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190,160 | 82345d685ebfac61f4b02f70b8db4796f7fc16d6 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a 41-year-old Southern California man charged Friday with murder in this week's mass shooting at a hair salon, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said. Scott Evans Dekraai of Huntington Beach, California, allegedly shot his ex-wife and seven other people to death at the Salon Meritage in the small coastal community of Seal Beach, Rackauckas said Friday. A ninth person was wounded. Prosecutors formally filed eight counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of attempted murder against Dekraai on Friday. The first-degree murder charges carry the special circumstance of multiple murder, the prosecutor said. Dekraai and his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, 48, were in a custody battle over their 8-year-old son, and the dispute was the motive in the shooting, Rackauckas said. The prosecutor called Dekraai "a methodical and merciless killer." On Friday afternoon, Dekraai appeared before Orange County Judge Erick L. Larsh, who, at the request of attorneys, rescheduled Dekraai's arraignment to November 29. Dekraai is not taking his antipsychotic medication, and his attorney asked the court to make the drugs available to Dekraai while he is being held in jail without bail. The judge said he would order a medical team to evaluate Dekraai and, in a response to another defense request, would see if Dekraai's current wife could deliver his spinal cord implant stimulator, which is needed because of a 2007 accident Dekraai experienced. Balding and with a salt-and-pepper goatee, Dekraai appeared calm inside the courtroom's detainee cage. One person in the gallery shouted "You coward!" Then, as he exited the courtroom, a sobbing woman uttered "I hate you! I hate you!" Dekraai's attorney, Robert Curtis of Long Beach, told the court that he's considering a change of venue. Earlier Friday, authorities held a press conference and recounted how Dekraai's ex-wife, a hair stylist at the salon, was working near the entrance and was among the first two people shot. On the morning of the shooting, which occurred Wednesday, Dekraai and Fournier got into an argument about child custody, authorities said. "We're sort of guessing. We believe that the custody battle wasn't going well for him. We don't know the contents of their conversation or anything," Rackauckas said. Hours later, the gunfire rampage at the salon, just blocks from the ocean, unfolded around 1:20 p.m., authorities said. "He also considered the people who were friends and who worked with his ex-wife were enablers, and he didn't have much use for them either," Rackauckas said. He was armed with three guns -- a 9 mm Springfield, a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, and a Heckler & Koch .45 -- and was wearing body armor during the shooting rampage, Rackauckas said. He used at least two of those guns, the prosecutor said. Rackauckas summarized the mass shooting, saying Dekraai "walked through the salon shooting anyone close enough to hit. He stopped to reload during this spree, and he continued gunning people down. He was not satisfied with murdering his intended target, his ex-wife. For almost two minutes, Dekraai shot victim after victim, executing people by shooting them in the head and chest. "He shot eight people inside the salon. But he was not done. He then walked out of the salon and shot a ninth victim, a male, who was sitting nearby in a parked Range Rover. The reason for this rampage: revenge," he said. "We believe that the defendant committed this unimaginable act of violence because he wanted to kill his ex-wife over a custody dispute concerning their 8-year-old son. He was willing to end any life in his path, and he did. Clearly this two-minute murder spree could not have been about loving his son," the prosecutor said. While Dekraai allegedly carried out the mass murder, his son was sitting alone in the principal's office at school, waiting for his mother or father to pick him up, authorities said. "That little boy is also a victim. He is now left to mourn the murder of his mother and grow up with the knowledge that his father (allegedly) committed a mass murder," Rackauckas said. "What sick, twisted fatherly love is this?" In addition to Fournier of Los Alamitos, the people killed were salon employee Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54, of Laguna Beach; David Caouette, 64, of Seal Beach, who was in the vehicle outside the salon; salon employee Laura Lee Elody, 46, of Huntington Beach; salon owner Randy Lee Fannin, 62, of Murrieta; salon client Michele Daschbach Fast, 47, of Seal Beach; salon client Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65, of Huntington Beach; and salon employee Christy Lynn Wilson, 47, of Lakewood, authorities said. Dekraai allegedly shot Caouette, who was in the parked vehicle, in the head through a closed front passenger side window, authorities said. The ninth victim, Harriet Stretz, 73, of Los Alamitos is in critical condition. She was at the salon getting her hair done by her daughter, Laura Elody, who was among the victims. "We do know that the victims were shot multiple times each," Rackauckas said. About 20 people were inside the salon during the shooting, and many of them were "playing dead, hiding in backrooms, trying to get back behind things, just trying to stay out of his way," Rackauckas said. Added Seal Beach Acting Police Chief Tim Olson: "Scott Dekraai is a coward. He armed himself with three handguns and body armor because he didn't want to be shot by police." Police arrested Dekraai without incident as he was trying to leave the scene in a vehicle two blocks from the salon, police said. Dekraai was in possession of the three guns and "a significant amount of ammunition in his truck," prosecutors said. In the past several months, Fournier complained to Seal Beach police about Dekraai picking up their son from school earlier than the court-ordered mandate, Olson said. That matter was forwarded to family court, and Olson said he didn't know of the complaint's disposition. In 2007, in Long Beach, Dekraai's father-in-law applied for a temporary restraining order, but there was no follow-up, Rackauckas said. An online search of Orange County court records shows the couple filed for divorce in 2007, with activity in the case continuing through this week. A child custody evaluator was appointed by the court in April, records show. Fournier claimed in court papers that Dekraai was mentally unstable, had threatened to kill himself or someone else and "was almost manic when it comes to demanding absolute right to control our son," CNN affiliate KTLA said. The couple was in court the day before the shooting, and a judge had kept custody between them equal, KTLA said. In 1994, Dekraai filed for bankrupcy, according to court records. The Salon Meritage is located on the Pacific Coast Highway in Seal Beach, which residents describe as a small and "fairly intimate" coastal town. "We have multiple years with zero homicides, so this obviously is an unusual and tragic circumstance," Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles said. The shooting is the deadliest in Orange County history, KTLA said. In 1976, Edward Charles Allaway shot nine people, killing seven, at California State University Fullerton. CNN's Traci Tamura, Gabriel Ramirez, Ashley Hayes and Carey Bodenheimer contributed to this report. | Scott Dekraai's attorney says he is considering a change of venue request .
Prosecutors file eight first-degree murder charges and one attempted murder count .
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Dekraai, of Huntington Beach .
Authorities say Dekraai and his ex-wife, among the killed, were fighting over custody of a son . |
94,862 | 05e7796041c47cdbd1cc9c256495258f9aed6977 | The man who allegedly beat to death the 'secret' son of Minnesota Vikings' star Adrian Peterson has a history of domestic violence, it was revealed today. Joseph . Robert Patterson, 27, the mother's boyfriend, was charged on Friday with aggravated assault and aggravated . assault on an infant. The two-year-old boy, named locally as Ty, passed away on Friday at a South Dakota hospital after being . admitted on Wednesday. The football star's father Nelson confirmed that . the boy who died was his grandson. Patterson appeared in court on Friday to be arraigned on the felony charges. Additional charges may be added now that the child has died, South Dakota State’s Attorney's office said. Charged: Joseph Robert Patterson, pictured in court today, left, is charged with aggravated battery of an infant and aggravated assault. It emerged in court that he had previously been charged over domestic violence . Requests for privacy: NFL star Adrian Peterson, pictured at a press conference today, acknowledged that he was dealing with a 'private matter' but said little else. It is believed that his 'secret' son died today after being beaten by the boyfriend of the child's mother . The little boy was brutally beaten on Wednesday while in Patterson’s home at Platinum Valley Apartments, Sioux Falls where he had recently moved with his mother. Patterson was the sole caregiver at the time. Initially, . police were told that the child had choked on candy. Only later did it . emerge that his brain injuries were the result of being violently shaken. The arrest was made . after police found the little boy with injuries 'consistent with . abuse'. Patterson is being held in Minnehaha County Jail, South Dakota on $750,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 23 but a grand jury indictment is expected before then. South Dakota State’s Attorney Thomas Wollman filed motions on Friday ordering Patterson to serve two year-long sentences that had been suspended on prior domestic assault charges. Patterson had pleaded guilty in 2012 to simple assault in an incident involving an ex-girlfriend and her three-year-old son. The woman requested a protection order saying that Patterson had spanked her little boy so hard that she had to ice the welts on his buttocks, according to the Argus. She also said that he choked and punched her, threatened her with a knife . and held her in the bedroom against her will, according to records. She asked for the protection orders prior to the birth of the son she has with Patterson. As part of his prior charges, Patterson was ordered to undergo family violence training and to stay . away from the woman until completing it. A different woman requested a protection order against Patterson in 2004 in Jackson County. Remembered: Vanja Srdie shares a memory about Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson's two-year-old son during a candlelight vigil at Sertoma Park in Sioux Falls . Family, friends and well-wishers gather to say goodbye to the little boy who was killed, allegedly by his mother's boyfriend . It is believed that Patterson only recently began a relationship with the mother of the child he allegedly killed. A candlelit vigil was held in Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls to remember the little boy on Friday. One woman told the Argus Leader that Ty 'was a spunky boy full of life, who was ''always running, jumping and into everything... but whose big brown eyes made it hard to be mad at him'. Another attendee, Vanja Srdic, 27, described the two-year-old as 'very happy, very strong-willed, so much potential, a go-getter little boy. His mom was his world'. Following the news of his son's death, NFL star Peterson tweeted: 'Thank you to my family, my fans and fans of other teams for their support. 'The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players. Peterson added: 'God Bless everyone and thank u so much.' Peterson has been . pictured publicly with his son Adrian Jr, who is two, but it was another two-year-old boy who died on Friday. The football star, who also has a ten-year-old daughter Adeja, was spotted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Thursday. Joseph Robert Patterson posted this picture on his Facebook page, believed to be him with his biological son. Patterson has been charged with the aggravated assault of his girlfriend's son on Friday . Joseph Patterson, who is charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery on an infant, leaves the Lincoln County Courthouse on Friday . Other sports stars quickly offered their condolences following the child's tragic death. Basketball . star LeBron James tweeted: 'My deepest condolences goes out to Adrian . Peterson and his family! Sending prayers up for you homie! Nothing I can . say can help u through.'. Baseball player Bryce Harper wrote: . 'Prayers go out to @AdrianPeterson and his family! What a cruel world we . live in! Truly unbelievable! #GodBless' A friend of the boy's mother in Sioux Falls told CityPages . that the mother of the child had a casual relationship with the NFL . star when she lived in Twin Cities but had since moved to South . Dakota. A recent paternity . test revealed that Peterson was the little boy's father. The child has . his mothers' last name and the father is not identified on the birth . certificate. Peterson knew that he was the father of the child before he was tragically killed. In a phone interview with the Pioneer Press, Nelson Peterson said the injured boy is not Adrian Jr., but is his grandson. Minnesota Vikings player Adrian Peterson pictured this summer during a training camp with his two-year-old son Adrian Jr . Family: Adrian Peterson's two-year-old son Adrian Jr., lives at home with the footballer . 'All . I can say is, we are asking for prayers and for respect for our family . as we deal with this tragic situation,' Nelson Peterson said. Adrian Peterson spoke to the media on Friday afternoon and thanked everyone for their support. He told reporters he was dealing with the situation and has asked for privacy. 'I really appreciate all the support that I’ve been receiving from fans, the Vikings organization,' he said. 'This . is a private matter and I would ask you all to please just respect my . privacy and not ask at all about the situation at hand. Thanks.' Patterson was charged with assault in 2012 and ordered to undergo family violence training . Asked . about his mindset, Peterson said: 'Football is something I will always . fall back on. It gets me through tough times. Just being around the guys . in here, that’s what I need.' He said that he will be playing for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in a home game against the Carolina Panthers. However a Viking source told ESPN that following his son's death that 'could change'. Sioux Falls Police Department spokesman Sam Clemens said many people have asked about the identity of the boy's father. 'At . this point, we're not going to confirm anything. Who the father is does . not come into play in this investigation, so we’re not going to be . releasing any information as far as that goes,' he said. 'We're . not here to talk about the parents of this child,' said Lincoln County . Attorney Thomas Wollman. 'We wouldn't talk in a normal case about who . the parents are.' Lincoln County State's Attorney Tom Wollman asked that people respect the family's privacy. 'The parents and extended family are suffering greatly,' he said. Minnesota . hosts the Carolina Panthers this weekend at the Metrodome and Peterson . has insisted he will be fit and ready to play in the starting lineup . Sioux Falls Police Department spokesman Sam Clemens said many people have asked about the identity of the boy's father. 'At this point, we're not going to confirm anything. Who the father is does not come into play in this investigation, so we’re not going to be releasing any information as far as that goes,' he said. 'We're not here to talk about the parents of this child,' said Lincoln County Attorney Thomas Wollman. 'We wouldn't talk in a normal case about who the parents are.' State's Attorney Tom Wollman asked that people respect the family's privacy. 'The parents and extended family are suffering greatly,' he said. Minnesota hosts the Carolina Panthers this weekend at the Metrodome and Peterson has insisted he will be fit and ready to play in the starting lineup. | Joseph Robert Patterson, 27, is .
charged with aggravated assault on an infant - he has a history of .
domestic violence. Additional charges are possible, according police .
said on Friday .
Two-year-old boy, named locally at Ty, died at a South Dakota hospital on Friday .
Victim is believed to be the secret son of Minnesota Vikings star player Adrian Peterson .
The football player has another two-year-old son Adrian Jr .
Adrian Peterson has a $40m contract with Minnesota Vikings . |
118,552 | 25149b790ae5f7bb0ae2ef1174ad84066a0ebf01 | (CNN) -- The death toll from Tropical Storm Agatha continued to grow Tuesday, with 152 reported killed in Guatemala, 16 in Honduras and nine in El Salvador. One-hundred people are missing in Guatemala and another 87 are injured, the nation's emergency agency reported Tuesday. In addition, nearly 125,000 people have been evacuated and 74,000 are living in shelters, said emergency official David de Leon. The previously reported toll for Guatemala was 123 deaths, 90 people missing and 69 injured. Guatemala also is feeling the effect of the Pacaya volcano, which erupted Thursday night and continued to spew ash Tuesday. Three people were killed when they were crushed by rocks strewn by the volcano. La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, the nation's capital, has been closed since Friday because of falling ash but was expected to open later Tuesday. Pacaya is located about 18 miles (30 kilometers) south of Guatemala City. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a 15-day state of calamity after the volcano eruption. Damage from Tropical Storm Agatha added to the devastation. Destruction from the storm has been widespread throughout the nation, with mudslides destroying homes and buildings and burying some victims. At least nine rivers had dramatically higher levels and 13 bridges collapsed, the emergency services agency said. In the northern part of Guatemala City, the downpour created a sinkhole the size of a street intersection. Residents told CNN that a three-story building and a house fell into the hole. Classes have been canceled this week in schools throughout the nation. In Honduras, where 16 people have died, President Porfirio Lobo declared a state of emergency Sunday. Nearly 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and about 3,200 were living in shelters, the Honduran emergency agency said Tuesday. More than 140 homes have been destroyed and another 700 have been damaged, the Permanent Commission for Emergencies reported. The situation in El Salvador was improving, officials said Monday. The rain stopped Sunday afternoon and river levels were beginning to diminish, officials said. Classes nationwide remained canceled, however, until further notice. Agatha was demoted from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Saturday night and lost its status as a depression Sunday evening. It was the first named storm for the Pacific hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season started Tuesday. CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report. | Death toll increases to 152 in Guatemala .
Nearly 125,000 evacuated and 74,000 in shelters .
Guatemala also plagued by volcano .
Agatha first named storm of Pacific hurricane season . |
232,443 | b8fb919eafcaed22e66f7dca07f4127d60b59434 | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 07:53 EST, 20 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:10 EST, 20 March 2012 . Jilted: Ahla Arbid admitted sending emails to airport authorities claiming her ex-lover's new wife was carrying explosives from Iran to the UK . A jilted lover is facing jail after she tried to convince airport authorities her ex-boyfriend's new bride was carrying a bomb aboard a passenger jet. Ahla Arbid, 34, claimed that Hossain Ansari Pour, a former BBC journalist, was part of a terrorist plot to kill hundreds aboard an international flight. She told airport security that his new wife, Sara Aryan Pour, was smuggling explosives as she travelled from Iran via Turkey to the UK. The bogus warning sparked a major . security alert. Ms Aryan Pour was seized from her plane as it waited on . the tarmac in Istanbul and searched, but no explosives were found. Arbid, a mother of two, had been due to face a retrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict in her original trial. But instead she pleaded guilty to one charge of communicating false information with intent. At her first trial in August 2011 Southwark Crown Court heard Arbid made the hoax bomb warning to get back at Mr Hossain Pour after learning of his arranged marriage to Ms Aryan Pour. Arbid confessed to sending the emails to airport authorities, but she claimed that her fears had been genuine. Jurors heard Arbid and Mr Ansari Pour, who now works for Rupert Murdoch’s Dow Jones newswire, had met on an Islamic dating website and entered into a ‘temporary marriage’ in early 2010. Mr Ansari Pour said he had already been taken his wedding vows twice, once in a ‘full’ Islamic marriage, from which he has an 11-year-old daughter, and in a previous ‘temporary’ marriage, which under Iranian law allows legal sexual relationships on a less formal basis. He said that when he started seeing Arbid, he had told her that his parents were looking for a wife for him in a traditional arranged marriage. He said: ‘Even on the first day that I met Ahla, I did tell her my parents were looking for a wife for me.’ The court heard that the couple entered into a sexual relationship, and that Arbid later told the journalist she was pregnant by him, subsequently having an abortion. Mr Ansari Pour’s parents found him a bride in Iran, and although he was still engaged in his ‘temporary marriage’ to Arbid, he flew to his homeland for a religious wedding ceremony. He then arranged for his new wife, Sara Aryan Pour, to come to Britain, booking her a flight to London via Turkey on 2 May last year. After she discovered what was happening, Arbid contacted both the British Airports Authority and the authorities in Turkey to tell them that Miss Aryan Pour was carrying an ‘explosive substance’ to give to her husband in London. Giving evidence Arbid denied that she had made the bomb threat to hit back at Mr Ansari Pour. She told jurors she grew suspicious of him after she overheard him say in a series of phone conversations the ‘flight will fall’ and talk of ‘documents’, which she believed was a coded reference for explosive materials. Arbid said she believed Miss Aryan Pour was going to meet a man by the name of Suleman Mohammed at Ataturk Istanbul airport to exchange the bomb parts. She said: ‘I thought maybe they were planning for something; that he would meet her and they would do bomb building to make the flight fall.’ She claimed Hossain held ‘extreme’ views on religion and politics and felt duty bound to report her suspicions. Arbid, of Pimlico, south-west London, admitted communicating false information with intent. She was remanded on bail ahead of sentence on April 19. | Ahla Arbid claimed her ex-boyfriend, a former BBC journalist, was part of terrorist plot to kill hundreds .
She sent emails to airport authorities claiming that his new bride was carrying explosives on flight from Iran .
Arbid and Hossain Ansari Pour had been in an Islamic 'temporary' marriage when he married his new wife . |
10,148 | 1cca5bbb52eb077219e0150eb2768b7952805663 | A Florida man who was caught on tape having sex with his family's chihuahua has been jailed. Marc Ramon Gonzalez, 61, from Palm Beach County, was found out by his wife after she looked at security camera footage of her husband abusing the pet near the patio door. He pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and sexual activity with an animal and received 100 days in jail along with 12 months' probation, the county clerk's office told Daily Mail Online. Scroll down for video . Marc Ramon Gonzalez, 61, from Palm Beach County, will serve 100 days in prison for animal cruelty and sexual activity with an animal . Gonzalez shared his Wellington home with his wife and three young children and would often go out into their backyard . A police report about the incident, in November 2013, included testimony from a dog expert who said that the dog was constantly in an uncomfortably submissive posture, with his head and ears down while Gonzalez abused him and touched himself. Gonzalez's wife then rushed outside and confronted her husband. The animal, which bore marks of physical trauma afterwards, tried to escape multiple times unsuccessfully and 'did not like what was happening'. Though Florida did not have a law against bestiality for many years, sexual activity with an animal and animal cruelty are both first degree misdemeanors (dog similar to the one abused) The man originally pleaded not guilty before striking a deal with prosecutors. Sexual activity with an animal is a first degree misdemeanor in Florida, punishable by up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine. Animal cruelty is also a first degree misdemeanor and punishable by a year in prison or up to a $5,000 fine. Cruelty that 'results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering' is a third degree felony and punishable by up to five years in prison. 'We wish there was stronger laws. We wish people would immediately go to jail and stay there,' Capt. Dave Walesky, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, told WPEC. 'It just doesn't make sense why people do things like that. There's no reason to justify something like that,' he said. Florida is the number one state for animal abuse crimes, according to Pet-Abuse.com. The state officially passed a law banning bestiality in 2011, after many years without one. As of early last year 12 states and the District of Columbia did not have specific laws against bestiality, according to AL.com. However, many cases of bestiality are prosecuted under animal cruelty charges. | Marc Gonzalez, 61, from Palm Beach County, to spend 100 days in jail .
Abused dog on patio of house he shared with wife and three children .
Dog bore 'physical trauma' from attack and repeatedly tried to escape . |
209,654 | 9b8322583351c0abb72d2969f0139d39eccb1717 | Ten Queensland police officers arrested a man wearing an 'I'm With Stupid' T-shirt in Brisbane this morning. Police alleged the 44-year-old man, who has been named as Iain Fogerty, was being a 'public nuisance' and was 'being disruptive to people' in Fortitude Valley, around 8:30am. Labor campaigners said he was simply smiling and waving while standing next to Liberal Party campaigners and posing for photographs. 'We thought it was really funny,' a Labor source told Daily Mail Australia. 'Next thing, all these cops arrived. Off you go, mate: Ten police officers swooped and arrested this 44-year-old man this morning . Labor campaigners said the man was standing among Liberal National Party campaigners, smiling and waving when he was arrested . However, Liberal campaigners said he was acting aggressively prior to the arrest. Above, the man is being bundled into the back of a van . 'We asked the police what happened and the police said he was being arrested for public nuisance, which was really strange.' 'We've been really concerned about him ever since'. Luke Barnes, a Liberal National Party worker, told the Brisbane Times the man had been acting aggressively. 'One of their supporters came over to our side and got quite aggressive and intimidating with our members,' he was quoted saying. Thousands of police officers recently took to the streets of Brisbane as part of a major security operation for the G20 Leader's Summit . Mr Fogerty was expected to receive 'watchhouse bail' this afternoon and face court on February 4. Speaking of the arrest, a Queensland police spokesman insisted: 'It didn't have anything to do with the shirt.' But social media erupted in mockery over the arrest, with many punters taking aim at the apparently draconian measure and #ImWithStupid trending nationwide. 'Man arrested at a campaign event in Qld, wearing 'I'm With Stupid' t-shirt... thus getting the campaign officially underway,' quipped Tim Callanan. The state election will be held on January 31. | Queensland police arrest man wearing novelty shirt .
Ten cops swoop, charge man with being 'public nuisance'
Some election campaigners allege he was acting 'aggressively'
Others said his antics were 'really funny... next thing all these cops arrived' |
63,729 | b4f1ee0805ed6951124aa3a96a12ecf293df5285 | By . Emine Sinmaz . PUBLISHED: . 22:52 EST, 28 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:25 EST, 29 January 2013 . Victory: Matthew Feroze, 30, defeated 15 competitors and became the first foreigner to win a bi-annual cheese competition in Lyon . An English civil servant has been awarded the title of France’s most expert cheesemonger. Matthew Feroze, 30, defeated 15 competitors and became the first foreigner to win a bi-annual cheese competition in Lyon. Mr Feroze, who is on a two-year sabbatical from his job as a Government accountant in London, has been a professional cheese refiner and seller for just one year. ‘There was some surprise, certainly,’ he told the Independent. ‘But the members of the jury and the competitors were very encouraging and friendly. If there was any resentment, they did not show it.’ Mr Feroze had to present a cheese platter that he had selected and matured himself as part of the Concours National des Fromagers at the Salon Mondiale de Restauration et Hôtellerie. He also had to blind taste cheeses and cut slices to specified weights. The self-proclaimed Francophile included two English cheeses in his platter of 25 - a Stilton and a West Country cheddar. Organiser Catherine Bonnetaud said: ‘He was best, that’s all you can say. He worked hard on his presentations, with great passion and knowledge.’ Mr Feroze took a sabbatical from his government job in 2011 and found work with one of Lyon’s most well-known cheese shops, the Fromagerie Mons-Etienne Boissy. Cheesemonger: Mr Feroze had to present a cheese platter that he had selected and matured himself as part of the Concours National des Fromagers at the Salon Mondiale de Restauration et Hôtellerie . ‘I fell in love with France, and French cheese, when I came to Lyon to learn French after university,’ Mr Feroze said. ‘There is something very deep and rich about cheese and about the people involved in cheese. 'You will never make your fortune out of cheese. It attracts people who have a real passion for what they do.’ The accountant, who describes himself as a ‘food obsessed Francophile chasing the cheese dream’, said he may now reconsider his career choice. ‘In view of the way things are going,’ he said, ‘I am considering looking for a new career in cheese.’ | Matthew Feroze, 30, defeated 15 competitors at cheese competition in Lyon .
He's on a two-year sabbatical from London job as government accountant .
Had two English cheeses in a platter for Concours National des Fromagers . |
62,867 | b29cc3ceee57628db7273c4055c1f8bcaeed5181 | By . James Slack . PUBLISHED: . 19:39 EST, 3 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:40 EST, 3 March 2013 . Chris Grayling said it was 'inconceivable' the next Tory manifesto would not contain a pledge to scrap Labour's Human Rights Act . Tory ministers were last night urged by their own MPs to stop talking and ‘do something’ over the Human Rights Act. In a move designed to calm the nerves of backbenchers, Chris Grayling promised yesterday to scrap the controversial legislation. But this will not happen until after the next election in 2015 – and then only if the Conservatives win an outright majority. There was also confusion in Westminster over whether the Tories are planning to make a manifesto commitment to leave the separate European Court of Human Rights. Such a move would be hugely popular with Tory activists. But no final decision has been taken, despite briefings by Whitehall officials that the party was ready to advocate the nuclear option of pulling out. To lift party morale after the Eastleigh by-election debacle, Mr Grayling said it was ‘inconceivable’ the next Tory manifesto would not contain a pledge to scrap Labour’s HRA. The Tories made a similar pledge ahead of the 2010 election but have been thwarted by the Liberal Democrats, who refuse to countenance any changes. Mr Grayling said: ‘We cannot go on with a situation where people who are a threat to our national security, or who come to Britain and commit serious crimes, are able to cite their human rights when they are clearly wholly unconcerned for the human rights of others.’ But he stopped short of committing Britain to withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, which the Human Rights Act enshrined into UK law. Mr Grayling said only that he wanted 'a dramatically curtailed’ role' for the Strasbourg court, which has come under fire for demanding the vote for prisoners. The judges have also blocked the deportation of terror suspects, including Abu Qatada. Some senior figures – including Home Secretary Theresa May – want the Tories to be ready to quit the ECHR. They believe it is doing huge damage to efforts to get rid of foreign criminals. Last month Mrs May unveiled plans to change the law so a foreign criminal can no longer block deportation on the grounds they have a human right to ‘a family life’ in the UK. But, crucially, there is no agreement yet to include the pledge to quit the EHCR in the next Tory manifesto. Insiders say such a dramatic step could split the party, with Attorney General Dominic Grieve and Ken Clarke likely to resign. Some senior figures, including Home Secretary Theresa May, want the Tories to be ready to quit the European Convention on Human Rights . Scrapping the HRA, but remaining in the ECHR, would mean foreign criminals could appeal to Strasbourg. Britain would then have to decide whether to ignore the rulings – as other member states do – or back down. Backbenchers welcomed the commitment to scrapping the HRA but do not want to wait until after the 2015 election. Senior MP Mark Field said that if Mrs May and Mr Grayling were serious they should bring forward a Bill, defying Liberal Democrat objections. ‘We are in government. Either do something now, and call the Liberal Democrats’ bluff on this, or stay quiet,’ he said. ‘It’s that sort of cynicism, it’s just politicians saying words and not doing anything’. UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the Tories always promised ‘jam tomorrow’ and claimed their supporters would no longer believe promises from the party. | Grayling promised to scrap Human Rights Act after 2015 election .
Move would be popular with Tory activists but no final decision taken .
Tory MPs urged minister to stop talking and 'do something' over the act . |
31,211 | 58b761811dcc901eb60301bc29962a170b0a19b6 | (CNN) -- Whoever killed six people in a Memphis, Tennessee, home may still be on the loose, police said Tuesday. They asked the community for help in solving the slayings. Police and fire units responded Monday after six people were killed in Memphis, Tennessee. Police found six people -- two men, two women and two boys -- dead in a home in a north Memphis neighborhood Monday, said Memphis police Lt. Joe Scott. Three other children who were wounded in the home were taken to a hospital. Scott did not release the names of the victims. He said there was no sign of forced entry into the home, and evidence at the scene indicated that the killer or killers left the house. Detectives were trying to determine the day of the killings, which could have occurred as early as Saturday, Scott said. He said police had not developed a suspect and need people to come forward with information. "We need the community's help," he said. "These were children that were brutally killed. We know that there are people out there that heard things, saw something. This is a stain on our community. We really need the community's help to solve this." The four dead adults were shot and the two dead children were stabbed, sources told CNN affiliate WMC-TV. The wounded children -- a 7-year-old boy, a 10-month-old girl and a 4-year-old whose gender wasn't immediately known -- were transported to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. They were treated for gunshot wounds, said hospital spokeswoman Jennilyn Utkov, who said she did not have any additional information about their conditions. At least one of the wounded children also was stabbed, police told the Commercial Appeal newspaper. The newspaper reported Tuesday that two of them were in very critical condition and one was in serious condition. A neighbor told CNN Tuesday that he heard gunshots coming from the house Saturday night. "I heard about six or seven shots," said Wayne Bolden, a landscaper who said he lives across the street from the home where the killings occurred. "I did not call the police because you always hear shooting in this neighborhood. Now I wish I would have called." He said he did not see any movement at the home the next day. The two cars, a van and a passenger car, never moved. Monday, he saw many police cars at the home and heard about the killings, he said. Bolden said a family that included a man, a woman and five or six children moved into the home about five months ago. "I did not know him by name," Bolden said of the man. "But the kids were always out playing, and he would barbecue outside on his front porch." A prayer service was held for the victims Tuesday morning at the family's nearby church, said Keith Norman, senior pastor at First Baptist Church. He said he had been asked by the police to counsel the family members of the victims. Another prayer service was scheduled for 6 p.m., he said, and some of the victims' family members are expected to attend. "There are multiple families affected by this," said Norman, who said he did not want to speak about what led to the killings. "We are just praying for the family members and trying to help them get through this." Police do not know what was behind the violence, the Commercial Appeal newspaper reported. "We just don't know the motive or cause of death, but we do have four adults and two children [dead]," Memphis police Lt. Jerry Guin told the paper. Rob Robinson told the Commercial Appeal that he was the landlord for the brick, single-family house that rented for $550 per month. "They were very nice, very polite to me," Robinson told the paper of the residents. "It's kind of surprising, actually. I've never had any trouble with them, no damage to the property. They paid their rent and even helped with repairs and stuff." Neighbor Leo Baker told WMC-TV he has lived nearby for 10 years but did not know the residents of the home. "It's sad you come home to find out something like this has gone on," Baker said. "It's kind of sad, and scary too." Video footage showed emergency vehicles on the scene, with people embracing in rainy weather outside police tape surrounding the home. "I've been on a scene where there were one or two or three [victims], but I don't remember anything this large," Guin told the Commercial Appeal. The newspaper reported that the shooting appeared to be the city's deadliest mass killing since 1973, when 28-year-old David Sanders randomly shot and killed five people before being shot dead by police. In 2000, police said firefighter Frederick Williams confessed to a shooting in Memphis in which four people were killed -- his wife, a sheriff's deputy and two fellow firefighters. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Police believe killer or killers left the Memphis house where 6 people slain .
Neighbor says he heard shots Saturday night, didn't call police .
Police: Four adults, two kids killed; 3 other children wounded .
7-year-old, 4-year-old, and 10-month-old hospitalized . |
58,948 | a738f311748d1d297c1351696d765bdeb171e22f | A U.S. judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit by Angelina Jolie's stunt double against News Corp for allegedly hacking into her voicemail. Eunice Huthart was the first alleged victim to launch legal action against the Murdoch empire in the U.S. over the allegations. The British 47-year-old, who won TV game show Gladiators, claimed The Sun and The News of the World intercepted her phone messages in an attempt to gather gossip about the Hollywood actress. Eunice Huthart was the first alleged victim to launch legal action against the Murdoch empire in the U.S. over the allegations . Rupert Murdoch's News Corp asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing it should have been filed in the UK where more than 600 hacking claims were being processed under a compensation scheme. Judge Michael W Fitzgerald, of the United States District Court Central District of California, has now ruled in favour of News Corp's motion to dismiss, radaronline.com has reported. The ruling said: 'The underlying facts here do not seem to be in dispute, at least by these parties. 'It appears, and certainly is alleged, that Plaintiff Eunice Huthart has suffered a grotesque invasion of her privacy. 'This harm arose for no reasons other than Huthart’s successfully pursuing a demanding career associated with Los Angeles and having a friend who likewise is at the summit of success in an industry associated with Los Angeles. 'Nonetheless, for reasons explained in this Order, the Court concludes that Huthart must obtain her relief from the courts of England and Wales.' Working together: Ms Huthart and Ms Jolie together on the set of 2010 spy thriller Salt . News International, the British arm of News Corp, has already paid out millions of pounds in compensation to celebrities and other public figures who were hacked by the News of the World. The stuntwoman claims that News . International papers used information found on her voicemail to uncover . Ms Jolie's relationship with co-star Brad Pitt during the filming of . 2005 hit Mr & Mrs Smith. Her . claims date back to 2004 and 2005 when she was apparently living with . Ms Jolie - she says the pair were close friends who 'travelled and . socialised together' as well as being colleagues on film sets. Ms Huthart worked as the actress' stunt double on Tomb Raider 2 and Beyond Borders as well as Mr & Mrs Smith. Around . the time covered by the complaint, the Sun and the News of the World, . which closed down in 2011 after revelations of widespread hacking at the . title came to light, ran a number of stories on the burgeoning romance . between Ms Jolie and Mr Pitt. The claim was the first hacking case Rupert Murdoch's media empire faced in the U.S. The stuntwoman claims that the source of many of the stories was her voicemail, as 'no one except Brad Pitt's bodyguard, Ms Jolie's bodyguard, their respective personal assistants and Plaintiff knew that Brad Pitt and Ms Jolie were now an "item"'. The court papers also allege that Ms Huthart missed a number of deleted messages from colleagues and family members, leading to inconvenience and emotional distress. Among the messages from Ms Jolie which Ms Huthart never received were apparently 'hotel arrangements where she was staying, code names for hotels and individuals, dinner reservations, meet-up times and, on occasion, when she sought the help of Plaintiff during times of need'. News Corp has so far refused to comment on the allegations. The company has repeatedly denied that hacking took place at the Sun. The phone-hacking scandal came to light in 2001, when it emerged that the News of the World had hacked into the voicemail of murdered schoolgirl Millie Dowler. The Sunday newspaper was closed down by Mr Murdoch, and the company has since paid out more than £200million in compensation and legal expenses related to the victims of hacking. A number of former News International executives are currently on trial for hacking-related offences. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Eunice Huthart claimed Sun and News of the World intercepted messages .
Judge has dismissed the lawsuit, ruling in favour of motion from News Corp .
News Corp said the case should not have been filed in the U.S. |
167,378 | 6477ad368609be4db421627f3b236292d388b474 | Hundreds of Yazidi refugees who were stranded on a barren mountainside in Iraq, surrounded on all sides by bloodthirsty Islamic State fighters, have been escorted to safety. Kurdish peshmerga forces used JCB-style diggers, tractors, trucks and donkeys to evacuate the persecuted minority, whose suffering help drag the U.S. into bombing raids on the jihadists. Some of the people were taken out on foot, in snaking lines through the desert. An estimated 5,000 were brought to safety by the Kurds, which could leave tens of thousands more still in acute danger in the Sinjar mountains. Scroll down for video . Unconventional rescue: Kurdish peshmerga used all manner of vehicles to evacuate stranded Yazidi . Escape: Refugees also piled on to a tractor at the weekend as they were carried to safety . Trucks rolling: More conventional vehicles were also employed. It is estimated that 5,000 were saved by the Kurdish intervention . Slow and steady: One woman used a donkey to navigate the route to safety - many went on foot . The plight of the Yazidi people worsened today as the Islamic State - forermly called ISIS - threatened a fresh wave of violence against the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq, saying they will execute 300 families whom they have surrounded in northern Iraq. They had already taken hostage hundreds of Yazidi women in their stronghold city of Mosul on Friday, amid warnings that they had 'vicious plans' for their captives. Fighters for the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as ISIS, continue to lay siege to a mountain near the Turkish border, where as many as 50,000 of the minority - considered apostates and devil-worshippers by IS - have been holed up without food or water. They today received aid from Kurdish and American forces, who have intervened to protect the embattled minority group after an international outcry. Relief: Peshmerga and U.S. forces also delivered aid today - left a young boy is given food while, right, a girl prepares to receive longed-for water from a jerry can . Carried to salvation: A child needs to be lifted up by a comrade on the long journey away from the barren Sinjar mountain range . Hiking through the heat: With armed escort, hundreds of the Yazidi people were able to get off of the Sinjar mountains . Distressed: The Yazidi had been trapped on the mountainside for days with hardly any supplies . Kicking up dust: The Peshmerga intervention follows aid drops by the U.S. and Kurds . Desperate . masses: Stranded Yazidi men, women and children rush towards a Kurdish . helicopter carrying aid today, as IS fighters surround mount Sinjar . Tearful: Some children were carried off to safety, but thousands of the religious minority remains stranded on the mountainside . Under fire: The film crew, embedded with the Kurdish fighters, also saw a firefight between the helicopter gunner and IS forces with anti-aircraft weapons . Persecuted: Yazidi children (pictured) have taken to sheltering in the holy valley of Lalish, while others trapped in the Sinjar Mountains were flown renewed supplies by the U.S. today. The religious minority is not alone in being threatened by the militants, who also say Christians and Shia Muslims are heretics and should convert . Plight: Left, a Yazidi woman and a young baby shelter in Lalish, the religion's holy valley in northern Iraq. Right: A Yazidi girl who has escaped to the city of Sirnak, Turkey . Masses of desperate, crying Yazidis were filmed today by a crew from Rudaw news perched in a Kurdish helicopter as water and supplies were dropped, while the chopper came under fire from IS troops below. American plans also dropped supplies, and RAF helicopters were today dispatched to do the same. The latest threat to the three hundred families - who live in the villages of Koja, Hatimiya and Qaboshi - came after the Sunni militant group surrounded them, according to a Yazidi politician. It came as U.S. President Barack Obama said more air strikes were likely around the Sinjar Mountains where the Yazidis are trapped - and refused to give a timetable for how long the offensive might take. The U.S. and Iraqi governments have stepped up our military assistance to Kurds as they wage this fight,' he said. 'American aircraft are positioned to strike IS terrorists around the mountain to help forces in Iraq break the seige and rescue those who are trapped there.' He insisted he was pursuing a 'broader strategy' aimed at 'preventing an act of genocide'. 'Ultimately only Iraqis can ensure the stability and security of Iraq', he said. 'The United States can't do it for them.' But he added: 'We will protect our American citizens in Iraq whether they're diplomats, civilians or military. If these terrorists threaten our facilities or our personnel we will take action to protect our people. Threat: Islamic State fighters have continued their relentless sweep through Iraq, causing refugees to flee and carrying out brutal executions on their enemies . 'Long-term project': President Barack Obama said today that American involvement, which began yesterday with targeted air strikes, could prove protracted . How events unfolded: Yesterday marked a landmark campaign by the U.S., its first incursion into Iraq by air since troops pulled out of the country in 2011 . 'We will continue to provide military assistance and advice to the Iraqi government as they battle these terrorists so they cannot establish a safe haven. 'This morning I spoke with Prime Minister Cameron of the UK and President Hollande of France and I'm pleased that both leaders agree with our strong support. Once again America is proud to act alongside our closest friends and allies.' The haul on the C130 Hercules aircraft includes clean water, tents and tarpaulins for up to 75,000 people. A second plane left this afternoon - but the Ministry of Defence has been keen to stress there are no desires to enter another war. A spokesman told MailOnline today: 'We're talking about a humanitarian mission, not a military one'. And Britain has Special Forces in the region working with US counterparts, identifying potential targets for further air strikes aimed at stopping the advances of Islamists towards Kurdish areas or Baghdad. Many SAS men speak Arabic and know Iraq's mountains and cities well after a decade of missions. An MoD spokesman said: 'We do not comment on the movements of Special Forces'. Strikes: This images show the moment American fighter jets dropped their 500lbs payload on Islamic State outside Irbil yesterday . Smoke rising: There were two strikes launched less than two hours apart yesterday, which targeted mortar emplacements and a convoy . Yesterday extremists captured hundreds of Yazidi women in Mosul and held them in schools while thousands of other civilians fled in fear, according to officials. Kami Amin, a spokesman for Iraq's human rights ministry, said: 'We think that the terrorists by now consider them slaves and they have vicious plans for them. 'We think that these women are going to be used in demeaning ways by those terrorists to satisfy their animalistic urges in a way that contradicts all the human and Islamic values.' Escorted by two Navy fighter jets this morning, three planes dropped 72 bundles of supplies for the refugees trapped in the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq, where they are trying to escape to Turkey. The extremists' 'campaign of terror against the innocent, including the Yazidi and Christian minorities, and its grotesque and targeted acts of violence bear all the warning signs and hallmarks of genocide,' said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. 'For anyone who needed a wake-up call, this is it.' To the rescue: An RAF C130 Hercules is pictured above taking off from Camp Bastion in Iraq, laden with aid for the stranded Yazidi refugees . London calling: Britain also joined in the aid efforts in Iraq - pictured above is an RAF Hercules being loaded with drinking water and tents for the beleagured Yazidis . Locked in: An aid worker piles the packages into the Hercules - they are due to be dropped from the skies above Iraq, where as many as 50,000 are stranded . The U.S. bombing yesterday was followed up by a second round of airstrikes near Irbil, the city where officials said the artillery would have been used. According to the U.N., more than 500,000 people have been displaced by the violence in Iraq since June, bringing the total this year to well over a million. Expanding from their stronghold of Mosul, Islamic State have captured a string of towns and Iraq's largest hydroelectric dam and reservoir in recent weeks. The group captured Mosul in June then launched a blitz towards the south, sweeping over Sunni-majority towns almost to the capital, Baghdad. It already holds large parts of western Iraq and neighboring Syria, and Iraqi government forces crumbled in the face of the assault but have since been able to prevent the militants from advancing into Shiite-majority areas. In the north, Kurdish fighters have been the main line of defense against the radicals but they are over-stretched and under-resourced. In contrast to Washington's decision to invade Iraq more than a decade ago, both the airdrop and the authorization of military action against the Islamic State group were widely welcomed by Iraqi and Kurdish officials fearful of the militants' advance. 'We thank Barack Obama,' said Khalid Jamal Alber, from the Religious Affairs Ministry in the Kurdish government. The International Rescue Committee said it was providing emergency medical care for up to 4,000 dehydrated Yazidis, mostly women and children, who survived without food or water for up to six days hiding in the Sinjar mountains before fleeing to a refugee camp in Syria, where a civil war is raging. Officials in Britain, Germany and elsewhere pledged financial aid to support humanitarian efforts in Iraq, and several top European officials supported Obama's decision to intervene with airstrikes. Missile: The Kurdish fighters are seen as the last line of defence because they are poorly-resourced to deal with the invading horde of militants . Battle: Kurdish peshmerga fighters load a missile launcher yesterday during clashes with the army groups led by Islamic State fighters in Mosul, Iraq . Last line of defence: Kurdish fighters (pictured) say they are willing to fight to the death to defend their homeland in northern Iraq from the Islamic State fighters . Forces: With almost no armour, Kurdish peshmerga troops stand guard today against the Islamic State threat in the Yezidis' most holy site, the valley of Lalish . | Soldiers used diggers, donkeys, tractors and trucks to escort persecuted minority from Sinjar mountain range .
Jihadist group earlier said it will kill Yazidi families in Koja, Hatimiya and Qaboshi unless they convert to Islam .
They are also surrounding thousands in Sinjar, near Turkish border, where Yazidi people fear slaughter at their hands .
Americans and Kurdish forces have made aid drops on the mountain, with British helicopters soon to join in .
