attack in Nelson .
Police say victims live with 'permanent and visible scars' of their ordeal . |
27,343 | 4d8196e1b7cef479193afff07b217c21f532f643 | By . Oliver Todd . Follow @@oliver_todd . England have booked a place in the Commonwealth Games women's hockey semi finals with a 2-1 win over Scotland. In a winner-takes-all clash at Glasgow's National Hockey Centre, England could have also progressed with a draw but made things sure through goals from Alex Danson and Susannah Townsend. Nikki Kidd scored a consolation for Scotland and they pushed for an equaliser in a tough second half but England held to reach a semi final against New Zealand on Friday. Bring on New Zealand: The England girls celebrate Alex Danson's opener at the National Hockey Centre . Auld Enemy: England captain Kate Walsh-Richardson tries to nick the ball from Morag Mclellan . Nicolas White laid on an excellent pass into the D to allow Danson to give England the lead with a great finish over Amy Gibson after 17 minutes. Later in the first period Townsend doubled the lead from a penalty corner before Kidd's own penalty corner consolation for the Scots. A frentic first half gave way to a more nervy second period but England, ranked sixth in the world, hung on to progress. Admiration: Rio Ferdinand was impressed with the quality of England's performance . And former England football international Rio Ferdinand was impressed as he watched at home, taking a particular shine to Danson's skill that led to her first half opener. Speaking about Ferdinand's praise, Danson told the BBC: 'It's fantastic to generate support. That is our game - fast, athletic, skilful and brilliant to watch. To have the chance to showcase that at a venue like this is wonderful.' Auld Enemy: Sam Quek of England keeps a close eye on Scotland's Nicola Lloyd as the hosts were knocked out . New hockey fan: Ferdinand tweeted about how impressed he was watching the England-Scotland game . | Alex Danson and Susannah Townsend scored for England .
Nikki Kidd grabbed a penalty corner consolation for the Scots .
England will face New Zealand in the semi finals on Friday . |
200,612 | 8fb06785c126452a1cca6da5dea38ee2a63ad421 | (Mashable) -- According to Apple's latest commercial, "iPad goes anywhere" -- anywhere, that is, except for Yankee Stadium. Yahoo Sports confirmed with the stadium that the iPad falls under its "no laptops" security policy and patrons won't be able to enter the ballpark with one in their possession. Say what? The TSA says that you don't have to take an iPad out of its case to go through security, but Yankee Stadium says the device is a no-go? The discussion surrounding the ban was spurred by a message from Spacekatgal on the IGN Boards. Spacekatgal tried to bring her iPad in to the Yankee/Red Sox game, only to be turned away at the gate. Undeterred, she did re-enter the stadium with her iPad in her jacket, but the ban exists all the same. While you can reasonably ask why someone would want to bring an iPad -- or any electronic device aside from a cellphone, for that matter -- into a ballgame, the outright ban of such a device strikes us as odd, especially given that Wi-Fi is available throughout the complex. In any event, if you want to bring an iPad to Yankee Stadium this summer (assuming you're sitting in the shade), you might want to make sure you've got a bag or windbreaker that can mask said device from the security guards. Or you could just leave the gadgets at home and watch the game. © 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | The iPad falls under the stadium's "no laptops" security policy .
Patrons won't be able to enter the ballpark with an iPad in their possession .
Wi-Fi is available throughout Yankee Stadium . |
262,397 | dfe491062eec68d6e3da37fe373443200920f146 | By . Associated Press Reporter . and Zoe Szathmary . A Turkish man who beat a New York City woman to death with a rock last year has been sentenced to life in prison by a Turkish court. Ziya Tasali, 47, was additionally sentenced by the Istanbul court on Tuesday to eight years in prison for sexual assault and theft. Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old married mother to two sons, was found dead on February 2, 2013 amid Istanbul's ancient city walls, days after her family reported her missing in January during a solo trip to take photographs. Authorities said Sierra was killed by a blow to the head. Sentenced: Ziya Tasali, pictured, has been sentenced to life in prison killing Sarai Sierra - plus an additional eight years for sexual assault and theft . Victim: Sarai Sierra, pictured, is seen at a NYC subway stop wearing the leather jacket she was wearing on the day she died-- which police say Ziya Tasali then sold at a nearby Bazaar . Tasali, a scrap-paper collector, has been on trial for Sierra's death since September. Sierra travelled to Istanbul alone after her friend dropped out because of financial reasons. Tasali admitted to killing Sierra in September during the trial but denied accusations that he had sexually assaulted her, the private Dogan news agency reported. Tasali was arrested near the Syrian border in March, and had been on the run since Sierra's body was found and was believed to be in hiding in Syria. During the trial, Tasali described himself as a scrap-paper collector with no fixed address. He admitted fatally hitting Sierra with a rock but disputed charges of sexual assault. 'I was sitting beneath the walls. I had sniffed paint thinner (vapors) and was high,' Dogan quoted him as telling the court in Istanbul. Deadly struggle: Surveillance footage shows Sierra and Tasali struggling next to train tracks . Last seen: This is the last image of Sarai Sierra, and was captured on CCTV on January 21 . 'I approached her and wanted to kiss her. But she hit me with her phone between my two eyebrows. I pushed her and she fell on the ground,' he said. Tasali said Sierra fought him back and hit him in the face with a rock, which made him 'totally lose control.' He said he then struck Sierra with a rock. Questioned about traces of his sperm found over the victim and some of her belongings, Tasali denied rape. Crime scene: Sierra's bludgeoned body was found in this spot . Husband: Steven Sierra is seen in this file photo . A defense lawyer said he did not believe his client was 'capable of grasping the meaning and results' of his actions. Judges hearing the case at the time ordered state forensic medical experts to place Tasali under observation and report back on his mental health, the news agency said. Sierra's husband Steven, who went to Istanbul last year during the hunt for his wife's killer, spoke to the New York Times on Tuesday about Tasali's verdict. 'I don't hold any ill will towards him,' he said. 'I've always had an inner peace that I can't really explain apart from the Lord Jesus in my life.' 'I don't know what to believe, but it doesn't matter whether [Tasali] is lying or not,' Mr Sierra also said. 'The truth is that Sarai's life was taken and that is all that matters.' Mr Sierra remarried this year, the New York Daily News reported. | Ziya Tasali, 47, was sentenced to life in prison for killing Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two .
Tasali was additionally sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual assault and theft .
Sierra was found dead in February 2013 amid Istanbul's ancient city walls and went missing during a solo vacation .
Tasali had admitted killing Sierra and said he had been high on paint thinner at the time . |
90,200 | 000e7f26e4dda517050bc09ee8d9a08a3b2334b7 | (CNN)When Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965, many Americans viewed his killing as simply the result of an ongoing feud between him and the Nation of Islam. He had publicly left the Nation of Islam in March 1964, and as the months wore on the animus between Malcolm's camp and the Nation of Islam grew increasingly caustic, with bitter denunciations coming from both sides. A week before he was killed, Malcolm's home -- owned by the Nation of Islam, which was seeking to evict him -- was firebombed, and Malcolm believed members of the Nation of Islam to be responsible. For investigators and commentators alike, then, his death was an open and shut case: Muslims did it. Yet although three members of the Nation of Islam were tried and found guilty for the killing, two of them maintained their innocence and decades of research has since cast doubt on the outcome of the case. Tens of thousands of declassified pages documenting government surveillance, infiltration and disruption of black leaders and organizations -- including Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam -- suggest the conclusions drawn by law enforcement were self-serving. Furthermore, irregularities in how investigators and prosecutors handled the case reflect at best gross negligence, and at worst something more sinister. At the time of his death, Time magazine remembered Malcolm X unsympathetically as "a pimp, a cocaine addict and a thief" and "an unashamed demagogue." But for those who had been paying closer attention to him, Malcolm X was an uncompromising advocate for the urban poor and working-class black America. Instead of advocating integration, he called for self-determination; instead of nonviolence in the face of violent anti-black attacks, he called for self-defense. He reserved moral appeals for other people committed to social justice; the government, on the other hand, he understood in terms of organized power -- to be challenged, disrupted and/or dismantled -- and sought to leverage alliances with newly independent African states to challenge that power. It was his challenge to the organized power of the state that appealed to growing numbers of African-Americans, and it was this challenge that also attracted a close following among federal, state and local law enforcement. Under Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover's watch, the FBI kept close tabs on Malcolm's every move through the use of informants and agents. Even before Malcolm began attracting large audiences and widespread media coverage in the late 1950s and early '60s, the FBI reported on his efforts to organize Nation of Islam mosques around the country. One organizing meeting in a private home in Boston in 1954 had maybe a dozen or so people present; one of them reported to the FBI. After Malcolm left the Nation of Islam in March 1964, agents pondered the prospect of a depoliticized more religious Malcolm, but still perceived him as a threat. On June 5, 1964, Hoover sent a telegram to the FBI's New York office that simply and plainly instructed, "Do something about Malcolm X enough of this black violence in NY." One wonders, what that "something" was. In New York, the FBI's actions were complemented by, if not coordinated with, the New York Police Department's Bureau of Special Services, which regularly logged license plates of cars parked outside mosques, organizational meetings, business and homes. The actions of the police on the day of Malcolm's assassination are particularly noteworthy. Normally up to two dozen police were assigned at Malcolm X's rallies, but on February 21, just a week after his home had been firebombed, not one officer was stationed at the entrance to the Audubon ballroom where the meeting took place. And while two uniformed officers were inside the building, they remained in a smaller room, at a distance from the main event area. The lack of a police presence was unusual and was compounded by internal compromises on the part of Malcolm's own security staff, which included at least one Bureau of Special Services agent who had infiltrated his organization. Reportedly at Malcolm's request, his security had abandoned the search procedure that had been customary at both Nation of Islam and Muslim Mosque/Organization of Afro-American Unity meetings. Without the search procedure, his armed assassins were able to enter the ballroom undetected. When the assassins stood up to shoot Malcolm, his security guards stationed at the front of the stage moved not to secure him, but to clear out of the way. These anomalies, in and of themselves, could have been inconsequential. But combined, even if just by coincidence, they proved to be deadly, and allowed for one of the most prophetic revolutionary voices of the 20th century to be silenced. The investigation that followed was just as careless. The crime scene was not secured for extensive forensic analysis -- instead, it was cleaned up to allow for a scheduled dance to take place that afternoon, with bullet holes still in the wall! For activists, of course, Malcolm X's death took on greater significance than law enforcement publicly expressed. Congress of Racial Equality Chairman James Farmer was among the first to suggest that Malcolm's murder was more than just an act of sectarian violence between two rival black organizations. "I believe this was a political killing," he asserted, in response to Malcolm's growing national profile within the civil rights movement. He called for a federal inquiry -- unbeknownst to Farmer, an ironic request given the level of covert federal oversight that was already in place. Slowly, Farmer's doubts gained considerable traction. Author and journalist Louis Lomax, who had covered Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam on several occasions, put Malcolm X's assassination in context with Martin Luther King Jr.'s in "To Kill a Black Man" (1968). More than four decades ago, activist George Breitman was among the first to challenge the police version of who was responsible for Malcolm X's death. More recently, the work done at Columbia University's Malcolm X Project, culminating in Manning Marable's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention," echoed these doubts and put at the forefront these unanswered questions about Malcolm X's murder. These questions deserve answers. They call upon us to revisit not just the political significance of Malcolm X's life, but the implications of his murder. Our government especially deserves scrutiny for its covert information gathering, disinformation campaigns, and even violence waged against its own citizens. Fifty years later, we still have more to learn from Malcolm X's life, and his death, and our government's actions toward him. | Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965 .
Zaheer Ali: Fifty years later, we still have more to learn from Malcolm X's life . |
231,143 | b74645d88bbe25b60916a8bbb4849c2017b8a65f | London (CNN) -- It's hard to believe that this area of east London was once a dilapidated and neglected quarter of the UK capital. With shiny new stadiums and visitor facilities nestling among the lush landscaped grounds, every detail of the 500-acre Olympic Park has taken into account environmental concerns, prompting 2012 organizers to bill it as the first sustainable Olympics. David Stubbs, head of sustainability for the London 2012 Games, was part of the original team that drafted London's successful bid. Sustainability was a key reason why London was chosen, he says, and provides a golden opportunity to show what can be achieved. "If you can put sustainability at the heart of a project which is the largest logistical exercise in peace time -- across 26 different sports, with thousands of people attending and millions watching -- then you can do it anywhere," Stubbs said. See more: CNN's Aiming for Gold . Many of the park's bridges have been constructed using gabion walls (steel mesh filled with stones and rubble) providing a visual reminder of the Games' green goals. "There's a huge emphasis on reuse and recycling," says Stubbs. "All the buildings that were knocked down, all that rubble was sort of crushed up and used as the fillings of these gabions for the new bridges." The River Lea and several canals which wend their way through the park used to be badly polluted, he says. Today, after an intensive program of clearing and widening, wildlife is being encouraged to return. Watch: London's new "Green Park" "Creating a shallower profile in the wetlands further up (the river) has allowed larger areas of wildlife habitat to be created. At the same time that's providing flood mitigation benefits to thousands of properties in the local area," Stubbs says. In addition to over 300,000 wetland plants, organizers have planted more than 4,000 trees and 130,000 plants and bulbs. "One of the key things about this site is how you've got natural park lands as well as more formal gardens. Unlike previous games people are going to really feel they are in a park," Stubbs said. London 2012 organizers are also proud of the park's sporting arenas built for the Games. Behind the velodrome's timber-clad frame, cyclists will race for gold round a track made from sustainably-sourced Siberian pine, while Zaha Hadid's striking wave-shaped roof on the Aquatics Center has been temporarily adorned with "wings" providing seating for 15,000 spectators. "That's great for the games, but after we'll bring it down to 2,500 seats for legacy mode, as it turns into a facility for the local community," he said. Temporary seating and venues, like the 12,000-seat Basketball Arena, will accommodate nearly 300,000 spectators during the games -- a figure without precedent at any previous Olympics, according to organizers. All eyes will be on the Olympic Stadium come the opening ceremony on July 27 with the 80,000-seat arena being the sustainable centerpiece of the Games. Constructed using just a tenth of the steel required to build Beijing's "Bird's Nest", the stadium weighs in at just 4,500 tons, becoming the lightest Olympic Stadium ever built. Parts of the tubular steel roof has been built using surplus gas pipelines, Stubbs says. He and his team have used recycled materials wherever possible, which is not only cheaper but also cuts carbon emissions and energy costs. The complexities of the addressing sustainability have been a constant challenge Stubbs says, but his efforts appear to have paid off. London 2012 "can build the confidence to wider society that sustainability is not a theory but infinitely do-able," said executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, Achim Steiner during a visit in April this year. "Thrilled" at the results he and his team have managed to produce, Stubbs is hopeful the park will be attracting visitors long after the Olympics has left town. "It's not about two weeks ... It is what this site will be like 20 to 30 years down the road," Stubbs said. | London 2012 organizers have placed sustainability at the heart of their planning for the Summer Olympics .
Head of sustainability for the Games, David Stubbs says there's been "a huge emphasis on reuse and recycling"
Sustainable buildings and hundreds of thousands of new plants have transformed a polluted area of east London . |
76,078 | d7d1146b8bb56a930aab20a81e02d20f745d42a5 | Chicago (CNN) -- Just two weeks after his wedding, Christophe Quancard was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest types of brain tumors. He was only 35 years old. The news was devastating. "In our age group, no one is ready for the diagnosis, (or) the possibility," Quancard said. "I mean, we know it's out there, but you didn't think it would happen when you were still young and had so many other things that you were thinking about." Quancard's team of doctors encouraged him to get in touch with a group called Imerman Angels. The nonprofit matches cancer patients with cancer survivors so they can receive support from someone who has been down a similar path. Within a few days, Quancard was talking to Greg Cantwell, a 38-year-old survivor of late-stage brain cancer. Cantwell was diagnosed eight years ago, when his son was 1, and had hoped to live until his son was at least 5. The boy is now 9. Cantwell is living proof that cancer is not a death sentence. And his experience has given Quancard much-needed help -- and hope -- during a difficult time. "You don't know what's really going to hit you emotionally or what kind of therapies you may not have thought of, how to get help, how to make the best use of the resources you have," said Quancard, 36. "You really need someone who's been through this to help you. ... Somehow it makes it so much easier, even in the very hard parts that are coming." Quancard is just one of thousands of cancer patients who've found one-on-one support through Imerman Angels. "We (want) to make sure that people that are diagnosed with cancer are able to reach a survivor who can look them in the eye and say: 'I've been there. I beat it. And so will you,' " said Jonny Imerman, a cancer survivor who started the group in 2002. Imerman was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2001, when he was just 26 years old. He went through a rigorous chemotherapy treatment that sometimes would last eight hours a day. One year later, doctors found more cancer, and Imerman underwent a procedure to remove four tumors from his spine. Now 37, he says he was fortunate to have the constant support of family and friends as he battled the disease. "They kept me going," he said. "With so much support, I did not have a chance to lose hope." But other cancer patients between the ages of 15 and 39 are not always as fortunate. The National Cancer Institute recently reported that progress in treating adolescents and young adults has stagnated. Seven out of 10 patients in the age group go on to live at least five more years, but that statistic hasn't improved in 30 years. "Young adults are kind of a lost group of oncology patients," said Dr. Peter Shaw, director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "They are in a gray area between pediatric and adult care. Unfortunately, they don't always find their way to timely, optimal medical care." There are several reasons why, Shaw said. "They historically have been the least-insured age group in the U.S., most physicians are less suspicious of cancer in healthy young adults, and many of these patients -- once diagnosed -- may still feel invincible and be in denial, leading to less compliance with their treatments," he said. During Imerman's five-month treatment in 2001, he would walk the hospital halls in Detroit and see young cancer patients who were alone and struggling. "Everyone is like a caged animal in these rooms. They were lying in bed, motionless, watching television or staring in space. ... You could see the fear in their faces," Imerman said. "And I felt guilty as I walked down the hallways and looked in these rooms. And finally ... I just walked in with my I.V. pole one day. ... "(I said:) 'What kind of cancer do you have? And what kind of chemo do you have?' ... These people were like open arms. They were so excited to have a visitor to talk to them." Imerman began engaging other patients and offering support and camaraderie. "It was instant friendship," he said. "You're not talking surface level. You're talking about life and death. My goal was to get in there and motivate patients so that they wanted to jump out of their chemo bed and literally start swinging at this thing." Do you know a hero? Nominations for 2012 Heroes close August 31 . When Imerman was deemed cancer-free, his health improved and his spirits soared along with his dreams to offer hope to more cancer patients. Imerman started reaching out to doctors and hospitals and was referred to other cancer survivors. He collected data, spread the word and became a matchmaker of sorts. Today, nearly a decade later, Imerman Angels has a database of more than 4,000 survivor mentors. The group carefully pairs a cancer fighter with a mentor who had the same type of cancer. And caregivers, such as a spouse, parent, child or friend, can also be paired with other caregivers and survivors. The group tries to connect people who live in the same city and can meet in person. But its database also extends overseas, and some pairs communicate via phone and Skype. On average, the group creates five to seven pairs a day. Imerman Angels has made more than 8,000 matches in more than 65 countries. "(Our) cancer survivors have amazing stories and volunteer to give their story back, to help somebody else out with the same cancer," Imerman said. "We share stories. We listen. We learn. We become close and connected, because we expose probably the most vulnerable time of our lives. ... "I think the bigger picture -- and what we need to do in a cancer world -- is create more friendships." Survivors who have navigated the often-complex cancer system can share what they know with patients who are starting at square one and are often unsure where to turn. "There's a great benefit for an individual to be able to contact somebody else who's struggled with the same problem," said Dr. Steven T. Rosen, director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. "To be able to get the perspective of another patient who can tell them about what to anticipate and also to see someone who's been through the process, who's had a good outcome and that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. In many instances ... it improves their quality of life dramatically." Imerman Angels runs on donations, and the majority of its small staff are cancer survivors. Although the group accepts men and women of any age, more than half of its roster is between 18 and 40. "Imerman Angels is incredible in the sense that they're able to pair you up with someone that looks just like you and that gets it and that can tell you it's going to be OK," said Jenna Benn, who was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma when she was 29. "All of a sudden, your reality doesn't seem so strange. It seems sort of normal. As much as I didn't want to be a part of this club and I didn't ask to be here, I'm really happy that I have this community that Jonny has built." Imerman continues to make his rounds at the oncology wings of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, just like he did in Detroit more than a decade ago. "I'm a survivor. You're going to be, too," he regularly tells patients. For Imerman, mentoring patients has helped him to live in the moment and embrace life without fearing a recurrence of cancer. "I don't really count the days since cancer, because it's like every day's a birthday," he said. "Every day is a good day. You're happy you woke up. ... Life is amazing." Want to get involved? Check out the Imerman Angels website at www.imermanangels.org and see how to help. | Jonny Imerman wants to make sure no one has to battle cancer alone .