Comes after Barack Obama authorised air strikes on Islamic State artillery emplacements and convoys yesterday . |
94,038 | 04e6b9de60a64dbf92a746d2190de65361a84bef | By . Rebecca Evans . Probe: Glaxo's China boss Mark Reilly was caught on camera having sex with his Chinese girlfriend . A covert sex tape involving a senior executive and his Chinese lover was the trigger for a major investigation into corruption at British drugs giant GlaxoSmith-Kline, it was revealed yesterday. The video of married Mark Reilly and his girlfriend was filmed by secret camera and emailed anonymously to board members of the pharmaceutical firm. It led to an investigation that has rocked the £76billion company – which stands accused of bribing doctors and other health officials in China with £320million of gifts, including sexual favours from prostitutes, to persuade them to prescribe its drugs. Mr Reilly, who ran the company’s Chinese business, was charged six weeks ago with running a ‘massive bribery network’ involving £90million of illegal sales and banned from leaving the country. It was the culmination of a year-long corruption investigation into the FTSE 100 firm. But yesterday, it was revealed the scandal first erupted after the sex tape was emailed by ‘GSK whistleblower’ to board members, including chief executive Andrew Witty, in March 2013, in what was believed to be a threat or blackmail attempt. The footage showed father-of-two Mr Reilly, who is separated from his wife, having sex with his Chinese girlfriend. He was given permission to hire investigator Peter Humphrey, 58, to find out who had hidden the camera in his Shanghai flat and who had sent two separate emails making serious fraud allegations. The £20,000 probe, codenamed Project Scorpion, focused on disgruntled former employee Vivien Shi, 49, a prominent businesswoman whose family is part of Shanghai’s communist elite. But a few months after starting to investigate Miss Shi, Mr Humphrey was arrested along with his wife Yu Yingzeng, a US citizen and daughter of one of China’s most eminent atomic weapons scientists. According to the Sunday Times, Mr Humphrey’s arrest and detention in July was at around the same time that China began a police probe into GSK’s alleged bribery. Mr Reilly, 52, of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, stepped down from his post as China manager soon after Mr Humphrey’s arrest but remains a GSK employee. He returned to Britain around the same time but voluntarily went back to China within days to assist police with their inquiries. He was charged in May this year and accused by police of presiding over a web of corruption and pressing his sales teams to bribe health officials to meet targets. If found guilty, Mr Reilly, who has a PhD in pharmacology and neurosciences from University College London, could face life in prison. Mr Reilly joined GSK in 1989 and has worked in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. He is separated from Jill, 49, with whom he has two teenage daughters, and has moved out of their £1.2million home. Email: The footage was apparently sent to executives including chief executive Andrew Witty . It is understood he met Mrs Reilly at university, where she was studying psychology. Like her husband, she took up a post at GSK, working as a director of capital planning. Yesterday, a neighbour said he did not know Mr and Mrs Riley had split and said he had not seen either for months. The first email from ‘GSK whistleblower’ was sent in January last year. In March, the sex tape was sent from the same account, followed by a third email in May. The emails laid out a series of sales and marketing practices described as ‘pervasive corruption’.GSK launched an internal investigation but found ‘no specific evidence’ to substantiate the claims. However, the accusations are virtually identical to the charges laid by police against Mr Reilly and 45 other suspects. Last month, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office announced it is to investigate the company’s ‘commercial practices’. Yesterday, GSK confirmed the sex tape’s existence and added in a statement: ‘The issues relating to our China business are very difficult and complicated. The investigation by the Chinese authorities remains ongoing and we are co-operating fully with this investigation.’ | Executives at GlaxoSmithKline were sent a sex tape featuring China boss Mark Reilly and his girlfriend .
They hired a private investigator to work out who had sent the video .
But after he probed a powerful businesswoman, the Chinese authorities cracked down on Glaxo amid allegations of fraud and bribery .
Mr Reilly has been charged with illegally selling £90million worth of drugs . |
36,728 | 68134b74cc89c0454e4135cb3b02b43b0ab4174a | By . Michael Zennie . Last updated at 8:00 PM on 29th February 2012 . Police rescued two small boys from a squalid house after finding it filled with garbage, rotting food and a septic system had backed up into the bathtub, the toilet and the sink. Officers in Lilburn, Georgia, arrested the children's mother, Sky Mitsch, along with the father of one of the children, Stephen Hunt, both 22, on child cruelty charges. Both children are now in state custody. The boys, an infant and a 2-year-old, had no food in the house and there was no running water, authorities said. The toddler was covered in flea bites and his ears were impacted with wax. Conditions were so deplorable, police called animal control officers to remove the dog from the house because they feared for its safety. Scroll down for video . Squalor: The owner of this house called police when he saw the horrible mess that his tenants were keeping their two children in . Fetid water: The septic tank was full and had been backing up into the sink and shower drains in the home . 'They determined it was not even fit for the dog,' Lilburn Police Capt Ben Haynes told Mail Online. The owner of the house, Charles Reagin, was renting it to Mitsch and called police when he saw the deplorable conditions inside. Outside, the front yard was littered with garbage, broken beer bottles and diapers full of excrement. The back yard was a dump, filled with trash. Inside conditions were dramatically worse, Capt Haynes said. The water to the house has been shut off and the septic tank was overflowing. This caused sewage and waste waster to back up in the sinks, the toilet and the bathtub. The toilet could not flush, but the family seemed to be using it anyway. The bathtub, once pearly white, was ringed with black sludge. Arrested: Sky Mitsch, the children's mother, and her boyfriend, Stephen Hunt, both 22, face cruelty to children charges after police discovered the conditions . Mess: Police said the deplorable conditions inside the home were not even fit for animals, much less an infant and a toddler . In the kitchen sink, dishes soaked in fetid water with food scraps. The refrigerator was filthy and nearly empty -- brown sludge coated the bottom. The floor was so messy, it may as well have been dirt, the Capt Haynes said. Food sat out, rotting. Garbage, dirty clothes and diapers littered the rooms. Live ammunition and prescription drugs were discovered within reach of the children. When they found the two-year-old boy, his face was covered with flea bites. He was so badly in need of care that earwax was coming out his ears. 'It's very difficult to understand how you would let something like this get to this degree,' Haynes said. Mitsch and Hunt seemed largely un-phased by the horrifying squalor, Haynes said. No food: The refrigerator was almost completely empty and full of brown sludge . They told officers they knew the house was 'just a little dirty' and that they were in the process of cleaning up. The pair were arrested on the spot. The Department of Human Services took the toddler into custody and went to the grandmother's house to seize the infant, who was just seven months old. As officers left the house, one discovered a remnant of the horrid scene had stayed with him -- he found a flea crawling on his skin. Investigators are still trying to determine how and why the parents allowed their house to sink to such deplorable conditions, Haynes said. Officers found drug paraphernalia, but addiction to hard drugs does not appear to be the driving factor in the case, he said. 'I never let my kids live in something like this, never,' Reagin, the landlord, told WSBTV. Mitsch and her family members told the TV station that they were planning to move out of the house, anyway and are working to get her children back. | Toddler, 2, was covered in flea bites and his ears were impacted with wax .
Prescription drugs and bullets were within reach of the children .
Broken glass on the floor, no running water and no food available for the children to eat .
Mother Sky Mitsch and her boyfriend Stephen Hunt, both 22, arrested on child cruelty charges . |
110,542 | 1a80118397e95f72afb3bd9bc0c4f77aae5ef797 | After the biggest fight in boxing was finally confirmed, Manny Pacquiao wasted no time in landing the first punch in the war of words. With the Filipino fighter now set to fight Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on May 2, Pacquiao took to Instagram to claim the delay to the eagerly anticipated bout came from the American. Pacquiao has insisted that he agreed to the fight long before the deal was announced, and was merely waiting for Mayweather to confirm it. Manny Pacquiao posted a picture of the contract to his Instagram on Saturday to prove he had signed first . Floyd Mayweather shared the official signed contract for the fight via his Shots social media account on Friday . Mayweather confirmed the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2 after yeas of speculation . And he posted a picture of the contract, signed by his team and awaiting his opponent's signature, to prove his case. 'Finally he sign the contract so the fight is on,' wrote Pacquiao on his Instagram. 'This is what I'm talking about that I sign already before, im just explaining to the fans and to prove that im not lying, i have the fear of the Lord. 'So this is it! The fight is on fans you deserve it thank you. To God be all the Glory.' The picture appears to show the same contract that Mayweather posted on Friday night to announce the fight. But 'Money Man' hit back at his opponent, claiming that he didn't delay, and signed the contract as soon as it was shown to him. 'Everyone was saying, "Sign the contract! Sign the contract!"', Mayweather told Fight Hype. 'As soon as [Pacquiao's promoter] Bob Arum signed and as soon as Manny signed, Al Haymon brought the contract right to me and I signed the contract with no problem at all.' 'I'm not here to say anything negative about Bob or say anything negative about Manny. That's not my job to do. 'I'm a boxer/entertainer and my job is to go out there and entertain and be the best that I can be. I'm just happy that we were able to make the fight happen. I can't wait. Pacquiao and Mayweather were pictured together for the first time at the basketball game last month . Mayweather and Pacquiao spoke and swapped numbers during a Miami Heat basketball game in January . Pacquiao was last in action when he dominated Chris Algieri over 12 rounds in Macau last November . Mayweather last fought when he beat Marcos Maidana in the pair's rematch last September in Las Vegas . | Manny Pacquiao will fight Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on May 2 .
Pacquiao has claimed he agreed to the fight before his American opponent .
Filipino posted a picture of the contract with his signature to prove point .
Mayweather hits back saying he signed the contract as soon as he saw it .
Mayweather confirmed the fight on Friday night . |
100,543 | 0d85171142fe81fcea11734550eeaa0098b0e464 | The Syrian Air Force has destroyed two fighter jets belonging to the Islamic State just days after observers claimed to have witnessed the terror group training fighters to use them. Monitoring groups in the war-ravaged country last week claimed to have seen the fanatics flying three captured warplanes over short distances from an airbase in Aleppo - understood to be the first time ISIS has taken to the sky. This morning Syria's Information Minister Omran Zoabi told state news agency SANA that the air force had already destroyed two of the planes and is continuing to search for the third jet. Scroll down for video . Fighter: This morning Syria's Information Minister Omran Zoabi told state news agency SANA that the country's air force (pictured) had destroyed two of the planes in ISIS' hands, and continues to search for the third jet . On Friday the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ISIS had been flying warplanes over the captured al-Jarrah military airport east of Aleppo. Iraqi pilots trained under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were said to have joined ISIS and were conducting training flights in three fighter jets that had been seized from the Syrian regime. This morning Zoabi said the Syrian air force was searching for the third jet but had destroyed two of them - the first time Damascus has acknowledged that Islamic State have taken to the air. 'Regarding ... that terrorists control three jets in al-Jarrah military air base in Aleppo, there are three old aircraft that the terrorists were testing so the Syrian Arab Army immediately destroyed two of them on the runway as they were landing.' 'It does not worry us and [the planes] cannot be used,' he said, referring to their military capability. Power: ISIS has been steadily building a full-equipped military - including large tanks, such as the one pictured here in Raqqa). Much of the equipment in their possession has been seized from Syrian regime forces . On Friday Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the militants 'have trainers, Iraqi officers who were pilots before for Saddam Hussein.' ‘People saw the flights, they went up many times from the airport and they are flying in the skies outside the airport and coming back,’ he added, citing witnesses in northern Aleppo province near the base, which is 45 miles south of Turkey. It was not clear if the jets were equipped with weaponry or whether the pilots could fly longer distances. Witnesses near the base in northern Syria said the jets appeared to be decades old MiG21 or MiG23 models captured from the Syrian military. Twitter accounts linked to ISIS had previously posted pictures of captured jets in other parts of Syria, but the aircraft had appeared unusable, according to analysts and diplomats. The group has captured several major military airfields, including the vast Tabqa complex, close to their headquarters in the Syrian city of Raqqa and seized aircraft, helicopters and heavy weapons. Leader: Twitter accounts linked to sympathisers of the Islamic State have previously posted pictures of captured jets in other parts of Syria. The terror group is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured) The base was reportedly one of the Syrian military’s largest facilities in the region, with several warplane squadrons, helicopters, tanks, artillery and ammunition. Defence analysts say that it unlikely the group's MiGs could be used conventionally as the US-led coalition of Syrian forces would shoot them down. Instead, they could be deployed for spectacular low-level suicide attacks on western targets in the Kurdish city or Irbil or the Iraqi capital Baghdad where the US and Britain have a major presence. The U.S. military said yesterday it was unaware of any flight operations by the group ‘in Syria or elsewhere’. ‘We’re not aware of ISIL (IS) conducting any flight operations in Syria or elsewhere,’ said Central Command spokesman Colonel Patrick Ryder. ‘We continue to keep a close eye on ISIL activity in Syria and Iraq and will continue to conduct strikes against their equipment, facilities, fighters and centres of gravity, wherever they may be,’ he added. | Witnesses said ISIS had been carrying out test flights at airport near Aleppo .
They were understood to have captured three Soviet-made jets from regime .
Said to have been using former Iraqi Air Force officers to train new pilots .
Syrian Information Minister today claimed two of the jets are now destroyed .
Omran Zoabi said regime air force is now hunting for missing third plane . |
33,664 | 5fc8945976e3ff0b444988cfc3632c945bf10417 | Laguna Niguel, California (CNN) -- Apple's ambition to improve the fidelity of music downloads has diminished since the death of founder Steve Jobs, according to singer-songwriter Neil Young. Apple consulted with the influential musician, along with many others in the music industry, for a project to develop electronics and distribution channels for high-definition music, Young said in an onstage interview at News Corp.'s D: Dive Into Media conference Tuesday. CNN first reported a year ago that Apple, along with other digital music retailers, were talking with executives in the record industry about selling high-fidelity tracks in iTunes and retooling iPods to be compatible with them. Most music downloads are currently sold in either the MP3 or AAC formats, both of which compress sound in order to produce smaller files. Jobs was personally involved in the high-def initiative, speaking directly to Young about it, the 66-year-old musician recalled. Improving the quality of digital music is a personal mission for Young, who has evangelized for it before. "Steve Jobs was a pioneer of digital music," Young said. "But when he went home, he listened to vinyl." However, "not much" has happened with Apple's high-def gadgets and downloads project since Jobs died in October, Young said. Jobs was a voracious consumer of music, with a special passion for the Beatles and Bob Dylan. An Apple spokesman declined to comment. "My goal is to rescue the art form that I've been practicing for about 50 years," said Young, whose Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career spans six decades, from Buffalo Springfield to his rich solo career to his work with Pearl Jam and beyond. "The problem is that there's no alternative." Industry-standard MP3 files have only about 5% of all the sounds that were contained in the original recording, which is called a "master." Because high-def music files are significantly larger, Young described a system that would allow the device to download it while the user is asleep. Despite the availability of high-quality music sold by niche e-commerce websites, consumers so far have expressed little interest. Many musicians are embracing the idea of giving fans pristine recordings, often at a premium price. The Rolling Stones issued their first 27 records to one such store. Record companies may like the idea of being able to repackage old albums at a higher price, but they surely weren't on board with all of Young's ideas. In the interview Tuesday, Young embraced illegal music downloads. "Piracy is the new radio," said Young, whose music has long had a rebellious streak. "I look at the Internet as the new radio. I look at the radio as gone." | Singer-songwriter Neil Young: "Steve Jobs was a pioneer of digital music"
"Not much" has happened in high-def music since Jobs died in October, Young says .
Young: "My goal is to rescue the art form that I've been practicing for 50 years"
Many musicians are embracing the idea of giving fans pristine recordings . |
71,750 | cb5d76fca8be36980ddf6047a7a7460519be7a64 | A heartbroken girlfriend took her own life four months after her boyfriend drowned while the pair were on a round the world trip together, an inquest has ruled. Kate Downey, 30, was found dead in a room at Newcastle International Airport’s Premier Inn on March 15, just months after boyfriend John-Paul Conley drowned while the pair were on holiday. An inquest into Miss Downey’s death at Newcastle Coroner’s Court has ruled she died as a result of suffocation. The coroner concluded she committed suicide and intended to take her own life. Scroll down for video . An inquest has ruled that Kate Downey, 30, committed suicide in a room at Newcastle International Airport's Premier Inn four months after boyfriend John-Paul Conley drowned while the pair were on holiday . Archeologist Miss Downey and Mr Conley, a docker at Teesside docks, had both taken a year out from their jobs in order to go travelling. The pair had been in Laos, in south-east Asia, for just a few days when Mr Conley was swept away while swimming in a river on the island of Don Khone. Rescue workers launched a search operation for 35-year-old from Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, aided by £30,000 raised by his family back home to pay for boats and helicopters. After four days his body was found washed up on one of the beaches further downriver. Speaking at the time, Miss Downey’s brother Lee, 35, said his sister 'was understandably devastated.' John-Paul Conley, 35, a docker from Teesside docks, died after being swept away while swimming in a river on the island of Don Khone, in Laos . Hundreds of tributes flooded in for Miss Downey, a former Nunthorpe School pupil, when the news of her death spread. 'Hope you have found your Shangri-La, having the next great adventure with Jonny. RIP our beautiful sister xxx,' her brother said. Many other tributes were also paid on Facebook, with one person saying: 'Such another tragic loss for the families and friends of them both. Thoughts and prayers to you all and may they both now rest in peace together.' Another wrote: 'When two people are in love and do so many things together they have a few sad times but so so many happy times. 'If they are parted through tragedy the one left living can feel so much pain inside we all can’t see as tears will hide. 'If they feel that they can’t go on we can’t imagine the pain of there broken heart only that they need to be together once again.' The inquest was held last Thursday. For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or email [email protected] . Rescue workers spent four days looking for Mr Conley on Don Khone before finding his body washed up downriver from where he disappeared (file picture) | Kate Downey, 30, and boyfriend John-Paul Conley were travelling the world .
Pair in Laos for a few days when Conley drowned while swimming in a river .
Four months later Miss Downey was found dead in hotel room at airport .
Coroner rules Miss Downey committed suicide and died from suffocation . |
61,384 | ae55e26a04e04293cb6d2987f8553842404496b0 | (CNN) -- Days after torrential rains caused intense flash flooding, residents of northeastern Minnesota and neighboring Wisconsin spent Friday coping with the aftermath -- including numerous road closures and continued worries about still dangerously high waters. Flood warnings remained in effect for parts of Burnett, Pine and Carlton counties in Minnesota, as well as in Ashland County, Wisconsin, even though waters in some creeks and rivers were receding, the National Weather Service said. Many of these warnings extend through Sunday, though the flooding concerns may not abate then. Water levels in Big Sandy Lake, which is about 60 miles west of Duluth, are rising at a rate of one foot per day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports. The lake is expected to crest June 30 just above or below record highs. In Ashland County, emergency management officials were discouraging travel because most roads in the county had been compromised by water, according to the National Weather Service. Hundreds of people in the cities of Barnum, Moose Lake and Thomson were either partially or fully evacuated, and the city of Willow River was under a boil-water order, state officials said. "It feels like a whale is swallowing us, like we're swimming in an ocean," Kris Huse, a city council member in Moose Lake whose own backyard was inundated by water, told CNN affiliate KBJR. "I feel like I have to save the town." Minnesota officials have requested federal damage assessment assistance in 14 counties, the first step in deciding whether Gov. Mark Dayton will ask for federal disaster assistance funding, according to the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. More than 150 people remained in Minnesota shelters on Friday, according to the state Department of Public Safety. The floods followed heavy storms Sunday through Tuesday that dropped as much as 10 inches of rain on Duluth and neighboring communities, according to the weather service. The flooding washed out roads and bridges, inundated neighborhoods and killed 11 animals at the Duluth zoo. No people were reported dead in Minnesota, but three fatalities were reported in Clark County, Wisconsin. Those three were in two cars that crashed Wednesday on a washed-out road, the state emergency management agency said. A calamity was averted near Proctor, Minnesota, when an 8-year-old boy was swept into a culvert while playing in flood waters. But after floating six or seven blocks, he survived the ordeal except for a few scrapes, the National Weather Service said. Numerous roads remained closed in Minnesota, and Jay Cooke, Moose Lake and Savanna Portage state parks were closed until further notice due to flooding damage, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said. Recovery will be a long process, KBJR quoted Duluth Chief Administrative Officer David Montgomery as saying. "This is going to take months in many cases," he said. "It'll take upwards to a year and into next year for some of the major items." Images of flooding and aftermath . Officials at Lake Superior Zoo were tallying damage there after water surged through the park, leaving 11 animals dead and allowing several others to briefly escape their enclosures. CNN iReporter Ellie Burcar snapped a picture of one of the escaped animals, a seal, on the road outside the zoo early Wednesday morning. "The amazing thing is that the seal was moving across Grand Ave heading (toward) the Lake Superior Zoo as if it just wanted to go home," Burcar said. The zoo moved some animals to other facilities, and some were being kept in quarantine inside the zoo's animal care building during cleanup efforts, the zoo said in a statement posted to its website. The zoo is planning a volunteer cleanup project this weekend. Seal survives being washed away during flood . Despite the damage, Minnesota officials stressed that Duluth and many state parks in the northwest part of the state are open for tourism and tried to highlight at least one positive effect from the recent storms. "The waterfalls are incredible right now," state emergency managers said in an update Thursday. | NEW: "It feels like a whale is swallowing us," a Minnesota resident says .
NEW: Big Sandy Lake should crest June near record highs, the Army Corps says .
Some places in Minnesota and Wisconsin still under flooding warnings .
Roads and parks are closed after intense flash flooding . |
16,578 | 2f039af3cb5cfb8e859eb6326db6bce913b040f6 | Matthew VanDyke told his mother and girlfriend he was going to research a book . Locked in the notorious Abu Salim prison where inmates were murdered with machine guns in 1996 . Returned to the front line alongside rebels after he escaped . By . Lydia Warren . Last updated at 3:20 PM on 6th November 2011 . An American writer who went missing in Libya after fighting on the front line has returned to the United States. Matthew VanDyke, 32, from Baltimore, Maryland, was captured while on a reconnaissance mission in the north African nation and spent five months in solitary confinement in Libyan prisons. When he finally escaped, the freelance writer and filmmaker decided to stay on the front line until the despot had fallen. Home: Matthew VanDyke hugs his mother Sharon as he arrives in an airport near Baltimore, Maryland after fighting with rebel forces to end Muammar Gaddafi's regime in Libya . Holding up a new Libyan flag as he arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport and dressed in a military uniform, Mr VanDyke shouted: ‘Victory! We won!’ He left for Libya in February, just days after the uprising against dictator Moammar Gaddafi began. Arriving at the airport near his home on Saturday, he revealed he had told his family he planned to document the country’s revolution for a film and book he was working on. In fact, it was always his intention to join the uprising. 'You don’t tell your mother and girlfriend that you’re going to go fight in a war,' he explained on Saturday night. 'When . I got out of (a Libyan) prison, I was going to finish what I came to . do. So the past several weeks I've been in combat on the front lines in . Sirte fighting Gaddafi's forces.' Safe: VanDyke spent five months in solitary confinement in a prison in Abu Salim. He said he sang Guns N'Roses songs to himself and tried to name all the Star Trek characters to pass the time . Committed: After escaping prison, he returned to the front line to fight until Gaddafi had fallen. He shows reporters his identity card for the Hassan al-Jaber Brigade of the National Liberation Army of Libya . Mr VanDyke was met by his mother and girlfriend, who planted a kiss on his lips. Earlier . this year, Mr VanDyke was in Baltimore working on a book and film about a . motorcycle trip across the Middle East and southeast Asia when friends . in Libya started telling him their relatives were disappearing. He said: 'I wasn't going to sit back . and let this happen to people I care about and not do anything about it. I see how people are suffering under regimes like this and it's time . for it to end.' Mr VanDyke was on a reconnaissance mission in Brega when he was captured by Gaddafi forces. Reunited: VanDyke kisses his girlfriend Lauren Fischer as reporters look on . 'You don't tell your mother and girlfriend that you're going to go fight in a war': Fischer thought VanDyke was going to Libya to work on a book . He spent more than five months in solitary confinement in Libyan prisons. To pass the time, he sang Guns n' Roses songs to himself and tried to name all of the ‘Star Trek’ characters. He said he suffered from the psychological effects of solitary confinement. In a bid to free her son, Sharon VanDyke travelled to Turkey with his photos to speak to Libyan diplomats. Along . with her son’s girlfriend Lauren Fischer, she enlisted the help of C. A . Dutch Ruppersberger, a Maryland Democrat on the House Intelligence . Committee, who held a news conference in May to call attention to the . situation. Libyan officials denied Mr VanDyke was being held until July. Family: Sharon VanDyke (pictured) waits for her son to arrive on a flight at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. She had previously travelled to Turkey to speak with diplomats over his release . When the Abu Salim prison in Tripoli was bombed in August, fellow prisoners opened Mr VanDyke's cell and he escaped. He made his way to a compound, where he borrowed a phone to call home. Family members and the State Department urged him to return, but he said he wanted to finish what he went there to do. He . said: 'I felt appreciative that they spent time and resources to try to . help me and by keeping my story alive they did prevent the regime from . executing me and I'm very grateful for that. 'If . they had actually gotten me released then, yes, I probably would have . come home. I broke out and I ran for my life with other prisoners. I . freed myself and I come home when I wanted.' His girlfriend Lauren Fischer told Associated Press it was tough to learn he had always planned to fight in the revolution. Determined: VanDyke pictured on the front line in Sirte, Libya after fleeing the prison . Violence: VanDyke joined rebels to end the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, who had been in power for 42 years. Fighting began in February and persisted for eight months . She said: 'I knew that he went there to help his friends, not to fight, but to help his friends. 'It was not what I thought, but especially after five and a half months of not even knowing for sure where he was, I thought that was what was really more important to me was knowing that he was safe and OK.' 'Victory': Muammar Gaddafi was captured and shot in his home town of Sirte on October 20 . Deciding he would stay until Gaddafi fell, Mr VanDyke joined the Ali Hassan al-Jaber Brigade of the National Liberation Army of Libya. After Gaddafi was captured and killed last month, Mr VanDyke travelled to Tripoli to celebrate – and finally felt he could return home. He said: 'It's good to be home. I'm glad to be home. I'm glad that the job was finished. I wasn't going to leave until Gaddafi was out of power. He's gone, so I'm home.' Sharon VanDyke said: 'A lot of time of his life has been given to another country. I know Libyans appreciate it. 'I'm very proud of that he followed his commitment. I never once tried to make him come home. I told him all along that I would support his decisions.' Mr VanDyke said he plans to go to church on Sunday morning and spend time with his mother and girlfriend now that he is back. But he also admitted he wanted to go to other revolutions elsewhere in the Arab world. 'There's a lot more to be done,' he said. 'This is spreading. | Matthew VanDyke told his mother and girlfriend he was going to research a book .
Locked in the notorious Abu Salim prison where inmates were murdered with machine guns in 1996 .
Returned to the front line alongside rebels after he escaped . |
270,345 | ea21964de0947b909f3173c00a3ac3c36feba3f3 | By . Dan Bloom for MailOnline . A man dressed as a penguin is being hunted by police after he stole 10 cans of Stella Artois from a shop. The thief, wearing a full penguin onesie complete with yellow beak, walked into a Sainsbury's Local convenience store on Monday night where he made off with a crate of lager without paying. Police said he shunned traditional disguises such as a balaclava or a motorcycle helmet before escaping the store in Coundon, County Durham, with beer worth £8. Anyone seen this penguin? Police want to track down this suspected shoplifter who they say took £8 worth of Stella Artois lager on Monday from a Sainsbury's Local convenience store in Coundon, County Durham . He is described as a white male in his 20s, and was wearing a black and white penguin onesie or fancy dress outfit with a yellow beak. The thief entered the store just after 10pm and took a crate of lager containing ten cans of Stella Artois worth £8, the police appeal said. Officers have released images of a suspected shoplifter, who was captured on CCTV before he took flight. Acting Inspector Vicky Guthrie, of Durham Police, said: 'He would be quite conspicuous and made off on foot so may have come to the attention of someone in the area.' Durham Police have asked anyone who can identify him to contact them on 101. Scene of the crime: The theft happened at this Sainsbury's branch in the village of Coundon, County Durham . | Mystery thief was dressed in a black and white onesie with a yellow beak .
He took lager crate on Monday from Local shop in Coundon, County Durham .
Durham Police appealed for witnesses and said: 'He was quite conspicuous' |
29,167 | 52db602a15942411d9e6362efe7c1f2269958c28 | By . Peter Allen . PUBLISHED: . 07:28 EST, 20 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:59 EST, 20 December 2013 . 'We would never copy the British': French PM Jean-Marc Ayrault has criticised the UK's economic policy which he says has caused 'mass poverty' The Prime Minister of France has launched a blistering attack on British economic policy – saying it is responsible for 'mass poverty'. Jean-Marc Ayrault painted a picture of a United Kingdom racked by extremes of wealth and poverty and said his own country would ‘never copy’ it - yet did not acknowledge that his country's own economy was in crisis. Asked about austerity cuts imposed by British Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government, Mr Ayrault said: 'France is about to regain the level of national wealth it had before the 2008 crisis, and Britain has still not got there. 'So the situation in Britain, with the mass poverty that it generated is far worse than in France.’ His remarks came as credit agency Standard & Poor's cut its long-term rating of the European Union by one notch to AA+ today, saying it had concerns about how the bloc's budget was financed. The 63-year-old Socialist told TV channel TF1 last night: ‘I see a lot more poverty, more inequalities, and if I was to look for a model to reform France I would want to save the French model.’ He said that he would ‘reform’ France but ‘certainly not copy what others do, especially not if we're not talking about the best.’ Mr Ayrault was particularly critical of Britain's zero-hour contracts under which employees agree to be available for work as and when required. ‘Do you find this okay?’ he asked. ‘Do you think the French would accept this? This is not our policy.’ Mr Ayrault’s left-wing party is associated with turning France in one of the cushiest places for workers anywhere in the world. It brought in the 35-hour week and – since Mr Ayrault was appointed Prime Minister last year by President Francois Hollande – there have been a raft of other massively expensive measures. These have included a reduction in the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some categories of workers, a rise in the minimum wage and the introduction of a 36-month rent freeze on new contracts. But, despite all this, the French economy is in crisis, and polls regularly show that Mr Hollande is the most unpopular president in the history of the country. Mr Ayrault criticised the austerity cuts imposed by David Cameron (left), but ignored the fact that the French economy is in crisis and that polls regularly show that President Francois Hollande (right) is unpopular . There has been particular criticism of proposed top tax rate of 75 per cent, and Mr Hollande’s admission that he ‘dislikes the rich’. Mr Ayrault has just announced a controversial budget approving more tax rises and cuts in public spending in a bid to rein in the high public deficit. British Chancellor George Osborne produced an autumn statement forecasting economic growth of 2.4 per cent in 2014, with many commentators suggesting that recovery is well underway. Meanwhile, the downgrade of the European economy by S&P was dismissed by EU leaders and other officials as misguided. In a statement that . came 11 months after it announced it had a 'negative' outlook on the . region, S&P said: 'In our opinion, the overall creditworthiness of the now 28 European . Union member states has declined. 'EU budgetary negotiations have become more contentious, . signalling what we consider to be rising risks to the support of the EU . from some member states.' European officials said they were not . surprised by the move since S&P recently downgraded the Netherlands . and has lowered its view on six other member states - France, Italy, . Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Cyprus - in the past year. But they . pointed out that the EU has no debt or deficit to speak of and its . budget is a stand-alone entity financed by 28 countries, making it one . of the most stable institutions and most reliable borrowers in the . world. Francois Hollande is the least popular French President in history, according to polls. ‘Another couple of weeks, and we’ll be able to call [our supporters] by their first names!’ a presidential adviser said bitterly the other day, summing up the mood at the presidential Elysée Palace. The President had just been booed on Remembrance Day. The Prime Minister was ridiculed in parliament by members of his own Socialist party. Protesters in Brittany — who have taken to wearing red caps like their ancestors resisting the King’s taxes — tore apart new toll gates on highways. Farmers circled Paris with tractors, slowing down access for almost a day. Truck drivers, poultry breeders, teachers, midwives, craftsmen, even riding instructors and their ponies have taken to the streets to yell at tax rises. Across the eurozone, there are signs that economic conditions are improving — and yet in France there are daily demonstrations and business failures. Representing only 8 per cent of the workforce, trade unions are unable to channel this anger. Violent protests burst out and public outrage is stoked by the bonuses granted to CEOs. ‘Ras le bol!’ (Enough is enough!) France is fuming with rage—and the party that is profiting from the situation is the far-Right Front National. A year and a half into his mandate, Hollande has run out of steam. Despite the bravura of his foreign policy—Mali, Iran, if not Syria — the French now doubt his leadership abilities and competence of his government. The rumour is that cabinet members are already looking for other jobs. Politicians and pundits compare scenarios: will the President change his Prime Minister? Will he call elections and risk losing his majority to the conservatives? Should he resign, as some suggest, even though, short of his committing murder, French institutions protect the President for the duration of his five-year mandate? ‘None of that will happen,’ sighs the Elysée adviser. ‘Don’t underestimate his capacity to stay put in the merde . . .’ An optimist and champion of economic cycle theory, François Hollande staunchly believes the situation can only improve, repeating against all odds that there is no recession, that unemployment will decrease by the end of the year, that public debt will diminish and welfare will be protected. History and his Socialist predecessor as president, François Mitterrand, have convinced him that the French cannot endure harsh facts, and that the art of politics starts with mincing words. His appeasement strategy has backfired. The Socialist President was elected on the promise that the rich would pay. Now almost everybody does — since 2009, taxation has risen from 42 per cent to 46 per cent of GDP. The Prime Minister announced an overhaul of spending, a political coup to save his skin, but people worry that taxes will rise even more. Hollande has been credited for taking small steps in the right direction — so small that competitiveness measures have not boosted business, job flexibility regulations have not paid off and neither have pension reforms. The public service system is about to become the largest proportionally in the world, at 57 per cent of GDP. The core of Hollande’s electorate are public servants, who resent not being rewarded more. Their support is dwindling. Beyond dire economic circumstances, the legalisation of gay marriage, pushed through parliament before the summer, has stirred up French society. Shaken by globalisation, wary of immigration and deceived by electoral promises, people have reacted strongly. The opposition UMP party, weakened by internal fighting, has not benefited from government disarray. Seventy-four per cent believe the conservatives would do no better. A new form of populism is emerging, more individualistic, a blend of anger at the elites, Right and Left, and at the sense of national drift. The Front National is revelling in all this. It is ahead in the polls for the forthcoming local and European elections. Her political platform may be inconsistent, her economic programme inept, her anti-immigration stance deceitful, but party leader Marine Le Pen speaks the language of the common man. The vocabulary of the extreme Right is melting into common parlance, its racial undertones amplified by social media. Christiane Taubira, the Justice Minister, born in French Guiana, and the eloquent champion of the gay marriage bill, has become the target of foul racial slurs. The political vacuum allows for less inhibited public speech and tactics. The French have gone through similar periods before, rage simmering without leading to radical change. The elites should brace themselves for the elections in the spring. This article was first published in the current issue Prospect magazine. | Jean-Marc Ayrault said his country would 'never copy' the British .
Painted picture of UK plagued by extremes of wealth and poverty .
But he's approving more tax rises and spending cuts to slash debt .
Polls show that Hollande is most unpopular French president ever .
Comes as credit agency cuts rating of the EU by one notch to AA+ . |
102,943 | 10ac84140bf9cf74107a6d90f25e51f5b1dadf18 | By . Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 17:13 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:34 EST, 21 October 2013 . Democratic congressional candidate Sean Eldridge has released his latest financial report showing that he put in a quarter of a million dollars in his quest to be elected to office. While Eldridge's millionaire husband Chris Hughes, who was one of Mark Zuckerberg's college roommates and an early leader at Facebook, is not listed as a donor in the latest filing, plenty of the couple's famous friends chipped in. Zuckerberg contributed the maximum amount of $2,600 in both the primary and the general election, as did his wife Priscilla Chan meaning that the Zuckerberg-Chan household contributed a total of $10,400 to the New York state campaign. Capital New York notes that Other famous donors include music producer David Geffen who contributed $2,600 and California-based talent agent Bob Gersh who gave $1,000. Heading into the campaign: Sean Eldridge (right), who is married to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes (left), announced on Sunday night that he is running for Congress in New York's 19th District . The 27-year-old is running to represent a district in upstate New York but that does not mean that many of his big-money donors are his neighbors in the rural farming town of Shokan. Instead there are a number of donors based in Manhattan, who live near Hughes and Eldgridge in the SoHo apartment. In addition to neighbors, there are some other New York personalities who have decided to lend their name- financially, at least- to the cause including Project Runway judge Tim Gunn who gave $1,000 and Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner who donated $5,200. The biggest donor by far was Mr Eldridge himself who gave $250,000 to the campaign in the third quarter of this year. His personal payout does not come as a significant surprise to those who have been following the couple's rise to prominence as Mr Hughes is believed to have a personal net worth of around $500million. Power players: Eldridge has been making a name for himself in political circles, seen here with New Jersey Senatorial candidate Cory Booker, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, who owns the New York Observer . Sleek: Their latest property- a $2million two-bedroom in Shokan- means that they are residents of New York's 19th District and on Sunday Eldridge announced his candidacy in the Congressional race for that area . His campaign went on to explain that the number he donated is seen as a match to the donations he has received from others. 'Unlike most campaigns, I will not accept donations from corporate PACs. Voters in NY-19 deserve an independent representative who will stand up to Big Oil and Big Banks and do what’s right for middle class families in our region,' Mr Eldridge said in a press statement when the filing was released. The two political action committees that contributed to Mr Eldridge's warchest were New York Senator Kirsten Gilibrand's and Congressman Joe Kennedy's. Mrs Gilibrand has been a friend of Eldridge's for some time and attended his wedding to Mr Hughes in July of last year. | Sean Eldridge, 27, is running for Congress in New York's 19th District .
Eldridge is married to Chris Hughes who helped his college roommate Mark Zuckerberg launch Facebook back when they were at Harvard .
Hughes, who is worth an estimated $500m, and Eldridge have bought three multi-million dollar properties in New York . |
30,459 | 5696a96cc2bd45b3d553f464eda37a2df0ae2bab | A jury has convicted a Mississippi man who was declared dead two decades ago only to resurface as a murder suspect. Jurors took just over an hour Monday before finding Thomas Sanders guilty in the kidnapping and slaying of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts. The penalty phase begins next week. Jurors will decide whether the 57-year-old Sanders will be put to death or spend the rest of his life in prison. Back from the dead: Thomas Steven Sanders, who went missing in Mississippi in 1987 and declared dead in 1994, has been found guilty of the 2010 slaying of his girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter . Murdered: Lexis Roberts, 10, of Las Vegas, was found dead off a dirt track in remote Louisiana woods on October 8, 2010. She had been and her throat was slit . Prosecutors concluded their case against Sanders on Friday. Defense lawyers called no witnesses after failing to get the case thrown out of federal court. Roberts' skeletal remains were found off a gravel trail in rural Louisiana in October 2010. The body of her mother, Suellen Roberts, was found later in Arizona. Sanders confessed to killing both. Prosecutor Bill Flanagan said Sanders shot the girl's mother, Suellen Roberts, on a trip all three took to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon, then drove Lexis Roberts to Louisiana, where he shot her four times and cut her throat. Gibbens, who offered no explanation for the shootings called it 'a vacation that went terribly, horribly, sadly wrong'. Sanders was identified as a suspect long after he was thought dead. Sanders had left his family in Mississippi in 1987, and his relatives and ex-wife had him declared dead in 1994 after he had been missing for years. A middle-aged, balding man, Sanders sat quietly with his lawyers as the killings were described, periodically wiping his eyes. Sanders was found guilty of both crimes: kidnapping resulting in death and using a firearm in a crime of violence that caused a person's death. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Killed: Lexi Roberts' (right) skeletal remains were found off a gravel trail. Her mother's body (inset) was later found in Arizona . During the case, witnesses described finding Lexis Roberts' remains on hunting property. Photos of a skull with small pink braces still attached to the upper teeth were shown in court, along with a purple unicorn stuffed animal that was found in the woods near Roberts' bones. Sanders' lawyers didn't dispute that the remains were identified as Lexis Roberts. Flanagan said Sanders met Suellen Roberts while working and living at a storage facility in Las Vegas. Within a few months, they started dating and planned the Labor Day weekend trip that would end with both mother and daughter shot and killed, the prosecutor said. After visiting a wildlife refuge known as Bearizona and stopping at the Grand Canyon, the trio pulled into a remote stretch of desert off an interstate so Suellen Roberts could shoot Sanders' .22-caliber rifle, Flanagan said. Instead, Sanders shot the mother in the head while her daughter sat on a blanket nearby, Flanagan said. Sanders left the body where it fell and drove Lexis Roberts over several days to northeast Louisiana, where he shot her three times in the head and once in the chest, the prosecutor said. Brutal: Sanders (left) shot the mother in the head while her daughter sat on a blanket nearby . 'Lexis Roberts still had not died, and so he took his knife and he cut her throat,' Flanagan told jurors. FBI agent Glen Kelly said Sanders confessed to the child's death after being arrested in Gulfport, Mississippi, while still in possession of Suellen Roberts' car. 'He said something to the effect of, ''I'm surprised it took you so long to find me'',' Kelly testified. Gibbens said Sanders was in love with the mother. She said he acknowledged: 'I just shot her. I didn't know what to do after that.' Gibbens said that after learning how Lexis Roberts' body had decomposed in the woods, Sanders replied: 'She didn't deserve that.' | Thomas Steven Sanders was declared dead in Mississippi in 1994 after he abandoned his family seven years earlier .
He surfaced years later as suspect in the 2010 deaths of Lexis Roberts, 12, and her mother, Suellen Roberts, 31 .
Lexis was found shot to death with her throat slit in Louisiana's Catahoula Parish in October of that year .
Suellen was found a month later shot to death in northwestern Arizona's Yavapai County .
They were on a road trip together at the time .
Sanders attorneys say he 'accepts full responsibility for the death of Lexis Roberts' and could face the death penalty when he is sentenced . |
283,194 | fad4957d4cd5024361946d6fa2e7f2c46ef562b8 | By . Adam Shergold . PUBLISHED: . 11:42 EST, 18 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:42 EST, 18 November 2012 . Henry was meant to be a miniature pony - but he was getting bigger and bigger by the minute. The owners of the two-foot tall pony just couldn't figure out why he had become so bad-tempered, until they noticed his stomach was all bloated. It wasn't the result of eating too much hay, however, that was causing the problem, but Henry's strange habit of swallowing sand. Snacking on sand: Henry the 2ft high Shetland pony became ill after grazing on sand in an all-weather paddock . He had been left to exercise in an outdoor all-weather paddock and, it seemed, had taken to the taste of its grainy covering. Unfortunately, his new meal had blocked his large intestine and this was having an effect on his other organs. His owners and other horse-lovers rallied round to quickly raise £6,000 for life-saving treatment and Henry is now making a full recovery. Owner Caroline Howarth, from Coppull near Chorley, Lancashire, bought Henry when he was six months old for her eight-year-old daughter Madison. Escape artist: Henry, seen here with her eight-year-old owner Madison, needed emergency surgery to flush out the build-up of sand . 'As soon as I saw him I knew we had to have him,' Mrs Howarth said. 'But after a while we noticed his tummy was getting bigger and bigger. Day-in, day-out it just kept swelling. 'I thought he might need worming and I kept a firm control on his food intake. 'It did not stop and the vets took a blood sample which said his liver wasn't working properly. 'They gave him more tests and my horse insurance level of £1,000 ran out. 'We had to fund any future treatment ourselves.' Happy again: The miniature pony is now making a full recovery after the emergency treatment, which was paid for by local horse lovers . Fellow horse lovers at the Seven Stars Stables at Standish, where Henry lives, decided to raise money for treatment by going on a sponsored walk. Henry was taken to the Equine Hospital at the Leahurst Campus of the University of Liverpool, which specialises in rare illnesses and serious injuries to horses. Vets there decided to flush Henry's stomach and found a build up of sand was causing all the problems. They carried out surgery to save his life and placed him on a special diet as he recovers back to health. Mrs Howarth added: 'He is a cheeky little horse and at the horse hospital they had to put a notice on his stable saying he was an escape artist. 'He now has a special diet - but no sand!' | The tiny Shetland pony, who lives in Lancashire, had become bad tempered and his stomach was getting bigger and bigger .
Vets discovered he had swallowed a load of sand while grazing on an all-weather paddock and this had blocked his large intestine .
Henry is now making a full recovery after horse lovers raised money for a £6,000 emergency operation . |
92,182 | 02915657faff4b5deb3b86eee3a703078c21c3ca | Condensation mists up the windows, and neon lights bounce off the mildewy walls, but these small discos are still a magnet for young people living in the rural villages of Lithuania. The tiny, rundown and often near-empty nightclubs have been documented by Seattle photographer Andrew Miksys, who has traveled through the former Soviet Union country in search of rural nightlife for the past ten years. 'It seemed like a perfect backdrop to make a series of photographs about young people in Lithuania, a crumbling past and the uncertain future of a new generation together in one room,' he said. Quiet party: A girl dances under a glitter ball on a sparse dance floor in one of Lithuania's rural night clubs . Off the beaten track: Andrew Miksys searched villages around the former Soviet bloc country to find tiny clubs . Miksys said that he found a young generation ready to ignore the hardships of a struggling economy, and 'just get drunk, make out, dance and sometimes fight'. Gaining access to the tightly knit communities where the village discos are held was often tricky and dangerous for a stranger. 'My anxiety was often quite intense when I got in my car and left the familiar lights of Vilnius searching for discos on mostly empty back roads,' Miksys told Landscape Stories. 'But the prospect of discovering a disco somewhere in the dark with colored lights pouring out the windows and pulsating music pushed me forward.' The photographer often found remnants of Lithuania's Communist past, with broken paintings of Lenin, gas masks and posters for Soviet films dumped in the back of the halls. 'I was quite fascinated by all this debris of a dead empire,' Miksys said. He was voted one of the top 30 emerging photos to watch by Photo District News in 2002. Night life: Young people still gather in dingy halls to dance, drink and meet new friends . Light show: The damp halls with dodgy decor are turned into clubs in remote Lithuanian villages . Comrades in arms: Like clubs across the world, these tiny discos offer the chance to dance, flirt and make out . Lithuania was under Communist rule from 1944 until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990. During this period its people clung to their culture and Pagan roots to maintain a sense of identity. The reach of Communist influence during the Soviet years would have had an impact on the clubs. Several bands were banned for being ideologically harmful, including the Village People, who were considered 'violent', Tina Turner and Donna Summer were seen as being too erotic, and Julio Iglesias, who was barred from playlists for being 'neo-fascist', according to the Scotsman. Miksys said however, that the spark of life in the young people gathering to drink and meet reminded him of the country's pagan past, according to Flavorwire. The photographer, who splits his time between Seattle and Vilnius in Lithuania, said that for solstice the country's pagans would run naked through the forests, dancing and jumping over fires, and having sex in the bushes. Although many young Lithuanians move to cities, or try to find work abroad, the summer solstice is still a festival that brings them back together. During the Pagan celebration, celebrated on June 21 this year, the near-deserted villages become overflowing with revelers. Macho: Clubbers were often suspicious as to why Miksys wanted to photograph them . Disco inferno: The club reminded Miksys of Lithuanian Pagan festivals with naked dancing in the woods . 'While it’s assumed that discos are a . product of urban culture, it seems to me that these pagan traditions . from the forest could have been the first discos,' he said. The American-Lithuanian's heritage . helped him gain access to the rural communities, who were often wary as . to why he wanted to photograph them. 'My broken, heavily accented . Lithuanian certainly gave me away. In truth, it was probably my outsider . status that made me less threatening and kept me safe,' he said. Miksys experiences of Lithuanian nightclubs form a book, Disko, which is due be published in September. | Seattle photographer spent 10 years documenting Lithuanian clubs .