He started Imerman Angels to pair patients with cancer survivors .
Imerman is a survivor himself; he tells people: "I beat it. And so will you"
Do you know a hero? Nominations for 2012 CNN Heroes close August 31 . |
30,758 | 577415de239d9d23382131d10a582a6c1b1de85f | Jurors hearing the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial got a stark look at the dead pop icon after a lawyer showed them an autopsy photo. Jackson's unclothed corpse lying on a coroner's table looked nothing like the world's most famous entertainer. The doctor who conducted Jackson's autopsy will return to the witness stand Wednesday. On Tuesday, jurors are hearing from another doctor in the trial to decide whether concert promoter AEG Live shares blame in Jackson's death with Dr. Conrad Murray. The witness on the stand Tuesday is cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter, who is offering expert analysis of Murray's skills and decisions. Murray was not the "appropriate physician" for AEG to hire as Jackson's tour doctor because he was a cardiologist and not trained to treat the singer's special needs, Wohlgelernter testified. "Michael Jackson had a history of substance abuse, addiction to medications and sleep disturbance," he said, not heart or cardiovascular problems. Murray's agreement to close down his Las Vegas clinic to work full time for Jackson created a conflict, he said. The agreement said Murray could lose his job if the tour was delayed or canceled. "It meant that Dr. Murray was entirely dependent on the continuation of the tour for his income," he said. Much of what jurors heard for the first time from Dr. Christopher Rogers Monday is a repeat of the scientific evidence presented in the trial of Murray, who is now serving a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. But some of what is in the coroner's report seems to give more insight into Michael Jackson's life rather than how he died. Rogers noted in his autopsy report that Jackson's lips were tattooed pink, while his eyebrows were a dark tattoo. The front of his scalp was also tattooed black, apparently to blend his hairline in with the wigs he wore. The autopsy confirmed what Jackson told people who questioned why his skin tone became lighter in the 1980s. Jackson had "vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disease," Rogers said. "So, some areas of the skin appear light and others appear dark." Debts, drugs, messy bedroom highlighted in Jackson trial . Jackson lawyer Michael Koskoff made sure the jury heard that, even though it had nothing to do with how he died. Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the company that was promoting his "This Is It" shows was liable for his death because of the negligent hiring, retention and supervision of Murray. AEG Live argues that Jackson chose Murray as his tour doctor and that the company had no way of knowing he was using the surgical anesthetic propofol to put the singer to sleep each night. Rogers concluded that a propofol overdose killed Jackson, although several sedatives Murray gave him that morning contributed to his death. Los Angeles coroner's toxicologist Dan Anderson, who studied the drugs in Jackson's body, testified Monday that the level of propofol found in Jackson's body was "consistent with major surgery anesthesia." Propofol is a dangerous drug when not used properly, he said. Money woes may have led Murray to 'break the rules,' detective says . The Los Angeles coroner's office found 31 deaths in the last 14 years in which propofol was found in a body, including six suicides committed by medical personnel -- doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists -- who chose the drug to end their lives, Anderson said. There have also been several homicides with propofol, including "a mercy killing" in a hospital, he testified. If not for his death by propofol, Jackson's health appeared good enough for him to live a normal lifespan, Rogers testified. "There was no indication from the autopsy that there was anything anatomically wrong with him that would lead to premature death," Rogers said. He had no signs of being addicted to street drugs, such as needle marks or disease, he said. That testimony is important for the Jackson case, because if the jury decides that AEG is liable in his death, his expected lifespan will be key to calculating damages. Jackson lawyers will contend that he would have made billions of dollars in his remaining years through several more world tours, merchandizing, recording and movies. | Conrad Murray was the wrong doctor for Michael Jackson, expert says .
Doctor who did autopsy confirms Jackson had "vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disease"
If not for death by propofol, Michael Jackson could've lived a normal lifespan, doctor says .
Jurors are shown Michael Jackson's unclothed corpse spread out on a coroner's table . |
126,587 | 2f9fad29260e657dbdeec3d9db0a0657446cfc72 | James Ward, a traveller who appeared on 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' who has been jailed after crashing into a car while drink-driving . A traveller who appeared on the Channel 4 show 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' has been jailed after he flipped his BMW sports car while drunkenly driving around in a revenge mission to find his son's killers. James Ward flipped the car on to its roof after ploughing into another vehicle when he got behind the wheel while drunk, uninsured and disqualified from driving. Northampton Crown Court heard how Ward was injured in a violent clash while travelling around looking to avenge his son Thomas' murder, who was killed last April. Police were called when he was spotted drenched in blood at Watford Gap service station. Officers then followed him for a short distance before watching him lose control of his car just before junction 15 of the M1 near Northampton on the A45 roundabout. He crashed into another vehicle, causing serious injuries to a woman and child who were inside the car, who had to be airlifted to hospital. At a previous hearing, the 40-year-old pleaded guilty to four charges of causing serious injury, driving while disqualified, driving with excess alcohol and driving with no insurance. Today Ward from Leighton Buzzard, Bedforshire was jailed for 13 months. Sentencing, Judge Rupert Mayo said it was a 'ghastly accident' after Ward failed to heed the police warnings to stop his vehicle. Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said the woman was left covered in glass and concerned for the welfare of her child. Mr Janes said: 'The woman suffered a laceration of a cornea which has left her with permanent blurred vision and also suffered cuts to her head and abdomen. 'She and her three-year-old son, who was not physically injured, had suffered psychological distress since the crash. 'She has . only just been able to start driving again and she has taken her son to a . counsellor as he had become very anxious after the crash.' Ward had been driving around on a revenge mission to find the killers of his son Thomas, pictured, who was murdered five days after the birth of his daughter . The . court heard that police officers had indicated for Ward to stop his . vehicle, shortly before the crash, when he was parked at the Watford Gap . services. However, Ward sped away from the police car and crashed his BMW on the M1 roundabout at the next junction. When they finally found him officers saw his car contained empty beer cans. He was also found to be over the drink drive limit as he gave officers a blood alcohol reading of 102 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 microgrammes. Defending John Carmichael said: 'My client feels real grief and remorse for what he has done. 'He told me he will have to live with what he has done for the rest of his life.' In April last year, Ward's son Thomas, 20, was murdered on the steps of his own caravan five days after the birth of his daughter Lily. The A45 roundabout near the junction 15 of the M1, where Ward lost control of his BMW . His funeral was shown on a My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding spin-off about christenings in October and Ward was seen mourning his son at his graveside. In a Crimewatch appeal, police said they want to trace Thomas’s second cousin John Boy Ward, 32, and his wife Joleen, 21, in connection with the murder. So far no arrests have been made. But on May 25, Ward was told the suspects in his son’s killing were hiding in Coventry. After driving to find them he ended up in an altercation and received 'significant' injuries as result. Ward was sentenced to 12 months in jail for dangerous driving and one month, to be served consecutively, from driving whilst disqualified. He was also banned from driving for three years. | James Ward flipped his BMW while drunkenly driving on a revenge mission .
Was trying to find the his son Thomas' killers who was murdered .
Crashed his vehicle into another car near junction 15 of the M1 .
Also admitted driving while uninsured and disqualified .
Was sentenced to 13 months at Northampton Crown Court . |
280,928 | f7ec04c5cb0bea9144f7768bcacde0a2549870ba | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Dr Nurpur Mittal, arriving for sentencing at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday, after being convicted of stealing money from a patient's handbag . A GP who stole money from a mother’s purse during an appointment for her sick baby was fined £5,000 yesterday and now faces being struck off. Dr Nurpur Mittal, 33, took £130 cash from Kelly Wissenden’s purse after the mother-of-two left the consultation room to obtain a specimen from her nine-month-old son Zaio Headley. Miss Wissenden, 29, said she thought it was ‘odd’ when she returned and saw Dr Mittal ‘fiddling around’ in her bag, which she had left on her child’s buggy in the doctor’s room. But she only realised the money was missing when she checked the purse as she left White Cliffs Medical Centre in Dover, Kent. It emerged in court that Dr Mittal had previously been given a ‘fiscal warning’ for shoplifting in Scotland. She now faces the possibility of being struck off the medical register as she will be ordered to appear before a General Medical Council disciplinary board. And she was warned yesterday by Judge James O’Mahony at Canterbury Crown Court that she will be sent to jail if she doesn’t pay the fine within six months. Dr Mittal, from Shepherdswell, near Dover, was convicted of theft by a jury last month. Judge O’Mahony told her: ‘This is a sad state of affairs. ‘A patient has the right to expect that the last person in the world who would steal from them was a doctor.’ The court heard that Miss Wissenden was intending to use the money to pay for repairs to her car. Andrew Forsyth, prosecuting, said: 'Miss Wissenden later described seeing Dr Mittal fiddling around near the change bag and the buggy, looking very flustered. 'She thought it strange at the time but didn't say anything.' After checking her bag outside and finding the money had gone missing, she returned inside the surgery and told the receptionist Christine Button about her cash disappearing from her purse. Dr Mittal stole the cash from Kelly Wissenden, pictured, when she attended an appointment with her son Zaio Headley at the White Cliffs Medical Centre in Dover . She said they searched the doctor's room and the changing area where they had taken her son but did not find anything. However, after following Dr Mittal's advice, they returned a short while later and found the cash on the floor of the changing room. Miss Wissenden phoned the police later that day to report the doctor and what had happened. The court was told Dr Mittal phoned Miss Wissenden later that evening asking her to withdraw the theft allegation. Dr Mittal, from Shepherdswell, near Dover, was convicted of theft by a jury last month after she had denied the charge. Before sentencing Dr Mittal, he asked for a report about her mental state as he could not understand why someone who 'probably receives a healthy salary' would want to steal £130. The theft took place at White Cliff's Medical Centre in Dover, pictured, and Dr Mittal's name has been removed from the website as a list of doctors practicing at the centre . The court also heard yesterday that Dr Mittal was married but her husband is filing for divorce from her. Her name has been taken off the website list of doctors practising at the White Cliffs Medical Centre in Dover. Yesterday the practice manager at the medical centre said they did not want to comment. After the court hearing, Miss Wissenden, who works as a stewardess for P&O Ferries, said: 'It's really shocking, it's horrible. 'I put my faith in her, my son's life was in her hands and she stole from me. 'It's been such a stressful time. The reaction you get when you tell people is 'really, but she's a doctor?'. 'The barrister even told me to expect a not guilty verdict because the jury was more likely to believe a doctor over me.' | Dr Nurpur Mittal, 33, took £130 cash from Kelly Wissenden's purse .
Miss Wissenden was attending an appointment for her nine-month-old son .
Found the doctor 'fiddling around' in her bag after leaving room to obtain a specimen from son .
Dr Mittal, of Dover was convicted of theft by a jury last month .
Has now been fined £5,000 by Judge James O'Mahony at Canterbury Crown Court . |
122,858 | 2ac8a14d7dd13ee665ef93662e7628d63a716355 | (CNN) -- Inter Milan have given up on signing Chelsea's Portuguese pair Ricardo Carvalho and Deco for the time being. Chelsea's Portuguese midfielder Deco has been strongly linked with a summer transfer to Inter Milan. The duo had been linked with a move to the San Siro where they would link-up again with former Chelsea and Porto coach Jose Mourinho. Reports had suggested Inter sent a representative to London to talk to Chelsea about a possible deal for the two players, but the Italians' transfer consultant Lele Oriali insisted that was untrue. Oriali told Sky Italia: "Inter don't need emissaries, the president didn't send anyone and neither did I. "Having had the fortune of being able to speak directly with Chelsea, we know that they are ready to negotiate over these two players, but the asking price is too high. "The deal is not as simple as it might seem. It's unrealistic for us in the current conditions. At the moment the deal is closed, and we don't know if it will open up again later on." | Inter Milan pull the plug on signing Chelsea pair Ricardo Carvalho and Deco .
The two clubs could not agree on a transfer fee for the Portuguese players .
Both players are known to favor moving, to link-up again with Jose Mourinho . |
150,803 | 4ef9575650d7596b95e4630eedc5611666d034ec | Move over Roger and Mirka Federer there may be a new tennis power couple taking over the throne as it appears Nick Kyrgios has his sights set on Victoria Azarenka. Taking a light-hearted break from sweating it out on court at the Australian Open, 19-year-old Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios and 25-year-old Belarusian beauty Victoria Azarenka indulged in some public Twitter flirting last night. Finding himself with five minutes to spare, Kyrgios asked fans to shoot him some questions. After some pretty standard chit chat, former women's world number one Azarenka decided to get in on the action, and she didn't hold back. Scroll down for video . Move over Roger and Mirka Federer there may be a new tennis power couple taking over the throne as it appears Nick Kyrgios has his sights set on Victoria Azarenka . 'How can I learn to serve as big as you?,' Azarenka flirtatiously asked the young tennis ace. A cheeky, quick-witted Kyrgios immediately shot back:'Private lessons of course'. Clearly enjoying their playful banter, Azarenka tweeted back an emoji-filled rely, hinting that the pair may carry on their conversation in private. 'Okay I'll book one,' Azarenka said. Taking a light-hearted break from sweating it out on court at the Australian Open, 19-year-old Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios and 25-year-old Belarusian beauty Victoria Azarenka indulged in some public Twitter flirting last night . Victoria Azarenka and Nick Kyrgios are pictured here with Roger Federer, Anna Ivanocih and Eugenie Bouchard in the Rod Laver arena ahead of the Australian Open . This wasn't the pair's first foray into the world of Twitter flirting, as they took to the social media site in September last year during the US Open with Kyrgios calling the blonde bombshell 'cute'. Azarenka initiated the teasing, tweeting: 'That Aussie accent is just sexy'. Taking the hint, Kyrgios jumped online to reply to the compliment. The Twitter exchange began when Azarenka asked Kyrgios how she could 'learn to serve as big' as him . A quick-witted Kyrgios replied, claiming the star would have to sign up for private lessons . Clearly enjoying the flirtatious banter, Azarenka hinted that she will continue the conversation with the star in private . He wrote: 'That Belarusian accent is just as sexy'. He continued saying: 'You're cute mate' quickly followed by 'My homie'. Azarenka overcame Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the third round of the Australian Open last night and is on course to take on top seed Serena Williams in the quarter-finals. Azarenka won the Open in 2012 and 2013 and reached the quarter finals last year before injury and illness hit. This wasn't the pair's first foray into the world of Twitter flirting, as they took to the social media site in September last year during the US Open with Kyrgios calling the blonde bombshell 'cute' Azarenka won the Open in 2012 and 2013 and reached the quarter finals last year before injury and illness hit . She broke up with former flame, musician Redfoo last year and saw her career take a tumble in the aftermath. She has since claimed that she is ready to hit back in 2015. Kyrgios will take the world stage at the Australian Open on Sunday alongside Andreas Seppi in his bid to make it into the finals. The tennis ace gave fans an insight into his life during the five minute Q&A. Fans found out that the star doesn't support NBA, he loves winning and his mother will be going to all his games at the Australian Open. Kyrgios took to his Twitter page last night to take part in a quick Q&A with his fans . She broke up with former flame, musician Redfoo last year and saw her career take a tumble in the aftermath. She has since claimed that she is ready to hit back in 2015 . | Nick Kyrgios and Victoria Azarenka have flirted up a storm on Twitter .
Kyrgios initiated the tweets, telling fans to ask him anything .
Azarenka got in on the action, flirting with the young Aussie .
The pair have indulged in Twitter flirting in the past . |
235,441 | bccae8d6624e2ffdd4e50f43b9cecf6f8940b909 | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 05:14 EST, 22 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:17 EST, 22 May 2013 . Celebrating your golden wedding anniversary and 50 years of happy marriage is a joyful occasion for any couple. More so if you're sharing that joy with four of your best friends who are raising a glass to exactly the same achievement... and even more so if you were coincidentally married on the same day and in the same church as the two other couples. And a trio of septuagenarians have done just that. Norman and Mary Dickinson and Harry and . Jean Winstanley, from Flookburgh, Cumbria, and Alan and Anne Akrigg, . from Cark, Cumbria, were all married at St John's Church in Flookburgh on the same day 50 . years ago in 1963. The couples (from left Mary and Norman Dickinson, Jean and Harry Winstanley and Alan and Anne Akrigg) return to St John's Church, Flookburgh, where they all married on the same day in 1963 . The couples, standing outside St John's Church in Flookburgh (from left, Mary and Norman Dickinson, Jean and Harry Winstanley and Alan and Anne Akrigg) have all remained the best of friends since their big day in 1963 . It was coincidence that all three couples ended up marrying on the same day, but since then they have all remained very close friends. Mr Dickinson, now 77, was proud to marry Mary, now 76, when they said their vows at 11am. The couple had a four-year courtship beginning with a first date to the 'pictures', and now have two sons, Andrew and John. Mr Dickinson said: 'When we had been out a few times, I knew it was love. She was definitely the girl for me.' The couple, who were closely followed down the aisle by Mr and Mrs Akrigg, believe the key to a healthy marriage is a 'good argument now and again'. Norman and Mary Dickinson on their wedding day at St John's Church, Flookburgh, Cumbria, in 1963 . Norman and Mary Dickinson outside St John's Church, Flookburgh, Cumbria, 50 years after their wedding day . Mr and Mrs Akrigg, who met at a young farmers' dance in Ulpha, were next to say 'I do' at 1pm. Mr Akrigg, now 77, said: 'It was only 18 months after that when we got married, but I just knew. She worked at a sweet confectionery shop making chocolates - I knew they were good.' His wife Anne, 73, said: 'Alan was a very good dancer, that was the attraction. We have of course had our ups and downs but we love each other very much. 'I don't believe anyone who says they don't fall out, but you get over it. You have to give and take and you have to stand down even when you think you're right.' The couple have two sons, Richard and Martin, and three grandchildren. Richard was so close to the Dickinson's son John that they were each other's best man at their own weddings. Alan and Anne Akrigg outside St John's Church, Flookburgh, on their wedding day in 1963 . Alan and Anne Akrigg cut their wedding cake on their big day in 1963 . Alan and Anne Akrigg outside St John's Church, Flookburgh, where they were married in 1963 . And on that day at 2pm, at the tender age of 21, Mr and Mrs Winstanley were married. The couple, who now have children Julie, Paul and Katherine, and two grandchildren, got to know each other when their siblings married, but it wasn't love at first sight for both. Mr Winstanley said: 'The first time we met I had the feeling I liked her but she didn't want to know me. If I walked in a room she walked out, but I managed to win her over in the end.' Unlike the other 71-year-olds they said they didn't argue much at all. Mrs Winstanley said: 'My sister married his brother when we were 15. We were the last couple to get married, but it was a surprise to hear about the other weddings as we all went to school together. 'It was a big surprise, we have been really close ever since, and friends for all these years. We both agree to have no secrets and not to fall out over money.' Harry and Jean Winstanley prepare to cut their tiered cake on their wedding day in 1963 . Harry and Jean Winstanley outside St John's Church, Flookburgh, celebrating 50 years since they were married inside . The three couples marked their golden wedding anniversaries with family and friends. Mrs Akrigg added: 'The only problem was we couldn't go to each other's parties because we were celebrating ourselves!' | Norman and Mary Dickinson, 77 and 76, from Flookburgh, Cumbria .