Clubbers dance in halls where Soviet relics are stored . |
241,515 | c49b5e1b6fa6981df073961ac5be455488861df2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:59 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:34 EST, 26 November 2013 . For many viewers the BBC's Christmas schedule is the highlight of their televisual year and is as eagerly anticipated as Santa heading down the chimney. But there is a good chance that this December it will feel less like Christmas day and more like Groundhog Day for families as they settle down in front of the box. The broadcaster today announced it's festive programming, with the listings dominated by tried and tested old favourites, rather than new shows. Scroll down for video . Returning: The BBC's Christmas schedule has been announced, complete with festive versions of favourites Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off . Highlights include special episodes of The Great British Bake Off, Strictly Come Dancing and even a return to the screens of David Jason sitcom Open All Hours - which ran from 1973 to 1985 and has been reinvented as Still Open All Hours. For Lord Hall's first Christmas as director-general the BBC, nicknamed 'Auntie', has gone with a familiar line up and a reliance on formats that are already favourites with viewers. Period drama Call the Midwife, comedy Mrs Brown's Boys, Doctor Who and the return of Sherlock will all be promoted heavily by the corporation in the run up to Christmas. Highlight: Many viewers will be pleased to see Doctor Who returning to television screens this Christmas . However, experts have said that viewers prefer to watch special versions of their old favourites over the cosy festive season - with ratings stalwart EastEnders being a highlight of many families Christmas Day viewing. Former Tory MP and 2010 Strictly contestant Ann Widdecombe agrees. 'The . reason they do this is that old favourites are old favourites,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'People like the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. I'm sure . they would like to see some fresh stuff but I don't think the average . family will be that bothered.' Viewers will also be treated to showings of Kung Fu Panda, Cars 2, Pirates of The Carribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Meet The Parents sequel Little Fockers. Toy Story 3 will likely prove to be a popular choice, as the first in the trilogy was watched by 7.4million people on Christmas Day 2001 and the second by 6.5million in 2005. Old favourites: Period drama Call the Midwife, pictured, comedy Mrs Brown's Boys and the return of Sherlock will all be promoted heavily by the corporation in the run up to Christmas . Those who like their festive viewing in a little less technicolour will be able to tune into classic Ealing comedies, such as Titfield Thunderbolt, Whisky Galore and Kind Hearts And Coronets. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood will share their tips for a . stress-free Christmas in The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special, . and the semi-finalists of The Great British Sewing Bee return for a . one-off festive edition. The Call Centre crew will ditch their . headsets to forge the Call Centre Christmas Choir, whilst Gareth Malone . takes his own three . work forces to the roots of choral singing in The Choir: Sing While You . Work. And Strictly viewers will be able to watch not just the final of the 2013 series, but also a Christmas . special, as Bruce and Tess are joined on the dance floor by a host of . special guests, including Sara Cox and Rufus Hound. New faces: Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer will take over the Queen Vic, while Peter Capaldi is set to take over the Tardis in Doctor Who . There will also . be three versions of returning favourite Top Of The Pops, including a . Top Of The Pops 2 Christmas Special, and festive versions of Never Mind . The Buzzcocks, Mock The Week and QI, while John Humphrys quizzes more . famous faces as he and his famous black chair return for another series . of Celebrity Mastermind. There will of course be a few new arrivals, with Danny Dyer getting behind the bar of the new Queen Vic landlord in EastEnders, and new Doctor Peter Capaldi expected to take controls of the Tardis for the first time. David Walliams is behind new children's comedy Gangsta Granny, and Mark Gatiss brings a dramatization of ghost story The Tractate Middoth to the screens. Comedy: David Walliams is behind new children's comedy Gangsta Granny, which also stars Miranda Hart, Robbie Williams, Rob Brydon and Joanna Lumley . Popular: Toy Story 3 will likely prove to be a popular choice, as the first in the trilogy was watched by 7.4million people on Christmas Day 2001 and the second by 6.5million in 2005 . Danny Cohen, Director of Television, said: 'Brilliant Christmas telly . across Drama, Factual, Comedy, Entertainment and Religion is something . licence-fee payers rightly expect from the BBC and this year's holiday . schedule delivers that.'We have massive events such as the . Doctor Who re-generation and the incredible return of Sherlock, as well . as festive specials from hit shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Mrs . Brown's Boys, Call The Midwife, Bad Education, and the Great British . Bake Off.'And of course there are brand-new treats such as David . Walliams' Gangsta Granny and we'll be showing a wide range of religious . programming, including a live broadcast of The First Eucharist of . Christmas from Westminster Abbey.' | Festive highlights for the corporation include Christmas editions of The Great British Bake Off and Strictly Come Dancing .
Doctor Who and new version of Open All Hours also feature in listings .
New director-general Lord Hall's first Christmas in charge of broadcaster . |
146,907 | 49facd47acd21dd17ea3ae4dd2ded86295099124 | By . Mark Duell . Kelly Burgess, 26, exchanged more than 12,000 texts with the 16-year-old boy in just seven months . A drama teacher who had a fling with a pupil had sex with him at a hotel paid for by their school as part of a training weekend, a court heard. Infatuated Kelly Burgess, 26, exchanged more than 12,000 texts with the 16-year-old boy in just seven months, including ‘explicit’ naked pictures. Their relationship was only uncovered when the pupil visited a sexual health clinic and let slip who his lover was. Yesterday Burgess sobbed hysterically as she was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for two years. She had previously admitted four charges of abuse of trust – sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 17. Her barrister Raymond Tully insisted: ‘She is not a vamp or cougar, far from it. ‘She is just a young woman somewhat immature, somewhat mixed up who fell in love with the wrong young man.’ But Judge Euan Ambrose, sitting at Bristol Crown Court, declared: ‘You make it clear that you were both participating in what you thought was a relationship of equals, but it was quite clearly not a relationship of equals – you were at all times a teacher and he was a pupil.’ Suspending her sentence, he told Burgess that losing her teaching career was ‘the greatest punishment in many ways’. The court heard the pair met during a school production in December 2012 and started their relationship in January 2013 – shortly before the trip to a hotel in Warwickshire. They also went on a camping trip to Devon together in July. Scroll down for video . Hearing: Drama teacher Burgess arrives under an umbrella at Bristol Crown Court for her sentencing today . The pupil – who cannot be named for . legal reasons – sent Burgess naked pictures of himself via the Snapchat . mobile app and the pair exchanged thousands of texts. Sam . Jones, prosecuting, said: ‘More than 12,000 text messages were found . passing between the defendant and the boy over a relatively short period . of time. The messages are at times sexually explicit and sometimes . intimate.’ Truth: Kelly Burgess' (pictured) secret came out when she travelled to a sexual health clinic on August 5 where the pupil made revelations about dating his teacher . Their secret came . out when the pair went to a sexual health clinic in August, where the . pupil made revelations about the fact he was dating his teacher and gave . her name. When the nurse . said she had to report the news to the authorities the panicked student . then returned with Burgess, who falsely claimed to be a 17-year-old, in . an attempt to retract his statement. Police were informed and Burgess, who worked at a secondary school in Somerset, was arrested later that month. En . route to the police station Burgess received a text message from the . pupil that said: ‘Got the police round, don’t text back don’t be scared . just get your story straight when they come to you. I will phone you . later.’ The court heard that staff at the school became aware of the . relationship and the headteacher was forced to warn the head of the . drama department, who in turn spoke to Burgess. Mr . Jones added: ‘Police spoke to a number of members of staff employed at . the school and there was some concern raised by other members of staff . about the closeness of relationship of this defendant with students, in . particular the use of social media to communicate with students. The . headteacher had raised the concern with the head of department who had . raised it with the defendant.’ But Burgess, of Newport, South Wales, denied anything was going on with the pupil and the matter was left. Found out: Burgess denied anything was going on. However, she finally admitted the relationship after police presented her with evidence of her text messages, and naked Snap Chat pictures of the boy on her laptop . She . finally admitted the relationship after police presented her with . evidence of her text messages and naked pictures of the boy saved on her . laptop. But she said she . was not aware she had done anything illegal as the boy had reached the . age of consent and the relationship was ‘loving and on equal terms’. Mr Tully said his client had suffered depression following the deaths of her older brother, father and grandfather. A victim impact statement from the pupil, now taking his A Levels, said he did not agree with the prosecution. ‘There was absolutely no predatory element whatsoever,’ he wrote. ‘It was a consensual relationship.’ | Kelly Burgess exchanged 12,000 texts with boy in just seven months .
She had sex with 16-year-old at hotel where she was at training event .
Walked free at Bristol Crown Court today with a suspended sentence .
Banned from teaching and was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register .
Relationship was only uncovered when he visited sexual health clinic .
He sent Burgess naked pictures of himself via mobile app Snap Chat . |
98,150 | 0a5d5dedc7f62f84007bf94059feea7519c22cc9 | Affluent and attractive, Dorset has been ranked the best place for a golden retirement. In fact, it is one of a string of areas in the west of Britain that top a league table of ‘grey hotspots’. But there is one notable exception to the catalogue of picturesque or coastal destinations. Second place in the list was the comfortable if unglamorous Midlands’ town of Solihull. Dorset has long scored strongly in official records for its high life expectancy, good health, and general affluence. Scroll down for video . Affluent and attractive, Dorset has been ranked the best place for a golden retirement. Above, the county's fabulously expensive seaside mansion suburb of Sandbanks, in Poole . Second place in the list was the comfortable but rather unglamorous Birmingham suburb of Solihull . The table, compiled by analysts at the Prudential, reflects levels of home ownership, health, the number of unpaid carers who help relatives, the numbers of pension-age people who are married, and, as a measure of the ability of local retired people to enjoy travel, the number of pensioners who hold passports. Many of the top 10 destinations are coastal or highly picturesque areas which have long attracted those able to afford to move after retirement to the most attractive parts of the country. They include the coastal districts of the Vale of Glamorgan, North Somerset; the county of Hampshire and the Dorset town of Poole; Monmouthshire, which includes the Wye Valley and the Brecon Beacons; and South Gloucestershire, which lies between the Cotswolds and the Severn Estuary. The Glamorgan district includes Barry and a coastline comparable to North Cornwall; North Somerset includes the resort of Weston-super-Mare; and Hampshire has both popular coastal resorts and attractive country towns. Poole includes the fabulously expensive seaside mansion suburb of Sandbanks. Solihull, on the other hand, offers a Land Rover factory, most of Birmingham airport, and easy access to the M42. The area is, however, long established as a well-off suburb with good schools and high house prices, and its strength as a retirement zone may have come about because its residents are reluctant to move out when they leave their jobs. Vince Smith-Hughes of Prudential said: ‘Our analysis clearly shows that the quality of life experienced by retirees varies significantly across the country. ‘However, it is not always possible for people to up sticks and move to a location they consider to be more desirable, when the time comes to give up work. 'Family ties and the cost of moving home often dictate where people find themselves living as pensioners.’ The Quality of Retirement Index was produced by examining statistics on 170 local authority areas with the largest numbers of retirees. Quality of retirement score out of 50. Dorset: 46 . Solihull: 44 . Vale of Glamorgan: 42 . North Somerset: 42 . Buckinghamshire: 42 . Monmouthshire: 41 . Poole: 41 . South Gloucstershire: 41 . Hampshire: 41 . Wokingham: 41 . Source: Prudential Quality of Retirement Index . Each was given a percentage score on the five retirement factors taken into account, and the results were put together to give a final tally out of 50. Solihull scored 44 points, with more than eight out of 10 pensioners owning their homes and nearly as many holding passports, while more than half are in good health and nearly half are married rather than single, divorced or widowed. More than one in eight of its population provide unpaid care to children, a spouse, a partner or to a relative or a friend. Dorset towns and villages are a favoured destination for people retiring from jobs in major cities. The town of Wimborne has the highest number of married people in the country; the Prudential last year named Christchurch as the town with the highest concentration of pensioners in its population; and in West Dorset one in 10 of the population are likely to be aged over 85 in less than 20 years’ time. The report said: ‘Dorset was found to provide retirees with the best quality of life. Dorset has one of the highest retirement populations in the country.’ Mr Smith-Hughes said: ‘People looking to secure a retirement in an area where the quality of life is already high, or those simply looking to be as financially comfortable as possible when they give up work, are well advised to follow the simple rule of saving as much as possible as early as possible in their working lives.' | Second place on list is unglamorous Birmingham suburb of Solihull .
Many of the top 10 destinations are coastal or highly picturesque areas . |
38,122 | 6bd6f088605313642b8eb6703e64f0761b519340 | By . Mark Prigg . Nasa has released these stunning images of the Sun which show the biggest solar flare of the year. The huge eruption on April 11th caused a temporary radio blackout on Earth, officials . say. However, they warn the worst is yet to come - with this year expected to see the sun reach its 11 year solar maximum. Scroll down for video . Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M6.5 class flare at 3:16 EDT on April 11, 2013. The huge eruption on April 11th caused a temporary radio blackout on Earth, and is the biggest of the year so far, officials say . NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the flare. This image shows a combination of light in wavelengths of 131 and 171 Angstroms. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot . pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the . ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the . atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, anywhere from minutes to hours. The solar flare occurred at 3:16 a.m. EDT (0716 GMT) and registered as a . M6.5-class sun storm, a relatively mid-level flare on the scale of . solar tempests. It coincided with an eruption of super-hot solar plasma . known as a coronal mass ejection. 'This is the strongest flare seen so far in 2013," NASA spokeswoman . Karen Fox explained in a statement. 'Increased numbers of flares are . quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year cycle is . ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013.' Humans have tracked this solar cycle . continuously since it was discovered, and it is normal for there to be . many flares a day during the sun's peak activity, Nasa said. Officials dubbed today's solar flare . as a 'spring fling' for the sun, which has been relatively calm as it . heads into its peak activity period. The M6.5 flare on the morning of April 11, 2013, was also associated with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space and can reach Earth one to three days later. The joint ESA/NASA Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured this series of images of the coronal mass ejection (CME) on the morning of April 11, 2013 over the course of 3:48 EDT to 4:36 EDT. Mars can be seen on the left. CMEs can affect electronic systems in . satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models show . that the CME began at 3:36 a.m. EDT on April 11, leaving the sun at over . 600 miles per second. The M-class solar flare was about 10 times weaker than X-class flares, which are the strongest flares the sun can unleash. M-class solar flares are the weakest solar events that can still trigger space weather effects near Earth, such as communications interruptions or spectacular northern lights displays. The solar flare triggered a short-lived radio communications blackout on Earth that registered as an R2 event (on a scale of R1 to R5), according to space weather scales. When aimed directly at Earth, major solar flares and coronal mass ejections can pose a threat to astronauts and satellites in orbit. They can interfere with GPS navigation and communications satellite signals in space, as well as impair power systems infrastructure on Earth. SOHO also captured this coronagraphic (a telescopic attachment designed to block out the direct light from a star so that nearby objects can be seen) image of the CME as it moves . | Flare caused temporary radio blackout on Earth .
Classed as 'mid-level' flare by Nasa .
Flares expected to increase as sun moves towards its solar maximum later this year .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
277,279 | f33ce3a6859685802d02b26927e0d26824e643cc | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 13:19 EST, 4 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:37 EST, 5 March 2013 . Claim: Mark Lowry, 46, pictured outside the Old Bailey, was in the process of suing Ocado after he hurt his back delivering shopping when he was allegedly caught painting and decorating . A home shopping delivery driver who was in the process of suing his company for £360,000 over a back injury was allegedly caught working as a painter and decorator. Mark Lowry, 46, claimed to have hurt his back while unloading a crate of wine at an Ocado customer's flat in Chelsea, central London, and said that he was unable to work because he was left in constant pain, a trial at the Old Bailey heard. But Mr Lowry was caught out when Ocado hired private detectives to check up on him when he launched a lawsuit against the company - and they found him carrying out manual work. Prosecutor Richard Hearnden said: 'It seemed likely the case was going to settle out of court. 'But before that happened Ocado's insurers hired some private detectives to conduct some covert observations on Mr Lowry and report back to them. 'He was observed to do manual work - lifting, reaching up, bending from the waist and so on. 'The whole lawsuit was exposed as a sham. 'When confronted with his evidence he withdrew it.' Mr Lowry joined the home shopping firm in 2005 and was based at their depot in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. He claimed he suffered the injury during a delivery round in October that year, while attempting to remove a heavy crate of wine mistakenly placed on a high shelf in his van. The weight of the container caused him to lose his balance and fall from the rear of his van, he claimed. Mr Hearnden said: 'Whether these events actually occurred is open to question. 'There were no eyewitnesses and no ambulance was called. 'In fact, Mr Lowry tried to carry on with his rounds. He should have telephoned his duty manager but he did not because he said he did not have his mobile with him. Injury: Mr Lowry was delivering shopping in an Ocado van (file picture) in London when he claimed to have hurt his back . 'Indeed, Ocado denied there were even any bottles of wine in the order he was supposed to be delivering. 'Even if the accident did happen in precisely the way Mr Lowry described, he used it as an opportunity grossly to exaggerate his symptoms and thereby make a gain for himself.' He was caught out when the firm hired detectives to follow him for two days in November 2011. They obtained a business card from 'Mark Lowry Decor' and watched as he carried out work. Twelve days later, he signed a witness statement claiming: 'I have been unable to work since the accident.' Mr Lowry claims he only returned to work days before he was caught out . He says his solicitors made an error while drafting his witness statement and he only meant to claim damages up to September 2010. Mr Lowry, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, denies a single count of fraud. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Mark Lowry claimed he hurt his back working for Ocado in 2005 .
He launched an expensive lawsuit against the home delivery firm .
Caught out when private detectives were hired to track him, a court heard . |
164,484 | 60b2935db9312de3c1e370132da9d647733630a1 | By . Craig Hope . Hatem Ben Arfa has cancelled plans to meet with Newcastle United supporters on the same day the club holds an open training session at St James' Park. The French midfielder - banished to the reserves by Alan Pardew this summer - had invited supporters for a 'meet and greet' at a book shop just around the corner from the stadium. However, Ben Arfa has now decided against the move. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ben Arfa's cringeworthy tribute to Tupac Shakur . Waving goodbye? Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa has cancelled his meeting with supporters at The Back Page shop as he believes it would be 'counter-productive' as he has not been included in open training . Not wanted: Ben Arfa, pictured here in training last season, could leave St James' Park this summer . Banished: Ben Arfa's professionalism has been questioned and he has been made to train with the reserves . The Back Page - where the player had planned to meet fans - said: 'It is with great regret that we must announce that the planned appearance of Hatem Ben Arfa at The Back Page shop later today has been cancelled. 'Since accepting the invitation last week, it has become increasingly clear that Hatem will be excluded from the training day event at St James' Park today. CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There's £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . 'In light of the increasing media circus that news has prompted, both the Back Page and Hatem agree that staging the event would be counter-productive and cancellation is the most logical course of action. 'Hatem sends his apologies and is saddened that he's unable to meet supporters at this time.' VIDEO Newcastle have greater attacking threat - Pardew . Not happy: Manager Alan Pardew has criticised Ben Arfa's professionalism and sent him to the reserves . Newcastle begin their Premier League campaign by hosting champions Manchester City on Sunday and Pardew is hopeful defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote and new signing Siem de Joing will be fit to face Manuel Pellegrini's men. Pardew told Sky Sports News: 'On whether Siem and Cheick will be be available - it will be disappointing if they are not, but they are running well today. 'So they could be available and make it an easy job for me to pick my strongest team. But we'll have to see.' On De Jong, he added: 'I think he is a terrific player. 'I have been lucky enough in my career to manage some great players and I think he could be one of the best. 'I worked with Teddy Sheringham and he reminds me a lot of Teddy in the way he conducts the game, the way he conducts himself, and that will be shown on a matchday.' Cancelled: Ben Arfa has decided that the event at the Back Page with fans would be 'counter-productive' | Ben Arfa was scheduled to meet Newcastle fans at The Back Page shop .
Newcastle will hold an open training session on Tuesday at St James' Park .
Frenchman is set to be excluded from session so will not meet fans .
He has been banished to the reserves and looks set to leave the club .
Back Page say Ben Arfa believes the event would be 'counter-productive'
Midfielder 'sends his apologies' to fans for cancelling the meeting . |
219,422 | a806059425ea92b7787106d65677982f54227cfd | The killing of a 32-year-old man on the streets of St. Louis with a hammer was savage, random and senseless -- but it was not, that city's mayor said, related to what's been happening in nearby Ferguson, Missouri. The St. Louis metropolitan area remains on edge, a week after a grand jury decided not to indict then-Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown. That decision spurred emotional protests that sometimes devolved into looting and violence, unrest that carried racial overtones given that Wilson is white and Brown was African-American. But any claim that 32-year-old Zemir Begic's brutal killing had anything to do with this Ferguson uproar "is absolutely unfounded," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said Monday on Facebook. "There is no evidence that this was a crime occasioned by the race or ethnicity of the victim," Slay wrote in reference to Begic, who was white. The mayor made these comments after meeting with the family of Begic, who was beaten to death a hammer around 1:15 a.m. Sunday on a St. Louis street. "I told them that our city mourned with them," Slay said. "... An innocent life was savagely taken." According to a probable cause statement, Begic, his fiancée and two others heard yelling and then someone jumped on the back of his car. The 32-year-old got out, at which point a teenager -- identified by prosecutors as Robert Mitchell -- taunted Begic and "challenged him to a fight." Then, "all four men began assaulting (Begic), and at least one of them struck (him) with a hammer," the probable cause statement added, noting the attackers continued to beat Begic after he fell to the ground. He was unconscious by the time officers arrived, and pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. As to his attackers, police said that, "after the assault, the juveniles fled the scene on foot." Two of them -- juveniles age 15 and 16 -- were arrested later Sunday. A third teen was in custody by Monday, at which point authorities said they were still looking for a fourth suspect. Speaking about the attackers, Mayor Slay wrote on Facebook that "we do not know their past." "Their futures, though, will be as grim as the judicial system can make it," he added. Police will review patrol patterns in the Bevo area, where the attack occurred. Yet Slay scuttled any suggestion that they were somehow to blame. "It is not the police department's fault that no family members had any idea that their young people were on the streets that late," Slay said. "Nor is it the police department's responsibility to educate or even to engage these young people. "That responsibility, a community responsibility, is all of ours." | A 32-year-old man died after being assaulted Sunday by a group, at least 1 with a hammer .
Three juveniles have been arrested; police are still looking for a fourth suspect .
St. Louis mayor: "No evidence" that victim's race or ethnicity was related to attack .
Francis Slay: It isn't the fault of police that suspects' kin didn't know they were out so late . |
262,836 | e06fa25872bd863da855b1a99f7e2cd0e6b52974 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 21:21 EST, 9 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:37 EST, 10 July 2012 . A Sunday service inside a cathedral was dramatically interrupted after a large block of ice believed to have fallen from an aeroplane crashed through the roof. The congregation, who were packed inside Brentwood Cathedral in Essex, heard a loud explosion as the ice block hit the roof of the building. It caused roof slate and ice to fall outside the cathedral and resulted in damage to its beams and roof. Scary: A Sunday service inside Brentwood Cathedral, pictured, was dramatically interrupted after a large block of ice believed to have fallen from an aeroplane crashed through the roof . Father James MacKay, who was leading the Eucharistic prayer when the incident happened, said there was a 'massive explosion' about halfway through the celebration, causing everything inside the cathedral to stop. He told the BBC: 'I was trembling with a bit of shock. 'After a couple of seconds of shocked pause I said "right, let's crack on" and we did so.' An usher from inside the cathedral went to investigate the explosion and discovered the building had been hit from above. Fr MacKay said it caused a great deal of damage to the roof of the building, which is England's newest cathedral. Unusual: The Civil Aviation Authority said ice falling from planes is very rare . 'It went straight through the slate,' he said. Following the incident, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said ice falling from planes is very rare but said it can happen around hose connections and if washers fail. But a spokesman said: 'You can have a big lump of ice come off an aircraft as it descends into warmer air.' He added that increasingly the incidents are caused by natural meteorological phenomena. The CAA gets about 30 reports every year of ice falling from aircraft. Brentwood Cathedral was built between 1989 and 1991. The incident occurred on July 1 and the damage has now been repaired. | Congregation at Brentwood Cathedral, Essex, in shock after ice block fell from the heavens . |
217,102 | a516188571a4defa01ec8cdfae56493b038349bd | (CNN) -- Inter Milan spurned the chance to close the gap on Italian league leaders Juventus after they had to rely on a late own goal to salvage a point at home to Cagliari. Andrea Stramaccioni's side could have pulled to within three points of the Serie A champions had they beaten Cagliari but despite taking the lead they were thankful to Davide Astori for putting through his own net with eight minutes remaining. Rodrigo Palacio had given Inter the lead after just ten minutes when he nodded home a cross from Antonio Cassano. But just before halftime Italian striker Marco Sau grabbed the first of his two goals when he fired Andrea Cossu's cross into the bottom corner. Inter's Argentinean forward Diego Miltio squandered a glorious chance to restore Inter's lead when he hit Yuto Nagatomo's pass over the bar from six yards with the goal gaping. It was to prove a costly miss as Sau got his second on 66 minutes, turning home the loose ball after Mauricio Pinilla's overhead kick cannoned back off the upright. But Cagliari couldn't hold on for their first league win at the San Siro since 1995 as Astori fired into his own net when attempting to clear a cross. Stramaccioni was sent to the stands for his complaints after the referee turned down a penalty appeal as Andrea Ranocchia was fouled but despite intense pressure in the closing minutes Inter couldn't find a winner. Elsewhere, two goals from Alberto Aquilani helped Fiorentina to a 4-1 victory over Atalanta as they moved into third while Udinese and Parma drew 2-2. Francesco Valiani's goal helped Siena beat US Pescara 1-0, Bologna thrashed Palermo 3-0 and Catania beat Chievo Verona 3-1. Sunderland grabbed only their second victory of the season in the English Premier League as they got the better of 10-man Fulham at Craven Cottage. The match turned on the first half dismissal of Fulham's Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland who was shown a straight red for a lunging tackle on Lee Cattermole. Sunderland, who had scored just seven goals in their opening ten games took the lead through Scotland striker Steven Fletcher after he ran on to a pinpoint ball from former Manchester City winger Adam Johnson. Fulham drew level when substitute Mladen Petric fired home from close range but Carlos Cuellar restored Sunderland's lead almost immediately, before Stephane Sessegnon completed the scoring with a superb shot from range. In Spain, 10-man Atletico Madrid beat lowly Granada 1-0 to go second in the table behind leaders Barcelona. Turkish international Arda Turan got the winner before Mario Suarez was sent off. Levante moved up to fourth after a 2-0 away win at Deportivo La Coruna despite having Pedro Lopez sent off. Sevilla thrashed Real Betis 5-1 in their derby clash as Jose Antonio Reyes and Federico Fazio both grabbed two goals. Celta Vigo drew 1-1 with Mallorca while Getafe beat Valladolid 2-1. In Germany, Werder Bremen moved up to seventh in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 victory over Fortuna Dusseldorf, Kevin De Bruyne grabbing the winner eight minutes from time. Wolfsburg moved away from the relegation zone and above opponents TSG Hoffenheim as they won 3-1 thanks to goals from Makoto Hasebe, Bas Dost and Naldo. Meanwhile Lyon moved top of Ligue 1 in France, capitalizing on Paris Saint-Germain's shock defeat to Rennes on Saturday, as they defeated Reims. Anthony Weber's own goal set them on their way before second half goals from Bafetimbi Gomis and Lisandro Lopez added gloss. Bordeaux moved up to second after Yoann Gouffran's winner helped them beat Marseille 1-0. Dario Cvitanich's goal secured a 1-0 win for Nice in their mid-table clash with Toulouse. | Inter Milan miss the opportunity to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus .
Inter can only manage a 2-2 draw with Cagliari after Juve were held by Lazio .
Lyon leapfrog PSG at the top of Ligue 1 by beating Reims 3-0 .
Werder Bremen beat Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 in the German Bundesliga . |
241,945 | c52035c24c2845d2c7b0bb86aeb1a1ac1a3ec306 | By . Emma Glanfield . This remarkable footage shows the moment a ‘senseless’ reveller who was fuelled by drink and drugs jumped into the path of an oncoming train forcing it to slam on its emergency brakes. CCTV footage shows how the train came within just inches of hitting Nathan Barker after he jumped onto the railway line at Bentley Station in South Yorkshire. The 21-year-old, who was under the influence of drink and drugs at the time of the incident on March 18, delayed 12 train services for over 90 minutes by standing on the tracks. Scroll down for video . In the CCTV footage, Nathan Barker, 21, can be seen waving his arms in the air and staggering around on the railway line for several minutes before a train approaches . The 21-year-old, who was under the influence of drink and drugs at the time of the incident at around 10pm on March 18, was described as 'senseless' for climbing onto the railway line . The footage shows him stood on the train tracks at Bentley Station in South Yorkshire as the train hurtling towards him slams on its emergency brakes . In the footage he can be seen waving his arms in the air and staggering around on the railway line for several minutes before a train, which was hurtling towards him, slams on its brakes. However, Barker seems unfazed by the near-miss and remains on the track until the train driver, who emerges from the front cab, appears to shout at him. He then pulls himself back up onto the platform before lying on the floor – where he is later arrested for obstructing the railway. His actions were described as ‘senseless’ by British Transport Police after he was jailed for 16 weeks at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court. Sergeant Steve Down, of British Transport Police, said: ‘The driver of a train arriving at the station had to apply the emergency brakes when he spotted Barker stood on the train tracks with his arms in the air. Barker seems unfazed by the near-miss and remains on the track until the train driver, who emerges from the front cab, appears to shout at him . Sergeant Steve Down, of British Transport Police, said: 'The driver managed to stop the train in time and asked him to get back onto the platform but he refused and stayed there until police arrived' ‘The driver managed to stop the train in time and asked him to get back onto the platform but he refused and stayed there until police arrived and arrested him for obstructing the railway. ‘His behaviour can only be described as senseless. ‘Not only were his actions extremely dangerous but they also caused 12 trains to be delayed for over 90 minutes, costing the rail industry hundreds of pounds and inconveniencing the travelling public. ‘I welcome the custodial sentence and hope it sends a clear message to others that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable.’ After being spoken to by the train guard, Barker pulls himself back up onto the platform before lying on the floor - where he is later arrested for obstructing the railway . His actions were described as 'senseless' by British Transport Police and he was jailed for 16 weeks at Doncaster Magistrates' Court after admitting an offence of obstructing the railway . | Nathan Barker narrowly missed being hit after jumping into path of train .
The 21-year-old was under influence of drink and drugs at time of incident .
He was arrested for obstructing the railway at Bentley Station on March 18 .
His actions have been described by British Transport Police as 'senseless' |
16,302 | 2e3cb04e6f32922a4cc98cb819ee8db88058316c | Five healthy lifestyle traits can protect against bowel cancer, according to new research. A fifth of cases in men and over a tenth in women could be prevented if they kept slim, banished the stomach bulge and exercised more, a study found. People should also avoid smoking, drink alcohol moderately and switch to a diet packed with fibres, fruits, vegetables, fish, yoghurt, nuts and seeds with little red and processed meats. The risk is lowered for each 'good' behaviour trait adopted, and the impact is stronger in men than women. A fifth of cases of bowel cancer in men and more than a tenth in women could be prevented if they kept slim, took regular exercise, ate a healthy diet, avoided smoking and drank alcohol in moderation. File picture . The risk is lowered with every 'good' behaviour trait the person adopts, researchers found . People who practised a combination of two, three, four and all five of the healthy behaviours had a 13 per cent, 21 per cent, 34 per cent and 37 per cent lower risk of developing bowel cancer respectively. Lead author Dr Krasimira Aleksandrova, from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke said: 'Our data confirmed that with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle behaviors the risk that a person will have of developing bowel cancer decreases. 'Estimates based on our study populations suggest that up to 22 per cent of the cases in men and 11 per cent of the cases in women would have been prevented if all five of the healthy lifestyle behaviours had been followed. 'Our results particularly demonstrate the potential for prevention in men who are at a higher risk of bowel cancer than women. She added: 'These data provide additional incentive to individuals, medical professionals and public health authorities to invest in healthy lifestyle initiatives. 'Each person can contribute a lot to avoid cancer, the more healthy lifestyle changes, the better.' Around 40,000 new cases are diagnosed every year in the UK and the NHS estimates one in every 20 people will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. Every year, around 16,000 people die as a result of bowel cancer. However, between seven and eight in every 10 people with bowel cancer will live at least one year after diagnosis and more than half of those diagnosed will live at least another 10 years. Lead author Dr Krasimira Aleksandrova, from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke said: 'Our data confirmed that with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle behaviors the risk that a person will have of developing bowel cancer decreases. File picture . The study analysed the data of 347,237 men and women from 10 countries from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study using a healthy lifestyle index. Over the 12-year study period, 3,759 cases of bowel cancer were recorded. Researchers looked at the five key healthy behaviours associated with a reduction in the risk of developing bowel cancer. Previous research had identified links between rates of cancer and western lifestyles and focused on isolated lifestyle behaviours with little known about the combined impact of lifestyle choices. For each of the five behaviors, participants were assigned one point for having the healthy factor and zero for not having the healthy factor. These points were then summed to generate a cumulative score for each participant. The more healthy lifestyle factors the cohort adopted, the lower their risk of bowel cancer. The study was published in the journal BMC Medicine. | Healthy lifestyle could prevent a fifth of cases in men and a tenth in women .
People should avoid smoking, drink alcohol moderately and eat healthily .
Should also keep slim - banishing belly fat - and take regular exercise .
Risk lowered for each 'good behaviour' adopted, with more impact on men .
Around 16,000 people will die from bowel cancer in the UK each year . |
147,506 | 4ab86cb7aa1053c37d41d0946135fd7177610ad3 | (CNN) -- The new president of Egypt, Mohamed Morsy, is a 9-11 truther who doubts that America is telling the whole story about the collapse of the World Trade Center. He believes that a Christian or a woman should not be Egypt's leader. The ascent of his Muslim Brotherhood has been widely compared to Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power in Iran, including most recently by Republican nominees Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Egyptians recently breached the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, immediately calling to mind the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Watching Morsy take to the podium at the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday for his first major address on the world stage, Americans could be forgiven for worrying that another anti-Western firebrand had just assumed power in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country and its political bellwether. With his scruffy beard and his frequent references to Islamic values, Morsy bore a superficial resemblance to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had just wrapped up one of his tirades minutes earlier. But Morsy is no Ahmadinejad, as their two very different speeches made clear. Since Morsy took office in late June, he has emerged as a strong, politically savvy leader who has put the country's powerful military and security services in their place. Opinion: Politics by mob in China and Mideast . In his address Wednesday, Morsy vowed to work for a Palestinian state and defend Islam against "obscenities" such as the film "Innocence of Muslims," the YouTube clip that kicked off the recent riots across the Muslim world. But he also affirmed that Egypt would abide by its international obligations, including the peace agreement with Israel, and urged an end to the slaughter in Syria. Hardly the stuff of a wide-eyed radical. Morsy might yet prove to be the anti-American Islamist ideologue that some of his rhetoric suggests, but one all-important factor suggests that he will have to rein in his worst impulses. Egypt's economy is heavily dependent on tourism and foreign investment, and Morsy knows that he will be judged primarily on how he delivers for a population still reeling from the economic fallout of the revolution. At Tuesday's appearance at the Clinton Global Initiative, Morsy didn't blather on about evil Zionists and banning bikinis. Instead, he asked for money. "We need assistance -- investment, technology, international cooperation," Morsy told his host, former President Bill Clinton. That's not the kind of thing you say if you're looking to shut out the world, Iran-style. In his interview with The New York Times -- his first with any paper since becoming president -- Morsy signaled that relations with the new Egypt would be more complicated than the days when American leaders could simply call up Mubarak and make demands. Egypt is a budding democracy, and the United States will have to take its people's views into account. Morsy's argument -- that "successive American administrations essentially purchased, with American taxpayer money, the dislike, if not the hatred, of the peoples of the region" by supporting dictators and Israel -- was merely a statement of fact backed up by poll after poll, not an anti-Western bromide. Many chuckled at his reference to the "naked restaurants" he disliked during his time as a Ph.D. student in California. But most Egyptians share his views about establishments such as Hooters, and plenty of Americans do, too. Some analysts worry that the Muslim Brotherhood will seek to impose Islamic law on Egypt in yet another comparison to Iran. But the country's constitution has long included a mild provision requiring that laws conform in spirit to sharia, and in a follow-up question-and-answer session, the Times' interviewers noted that Morsy had been quick to clarify that he did not support giving clerics a veto over the law. Morsy even ably handled questions about President Barack Obama's well-publicized remark that Egypt is not an "ally," responding to CBS' Charlie Rose: "This is dependent on the definition of an 'ally.' The understanding of an ally as a part of a military alliance, this is not existing right now, but if you mean by 'ally' a partnership and special diplomatic relationship and cooperation, we are that ally." That sounds like a pretty clear-eyed description of reality to me. News: What to call Egypt's relationship with the U.S. Finally, the Egyptian military hasn't gone away, and it still gets the bulk of U.S. aid money -- more than $1 billion each year. Hundreds, if not thousands, of members of Egypt's officer corps have fond memories of their training in the United States. When I was briefly detained during last year's uprising, a young military police captain who had visited the Washington area waxed rhapsodic about the Tyson's Corner shopping mall and an all-you-can-eat crab feast he enjoyed at the Radisson. The ties between the two militaries have certainly been strained by the events of the past 18 months, but not altogether broken. Should Morsy begin to run roughshod over the constitution or take actions abroad that hurt U.S. interests, such as cozying up to Iran or aiding anti-Israeli groups such as Hamas, he will get pushback not only from his country's generals and the United States but also Egypt's allies in the Arab Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia. Morsy knows well that if he crosses a red line with any of those partners, the economic growth he needs will be in jeopardy. What happens, though, if Morsy can't deliver improvement in Egyptians' daily lives? That's when we might see him turn to anti-American populism and religious rhetoric to mask his failures and to cover his right flank. In other words, Americans should indeed worry about Egypt, but they should worry most of all that Morsy will fail -- not that he will succeed. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Blake Hounshell. | Blake Hounshell: Morsy's views on 9-11, women and embassy breach worrisome .
In his U.N. debut, he touted Islamic values but also affirmed Egypt's international obligations .
He may be anti-American but will rein that in because Egypt needs money from the world, he says .
Hounshell: Morsy must help his country thrive; if he fails, then worry about religious rhetoric . |
146,330 | 493780b89e0babbe2f90d994fb5b79a6a5d491d5 | (CNN) -- Dramatic bloodshed Saturday in Iraq left 64 people killed and 190 wounded, two Interior Ministry officials told CNN. A wave of bombings came amid Eid festivities marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It followed a July that was the bloodiest in five years, when violence between Sunnis and Shiites -- both Muslim sects -- spun out of control. In a press release Saturday, the State Department said the attacks "bear the hallmarks of suicide and vehicle attacks in Iraq over the past ninety days" and said most of those attacks were committed by al Qaeda in Iraq, which is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information that helps authorities kill or capture Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," the State Department said, referring to a reward that the U.S. embassy in Baghdad says has existed since 2011. "This reward is second only to information leading to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief of Al Qaeda's network, and symbolizes our ongoing commitment to helping our partners in the region eliminate this threat from their territory." The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group that includes al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks on Sunday. The statement, published on an al Qaeda website, said the attacks were in response to recent security force operations. "The Islamic State mobilized part of its security effort in Baghdad, the southern states and others to deliver a quick message of deterrence on the third day of Eid al-Fitr to the animals of Rawafdh 'Shiite' and their government," the statement said. Saturday's death toll included reports by Baghdad police that at least 22 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded after eight car bombs exploded in Shiite neighborhoods. In Tuz Khurmatou, about 180 kilometers, or 112 miles, north of Baghdad, at least eight people were killed and more than 40 others were wounded when a suicide car bomber exploded on a commercial corridor. Tuz Khurmatou is an ethnically mixed city of Arab, Kurd and Turkmen residents. In Mosul, at least eight people were killed and 12 others were wounded in two separate explosions in the city. Mosul is a largely Sunni city about 400 kilometers, or 248 miles, north of Baghdad. In Nasiriya, a car bomb exploded on a busy road, killing four people and wounding 12. Nasiriya is located in the heavily Shiite region of southern Iraq and is about 400 kilometers outside of Baghdad. In Karbala, about 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, south of Baghdad, a car bomb exploded near a bus station, killing two people and wounding 15 others. Karbala is a Shiite city. The bloodshed appears to mark a new round of violence to hit Iraq in recent months, much of it stemming from decades-old discord between the nation's Sunnis and Shiites, the two largest branches of Islam. Sunnis have felt politically marginalized under a Shiite-led government since the ouster of longtime leader Saddam Hussein in a 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The enmity is further deepened by the fact Saddam's Baathist regime was composed mostly of Sunnis during more than two decades of dictatorship and was violently repressive against Shiites. July was the deadliest month in Iraq since the peak of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007. According to figures released by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq, 1,057 Iraqis were killed and another 2,326 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence last month. | NEW: The $10 million reward has been in place since 2011, U.S. Embassy says .
Death toll grows quickly as explosions erupt throughout Iraq .
Celebrations marked end of Ramadan .
July was deadliest in Iraq since the peak of Sunni-Shiite violence in 2006 and 2007 . |
96,295 | 07dda7400e3afd79c9f58acd35228ff274bf358a | Two British women aid workers were kidnapped and raped in front of their father after being stopped at an unofficial checkpoint in Libya. The sisters were abducted when their vehicle was stopped on the outskirts of the eastern city of Benghazi. They were taken by men in military uniforms to an isolated farm and subjected to a horrific sex attack in front of their father. Kidnap: The sisters, who are of Pakistani origin, were kidnapped on Tuesday at an unofficial checkpoint on the outskirts of Benghazi . Witnesses said the young women, both Pakistan-born British citizens, were wearing veils and Free Palestine T-shirts. Libyan officials said four suspects have been arrested and security forces are trying to trace a fifth. It was unclear whether they were part of the ‘revolutionary brigades’ that serve under the country’s security ministries or outlaw militia. Deputy prime minister Awad al-Barassi said the sisters were in a ‘very bad shape’ after the horrific attack, which happened on Tuesday. Last night they were preparing to fly home to the UK. He said the women were part of an ten-vehicle aid convoy trying to reach the Gaza Strip with medical supplies. Organised by IHH, a Turkish humanitarian relief organisation, the aid mission left Britain on February 25 but became stuck in Libya when Egyptian border guards refused to let the convoy cross into Egypt. Facebook post: Turkish humanitarian relief organisation posted on Facebook that the group had not been in grave danger when they were captured . The family were on a bus on their way to Benghazi’s Benina airport when they were stopped at the unofficial checkpoint by armed young men in military uniforms. Mr al-Barassi said the women and their father were kidnapped, and the man witnessed his daughters’ rape. He said he visited the victims and met their father at a Benghazi hospital to apologise on behalf of the Libyan people and government. He described the family as being in a ‘very bad psychological state’. There were reports that two other members of the aid group were also assaulted by a different armed group and that two others are missing. The remaining members of the aid convoy travelled to the Turkish consulate in Benghazi for safety. The family was on its way to Benghazi¿s Benina International Airport when they were stopped at a checkpoint . Mr al-Barassi said those involved in the attack would stand trial soon. The attack highlights how Libya remains a dangerous place for foreigners in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime. Hundreds of heavily armed militia, many with links to criminal gangs, continue to operate freely across the country. | Two women were abducted on the outskirts of Benghazi en route to Gaza .
Taken by men in military uniforms to an isolated farm along with their father .
Witnesses said sisters, of Pakistani origin, wearing 'Free Palestine' t-shirts .
Officials said four suspects had been arrested and are tracing a fifth person .
Deputy Prime Minister Awad al-Barassi said father witnessed the rape .