Harry and Jean Winstanley, both 71, from Flookburgh, Cumbria .
Alan and Anne Akrigg, 77 and 73, from Cark, Cumbria .
All married in St John's Church in Flookburgh 50 years ago .
Dickinsons at 11am, Akriggs at 1pm, Winstanleys at 2pm .
Have all remained very close friends, and children are best friends too .
Couldn't celebrate golden anniversaries together as were all with families . |
253,783 | d47b0c0a9cda8e9ea50ae1ee40ee5a35a751d35d | Jeb Bush is the clear Republican presidential frontrunner, surging to the front of the potential GOP pack following his announcement that he's "actively exploring" a bid, a new CNN/ORC poll found. He takes nearly one-quarter — 23% — of Republicans surveyed in the new nationwide poll, putting him 10 points ahead of his closest competitor, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who tallied 13%. RELATED: Read the entire CNN/ORC poll here . Physician Ben Carson comes in third, with 7% support, and Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are both tied for fourth with 6%. That marks a drop in support for all but Christie and Bush from the last CNN/ORC survey of the field, conducted in November. That poll showed Bush in the lead, but only taking 14% of the vote, while Carson came in second with 11% and Christie tied Rep. Paul Ryan for fourth with 9% support. Bush's 10-point lead is a milestone for the potential GOP field — it marks the first time any prospective candidate has reached a lead beyond a poll's margin of error in the past two years. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is still far and away the favorite to take the Democratic nomination for president if she runs, with the support of two-thirds of Democrats polled. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a liberal favorite, comes in a distant second place with just 9%. Bush would still face some skepticism from GOP primary voters if he ran, but the CNN/ORC poll shows they are largely willing to forgive him for some of his more controversial comments and positions. GOP primary voters are about evenly split on whether his support for allowing some illegal immigrants to stay in the United States makes them more or less likely to support him, or has no difference on their opinion of him. Forty-two percent say his description of illegal immigration as an "act of love" make them less likely to support Bush, but another 39% say it makes no difference to them. And while 40% say the fact that state government spending increased under Bush's watch as Florida governor, another 49% say that doesn't matter to them. Even on Common Core educational standards, which many conservatives vehemently oppose, GOP primary voters are about evenly split on whether his support for those standards would make them less likely to support him. Regardless, however, Bush may ultimately have little trouble overcoming his sins with the conservative base, as the CNN/ORC poll found Republican primary voters taking a pragmatic stance on the party's nominee. Sixty-nine percent say they want a nominee that can beat the Democratic candidate for president, even if that person doesn't agree with them on every issue, while only 29 percent of GOP primary voters are purists. And that makes Bush the candidate to beat in a GOP primary. Out of all of the seven head-to-head GOP match-ups with Clinton tested, Bush fares the best, trailing her by just 13 points. She takes 54% support to his 41% support. The survey was conducted by live interview among 1,011 adults nationwide from Dec. 18-21, with a subsample of 453 Republicans and 469 Democrats, via landline and cell phone. The overall sample has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. | Jeb Bush leads the GOP field by 10 points, with 23% support .
It's the first time any candidate has taken a statistically-significant lead over the GOP field .
He's also the strongest GOP candidate in a match-up against Hillary Clinton . |
305 | 00eca9c1c3adbd297f9582003396db45b41ac710 | The deadliest outbreak of Ebola virus on record has sparked fears that the killer virus could spread from West Africa to other regions and continents. The outbreak began with just a handful of cases in Guinea in March. Since then, that number has grown to 909 confirmed cases and another 414 probable or suspected in that country, Sierra Leone and Liberia and Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization. Some 729 people of the 1,323 total confirmed and possible infections have died, reports WHO as of July 27. The WHO says "drastic action is needed" to contain Ebola, warning that previously undetected chains of transmission are boosting the numbers of sick and increasing the chances that the disease spreads from Africa. "This epidemic is without precedent," said Bart Janssens, director of operations for Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders. "It's absolutely not under control, and the situation keeps worsening. ... There are many places where people are infected but we don't know about it." What's the latest? The Ebola outbreak has been centered in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where authorities have been working to contain the virus. In Liberia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf announced Wednesday that, "without exceptions, all schools are ordered closed pending further directive from the Ministry of Education." She also declared Friday a nonworking day "to be used for the disinfection and chlorination of all public facilities." On the same day, the Peace Corps said it was temporarily removing its 340 volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea due to the outbreak. The announcement comes as two Peace Corps volunteers were isolated after coming in contact with someone who ended up dying of Ebola, a spokeswoman for the group said. She said these two Americans "are not symptomatic," and the Peace Corps will work to return them to the United States once they get medical clearance to travel. Concerns about Ebola aren't confined to those three countries. Last week, a Liberian government official who had contracted the virus died in isolation at a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Patrick Sawyer, a naturalized American citizen who worked in Liberia, flew to Nigeria intending to attend a conference. After exhibiting symptoms upon arrival July 20, he was hospitalized and died on July 25. He's the first American to die in the outbreak, though two other U.S. aid workers in Liberia have contracted Ebola and are being treated. Sawyer's was the only known case in Nigeria, WHO said. And the British government convened an emergency meeting to discuss the threat of Ebola to the UK, even though no case has been reported there. Officials discussed what measures could be taken if UK nationals in West Africa should become infected, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said. Why was someone infected with Ebola allowed on a plane? It is unknown whether Sawyer was displaying symptoms before he flew from Monrovia, Liberia's capital, to Ghana and then to Togo to switch planes to fly to Lagos. His Minnesota-based widow, Decontee Sawyer, told CNN that he had cared for his ill sister in Liberia, though she said he didn't know at the time that his sister had Ebola. When he arrived in Nigeria, he told officials that he had no direct contact with anyone who had the disease. Because it takes between two and 21 days before Ebola symptoms to show, there's little health officials can do to stop an asymptomatic person from flying to another country, said CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta. So, serious viruses such as Ebola may be just "a plane ride away" from reaching the developed world, according to Marty Cetron of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mindful of this, Nigeria-based airline companies ASKY and Arik Air suspended operations at the end of July into Monrovia and Freetown, the capitals of Liberia and Sierra Leone, respectively. ASKY said passengers departing from Conakry, Guinea, would be screened for signs of the virus. Cetron says it is unlikely the virus would spread on an airplane unless a passenger were to come into contact with a sick person's bodily fluids. Stressing the key role that those working at airports play in keeping Ebola in check, the CDC spokesman said: "Being educated, knowing the symptoms, recognizing what to do, having a response to protocol, knowing who to call -- those are really, really important parts of the global containment strategies to deal with threats like this." What else is being done to stop the spread of the disease? Ebola patients are being isolated by health officials in West Africa, and those who have come into contact with them are being told to monitor their temperatures. President Sirleaf has closed most of Liberia's borders with neighboring countries, and the few points of entry that are still open will have Ebola testing centers. The President also placed restrictions on public gatherings and ordered hotels, restaurants and other entertainment venues to play a five-minute video on Ebola safety. The CDC has issued an alert to health workers in the United States to watch out for any patients who may have recently traveled to West Africa and could have contracted the virus. Why does Ebola generate such fear? Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) describes Ebola as "one of the world's most deadly diseases." "It is a highly infectious virus that can kill up to 90% of the people who catch it, causing terror among infected communities," it says. The death rate in this outbreak has dropped to roughly 55% because of early treatment. There is also no vaccination against it. Of Ebola's five subtypes, the Zaire strain -- the first to be identified -- is considered the most deadly. The WHO said preliminary tests on the Ebola virus in Guinea in March suggested that the outbreak there was this strain, though that has not been confirmed. What is Ebola, and what are its symptoms? The Ebola virus causes viral hemorrhagic fever, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), refers to a group of viruses that affect multiple organ systems in the body and are often accompanied by bleeding. The virus is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), where one of the first outbreaks occurred in 1976. Early symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat. These symptoms can appear two to 21 days after infection. The WHO says these nonspecific early symptoms can be mistaken for signs of diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis or even the plague. MSF says some patients may also develop a rash, red eyes, hiccups, chest pains and difficulty breathing and swallowing. The early symptoms progress to vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function and sometimes internal and external bleeding. Ebola can only be definitively confirmed by five different laboratory tests. How is it treated? There are no specific treatments for Ebola. MSF says patients are isolated and then supported by health care workers. "This consists of hydrating the patient, maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure and treating them for any complicating infections," it says. There have been cases of healthcare workers contracting the virus from patients, and the WHO has issued guidance for dealing with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. Carers are advised to wear impermeable gowns and gloves and to wear facial protection such as goggles or a medical mask to prevent splashes to the nose, mouth and eyes. MSF says it contained a 2012 outbreak in Uganda by placing a control area around its treatment center. An outbreak is considered over once 42 days -- double the incubation period of the disease -- have passed without any new cases. How does it spread? The WHO says it is believed that fruit bats may be the natural host of the Ebola virus in Africa, passing on the virus to other animals. Humans contract Ebola through contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals or the bodily fluids of infected humans. MSF says that while the virus is believed to be able to survive for some days in liquid outside an infected organism, chlorine disinfection, heat, direct sunlight, soaps and detergents can kill it. MSF epidemiologist Kamiliny Kalahne said outbreaks usually spread in areas where hospitals have poor infection control and limited access to resources such as running water. "People who become sick with it almost always know how they got sick: because they looked after someone in their family who was very sick -- who had diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding -- or because they were health staff who had a lot of contact with a sick patient," she said. | There are more than 1,300 confirmed and suspected Ebola cases, hundreds of deaths .