Libyan Interior Ministry blamed the incident on ‘outlaws’ and illicit checkpoint . |
92,397 | 02d6fde7002a3f2acd280b0ebe6c10934041c779 | By . Daniel Martin . Foreigners travelling to Britain to exploit the NHS is costing us billions every year . The ‘massive and escalating problem’ of foreigners travelling to Britain to exploit the NHS is costing us billions every year, a senior doctor has warned. In a dramatic expose of the extent of health tourism, a leading surgeon said the cash-strapped Health Service is becoming the ‘world’s maternity wing’ as expectant mothers arrive just to give birth. Thousands of others are flying here for cancer, HIV, kidney and infertility treatment – and then leaving without paying, according to cancer specialist J Meirion Thomas. Some are so ill - even semi-conscious - that they have to be wheelchaired onto planes in foreign countries and on arrival at UK airports go straight into NHS hospitals. Many arrive specifically to give birth, then argue that they should not be charged because it counts as emergency care. Some are committing identity fraud, but the NHS is powerless to act. And this ‘serial abuse’ could be costing taxpayers billions every year, he warned – far above previous estimates. In a stinging article, Professor Thomas, consultant surgeon at The Royal Marsden hospital in London, cites a string of cases from across the NHS to conclude: ‘It all adds up to clear, widespread abuse of our NHS by ineligible patients.’ But he warned that the NHS may be ‘addled with too many loopholes’ to address the problem and could have ‘reached the point of no return’. Last month David Cameron pledged a crackdown on health tourism, saying he wanted to tighten eligibility to free care and do more to ensure the NHS recoups the money it is owed. The Prime Minister faced criticism when he was unable to put a figure on the extent of the abuse, citing old statistics showing it could be up to £20million a year. In the Spectator magazine, Professor Thomas welcomed Mr Cameron’s pledge, but said he had been ‘overwhelmed’ by letters informing him of the true scale of the problem since writing a piece in the same magazine three weeks ago highlighting how easily foreigners can abuse the NHS. Abuse of the NHS: Thousands of foreigners fly to the UK for treatment according to cancer specialist Professor Thomas . He quoted one from a junior hospital doctor working close to Heathrow airport. ‘Every single week, I see people who have been flown in from all over the world with a variety of extremely serious health problems,’ the letter said. ‘Many of these people had to be wheelchaired on to the plane because they were too unwell to walk on board. ‘We often have our Intensive Therapy Unit full of patients without NHS numbers who are there for weeks or months with no means or intention to pay, which impacts on our resources.’ Professor Thomas said the most ‘revealing and scandalous’ reports come from overseas visitor officers, who are employed by hospitals to identify and recover costs from those not entitled to free care. ‘I have now been contacted by more than a dozen OVOs, desperate to be heard, who have given me scores of cases of abuse covering every aspect of NHS activity,’ he said. ‘Some, fearing reprisal from senior managers, have spoken to me on condition of anonymity. Crackdown: David Cameron has pledged to tighten eligibility to free care . ‘This abuse may be costing the NHS (and therefore the British taxpayer) not millions but billions of pounds every year. The mystery for those of us working in the NHS is how the Department of Health and 40,000 or so hospital managers have allowed this to happen.’ The doctor said maternity health tourism was a ‘massive and escalating problem’, adding: ‘Often the patient refuses to pay, claiming that a childbirth qualifies as emergency care and therefore cannot be refused to anyone. In this way, the NHS can be used as the world’s maternity wing.’ This only adds to the pressure on wards, where birth rates in recent years have consistently proved higher than predicted and a midwife shortage means some have to close their doors because they are at capacity. Professor Thomas said there was also evidence of identity fraud, with blood tests taken in hospital revealing the woman has a different blood group to the one in the NHS records of the person they claim to be. He said renal dialysis was ‘probably the most costly form of abuse’ because the treatment needs to take place three times a week and may result in a kidney transplant. Cancer patients often travel to the UK for treatment which they do not pay for, he said, adding: ‘The NHS does not have the resources for such largesse.’ Professor Thomas called on Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to hold a national audit on the extent of the problem. The audit should be ‘manager-free’, he said, ‘because it is the mandarins and officials who have presided over the genesis and evolution of the current problem’. A spokesman for the Department of Health said the Government was determined to crack down on health tourism, adding: ‘The NHS should only be providing care to those entitled to its support, which is why we have announced plans to prevent unfair access and improve the NHS’s ability to charge for the full cost of treatment, where appropriate.’ | Leading health surgeon described the NHS as the 'world's maternity wing'
Thousands also travel to the UK for cancer, HIV and infertility treatment .
Professor J Meirion Thomas cites a string of cases in a stinging article .
He concludes there is widespread abuse of the NHS by ineligible patients . |
223,065 | acc5cc4dffaf4b83a3adfb724ace6dcdf884781e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:40 EST, 13 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:50 EST, 13 August 2013 . A father-of-three diagnosed with leukemia was denied his life-saving health coverage after his wife accidentally missed 26 cents off their payment, the couple have revealed. Sergio Branco, 33, from Edison, New Jersey, has been battling his insurance company after it refused to give him coverage for a bone marrow transplant even when he offered to send the extra change to correct the oversight. The company only backed down when attorneys and the media heard about the case. The spat came after Branco was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia - which can kill within months or weeks - and took three months off from his truck driving job under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to start chemotherapy and transfusions, NJ.com reported. Battle: Sergio Branco, who has leukemia, was denied health insurance coverage for a life-saving operation after his wife Mara, right, accidentally missed off 26 cents from their payment . Doctors said a $500,000 bone marrow transplant would prolong his life, which Branco knew his company insurance would cover. But after three months, the FMLA time expired and his company, Russell Reid, fired him. He . promptly applied for health insurance coverage through the Consolidated . Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA), which allows a fired worker to keep . the same health insurance he had while he was working, but requires him . to pay the full premium. Branco's . wife, Mara, called Paychex, which was handling COBRA for the company, . to ask about the premium for Sergio and she was told it would cost . $518.26. Fight: Branco, who has three children, was fired from his job after taking three months off to begin his treatment and had to file for a special type of insurance for employees made redundant . Treatment: He needed the coverage for a $500,000 bone marrow transplant that will extend his life . But when it came to filling out the check, she mistakenly wrote $518 - missing off the 26 cents. Paychex cashed the check nearly three weeks later and Branco continued to receive treatment. But weeks later, in June, his hospital said the insurance coverage had been terminated. Paychex said that the payment had been 26 cents short and that the company had been instructed by Russell Reid not to accept any more payments from the family, Mrs Branco said. She called Russell Reid, Paychex and the U.S. Department of Labor, but neither would help. 'There's nothing to comment on at this point,' Russell Reid's human resources representative Rich Gross told NJ.com. 'We’re still trying to figure it out.' Coverage: Paychex refused to accept a further payment of 26 cents to cover the difference . Sergio Branco's doctor also pleaded for help on their behalf by writing a letter to the companies. He wrote that Mr Branco 'will most certainly die in the very near future if he does not proceed to transplant; therefore I am writing to request that every effort be made to reinstate his health care insurance coverage'. Again, nothing happened. The Brancos hired an attorney, Jeffrey . Resnick, who went to court last week where he claimed that Branco . should have been notified about the 26 cents before his coverage was . terminated. He added that the law also states that health coverage cannot be terminated for 'non-payment of a de minimis amount', and that the mistake was innocently made as Mara was juggling two young children, a teenager and a very ill husband. Support: But Branco, pictured center with relatives, battled the company with attorneys and media coverage and now the health insurance has been reinstated, so he can undergo the bone marrow transplant . And after the New Jersey Ledger contacted the company, it said it is working on getting the coverage back. 'Paychex is working diligently with our client and other appropriate parties right now to reinstate Mr. Branco’s coverage,' said spokeswoman Laura Saxby Lynch. 'We are very ardently working on the situation with all parties including the carrier, and the decision ultimately rests with the carrier.' Mrs Branco added that the Department of Labor said the insurance would be reinstated. 'They said the company did it wrong,' she said. 'I am super happy. It’s like a weight has lifted off my shoulder. It’s better than winning the lottery.' | Sergio Branco, 33, diagnosed in January with acute myeloid leukemia - which can kill within weeks or months .
He was fired after taking three months off work to start chemotherapy .
When he went to sign up for health insurance for fired workers, his wife accidentally left 26 cents off the $518.26 check .
The company dropped his coverage and would not reinstate it - until lawyers and the media became involved . |
61,000 | ad4a32b23a74eace87ab2ac852beb70aaaa690f8 | By . Alex Greig . and Hayley O'keeffe . and Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 19:49 EST, 30 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:30 EST, 31 December 2013 . A neighbor of notorious kidnapper and rapist Ariel Castro pleaded guilty Monday to hundreds of charges including murder, kidnapping and rape. Elias Acevedo, 49 pleaded guilty to 297 charges in total after previously confessed to the kidnapping, rape and murder of two women in a Cleveland neighborhood in the early 1990s, as well as repeatedly sexually assaulting his own daughters. The disturbed man was sentenced to 445 years in prison without the possibility of parole, WKYC reported. Scroll down for video . Locked up for life: Convicted sex offender Elias Acevedo Sr. sobs Monday between his attorneys during his sentencing and will serve life in prison as part of a plea agreement . An emotional scene: Tonia Adkins, left, sister of victim Christina Adkins, and Mary Adkins (at the podium) stepmother of Christina, read a statement directed at convicted sex offender Elias Acevedo Sr., who can be seen crying in the background . The convicted sex offender wept Monday in court as the tortured girls, now adults, spoke in court about how their father destroyed their childhood. 'You have changed my life forever,' one daughter said, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. 'You robbed me of my childhood... I have lived in fear but I will no longer.' His sister-in-law also spoke in court about the evil man - she was raped 20 years ago when only 18-years-old and more than five months pregnant. 'I am grateful I can stand here today as one of his survivors,' she said. 'Back then I was the coward, but I'm not a coward anymore.' Their attacker apologized for his horrific crimes after the families of Ms Pemberton and Ms Adkins also spoke. 'I can't describe the regret and shame I have for what I've done,' he said. 'I wish I could bring your daughters back.' The predator then wept again as his sentence was read aloud in court - life in prison without parole. Day in court: Elias Acevedo, shown here during a previous court appearance, pleaded guilty Monday to 297 counts including murder, rape and kidnapping . Confession: Elias Acevedo has confessed to raping and killing two women in the mid-90s . He has agreed to work with the FBI to help prevent crimes similar to his from happening in the future, according to the Plain-Dealer. Mr Acevedo initially landed in court after being charged . with the kidnapping, rape and murder of 30-year-old Pamela Pemberton who . was found strangled in 1994, and Christina Adkins, who was 18 and five . months pregnant at the time of her disappearance in 1995. He initially only faced charges in those cases, but investigators soon discovered he had raped several more victims. including underage children - he faced hundreds of counts by the time the investigation was concluded. Monday's guilty plea finally brings some level of closure to the families of Christina Adkins and Pamela Pemberton. Acevedo lived on the same block as sadistic Castro during the 1990s. Castro died while serving a life sentence, plus 1,000 years, and was found with his trousers round his ankles after dying while indulging in auto-erotic asphyxiation. Following the discovery of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, who had been missing for 10 years, languishing in the basement of Castro's home, there was a renewed focus on missing persons cold cases. 'Because the public became more aware and investigators were determined and relentless, people were re-interviewed and there was an increased interest in these missing person cases,' FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson said. When police questioned Castro's neighbors, it was discovered that Acevedo was a convicted sex offender and hadn't reported his address to police. Locals: Christina Adkins (left) and Pamela Pemberton (right) both went missing in the mid-90s . Neighborhood: Cuyahoga County Sheriff deputies patrol the neighborhood outside Ariel Castro's home in Cleveland in May, the same block where Acevedo lived . Acevedo was arrested on June 11 in connection with a 1993 rape case after a rape kit taken at the time was tested for DNA evidence. According to Cleveland.com, the woman Acevedo raped in 1993 was his brother's common-law wife. She dropped the charges against him because he had seven children and twins on the way at the time. Tragic: Christina Adkins was 18 and five months pregnant when she was murdered by Acevedo . When detectives spoke with her about Acevedo this year, they were able to start building up a profile of his behavior, which involved strangling, keeping the underwear of his victims and a tendency to return to certain geographical areas. The 1993 rape occurred close to the spot where his neighbor Pemberton's body was found in 1994. Pamela Pemberton was found dead in a field on West 11th Street, near Clark Field, by three youths going to school October 24, 1994. Homicide detectives said Pemberton had been strangled and was found naked. She had been going to meet a friend at a bar and never returned home. Acevedo was then linked to the 1995 disappearance of Adkins, who was last seen close to Acevedo's home. A spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office said that Acevedo has confessed to the murders, which means authorities will not seek the death penalty. Victims: Christina Adkins (left) and Pamela Pemberton (right) were murdered within a few months of each other . The Guardian reports that Acevedo led detectives to the spot where he dumped Adkins' body in a manhole under a busy highway overpass on the Ohio city’s west side. Remains recovered from the manhole were sent for DNA testing and test results today proved the remains were those of Adkins. Acevedo has a long criminal history that dates back to 1988, including theft, receiving stolen property and a 2003 rape and kidnapping case for which he served three years in prison. The 293-count indictment, unsealed Thursday, charged Acevedo with aggravated murder, as well as 173 counts of rape, 115 counts of kidnapping and one count of gross sexual imposition. Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were all kidnapped by Ariel Castro after accepting a lift from the sadistic abuser. Once at his Cleveland address, they were subjected to a decade of torture, rape and emotional abuse which involved them being confined to a darkened room and treated like animals. The girls escaped on May 6 this year after Miss Berry realized that when leaving the house, Castro had forgotten to lock the inside door. (LtoR) Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were subjected to years of torture and abuse by Ariel Castro . Amanda Berry: Miss Berry was taken by Castro a day before her 17th birthday on April 21 2003. The last person to hear from her was her sister, when she called to say that she was getting a lift home from a local Burger King. Amanda was subjected to years of sexual abuse by Castro, and gave birth to his child in December 2006. Michelle Knight: Miss Knight was 21 when she was abducted by Castro after leaving her cousin's home. She left behind a young son, and after her rescue police admitted that they spent limited resources in the search for her. Gina DeJesus: Miss DeJesus was 14 when she was last seen by her friend, Castro's daughter Arlene on April 2, 2004. In a twist of fate, while studying to become a journalist, Castro's son Anthony interview Miss DeJesus' mother about her disappearance in 2004. | Elias Acevedo, 49, pleaded guilty Monday to the kidnap, rape and murder of two women who disappeared in the mid-90s .
At the time of the women's disappearance, Acevedo lived on the same block as Ariel Castro .
He also pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping his three daughters over the past two decades .
Paternity testing shows that Acevedo fathered a child with at least one member of his own family . |
99,064 | 0b99e76fcb3924b60c3fb529afa03af36f3ddb15 | A group of suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested after arriving into Britain by hiding in the back of a lorry which was carrying a dozen luxury jet skis worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. The stowaways, who are aged 33 and 22 and are believed to be Albanian nationals, hid in the back of the truck containing 12 jet skis worth £15,000 each as it made its way from Ibiza to the UK. It is understood the three men hid in the back of the 44ft lorry after climbing into it during the ferry crossing from Spain to Portsmouth Harbour. Scroll down for video . Three illegal immigrants have been found on board a lorry carrying jet skis from Ibiza to the UK . Police were called to Watercraft World in Fareham, Hampshire, after workers spotted the men in the lorry as they unloaded the luxury jet skis. It is thought they climbed onto the lorry during the ferry crossing from Spain . Staff at Watercraft World in Fareham, Hampshire, only discovered the men, who were in good health, as they began unloading the luxury jet skis at the depot on Friday. They alerted police who arrived soon after in three police cars and two vans to take the men away. Nigel Kershaw, who runs Watercraft World, said the men carried Albanian passports, driving licences and £2,000 in cash. He said: 'At first I thought it was one of our guys and then another head appeared and we panicked. 'All we could do was surround the vehicle and tell them to stay where they were until the police arrived. 'I think everyone here is a bit shocked. It's one of those situations you see on the news as you see what's going on in Calais and other places. 'It doesn't seem real until a day like this and it's a big wake-up call for us all. 'I felt desperately sorry for the lorry drivers. With everything going on on the continent they are so aware of the issues. 'When they arrived in Spain from Ibiza they drove straight to Bilbao, not even stopping for coffee, so there was never any chance of having people climb in.' The men were detained after the lorry parked in Fareham having crossed from Spain to Portsmouth Harbour . The jet skis were being transported from Ibiza where they were being used by riders at a water sports festival . He also urged authorities to tighten up controls, adding: 'I know they are up against it and immigration is on a huge scale but the whole thing needs looking at.' The jet skis - all privately owned - were being transported from Ibiza where they were being used by riders at the Jet Bou Ibiza water sports festival. The watercraft arrived in Bilbao following a 400-mile overland trip from Valencia where they had travelled from the island by another boat. It is thought the men managed to gain access to the back of the lorry from another vehicle on the way over from Spain and had been travelling for up to three days. Paul Hughes, director of festival organisers Xtreme Action, which organised the shipment of the jet skis, said: 'I don't know why they weren't picked up but they should have more cameras on lorries going through.' He stressed the watercraft were undamaged during the incident and said he was working to book more secure trailers for next year's trip. A Portsmouth Harbour spokesman refused to comment and said the UK Border Force is responsible for checking vehicles entering the port. A UK Border Force spokesman said: 'We work closely with the police to tackle illegal immigration and continue to strengthen the security of our border to stop those who have no right to enter the UK.' The discovery comes just days after UK Border Force officials started tightening controls on vessels sailing from West Africa amid the Ebola crisis. Police were called to the M20 in Kent after four suspected illegal immigrants were seen sitting on top of a lorry . The men found on the M20 in Kent were detained by police before being handed over to immigration authorities . It is the latest in a string of similar incidents, where suspected illegal immigrants have tried to gain access to Britain by hiding in the back of a lorry. Yesterday, four men suspected of being illegal immigrants were detained after reportedly hanging on to the top of a lorry as it drove along the London-bound carriageway of the M20 in Kent. It is understood the driver pulled over after seeing an arm hanging down from the roof of his lorry as he drove along the motorway. Police were notified and the lorry parked up on the hard shoulder to await their arrival. Last month, 13 suspected illegal immigrants, believed to be from Ethiopia, were detained after being spotted running from the back of a lorry on between junctions 12 and 13 of the M25. And just four days earlier, a man was arrested for alleged 'facilitation offences' after 24 Eritrean nationals were discovered in the rear of an HGV in Whitfield, near Dover, Kent. The latest discovery comes just days after riot police were called to the French port of Calais as more than 400 immigrants tried to storm lorries bound for the UK. French police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd but chiefs admitted some illegal immigrants may have got onto lorries during the disturbance. The latest discovery comes just days after French riot police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd in the French port of Calais as more than 400 immigrants tried to storm lorries bound for the United Kingdom . A Home Office spokesman said: 'We work closely with the police to tackle illegal immigration and continue to strengthen the security of our border to stop those who have no right to enter the UK. 'If people have a genuine need of protection they should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. 'If they are just seeking to evade immigration control they need to know that they are risking their lives and that they will get caught. 'The new Immigration Act makes it harder for people to live in the UK illegally. 'It makes it harder for illegal immigrants to abuse our benefits and public services, and makes it easier for us to remove them by reducing the number of appeals.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Trio hid in lorry carrying 12 jet skis worth £15,000 each as it crossed border .
Thought to have hid in back of truck during ferry crossing from Spain to UK .
Lorry had been transporting the jet skis from Ibiza to Fareham in Hampshire .
Three Albanian men arrested by officers after being found at destination . |
104,560 | 12ebdbd6572ddea3096c9b34992e3e4f1040599e | Hong Kong (CNN) -- In the 2011 suspense movie "Contagion," Gwyneth Paltrow's globe-trotting character dies from a virus that stirred up our memories -- and fears -- of SARS, the respiratory epidemic from China that killed several hundred people around the world in 2003. Paltrow played Patient Zero, a woman who travels through Hong Kong -- where we were treated to scenes of Kowloon, by some accounts the densest concentration of human life on the planet -- from where she boards a plane and subsequently spreads the deadly virus around the world. While the movie was fiction, SARS was very real. It made us feel nervous, vulnerable and afraid. But it also made us learn. Exactly one decade after SARS hit, is the travel world ready if a similar epidemic -- a SARS 2.0 -- were to break out? Experts in the aviation, hotel and health industries agree we're now much better prepared than before to deal with such a potential calamity. But some still prefer to avoid publicly addressing the issue. Here are five of the most important lessons we've learned about handling global epidemics, ten years on. 1. SARS helped the world realize we needed a global plan . "The most important change has been the adoption of the International Health Regulations in 2005," says Dr. Isabelle Nuttall, World Health Organization Director for the Global Capacities Alert and Response Department in Geneva, Switzerland. The IHR, as Nuttall describes, is basically one massive global plan that maps an emergency response effort if a health emergency -- such as SARS -- strikes. At present, 194 states and territories have signed the legally binding agreement. Ten years ago, a plan like this simply didn't exist. "During SARS everything had to be invented," says Nuttall. "It was the first time we were dealing with such a disease, such an international threat. We had to mount new networks of clinicians and laboratories." And there was no obligation to report anything quickly -- as the world learned from a secretive China in April 2003. On one Saturday that month, health authorities in Beijing claimed just 37 confirmed SARS cases existed in the capital. One day later, Beijing revealed 346 confirmed cases with another 402 suspected. The international community condemned China for withholding vital information. Ten years later, the IHR now gives the World Health Organization "probing powers" into any signatory country to check in and make sure everything is okay. Countries are legally bound to report all they know. 2. SARS helped us be more alert with technology and training . While NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command, tracks airspace over the United States and Canada for potential threats, the World Health Organization boasts its own global watch system for brewing health crises. Like a global plan, the capability for high-tech tracking also didn't exist ten years ago. "We now have a system that is constantly screening the web 24/7 for information and rumors," says the WHO's Nuttal. "We analyze them -- and some turn out to be false. However, every single piece of information is touching our attention and bringing the information to a team of people." While the World Health Organization has an army of 8,000 health and safety officials, the Kowloon Shangri-La in Hong Kong has an 800-person trained team of employees that both welcome and watch hotel guests. "We always want to be alert, but we certainly don't want to be alarming," says Linda Wan, resident manager at the Kowloon Shangri-La. The 20-year industry veteran, who moved from the United States to Hong Kong last year, has an old 2003 emergency SARS manual sitting on her desk. That has evolved into a general emergency response manual that the Shangri-La uses to train staff. Employees are taught to sanitize public areas -- elevator buttons, escalator rails, door knobs and restroom doors -- every hour or based on foot traffic frequency. In guest rooms, housekeeping disinfects frequently touched items with special focus on remote controls, light switches and bathrooms. "If a guest is ill we may refer them to a nearby clinic and notify proper authorities of any heightened concern," says Wan. Even before hotel guests check in, thermal imaging technology at major airports serves as an earlier field of defense against visitors arriving with a fever. The closer your image is to the red side of the visible light spectrum, the warmer you are. Too warm and you get a visit to the quarantine room for questioning and a potential sick bed. 3. SARS taught us to appreciate breathing in deeply . You board your plane, amble down the aisle, spot your seat and then ... mentally cringe: your red-nosed neighbor for the next several hours is coughing and sneezing into already-moist tissues. If air purity is a factor in which airplane you fly, the Boeing Dreamliner (battery problems notwithstanding) is best, according to Tom Ballantyne, the Sydney-based chief correspondent for Orient Aviation. The two-decade aviation expert says the Dreamliner's technologically advanced systems mean its air is the best-filtered in the skies. Another benefit of the state of the art system is a difference in cabin pressure. While other airplanes are pressurized at about 8,000 feet in altitude, the new Dreamliners are pressurized at 5,000 feet, "so it's a much more pleasant atmosphere." Higher humidity levels also keep that dry cottonmouth feeling at bay. The newer Boeing 777's and the latest versions of the Airbus A350 and A320 Neo also have well filtered air, adds Ballantyne. "As newer models come out, their internal air purification systems are more advanced." But the 747-400 sits on the opposite end of the clean air spectrum because it's "a relatively elderly aircraft" that's been in operation for nearly three decades, says Ballantyne. While Singapore Airlines retired its last 747 passenger jet in April 2012, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific still has 18 in its fleet, United Continental operates 23 and British Airways boasts to be "the world's largest operator of the Boeing 747-400" -- with 57 aircraft. 4. SARS taught airlines to be financially more resilient . Between 2001 and 2005, an average of more than one major U.S. airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection each year: TWA (2001), US Airways (2002) , United Airlines (2002) , US Airways again (2004) and both Northwest Airlines (2005) and Delta (2005) on the same day in a coincidence in timing. But from 2006 onward, just one major U.S. airline filed for bankruptcy protection -- American Airlines in 2011. The reason is that catastrophic events, such as 9/11 and SARS, taught airlines an important lesson. When people stopped flying, "airlines recognized the thing that gets them into real trouble is running out of cash," says Paul Sheridan, head of consultancy Asia at Hong Kong-based Ascend. Airlines learned to "make sure they have enough cash flow" to weather turbulent times. "Over the last five years, we've seen oil prices hit 150 bucks a barrel, swine flu and a volcanic ash cloud" that all impacted air passenger numbers, says Sheridan. "The industry has had plenty of practice and (now keeps) more cash on hand. It's a pretty wide range for liquidity, but perhaps it's 10 percent of revenue, maybe a bit higher." If it hadn't been for 9/11 and SARS, "a lot of airlines would have been bankrupt now if you threw the same issues over the last five years at them." 5. SARS -- and other big, bad diseases -- still scare us . Sometimes what we learn isn't through what is said, but through what is not. Although SARS occurred a decade ago, an inordinate number of people and businesses declined comment for this article -- including all four international airports in the SARS hub cities of Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore and Toronto. "The responsible person has a very full schedule recently -- sorry," texted Hong Kong Airport Authority spokeswoman Chris Lam. "This is something that we'd rather not revisit at this point in time," e-mailed Robin Goh, assistant vice president of corporate communications at Singapore's Changi Airport Group. Beijing Capital Airport authorities told CNN it would take "several days to look at an application" for an interview after having been closed the entire week prior for Chinese New Year. Toronto Pearson never replied to e-mailed interview requests. "I don't know why (they would not talk) to tell you the truth," said Ballantyne of Orient Aviation. "I could understand the trouble with Beijing and bureaucracy, but I would have expected Singapore and Hong Kong to be willing to talk about it. You fly to Singapore and you can still see the signs and huge thermal imaging cameras. I'd be happy to say 'We've got these things.'" In the hotel industry, similar caution appeared to exist. Hong Kong's Kowloon Metropark (formerly the Metropole), the Hong Kong hotel that had the first reported SARS case in the city, declined an interview request. "I'm sorry we do not want to put out any comments on the SARS issue because we want to look forward," said Anita Kwan, public relations manager at the Metropark Hotel in Kowloon. "I have spoken to the boss." The Hong Kong Four Seasons, arguably the city's top hotel, also declined to discuss any precautions and response procedures it had in place. "Feburary is our peak season and we are too busy to arrange any interview at this moment," said Angela Wong, the Four Seasons public relations manager. And international airlines including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates Airlines all either stopped communicating, only released statements or declined interview requests through their public relations agency. The lessons learned 10 years later? We have a global response plan and advanced technology for disease tracking. And we have better training for hygiene and healthier airline financial strategies. Yet while we're much better prepared, SARS still scares us ... sometimes into silence. | The world is better prepared for a similar outbreak than in 2003 .
Airplane manufacturers are putting more emphasis on inflight air quality .
Global response plan and advanced technology for disease tracking .
Reality is SARS and similar viruses still scare . |
75,929 | d74e5571eb1546ea6a0668baa10240bf060e75b6 | The Islamic State has threatened a fresh wave of violence against the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq, saying they will execute 300 families whom they have surrounded in northern Iraq. It came after the jihadist militant group took hostage hundreds of Yazidi women in their stronghold city of Mosul yesterday, amid warnings that they had 'vicious plans' for their captives. Fighters for the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as ISIS, continue to lay siege to a mountain near the Turkish border, where as many as 50,000 of the minority - considered apostates and devil-worshippers by IS - have been holed up without food or water. They today received aid from Kurdish and American forces, who have intervened to protect the embattled minority group after an international outcry. Scroll down for video . Desperate masses: Stranded Yazidi men, women and children rush towards a Kurdish helicopter carrying aid today, as IS fighters surround mount Sinjar . Tearful: Some children were carried off to safety, but thousands of the religious minority remains stranded on the mountainside . Under fire: The film crew, embedded with the Kurdish fighters, also saw a firefight between the helicopter gunner and IS forces with anti-aircraft weapons . Persecuted: Yazidi children (pictured) have taken to sheltering in the holy valley of Lalish, while others trapped in the Sinjar Mountains were flown renewed supplies by the U.S. today. The religious minority is not alone in being threatened by the militants, who also say Christians and Shia Muslims are heretics and should convert . Plight: Left, a Yazidi woman and a young baby shelter in Lalish, the religion's holy valley in northern Iraq. Right: A Yazidi girl who has escaped to the city of Sirnak, Turkey . Masses of desperate, crying Yazidis were filmed today by a crew from Rudaw news perched in a Kurdish helicopter as water and supplies were dropped, while the chopper came under fire from IS troops below. American plans also dropped supplies, and RAF helicopters were today dispatched to do the same. The latest threat to the three hundred families - who live in the villages of Koja, Hatimiya and Qaboshi - came after the Sunni militant group surrounded them, according to a Yazidi politician. It came as U.S. President Barack Obama said more air strikes were likely around the Sinjar Mountains where the Yazidis are trapped - and refused to give a timetable for how long the offensive might take. The U.S. and Iraqi governments have stepped up our military assistance to Kurds as they wage this fight,' he said. 'American aircraft are positioned to strike IS terrorists around the mountain to help forces in Iraq break the seige and rescue those who are trapped there.' He insisted he was pursuing a 'broader strategy' aimed at 'preventing an act of genocide'. 'Ultimately only Iraqis can ensure the stability and security of Iraq', he said. 'The United States can't do it for them.' But he added: 'We will protect our American citizens in Iraq whether they're diplomats, civilians or military. If these terrorists threaten our facilities or our personnel we will take action to protect our people. Threat: Islamic State fighters have continued their relentless sweep through Iraq, causing refugees to flee and carrying out brutal executions on their enemies . 'Long-term project': President Barack Obama said today that American involvement, which began yesterday with targeted air strikes, could prove protracted . How events unfolded: Yesterday marked a landmark campaign by the U.S., its first incursion into Iraq by air since troops pulled out of the country in 2011 . 'We will continue to provide military assistance and advice to the Iraqi government as they battle these terrorists so they cannot establish a safe haven. 'This morning I spoke with Prime Minister Cameron of the UK and President Hollande of France and I'm pleased that both leaders agree with our strong support. Once again America is proud to act alongside our closest friends and allies.' The haul on the C130 Hercules aircraft includes clean water, tents and tarpaulins for up to 75,000 people. A second plane left this afternoon - but the Ministry of Defence has been keen to stress there are no desires to enter another war. A spokesman told MailOnline today: 'We're talking about a humanitarian mission, not a military one'. And Britain has Special Forces in the region working with US counterparts, identifying potential targets for further air strikes aimed at stopping the advances of Islamists towards Kurdish areas or Baghdad. Many SAS men speak Arabic and know Iraq's mountains and cities well after a decade of missions. An MoD spokesman said: 'We do not comment on the movements of Special Forces'. Strikes: This images show the moment American fighter jets dropped their 500lbs payload on Islamic State outside Irbil yesterday . Smoke rising: There were two strikes launched less than two hours apart yesterday, which targeted mortar emplacements and a convoy . Yesterday extremists captured hundreds of Yazidi women in Mosul and held them in schools while thousands of other civilians fled in fear, according to officials. Kami Amin, a spokesman for Iraq's human rights ministry, said: 'We think that the terrorists by now consider them slaves and they have vicious plans for them. 'We think that these women are going to be used in demeaning ways by those terrorists to satisfy their animalistic urges in a way that contradicts all the human and Islamic values.' Escorted by two Navy fighter jets this morning, three planes dropped 72 bundles of supplies for the refugees trapped in the Sinjar Mountains in northern Iraq, where they are trying to escape to Turkey. The extremists' 'campaign of terror against the innocent, including the Yazidi and Christian minorities, and its grotesque and targeted acts of violence bear all the warning signs and hallmarks of genocide,' said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. 'For anyone who needed a wake-up call, this is it.' To the rescue: An RAF C130 Hercules is pictured above taking off from Camp Bastion in Iraq, laden with aid for the stranded Yazidi refugees . London calling: Britain also joined in the aid efforts in Iraq - pictured above is an RAF Hercules being loaded with drinking water and tents for the beleagured Yazidis . Locked in: An aid worker piles the packages into the Hercules - they are due to be dropped from the skies above Iraq, where as many as 50,000 are stranded . The U.S. bombing yesterday was followed up by a second round of airstrikes near Irbil, the city where officials said the artillery would have been used. According to the U.N., more than 500,000 people have been displaced by the violence in Iraq since June, bringing the total this year to well over a million. Expanding from their stronghold of Mosul, Islamic State have captured a string of towns and Iraq's largest hydroelectric dam and reservoir in recent weeks. The group captured Mosul in June then launched a blitz towards the south, sweeping over Sunni-majority towns almost to the capital, Baghdad. It already holds large parts of western Iraq and neighboring Syria, and Iraqi government forces crumbled in the face of the assault but have since been able to prevent the militants from advancing into Shiite-majority areas. In the north, Kurdish fighters have been the main line of defense against the radicals but they are over-stretched and under-resourced. In contrast to Washington's decision to invade Iraq more than a decade ago, both the airdrop and the authorization of military action against the Islamic State group were widely welcomed by Iraqi and Kurdish officials fearful of the militants' advance. 'We thank Barack Obama,' said Khalid Jamal Alber, from the Religious Affairs Ministry in the Kurdish government. The International Rescue Committee said it was providing emergency medical care for up to 4,000 dehydrated Yazidis, mostly women and children, who survived without food or water for up to six days hiding in the Sinjar mountains before fleeing to a refugee camp in Syria, where a civil war is raging. Officials in Britain, Germany and elsewhere pledged financial aid to support humanitarian efforts in Iraq, and several top European officials supported Obama's decision to intervene with airstrikes. Missile: The Kurdish fighters are seen as the last line of defence because they are poorly-resourced to deal with the invading horde of militants . Battle: Kurdish peshmerga fighters load a missile launcher yesterday during clashes with the army groups led by Islamic State fighters in Mosul, Iraq . Last line of defence: Kurdish fighters (pictured) say they are willing to fight to the death to defend their homeland in northern Iraq from the Islamic State fighters . Forces: With almost no armour, Kurdish peshmerga troops stand guard today against the Islamic State threat in the Yezidis' most holy site, the valley of Lalish . | Jihadist group says it will kill religious minority members in Koja, Hatimiya and Qaboshi unless they convert to Islam .
They are also surrounding Mount Sinjar, near the Turkish border, where Yazidi people fear slaughter at their hands .
Americans and Kurdish forces have made aid drops on the mountain, with British helicopters soon to join in .
Comes after Barack Obama authorised air strikes on Islamic State artillery emplacements and convoys yesterday . |
268,849 | e84229e19b945be1742cf15278418ed3c30aac23 | Many Americans think global warming is a distant risk that threatens faraway places with ice caps and polar bears. Very few Americans link global warming to infectious disease, but that could change. As the climate of the northern United States warms, the Asian tiger mosquito, one of the world's most invasive pests, continues spreading northward from Texas to New York, while extending its breeding season. These changes are happening just when chikungunya, an infectious disease carried by this and other mosquitoes, is rapidly spreading throughout the Caribbean. Pieces are falling into place for a historic epidemic on U.S. shores. If that happens, then mosquitoes might just shift the debate from whether climate change is happening to a more serious discussion on how to respond to the consequences of a warmer world. Studies by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication have found that when Americans are informed about the broad health consequences of climate change, they are more likely to engage with the issue. When what's threatened are our neighbors, rather than far away polar bears, the perception of climate change is likely to shift. When informed about the broad health consequences of climate change, participants surveyed by the Yale Project for Climate Change Communication are more likely to engage with climate issues. In the end, disease-carrying mosquitoes don't care if you are a Democrat or a Republican. Asian tiger mosquitoes are opportunistic; they breed nearly anywhere. Unlike most other mosquitoes, they bite all day long. Nor do they mind having their blood meal interrupted by an attempted swatting. They just fly off to other victims and increase the odds of spreading disease. Arriving in Texas in the mid-1980s, Asian tiger mosquitoes spread northward to their ecological limit where annual average temperatures are 50 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer — a boundary that runs more or less through New York City. Indeed, New York health officials are monitoring Asian tiger mosquitoes in 61 locations across the city's five boroughs. The mosquito is abundant in the Washington, D.C., area. The Asian tiger mosquito is also adapting its behavior and is able to ignore the onset of autumn, postpone hibernation, and extend its egg-laying season. More time to breed allows more Asian tiger mosquitoes in northern latitudes, just as one of the worst diseases they can carry arrived near U.S. shores. News reports on chikungunya picked up their pace last December when the disease first appeared on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. We know it originated in East Africa, how the Makonde people in Africa named it for the contorted posture related to its painful arthritis-like symptoms, that the number of confirmed or suspected cases in the Caribbean has passed 25,000, and that it is highly likely to spread to the U.S. mainland. There is little or no discussion of the virus' propensity to mutate. Although the outbreak is driven by the yellow fever mosquito, which thrives only in the tropics, recent mutations allow the chikungunya virus to be carried 100 times more efficiently by the Asian tiger mosquito. This new virus strain infected hundreds of thousands of people on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in 2005; about 255,000 cases were reported. Many died and thousands experienced high fever and intense physical pain. The same strain has caused at least five outbreaks in Asia affecting millions, with smaller outbreaks in France and Italy. Unfortunately, just when public health officials should be preparing for a chikungunya outbreak in the United States, the federal budget sequestration reduced funding for research on all infectious diseases. Global warming is enabling the Asian tiger mosquito to spread northward, yet climate policy remains stalled in Congress, where some elected officials still dismiss even the reality of the measurable rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. The relationship between climate change and infectious disease needs to be a focus of the nation's strategy for outbreak prevention, preparedness, detection and response. Public understanding of chikungunya and the broader links between rising temperatures and human health could help change public discourse. Since the first outbreak of Lyme in Connecticut, the disease has already spread into Canada. cryptococcosis, a frequently lethal fungal disease formerly restricted to the tropics, was identified in the Pacific Northwest in 2007. Valley fever and hantavirus are also spreading. All have been associated with changing environmental conditions as temperatures increase. Do we really need to wait until chikungunya arrives in the United States before we initiate responsible climate and human health policies? | Writers: Global warming doesn't just hurt polar bears; it can help spread disease .
Writers: Chikungunya-carrying Asian tiger mosquito's range expands as nation warms .
They say the illness is spreading in Caribbean and is highly likely to spread to the U.S.
Writers: We need to act on relationship between climate change and infectious disease . |
108,149 | 176f99d37247df130a4f2dfeb480c9edcafc18c2 | Self-confessed ‘party boy’ Solomon Akhtar, 22, from London allegedly filmed himself with an ex-girlfriend . The Apprentice has become embroiled in fresh controversy after it emerged one of the contestants allegedly made a sex tape which show bosses fear could be leaked to the public. Self-confessed ‘party boy’ Solomon Akhtar allegedly filmed himself with an ex-girlfriend and was forced to confess to BBC bosses after his friends posted the information on Twitter. It is the latest in a string of controversies for this year’s show, which is fronted by Sir Alan Sugar, after it was revealed that fellow contestant James Hill, 27, is a convicted thug who bit a man’s ear. BBC bosses are said to be ‘concerned’ Mr Akhtar’s sex tape will leak while the tenth series of the show is on air. News of the video first surfaced after a friend of the technology entrepreneur from London posted news of it on Twitter with the caption: ‘revelation of the day’. It was later deleted. Friends of the 22-year-old have reportedly told The Sun the sordid tape is one of many, prompting fears other former girlfriends may come out of the woodwork and sell their stories. According to the newspaper, a show insider said: 'This is a concern for Solomon and the BBC. 'Both are hoping his conquests keep quiet. 'He is still on good terms with his ex, so while she has obviously told friends about the tape, fingers are crossed that she won't leak it. 'But there are no guarantees that she, or any other former flames, won't come out of the woodwork and reveal what he's been up to.' Mr Akhtar, who has confessed on the show to enjoying a party lifestyle, runs his own social media technology business and works at a creative agency. In his profile for the show, he described himself as ‘enthusiastic, energetic, personable and passionate about technology and travel.’ 'I am from the “ideas generation”; because of my age, I understand technology and how to turn it into a business,' he said. He has also claimed his biggest life regret is 'spending too much time and hard-earned money at university on partying.' The revelation is the latest controversy to hit the BBC1 show. Scroll down for video . Mr Akhtar (pictured left in the boardroom with Scott McCulloch and Daniel Lassman) has admitted enjoying a party lifestyle and claims his biggest life regret is 'spending too much time and money at university on partying' Contestants James Hill, 27, (left) and Lauren Riley, 28, (right) allegedly had a 'full-on fling' during filming . Details of Mr Hill’s conviction left show bosses red-faced after it was revealed that he beat up a bus driver who was talking to his girlfriend and hit him with 'punch after punch' in the unprovoked attack. The victim was left scarred for life. While Mr Hill, who started out in business washing cars and now runs several businesses including selling vending machines and running his own bar and restaurant, waited for the court case into the incident, he attacked again. Just months after the first attack, he was arrested for biting a man's ear on Christmas Eve 2008. He appeared at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court in March 2009, where he was charged under his full name of Anthony James Hill and admitted two counts of assault. In July that year he was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended, ordered to pay his victims £300 and £200 respectively, and told to pay £755 costs. Mr Hill, from Chesterfield (pictured on the BBC show), was convicted in 2009 of two attacks in which he bit a man's ear and left the other scarred for life. He has since said he 'very much' regrets the unprovoked incidents . The popular BBC1 show, which is fronted by Sir Alan Sugar (pictured), is currently in its tenth series . After details of his conviction emerged, the contestant came out and said he was ‘not proud’ of the attacks and ‘very much’ regrets them. However, it didn’t stop him allegedly sparking up a relationship with fellow contestant Lauren Riley, 28, during filming for the show. They allegedly had a 'full-on fling' while competing for the £250,000 top prize. Representatives for The Apprentice declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. | Contestant Solomon Akhtar, 22, allegedly filmed himself with an ex-girlfriend .
Forced to confess to BBC bosses after news of the tape emerged on Twitter .
Video is reportedly one of many by self-confessed 'party boy' from London .
Latest controversy for show after it emerged James Hill, 27, has conviction . |
250,557 | d04281539f9e0cd68f9b0e458a324b386c63319a | By . Paul Christian . PUBLISHED: . 11:58 EST, 15 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:13 EST, 15 November 2012 . A fat cat which became so obese he couldn’t even turn his head to clean himself is feline better after losing - HALF his body weight. Over-indulged Casper ballooned to a whopping 22.4lbs (10.2kg) - twice his recommended size - after being pampered with treats like chicken and roast potatoes. The mega-moggy even stole food from owner Christine Collins’ terrified terrier Timmi to feed his appetite. Scroll down for video . Still a handful: Cuddly Casper pictured AFTER his diet with owner Christine Collins . Casper struggled to walk at his heaviest, could not jump and had to be washed by hand as he was unable to lick himself clean. But last year Christine, 54, decided to take action and put him on a special diet. Six months later Casper is half the size and now weighs in at a relatively slender 13.8lbs (6.3kg). But the former rescue cat still cuts a fairly roly poly figure despite his dieting success. Left, Casper at 22.4lbs before losing the weight and right, a slimmed-down Casper as he is now at 13.8lbs . Christine, from Edinburgh, said today: 'He couldn’t jump on the sofa and he used to waddle when he walked. 'He used to eat everything, roast potatoes, chicken, and he even used to steal the dog food from my Jack Russell. 'He was so heavy I couldn’t even pick him up. He was massive. 'I had to wash him because he couldn’t reach past his stomach to clean himself. 'Now he’s lost the weight, but I have to stay vigilant to keep him away from food which is difficult because now he can jump. But he’s much happier.' Casper the enormous cat before shedding half his bodyweight. He became so fat he could no longer turn his head to clean himself and weighed 22.4lbs . Christine rescued Casper when he was four weeks old and weighing just a pound after finding him neglected in a house over-run with cats. She nursed him back to health but over-indulged him with a constant supply of treats. At his heaviest Casper was eating 150 grams of cat food a day, on top of treats and stolen food. She added: 'When I found Casper home he was so small he fit in the palm of my hand. 'It only took me a month to get him back to a normal weight but then things went too far and over the years he just became greedy.' Following his crash diet Casper's agility is returning . The turning point came earlier this year when Casper became so large he could no longer lick himself. Christine enrolled him in the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Pet Fit Club. His diet was reduced to a small daily allowance and the weight began to drop off. After six months of dieting and a loss of 8.6lbs Casper was described as 'happier than ever'. Christine praised the PDSA's cat fat fighters for Casper's incredible transformation. 'Staff at the fit club have been really supportive, I couldn’t have done it without them. 'His coat is beautiful and he’s so much happier - he’s a completely new cat,' she said. Looking up: The future looks brighter for Casper after his dramatic weight loss . Casper’s diet and fitness programme was specially tailored by the vets and nurses at Edinburgh PDSA PetAid hospital. PDSA senior vet Andrew Hogg said: 'Casper has made great progress over the last six months. 'Weight loss in cats has to be achieved very slowly and under close veterinary supervision as too rapid a weight-loss can be dangerous to their health. Christine and Casper have done incredibly well. 'Obesity is a growing problem amongst UK pets and we hope this will inspire others to make a positive change to their pets’ lifestyles.' | Greedy moggy gorged on chicken and roast potatoes .
22lb monster even stole food from a dog .
King-sized Casper weighed the same as three new-born babies .