Liberia closes all schools, sets day "for the disinfection ... of all public facilities"
"This epidemic is without precedent," a humanitarian official says .
Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever, affecting multiple organs and accompanied by bleeding . |
60,951 | ad29800b8a18b0a2330ff8004a63fb7171120697 | The sight of Colin Firth in a wet white shirt left millions of women swooning and transformed the actor into a household name. Playing the brooding Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, he dived into a lake and swam underwater before emerging with his clothes dripping and clinging to his body. But the screenwriter of the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel has now revealed that the ‘wet shirt scene’ should have actually been the ‘Mr Darcy full-frontal nudity scene’. Andrew Davies said the 'wet shirt' scene with Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice was intended as the 'Mr Darcy full-frontal nudity scene' but the shirt was added later . The writer said he wanted to reveal Mr Darcy's 'animal' side by showing him diving into the lake . Andrew Davies said he did not know why the shirt was introduced but that it might be because Colin Firth was trying to hide his ‘love handles’. ‘I intended it as a funny little scene about social embarrassment,’ Mr Davies said. ‘Here are two people and one is soaking wet and neither of them refers to it. ‘In fact it seems to have affected women in quite a different way - and who am I to complain?’ He said he wanted to show Darcy’s ‘animal’ side by having him dive naked into a lake. ‘The wet shirt scene was intended to be total male frontal nudity because that was how guys went bathing in those days. But it was not for titillation - it was about nature and culture, to put it in a very grand way,’ he added. ‘It was my notion that Darcy was an actual man but he spent all his time being constrained by the demands of society. Colin Firth has filmed nude scenes since, such as this one in Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You . Mr Davies said the famous scene was about 'social embarrassment' ‘In those particular circumstances he had just spent weeks and months in London being polite with a group of very stuffy people, he was about to host a house party for the same stuffy group of people and he had a few hours in which he could be blissfully alone. ‘He could be blissfully himself. It was a hot day. He arrives at his lake. There is nobody to stop him. It is his property. I thought he would strip off completely and dive into that other element and become just a creature, an animal for once. ‘I don’t know the reason why it (the shirt) came to be. Maybe it was felt it would take too long to get him dressed, although they could have just shown him diving in naked and then cut to later. ‘It may have been something about Colin’s anxiety about love handles or something.’ He told the audience at Cheltenham Literature Festival that he had deliberately written physical elements into the screenplay of the Austen classic. ‘I had a kind of project to try to emphasise that these people have bodies as well as brains and little bits of wit and irony and so on,’ he said. ‘I devised as many scenes as possible in which people were getting dressed, getting undressed, having a bath, girls combing their hair - what we call hair and shoulder scenes.’ It has previously been revealed that Colin Firth never actually dived during filming. A stuntman performed the dive amid health and safety fears that the actor might catch a water-borne disease from the lake. And footage of him swimming underwater was actually filmed in a tank at Ealing Studios in West London, hundreds of miles from Lyme Park in Cheshire which was the location for Pemberley in the 1995 BBC adaptation. | Andrew Davies said he wanted it to be the 'Mr Darcy full-frontal nudity scene'
Does not know why Firth wore a shirt but might be to hide his ‘love handles’
Famous scene in adaptation transformed the actor into household name . |
201,788 | 913c3e01b97d75d2e2aa7dbd23ee7b76025d1041 | (CNN) -- Police continued their investigation Tuesday into the shooting deaths of an Army recruiter and a 17-year-old girl in Maryland that appear to be "a murder-suicide," Montgomery County police said. Staff Sgt. Adam Anthony Arndt, 31, knew Michelle Lynne Miller because he supervised her recruitment as she planned to enlist in the Army Reserves after graduating high school, police said. Police found both of them dead Monday inside Arndt's apartment in Germantown while looking into a report of a missing juvenile possibly being at that location, police said. Police broke down the door because they were unable to make contact with anyone inside. "Detectives now believe that Arndt shot Miller and then shot himself," police said in a statement. Miller was a senior at Rockville High School, police said. Miller's father, Kevin, told CNN affiliate WJLA that he believes his daughter was lured to Arndt's residence after she received a call Sunday night from Arndt, who was threatening suicide. His daughter raced to his home in her mother's car, her father said. Miller had just been accepted at Arizona State University and enlisted to help pay the tuition, her father said. She wanted to be a psychotherapist, he said. Arndt was apparently in violation of Army recruiting regulations because a recruiter isn't "allowed to have anyone who would be considered influenced by your position in the Army in your private home, in your dwelling place," said Kathleen Welker of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. When asked if the recruit's presence in Arndt's residence violated regulations, Welker stated: "I would say it appears that way. But it is being investigated by the police and by our Criminal Investigation Division." A recruiter is also prohibited from having any sort of relationship with someone applying for military service, Welker said. Arndt worked at the recruitment center in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she said. | An Army recruiter shoots a recruit, 17, and then himself, police say .
Staff Sgt. Adam Anthony Arndt, 31, supervised the recruitment of Michelle Miller .
Her father says she raced to the home of Arndt, who threatened suicide .
She wanted to become a psychotherapist, her father says . |
210,637 | 9ccd80708157b2a15b16587cda8355d6a0848886 | A daughter who was left £2,000 by her dying father and a note which said 'do something good' has used the money to set up a charity which has helped 10,000 African entrepreneurs. Vashti Seth, from St Werburghs, Bristol, was devastated when her father John Richards bequeathed personal gifts to each one of her six siblings, but left her out. But the 37-year-old was later handed an envelope filled with cash and a handwritten note which simply read: 'Do something good with it'. Scroll down for video . Vashti Seth, 37 (left), from St Werburghs, Bristol, used the £2,000 left by her father John Richards (right) to start a charity called Deki, which was inspired by a trip to India and has helped 10,000 African entrepreneurs . The mother used the money to set up a charity called Deki, which has helped more than 10,000 people from the world's poorest countries set up their own business. Pictured: Visiting Nepal . The mother of two was initially confused by its meaning, but after visiting a Tibetan orphan called Deki Dolkha - who her father had sponsored for many years in India - an idea struck her. Inspired by the hardships faced by Deki, she created a charity that allowed people to financially help budding entrepreneurs in the world's poorest countries. The organisation, named Deki, has now helped more than 10,000 people set up their own businesses and secure their future earnings with the crowd-funding website. Generous lenders give small loans - of any amount - to those in need, who - after beginning their business and turning a profit - hand back the original loan money to investors. Ms Seth said: 'My dad passed away and when he did he left everyone something personal apart from me. There are seven of us in total. 'I was quite upset but then I realised he had left me £2,000 with a note saying "do something good with it". 'It took me a while to work out what he meant. 'The website helps people who want to set up a business, but who have no opportunity to do it. It's for hard working people who want the opportunity. Esther, from South Sudan (pictured with her children) has been able to send all four of her children to school since taking out a Deki loan and increasing the profits of her business. She said 'I smile everyday now' Mother-of-four Colline, 32, lost her home and possessions in the civil war in South Sudan. She used the loan from Deki to set up a small shop in her local village and now buys groceries and toiletries to sell on at a profit . Children in South Sudan have also benefited from loans, with parents able to feed them thanks to Deki money (left). Grace, 24, (right), from northern Uganda used the loan to help her grow and sell vegetable products . 'You can lend money to people who want to help themselves, it's for things like buying a cow to a car to an irrigation system. 'We've estimated that every person we loan to makes a positive impact on five people for their children and family. 'In the end, this money that came from my dad has really helped to change lives.' Ms Seth launched the charity in 2008 shortly after attending her father's funeral. Vashti Seth, 37, (centre) from Bristol, with four-year-old daughter Isla and her 14-month-old son Jago . She was living and working in Australia in the film industry at the time but decided to move back to the UK and stopped off in India on her way home. After discovering Deki wanted to start her own business, but had no means to do it, she decided to help her out - and her idea quickly flowed into a business. 'As I was going home to England from Australia I went to visit Deki,' Ms Seth added. 'I realised what she needed was the help to get her out of poverty, not just hand-outs as they're just short term help. 'That really got me thinking and I loved the idea of micro loans or small loans that could help people in need start their own business. 'With this in mind I thought that was a really, really good solution.' The charity has now gone from strength-to-strength and in just six years it has loaned more than £350,000 to those in need. Ms Seth said: 'We regularly have people writing in telling us how they are doing and it's so lovely to read, it makes the whole thing worthwhile. 'We recently gave £120 to one guy who was selling vegetables on the side of the road. 'With the money, he invested in a little stall and began selling things they didn't have in that area. 'He started selling toiletries and things and paid back the loan really quickly. 'He then took out another loan and opened a little hairdressers. 'In the two years since his first loan he has really had an impact on the community and his life. 'We get stories that people have been able to put tin on their roofs now and you think that's something so small to us, but it means so much to them.' The loans have helped a range of people in African countries, including Esther, from South Sudan who has been able to send all four of her children to school since taking out a Deki loan and increasing the profits of her business. She said: 'I smile everyday now.' Mother-of-four Colline, 32, who lost her home and possessions in the civil war in South Sudan, has also benefited from a Deki loan. Halima Namutosi, a South Sudanese refugee living in exile in northern Uganda, has turned her life around thanks to a £240 Deki loan. She is is now able to pay for school fees and moved her family to a better house . Rose, from Nepal, (pictured with her family) has transformed her quality of live with a loan from the charity . She used the money sent to her to set up a small shop in her local village and now buys groceries and toiletries to sell on at a profit. Halima Namutosi, a South Sudanese refugee living in exile in northern Uganda, has also turned her life around thanks to a £240 Deki loan. She is is now able to pay for school fees and has moved her family to a better house. And Grace, 24, from northern Uganda, used an £80 loan to help her grow and sell vegetable products, which has helped support her livelihood. The charity has now become so successful that Ms Seth has had to employ four people on a full-time basis at her office in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol and has an army of volunteers and trustees ready to help. For more information and to donate via Deki, visit: www.deki.org.uk. | Vashti Seth left £2,000 by her father and note saying: 'Do something good'
Bristol-based 37-year-old decided to use money to start charity called Deki .