Flabby feline has now shed half his body weight . |
243,546 | c73c42d2726171a75c5576f929517b569418f39b | A suburban Los Angeles school district has paid a private firm to monitor its students' social media activities. The Glendale Unified School District last year hired the firm Geo Listening to snoop the social media postings of the 14,000 or so students in the area to screen for any signs of bullying, self-harm, drug-use or violence, at a cost of $40,500. Critics believe the screening sets a dangerous precedent and stifles free speech, but school district authorities and Geo Listening say the purpose of the exercise is student safety. Unaware: Hoover High students Young Cho (left) and Christopher Chung (right), both 16, only found out that their social media posts are being monitored by the Glendale school district through media reports . Geo Listening provides Glendale district officials with a daily report based on students' post from social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube. The firm's analysts search for terms that indicate violence, drug-use, . bullying, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, racism and sexual harassment and alert the school district to anything untoward. However, the firm does not engage in hacking or tracking private correspondence, only monitoring public posts and comments. 'All of the individual posts we monitor on social media networks are already made public by the students themselves. Therefore, no privacy is violated,' a Geo Listening spokesperson told RT, adding that the company does not 'monitor email, SMS, MMS, phone calls, voicemails or unlock any privacy setting of a social network user.' Cyber bullying: The Glendale school district is seeking to nip online bullying in the bud by monitoring its students' social media activity . Geo Listening CEO Chris Frydrych says his firm was not given a list . of children's names, but the firm doesn't disclose how the company deduces whether . teens are students of the Glendale district. Frydrych told CNN that the way kids communicate is different nowadays, and . that the firm doesn't spy on kids, but rather listens more effectively. Two area students committed suicide last school year, including a 15-year-old from Crescenta Valley High School in the Glendale District. Following the tragic deaths, the Glendale Unified School District hired Geo Listening for a pilot monitoring program of students from its three high schools, Glendale, Hoover and Crescenta Valley. According to Frydrych, the pilot program helped prevent the suicide of a student after the company alerted the district to worrying posts on social media, resulting in an intervention. Following that success, the district contracted the firm for a full year. 'We think it's been working very well,' Superintendent Richard Sheehan told the Los Angeles Times. 'It's designed around student safety and making sure kids are protected.' High school spies: According to Geo Listening, students' privacy is not invaded by the practice of social media monitoring, but some students disagree . Students were unaware their social media accounts were being spied on until media reports of the practice emerged. Herbert Hoover High student Christopher Chung told the Los Angeles Times that he found out about the monitoring program on Facebook. 'I heard rumors that GUSD was doing a little bit of monitoring - but nothing as official as this,' he said. 'The only way students were finding out about it was through social media. Our principal hasn't said anything about it.' Free speech advocates say school districts reading students' social media posts is an invasion of the students' privacy - especially if they're punished for activities engaged in outside of school hours. Lee Tien, senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that defends privacy, free speech and consumer rights. told the Los Angeles Times the program is essentially 'stalking' school kids. 'People say that's not private: It's public on Facebook. I say that's just semantics. The question is what is the school doing? It's not stumbling into students - like a teacher running across a student on the street. This is the school sending someone to watch them.' Communication skills: Teens do a lot of their communicating online these days - which is why the Glendale district says it's necessary to monitor what students are saying on social media . The response from Glendale district students themselves are mixed. Some feel anything that helps prevent bullying is a good thing. Others expressed outrage that the district spent money on a monitoring program when other areas need funding. 'GUSD instead of paying 40k to stalk students uh can't y'all spend it on things that matter like SOAP for the bathrooms and quality food,' tweeted one. Another Twitter user said, 'GUSD payin 40,500 for monitoring but we have like the worst campus, no class set textbooks, AND TEACHERS HAVE US PRINT OUT OUR OWN PAPERS?' Superintendent Sheehan will make an appearance at the school district's PTA meeting later this month to discuss the program with parents and address any concerns. | LA's Glendale school district has been monitoring its 14,000 students' social media accounts for about a year .
Authorities say the practice is necessary to ensure any problems, such as online bullying and self-harm, are identified .
Critics say the screening is essentially 'stalking' and violates students' right to free speech . |
226,101 | b0cb4fd26b4c818e391a5367c5c863523345064d | (CNN) -- Do you need to be a jockey to ride a horse? Do you need to be a doctor to run a hospital? Maybe not in all cases, but a new study suggests that you will be more successful in management if you have skills specific to your realm of operations. These days the trend is very much toward professional managers -- executives who swap industries as they please. However, in the rarified world of Formula One at least, it appears that it pays to employ from within. And with an average annual team budget of $173 million, there is pressure to get it right. "Former top drivers, such as Jean Todt, consistently turn into successful Formula One bosses -- even when we account for factors such as the resources available to each team," says Amanda Goodall of Britain's Cass Business School. Webber: F1's joker in the pack? Goodall co-authored a study which discovered that F1 teams managed by individuals who know the sport inside out win twice as many races as their general manager counterparts. Examining all 18,000 F1 races from 1950-2011, the study revealed that former drivers and mechanics are significantly more successful than those with degrees in engineering or who were managers by trade. Todt, for example, is now president of motorsport's ruling body the FIA. Following a 15-year rally driving career and a stint as Peugeot's director of racing, he joined Ferrari's F1 setup. Having been responsible for bringing Michael Schumacher to the team, the Frenchman later became the Scuderia's chief executive. While he presided over multiple world titles, his 2008 replacement Stefano Domenicali -- a business school graduate -- has struggled to repeat the success of the Schumacher era, winning nothing. "We can see why comparative newcomers like Red Bull and Sauber are doing so well in Formula One. These teams may not have a 50-year history like Ferrari but they are led by hands-on experts with deep intuition," Goodall said. Red Bull, formed from the Jaguar team in 2005, has dominated the past two years with world titles in both driver and manufacturer categories. The Austrian-owned marque is led by Christian Horner, who started out as a racing driver in F1's development divisions before running his own team in his mid-20s. Sauber's restored fortunes have come since founder Pete Sauber rebought the team from BMW in 2009 -- though the 68-year-old is gradually handing over control to chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn, whose background is in law. The authors of the Cass report say the study shows that being a capable general manager may no longer be sufficient, and that employees respond better to leaders who have a deep understanding of their trade. In fact, a previous study conducted by the same authors discovered that hospitals headed by doctors perform better than those led by professional managers. "From an early age, driver-leaders develop technical knowledge about the underlying activity of grand prix racing," the F1 study states. "They acquire extensive experience in formulating driving tactics, and are able to make decisions under time pressure and stress. This inherent knowledge and industry expertise may, we suggest, inform organizational strategy when drivers become principals. "We also argue that former drivers may appear more credible to their F1 team colleagues, which extends their influence. Finally, because of a shared value system between the team and leader, driver-leaders may create a more appropriate work environment for the team." | Study shows "expert" leaders win twice as many F1 races as their rivals .
The study looked at every Formula One race from 1950-2011 .
Claims made by the study even translated into other businesses outside of motorsport .
Red Bull boss Christian Horner is an example of a successful former driver . |
184,385 | 7ad28c891b0c8383b6a41eab03ebd4b0d5dff1e7 | (CNN) -- My earliest memory of ghost stories is borne in a rented cabin on Canandaigua Lake, in Upstate New York, where my family spent each summer. Our cabin was rumored to have been built on an Indian burial ground and haunted by spirits. To a young girl with a wild imagination such as mine, who wanted to be a writer at the age of 7 and who hauled around a blue plastic typewriter wherever she went, these stories made the cabin appealing, because I loved how brave I felt exploring the attic and basement, and more, the knowledge that my father was reading the paper in the next room, and that I could, at any point, race into his arms for a hug and have all my fears assuaged. On summer nights, my family sat around the radio and listened to a program that featured one ghost story each night. This is still my strongest childhood memory, the only time I recall the members of my family joined together, tied by the intimate chord. Ghost stories, ironically, made us feel closer to each other, if only for those few savored moments when we'd share a quilt and perhaps a hand to squeeze. Tell us your town's ghost stories . Ghost stories appear in most cultures. There is a Seneca Indian ghost story about a fire-eating monster with no body, only a head, who snaked through Indian villages at night looking for small children to eat. This story was told to keep children from staying out late at night. Perhaps this was the point, also, of the most famous ghost story of my generation: the story of Derek, the monster boy who lived in the woods -- our woods, and any other woods where a camp happened to be. If memory serves me, the story ended with a melted skull. Everyone knew Derek and that he traveled around. At camp, we sat around a blazing fire on cold nights, bundled in our sleeping bags, mashed as close as we could get them, and steeped in woolen long underwear, the cold ground underneath. Our mouths were ajar, all clamoring for the story, begging our counselors to tell it. "Tell Derek, Tell Derek!" we'd cry. It was a favorite because it was scary but predictable, something that life rarely is. No matter how many times we heard it, gripping each other's hands tightly, the anticipation of Derek thrilled us. We knew that after the story ended, we would race back to our cabins, high on a rare sort of predictable terror, coveting an adolescent thrill. There was anticipation, drama, a predictable climax and our wild screams as the world of Derek faded from memory, and we'd slip safely back into our bunks and tumble into closeness, our bodies falling onto each other, gripping each other's arms and legs for dear life. We found safety and solace on those nights, if only until the next year until we returned to camp, and beg, of course, to hear the story of Derek once again. To revel in the closeness he allowed us, borne from his tragic life in the woods. Perhaps this is what we love most about ghost stories. They offer us a sense of control over terror, something unattainable in real life. Perhaps this is why we hang on to them, why we tell them to our children and our grandchildren. When we evolve from listener to storyteller, we become elevated in our children's eyes as we remind them that yes, this is only a story as we watch the same reactions played out around the campfire and realize that though the faces have changed, the reactions are universal. Ghost stories fill us with fear and dread. But then they're over, and we return to our comfortable lives. They help us to bond, become a haven, ride the lost rush of adrenaline and create memories on starry nights with those we love. Find out the 20 scariest movies of all time . We retell ghost stories because we're rarely alone when we're listening or telling them. Stories of the dead and mutilated, it seems, will abate loneliness. Because there is no better feeling than tumbling into closeness after a good scare. For some of us, they are a journey to another place, and they allow us to exorcise the hidden demons and monsters in our own imaginations, to voice them, and maybe to overcome fears. Ghost stories give us perspective. They allow us to escape the everyday. Living the life of a zombie or existing like Derek in the lonely woods, those were REAL problems. Poor Derek, Jason and the rest of the lot, wandering the Earth, stuck in purgatory with an ax to grind, literally. Maybe our lives weren't so bad after all? Years ago, during my nomadic 20s, my sister and I went camping in the White Mountains, just the two of us, to try to repair our strained relationship. We made a fire and told the ghost story of Derek. And after, both of us -- independent, stubborn, strong women bent on finding ourselves -- ran screaming back into our tent and clung to each other for dear life until we fell asleep. Today, we swear there was something lurking outside our tent for the next hour. I have the scars to prove it. She dug her nails into my arm so deeply, she drew blood. Why do we love ghost stories? Because they're a temporary sort of terror. They allow us to return to our world, however imperfect, and ultimately they make us feel better about our lives. They send us snuggling into the arms of the person, just moments before, who was perhaps full of flaws, who now feels like our greatest protector. Ironically, ghost stories take us on a journey of terror that ultimately leaves us feeling safer and less lonely than we had felt before. | Author Ilie Ruby remembers the thrills of hearing ghost stories around campfires .
The one about Derek, the monster boy who lived in the woods, was a favorite .
Ghost stories "offer us a sense of control over terror, something unattainable in real life"
They make us feel better about our lives, and fear drives us closer to people, Ruby says . |
29,543 | 53fb36e956742dc3977a844bce3ee714741052e8 | (CNN) -- At the end of July, the Senate intelligence committee marked up legislation drafted in response to recent high-profile leaks of classified information. The committee's chairwoman, Dianne Feinstein, claims that the bill will address the "culture of leaks" in Washington. But the leaks are a symptom of the intelligence community's culture of secrecy -- and the bill would make that problem worse in a host of ways. Any insider will tell you that the government classifies far too much information. Top military and national security officials estimate that between 50% and 90% of classified documents could safely be released. That adds up to a massive amount of unnecessary secrecy when one considers there were 92 million decisions to classify information in 2011 alone. The WikiLeaks disclosures featured some vivid examples, such as a cable from an American diplomat who classified his description of a typical wedding in the province of Dagestan. The impetus for the current Senate bill -- a series of leaks of classified information that may have been implicitly or explicitly "authorized" by top administration officials -- illustrates the problem. High-level intelligence officials are not enemies of the state. If they are approving the disclosure of classified information, it's a pretty safe bet the material didn't require classifying in the first place. News: Senate moves to crack down on national security leaks . Take the fact that President Obama is personally involved in identifying the targets of drone strikes, as reported by The New York Times, one of the disclosures that prompted congressional action. It is virtually impossible to fantasize a scenario in which this information could be used to harm the United States. Overclassification contributes directly to leaks that threaten national security. As Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart commented in 1971, "when everything is classified, then nothing is classified, and the system becomes one to be disregarded by the cynical or the careless, and to be manipulated by those intent on self-protection or self-promotion." Put simply, officials who routinely see innocuous documents stamped "Secret" lose respect for the system, and that puts all secrets, the real ones as well as the purely nominal ones, at risk. Excessive classification also means that even low-level or nonsensitive government positions often require clearances. One in every 50 American adults now has access to classified information, not a winning formula for keeping secrets. The Senate bill, however, does nothing serious to address the problem of overclassification. Indeed, it perpetuates the fiction that all classified information poses a dire threat. The bill strips intelligence community employees of their pensions if the Director of National Intelligence decides they leaked classified information, even if the information reveals only that Dagestani weddings last three days. It revokes the clearances of officials who disclose the existence of classified covert operations -- even if the operations, like the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, are in the past and could not possibly be jeopardized by disclosure. Worse, the Senate bill extends the shroud of secrecy to encompass even unclassified information. Intelligence officials already must submit any publications that discuss their work to their agencies for pre-publication review and approval; under the bill, they must submit "anticipated oral remarks" as well. On its face, the provision could require pre-publication review for dinner party conversations. The bill also bars current and recent intelligence officials from contracting with the media to provide commentary on any intelligence or national security matters. No member of the intelligence community, for instance, could provide paid commentary on the war in Afghanistan. Opinion: Obama leak 'scandal' is wildly overblown . Most alarming of all, the bill prohibits any intelligence official other than the agency's director, deputy director or designated public affairs officer from providing off-the-record information "regarding intelligence activities" -- classified or unclassified -- to the media. If successful, this provision would ensure that the public hears only the party line on all matters relating to intelligence policy. It also would effectively prohibit whistleblowing. Intelligence officials could raise concerns through approved government channels, but if that failed would have no meaningful way to bring evidence of government fraud, waste, abuse, or illegality to the public's attention. How to deal with disclosures of classified information about government misconduct is a tricky question. How to deal with disclosures of unclassified information about government misconduct should be a no-brainer. Such disclosures should be welcomed and encouraged. The law already falls short in this regard: the Whistleblower Protection Act protects other government employees against retaliation for whistle-blowing, but excludes members of the intelligence community. The Senate bill would turn this lack of protection into a virtual prohibition. Unauthorized leaks of properly classified information are a real problem. Grandstanding about authorized leaks of improperly classified information will not solve this problem, nor will cracking down on disclosures of unclassified information. If Congress wants to get serious about leaks, it will take steps to shrink the universe of secret government information, not expand it to encompass yet more information the public has every right to know. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Elizabeth Goitein. | Elizabeth Goitein: Leaks are a symptom of the intelligence community's culture of secrecy .
Between 50% and 90% of classified documents could safely be released, says Goitein .
One in every 50 American adults now has access to classified information, she says .
Goitein: Senate bill would effectively prohibit whistle-blowing for intelligence officials . |
283,740 | fb9468911d437797afd6181b0a970ee6df39f8b4 | By . David Mccormack . and Associated Press Reporter . Chris Christie’s recent weight loss was on display for all to see when he played in a celebrity softball game at Yankee Stadium on Monday. The New Jersey Gov. remains a relatively roly poly figure, but has undoubtedly lost a substantial amount of weight since secretly undergoing Lap-Band surgery in February of last year. The governor's Team Boomer, headed by WFAN radio co-hosts ‘Boomer’ Esiason and Craig Carton, eked out a 7-6 win against players from the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team and New York Yankees alumni at the fourth annual Bombers Boomer Broadway Softball Classic. Scroll down for video . In the running: Chris Christie's recent weight loss was on display for all to see when he played in a celebrity softball game at Yankee Stadium on Monday . Christie, who was a star catcher in high school and continues to be a baseball fan, appeared enthusiastic throughout the game, particularly when playing third base in the mostly empty ballpark. After several fumbles early on, Christie wound up making a crucial catch to end the 7th inning, helping his team to victory. ‘We had the game on the line. Ground ball to third, man on first and second. He bobbled it a little bit but made the play and got the out,’ said Carton, a longtime friend of the governor, who assured reporters Christie had ‘held his own.’ As he warmed up before the game, Christie, who was inducted last year into the Little League Hall of Excellence, said he was happy to have a break from Trenton and that he hoped he wouldn't get injured on the field. Political big hitter: Experts estimate the presumed 2016 presidential candidate has lost more than 85 pounds since undergoing weight loss surgery last year . Afterward, he seemed pleased with his performance. ‘We won, so it went just fine,’ said Christie, who wore No. 55 because he is the state's 55th governor. Esiason gave Christie an A-plus for efforts, but he joked the governor's execution ‘probably should be a little bit better. But at the end of the day, he's here for the right reason, and that's all I care about,’ he said. He also heaped praise on the governor for participating in the game, which he estimated had raised between $30,000 and $40,000 for cystic fibrosis research. ‘Not many politicians would go out there on third base and put himself in the line of fire like that,’ Esiason said. The New Jersey Gov. remains a relatively roly poly figure, but wound up making a crucial catch to end the 7th inning, helping his team to victory . Christie, 51, acknowledged that he has lost weight at a town hall event late last month. He told a constituent he was 'much smaller now than he used to be', but didn't give a clear indication of how much weight he had lost. Fitness experts quizzed by . Politico speculated that the presumed 2016 Republican presidential candidate could have lost as much as 85 pounds and that his weight had dropped to roughly 236 pounds. Christie had the Lap-Band surgery in February 2013, and managed to keep it out of the press for nearly two months. He said he had the surgery to restrict his food intake because he wanted to get healthy for his family's sake. The governor's Team Boomer, headed by WFAN radio co-hosts ¿Boomer¿ Esiason and Craig Carton, eked out a 7-6 win against players from the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team and New York Yankees alumni at the fourth annual Bombers Boomer Broadway Softball Classic . 'It has nothing to do the performance of my job,' he told People magazine afterward. He denied that his potential presidential plans had something to do with the decision. 'My decisions about anything to do with my career are based upon what I think is best for me and best for my family,' he said when his surgery finally became public. 'Whatever size I happen to be when I have to make a decision about what to do next in my career, I doubt that'll play any role or effect in what I decide to do.' Regardless of the motivation for his surgery, Christie's frame has noticeably shrunk throughout the last year and a half - something a constituent pointed out last month at one of the Governor's town halls. This photo of Christie, left, with President Barack Obama, right, was taken on September 4, 2011 at Newark Liberty Airport after the president's visit to Paterson and the surrounding areas to look at the aftermath of Hurricane Irene . 'By the way, you do look fantastic,' a female constituent told him. 'God bless you,' Christie told her. The Republican Governor noted that he's lost so much weight, his wife thinks he should buy new suits. 'But I’m on a budget. I gotta be careful, you know?' Christie told the woman. | Chris Christie's recent weight loss was .
on display for all to see when he played in a celebrity softball game at .
Yankee Stadium on Monday .
The New Jersey Gov. remains a relatively roly poly figure, but wound up making a crucial catch to end the 7th inning, helping his team to victory .
A star catcher at high school, Christie continues to be a baseball fan .
Experts estimate the presumed 2016 presidential candidate has lost more than 85 pounds since undergoing weight loss surgery last year . |
121,273 | 28c69852fea6448e104300043616abe654937c57 | Hong Kong (CNN) -- Security threats from mobile malware are on the rise and nearly 95% of targets operate on the Android operating system, according to a new report from NQ Mobile. The mobile security firm, with headquarters in both the U.S. and China, estimates that nearly 33 million Android devices were targeted by malware in 2012 -- a jump of more than 200% from the year prior. "Android is one of the most powerful operating systems in the world. It allows developers to develop some of the most innovative applications out there," said Omar Khan, Co-CEO of NQ Mobile, to CNN's Nina dos Santos. "But because it's so open it also gives the opportunity for bad actors in the system to take advantage of that openness to develop malicious applications as well." According to the NQ report, one type of malware is delivered through app repackaging in which a user downloads a mobile application that looks legitimate but is actually a harmful program. Malware can also be downloaded through fake websites when a user clicks on a URL that appears authentic but is not. Mobile users can also be duped through so-called "smishing" -- a combination of the words SMS and phishing -- where a user receives a text message asking for personal information like a credit card number, e-mail address or social security number. And while personal information is one casualty from malicious software, personal harm could occur with new programs being developed. Earlier this month, a German hacker -- and licensed commercial pilot -- raised eyebrows with claims he developed an app that could remotely hijack an airplane using an Android phone. With the increase in mobile malware, consumers need to be smarter in how they protect themselves and where they click. Nearly 25% of malware on mobile devices comes from pornography websites, according to a recent study from Blue Coat, a Web security and optimization company. Also, more than three of every 10 smartphone users have no password on their device according to a global survey by Web security firm McAfee. NQ's Khan puts the number even higher -- at one out of every two. "The simplest thing we can do is put passwords on our phones. Installing security and encryption solutions (are another) way to do it. Also educating our consumers and our enterprise users not to connect and leave open wi-fi connections or Bluetooth connections -- only to connect to trusted sources. A lot of times we'll connect to anything." The NQ report also revealed that China, India and Russia were the top three countries with infected mobile devices. "In the emerging markets it's our only lifeline to the internet so hackers are finding that information more and more valuable which is why they're going after these devices," said Khan. | Security threats by malicious software targeting mobile devices on rise, says NQ Mobile .
Nearly 95% of all global malware targets phones operating on Android OS .
Almost 33 million Android devices were targeted by malware in 2012 .
Mobile devices in developing countries often targeted for personal data mining . |
223,101 | acd2080dfd39c8956af0747db37c148b75bdae87 | Career saved: Brett Winstanley won the British Open Clay Pigeon Shooting Championship earlier this year after laser eye surgery . When Brett Winstanley won the British Open Clay Pigeon Shooting Championship earlier this year, it marked an extraordinary comeback. Although the marksman was only 24 when he clinched the title, he hadn’t competed for six years because his deteriorating eyesight had forced him to give up the sport. But following successful laser surgery, Brett is now back in the game and even hoping to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He suffered from short-sightedness, which occurs when the eyes keep growing and become too long from front to back. This means that light doesn’t reach the light-sensitive tissue (retina) at the back of the eye but focuses too early, so distant objects become blurred. ‘When you are shooting, good hand-to-eye co-ordination is essential,’ explains Brett. ‘And you need excellent sight. ‘My father used to shoot and I would watch him. When I was six, he let me have a go. I swiftly overtook him, and by the age of nine I was shooting competitively.’ His early success was quite extraordinary. Aged 12, he was in the England team and also won his first sub-junior world championship in Miami. But the following year, Brett’s vision in his right eye started to deteriorate. ‘It wasn’t catastrophic, but I had to retrain for six months. I had previously shot left-handed, and I changed hands.’ However, by the time he reached 16, his eyesight was even worse. He went to an optician and was given glasses to wear – but he hated using them for shooting. ‘I found that I got glare from the targets, and I couldn’t wear safety glasses over the top,’ Brett says. ‘I struggled enough with glasses to know that I couldn’t deal with contact lenses. What had been effortless became extremely difficult and stopped being fun. I later decided that shooting wasn’t for me and turned my attention to car racing instead.’ His parents were understandably disappointed, and a year ago Brett’s father suggested he have laser eye surgery to rectify the short-sightedness. Brett was wary about the reported risks – indeed last week Spice Girl Mel B revealed she is going blind in her left eye following a procedure 15 years ago, and is now planning to have a cornea transplant to correct her vision. But Bruce Allan, a consultant surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, says better techniques and technology means laser surgery is much safer than it was 20 years ago. Improving: Better techniques and technology means laser surgery is much safer than it was 20 years ago . ‘I have many more contact lens wearers turning up in my clinic with serious eye infections than I do laser patients,’ he says. ‘Surgery is very safe as along as you have it carried out in the right place with an experienced surgeon.’ In March, Brett met ophthalmic surgeon Faqir Qazi at the Optical Express Treatment Centre in Manchester, who explained what would happen with a procedure known as LASIK – Laser-Assisted-In-Situ-Keratomileusis eye surgery. This uses two computer-guided lasers. Brett describes the procedure as no worse than having a tooth extracted. ‘During the second part all I could see was the orange light of the laser and I could hear a sort of popping sound. It was so straightforward.’ After his successful comeback Brett was given a new gun by his sponsors – gun makers Caesar Guerini – and now has his sights set firmly on Rio. ‘I’m really going for gold. I don’t aim for anything less when I’m shooting,’ he says. iDesign iLASIK treatment is from £1,895 per eye, opticalexpress.co.uk . | Brett won the British Open Clay Pigeon Shooting Championship this year .
The 24-year-old had not competed for six years due to his sight .
Mr Winstanley had short-sightedness corrected with laser surgery . |
195,750 | 895d73c30a2c8c7fa2424fa833cd0e5c0948353a | By . Paul Thompson . PUBLISHED: . 15:24 EST, 30 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:52 EST, 30 April 2013 . Suspended: Kim Warren, 44, is the principal of Deerfield Elementary School in Novi, Michigan . A 44-year-old elementary school principal has been suspended from work and charged with being 'super drunk' after she was arrested sitting in her car on school property. The mother-of three, Kim Warren, was found to be twice over the limit with an open bottle of vodka in her car in Michigan. Details of her arrest were revealed when she appeared in court yesterday for the first time and police released a video of her slipping out of her handcuffs after being arrested on April 8. Warren was arrested and handcuffed after she was spotted driving her car erratically near her school, Deerfield Elementary School in Novi, Michigan. After failing a roadside sobriety test she was placed in the back of police patrol car with her hands cuffed. But a camera in the car captured Warren slipping out of the handcuffs and offering them up to the officer sitting in the front. He calmly tells her not to throw them out of the window. Novi Police Chief David Molloy admitted the handcuffs had not been applied correctly. He said: 'Ensuring the appropriate tightness and tension when applying handcuffs to a prisoner is very important. 'In this case, as in several others we encounter, arrested subjects do maneuver their way out of the handcuffs. It's critical the officer properly checks the handcuffs to ensure something like this doesn't happen.' Warren was arrested after two breath tests showed her to be more than twice over the legal limit. On film: A camera in the police car captured Warren slipping out of the handcuffs and offering them up to the officer sitting in the front . Arrested: After failing a roadside sobriety test she was placed in the back of police patrol car . Two passers by had called police to report a car driving erratically and then pulling into the school parking lot. One of the callers told the dispatcher it was 'scary' seeing what appeared to be a drunk driver swerving all over the road. When an officer spoke with Warren he noticed an open vodka bottle by her feet. Warren was suspended from her school after the arrest on April 8th. She made her first court appearance on Monday where she was arraigned charges of High Blood Alcohol Content which is known as being 'super drunk'. Passed out: Warren was 'super drunk' and fell has been suspended from working at the school . She was also charged with having open Intoxicants in a Motor Vehicle. Warren has not made any comment on her arrest and suspension. But the school's superintendent Maurielle Lue said: 'She's deeply regretful for what's happened. She understands that it was a horrible decision. She will not be back in that school for a long time, if ever. 'I felt horrible for Miss Warren. It has to be a terrible thing to go through. I was angry at her for putting herself in this situation, but also the district and that school in this situation.' | Kim Warren was more than twice the legal limit when found with an open bottle of vodka in her car .
The mother-of-three has been suspended from school .
While in the back of a patrol car, Kim slipped off her handcuffs and gave them back to cops . |
279,253 | f5caedd6869bc1e7e2bf318788bddac55c29b097 | Uppers are down and downers are up, according to a new report on American drug use. Between 2006 and 2010, use of cocaine in the U.S. has dropped by half while marijuana use has increased an astonishing 30 per cent. Use of heroin on the other hand has remained fairly stable, while methamphetamine use has been on the decrease since seeing a huge spike at the beginning of the decade. Change of habit: Between 2006 and 2010, cocaine use in the U.S. dropped by half . The new report was published by the White House's Office of National Drug Policy which is affiliated with the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and draws on data between 2000 and 2010. Each year, the National Drug Policy office totals how much Americans spend on cocaine, heroin, marijuana and meth while also estimating the number of chronic users. 'Our analysis shows that Americans likely spent more than one trillion dollars on cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine between 2000 and 2010,' said Beau Kilmer, the study's lead author and co-director of the RAND Drug Police Research Center. That's an average of $100billion a year. The report does not attempt to explain changes in drug use or the impact of drug control strategies. However, the dramatic increase in marijuana use may be attributed to the fact that there was an increase in people who reported daily or near-daily use of weed in recent years. New vice: Meanwhile, marijuana use went up 30 per cent and may be attributed to more users using the substance on a daily or near-daily basis . Data on marijuana use was mostly taken from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health while statistics on the other three drugs comes from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM). Federal funding for ADAM was halted this year, which may mean less-reliable data in the future. 'The ADAM program provided unique insights about those who abused hard drugs and how much they spent on these substances,' said Jonathan Caulkins, a study co-author and the Stever Professor of Operations Research and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. 'It's a tragedy that 2013 was the last year for ADAM. It is such an important data system for understanding drug problems.' | The spike in marijuana use and decline of cocaine was noted in a report published by the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy .
Heroin use remained stable while a spike in meth use at the beginning of the decade was followed by a steady decline .
The study also found that Americans spent $1trillion on illicit drugs between 2000 and 2010 . |
10,227 | 1d08ec9ef173137b292c6c28f1daa466a955e61b | The mighty Bárðarbunga volcano in Iceland's Highlands began erupting on August 29 last year. Five months on, it is still going, producing a lava-field spanning around fifty miles. Lava over 40-feet deep is seeping out of the volcano while the concentration of sulphur dioxide has, at times, been so high that the Icelandic authorities have urged local residents to stay indoors. The Holuhraun eruption, in Iceland, began in August 29, 2014, and is continuing to seep lava and emit sulphuric ash clouds . Lava bubbles at Holuhraun. The concentration of sulphur dioxide has been so high that authorities have urged local residents to stay indoors . The view from above. The volcano has produced a lava-field spanning around 50 miles . Icelandic scientists are uncertain about what the future may hold for the eruption. Some predict it could go on for a matter of months while others argue it could develop into a potentially more disruptive ash-producing eruption. The 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption grounded over 100,000 international flights and cost airlines more than £2 billion. Some scientists predict it could go on for a matter of months while others argue it could develop into a disruptive ash-producing eruption . The eruption has caused no disruption to flights, unlike the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption which grounded over 100,000 international flights . The Icelandic eruption, which began north of the Bárðarbunga caldera, is now in its fifth months . Dutch photographer, Robert Meerding, took these incredible photographs in October, during two flights in a six-person fixed wing aircraft. As the photographs were taken over two flights, Robert has captured the magnificence of the eruption, by day, showing the incredible scope of the ash cloud, and by night, showing the lava-field in all its lit up glory. Robert said: 'We flew along the edge of the lava field so we had a good view of the eruption itself. It was a bumpy ride. The lava emits so much heat that there's naturally a lot of turbulence.' Daytime pictures of the volcano show the incredible scope of the ash cloud while the evening snaps show off the lava-field in all its glory . The pictures were taken by Dutch photographer, Robert Meerding, in October during two flights in a six-person fixed wing aircraft . 'It was a bumpy ride. The lava emits so much heat that there's naturally a lot of turbulence,' said Meerding of the flight above the volcano . 'What surprised me was the viscosity of the lava: it looked like boiling water and it moved at an incredible speed,' added the photographer . The biggest hazard produced by the eruption so far has been to the air quality in Iceland . Lava over 40-feet deep is continuing to seep out of the volcano, which began to erupt in August, 2014 . 'As the sun sets you can see lava glowing that you can't see at daylight,' said the photographer, Robert Meerding . Robert said: 'To me it was an amazing experience, especially the evening flight. 'As the sun sets you can see lava glowing that you can't see at daylight and the light emitted by the eruption itself is amazing too.' He added: 'What surprised me was the viscosity of the lava: it looked like boiling water and it moved at an incredible speed. 'I can see why it might be a scary experience for some people but, for me, it was thrilling. I loved every minute of it.' | Long-running eruption began in August 2014 and has now produced a lava-field spanning around fifty miles .
Lava over 40-feet deep is seeping out of the volcano and Icelandic scientists are uncertain about its future .
Concentration of sulphur dioxide has been so high that Icelandic authorities urged local residents to stay indoors . |
226,373 | b11dd5aaee8d6619c629383fb82caa5aa8a25e3e | Barack Obama left for a three-day European swing Tuesday afternoon without saying a single word in response to a terrorist video showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff, the second American journalist to die that way on camera. The president's departure came amid equally deafening swirls of helicopter rotors and tough questions about whether and when the U.S. will strike back in a meaningful and public way against ISIS, the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. News of Sotloff's execution broke online at 1:05 p.m., shortly after White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest began his daily briefing with reporters; he said four minutes later that he hadn't heard the news. By 3:40, Obama was lifting off from the South Lawn of the White House on his way to a waiting Air Force One, which was 'wheels up' by 4:00. Just two weeks ago, the president was widely criticized for being pictured fist-bumping on the golf course minutes after solemnly addressing the nation about an ISIS video showing photojournalist James Foley's death. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Goodbye: Obama jumped aboard Marine One shortly before 3:40 p.m., en route to Air force One at Andrews Air Force base. He took off in his private Boeing 747 at 4:00 p.m. News of Sotloff's execution broke at 1:05. In a hurry: The president jogged up the steps to Air Force One on Tuesday, less than three hours after the gruesome scene of Sotloff's death was broadcast globally via social media . Walk on by: Obama strode to Marine One, his personal chopper, without acknowledging shouted questions from reporters about how he'll respond to Steven Sotloff's beheading. The helicopter took him to Air Force One . As Obama's chopper left the White House on Tuesday, CNN posted video of an interview with Brett McGurk, the Deputy U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, who said Americans should 'stay tuned' for a reaction from the Obama administration. The U.S. is 'developing a broad regional coalition, a broad international coalition, working to get a new Iraqi government stood up, working to get our plans in place,' McGurk said. 'So stay tuned.' 'You cannot just go in militarily and start dropping bombs and hope that it's going to work out,' he said. 'You have to have a very sophisticated approach to this.' 'We are building now a broader campaign plan that we’ll develop over the days and weeks ahead,' he told CNN. The remark sounded like an affirmative echo of what Obama himself said five days ago, admitting that he hadn't decided whether to expand his anti-ISIS airstrikes beyond the borders of Iraq and into Syria . 'We don’t have a strategy yet,' he said then. CNN's Christiane Amanpour seemed out of patience on Tuesday. 'You say "stay tuned," she snapped at McGurk, 'but in the meantime ISIS is busy beheading our colleagues, threatening more of them, massacring people on the ground and conducting the kind of brutality that we haven't seen in a long, long time.' Shortly after McGurk finished his interview, Obama strode past reporters on his way to Marine One without acknowledging them. 'No questions could be heard above the helicopter engine and no answers were given by the president,' according to a White House pool reporter. The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, tried to drown out the bad news with press releases about a 'global sports mentoring program,' a groundbreaking ceremony for the U.S. Diplomacy Center,' and the '5th European Transgender Council Meeting.' After an eight-hour flight, Obama will wake up in Estonia for multilateral talks before continuing to Wales for a NATO summit. He will be accompanied by a subset of the White House press corps, as he was on Martha's Vineyard when his golf game became international news. Barely ten minutes after reading a resolute anti-ISIS message from a makeshift podium following Foley's beheading, the vacationing Obama was at the first tee. The photos that emerged hours later angered Americans who saw the commander-in-chief's grins and fist-bumps as a sign of disrespect while the dead journalist's family mourned. Video released Tuesday by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) showed American journalist Steven Sotloff (L) next to an unknown jihadi shortly before his execution by beheading . Getaway chopper: Once out of earshot of the press corps, Obama boarded Marine One for a 15-minute flight to Andrews Air Force Base and a waiting Air Force One ride to Estonia . Members of Congress from the political left and right showed Tuesday that they are growing weary of the White House's slow-developing approach to combating ISIS. Republicans especially – but with Democrats softening – are demanding a plan to crush the group in its Syrian safe haven. 'Mr. President,' South Carolina Lindsey Graham tweeted on Tuesday, 'if you can't come up with a strategy, at least tell us what the goal is.' U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, added on Twitter that 'we need to send a clear message to the Middle East and the rest of the world. There's only one way you deal with ISIS: You kill them.' House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a California Republican, told CNN that the Sotloff video 'is exactly the reason why we have to go after ISIS, why we cannot just let them wreak havoc. They’re killers. They’re brutal.' Seasoned Capitol Hill Democrats are beginning to question Obama's wait-and-see posture too. Royce's counterpart Rep. Elliot Engel, who his the committee's ranking Democrat and a New Yorker, said he favored airstrikes in Syria. 'Yes, I do,' he told CNN. 'ISIS is obviously across the [Iraq] border, into Syria ... and they really have to be defeated,' he said. Senate Intelligence Committee chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, told NBC on Sunday that she has 'learned one thing about this president, and that is he’s very cautious. Maybe in this instance too cautious.' Confusion: State Dept. official Brett McGurk said Americans should 'stay tuned' for the anti-ISIS strategy that Obama said he didn't have last week . A Murderous trio of British militants linked with the cash-flush Islamist army are believed to be responsible for the beheading deaths of Sotloff and James Foley, and distributing gruesome videos showing the aftermath. 'The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity,' National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said from the White House. 'If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends.' At the State Department, a rattled spokeswoman Jen Psaki confused the executions of Foley and Sotloff. 'We certainly consider this act, this reported act, the act of the killing of James Foley, as a horrific terrorist act.' she said. 'If the video is genuine,' Psaki said, 'we are sickened by this brutal act, taking the life of another innocent American citizens.' Asked if the Obama administration will regard Sotloff's execution as an 'act of war,' she refused to say. 'We certainly – I'm not going to put new labels on it,' Psaki said. | Presdident walks to Marine One past journalists while ignoring their shouted questions .
State Department's chief Iraq-Iran deputy said 'stay tuned' for a strategy: 'we are building now a broader campaign plan'
CNN anchor pounces: 'You say "stay tuned," but in the meantime ISIS is busy beheading our colleagues'
Georgia Republican senator tweets 'There's only one way you deal with ISIS: You kill them'
California Democratic senator warned Sunday that Obama is 'very cautious. Maybe in this instance too cautious'
The president will be in Europe for three days, attending international meetings in Estonia and then a NATO summit in Wales . |
7,816 | 1624c69b93d7e5f118436442ffbe3803087ede5d | While traveling in the Earth's orbit over 240 miles up, American astronaut Karen Nyberg joined Leading Women anchor Becky Anderson for a live interview from the International Space Station (ISS) Friday. When she's not working on scientific experiments, Nyberg can be found tweeting amazing pictures of the planet, chasing floating desserts in space and knitting. Read on for the full interview. CNN: Station, this is CNN. How do you hear me? Karen Nyberg: Good Morning CNN. This is station. I have you loud and clear. CNN: Simeon Birchall, a CNN.com commenter asks is there huge competition for every seat on a shuttle launch? KN: Well I don't know if I'd say competition. Definitely everybody that is in the astronaut office that wants to fly is very eager to do so even if they have gone before. Generally it's kind of going in order of when a class is selected, they start flying people from that class. And then it depends on what roles are needed. If we need to fly somebody that is going to be the commander of the space station, frequently most often that is somebody who has experience flying; if we need somebody who is going to be doing space walks, we need somebody that can do that. Back when we were flying the shuttle, there were a lot more specific tasks doing robotics ops and the space walks. TIMELINE: 50 years of women in space . Now on the space station everybody pretty much has to do everything and so it's a little competitive I guess, but your turn comes along. CNN: @Alizabev asks what type of experiments are you working on? KN: This week we've been doing a lot of experiments on our ocular health. We've noticed some problems over the past several years with many of our astronauts. They come back to Earth after three to six months in space and have long term vision problems, changes in their vision. We are trying to figure out what exactly is causing that. Luca (Parmitano) and I have been involved in numerous tests. We're doing tonometry -- we are looking at the pressure of the eye. We are doing ultrasounds to look at the morphology of the eye, we are doing fundoscopy to take images of the retina, vision tests. We are hoping that we can determine exactly what is causing this and hopefully mitigate the problem, especially if we start longer duration missions going to Mars ... we really need to understand this so we don't degrade the vision of every astronaut that is going into space. CNN: A commenter on CNN.com Marik asks what do you think of the Mars One project which aims to privately settle people on the planet? KN: I think it would be interesting. I think there are a lot of challenges and a lot of things that need to be figured out before that can be a successful mission. Mars is a long ways away and we have a lot to learn ... I don't know how many years from now that will be, but that type of thing may become standard. CNN: Floyd Moore aged 5 and Camper Carl of @AZChallenger both asked the same question: What is it like to sleep in space? And have you ever floated out of your bed? KN: It's actually quite comfortable sleeping in space. We have sleeping bags that we hang from the wall. The first couple weeks when I was here, it was very important to me to feel like I was almost laying on something. I would lay with my legs sideways in the sleeping back so that I felt pressure along my back from one side of the sleeping bag and I felt pressure from my legs on the other side. Now I've become a little more adapted to it and I can just float there. And no, I've never floated out of the bed. I'm usually zipped in pretty well. CNN: @Womenintheair asks: Which female astronauts influenced you? And have you met any of them as an astronaut? KN: Sally Ride was making her first flight into space and she really impacted me. And also just looking back, I did some research on Valentina Tereshkova when I was in high school because she was the first female to fly in space. And I actually did meet her last year for a brief moment before traveling to Baikonur as a back up for one of the missions. It was just (a) fantastic opportunity to get to meet her. I never did meet Sally Ride. I met her sister after her passing but it would have been fantastic to meet her too. But I think those two, the firsts, those names stick in your head and they really become inspirations for you. CNN: @nmedia_s asks do you think there is intelligent life in space -- besides the people at the ISS? KN: I don't know. I don't think I'm smart enough to know. The universe is so big. It's hard to imagine that there isn't something out there that is similar to our solar system and could provide what the Earth provides for us. But certainly we haven't seen that and you know, maybe some day we will. It's hard for me to say whether I truly believe it or not. I think it's possible. I don't believe we've seen anything but it's possible there is life out there somewhere. CNN: @FumaiMartin asks how much physics and chemistry taught in high school helps at the International Space Station? KN: I think any type of scientific class or mathematical class or any class really that you take is helpful even if you don't use the specific fundamentals that you learn in that class. There is something about learning how to learn that I think is very important is a very broad spectrum. And the same for college, a lot of the classes you take you are like, you think to yourself 'I'm never going to use this.' And you know what, sometimes you don't ... But a lot of it you do use. Even though we are working directly with the investigators of the scientific experiments. It's important for us understand what's going on so we can help and maybe we can see things and we can help them with their discoveries. CNN: Greg Wagner on Facebook asks what one place on Earth would you most like to visit with only the knowledge of having seen it from the ISS? KN: Oh wow! You know there are so many beautiful places that I don't even know how I would answer that. I've seen some mountain ranges that are just absolutely incredible ... But at the same time, I've come along some coastlines that look just breathtaking and so I guess I would have a lot of traveling to do if I were to go to every single place that I thought looked like a great place to be. CNN: CNN Mexico commenter Luis Flores Gonzalez asks if you were offered the opportunity to take a one-way trip to the deepest part of the universe, would you accept it? KN: A one-way trip, no. Especially with the current situation I'm in with a young son and a husband at home. I definitely would not want to do a really long, and definitely a one-way trip. It might be a different story if I had family with me but I'd have to say no to that. CNN: @Fadhelindonesia asks when you read my message what continent are you looking at? KN: We just passed over the east coast of South America and we are heading up towards Africa. We should be there in just a couple of minutes. And then we'll head up over Europe and into Asia. CNN: Leading Women co-anchor Kristie Lu Stout tweeted: We hear you're a bit of a DIY design geek. Do you get crafty in space? KN: I have been trying to do a little bit. ... It's amazing. Time goes by so fast and in the weekdays and on the evenings, there's absolutely no time for that. Sundays is really my day and I actually got a few things out the other day and drew up a design on a piece of paper and cut up some old T shirts and have started sewing things together. Not quite sure exactly how it is going to turn out but ... when I find the time to sit there and do that only, hopefully I'll get something done. WATCH THE FULL LIVE STREAM INTERVIEW . | NASA astronaut and engineer Karen Nyberg joins CNN from the International Space Station .
Nyberg discusses space exploration, current work, women in science .
She answers questions submitted from you via CNN.com, Facebook and Twitter . |
208,399 | 99cf1dd6af6e745ef3705ddbac866036744c40d4 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 16:01 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:47 EST, 5 November 2012 . Tragic: David Bogenberger, 19, pictured was found dead at an NIU frat house on Friday . A Northern Illinois University freshman was found dead in a fraternity house bunk bed on Friday, after a booze-fueled college party. David Bogenberger, 19, was unresponsive when police arrived at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house at 10.14am and was pronounced dead about half an hour later by DeKalb County Coroner Dennis Miller. An autopsy performed on Saturday failed to determine why the sports-loving business student died, but toxicology tests should show whether alcohol played a role. Mr Bogenberger, a triplet, graduated from Palatine High School in June. His father, Gary Bogenberger, said his son lived in a campus dormitory but was pledging the fraternity. He told the Daily Chronicle he found it 'tragic' that his son died alone. 'I am so surprised at the number of comments and well-wishes on his Facebook page from so many of his friends,' he said. 'He was such a nice kid that everyone liked. I just video-chatted with him Wednesday night, and he seemed so happy, doing great in his classes and looking so forward to life. 'It's tragic that he died alone.' David's mother, Ruth Bogenberger, added that the family was 'shocked and distraught' by Mr Bogenberger's mystery death. His sister, Megan, changed her Facebook profile to a photograph of her and David on Friday, with the caption, 'you were the best brother a girl could ask for.' Condolences from friends and family members flooded in over the weekend, with Andrew Sutter writing: 'Megan and alex im sry (sic) for ur loss dave was a great guy, he knew how to make everyone laugh its a tragedy to say that he is gone i pay u my respectes (sic) and once again im sry for ur loss.' Triplet: David Bogenberger, left, was a triple and his sister Megan, right, said on her Facebook on Friday that he was 'the best brother a girl could have' DeKalb Police Lt. Jason Leverton said there were no obvious signs of foul play and no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Bogenberger's death. Officers found evidence of alcohol use near Mr Bogenberger's body, and they know he was one of several students invited to the fraternity house on Thursday night. But they won't know whether binge-drinking or some form of fraternity initiation was responsible until toxicology samples are returned, which could take up to two weeks. Frat: Mr Bogenberger, pictured right, was pledging the fraternity, his dad said . Lt. Leverton said they wanted . to interview more than 20 people who had been at the fraternity house . around that time to help piece together what happened. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with David's family and friends as they cope with this difficult loss,' NIU President John Peters said. 'Please know that your grief is shared collectively by the NIU community.' The university is offering counselling and support to help students deal with the freshman's death. President of the NIU Pi Kappa Alpha chapter, Alexander Jandick, said the chapter has ceased operations and was fully cooperating with the police investigation. Freshman: The 19-year-old was studying business at NIU, pictured . Frat house: Mr Bogenberger was found dead at Pi Kappa Alpha house, pictured, on Friday morning . According to his student webpage, Mr Bogenberger enjoyed watching classic films, reading and playing sports with his friends. He was involved heavily in activities at Palatine High School, and worked as a waiter and cook at Panera Bread Co. over the past two years. Mr Bogenberger also volunteered throughout his community and served as a classroom assistant for his local church, where a celebration of life will be held tomorrow. Flowers and lanterns were left outside the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity home over the weekend, serving as a memorial for the popular student. | David Bogenberger, 19, was unresponsive when police arrived at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house on Friday morning .
An autopsy on Saturday failed to determine why the sports-loving business student died but police are waiting on toxicology results .
There was evidence of alcohol use near his body .
'It's tragic that he died alone,' said teen's father . |
147,994 | 4b61001929089625bf6c6b0c2466319c27e45abe | By . Bianca London . Take a look at the feet of any A-lister and it's likely you'll catch a flash of red. From Victoria Beckham to Lily Allen, the iconic Christian Louboutin red sole has adorned many of the world's most famous feet. And according to the French designer himself, even the super stylish Duchess of Cambridge has a pair stashed away, gifted to her by none other than Mrs Beckham. Scroll down for video . Footwear fans: Victoria Beckham gave the Duchess of Cambridge a pair of Christian Louboutin boots, revealed the French footwear designer . 'I know that Victoria Beckham offered her a pair of my boots and she looked great in them. She's been photographed wearing my boots. She looked fantastic,' he told The Times. Victoria, 41, is known for her penchant for sky-high stilettos so it comes as no surprise that she's one of Louboutin's greatest fans. However, sadly for Victoria and his army of A-list fans, Louboutin, who now has 91 standalone shops in 55 countries, admits that he doesn't think about comfort when designing his heels. Man of the hour: Christian Louboutin, 51, revealed the information when he was promoting his debut beauty range, which consists of 31 nail varnishes . Famous fan: Victoria, 41, is known for her penchant for sky-high stilettos so it comes as no surprise that she's one of Louboutin's greatest fans and has been wearing them since her she first burst onto the showbiz scene, right . He said: 'The first emotion I want to provoke is: "How beautiful! How sexy!" I don't want people to think: "How comfortable." 'Being tall can often be a great thing for men and women. I remember a woman thanking me because she applied for a job wearing my shoes and got it. I said don't give me the credit - they might have given you some confidence, but I doubt anyone would give you a job because of your shoes. I wouldn't.' That's ironic coming from the man who decided he wanted to start making shoes when he was just 12. Big sellers: His shoes are loved by the likes of Amanda Holden, left, and Hayden Panettiere, and he now has 91 stores across 55 countries . Fast forward to 1991 and he had opened his first shoe shop, with Princess Caroline of Monaco as its first customer. Clients such as Diane von Fürstenberg, Blake Lively, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kim Kardashian followed and Louboutins have gone on to become the most searched-for shoe on Google. Clearly keen to cash in on his success, the 51-year-old, whose shoes can cost between £480 and £2,000, has just launched his debut beauty range complete with 31 nail varnishes inspired by his famous shoes. In fact, the reason the soles are red are because he 'felt as though something was missing' when he saw his first prototype shoe and decided to paint the bottom with his assistant's red nail varnish. The Rouge Louboutin, inspired by that original red polish, will be the first colour to be unveiled on July 24, with 30 more to follow this summer. The collection will be available at Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and in Christian Louboutin stores. Luxe: His clients include Diane von Fürstenberg, Blake Lively, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kim Kardashian and Louboutins have gone on to become the most searched-for shoe on Google . | Christian Louboutin is unveiling his first nail varnish range .
Says Duchess of Cambridge owns a pair of his boots .
Shoe business has 91 shops in 55 countries .
Nail varnish priced at £30 ($50) |
189,010 | 80c88c57208158e54d73a80e67b60bcc355e7b61 | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 04:42 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:07 EST, 12 November 2013 . As sports go, basketball is one of the less perilous – but Harlem Globetrotter William 'Bull' Bullard demonstrated recently that it has its risks. He narrowly escaped with his life when he dramatically slam-dunked a ball during an exhibition game at the Nacional de Ingenieros Coliseum in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, during a tour of Central America, only for the hoop to fall on top of him. Bullard had clung athletically to the structure with his hands and feet, but it gave way. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . So far so good: William 'Bull' Bullard leaps up to the hoop during the game in Honduras and slams the ball in . Gymnast: Bullard puts both of his feet on the backboard . Hoops-a-daisy: The whole structure comes crashing down on the Globetrotter . Spectators watched in horror as the 29-year-old landed on his back and was struck on the head by the rim of backboard. For a few moments, Bullard lay motionless on the court, next to a mound of shattered glass, clearly hurt and dazed. TV cameras zoomed in, revealing that he had a nasty gash on his head. Injured: The accident left Bullard with a nasty gash on his head - but he is now okay . Eventually, and to the delight of the crowed, the 6ft 4 No33 from Detroit got to his feet and walked off to receive treatment. The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition team founded in Chicago in 1926. Their skills are legendary and they don’t often lose games. In February 2006 they notched up their 22,000 win. They’ve lost 345 games to date, which gives them a losing percentage of just 1.5. The last defeat came in March 2006. The Globetrotters' world tour brings them to England and Scotland in 2014. Venue: The accident happened at the Nacional de Ingenieros Coliseum in Tegucigalpa, Honduras . | Bull Bullard athletically clung to the hoop during a game in Honduras .
The structure gave way and hit the 29-year-old player on the head . |
186,967 | 7e1fa8a7672772f3e9f38767645ed81999e5a2e9 | Most caterpillars tend to rely upon camouflage or being as unpalatable as possible to protect themselves from predators, but the Eastern tiger swallowtail has a more unusual approach - it pretends to be a smelly snake. The caterpillar of the Eastern tiger swallowtail, which is native to North America, has two green 'eyespots' on the top of its body that makes it look like a snake slithering between the leaves. Incredibly, when disturbed the insect larvae shoots out two bright orange structures that look like the forked tongue of a snake. Scroll down for a video . The Eastern tiger swallowtail pushes out a protrusion that looks like a snake's forked tongue (shown above) And as if resembling a potentially dangerous reptile was not enough to put off hungry birds, the caterpillar has another weapon in its armory. Having bright colours and distinguishing features is a common way for insects to scare away predators like birds. Often they help to lure them away from vital body parts or confuse them. However, this only works on predators that hunt using sight while bats tend to be immune to such devices. Now scientists have found that a moth has an unusual evolutionary adaptation that allows it to confuse the ultrasound used by bats. The luna moth has two tails that extend for more than an inch beyond its body. Scientists in the US showed that these appendages produce a confusing acoustic signature in the bats echolocation. It makes the bats target the end of the tails rather than the moth itself. Pushing out the orange tongue-like structure - known as an osmeterium - releases a powerful and smelly substance at the same time. Now scientists have found evidence hidden in the genome of these strange butterflies that helps explain how they developed this in the first place. The foul-smelling substance consists of chemicals called terpenes, which are created by enzymes in the caterpillar's body. Most butterflies have just one or two of these enzymes, but the Eastern tiger swallowtail and its relatives, known as Papilio butterflies, appear to have many. Writing in the journal Cell Reports, Dr Nick Grishin, a geneticist at University of Texas, said these butterflies exist appear to have broken off from the main branch of the butterfly evolutionary tree. He said: 'The Papilio-specific FPPS enzymes form a clade in the evolutionary tree. 'We hypothesized that they could function in a pathway to synthesize predator-repelling terpenes secreted by the osmeterium, a Papilionidae-specific organ among butterflies.' The researchers used a rapid and cheap DNA sequencing technique to assess the genome of the Eastern tiger swallowtail. The Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar also has distinctive eyespots (pictured) that make it look like a snake . By looking like a green snake, like Opheodrys vernalis above, the caterpillar is able to frighten off predators . The geneticists also found that the butterflies appear to produce more molecules that are sensitive to green, blue and ultraviolet light. This, they say, 'may indicate a more advanced colour perception'. They also found that the butterflies have mutations in proteins that are responsible for the circadian rhythm - the internal clock that works in cells. This, they say, might explain why Eastern tiger swallowtails mature quickly into adults and hatch from their chrysalises quickly compared to their cousins, the Canadian tiger swallowtails, which sleep through the winter. The scientists also found the Eastern tiger swallowtails had high numbers of proteins involved in the detection of chemicals from their food. Other species of Papilio butterfly, like the black swallowtail above, also use osmeterium to look like snakes . Dr Grishin and his colleagues added: 'They are also significantly enriched in proteins involved in the detection of stimuli (chemosensory ionotropic receptors), which may be related to the wide range of food plants they feed on.' The butterfly's genome was found to be 376 million bases, or 'letters' of DNA, long. The human genome consists of 3.2 billion bases. Dr Grishin said that with the technique they have developed, it may be possible to cheaply sequence the DNA of insects to identify them. He said: 'With our protocols, the cost per new genome falls below $4,000, making insect sequencing projects feasible. 'We think the power of comparative genomics can be fully exploited only when there are thousands of genomes available.' Despite the fearsome appearance of its caterpillar, the adult Eastern tiger swallowtail (above) is beautiful . | The Eastern tiger swallowtail is native to the east coast of North America .
Its caterpillar has yellow eyespots near its head make it look like a snake .
When threatened the caterpillar pushes out an orange tongue-like 'fork'
This fork also releases smelly chemicals called terpenes at the same time .
Geneticists at the University of Texas have studied the genes responsible .
They say these butterflies have far more terpene genes than other species . |
75,598 | d665b422263ee0980c0aadecb90ef197c8da9afb | By . Daniel Mills . Jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste has spoken to his family from his cramped Egyptian jail cell - for the first time since his sentencing - where he is spending up to '23 hours a day' locked inside. Speaking with brother Andrew following his shock seven-year guilty verdict for aiding the outlawed Muslim brotherhood, Peter has told him about his torment at receiving the sentence which has sparked international outcry and begun dialogue between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Egyptian Government. Andrew Greste, who appeared on Channel Nine's Today Show, described the cramped conditions of Peter's Tora prison cell, in Cairo, where he is spending close to every hour of the day locked inside. 'He is in a cell that's three metres by four metres in dimension,' Andrew said. Scroll down for video . Peter Greste told his brother Andrew he was shattered at his seven-year guilty verdict handed down by an Egyptian judge . 'There's a double bunk be and a single bunk bed within that space as well as a small screened off area where there's a toilet, shower and wash basin and they spend 23-hours a day in that cell.' Andrew said he and other brother Mike were not able to see Peter amid the chaotic scenes of Monday's sentencing as he was whisked away from the mesh cage in which he was locked in the courtroom. Peter, along with his two other Al Jazeera English colleagues, was sentenced to seven years in jail after he was found guilty of fabricating footage to undermine Egypt's political situation, aligning himself with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. His brother Andrew said Peter was feeling 'shattered and outraged' at the sentencing but has vowed to keep up the fight to ensure his release. He said despite the unexpected jail term, Peter was keeping mentally strong. 'He is pretty shattered, outraged - all those words to describe his emotions,' he said. 'But on the flip side to that he is still mentally strong and holding it together and he has assured us he is willing to keep up the fight.' Andrew Greste, left, said his brother was feeling 'shattered and outraged' at the guilty verdict . Greste, along with his two other Al Jazeera English colleagues Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed, was sentenced to seven years in jail after he was found guilty of fabricating footage to undermine Egypt's political situation . The three journalists, including Canadian-Egyptian acting Cairo bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed, were arrested on December 29 after a raid on their Cairo hotel they were using as an office and denied the accusations, saying they were just doing their job. Monday's sentencing sparked and international outcry, particularly after Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi dashed hopes of a prompt resolution. He said local authorities 'will not interfere in judicial matters'. The family of Peter had previously said that appealing for a presidential pardon was one of the first things they would consider in the campaign to free him. But with that no longer a prospect, the Greste's must now decide whether to lodge an appeal with the same judiciary that convicted him. The Tora Prison complex where Peter Greste is currently spending up to 23 hours-a-day inside . 'It's been extremely stressful, emotional and anxious,' Andrew said. 'Peter has shown remarkable strength and remarkable integrity through the whole process and respected the whole process, the Egyptian legal system, we've taken a lot of strength from Peter's courage and dignity.' It is anticipated that he will be upgraded to a better complex where his conditions are expected to improved, but where visits from his family may be reduced. Presently the family are free to visit Peter once a week but that may soon be limited to once a fortnight. Both Andrew and brother Mike Greste will continue splitting their time between Egypt and Australia to support Peter, and keep him informed about the next step in efforts to secure his release. | Peter Greste living in Egyptian cell '23-hours a day' in cramped space .
He is confined to just a bunk bed, small toilet, wash basin and shower .
Brother Andrew said he is 'shattered and outraged' at seven-year jail term .
Abbott Government will formally request the Egyptian president's intervention in the case .
Greste's family have confirmed they will consider an appeal . |
10,475 | 1dca96570f96e8a9b5946e015c96e496743b75ee | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 12:04 EST, 3 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 3 March 2014 . Two women are less likely to co-operate than two men, a study claims. Meryl Streep played mean boss Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada (pictured) They may lack the competitive streak of their male colleagues but women are loath to work together. A study found two women are less likely to co-operate than two men when one is more powerful than the other. Similarly, two females of different rank are less likely to work together than a man and a woman. The finding contradicts the widely held belief that women’s nurturing nature makes it natural for them to help each other out, while men are too competitive to have time for each other. Researchers said that men may be wired to put their differences aside in order to form alliances. Women, however, are most comfortable with people who are on the same level as them. Richard Wrangham, of the University of Quebec at Montreal, said: ‘The question we wanted to examine was: Do men or women co-operate better with members of their own sex? ‘The conventional wisdom is that women co-operate more easily but when you look at how armies or sports teams function, there is evidence that men are better at co-operating in some ways.’ To look at whether there sexes differ in how they co-operate, the scientists looked at research collaborations in 50 university psychology departments. This showed that all female pairings of junior and senior researchers were much less common than collaborations between two men at different stages in their career. However, women of the same rank didn’t seem to have difficulty in working together and mixed-sex collaborations were also common. In other words, the problem arises in situations in which one female is more powerful than the other. Writing in the journal Current Biology, the researchers said the lack of trust may come from both directions. U.S. researchers said that men may be wired to put their differences aside in order to form alliances. Women, however, are most comfortable with people who are on the same level as them. Consequently they believe many women prefer to work with a male boss (pictured) Working for a difficult boss can come with stress, long hours and a poor office atmosphere. Recent research has found it can also be bad for your health. The stress of working for a bad boss over a long period of time can cause serious harm to employees, the study found. Scientists at Ohio State University found that chronic stress causes changes in the gene activity in immune cells. These changes cause the cells to be primed to fight an infection that doesn't exist. This leads to inflammation in the body which is associated with many health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. They said: ‘The study does not demonstrate whether the reduced level of co-operation among women if different status is due to higher-ranked or lower-ranked women. ‘However, our findings are consistent with results from early childhood onwards suggesting that females of lower status can be uncomfortable co-operating with their superiors. ‘Female superiors may also be less willing than male superiors to invest in lower-ranked same-sex individuals.’ Others say that while men make their feelings clear, women are more likely to let jealousies and resentments fester. Harvard University researcher Joyce Benenson, one of the study’s authors, said that women’s instinctive distrust of females in power may make it more difficult for them to scale the career ladder. She said: ‘Females are less likely than males to co-operate across ranks with same-sex individuals. ‘This means that a highly talented newcomer female in any organisation does not receive the support that her male counterpart does from higher-ranked individuals who can help them climb the hierarchy.’ Even having a male boss may not be a huge help. Professor Benenson said: ‘Because men often discriminate against women, it is unclear whether higher-ranked males could be more helpful.’ | University of Quebec study found that two women are less likely to co-operate than two men, when one is more powerful than the other .
Women of the same rank didn’t seem to have difficulty in working together and mixed-sex collaborations were also common in the research .
The findings are consistent with results other studies suggesting females of lower status can .
be uncomfortable co-operating with their superiors . |
118,814 | 256d7c4405fa66eeee825ef073a4aee4262f8eb1 | (CNN) -- Hours after a plane slammed into her home Karen Wielinski gave an exclusive interview to Buffalo radio station WBEN. This is her account based on that interview. Husband and wife Doug and Karen and daughter Jill were in their house when the plane crashed. Karen Wielinski was watching TV in her home when she heard a plane making an unusually loud noise. "I thought to myself, if that's a plane, it's going to hit something," she said. Then, Continental Airlines Flight 3407 crashed into the Clarence Center, New York, home, trapping her and her family. "And next thing I knew the ceiling was on me," she said. Just before the crash, Wielinski was sitting in the family room watching TV, her 22-year-old daughter Jill was watching TV in the front of the home and her husband Doug had just left the family room to work in the dining room, she said. The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, a 74-seat turboprop, was en route from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo Niagara International Airport when it went down around 10:20 p.m. ET Thursday. Watch a witness describe what she heard » . All 49 people aboard the plane -- 44 passengers, four crew members and an off-duty pilot -- were killed. Karen and Jill Wielinski escaped and were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but Doug Wielinski was killed. Read more about the victims . At first, Karen Wielinski said, she thought the crash wasn't real. "When the ceiling first fell down ... I think the first thing I said to myself was 'Is this real? Is this reality or am I dreaming something?' WBEN: Listen to audio of Wielinski's interview . But then it became all too real. "I just didn't think I was going to get out of there," she said. "I thought 'This is it,' and kind of panic set in," she said. "I just, I didn't know how much was on top of me, so I was panicking a little but trying to stay cool." That's when Wielinski noticed a glimmer of light to her right. "I don't know if you gain strength when you have to but whatever was on top of me I just pushed off, at least part of it so that I could get out of that hole," she said. "I shouted first in case anybody was out there," she said. "And then kind of pushed what was on me, part of that off and crawled out the hole." When she got out of the hole she heard a woman crying and saw the back of her home was destroyed. "The fire had started," she said. "I could see the wing of the plane." After surveying the disaster she saw her daughter was safe, but hysterically crying. "From what she's saying it appeared the attic kind of came down onto where she was," Wielinski said. "She couldn't get through the windows because of the fire that was there, but she miraculously found an opening and slid out of that." Immediately after the mother and daughter escaped, Wielinski said her daughter asked where her father was. "And I didn't know," Wielinski said. "I just told her we had to get out of there, we had to get away from the fire, because when I knew it was a plane, I knew that there might be explosions or something." So both women ran to the back of the yard and up the street to look for their neighbors. When she was asked early on if she had heard news about her husband, Wielinski said no, and she didn't know whom to ask. "But to me it looked like the plane just came down on the middle of the house, and unfortunately that's where Doug was," she said. The women were taken to the hospital with only minor injuries. Wielinski said her arm was in a sling because she fractured her collarbone. She said her daughter escaped with only scratches on her feet. Wielinski grew emotional talking about her husband. "Oh gosh," she said, beginning to cry. "He was just a good person." | Karen, Jill Wielinski escaped with minor injuries after plane crashed into house .
Doug Wielinski was killed when plane slammed into the middle of house .
Mom: "I just didn't think I was going to get out of there, I thought, 'This is it'"
Mother, daughter both found holes in debris to climb through to safety . |
121,258 | 28c45b489b5d9a32a14081606b06d66e897ac3bd | By . Associated Press . Californians increased water consumption this year during the severe drought, despite pleas from the governor to conserve, fallowed farm fields and reservoirs that are quickly draining, according to a report released Tuesday. The State Water Resources Control Board released the updated results from a water-use survey that said overall consumption had risen one percent, even as Gov. Jerry Brown has called for a 20 percent cutback. The report corrected survey results released just a month ago that said use statewide had declined by 5 percent. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . A worker uses a hose to wash the sidewalk in front of a residential hotel in San Francisco as the California drought continues . The earlier survey prompted the water board to consider the most drastic response yet to California's drought - imposing fines of up to $500 a day for people who waste water on landscaping, fountains, washing vehicles and other outdoor uses. Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus said the new usage figures underscore the need for action. 'Not everybody in California understands how bad this drought is... and how bad it could be,' she said. 'There are communities in danger of running out of water all over the state.' The increase noted in the new report is attributable to two regions of the state: Southern California coastal communities and the far northeastern slice of the state. The updated number was based on surveys taken from water districts throughout California and was based on consumption from May compared to the same month in previous years. Marcus said the board will consider other steps if the $500-a-day fines being considered Tuesday don't work. Fines of up to $500 for Californians who waste water did not seem to work during this year's drought (runner pictured jogging through sprinklers in San Fran today) Those could include requiring water districts to stop leaks in their pipes, which account for an estimated 10 percent of water use, stricter landscape restrictions and encouraging water agencies to boost rates for consumers who use more than their share of water. No region of California met Brown's request for a 20 percent reduction, but some came closer than others. Communities that draw from the Sacramento River reduced consumption the most, by 13 percent, while those along the North Coast reduced consumption by 12 percent. San Francisco Bay Area cities and Southern California cities that draw from the Colorado River decreased water use by 5 percent. The California Department of Water Resources estimates that cities and suburbs use about 20 percent of the state's water, with about half going outdoors. Agriculture is by far the greatest water user, accounting for 75 percent of consumption in the state. California farmers are just as guilty of using too much water as their urban neighbors, according to a separate report released Tuesday. The study by the University of California, Davis found that farmers could see their wells run dry next year unless the state sees a wet winter. California is the only western state that does not measure groundwater use. Sprinklers water a partially dead soccer field in San Francisco as voluntary conservation is falling well below the suggested 20 percent . The outdoor water rules being considered Tuesday by the state board would prohibit the watering of landscaping to the point that runoff spills onto sidewalks or streets. Hosing down sidewalks, driveways and other hard surfaces would be banned along with washing vehicles without a shut-off nozzle. Violations would be infractions punishable by the fines, although most cities are likely to have a sliding scale that starts with a warning and increases for repeat violations. It estimates that the proposed restrictions could save enough water statewide to supply more than 3.5 million people for a year. 'Not everybody in California understands how bad this drought is... and how bad it could be. 'There are communities in danger of running out of water all over the state.' Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus . Officials in some cities, including San Francisco, worry about the prohibition on washing streets and sidewalks. Public Works Department spokeswoman Rachel Gordon said that could interfere with the frequent cleaning of alleys to wash away human waste where there are high concentrations of homeless people. During the past 12 months, she said the city responded to about 8,000 calls to steam clean streets of such waste. The proposed state regulations already provide exceptions when health or safety is at risk, but Gordon said San Francisco wants to make sure it doesn't run afoul of the rules even as it takes other steps to conserve water. Marcus, the chairwoman, said the board will try to adjust its regulation to allow for the judicious use of power-washing, after industry representatives said it is efficient and necessary for everything from erasing graffiti to preparing homes for repainting. 'Our intention in this first round was to do what was reasonable and easier to do,' she said. | Overall water consumption this year has risen 1% in California .
Gov. Jerry Brown has called for a 20% cutback .
$500 fines were imposed for people who waste water on landscaping, fountains and washing cars... but it hasn't helped .
California farmers could run out of water in 12 months . |
245,123 | c9441e9c5aaa4974b8b8af93628823ae5ffeb4fb | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 10:36 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:08 EST, 26 September 2013 . Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has been awarded a sixth Michelin star after his new London restaurant Dinner was upgraded to two stars. The chef has kept his three-star rating for The Fat Duck and one star for The Hinds Head, neighbouring restaurants in Bray, Berkshire. The 2014 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland also awarded a second star to The Greenhouse, the Mayfair restaurant run by French chef Arnaud Bignon, for its ‘technically impressive and innovative cooking’. Michelin star man: Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has been awarded a sixth Michelin star after his new London restaurant Dinner was upgraded to two stars (pictured right with executive chef of The Fat Duck Group Ashley Palmer-Watts in the kitchen at the restaurant) Diner is Mr Blumenthal's newest restaurant located in London icon the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and showcases historic British gastronomy. Mr Blumenthal said: 'This is absolutely brilliant - I am overjoyed. It's great news for Ashley [Palmer-Watts, executive head chef for The Fat Duck Group] and the whole team. 'It's been an incredible two and a half years for Dinner and this is just simply the highlight. As a Brit, I am very proud that a restaurant inspired by and celebrating historic British cooking has been recognised today.' Mr Palmer-Watts said: 'This is just incredible news and an amazing achievement for the entire team at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Everyone works so hard every day and myself and Heston are so proud of each and every one of them. I am just blown away.' Star struck: Blumenthal's new restaurant Dinner (pictured) in the Mandarin Oriental at Hyde Park celebrates British cooking, the chef said . Landmark location: The restaurant Dinner is in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (pictured) and showcases historic British gastronomy . The 15 new one stars include Wilks, an ‘unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant’ in Bristol, and Campagne, a contemporary Kilkenny restaurant. Lima in London is the first Peruvian restaurant to gain a star, highlighting the increasing popularity of South American cuisine, the guide said. Lima co-owner Gabriel Gonzalez said: ‘A Michelin star is an incredible accomplishment. ‘I am so proud of Robert Ortiz and the team at Lima who work to exceptional standards at every service, and feel this really is a testament to all of our hard work over the past year. ‘To be the first Peruvian restaurant to achieve a star in UK and Europe is a huge accolade.’ Rebecca Burr, the guide's editor, said: ‘We have never produced a GB and Ireland guide that provides our readers with such diversity and variety. Continues to shine: The Fat Duck, another of Blumenthal's restaurants which serves unique dishes such as nitro green tea (right) and beautifully presented mango puree (left), retained its three Michelin stars . First time: Lima restaurant in London, which serves dishes such as these delicately plated pink artichokes, was the first Peruvian restaurant to gain a star . ‘Fantastic B&Bs, wonderful pubs, stylish hotels, world class restaurants and great value eateries - we have them all in our guide. ‘In the last year, we've seen the rise of relaxed counter dining but also the opening of some big brasseries. ‘Dining is becoming a less structured, less formal affair and opening times and menus are more flexible to reflect the way we live our lives. ‘Single concept restaurants focusing on one or two dishes have also continued to open. ‘The Michelin guide has always reflected what's out there and London in particular has never offered so much choice. ‘There really is something for everyone and for every occasion and there appears to be no end to the number of exciting new restaurant openings. ‘With cuisines and culinary influences from all parts of the globe, it's no surprise that the capital is one of the most exciting cities in the world for food. ‘We've seen internationally acclaimed chefs open restaurants over here but we're also delighted to witness the rise of the next generation of talented British chefs and the continued evolution of British cooking.’ The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2014 goes on sale on October 4 priced £15.99. What the critics said: . ‘Dinner updates historic dishes with flair and precision. The signature Tudor-inspired "meat fruit" bears striking resemblance to a dimpled mandarin, its gel-like zesty sheen yields to a delectable chicken liver and foie gras parfait, with chargrilled sourdough bread a perfect partner’ – TimeOut . ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal may be expensive, but it's also bloody lovely. Save up’ – The Guardian . ‘So what do you want to hear? That Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, despite its bombastic, unwieldy and quite horrendous name… officially the best restaurant in London? Well, then it is’ – The Times . What's on offer: . Nettle Porridge - Frog’s legs, smoked beetroot, garlic & fennel, £14.50Lobster & Cucumber Soup - Lobster salad, onion & samphire, £22.50 . Black Foot Pork Chop - Spelt, ham hock, turnip & Robert sauce, £30.00Chicken cooked with Lettuces - Spiced celeriac sauce & oyster leaves, £29.00 . Tipsy Cake - Spit roast pineapple, £13.00Bohemian Cake - Chocolate, citrus & London summertime honey ice cream, £10.50 . | The celebrity chef's restaurant Dinner was upgraded to two Michelin stars in the 2014 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland .
His other restaurants The Fat Duck and The Hinds Head kept their ratings .
Lima in London was the first Peruvian restaurant to ever gain a star . |
46,486 | 82f8c01db091300db3c124543317cd825b441cbe | By . Jason Groves and Hugo Duncan . PUBLISHED: . 18:12 EST, 12 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:24 EST, 13 June 2012 . Angela Merkel may be willing to sacrifice Greece in order to persuade German voters to bail out the euro, George Osborne warned last night. The Chancellor suggested Germany may ‘require’ the crisis that would follow a Greek exit to convince its voters to take the unpalatable steps needed to rescue the single currency. His comments came as the euro crisis continued to deepen, despite an £80billion bailout of Spain’s banks at the weekend. German Chancellor Angela Merkel could be willing to make the sacrifice in order to demonstrate the importance of saving the single currency . Spain’s borrowing costs rose to a euro-era high of 6.8 percent yesterday after credit ratings agency Fitch brushed aside the rescue fund to issue a fresh downgrade to 18 Spanish banks. Italy’s borrowing rates also jumped to dangerous levels after the Austrian finance minister suggested Italy – the eurozone’s third largest economy – would also need a bailout. Economists have warned a Greek exit could plunge markets into fresh turmoil and spark a new recession across Europe. Ministers and officials are drawing . up contingency plans, including a draconian cap on cashpoint withdrawals . and limits on foreign travel, to deal with the potential fallout. Chancellor George Osborne suggested that Mrs Merkel may require a Grexit to stave off discontent amongst German voters . But speaking at a business summit in London yesterday, Mr Osborne suggested Mrs Merkel may be prepared to allow Greece to leave the euro in order to demonstrate to German voters the need to take costly action to prevent the total collapse of the single currency. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde has previously called upon leaders to take 'decisive steps to break free of the crisis' ‘I ultimately don’t know whether Greece needs to leave the euro in order for the eurozone to do the things necessary to make their currency survive.’. ‘I just don’t know whether the German government requires Greek exit to explain to their public why they need to do certain things like a banking union, eurobonds and things in common with that.’ The Chancellor also described the failure of Spain’s bank bailout as ‘depressing’ and ‘frustrating’. Treasury sources insisted Mr Osborne was not commenting on the likelihood of a Greek exit. A source said: ‘His point was, do we need another crisis to get decisive action from the eurozone to stand behind its currency.’ Continuing market turmoil fuelled fears European leaders are nowhere near finding a solution to the financial storm that threatens to tear the single currency apart. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, urged leaders ‘to take decisive steps to break free of the crisis’. Cyprus has indicated it is just days away from asking for a bailout of its own and Greek elections on Sunday could see angry voters push the country out of the euro. | Banking crisis continues to deepen despite £80bn bailout of Spain's banks .
Italy and Spain's borrowing rates soared amid fears of a Greek eurozone exit . |
189,517 | 8169e1aed59f585d8b42c1e279b058998fca545d | (CNN) -- When it comes to mandatory education, Puerto Rico and Venezuela stand apart from the rest of the world. There, children are required to attend school for 14 years. That's longer than any other country -- or commonwealth or territory -- by at least one year, according to the most recent data from UNESCO. Five places -- Anguilla, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Turks and Caicos Islands -- require 13 years of education. The United States is among a large group that requires 12 years. Nobody starts a child sooner than Venezuela, which begins by age 3. Puerto Rico starts two years later and ends at 18, which is tied for the highest "ending age" along with Belgium, Germany and Uzbekistan. At the other end of the spectrum are Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Laos, Myanmar and Pakistan, which require only five years of education, according to UNESCO. By age 9, children in Myanmar and Pakistan are already finishing up their legal obligation for school. Among all of the locations in the table, the average amount of compulsory education is nine years, starting by age 6 and ending near 14. More Country Comparisons: Who's got the highest (and lowest) unemployment rates? | Puerto Rico and Venezuela require 14 years of education, according to UNESCO .
The United States requires 12 years of education, three above the world average .
Children in Myanmar and Pakistan are only obligated to be in school for five years . |
98,708 | 0b1d424a45c670e3fb83d46bbe19398013f9d9ac | Police are investigating a complaint that Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk was subjected to racial abuse during his side's victory over St Mirren. The Dutch defender reported an incident to police following Celtic's 2-1 win at St Mirren Park on Saturday. The 23-year-old acted after hearing chants from the crowd. Police are investigating claims that Virgil van Dijk was subjected to racial abuse at St Mirren Park . A police statement said they 'were liaising with both clubs and are analysing broadcast and CCTV footage' A police statement read: 'Police Scotland has received a complaint from a Celtic player alleging he was racially abused by a spectator during the St Mirren v Celtic match on Saturday. 'Police are liaising with both clubs and are analysing broadcast and CCTV footage. Inquiries are ongoing.' Meanwhile, the Scottish Football Association has postponed a hearing into allegations of racist abuse levelled at Hoops winger Aleksandar Tonev until October 30. The incident took place during Celtic's 2-1 win over St Mirren in their Scottish Premiership match . Aberdeen full-back Shay Logan accused the on-loan Aston Villa player of a racial slur during his team's 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park on September 13. The Bulgarian has been called up to for international duty ahead of this month's Euro 2016 qualifiers with Croatia and Norway. But Tonev was due to appear before an SFA disciplinary panel on October 9 - the day before Bulgaria's meeting with Croatia - to answer a charge of "excessive misconduct by the use of offensive, insulting and abusive language of a racist nature", so Hampden chiefs have now rescheduled his principal hearing until the end of the month. SFA has postponed a hearing into allegations of racist abuse levelled at Aleksandar Tonev until October 30 . Van Dijk joined Celtic last season from Dutch side Groningen and has become a first team regular at the club . | Virgil van Dijk made a complaint to police after victory over St Mirren .
Celtic defender told police he was subjected to racial abuse .
Police are now investigating the claim and looking at match footage .
Aleksander Tonev hearing postponed until October 30 . |
6,315 | 11e8064d280de9229d724457ae1367974accbe0f | The families of two men who were fatally shot are suing the New England Patriots and its owners to prevent the football team from paying former player Aaron Hernandez, who has been charged in their slayings. The NFL team and its owner's company, Kraft Enterprises, have been named as co-defendants in a $6 million civil wrongful death lawsuit along with Hernandez. The attorney for the families is asking the court to prohibit the Patriots and its owners from paying Hernandez $3.25 million and other funds that may become due to Hernandez, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. The National Football League Players Association has filed a grievance on behalf of the former tight end after the team failed to pay him the multimillion-dollar sum, which was due in March, the lawsuit says. The wrongful death lawsuit was originally filed in February on behalf of the families of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, according to court papers. The lawsuit alleges that the victims' families have sustained both fiscal and emotional damages. Prosecutors say that in July 2012, Hernandez fatally shot de Abreu and Furtado in their car after de Abreu accidentally bumped into Hernandez and spilled his drink at a nightclub earlier in the evening. "We are seeking to have the families who have been victimized by these deaths have some assets set aside that they may be somehow compensated," according to a written statement from William Kennedy, the families' attorney. "The two young men in our case both supported their mothers with their modest earnings. That support and emotional attachment has been lost forever. "Our information is that Hernandez has received over $11M in compensation in the 3 years as a Patriot," Kennedy added. "Part of his funds and assets should be set aside for the victims of his crime. The victims should be compensated." CNN has reached out to the Patriots and Kraft Enterprises but has not yet received a response. Hernandez was charged with murder in the deaths of de Abreu and Furtado in May. He was dropped by the New England Patriots in June 2013 after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. He has since been incarcerated and has pleaded not guilty to all three murder charges. | The New England Patriots are being sued along with Aaron Hernandez .
The families of two slain men want to prevent payments to Hernandez .
Aaron Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges . |
212,567 | 9f3d7fe9274d3a230983817bda65370a95bf093f | More than half of teenagers and people in their early 20s say they have been victims of some form of online bullying, taunts or harassment. An MTV poll has discovered that 56 per cent have been targeted through various methods including a third who have fallen foul of 'sexting' - the sharing of risqué personal videos or images. As many as 40 per cent have even faced some form of abuse from their partners on computers or with mobile phones. Harassment: As young people spend more time on the internet, the number that report being bullied continues to rise . With more time being spent on the internet, there has been a significant increase in online bullying of 14 to 24-year-olds - a rise of 10 per cent in just two years. In some of the most tragic cases, vicious taunts have led to suicides. Yesterday New York Senator Jeffrey Klein introduced a new 'cyber-bullying' bill saying outdated pre-digital harassment laws fail to punish bullies who use the internet and mobile phones to torment others. Tragic: Jamey Rodemeyer, 14, killed himself after falling victim to online bullies. A poll found 56 per cent of American youth had been taunted online . He argued that current state law had failed to keep up with modern technology and people spending more time online. 'If people know there is a tough law on the books and they're going to be punished, they are going to act accordingly,' he said. At least 30 states have laws dealing with online harassment and five specifically for cyber-bullying. Mr Klein's bill would mean that stalking laws would be updated to include harassing a child using electronic communication. Although it is already a crime to . 'intentionally cause or aid' another person's suicide, the bill would . update the state's second-degree manslaughter statute to explicitly . include cyber-bullying as a possible cause of such a suicide. At the weekend, Lady Gaga sang a tribute to 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer who apparently killed himself after sending her a thank-you message on Twitter. He had suffered from homophobic online bullying for more than a year and wrote a blog about trouble he got at school. Among the anonymous posting was one that said 'JAMIE IS STUPID, GAY FAT ANND UGLY. HE MUST DIE!' Proportion of people who say they have been bullied online: 56% . Rise since 2009: 10% . Number who say the internet is a shield for bullies: 75% . Those aged 14-17 who have 'sexted': 8% . Those aged 18-24 who have sexted: 14% . Proportion who have been abused online by partner: 14%AP-MTV poll of 1,355 people aged 14-24 . Police have launched an investigation to decide whether to bring charges and believe that three fellow students may have been involved. While many forms of online bullying decline as teens go through school, homophobic abuse remains the same throughout. Catherine Devine, 22, said that she . became a victim of internet harassment when she was 12 and in 7th grade before she had even ventured onto the internet. Somebody . opened a screen name with the name 'devinegirl' and started sending . rumours and lies about her to classmates. When she was 15 one . 'friend' sent her diary to other people. When she was 18 she sent a revealing . picture of herself to her boyfriend after he put pressure on her. However, . when they broke up he threatened to use it to embarrass her. 'I . didn't realise the power he could have over me from that,' she said. 'I . thought he'd just see it once and then delete it, like I had deleted . it.' Three-quarters of . young people believe that bullies use the internet because they . are too cowardly to confront their victim face to face. False . rumours and sharing other people's private messages are among the more . common forms of bullying while logging onto someone else's account and . spying on them are also popular. Nearly . a fifth of young people said that someone else had posted embarrassing . pictures or video of them online without their permission. Risque: The number of incidents of 'sexting' - sending lewd images - has not increased thanks to high profile cases like that of former congressman, Anthony Weiner . Researchers have found that many of those who bully on the internet do the same in real life. Sameer . Hinduja, from Florida Atlantic University, said: 'We are seeing . offenders who are just jerks to people online and offline. 'When . I was bullied in middle school I could go home and slam my door and . forget about it for a while. These kids can be accessed around the clock . through technology. There's really no escape.' Despite . the significant rises in other forms of bullying, sexting has shown . little increase. It is believed that this is because people are thinking . twice about sending photographs of themselves. A major deterrent has been high-profile cases including that of former Senator Anthony Wiener who stood down from Congress after posting a risqué picture of himself on Twitter. Eight . per cent of those aged 14 to 17 said they had shared a naked picture of . themselves; among 18 to 24 years old, it was 14 per cent. But almost a quarter of the younger group said they'd been exposed to sexting in . some way, including seeing images someone else was showing around. And . 37 per cent of the young adults had some experience with 'sexting' images. Many young people don't take sexting seriously, despite the potential consequences. Alec Wilhelmi, 20, says girlfriends and girls who like him have sent sexual messages or pictures - usually photos of bare body parts that avoid showing faces. Once a friend made a sexual video with his girlfriend, and showed Mr Wilhelmi on his mobile. 'I thought that was funny, because I don't know what kind of girl would allow that,' said Mr Wilhelmi, a freshman at Iowa State University. Technology can facilitate dating abuse. Nearly three in 10 young people say their partner has checked up on them electronically multiple times a day or read their text messages without permission. Fourteen per cent say they've experienced more abusive behaviour from their partners, such as name-calling and mean messages, via Internet or cellphone. The poll is part of an MTV campaign, 'A Thin Line,' aiming to stop the spread of digital abuse. | MTV poll finds that 56% of those aged 14 to 24 have been bullied on the internet .
Four in ten people have said their partner has bullied or controlled them either online or through their mobile .
New York senator introduces new 'cyber-bullying' bill to bring harassment legislation up to date . |
42,366 | 777c33c59b32c7b01f8e45a98d04a228b8762abc | (CNN) -- Residents in Mayflower, Arkansas, have filed a class-action lawsuit against ExxonMobil after a pipeline rupture that allowed thousands of barrels of heavy crude oil to flow into a residential area. They are seeking more than $5 million in damages. "This Arkansas class action lawsuit involves the worst crude oil and tar sands spill in Arkansas history," read the lawsuit, which was filed Friday in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas. Exxon Mobil promises to cover oil spill cleanup costs . According to the lawsuit, more than 19,000 barrels were spilled. ExxonMobil has said that between 3,500 and 5,000 barrels of heavy crude leaked from the ruptured pipeline. It has promised to cover cleanup costs. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel opened an investigation into what caused a 2- or 3-inch gash in the underground Pegasus pipeline, which began spewing crude on March 29. The pipeline carries Canadian crude from Illinois to Texas. Opinion: Maybe this oil spill will stick . CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report. | Residents file a class-action lawsuit, seeking more than $5 million in damages .
ExxonMobil has promised to cover oil spill cleanup costs .
A pipeline rupture allowed thousands of barrels of crude oil to flow into a residential area . |
53,870 | 98c2b6fe53f8c9dce1b805a2f41dab0d61b71921 | Ride sharing firm Uber has been forced to suspend its services in the U.S. state of Nevada after a judge issued the firm with an injunction. The judge from a Washoe County District Court issued a preliminary injunction preventing the company from operating statewide on Tuesday. It issued the legal ban on behalf of the state saying Uber refused to comply with state laws regulating commercial motor carriers which could put the public's safety at risk. Ban: A judge from a Washoe County District Court issued the company with a preliminary injunction . Authorities have long held many concerns over the popular ride-sharing firm; passenger safety is just one of them along with their ability to muscle in on licensed taxi drivers' revenue. Companies such as Uber allow passengers to summon cars using apps on their smartphones, rather than calling a taxi company. They have gained popularity in dozens of U.S. cities and international countries over the past few years. But in Nevada, the attorney general filed a lawsuit last month arguing that the Internet application infringes on the franchise rights of taxi companies and cabdrivers. The law suit could lead to a trial in the future. A spokesperson for Uber said that the ban in Nevada could cost 1,000 jobs. 'It's unfortunate that Nevada is the first state in the nation to temporarily suspend Uber,' spokeswoman Eva Behrend said in a statement. Yet critics of the Delaware-based company continue to grow. In September, taxi drivers in London staged a mass demonstration over the ride-sharing app in September. Up to 5,000 black cab drivers blockaded London's city center yesterday in protest against a boom in unlicensed minicabs and rickshaws as well as the hugely popular Uber smartphone app. Big Ben rises in the background over the Houses of Parliament as black cab drivers blockade Parliament Square in protest against the boom in unlicensed minicabs and rickshaw drivers on the streets of London . Protest: Taxi drivers gather next to the Olympia Stadium in Berlin, Germany, to protest the app in June . Drivers in San Francisco have also expressed their dismay over the app suggesting it has led to soaring competition from unlicensed drivers. In Germany, a regional German court issued a temporary injunction against Uber in September, saying its drivers lacked necessary commercial permits. Meanwhile, Singapore recently announced new rules for mobile taxi booking apps, like Uber, in the latest move by governments around the world to regulate the services. Singapore's Land Transport Authority said the apps will soon have to apply for a three-yearly 'certificate of registration' starting from the second quarter of next year. The firm faced even more problems recently after reports emerged that executive Emil Michael wanted to hire ‘opposition researchers’ to dig up dirt on journalists who were critical of the company. The company has come under such fire recently that its CEO Travis Kalanick raised gasps at a conference by comparing his firm's problems to the repression faced by demonstrators in Ferguson. 'Weird analogy: Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick, who compared his company's problems with Las Vegas taxi regulators to the problems faced by people demonstrating against police brutality in Ferguson . Travis Kalanick was speaking at a tech conference hosted by investment bank Goldman Sachs. He said his problems in Las Vegas were similar to those faced by anti-police brutality demonstrators in Ferguson, Pando Daily reports. But he insists that his company is a technology business and not a taxi firm. Yet, despite its myriad of issues, the young upstart company is proving to be popular and is close to raising between $35 billion and $40 billion in their latest round of funding insiders told Bloomberg. Behrend said: 'We will continue to work with regulators and state leaders as we evaluate this development.’ ‘We remain committed to working with Nevada's leaders to create a permanent regulatory framework that affords Nevadans the flexibility and innovation offered by Uber,’ she added. | The judge issued the injunction to stop the firm operating in the state .