Deki helps finance budding entrepreneurs in the world's poorest countries .
Charity has loaned more than £350,000 to those in need over last six years . |
151,443 | 4fcad4f5e3a5d81bfc67f3df2541694bc9ef62db | (CNN) -- There were no long lines waiting to see "The Dark Knight Rises" at the urban multiplex closest to where I live in Washington, D.C. A mild surprise, since this wasn't, after all, just any movie's opening Friday. This was, as we kept being told, a Major Summer Event, the biggest, darkest and most eagerly anticipated of the many Hollywood blockbusters being wheeled out to the movie-going public. It was also a workday. And I was willing to believe that there were too many people who didn't or couldn't play hooky, no matter how much frothing hype had been aroused on Batman's -- sorry, The Batman's -- behalf. But this was no ordinary opening Friday -- or any other Friday. Less than six hours before I arrived at the box office, a lone gunman opened fire in a darkened theater in Aurora, Colorado, whose seats were jammed with men, women and children gathered for a special midnight showing of "Dark Knight Rises." He killed and injured numerous people. For those who survive, I would guess that going into a dark room to watch a movie will never be the same again. The only outward sign at my screening yesterday was another ticket-taker at the entrance asking to look into my book bag. Others were likewise asked to show the contents of their carry-on items. It wasn't a full house, but this was one of those theaters where the movie was being screened in several theaters at once. As the lights dimmed, I heard the crackle of police radios by the exits. Then darkness -- and the show. Of the movie itself, it's enough to say, for now, that it succeeded in absorbing my attention, using every one of its estimated $250 million to fill its 164 minutes. It was too long by half, just like every other summer blockbuster that preceded it. But it was conceived with surging ambition, executed with imaginative cunning, performed with admirable conviction and succeeded at doing what it was build to do: Make me forget the outside world's travails -- even the fact that people died hours ago watching this film. And what did they see? I don't know how far they got before the true horrors began, but here's some of what I remember. (I'm going to spoil some things for you here because I'm trying to make a point. So skip the next few sentences if you want). Several bridges blow up during the course of the film. You don't see close-ups of people trapped in cars plunging into the river. Nor do you see what actually happens to the people on a football field ravaged by an underground explosion, though a field microphone is snatched quickly off the corpse of a dead official. Otherwise, little blood, not much gore, just a lot of stuff blowing up and limbs being cracked ... Real people died, hours ago, watching this stuff. The thought lurked in the back of my head for most of the movie. It pushed itself to the forefront as I walked onto the sidewalk. This is not to place the blame for anything that happened in Aurora on this movie, though I knew, minutes after I'd heard the news, that there were pundits, legislators, radio hosts and concerned parents who were going to do so. (In fact it would seem as if somebody already has). We are at this writing some distance away from assessing what the suspect's motives were. And yet, there was darkness shrouding "Dark Knight Rises" even before the shooting. Marshall Fine, my old friend and colleague from the New York Film Critics Circle, was besieged over the past week by death threats for his less-than-glowing review of the movie. There are other film reviewer friends who have likewise been verbally harassed, in varying degrees of ugliness, over critiques of Batman movies that weren't nearly as, well, critical as Fine's. I'm not anxious to find direct psychological connections between fandom run amok and cold-blooded murder. Nor do I feel an urgent need to prosecute popular culture for capital crimes, though I'm also not naïve enough to believe that people's feelings can't be adversely affected by what they see and hear. There's a lot I simply don't know for sure, about the shootings, about the suspect, about the victims for that matter. I do know this: That culture, popular or otherwise, can do many things to make us feel connected. It can at its most euphoric or engaged detach us from misery, loneliness and pain. But ultimately it cannot free or save us from these ills. The movie I saw today permitted me to forget for almost three hours what happened to people who saw it two time zones away. It couldn't -- and didn't -- keep me from caring about them. And from worrying about the rest of us. Editor's Note: "The Dark Knight Rises" is released by Warner Brothers which, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gene Seymour. | A gunman went on a killing spree at a movie theater showing "The Dark Knight Rises"
Gene Seymour: The movie absorbs attention while we feel pain for the real-life victims .
We can't really prosecute popular culture for capital crimes, he says .
Seymour: Ultimately, movies cannot free or save us from the ills in society . |
130,653 | 34f97b7788edb338b7cb965c1373f253fb072fe1 | By . David Kent . Tottenham's plans to build a new stadium took a major step forward on Friday after the club were granted permission to use a site earmarked for the project. Ministers have agreed with a compulsory purchase order made by the London Borough of Haringey, which will enable the Northumberland Development Project to continue. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Pochettino give his first Tottenham interview... in ENGLISH . Plans: Tottenham are hoping to move into their new 56,000-seater stadium in 2017 . Vision: An artist's impression of Tottenham's new stadium which they plan to build near White Hart Lane . More than 95 per cent of the three-hectare site has already been approved and the order was requested to allow the final two of three phases to go ahead. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: 'This scheme is supported by the locally determined development plan for the area and has received strong local support.' Earlier this year, Tottenham expressed their hope that the new 56,250-capacity stadium would be ready by 2017. The current ground capacity of White Hart Lane is approximately 36,240. In 2011, Tottenham lost out to West Ham in a bid to move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. Fresh start: Spurs are aiming to leave White Hart Lane, which was built way back in 1899 . | More than 95 per cent of the three-hectare site has already been approved .
But order was requested to allow the final two of three phases to go ahead .
Tottenham expressed their hope that the new 56,250-capacity stadium would be ready by 2017 .
They lost out to West Ham in a bid for the Olympic Stadium in Stratford . |
104,365 | 12a5a9f5006d91bf1ce4046cb36a0a73b4c484db | (CNN) -- Several boaters are missing after separate incidents on Lake Michigan over the weekend, the Coast Guard said. Near Chicago, searchers were looking for four people Sunday about seven miles offshore, where rescuers had pulled two boaters from the water. One rescued person "was in a hypothermic state but reported four or five additional people in the water, reportedly all wearing life jackets," the Coast Guard said. The boaters entered the water late Saturday night during a voyage from New Buffalo, Michigan, to Chicago. Officials didn't say what happened to their boat. In a separate incident, rescuers pulled five people from the lake near the Michigan City Lighthouse in Indiana Saturday. They called off the search for a sixth person who was missing Sunday morning. "The six people reportedly jumped off their boat into the water to escape the heat, but then their boat started drifting away and they could not get back to it," the Coast Guard said. "None of the people in the water were reportedly wearing life jackets." Temperatures in Lake Michigan are much lower than normal for this time of year, the Coast Guard said, after a long and cold winter. In southern Lake Michigan, the water temperature is 45 degrees, officials said. | The Coast Guard searches for missing boaters in Lake Michigan near Chicago .
Rescuers also pull boaters from the water near Michigan City, Indiana .
Temperatures in the lake are lower than normal, the Coast Guard says . |
257,979 | d9dfb9b73d1ba3df3cfc86a5e3aee0c81ef3d608 | (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Minnesota boy who has cancer has resumed chemotherapy treatments and is not responding well, a family spokesman said Friday. Doctors say Daniel Hauser's lymphoma responded well to a first round of chemotherapy in February. Danny Hauser started a second round of chemotherapy treatment this week, Jim Navarro said in a statement on the family's Web site, dannyhauser.com. "The doctor changed the number of chemotherapy drugs in the protocol submitted to the court. Danny is not tolerating the drugs well and has been vomiting all day. He is understandably angry and depressed about being forced to go through the ravages of chemotherapy again." Daniel underwent his first round of chemotherapy in February, a month after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. But his parents were concerned about the treatment's side effects, which typically include nausea, and decided to end the chemotherapy regimen and pursue holistic treatments instead. When Daniel's oncologist learned of the decision to reject standard treatment, which doctors say is associated with a cure rate of as high as 90 percent, he asked a court to intervene to ensure the teen got chemotherapy. Doctors say that, without it, the disease would likely prove fatal. But last week, before the court could act, Colleen Hauser packed up her son and flew with him to Southern California, from where they were planning to continue to Mexico to seek alternative alternative medical treatment. She said he would have run on his own had she not helped him flee. She changed her mind before crossing the border and returned this week with Daniel to Minnesota, where the family agreed to comply with whatever treatment the court ordered. A medical examination revealed that the boy's tumor had grown since he was diagnosed and the boy's doctor recommended he resume chemotherapy. After examining the boy on Monday, Dr. Michael Richards estimated the tumor's size at 5.3 inches by 5.1 inches by 6.3 inches, and said it was "protruding outside the chest wall." He said initiation this week of standard chemotherapy treatment was "imperative." Richards recommended at least another five cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiation, and added that the "goal will be to include alternative therapies in which the family is interested, as long as there is not data to suggest that a particular danger exists with any alternative medicine." District Court Judge John Rodenberg originally took custody of the boy away from his parents, but returned him to his family on the condition that they comply with the recommendations of the cancer specialist. Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. As the disease progresses, it compromises a body's ability to fight infection. CNN's Aaron Cooper contributed to this story. | Daniel Hauser started second round of chemotherapy this week, spokesman says .