He argued that Uber refuses to comply with state laws which is unsafe .
The firm has faced stiff opposition to its app from all around the world .
A spokesman said the ban in Nevada will cost them over 1,000 jobs .
But Uber insists it is a technology firm and not a taxi company . |
105,673 | 14478dc8aaf94d783b33a33541494ec0592eeb5a | Sergio Aguero allayed Manchester City fans' fears that he could be set for another lengthy injury layoff after being substituted for Edin Dzeko for the closing 20 minutes of their win over Stoke. The Argentine marksman scored in each half, once from the penalty spot, before being taken off after 73 minutes in as Manuel Pellegrini's side dismantled Mark Hughes' men 4-1 at the Britannia. 'For the ones asking I'm OK,' he posted on Twitter in English and Spanish. 'I stepped out only for precaution. Now let's keep on working for the very important upcoming commitments.' Sergio Aguero appeared to be injured when taken off in Manchester City's win over Stoke City . But the Argentine striker tells Twitter followers 'I'm OK. I stepped out only for precaution.' Aguero's eventful night included the best and worst of the prolific striker as he found the net for the first time since his return from a knee injury. The unlikely stage of a cold night in Stoke was what he needed to get back on the score sheet but it was far from a supportive crowd, especially after he handled into the back of the back in an act reminiscent of his countryman Diego Maradona's 'hand of god'. Aguero's opener after 33 minutes was a gem as he showed his superior power and balance against Marc Muniesa, beat Phil Bardsley and shot clinically beyond Asmir Begovic. Aguero drills home his first goal since returning from injury to put City into the lead at the Britannia . His 21st goal of the season came from the penalty spot in the 70th minute to make the score 3-1 . Aguero applauds the travelling supporters after burying his chance from the spot . Peter Crouch's equaliser five minutes later saw the sides go to the break on level terms. City thought they'd reclaimed the lead when Aguero was celebrating his second but replays clearly showed his 'glove of god' moment and the Britannia crowd let him know about it. After consultation with his assistant referee Lee Mason disallowed the goal and booked the striker, who spent the rest of his night as the villain in a panto such were the boos from Stoke's faithful. Aguero's night wasn't all goals and glory with this unsavoury attempt on goal with his gloved hand . Aguero handled the ball into the net in similar fashion to Diego Maradona before being booked by Lee Mason . The City striker could have headed it in following good work from David Silva but put the ball in with his hand . Nevertheless, City were soon ahead legitimately through a James Milner header 10 minutes into the second period. And when City won a penalty Aguero, of course, stepped up to drill it high into Begovic's net for his 21st goal of the season. With the arrival of Wilfried Bony imminent it was a poignant time for Aguero to remind those around him why he's regarded the Premier League's most dangerous striker. | Sergio Aguero scored twice before being taken off for Edin Dzeko .
The 73rd-minute substitution was a 'precaution' Aguero tweeted .
Manchester City beat Stoke City 4-1 at the Britannia on Wednesday .
Aguero's 21st goal of the season was his first since return from injury .
His performance was blighted by an attempted 'glove of god' goal . |
286,034 | fe9d07cdba1a2decd557fa5932a404ff0a226704 | A few days ago, the first reviews began to trickle in for the comedy The Interview, which depicts a shambolic attempt to assassinate the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Unfortunately, they were less than enthusiastic. One critic called it a ‘non-stop sledgehammer … bereft of satiric zing’, while the Hollywood industry paper Variety called it an ‘alleged satire that’s about as funny as a communist food shortage’. Even the film’s makers probably imagined that having earned back its budget from its target audience of American teenagers, their picture would soon disappear into well-deserved obscurity. Climb-down: Randall Park as North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un in The Interview, which has been pulled from release after Sony Pictures was hacked and confidential material leaked across the Internet . Terrorists:Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju remembered the three year anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il. If North Korea was to launch a cyber attack it could bring the West to its knees in 15 minutes . How wrong they were. For it now seems certain that The Interview will go down in history not as an indictment of Hollywood’s obsession with the lowest common denominator, but as a chilling symbol of the future of international conflict. When, two days ago, the film’s parent company Sony announced it was cancelling its Christmas Day release, the decision was widely seen as an abject surrender to foreign pressure. All week, North Korean hackers have been leaking secrets found in Sony’s emails, from insider gossip about the star Angelina Jolie to the script of the next James Bond film. In an attempt to shore up wavering cinema chains who were uncertain as to whether to screen the film, Barack Obama recommended that ‘people go to the movies’. But as pressure mounted, it became clear Sony’s American bosses lacked the courage to stand up to Kim Jong-un’s cyber bullies. And when the hackers issued a terrifying warning to American audiences, telling them to ‘remember September 11, 2001’, Sony simply lost its nerve. Thus, The Interview has vanished from the schedules, and it seems unlikely it will ever return. In the meantime, Hollywood figures have been queuing up to denounce Sony’s decision as an awful setback for free speech. ‘Today, the U.S. succumbed to an unprecedented attack on our most cherished bedrock principle,’ said the director Judd Apatow. The actor Rob Lowe went further: If Sony had been in charge of the Allied war effort in World War II, he said, then the Nazis would have won. In many ways the story could hardly be a better metaphor for American foreign policy in the past few years. After almost a decade of reckless, ham-fisted over-stretch under George W. Bush — typified by this month’s appalling revelations about the CIA’s torture programme — the U.S. has turned inwards. Obama’s policy in Syria and Ukraine has been a shambles, his attitude to Russia is dithering and pusillanimous, and he seems entirely bereft of ideas about how to fight back against the jihadists of Islamic State. Lending support: Rob Lowe said that if Sony had been in charge of the Allied war effort in the Second World War then the Nazis would have won . In this context, therefore, Sony’s surrender to the North Koreans merely looks like more of the same. But I think there is another dimension to this story — one that should frighten every man, woman and child in the Western world. For years, military experts have been warning that our expectations of warfare are dangerously outmoded. We still think of war as something that happens on a foreign battlefield, fought out between professional armies with tanks and guns. But for more than a century, the front line has been moving closer and closer to the ordinary British household. From the horrors of the Blitz to the pub bombings of the IRA, our illusions of living in an island fortress have been brutally dispelled. Cyber warfare is merely the latest frightening development in the history of human conflict — a threat to British society that could have potentially devastating consequences for millions of families. We cannot say, though, that we were not warned. As long ago as the spring of 2010, the former White House counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke, who worked for the Reagan, Clinton and Bush administrations, published a book warning that the West might have lost the new cyber war before it had even officially started. As Mr Clarke pointed out, the Russians, the Chinese and the North Koreans had already recruited legions of hackers, while Iran even boasts of having the world’s largest cyber army. In his book Cyber War, he paints a petrifying scenario. If the Russians or North Koreans launch an all-out cyber attack, he suggests, then they could effectively bring Western society to its knees within just 15 minutes because we are so utterly dependent on electronics, which run everything from nuclear power stations to our bedside alarm clocks. With bugs and viruses racing through computer systems, the military and the police might be paralysed. Trains could crash, pipelines explode, the financial markets risk going into meltdown, the National Grid might crash, hospitals could fall dark, cash dispensers might go dead and ordinary life might come grinding to a halt. Last year, the People’s Liberation Army’s Shanghai-based cyber unit was caught hacking into major American corporations such as the nuclear power company Westinghouse Electric and the United States Steel Corporation. Workers remove a poster-banner for The Interview from a billboard in Hollywood, California, on Thursday after Sony announced it was cancelling the movie's Christmas release due to a terrorist threat . In Britain, the head of MI5 and the director-general of GCHQ sent a letter to the bosses of all the FTSE 350 companies stating that cyber attacks against UK companies are causing significant damage to their reputations and revenues. ‘It scares me to death,’ one military insider told the Economist. ‘The destructive potential is so great.’ It sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But all military technology sounded futuristic once, from tanks and atom bombs to drones and satellites. And some countries are already all too aware of the costs of losing a cyber war. In the spring of 2007, Russian hackers paralysed government computers in the little republic of Estonia, a member of Nato and the European Union. It was a classic example of imperialist bullying, carried out not with tanks and gunboats, but with computer worms and viruses. Seven years on, British and American military planners are still studying the Estonian attacks for clues to the future of cyber warfare. Even if you rarely use a computer, the dangers of a Russian or North Korean cyber attack can hardly be exaggerated. A future in which hospitals risk being paralysed, the railways grinding to a halt, supermarkets running out of food and police computer systems collapsing is not one to be taken lightly. Of course, the leaking of Hollywood secrets and James Bond scripts is not in the same league. But if the North Koreans can beat a giant corporation such as Sony, then who is to say they cannot take down Britain’s public services, too? As the furore over The Interview has shown, the West is clearly on the back foot. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, remarked this week: ‘No one should kid themselves. With the Sony collapse, America has lost its first cyber war. This is a very, very dangerous precedent.’ I think he is right. I believe the struggle over The Interview is just the start. And I suspect the shock troops in any future world war will not be blood-streaked men in battle fatigues, but pale-faced computer geeks, hunched intently over their keyboards. In the years after the fall of the Soviet Union, we in the West were too busy congratulating ourselves on our victory to grasp that a new and potentially even deadlier challenge lay ahead. Too complacent, too confident in our mastery of the old technology, we failed to realise that war itself was changing. From Moscow to Pyongyang, the West faces implacable adversaries, equipped with the new digital weapons of the 21st century. If you want to see the battlefield of the future, just look around your living room. | If the Russians or North Koreans launch an all-out cyber attack they could effectively bring Western society to its knees within just 15 minutes . |
277,424 | f36b94374075327173d2ae9429015bff7534d374 | (CNN) -- After two days of violence and looting that claimed the lives of at least 48 people, relative calm settled over Madagascar Wednesday. But the possibility of further violence loomed as anti-government protesters gathered in a central square, vowing future demonstrations. At least 48 people were killed during the riots that broke out in Madagascar. President Marc Ravalomanana and other senior government officials surveyed some of the damage Wednesday and vowed to restore order "whatever the cost," a government statement said. Ravalomanana ordered a member of his joint chiefs of staff to work with the protesters and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina to keep the calm. Meanwhile, Rajoelina -- mayor of the capital, Antananarivo -- addressed the protesters at a downtown rally Wednesday afternoon, calling for two days of general strikes and another mass demonstration Saturday. The strikes would prevent stores and schools from opening. On Tuesday the authorities tried to control protesters who set fire to the state-run media complex the day before. Ravalomanana said he initially held off on ordering troops to fight off looters, saying he wanted to avoid more casualties. "It is better that equipment be destroyed rather than human lives," he said in the statement, adding that looters would not be prosecuted because he "understands the Malagasy people are poor and hungry." A spokesman for Joseph Ravohanjy Hospital said 48 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the violence since Monday. By Wednesday, a relative calm had fallen over the area and Rajoelina's rally at the square was peaceful, a Western observer told CNN. The violence began when protesters stormed the government's radio and television station in Antananarivo, Monday morning in response to Ravalomanana shutting down Rajoelina's radio station hours earlier. Ravalomanana's move came just weeks after closing Rajoelina's television station last month after the airing of an interview with ousted ex-President Didier Ratsiraka. Viva Radio was back on the air Tuesday as the protesters broadened their focus from restoring freedom of speech to targeting businesses owned by Ravalomanana, including food distribution centers, according to an American community worker in Antananarivo. By Tuesday afternoon, some of the protesters had broken from the group, looting private electronic shops and grocery stores that sat alongside the Ravalomanana-owned buildings, Christi Turner said. "Today and yesterday, it's been a collective disappointment and shock and sadness for me and my friends and other aid workers," Turner told CNN on Tuesday night. "People have lost their heads in the mob mentality." She added that the government "is not taking the most effective steps controlling the situation," noting that military and police didn't publicly address the looters until Tuesday. Reports of injuries and deaths from resulting fires could not be immediately confirmed. Rodney Ford, public affairs officer for the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, said the United States is calling for calm and pushing for dialogue between the president and the mayor. Both sides have offered to negotiate, which a group of ambassadors is working toward. "We are worried about the loss of life," Ford said. "The Malagasy people need to work this out, it's not an issue outsiders can fix. The U.S. Embassy is calling for calm and restraint. We are working to mediate within both parties." | NEW: At least 48 people die in the violence in Madagascar, official says .
After two days of violence and looting, relative calms settles over country .
Further violence looms as anti-government protesters gather .
United States is calling for calm and pushing for dialogue between sides . |
127,907 | 31576eed9b032d9b941451dd916aab1c65074b35 | (CNN) -- Amanda Bynes is going to remain under medical care as legal control over her person and estate is temporarily handed to her mother, Lynn. Bynes, 27, was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold in late July after she was "involved in a disturbance in a residential neighborhood" in Thousand Oaks, California. According to People magazine, the hold was initially for 72 hours, but on July 25, a judge ordered Bynes to be held for an additional two weeks. At the same time, Bynes' parents, Rick and Lynn, filed for conservatorship of their daughter, who has been exhibiting increasingly bizarre behavior in recent months. In a hearing Friday, Judge Glen Reiser with the Superior Court of California in Ventura County granted her parents' request for conservatorship, noting that Bynes is under a "continued ... hold in a psychiatric facility." Bynes' mom, Lynn, now has the ability to decide her daughter's basic needs, including where she should reside. Additionally, People notes, she now has control over her daughter's estimated savings of $3 million, for the time being. See the evolution of Amanda Bynes . The actress, who got her start on Nickelodeon with programs "All That" and "The Amanda Show," faces three misdemeanor charges relating to an incident involving a bong allegedly tossed from her Manhattan apartment in May. In addition, she also has a DUI case pending in Southern California, while a pair of separate hit-and-run charges against her were dismissed last year. | Temporary conservatorship of Amanda Bynes and her estate goes to her mom .
The 27-year-old actress has been under a psychiatric hold in a treatment facility .
Her parents filed a petition for conservatorship . |
220,515 | a96e154fa93c687a9ca900040aefb203454870f9 | By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 12:16 EST, 6 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:39 EST, 6 February 2014 . Molester: Roland Wright, 83, was jailed for eight years today after being found guilty of indecency with a child and indecent assault . A former headmaster at Nick Clegg's old prep school has been jailed for eight years for abusing his pupils. Roland Wright, 83, was convicted of assaulting five boys aged between eight and 13 at Caldicott Preparatory School between 1959 and 1970. The court heard how Wright 'used boys at a whim' by molesting and simulating sex with them at the school in Franham Royal, Buckinghamshire. He joined the school in 1952, and was headmaster from 1968 until his retirement in 1993. Mr Clegg was a student at Caldicott, which now charges fees of £22,000 a year, from 1974 to 1980, and was head boy. During the trial in December, the jury heard how Wright ran the school's rugby team and would have his favourite blond, blue-eyed boys who he would reward with trips in his sports car. He would also invite them into his bedsit to watch television and drink whisky. Wright was handed his prison term today despite the death of another former teacher who was due to be sentenced alongside him. Hugh Henry, 82, was found dead on Tuesday after apparently throwing himself under a train. Wright had been convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child. Sentencing Wright at Amersham Crown Court today, judge Johanna Cutts told how he 'took advantage' of boys desperate for his approval and would use a bedsit next to the boys' dormitory to carry out his crimes. He said: 'I readily accept that you dedicated your life to this school. Great trust was placed in you yet you abused that trust.' '[But] far from protecting and nurturing the boys you used them at a whim - to satisfy what you wanted from them regardless of the impact on them.' Prestigious: Wright was headmaster at the prep school, which now costs £22,000 a year . 'Boys craved your attention and strove for your praise. From those you picked out boys for your individual sexual attentions.' His victims were aged primarily 11, 12 or 13, the Judge Cutts said, and often members of the rugby team. She said: 'Some boys felt confused, some flattered by the attention and many felt it was just what happened when you got Mr Wright's attention. 'You used the proximity of the room to the dormitories and the distance of that area from the rest of the school to set up your own little fiefdom and used it to abuse boys.' The judge said those who were abused should not feel guilt or consider they were complicit in any way. 'Appalled': Hugh Henry, 82, left, was due to be sentenced today as well, but was found dead earlier this week. Nick Clegg, right, an old boy of the school, said he was 'shocked and appalled' by the revelations when both men were found guilty in December . 'All were children in the care of an adult who had little but his own sexual gratification in mind.' Judge Cutts said that she took into account Wright's poor health, and the facts that he needs daily care and is no longer a threat to children. But she said she imposed the sentence, half of which will be spent in custody, because of the 'lasting effect' of the abuse on his former students. She said: 'I cannot ignore the impact of your behaviour on so many boys. It is clear from the impact statements that I have read that your conduct has had a lasting effect upon them.' 'Looking at the entirety of your offending the least sentence I can impose is one of eight years' imprisonment.' Wright was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register, and will be banned from working with children. | Roland Wright, 83, had been found guilty of 12 sex offences in December .
He taught at Caldicott Preparatory school in Buckinghamshire .
Nick Clegg was a pupil from 1974 to 1980 and was made joint head boy .
Amersham Crown Court heard how Wright picked out his favourites .
They were invited into his room to watch television and drink whisky .
He would then molest the boys and simulate sex with them . |
218,761 | a72fab32c962bb348206c4777b907287b1cbe8ad | By . Steve Robson and Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 21:15 EST, 7 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:38 EST, 9 May 2013 . Michelle Knight, one of the three Ohio women freed from a decade of imprisonment, is reportedly suffering hearing loss and facial bone damage after years of vicious beatings to her head, it has emerged. The 32-year-old, who vanished in 2002, was found at a Cleveland home on Monday with two other women and a six-year-old girl - but she has not yet contacted her mother for a reunion. The first details about Michelle are emerging as images of her have finally been released. They show her as a teenager before she was kidnapped - at a time when she endured an often troubled relationship with her family. She had given birth to a son who was later taken into the custody of child services, and authorities suggested to her mother that she may have fled following the upset from the ordeal. Scroll down for video . First pictures: Michelle Knight, who is now 32, is pictured as a teenager before her disappearance in 2002 . Barbara Knight left her home in Naples, Florida, on Tuesday to head to Cleveland to see Michelle but the mother and daughter have not yet been reunited, she told the Today show. Barbara, 50, said she never gave up . hope and will . now be able to introduce Michelle to the half sister she has never met, . 10-year-old Katie, who was born after she disappeared. Katie was with her mother as they left for the airport on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, Barbara spoke to the Today show about how she had never given up hope that her daughter was alive - but that she was led to believe the woman, then in her 20s, had fled. 'Certain people said she didn't want . nothing to do with me but still in my heart I thought no, because I knew . my Michelle,' she said. 'They figured she just left because of . the baby and everything. No contact: Michelle's mother Barbara, pictured, said she has not yet been reunited with her daughter . Troubled: She told Savannah Guthrie some people told her Michelle had wanted nothing to do with her . '[Police] told me if she breaks the law or they spot her, they'll let me know - but nothing happened.' Barbara, who said she filed a missing persons report after Michelle vanished and continued to search for her, said her sons have been reunited with Michelle but she has not yet seen her. 'I just wish that my daughter would reach out and let me know that she's there... She's probably angry at the world because she thought she would never be found but thank God that somebody did,' she said. 'I don't want her to think that I forgot about her... Hopefully whatever happened between us, if something did - I hope it heals because I really want to take her back to Florida with me.' Sources told Fox 8 that Michelle appears to have facial bone damage from her horrific treatment. But Barbara said that she knew little about what had happened to Michelle since she last saw her as she has not spoken with detectives, she said. 'There was a detective who called me but he just said it was my daughter,' she said, adding that she missed his call and that he had left work when she called back. 'I didn't get a hold of anyone.' Family: Barbara Knight's 10-year-old daughter is seen outside their home in Florida before they leave for Ohio . En route to Ohio: None of the Knight family spoke to reporters before they were driven off at speed in a white car with New York license plates . Instead, she only knows the details from watching news reports. While . the stories of missing Cleveland girls Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry, who were also found on Monday, . have remained high-profile cases over the last decade, little is known . of Michelle. While . family appeals for Gina and Amanda have been frequent and . well-publicized over the past ten years, her case appears to have been . long forgotten. Now believed to be aged around 32, Michelle was in her early twenties when she . was last seen on August 23, 2002, at her cousin's house near West 106th . Street and Lorain Avenue. Mrs . Knight said she would often put up fliers around Cleveland's West Side . and even after moving away she would return to continue the search on . her own as police were little help. Michelle Knight's grandmother, Deborah Knight, said the family, after speaking with police and social workers, had accepted that she likely left on her own free will. They believed she was angry that her son had been taken into custody. High-profile: The missing person cases of Amanda Berry, left, and Gina DeJesus, right, were well-known to people in Cleveland - but the disappearance of Michelle Knight drew little attention . Found: The women were found at this home in Cleveland on Monday after Berry managed to escape . Barbara Knight previously told The . Plain Dealer that Michelle vanished shortly after she was scheduled for a . court appearance in the custody case of her son. The mother told the paper that she had become involved with an abusive man whom she thinks injured her toddler grandson, eventually leading Michelle to lose the boy. Michelle had him as a teenager; . her mother said that she had been assaulted at school but it was never . taken seriously by police. She then fell pregnant soon after and dropped . out of school. Michelle was never registered as missing on the Ohio Missing Persons website. Mrs Knight told The Plain Dealer she . believes she once saw her daughter walking with an older man at a . shopping mall several years ago. When the woman trailed behind her companion, he would grab her by the arm and pull her along, she said. Brothers: From left, Ariel, Onil and Pedro have all been arrested in connection with the abduction of Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight almost ten years ago . Barbara was 'calmly' looking forward . to the reunion according to neighbors in Naples, where she lives with . her second husband Tom Hudson and members of his family. 'It's an emotional time for them,' said Sheldon Gofberg who lives across the street from the family's house . in the southwest Florida town. 'They didn’t get any sleep last night.' Mr . Gofberg said neighbours had no idea that Barbara was the mother of a . missing girl and that she appeared to have her hands full looking after . Katie and helping with Tom's two children, Julian, 16, and his sister . Alex, 8. 'They're a friendly family, Tom would do anything to help you, give you the shirt off his back,' Mr Gofberg said. Despite the turmoil, Tom kept a commitment with Mr Gofberg to take him to a Home Depot. 'We . were in the car driving and Tom said, "You know those three girls they . found in the house in Cleveland? One of them was Barbara’s daughter." I was astounded,' he said. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found at this house in Cleveland, Ohio . Hero: Neighbour Charles Ramsey tells reporters of the moment he rescued the three women from the house . 'I said, "She's got to be pretty emotional?" and he said, "Not really because we’ve been waiting to hear back from the FBI".' The . family had refused to talk to reporters and TV crews waiting outside their home, . sending the teenage boy Julian, who was wearing an ankle monitoring . bracelet, outside to ask them to leave. After 10 years being held against their will, the three women were finally freed after neighbor Charles Ramsey, heard screaming from the house and helped them escape through a door. When Amanda fled the home and ran across the street to call police, she was holding the hand of a young girl. 'Help me I'm Amanda Berry...I've been . kidnapped and I've been missing for ten years and I'm here. I'm free . now,' Berry is heard saying in the call to police that has been publicly . released. | Michelle vanished on August 23, 2002 near her cousin's Cleveland home .
Michelle had lost custody of her baby son before she vanished and authorities suggested she left of her own free will after the ordeal .
Her mother Barbara Knight has traveled to Cleveland but she has not yet been reunited with her daughter . |
284,675 | fcdae8516adc0f0396cbba73e94f2f53d79f4d8a | They may be two of the world's most famous sisters but Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are rarely pictured together. However, the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, put on a united front today as they joined the rest of the Royal family at Ascot. Princess Beatrice, 25, wore an elegant teal dress by British . designer Suzannah and a hat by top milliner Sarah Cant and 25-year-old Princess . Eugenie looked fresh and pretty in a neat beige trench coat and a hat . by one of her favourite milliners, Nerida Fraiman. Sister sister: Princess's Beatrice and Eugenie arrived together on the opening day of Royal Ascot looking chic, as always . The Royal siblings were last seen together last month, when they joined Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas for a night out at exclusive member's club, Annabel's. Other than that, they usually attend Royal engagements separately, perhaps to break up their duties between them. Fashion forward: Princess Beatrice, 25, wore an elegant dress by British designer Suzannah and a hat by top milliner Sarah Cant and 25-year-old Princess Eugenie looked fresh and pretty in a neat beige trench coat and a hat by one of her favourite milliners, Nerida Fraiman . Here they come! The pair usually attend Royal engagements separately, perhaps to break up their duties, but today they joined forces for a day at the races . She's got a winner! Princess Beatrice celebrates after a race in the royal box during Day 1 of Royal Ascot . Tense times: Princess Eugenie watches a race from the royal box in a stylish cream coat . Three cheers for Bea! The Princess clearly got lucky as she celebrated in the box behind Prince Philip . Style sister: Princess Bea looked resplendent in a teal lace dress with chunky gold jewellery as she joined cousin Prince Harry, right . A right Royal outing: The sisters were joined by a smart looking Prince Harry in the Royal enclosure . The duo both spend a lot of time with their respective boyfriends but they appear to share a lot of friends, including their cousin's ex Cressida, as well as socialites such as Holly Branson and Cara and Poppy Delevingne. The two young Princesses were joined by practically the whole royal family today. From the . Queen's love of racing to Prince Harry's penchant for polo, there's no . shortage of royal fans of all things equestrian - and Royal Ascot saw . nearly all of them turn out for the opening day of racing action. Friendship group: The sisters have a lot of mutual friends but are more often spotted hanging out with their respective boyfriends . Trendy: Princess Eugenie has been showcasing a more sophisticated dress sense in recent months . Fresh . from a fuss-free appearance at the Order of the Garter service . yesterday, the Queen beamed and waved at the cheering crowds as she was . driven down the racecourse. Joining . the Queen, who was chic in a blue suit by Angela Kelly, was the Duke of . Edinburgh, who missed last year's event due to illness, the Duchess of . Cornwall, who was radiant in a silk ice blue suit, and the Prince of . Wales who looked dapper in morning dress. Also arriving with the royal party was . Prince Harry, who looked more than ready for a good time, and new mother . Zara Tindall who sported an enormous floral hat and was spotted giving . her handsome cousin a big kiss on the cheek. Completing the group was the Princess . Royal, who looked lovely in brown, Prince Andrew and a glamorous Sophie . Wessex who, like the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall, chose ice blue. Family moment: The royal party, including Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and Zara Philips, arrived earlier today . Royal knees up: Prince Harry (C), his close friend Jake Warren (L) and Princess Beatrice (R) attend the opening day of Royal Ascot in the southwest of London . Air kisses all round: Princess Eugenie and Zara Phillips greet each other as they join the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Anne . | Beatrice, 25, and Eugenie, 24, looked stylish at Royal Ascot .
Joined the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry, Zara Tindall and Sophie Wessex .
Last seen together on night out with Cressida Bonas . |
177,430 | 71aefe543a438e9f3265eb685b8922a8f16e2d0a | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 08:04 EST, 25 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:28 EST, 25 June 2013 . He left many of us scratching our heads as to how he did it - but we may now have the answer. With a beaming smile on his face, celebrity illusionist Dynamo was pictured floating across Westminster Bridge on Sunday while ‘levitating’ from the side of a double-decker bus. But photographs have emerged of artist Johan Lorbeer performing a similar act on walls - and one taken after he got down shows a metal pole, which appears to have supported his weight. Scroll down for video . Similar act: Egyptians look at the fake arm used in Johan Lorbeer's 'levitating' act in Cairo in 2008 . This has led Australian website news.com.au . to conclude Dynamo, 30, was in fact using a fake right arm for his . magic trick on the bus - with his real arm tucked inside his clothing. Mr Lorbeer has performed a similar stationary act in Egypt, France, Spain and Germany, which sees him appear to defy the laws of gravity and be able to float 10ft off the ground. Remaining in these positions for hours at a time for his 'still life' performances, the German-born artist said that he is acting in the manner of a sculpture or statue. Bradford-born Dynamo, whose real name is Steven Frayne, had travelled alongside the two-storey bus in central London with the palm of his hand apparently placed on the roof. He hung in mid-air with his other arm . stretched out as he crossed Westminister Bridge. A police escort cleared . the way for Dynamo’s daring feat, ensuring there was no traffic around . the bus. Compared: Artist Johan Lorbeer (right) shows his still-life performance in Marseille, France, in June 2007. The act was similar to Dynamo's 'levitation' (left) next to a bus as it travelled across Westminster Bridge on Sunday . Wacky; Dynamo, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, whose real name is Steven Frayne, had travelled alongside the two-storey bus in central London with the palm of his hand apparently placed on the roof . Refreshing: A man gives German artist Johan Lorbeer something to drink as he presented his act on a wall in Malaga, Spain, in January 2010 (left). He did a similar performance in Chemnitz, Germany, in April 2007 (right) Viewers of the magician's TV show are used to seeing him perform surreal stunts, but fans who travelling in the bus for the stunt in partnership with the drink Pepsi Max looked on in amazement. Dynamo is behind the Magician Impossible TV programme and gained notoriety when he 'walked' across the River Thames in 2011 to promote a new series of the show. The magician has built his name on the celebrity circuit, astounding famous names with his tricks. His previous tricks have included making actor Matt Lucas levitate before an audience, and turning signed lottery tickets into cash in front of singer Robbie Williams and presenter Davina McCall. A spokesman for Dynamo declined to comment when approached by MailOnline today. | Photographs emerge of artist Johan Lorbeer performing similar act .
One shows a metal pole which appears to have supported his weight .
Dynamo, 30, could have been using fake right arm for 'levitating' trick .
Magician shocked London onlookers on Sunday by appearing to float . |
81,922 | e82a223c1daaa53d74c36b7b5d3aff639cb547b8 | Clever and high-achieving people are more jealous than their under-achieving peers, according to new research, and this is especially the case with women. A study from Roanoke College in Virginia found that the higher a student's grades, the more prone they were to feelings of romantic 'Facebook jealousy' - jealous feelings caused by Facebook posts made by, or sent to, their sexual partner. The researchers concluded that this was because high-achievers are perfectionists and when they think their partner is cheating on them, this desire for perfection is disrupted. U.S. researchers have discovered that intelligent people are more likely to suffer from 'Facebook jealousy' - jealous feelings caused by Facebook messages sent to their sexual partner. This is because high-achievers are perfectionists and any perceived infidelity makes them feel out of control . Facebook has begun rolling out its Graph Search to English-speaking users. Graph Search lets users find specific information about their friends. For example, users can search for friends in London who are vegetarians, friends of friends who like yoga or photos of friends or boyfriends from a certain month or year. The tool was launched in January to a select number of users and engineers. It is now being launched to everyone whose language is set to U.S. English. Participants in the study were asked to imagine different hypothetical Facebook scenarios. These included seeing ambiguous messages on their partner's Facebook from a person of the opposite sex, such as 'What are you up to later?' They were then asked how seeing those messages would make them feel. The researchers additionally tested whether jealousy levels increased when emoticons were used after the messages. These included smiley and winking faces. According to the results, women suffered from much higher levels of 'Facebook jealousy' than men. Adding a winking emoticon was found to have no effect on women's jealousy levels, while men became more jealous when an emoticon was used, compared to when no emoticon was present. The researchers then compared the results to each participants individual grade point average (GPA) score. According to the results, women suffered from much higher levels of 'Facebook jealousy' than men. But men became more jealous when messages were following by emoticons, such as winking faces . Those who showed higher levels of jealousy were also found to have higher GPAs. Study researcher Denise Friedman, an associate professor of psychology at Roanoke College in Salem, told Live Science: 'Students with higher GPAs are often more conscientious, show greater self-control and tend to be perfectionistic.' 'Perceived infidelity likely upsets their attempts at perfection across the board.' 'Evolutionary work suggests men are more jealous of sexual infidelity, while women are more jealous of emotional infidelity,' continued Friedman . 'The winking emoticon was most likely perceived as flirtatious, perhaps even sexually suggestive, which may explain why men were more jealous in this condition.' The full findings will be published this summer. | The more intelligent someone is, the more prone they were to Facebook jealousy' - feelings caused by Facebook messages sent to their partner .
Women are most prone to jealousy while men become more jealous when emoticons are used .
Study concludes clever people are perfectionists and the messages make them feel out of control . |
125,283 | 2df54b268836f4c1776bcd137bc78e3f05dcf606 | (CNN) -- Soccer superstar David Beckham will not be leaving the U.S. to join Paris Saint-Germain, the French club announced on Tuesday. The 36-year-old had been widely expected to sign for the Qatari-owned side during European football's January transfer window, but PSG sporting director Leonardo said the former England captain would likely stay in Los Angeles. "It's over. It's a shame," Leonardo said from the team's mid-season training camp in Doha, according to the website of French sports paper L'Equipe. "But the welfare of his family in Los Angeles, the wish not to change everything in his life, weighed heavily." Beckham is now expected to negotiate a new contract with Los Angeles Galaxy, the Major League Soccer team he joined in 2007 and led to the MLS Cup title in November last year. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder's previous five-year deal expired on December 31, and he was tipped to return to Europe in order to secure a place in the Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics in his native London. However, it now appears that Beckham would prefer not to uproot his wife Victoria and their four children. The youngest, daughter Harper, is the only one to be born in the "City of Angels" after her arrival in July 2011. Confirmation that Beckham would not join the French league leaders was not a surprise as Leonardo and new coach Carlo Ancelotti had both denied reports that a deal had been done in the past few days. The PSG squad are in the Middle East preparing for Wednesday's friendly match against one of Ancelotti's former clubs, Italian champions AC Milan, in Dubai. | PSG sporting director Leonardo says David Beckham will not join French club .
Leonardo says Los Angeles Galaxy veteran does not want to move his family .
Beckham had been expected to return to Europe ahead of the 2012 Olympics .
The 36-year-old's contract with the Galaxy expired at the end of 2011 . |
162,954 | 5eb6b7d13a7be759a2b015b6c5dcb311ce0e3acd | Real Madrid have secured the signature of the hottest teenager in world football by beating Europe's giants to Stromsgodset's Martin Odegaard. The attacking midfielder is still only 16-years-old but has commanded wages of £80,000-per-week after becoming Norway's youngest ever international in August last year aged 15. But what were the planet's biggest stars doing when they were 16, where were they playing and were they as talked-about as Odegaard? Sportsmail takes a look... Stromsgodset teenager Martin Odegaard has completed a move to Real Madrid for a fee of £2.3million . The Norwegian was unveiled to the world at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training ground on Thursday . Odegaard became the youngest player to represent his national team when he played for Norway aged 15 . Lionel Messi, 27, Barcelona . Where he was at 16: Barcelona . Messi was breaking into Barcelona's first team and at 16 made his uncompetitive debut in a friendly against Porto in Portugal. He came on in the 75th minute with the No 14 shirt on his back, brown hair flopping all over the place and long sleeves pulled over his knuckles. In that 15 minutes he almost scored twice and was making the same penetrating dribbles – although getting tackled a few more times than nowadays – and darting runs into the box. He would not make his debut in a competitive match until he was 17. Lionel Messi (left) makes his competitive debut for Barcelona against Espanyol aged 17 . Barcelona superstar Messi has gone on to become arguably the world's greatest ever player . Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, Real Madrid . Where he was at 16: Sporting Lisbon . The thin, gangly Ronaldo was already training with Sporting Lisbon's first team at 16 and on the verge of making his senior debut. Ronaldo's mother was flown in from Madeira to help ease through the homesick teenager with obvious exceptional talent. He became the first player in Sporting's history to play for their Under 16, Under 17, Under 18, B team and first team in one season although his senior league debut, where he scored twice, did not come until he had turned 17. Cristiano Ronaldo breezes past a defender after making his Sporting Lisbon first team bow at 17 . Ronaldo's (centre) incredible goal scoring feats in 2014 earned him a third Ballon d'Or award . Manuel Neuer, 28, Bayern Munich . Where he was at 16: Schalke . Typically for a goalkeeper of such tender years, Neuer was nowhere near making his first-team debut at that age. But he was in the process of working his way through every single age group of his home-town club, which he had joined at an astounding five-years-old. He would have to wait until he turned 20 to make a breakthrough into the senior side and has not looked back since. Manuel Neuer worked through every age group of his hometwon club before making his debut at 20 . Bayern Munich and Germany's 'sweeper-keeper' Neuer is now recognised as the world's best goalie . Gareth Bale, 25, Real Madrid . Where he was at 16: Southampton . The 16-year-old Bale made his debut for Southampton in the Championship, playing at left-back but scoring regularly from free kicks and attracting the attention of several top flight teams. That season he won the Welsh Sports Personality of the Year award and went on to become the Football League Young Player of the Year, before moving to Tottenham in the summer. Gareth Bale started his career at Southampton as a left-back before being transformed into a forward . Bale then became the world's most expensive player when he moved from Spurs to Real Madrid for £86million . Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 33, Paris Saint-Germain . Where he was at 16: Malmo . Ibrahimovic signed for Swedish club Malmo as a 15-year-old but was already being paraded around Europe a year later. He was the same incredibly cocky character he is today, famously telling Arsene Wenger he did not do trials when taken to visit the Arsenal manager. Wenger has said: 'He was 16. I asked him to have a little training session with the first team and he didn't want to do it. Do I regret it? No. I will continue to do that unless our scouts have seen the player and says, "Look he is absolutely 100 per cent". I trust them.' He did not, however, break into Malmo's senior team until he was 18 and moved to Ajax a year later. Zlatan Ibrahimovic refused the offer of a trial at Arsenal as a cocky 15-year-old . Ibrahimovic hasn't lost his attitude but has won league titles with six different clubs in four different countries . Luis Suarez, 27, Barcelona . Where he was at 16: Nacional . What was the precociously talented Suarez doing in his sweet 16th year? He head-butted a referee after being shown a red card and was told he would ruin his career if continued drinking and partying. He was at Uruguayan side Nacional, where he would have to wait until he was 18 to break into the senior team. Luis Suarez was warned he would ruin his career with drinking and partying as a 16-year-old . Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has grown up but not necessarily grown out of his early antics . Philipp Lahm, 31, Bayern Munich . Where he was at 16: Bayern Munich . The full-back, now often playing as a defensive midfielder, was captaining Bayern Munich's youngsters to the youth Bundesliga title, the second time he won it. Even at 16, there was never any doubt amongst those at Bayern that he would break through. Former youth coach Hermann Hummels said at the time: 'If Philipp Lahm will not make it in the Bundesliga, nobody will anymore.' He captained their B team at 17 and made his first-team debut two years later. Philipp Lahm has always been a Bayern Munich captain in the making after starring for their youth sides . Philipp Lahm's steady progression through the youth ranks led him to winning the 2014 World Cup . Wayne Rooney, 29, Manchester United . Where he was at 16: Everton . The England striker was smashing his way into Everton's senior team when he was 16. He became their second-youngest player to feature in the first team, behind Joe Royal, when he made his debut against Tottenham in August 2002. By October that season he had netted his first goals, scoring twice in a win away to Wrexham in the League Cup. But he properly introduced himself to world football when, five days before his 17th birthday, he became the youngest player to score in the Premier League with an edge-of-the-box curler sent in off the crossbar in the last minute to end Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run. A 17-year-old Wayne Rooney announced himself to the world with a wonder goal for Everton against Arsenal . Rooney has since gone from tempestuous firebrand to captain of England and Manchester United . Eden Hazard, 24, Chelsea . Where he was at 16: Lille . Hazard had moved from Belgium to France as a 14-year-old to develop as a player and was called up to Lille's reserve team at 16, which was competing in the fourth tier of French football, while still featuring regularly for their Under 18s. Within six months he had impressed so much he was called into the senior side for a friendly and made his league debut against Nancy from the bench that November. It would take a while before he established himself as a first-team regular. Eden Hazard shows his early promise for Belgium during an Under-17 match against Holland . Hazard was named Young Player of the Year in the Premier League last season and will one day better that . Arjen Robben, 30, Bayern Munich . Where he was at 16: Groningen . The rapid winger was already developing his trademark cut in from the right flank to score sensational strikes with his left boot in Dutch Eredivisie side Groningen at 16. He scored three times in his debut season and would eventually seal a move to PSV two years later. Arjen Robben was 16 when he made his professional debut for Eredivisie side Groningen . The Dutch winger's talents have taken him to clubs including Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich . Neymar, 22, Barcelona . Where he was at 16: Santos . The Brazilian sensation was being hotly pursued by the biggest clubs in Europe by this time. He visited Real Madrid and AC Milan and had the likes of Manchester United drooling over him. He was already commanding Santos youth matches with step-overs and skills, but opted to stay in Brazil – debuting for Santos at 17 and scoring 14 times in his first season – until he was 21. Neymar scored 14 goals in his debut season with Brazilian club Santos as a 17-year-old . Neymar left Brazil as the country's most popular sportsman and is now starring at the Nou Camp . | Norwegian teenage sensation Martin Odegaard has signed for Real Madrid .
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut at 17 before becoming a superstar .
Cristiano Ronaldo won three Ballon d'Ors after starting at Sporting Lisbon .
Wayne Rooney (17) announced himself with a wonder goal against Arsenal .
READ: Ten other top teenagers tracked by Europe's superpowers . |
23,044 | 4164245d27f3ba5c63eb96bde1190f97c4053ff4 | By . Emily Crane . and Sally Lee . and Richard Shears . The Australian father accused of abandoning a Down Syndrome baby born to a Thai surrogate mother reportedly has a criminal conviction for child sex offences. The man at the centre of baby Gammy's surrogacy ordeal was found guilty and jailed in 1998 for indecently dealing with a child under the age of 13, Nine News reports. His wife confirmed the conviction but said he was still a good man and that he has 'changed'. The couple, from Bunbury in Western Australia, continue to deny they are the biological parents of Gammy and claim they didn't even know he existed until recently. Gammy's surrogate mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, has accused the couple of taking her son's twin sister but leaving him behind because he was sick. She has also now demanded Gammy's sister be returned to her in Thailand after learning of the Australian man's child sex offence. Scroll down for video . Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Janbua holds her baby Gammy, born with Down Syndrome, at the Samitivej hospital on Monday . She told Fairfax Media: 'I am very worried about my baby girl. I need help from anyone who can bring my girl back to me as soon as possible... this news make me sick. 'I will take care of my twin babies. I will not give her or him to any family that wants a baby.' The father today told the ABC that Ms Pattaramon was not the woman he believed carried his child and that he had had problems with the Thai agency, which has now shut down. The couple, who have not been identified, are expected to release a statement through a lawyer some time in the coming hours. Gammy's mother has threatened to sue the family, claiming that the children’s biological father, who is in his 50s, had visited her after she gave birth. He had only bought milk for the girl, she claimed, and ‘never looked at Gammy’. 'The twins stayed next to each other but the father never looked at Gammy...could say he never touched Gammy at all,' she said. A lawyer presenting the Australian biological parents of Gammy (pictured right) is expected to address the media from the couple's South Bunbury home in WA . There are no restrictions for child sex offenders who are going overseas for surrogacy under Australian law. However, it is illegal for people living in Queensland, NSW and the ACT to undertake commercial surrogacy in Thailand. 'If you are going to a dodgy agency in Thailand no questions are asked,' surrogacy lawyer Stephan Page told Daily Mail Australia. He said child safety authorities in Australia assess the risk of sex offenders having surrogate children on a case by case basis. Asked whether he thinks child protection will intervene in the case of Gammy's sister, Page said: 'Who knows what will happen?' The Abbott government may intervene, saying that Gammy could be eligibly for Australian citizenship . Ms Pattaramon told the ABC that the pair had cried on the day that they collected their daughter from hospital but left their son behind. She also alleges that they asked her to have an abortion when she found out that she was carrying a child with Down Syndrome. Gammy’s plight has provoked fury across the world with critics savaging his biological parents. Donations have poured in and now stand at more than $200,000. Meanwhile the little boy is still gravely ill at Samitivej Sriracha Hospital in Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand. He is battling a lung infection and, at one point, his birth mother did not expect him to survive. Australia’s Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has labelled Ms Pattaramon a ‘saint’ and an ‘absolute hero’ and said the outpouring of support was a strong indicator of the way Australians felt about the situation. Ms Pattaramon says she will sue Gammy's Australian biological parents for leaving their son behind in Thailand . Gammy's story could prompt the Australian government to look closer at surrogacy laws with the Department of Foreign Affairs already examining practices in Thailand. Agencies were working with Thai officials on the broader surrogacy issues, the department said. Mr Morrison said the legalities surrounding international surrogacy were ‘very, very, very murky’ and regulations must be looked at carefully. ‘Sure, there are lots of Australians who are desperate to be parents but that can never, I think, sanction what we have just seen here,’ he said. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also said the case illustrates the pitfalls of international surrogacy. On Friday a Mr Page warned that babies of desperate Australians who are using surrogate mothers in Thailand could end up being put into orphanages after Thai surrogacy laws changed last week . Australians using surrogates in Thailand could also be prosecuted for human trafficking under the new laws that ban surrogacy if the prospective parents aren't blood relatives. The lawyer called the changes 'appalling' and said his clients have been left with no way to contact the pregnant woman carrying their babies, after the Thai military allegedly confiscated medical records from IVF clinics. 'I've been contacted by parents who can't contact the surrogate parents midway through pregnancy. They can't find out whether their baby or the mother is OK,' Mr Page told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's a disaster how the Thai government have announced it. 'These children didn't ask to born in this mess,' he explained. Pattaramon Chanbua shared a tender moment with her baby boy Gammy at a hospital in Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand on Sunday . Gammy, pictured here with his older brother Game and mother Ms Chanbua, is expected to be moved to a hospital in Bangkok in the coming days . The three of them sit happily huddled together on a hospital bed, Game keeping an eye on his little brother . More than $182,000 has been raised so far for Gammy's mother to pay for her sick son's medical expenses . In hospital on Sunday the six-month-old held onto a creme coloured bear, who looked to be wearing a doctor's lab coat . Ms Chanbua previously said she loved the six-month-old boy like he was her own child, and has vowed to care for her son . Commercial surrogacy, where a woman is paid a fee to carry a child, is illegal in Australia. However, if there is an agreement for the biological parents to cover just medical and other reasonable costs, the practice is legal. Ms Pattaramon told of her heartbreak at Gammy's situation, saying she loved the baby boy like he was her own. 'This was the adults' fault. And who is he to endure something like this even though it's not his fault?' she told the ABC. 'Why does he have to be abandoned and the other baby has it easy? Ms Chanbua said she treated the six-month-old like he was one of her own children. 'I love him, he was in my tummy for nine months, it’s like my child,' she told the ABC.'Never think that you're not my child, that I don't care for you.' 'I would like to tell Thai women – don't get into this business as a surrogate. Don't just think only for money ... if something goes wrong no one will help us and the baby will be abandoned from society, then we have to take responsibility for that,' Ms Chanbua said, The Sydney Morning Herald reported earlier on Friday. The campaign by charity Hands Across The Water is still ongoing and they have vowed to donate every cent raised to looking after the little boy . The young mother, who lives 90km south of Bangkok and has two other children, aged three and six, was paid a total of $16,000 by the couple to give birth to the baby. The couple paid an extra $1673 when they first realised - three-months into the pregnancy - that Ms Chanbua was having twins for them and reportedly told her to have an abortion. Ms Chanbua is a Buddhist and refused to have the abortion on moral grounds. She originally agreed to become a surrogate mother because of her family's financial problems and the arrangement was set-up through an agency, which has since been closed down. The Australian man and his ethnic-Asian wife could not conceive a baby themselves. 'Because of the poverty and debts, the money that was offered was a lot for me,' she told the ABC. 'In my mind, with that money, we one could educate my children and two we can repay our debt.' The Australian couple, who have remained anonymous, reportedly told Ms Chanbua to have an abortion . Ms Chanbua, 21, agreed to become a surrogate mother because of her family's financial problems . Commercial surrogacy is banned in Australia and it is illegal for people living in Queensland, NSW and the ACT to undertake commercial surrogacy in Thailand. It's also illegal for Australians to select a baby's sex. Current Australian Medicare policy forbids Medicare rebates for IVF use for surrogacy and to receive surrogacy as a treatment option in Australia the following conditions must be fulfilled: . Many Australians have flocked to Thailand over the years because the rules were far less strict. However, the rules have changed this week. After Thailand’s military government reviewed 12 Thai IVF clinics involved in surrogacy cases they have announced new laws. Surrogacy is now only recognised in Thailand if: . Surrogacy in Thailand is illegal if: . These new laws will now exclude almost every Australian from pursuing surrogacy in Thailand. | Baby Gammy's Thai surrogate mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, claims the boy's biological parents are a West Australian couple .