Daniel "angry and depressed" at being forced to undergo chemo, Jim Navarro says .
13-year-old needs chemotherapy, doctors and court say .
Mother took him out of the state to seek alternative treatment, returned this week . |
229,038 | b49140f7f285836109f858570d9deeb70246ef66 | (CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama defended himself and his wife Sunday against suggestions that they are insufficiently patriotic. Sen. Barack Obama defended himself and his wife against recent suggestions that they are not patriotic. After a town hall meeting in Lorain, Ohio, a reporter asked Obama about "an attempt by conservatives and Republicans to paint you as unpatriotic." The reporter cited the fact that Obama once failed to put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem. Obama replied that his choice not to put his hand on his heart is a behavior that "would disqualify about three-quarters of the people who have ever gone to a football game or baseball game." The reporter also noted that the Illinois senator does not wear an American flag lapel pin, has met with former members of the radical anti-Vietnam War group, Weather Underground, and his wife was quoted recently as saying she never felt really proud of the United States until recently. Asked how he would fight the image of being unpatriotic, Obama said, "There's always some nonsense going on in general elections. Right? If it wasn't this, it would be something else. If you recall, first it was my name. Right? That was a problem. And then there was the Muslim e-mail thing and that hasn't worked out so well, and now it's the patriotism thing. "The way I will respond to it is with the truth: that I owe everything I am to this country," he said. The first-term senator from Illinois has been the subject of various debunked rumors since launching his presidential campaign -- allegations that he is a Muslim, that he took his oath of office on a copy of the Quran and that he attended a radical Islamic school while living in Indonesia as a boy. "You will recall that the reason I came to national attention was a speech in which I spoke of my love of this country," said Obama. He and his wife, Michelle, had already explained her comments. "She simply misspoke," he said. "What she was referring to was [that] this was the first time she has been proud of politics in America. Watch what Michelle Obama said » . "That's true of a lot of people who have been cynical and disenchanted. And she's spoken about how she has been cynical about American politics for a very long time, but she's proud of how people are participating and getting involved in ways that they haven't in a very long time." About not wearing an American flag lapel pin, Obama said Republicans have no lock on patriotism. "A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans' benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary? "That is a debate I am very happy to have. We'll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism." Obama did not respond to the question about the Weather Underground, a group whose members bombed the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon during the 1970s. Last week, the New York Sun reported that as an Illinois state senator in 2001, Obama accepted a $200 contribution from William Ayers, a founder of the group who was not convicted for the bombings and now works as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. But the paper said that, in a statement, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, William Burton, said, "Sen. Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence ... But he was an 8-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost 40 years ago is ridiculous." Former first lady Sen. Hillary Clinton has said repeatedly that she is a stronger candidate because she has already shown she can withstand conservative attacks. E-mail to a friend . | Obama responds to question about attempts to paint him as unpatriotic .
Obama cited for not wearing American flag lapel pin, among other things .
Obama: "There's always some nonsense going on in general elections"
Clinton has said she has shown she can withstand conservative attacks . |
24,187 | 44a03fe92f4a475b32709293bfddd4098cdf534c | A high-end dental brand has launched a £3,000 ($4,620) bespoke botanical toothpaste service, which includes a chauffeur-driven car to the consultation and allows the customer to choose any flavour from an unlimited menu of options. The exclusive service is the latest offering from dental care brand Boca, which specialises in luxury botanical toothpastes which are infused with all-natural ingredients to give them distinctive and unique flavours such as British rose and mint, and blueberry, cranberry, lime, cinnamon and liquorice. Customers who are willing to pay such a hefty price in order to give their teeth the very finest in oral hygiene will first attend a one-on-one consultation with a certified Boca ambassador, who will address their individual dental issues, be it discoloration, plaque or bad breath. Scroll down for video . Packaged up: The £3,000 cost of Boca's bespoke toothpaste service includes two tubes of toothpaste, one for day, one for night, which are sent to the customer up to four months after their initial consultation . Pick a flavour: Each individual toothpaste formula can be designed to suit the customer's personal tastes thanks to an unlimited menu of all-natural flavour options . 'The uniquely designed premium toothpaste will meet individuals’ personal needs and challenges, whilst delivering balance and precision,' a brand spokesperson said in a statement. And in addition to tackling a variety of dental concerns, Boca's bespoke toothpastes can also be flavoured with any number of different all-natural ingredients, which customers can choose from an unlimited menu of options, allowing them to create an entirely-individual flavour for the final product. 'Flavour options are unlimited, chosen from an extensive flavour palette menu,' the Boca website explains. 'Incorporating botanical flavour blends and unique actives to meet each individual’s needs and preferences allows our chemists to focus on each customer and help them achieve a wonderful solution unlike any other ever created.' The VIP treatment doesn't end there either. Boca's £3,000 fee also includes a chauffeur-driven car to your consultation, be it at the company's London headquarters, or at one of its certified dental surgeries in Bath or Cambridge. Going global: For an additional fee, the company will arrange to fly out a certified Boca ambassador to any location around the world . For an additional fee, the company will also arrange to fly out a certified Boca ambassador to any location around the globe. And while all of the toothpastes are hand-crafted at Boca's laboratory in Bath, England, the final formula then 'undergoes the same rigorous safety assessment as all "mass" toothpastes' to ensure that it meets all of the necessary industry standards - a process which takes up to four months to complete. At the end of the process, customers are presented with two tubes of bespoke hand-crafted toothpaste, one for use during the day, and the other for use at night, both of which contain a whole host of botanical ingredients designed to tackle all manner of tooth-related issues. 'The day formulation includes energising Siberian Ginseng and the Overnight formulation includes soothing Chamomile, Aloe Vera and Valerian,' the company's website states. 'Boca Botanical Toothpastes are finely engineered to meet the challenges of the time of day that they are used.' In addition to the initial £3,000 fee, which includes the first two tubes of toothpaste - one for the day and one for the night - customers are then required to fork over an additional £120 ($185) every two months in order to re-stock their supplies. 'For as long as the individual keeps their particular formulation, each additional two-month prescription is £120,' the website adds. 'Should they wish to change flavour, reformulation and compliance test fee is £800, taking three to four months.' | The overall cost for the service by dental brand Boca includes an initial consultation, and two tubes of toothpaste, one for day and one for night .
Customers can design the flavour of their toothpaste by choosing from an unlimited menu of botanical ingredients .
Following the initial consultation, customers have to pay £120 for every additional two-month prescription of toothpaste . |
245,771 | ca1c0f16dbe5ffaaf98e1a54434e3caa2c641bcb | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 04:27 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:10 EST, 2 September 2013 . Bestseller: One of the two Margaret Thatcher miniature Toby Jugs on sale in Parliament's shops . Margaret Thatcher regularly tops polls of Britain’s greatest Prime Ministers. But it can be revealed that the three-times election winner is also leading the field in a unique popularity contest – to be Parliament’s best-selling Toby Jug. The Iron Lady’s china miniature is head and shoulders above the competition, well ahead of other PMs including Winston Churchill, David Cameron and Tony Blair. The caricatures of every prime minister since Neville Chamberlain are on sale to MPs, peers and visitors for an eye-watering £30.50. The figures are understood to be popular among politicians wanting an unusual tribute to their political hero, or heroine. Each jug stands at around four inches tall, and has a hole in the 'head' should the owner wish to use it for a small drink. According to figures obtained by MailOnline, in the last three some 90 Margaret Thatcher mugs have been sold, ahead of Winston Churchill’s 81. Lady Thatcher has consistently been the bestseller, even before her death in April. In the last year she told 40 mugs, compared to 50 the year before. She has proved so popular the House of Commons now stocks two different models, the only Prime Minister given such an honour. Lady Thatcher now accounts for one in four of all sales of the miniatures in the two souvenir shops on the parliamentary estate. The bizarre barometer of parliamentary popularity reveals the two great Prime Ministers leave the rest of the field trailing. Some 71 people have bought David Cameron’s likeness since August 2010, according to figures obtained under freedom of information laws. Line-up: How the Toby Jugs appear in the Commons shop. Back row (l-r): Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Edward Heath, Margaret Thatcher. Middle Row: Winston Churchill, Alec Douglas-Home, Margaret Thatcher, John Major. Front row: Clement Attlee, Harold MacMillan, Anthony Eden, James Callaghan, Neville Chamberlain . Popularity contest: How the sales stack up from August 2010 to August 2013, according to the House of Commons . Long-serving premiers or those who won several elections seem to fare better at the tills. In the battle for New Labour supremacy a slightly maniacal-looking Tony Blair . trumps Gordon Brown by 31 to just 19. Even John Major, who secured a surprise election victory in 1992 before leading the Tories to their worst election result in modern times, is proving more . popular than Mr Brown with sales of 30 in the last three years. Likeness: In the last three years the David Cameron jug has been bought by 71 people, well ahead of Tony Blair's 31 sales . Unsurprisingly the lower profile PMs . from Britain’s past sell appear to sell less well, with only four people . choosing to display a model of Anthony Eden on their mantelpiece. However, the most-lowly figure is Alex Douglas-Home, Prime Minister from 1963-4. In the last three years not a single Toby Jug of him has been sold, the House of Commons said. An opinion poll carried out after Lady Thatcher's death in April saw her named as Britain's most popular PM since World War Two. In all 28 per cent named her 'the greatest' in the YouGov/Sun survey, beating Churchill into second on 24 per cent. Tony Blair was third on 10 per cent, but David Cameron scored zero. | 90 Margaret Thatcher miniatures sold to MPs and peers since 2010 .
Winston Churchill, David Cameron and Tony Blair also big sellers .
But John Major proves more popular than Gordon Brown .
Not a single figure of Alex Douglas-Home sold in three years . |
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