The father accused of abandoning Gammy reportedly has served jail time for child sex offences .
The Australian couple denied they were Gammy's parents, though they do have a daughter, the same age as Gammy, born via a Thai surrogate .
Ms Chanbua claims the parents told her they were 'too old' to parent twins .
The baby boy is now receiving treatment at renowned Samitivej Sriracha Hospital in Bangkok . |
12,041 | 22286db3897cf924e1e6bfc61e82954b7dcb9359 | By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . The Obamas' three day trip to Ireland last June cost the taxpayer more than $7.6million, it was revealed today. Michelle Obama spent more than $251,000 of taxpayers' money on a sightseeing jaunt to Dublin, Ireland while the first family was the official trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland. She stayed in the $3,300-per-night 'Princess Grace' presidential suite at Dublin's tony Shelbourne Hotel, a sumptuous two-bedroom, two-bathroom lodging that measures 1,530 square feet and includes butler service and its own dining room. President Obama an official visit to Belfast for a G-8 summit, and then to Berlin for official meetings, consuming 33.6 hours of Air Force One flight time. According to Air Force documents published Wednesday by Judicial Watch, the president's private Boeing 747 costs $228,288 per hour to operate, bringing the flight expenses for the trip to a whopping $7.67 million. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Swanky: The Princess Grace Suite at Dublin's Shelbourne hotel goes for $3,300 per night and comes with a butler . Michelle Obama and her daughters stayed in Dublin and racked up more than $251,000 in expenses -- at hotels like the Shelbourne -- while the president was attending a G-8 meeting in Belfast . Quasi-official pouting: The Obama daughters were unimpressed by Ireland's Wicklow Mountains National Park, but Secret Service were close by and accumulated expenses nonetheless . That doesn't include the cost of operating Air Force Two, which Mrs. Obama reportedly took to Dublin while the president was meeting foreign leaders in Belfast. Judicial Watch sued the federal government in January to get the records; it's best known for litigating Freedom Of Information Act requests and publishing the resulting documents. 'It is clear that the Obamas abused the perk of the president’s official trip to the G-8 summit for a luxury European vacation at taxpayer expense,' said Tom Fitton, the organization's president. 'And it is shameful that it took a federal lawsuit to obtain this information. Transparency goes by the wayside for the Obamas when it comes to covering up their abuse of taxpayer resources.' The Obamas' earlier 2011 trip to Ireland cost an estimated $2.6 million, but the 2013 trip included the largest private security detail ever assembled in Northern Ireland. Secret Service agents and members of Mrs. Obama's entourage staying in Dublin for less than two days were lodged both the Shelbourne and the Westbury hotels. Rooms at the Shelbourne, including the first lady's presidential suite, cost just over $55,000. Lodging at the Westbury added more than another $70,000. Taxpayers ponied up more than $114,000 for rental cars during the brief stay, mostly for Secret Serivce details. The White House described the first lady's side trip as an official visit, but her itinerary with her daughters read like a sightseer's dream. Old-world charm: Mrs. Obama's entourage took rooms at the Shelbourne . The White House didn't say whether the first lady hoisted a Guinness, but she met the locals in Dublin over a pub lunch . While his wife and daughters toured the countryside and watched Riverdance, President Obama met with G-8 leaders before jetting to Berlin, where the rest of his family rejoined him . The Obamas' 2013 Ireland trip cost more than $7.9 million, including the first lady's Dublin sightseeing tour. Here is a breakdown of the expenses, according to Judicial Watch: . Air Force One: $7,670,476.80 . 'Security' in Dublin: $251,161.86, including: . 'The First Lady will visit Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest university, where she will explore archives documenting the Obamas’ Irish ancestry in the Old Library and view the Book of Kells,' read the White House's media preview of the journey. 'Later in the day, Mrs. Obama will meet with the staff and families of Embassy Dublin and join Irish youth for a special performance by the Riverdance company at the historic Gaiety Theatre. Sabina Higgins, the wife of the President of Ireland Michael Higgins, and Fionnuala Kenny, the wife of the Taoiseach, will also attend.' 'On June 18th, the First Lady will visit the Wicklow Mountains National Park.' During brief remarks to children at the Riverdance performance, she said one of her daughters described the Trinity College library as 'like Hogwarts ... It's a huge room with shelf after shelf full of books; a beautiful place, and I hope that all of you aspire to go there.' At the beginning of the speech, she erroneously thanked her host – 'Mrs. Kennedy' – before correcting herself. Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama then flew from Dublin to Berlin, where they rejoined the president on the last leg of the short but expensive trip. | Michelle Obama and her daughters stayed in the 'Princess Grace' presidential suite at one of Dublin's fanciest hotels .
The $3,300-per-night mini-palace includes butler service, two bedrooms and two bathrooms .
Her side trip during the Belfast G-8 meeting was billed as an official visit but she saw Riverdance, gawked at the Book of Kells and toured a national park .
Air Force One alone costs more than $228,000 to operate . |
79,811 | e24236918ceeaf3cf91442ab3db8d6e08287cf08 | By . John Stevens for the Daily Mail . and Alan Roden . Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling will today end their bitter feud in a desperate attempt to salvage the campaign against Scottish independence. The Labour grandees will appear together at a rally in Dundee to shore up support for Scotland remaining in the UK after Mr Darling's disastrous television debate performance. The pair fell out after the former chancellor accused the former prime minister of 'hopeless' leadership and 'appalling behaviour' during his time in Downing Street. But they are thought to have agreed an 'uneasy truce' in hope of boosting the campaign. Scroll down for video... Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has made an 'uneasy truce' with Alistair Darling . The future of the 300-year-old union was thrown into doubt as First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond bounced back in the television clash on Monday night. David Cameron yesterday angered Scots after Downing Street admitted he did not watch the debate. Aides confessed the Prime Minister, on holiday in Cornwall, only watched clips and had seen only 'highlights' of the first debate earlier this month. Supporters of independence said this showed many Westminster politicians do not really care what happens to Scotland. Angus MacNeil, SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles), said: 'The reality is that like many MPs, Mr Cameron is not really bothered what goes on in Scotland and if we leave. The only thing that bothers him is that he does not want it to happen on his watch.' A spokesman for Yes Scotland said: 'Perhaps David Cameron is distancing himself from the faltering No campaign.' A source close to Mr Salmond said: 'David Cameron may not have been paying attention, but the London establishment is now starting to wake up to the fact this referendum campaign is going right down to the wire, and it is the Yes campaign which has all the momentum.' An average 834,000 Scots watched the debate on BBC One, and a further 1.5million tuned in to BBC Two in the rest of the UK. But many are thought to have been put off by the two campaign leaders shouting over each other. 'Uneasy truce': Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling fell out after the former chancellor accused the former prime minister of 'hopeless' leadership and 'appalling behaviour' during his time in Downing Street . A snap poll found 71 per cent of those questioned thought Mr Salmond won the debate, compared with 29 per cent for Mr Darling, however it did not find a change in voting intentions. Mr Darling, leader of the pro-UK Better Together campaign, yesterday insisted his camp had the momentum coming out of the second and final debate. He said: 'I'm not complacent – a lot can happen in the next three weeks – but we have momentum. I've always said I thought this would be a fight right down to the wire, but I am increasingly confident.' Mr Salmond was widely seen to have needed a win in the debate to help his campaign, which has consistently lagged in the polls. He has repeatedly called for a debate between him and Mr Cameron. He said: 'Let's have the real leader of the No campaign, David Cameron. Let's see if he can do any better than Alistair Darling did. I don't think he will.' Mr Cameron, who returns from his holiday at Polzeath today, has already been accused of complacency over the Iraq crisis. Downing Street denied Mr Cameron had failed to engage with the Scottish referendum campaign. A spokesman said: 'The key moment is when people go to vote on September 18.' Mr Brown and Mr Darling's once close relationship ended when the former chancellor gave an interview in 2008 describing the financial outlook as the worst for 60 years. The pair hardly spoke to each other after Labour was kicked out of office. | Labour grandees will appear together at a Better Together rally in Dundee .
They have agreed an 'uneasy truce' in hope of boosting the campaign .
The pair fell out over Gordon Brown's leadership while in office . |
133,689 | 38e08e891cc267dfa7d8125a71f0726d9ddf0447 | Australia coach Darren Lehmann has no intention of saving Mitchell Johnson for a World Cup assault on England and will recall the paceman as soon as possible. Johnson was the runaway man-of-the-series in last winter's Ashes and there are serious concerns about how England will react should he find his very best form again in the tournament opener in Melbourne on February 14. He has been missing for the last few weeks with fitness niggles and undisclosed personal reasons, and there have been suggestions Lehmann might hold his strike bowler back until that match, denying England closer look should they reach the final of the ongoing Tri-Series. Mitchell Johnson will not be rested ahead of the World Cup and could play for Australia at the Tri-Nations . Johnson celebrates after taking the wicket of Alastair Campbell during the last winter Ashes . Australia players celebrate their victory over England at the Tri-Series ODIs in Hobart . But Lehmann intends to reintegrate the left-armer at the first opportunity, potentially as soon as Monday's match against India. 'He'd be close. He's bowling (in the nets) and will be full training on Sunday, so hopefully he's available for selection,' said Lehmann. 'There's no resting. It's a final so there's a trophy up for grabs and we've got to try and win that so that's important for us as well. 'For us it's a case of worrying what we do well and keep doing that. We can't worry about England, we can only worry about what we're doing.' Captain Steve Smith was on fine form as Australia prepare for the forthcoming World Cup . England's Jos Butler can only watch as he is run out during defeat by Australia . The Australia line-up that beat England in Hobart on Friday was also missing captain George Bailey (banned), David Warner and Shane Watson (both hamstring). Bailey will return having served his over-rate suspension, Warner is inked back in at the top of the order but Watson may take longer. 'Warner will be fine, he'll come back in, with Watson we'll just see how he goes at training,' added Lehmann. 'We want to get everyone 100 per cent fit for the final and then the World Cup so that's what we're looking at.' Captain George Bailey (left) and David Warner (right) are set to return for the match against India . | Australia defeated England in the Tri-Series despite Ian Bell scoring 141 .
Pace bowler Mitchell Johnson will not be rested for the World Cup .
Captain George Bailey is set to return for the next match against India . |
194,545 | 87d6091acb2c1141dfb073980f42bb31182c78c2 | A new report claims that embattled Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito's bullying wasn't limited to other players, but also includes a member of the team's staff, whom Incognito allegedly mocked about his ethnic background and made crude joke's about the man's wife. According to two sources, 'Incognito would sometimes dress in garb from the staff member’s culture and then make profane jokes about that culture.' Another source says that another player joined Incognito in the bullying. Scroll down for video . Bullying claims: Miami Dolphins Guard Richie Incognito, right, has been accused of bullying younger players though he denies the claims . These most recent allegations about Incognito's alleged bullying antics were first reported by National Football Post. In addition to the cultural jabs, . Incognito reportedly made sexual references to the staffer's wife, . telling the man that she'd had sex with several members of the team. According to the report, the . harassment was done in full-view of other staffers and that team . management and front-office staff did nothing to stop it. The NFL currently is investigating . the allegations against Incognito and the Dolphins, as well as the . alleged bullying of Incognito's former teammate Jonathan Martin, who . claims he was relentlessly harassed by Incognito to the point that he . left the team to seek mental health treatment. In one of the disturbing exchanges, . Incognito referred to Martin, 24, as a ‘half-n*****’, while in another . he threatened to defecate in his young teammate's mouth. Incognito also made reference to tracking down members of Martin's family and harming them in other texts, reports CBS Sports. Incognito was indefinitely suspended by the NFL earlier this month while the league investigates the situation involving the rookie Martin. Martin left the team after an incident involving Incognito in the team cafeteria in October. It was later alleged that almost all the veteran Dolphins players have forced newer recruits to fund their lavish lifestyles . including $30,000 dinners. Leave: Miami Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin, 24, pictured, had taken a personal leave of absence from the team which has been blamed on the persistent teasing of his teammates . According to reports on ESPN and in the Miami Herald, the alleged bank-rolling is part of the reason for Martin's shocking leave of absence from the team. ESPN . claims Incognito got Martin to contribute $15,000 to . help finance a trip to Vegas last summer, even though he didn't attend. However, Incognito quickly disputed the report on Twitter. ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter released a report regarding Incognito on ESPN.com, saying that several sources insisted Incognito was involved. They said the incident was not isolated and extended to 2012, when Martin was a second-round draft pick by the team. One source said any emotional issues Martin is experiencing are directly related to his harassment. Reporter Adam Schefter tweeted on Monday some of Incognito's alleged messages to Martin . After the allegations were made public, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said, 'This is something we take . very seriously and will not be tolerated'. Incognito has been playing with the . Dolphins since 2010 and has been in the NFL since 2006, originally with . the St. Louis Rams. He was selected to the Pro Bowl just last season as . an offensive guard. Meanwhile, the Herald reported that one unnamed young player had coughed up so much cash to veterans that he's gone broke. Reporter . Adam Beasley tweeted: 'Recently, a younger player was handed the tab . for a $30,000 team dinner. The rookie minimum this year is around . $400.000.' Two tweets from Jared Odrick and Will Davis support the accusation. 'Everything tastes better when . rookies pay for it,' Odrick tweeted on November 2, while Davis wrote 'I . just seen a dinner bill for $30,000... WOW #RookieNight.' Jeff Darlington from NFL.com reported the suspension on Twitter . Jay Glazer from Fox Sports confirmed Darlington's report after allegedly talking with Incognito . Mike Garafalo of Fox Sports 1 gives the official reason for Incognito's suspension . 'Sources': ESPN TV personality, Adam Schefter, who first broke the story, is being attacked by Incognito on Twitter who says Schefter is 'slandering' his name . The team has labeled the accusations of bullying as 'speculation.' They added that their number one concern was Martin's health and well-being. 'The . Miami Dolphins, including Coach Joe Philbin and Jonathan's teammates, . have been in communication with Jonathan and his family since his . departure from the club and continue to be in contact. Our primary . concern for Jonathan is his overall health and well-being,' the . statement read. 'As an . organization, we take any accusations of player misconduct seriously. The notion of bullying is based on speculation and has not been . presented to us as a concern from Jonathan or anyone else internally. The reports that the NFLPA is investigating our players are inaccurate. 'Additionally, the NFL offered its assistance during this time, which we . appreciated and gladly accepted. We will continue to make Jonathan's . health and well-being a focus as we do with all of our players.' After ESPN . reporters Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefer's early stories about the allegations, Incognito . took to Twitter to rubbish the claims against him, writing . '@AdamSchefter Stop slandering my name. You hide behind "sources" who . are not man enough to put their name behind the BS you report.' Three minutes later, the player . added: '@AdamSchefter This is the second time you have tried to drag my . name through the mud with lies.' Martin, . nicknamed 'Big Weirdo' by some teammates has apparently been plagued by . bullying since joining Miami as a 2012 second-round draft choice. Educated: The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Martin is Stanford-educated and the son of two lawyers who attended Harvard University . The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Martin is Stanford-educated and the son of two lawyers who attended Harvard University. A . second-round draft pick, Martin started every game at . right tackle as a rookie last year. He switched to left tackle this . season, then moved back to the right side last month in a reshuffling of . the Dolphins' struggling offensive line. 'You can approach this two different ways,' Martin said regarding his latest position switch at the time. 'You . can go in the tank and be one of those guys that moans and is a cancer . in the locker room, or you can be a professional and play as hard as you . can. My mindset is I'm going to go out there and do whatever I can to . help the team win.' Pass . protection has been a problem for Miami all season. Ryan Tannehill went . into the Bengals game with an NFL-high 32 sacks, and the Dolphins (3-4) were saddled with a four-game losing streak. | A new report claims that Richie Incognito made crude jokes about a team staffer's wife and his ethnicity .
The report claims that Dolphins management witnessed the alleged harassment and did nothing to stop it .
Incognito, 30, was suspended indefinitely over allegations that he bullied teammate Jonathon Martin, 24 .
The linesman is alleged to have sent Martin a series of racist and threatening text messages and voice mails .
He is also accused of forcing the younger player contribute $15,000 to .
help finance a trip to Las Vegas last summer, even though Martin didn't attend . |
128,605 | 322eb34c5abf2794641f9261509bc7fa52719bf3 | By . Daily Mail Reporters . A 25-year-old Oregon mother has been sentenced to life in prison for the beating murder of her four-year-old son, who slowly died of severe abuse in a homeless shelter. Jessica Dutro was sentenced Friday after being convicted of killing her son Zachary Dutro-Burgess, with a Washington County jury hearing earlier this month that her motive for the murder was believing the little boy was gay. Under state law, Dutro will be eligible for parole after 25 years, according to The Oregonian. Her boyfriend, Brian Canady, was also sentenced Friday for his role in the August 2012 murder. Canady, who received a plea deal after testifying against his girlfriend, pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault. Abuser: Jessica Dutro (left) was found guilty of murdering her fouryear-old son Zachary because she thought he was gay and has been sentenced to life in prison for the crime . Jessica Dutro, 25, is charged in the death of her 4-year-old son, Zachary Dutro-Boggess in Hillsboro, Oregon, on April 1, 2014 . Too young: Zachary died in August 2012 after being beaten so severely his intestines tore, slowly causing a deadly infection . He received a sentence of 12 and a half years in prison. On August 14, 2012, Jessica Dutro and . her boyfriend called 911 to report that her son was unconscious after . collapsing at Good Neighbor Center, a family homeless shelter in which the couple lived with Dutro's three children. Little . Zachary, who just turned four the day before, was rushed to a Portland . hospital where doctors diagnosed him with blunt-force trauma to the . abdomen, which caused his bowels to tear. The . toddler was taken off the ventilator two days later. He died of . blunt-force trauma to his abdomen and delay in medical treatment, . prosecutors said. In . shocking evidence revealed in court, Dutro wrote to her boyfriend on Facebook to . tell him she feared her son was gay, using a slur: 'He walks and talks . like it. Ugh.' Canady would have to 'work on' Zachary, she wrote. Former couple: Both Dutro and her boyfriend Brian Canady, 25 (right), were charged in Zachary's death, but Canady escaped murder charges by taking a plea deal, agreeing to testify against his girlfriend . Crime scene: Zachary Dutro-Boggess was found unconscious August 14, 2012, in the homeless shelter Good Neighbor Center in Tigard, Oregon . The message established Dutro's motive for inflicting a pattern of abuse, prosecutor Megan Johnson said. Dutro assaulted all three of her children, but Zachary received the harshest treatment, authorities said. The judge ruled additional web searches done by Dutro were also admissible, The Oregonian reported. On August 16, 2012, the day her son was taken off life support, Miss Dutro searched terms such as anger management and parenting classes, prosecutors said. She also searched listings for free stuff and sex with strangers, they said. Earlier last month, Canady pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault for his role in the homicide after agreeing to testify against Dutro as a witness for the prosecution. Admission of guilt: Brian Canady (center) pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault earlier this month. He has now been sentenced to 12 and a half years prison . Under the plea agreement, the more serious charges against him, including four counts of murder by abuse and one count of second-degree assault, have been dropped. When questioned by detectives, the man admitted that he had kicked Zachary in the stomach because the boy wanted to take off his shoes before sitting down to watch TV, as Canady had ordered him. During a hearing last month, the jury got to hear an audio recording of an interview that detectives had conducted with Miss Dutro's 7-year-old daughter, who described how her mother and Canady allegedly hit and punched Zachary until he 'got dead.' The girl also told police that the couple often hit her and her siblings for 'not being good.' The 7-year-old recounted how her brother was repeatedly struck by his parents for not listening until he got sick. Plea deal: Canady agreed to testify against his girlfriend in exchange for the more serious charges against him being dropped. He was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault . The boy eventually stopped breathing, but his sister told police that Dutro and her boyfriend 'didn’t tell anybody.' On the morning of August 14, Dutro placed . Zachary in the shower because he had wet himself, but the child's body . was limp and his eyes rolled. Dr. Danny Leonhardt, who examined Zachary, testified that by the time his parents sought medical help for the toddler, he 'essentially was dead.' Leonhardt said that the contents of his torn intestines had leaked out into his body for at least two days, resulting in a deadly infection. Besides the injuries to Zachary’s abdomen similar to those seen in car crash victims, the child's body was covered in bruises suggesting prolonged, repeated abuse. Leonhardt said that in the hospital, he caught a glimpse of Zachary's 3-year-old brother and said that the child's face was covered in scrapes. An exam later showed that the toddler had five broken ribs in various stages of healing. The physician evaluated the victim’s siblings and concluded that all of them had been abused, save for Dutro and Canady's infant son. | Zachary Dutro-Boggess, 4, died in August 2012 after being beaten so severely his intestines tore .
Mother Jessica Dutro, 25, was found guilty of his murder .
On Friday she was sentenced to life in prison .
Dutro's boyfriend, Brian Canady, 25, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault, and agreed to testify against the mother .
He was sentenced to 12 and a half years prison .
Dutro sent a Facebook message to Canady saying that Zachary 'walks and talks like it [gay]', and that the boyfriend would have to 'work on' him .
Doctor who examined four-year-old testified that contents of his ripped bowels leaked into his body for at least two days . |
218,612 | a6fe881bbceaa34915c49c1829951297d9696e4b | By . Kirsty Walker . PUBLISHED: . 17:18 EST, 20 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:18 EST, 20 May 2012 . Right behind you: Boris Johnson with his adviser Guto Harri in 2009 . Guto Harri, Boris Johnson’s ex- spin doctor, has accepted a lucrative job at News International. The former BBC journalist – who worked closely with the Tory London Mayor and helped mastermind his re-election – starts work today as communications director at Rupert Murdoch’s media company. Mr Harri’s appointment will raise questions about continuing close links between the company and the Conservative Party, which are under intense scrutiny at the Leveson Inquiry into Press standards. Earlier this month it emerged that David Cameron nearly hired Mr Harri to be his spin doctor ahead of his eventual appointment of former News of the World editor Andy Coulson. Mr Coulson told the inquiry that Mr Cameron had held talks with Mr Harri but was persuaded by George Osborne to hire him instead. Mr Harri, the BBC’s former chief political correspondent, went on to become Mr Johnson’s spin doctor when he first won office in 2008 and worked with the mayor until his re-election for a second term earlier this month. It is understood that the Prime Minister made a second attempt to woo Mr Harri after he let it be known that he would be stepping down as Mr Johnson’s director of external affairs. Commenting on Mr Harri’s new job, Labour MP Chris Bryant said: ‘It feels a bit like the revolving door of the Conservative Party, the Metropolitan Police and News International continues to revolve.’ Labour’s media spokesman, Helen Goodman, said: ‘It seems that the lure of Murdoch or his money is irresistible to some people in the political world – but this is a mistake, especially after Boris called for the head of the BBC to be a Tory. ‘Of course newspapers have values but to be able to hold politicians to account they need a degree of independence from political parties, which Mr Harri is signally failing to demonstrate.’ Mr Harri, 45, who is reported to be on a salary of £250,000 a year, will be responsible for restoring News International’s battered image in the wake of the phone hacking scandal. But, after four years at Mr Johnson’s side, he will have an intimate knowledge of the thinking of a politician still tipped to succeed Mr Cameron as Tory leader. Mr Harri replaces Andrew Honnor who held the position in an interim capacity and has recently set up his own agency. Links: Labour MP Chris Bryant, left, has questioned if the appointment of Guto Harri, centre, showed continuing close ties between the company run by Rupert Murdoch, right, and the Conservative Party . Mr Johnson, meanwhile, has been criticised for initially dismissing the hacking scandal as party political ‘codswallop’ in September 2010. Documents subsequently revealed that NI was at the time offering him £2million towards an academy school in London and talking of donating millions more to sponsor another Johnson project, a cable car crossing the Thames. Pressure: Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, right, seen walking with former adviser Adam Smith, left, will appear before the Leveson Inquiry this week . In 2010, according to emails already published by Leveson, News International executive Will Lewis asked colleagues: ‘Where are we with the schools project, particularly Boris securing the land and [Education Secretary] Michael Gove the capital investment?’ Both offers were, however, dropped shortly afterwards. Beleaguered Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt faces more pressure this week when the men at the centre of the row over his handling of the Murdoch bid for BSkyB give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry. His former special adviser, Adam Smith, and News Corporation’s chief lobbyist, Frederic Michel, will appear on Thursday, leading to fresh scrutiny of the minister’s role in the £8billion bid by the company to take full control of the broadcaster. Mr Smith quit last month after a damning 163-page dossier of emails between the minister’s office and the Murdoch empire was published during James Murdoch’s testimony to the inquiry. Mr Smith admitted he went ‘too far’ in handing sensitive information to Mr Michel, but said he acted ‘without authorisation’ from the minister. Mr Hunt insists he acted with propriety and did not know what Mr Smith was doing. News International chief executive Tom Mockridge said: ‘Guto’s experience as a communications professional, along with his solid journalistic background, means he is well qualified to lead us through the challenges we face as NI continues to change and progress.’ Mr Harri said: ‘With a proud heritage and firm commitment to serious journalism, I relish the chance to play my part in helping the new leadership secure a strong future.’ Last week, the company’s former chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, 43, was charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice along with her husband Charlie and four others. She protests her innocence. | Labour MP slams appointment of Guto Harri to role at News International .
Former BBC journalist helped Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson win second term .
Conservative Party facing intense scrutiny at Leveson Inquiry into Press standards over links with Rupert Murdoch's media empire . |
19,926 | 38918d13d5ad7ae276a4535102aa885bef1e3e4c | Manchester United legend Andrei Kanchelskis has launched an astonishing attack on Louis van Gaal, claiming the Dutchman will never win the Premier League, not even in ten years. The former United winger witnessed first-hand Van Gaal's new look side when he watched the defeat to Southampton at Old Trafford in the company of Sir Alex Ferguson. But the experience wasn't an enjoyable one as he admitted both him and Ferguson left Old Trafford gutted and upset. Manchester United legend Andrei Kanchelskis celebrates a goal against Everton during his time at the club . Past and present: Sir Alex Ferguson (left) meets Louis van Gaal at a Champions League game in 1998 . Van Gaal's side put in a woeful perfromance on the day, eventually succumbing to defeat against old rival Ronald Koeman thanks to a second-half goal from substitute Dusan Tadic. Kanchelskis told a Russian paper: 'With Louis van Gaal in charge they will not become champions for another ten years.' 'I don't understand the type of football he is instilling into his players. I don't fancy their chances with him in charge - they aren't going to compete with Chelsea and Manchester City. Southampton manager Ronald Koeman (left) celebrates Dusan Tadic's late winner away at Old Trafford . Monaco ace Radamel Falcao has struggled to impress on-loan at United since arriving at the club . 'They looked awful. Seventy-five thousand people came to the stadium to watch but they were an embarrassment. I felt sorry for the fans. 'He may be able to solve some of the problems by changing his personnel but on the whole I don't fancy my old team's prospects with him in charge.' 'United's players from 1993 - the likes of Paul Ince, Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Peter Schmeichel, Ryan Giggs - would be tearing their hair out.' The good old days: Paul Scholes (left) Ferguson (middle) and Ryan Giggs (right) talk tactics with a smile . | Ex-double winner watched Southampton defeat with Sir Alex Ferguson .
Revealed he left Old Trafford gutted and upset with what he saw .
Feels Louis van Gaal is not the right man to take the club forward .
Says Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs would be pulling their hair out . |
264,112 | e2110bae28a845a5e1bde138fc7c2c5c5bdc00fe | (CNN) -- Iran's controversial nuclear program began more than 50 years ago with aid from the West. Now, despite Iran's assurances that its program is purely peaceful, some Western countries, the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency say they're concerned that Iran wants to use the program to create a nuclear weapon. Here's a look at Iran's nuclear program over the years: . • 1957 -- The United States signs a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Iran. • 1958 -- Iran joins the International Atomic Energy Agency. • 1967 -- The Tehran Nuclear Research Center opens. It includes a small reactor supplied by the United States. • 1968 -- Iran signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. • Mid-1970s -- With U.S. backing, Iran begins developing a nuclear power program. • 1979 -- Iran's Islamic revolution ends Western involvement in the country's nuclear program. • December 1984 -- With the aid of China, Iran opens a nuclear research center in Isfahan. • February 23, 1998 -- The United States announces concerns that Iran's nuclear energy program could lead to the development of nuclear weapons. Two years later, the U.S. imposes the first sanctions against Iran related to its nuclear program. • February 9, 2003 -- Iran announces that it has discovered uranium on its own soil, giving the country a domestic source of material for its nuclear program. • February 21, 2003 -- Amid U.S. claims that Iran seeks to produce nuclear weapons, the IAEA's director general visits Iran and encourages its leaders to allow inspectors more and faster access to its nuclear sites. Iran declines. • June 19, 2003 -- The IAEA issues a report saying that Iran appears to be in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but that it needs to be more open about its activities. • August 26, 2003 -- The IAEA finds traces of highly enriched uranium at Iran's Natanz nuclear plant. A month later, U.N. weapons inspectors report traces at a second facility near Tehran, and the IAEA sets an October 31 deadline for the country to prove it is not developing nuclear weapons. Iran claims the source of the uranium is imported equipment. • October 21, 2003 -- Iran agrees to suspend processing and enriching uranium and allow unannounced inspections by the IAEA. • November, 12, 2003 -- The IAEA finds no evidence of a nuclear program but expresses concern about plutonium production. Iran's president says the material is for pharmaceutical use. • September 28, 2004 -- Iran's foreign minister rejects claims that the country wants an atomic bomb but vows to defend its nuclear facilities against any attack by Israel. • November 14, 2004 -- Iran again agrees to temporarily suspend uranium processing and enrichment after talks with European countries in Paris. • January 13, 2005 -- IAEA inspectors visit the Parchin military complex, believed to have been the site of high-explosive tests related to nuclear weapons research. They find no evidence of a nuclear program but are given only partial access to the facility. • January 17, 2005 -- U.S. President George Bush warns that military action against Iran is an option. • August 9, 2005 -- Iran's supreme leader issues a religious decree against manufacturing, storing or using nuclear weapons. • February 4, 2006 -- The IAEA votes to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions over its uranium enrichment program. The next day, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad orders Iran to end its cooperation with the IAEA. • April 11, 2006 -- Ahmadinejad declares that Iran has joined the list of countries with nuclear technology, confirming the production of low-grade enriched uranium at a level sufficient to power nuclear power plants. • July 31, 2006 -- The U.N. Security Council passes a resolution calling on Iran to stop uranium enrichment efforts within one month, but it does not impose sanctions. • December 23, 2006 -- The Security Council votes unanimously to impose sanctions on Iran for failing to curb its enrichment program, the first of several rounds of sanctions imposed by the U.N., the European Union and individual countries over the next few years. • December 4, 2007 -- The U.S. government says an intelligence estimate suggests that Iran stopped work on its nuclear weapons program in 2003. • February 20, 2009 -- The nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security reports that Iran could have enough low-enriched uranium to build one nuclear weapon. But the IAEA says it would need further processing to be used in a weapon. • September 2009 -- Iran test-fires short- and long-range missiles, raising fears that the country could deliver nuclear weapons atop such missiles. • 2010 -- A mysterious computer worm called Stuxnet begins infecting computers used in Iranian nuclear facilities, sabotaging machinery used in uranium enrichment, computer researchers will later say. Some experts say the worm may have been deliberately introduced by governments seeking to slow or kill Iran's nuclear program, but the worm's origin remains unclear. • January 12, 2010 -- An Iranian nuclear scientist is killed by a car bomb, leading Iranian leaders to claim Western powers are waging a covert campaign against its nuclear program. A year later, Iran will announce it believes the death was the work of a spy ring linked to Israel, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. • February 12, 2010 --- Ahmadinejad says Iran has enriched uranium to 20%, evidence of a significant upgrade in capability. • February 18, 2010 --- In a reversal from the 2007 U.S. estimate, the IAEA reports that it believes Iran may be working in secret to develop a nuclear warhead for a missile, one of several in a series of renewed warnings over the next few years questioning Iran's claim of a purely peaceful nuclear program. • November 29, 2010 -- Nearly simultaneous explosions from car bombs kill one Iranian nuclear scientist and wound another. • January 8, 2011 -- Iran becomes one of the few countries in the world capable of producing everything it needs for the nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel plates and rods, Iran's atomic chief and foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi tells Fars. • November 8, 2011 -- An IAEA report says the agency has found no evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear weapon, but the nation has carried out "activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device." • November 24, 2011 -- Iran claims to arrest what it describes as 12 CIA agents and accuses them of trying to cripple the country's nuclear program, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. • July 23, 2011 -- An Iranian nuclear scientist is killed by assailants in Tehran. • January 11, 2012 -- Another Iranian nuclear scientist is killed by a car bomb in Tehran. • February 21, 2012 -- IAEA inspectors leave Iran after their second visit in as many months, saying no progress had been made and they had been denied access to the Parchin site. Iran calls the talks "intensive." • February 24, 2012 -- In a leaked report, the IAEA says that Iran has significantly stepped up its enrichment program and the agency continues to have "serious concerns" about potential military uses. • March 3, 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama warns that "all elements of American power" remain an option to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. • March 5, 2012 -- In a trip to the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns that time for a diplomatic solution is running out. • March 6, 2012 -- Iran offers to allow access to the Parchin site, but only after significant details are worked out. Meanwhile, the "P5 plus 1" group -- the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia (the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council), plus Germany -- agree to resume negotiations with Iran. • March 7, 2012 -- Western diplomats tell CNN that satellite images appear to show evidence of clean-up work at the Parchin facility, but they add that they have no clear idea what Iranians are doing. Meanwhile, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano says he believes "Iran is not telling us everything" about its nuclear program. • March 8, 2012 -- The P5 plus 1 group expresses concerns about Iran's uranium enrichment program and demands that the country allow inspectors unfettered access to Parchin and resume talks with the international community on its nuclear program. • March 15, 2012 -- An adviser to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterates in an interview with CNN that inspectors will not be allowed to return to Parchin before talks resume. • March 15, 2012 -- European Union action effectively cuts Iranian banks off from the global financial system. The move, part of increasingly strident sanctions against Iran over the nuclear issue, is described by one financial executive as "an extraordinary and unprecedented" step. | Iran began building a nuclear power program in the 1970s .
By the 1990s, the United States was expressing concerns about military uses .
In recent months the situation has become increasingly tense . |
145,309 | 47ee280539382190a4cca8d0c3355e91d45c0366 | (CNN) -- The space shuttle Discovery was waved off from its first chance to land Friday afternoon because of unstable weather near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said. The space shuttle's landing in Florida was delayed Thursday, shown. A first attempt Friday was called off, too. The shuttle will make another orbit of Earth, while NASA mission managers watch to see if extreme moisture and lightning threaten a safe landing. The next opportunity to land in Florida would come at 7:23 p.m. ET; however, Mission Control told the shuttle crew the forecast for that time "looks about the same." Crews have been activated at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert in case NASA decides to land the shuttle there, where the weather is not considered an issue. There are two chances to land Friday evening in California. The space agency, however, usually exhausts all landing windows in Florida before sending the spacecraft to California. A landing on the West Coast adds a week to the turnaround time before the shuttle can be ready for another mission and it costs several million dollars. The landing could be delayed until Saturday when there are two more chances to land in Florida or California. Discovery initially was scheduled to return to Earth on Thursday, but poor weather in central Florida also forced a delay. The seven astronauts are wrapping up a 13-day mission to the international space station, where the crew made repairs and delivered supplies. The crew executed three spacewalks and dropped off a Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or Colbert treadmill. It was named after comedian Stephen Colbert. Weather and technical problems delayed Discovery's launch three times before blastoff. | Landing attempt for space shuttle called off because of bad weather .
The shuttle may attempt a landing in Florida later Friday .
Attempts to land on Thursday also were called off because of bad weather .
NASA is readying crews in the California desert as a backup plan . |
85,832 | f364f59991edfa049a0b66ddf4e8d607beb8a1e2 | The mother and maternal grandparents of an 8-year-old Pennsylvania boy doctors said 'looked like a Holocaust survivor' were ordered on Thursday to stand trial on attempted murder and other charges for allegedly denying the boy food regularly and hiding him from public view. District Judge Brian Arthur was so shocked by pictures presented in court and by medical reports of the boy's condition after he was removed from the family's Greenville home in June that the judge ordered the three defendants jailed and set bail at $100,000 each. Police allege the boy was fed only small amounts of food so he turned to eating bugs when he was allowed onto the back porch. Trial set: Mary C. Rader, in white, and her mother, Deana Beighly, center, are lead by sheriff's deputies from the courthouse to an awaiting police vehicle on Thursday . The boy was 7 and weighed 25 pounds when caseworkers took him to Greenville Medical Center, where a doctor reported: 'The young man is so emaciated he looks like a Holocaust survivor.' A doctor said he was one month from dying. The judge's decision drew applause from about 60 courtroom spectators - friends, relatives and some complete strangers to the boy - some of whom gasped when the pictures a Mercer County caseworker took of the boy this summer were flashed on a video screen minutes earlier. Lawyers for the boy's mother, Mary Rader, 28; his grandmother, Deana Beighley, 48; and his step-grandfather, Dennis Beighley, 59; expressed disappointment that their clients were jailed. The three family members had been released from custody after they were charged July 17. Rader and the grandparents contend the boy has a growth hormone problem. Tragic: Beighley, left, and Rader, right are accused of starving the 8-year-old boy. The boy was removed from his home in June when a neighbor noticed his 'skeletal' appearance . 'I think . there's no question what happened here was a tragedy, but the question . is who's responsible for it and whether it's a criminal offense,' Rader's attorney Jack Cline said. Neil . Rothschild, an attorney for the grandmother, told the judge the adults . may be guilty of not seeking proper medical attention for a boy who 'had . trouble keeping his weight on' but nothing more. 'It sounds more to me like a situation that got away from them,' Rothschild said. County Detective John Piatek, one of two witnesses at the hearing, has said he believes the grandmother disliked the boy and influenced the others to mistreat him, but the detective didn't testify about that Thursday. He told the judge that one next door neighbor thought Rader, who has four children, had only three children because the neighbor only saw two girls and a boy playing outside. District Attorney Robert Kochems said the starved boy - identified in testimony only by his initials A.R. - was purposely kept from public view. When a neighbor finally did see him on June 6, she called to report 'what she said appeared to be a walking skeleton,' county welfare worker Kendra Manning testified. Home: One next door neighbor thought Rader, who has four children, had only three children because the neighbor only saw two girls and a boy playing outside the home, pictured . Medical personnel noted that the boy's bones protruded so sharply that his skin broke open in some areas, and a doctor at Children's Hospital of UPMC in Pittsburgh, where he was eventually transferred, concluded he was a month from dying. Deana Beighley's attorney noted that the boy told a caseworker he ate three meals a day, was treated kindly, and sometimes forced himself to vomit after meals. But the prosecutor said the boy ate and gained weight normally once he was hospitalized, and has gained about 20 pounds. Kochems said the boy's statements that he was decently treated can be explained by his perspective as a child. 'He doesn't know that they're trying to kill him,' Kochems said. 'We do.' All four of Rader's children have been placed in foster care. | Mary Rader, 28, and her parents, Deana Beighley, 48; and, Dennis Beighley, 59; were ordered Thursday to stand trial on attempted murder charges .
They allegedly denied her 8-year-old son food regularly and hid him from public view .
District Judge Brian Arthur was so shocked by pictures shown in court in June that he ordered the three jailed and set bail at $100,000 each .
Police allege the boy was fed only small amounts of food so he turned to eating bugs when he was allowed onto the back porch .
The boy was 7 and weighed 25 pounds when caseworkers took him to Greenville Medical Center . |
100,226 | 0d226c9abfec9d4d9b0f4f4645a9dafcb9e0bd03 | A London-based designer has come up with a collection of zombie-proof vehicles, just in time for Halloween. Donal O'Keeffe from Cork in Ireland, created the Zombie Survival Series with 3D rendering after being inspired by his love of horror films. The 31-year-old put the collection together after imagining what city-life would be like if the streets were taken over by wandering undead, from which there would be no safer escape than one of these modified, mobile fortresses. Graphic designer Donal O'Keeffe was inspired to create the collection with 3D Rendering by his love of horror films and fascination with how they 'put people out of their comfort zone' A typical London bus is kitted out with survival equipment including barrels for water and canned foods in the collection which imagines survival in a post-apocalyptic world . 'The concept for the series sprouted from my love of detailed 3D cross section renders,' said O'Keeffe, who works predominantly within broadcast. 'Their inherit ability to infuse narrative through the placement of . details. 'I really wanted the viewer to study and create for themselves, . to theorise about whom the survivor or survivors are and what kind of . background they came from.' 'I paired this interest with my love of horror films and their ability to place people outside their comfort zones.' 'I felt the concept of an end of civilization/zombie attack would be . an ideal way to explain these bizarre and abnormal creations.' His designs range from a London taxi to a Royal Mail van stuffed with survival foods including potatoes and baked beans. Speaking to core77.com, the designer said: 'Each one was rendered and created for large format printing. 'Plus I . felt the concept of protection from the outside world and our attempt to . cling onto some form of reality was fascinating. A Royal Mail van is converted into an apocalyptic survival zone complete with a bookshelf, ladder and fire extinguisher in O'Keeffe's collection of rendered images . A small American flag droops at the front of this battered New York taxi which seems to have lost its doors and windows amidst the zombie-populated city . An Indian tuk-tuk is kitted out with stationary machine guns and a bow-and arrow. Flood lights are positioned at the top of the vehicle to locate unwanted passengers . The graphic designer from Cork, Ireland, said he was inspired by his love of 3D rendering as well as his passion for films such as Zombieland, starring Jesse Eisenberg . 'These themes lead me to the zombie survival vehicles.' Alongside basic necessities like water and food are more personalised items imagined by O'Keeffe with individual characters in mind. Photographs, books and rosary beads are among weapons such as knives and rifles, as the driver tried to imagine people who 'live, drive and survive' in the modified vehicles. 'I also wanted to put some small detailed textures somewhere in the vehicles - blood stains, scrawled writings, pop culture designs etc,' he said. 'I've also had people interested in commissioning new pieces personal to them, such as modeling their father's car and filling it with his favorite possessions. Even modeling and designing whole buildings.' 'From the bookshelf on the upper storage space of the royal mail van to the American flag stuck in the grille of the yellow taxi.' All of the vehicles are equipped with a map at the driver's seat. In addition to fuel reserves they each have a weapon of choice ranging from pick-axes to machine guns. Prints of the images can be purchased online. | Zombie Survival Series conceptualizes post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies .
A London taxi and Royal Mail van are among vehicles transformed into mobile fortresses complete with shotguns, flood-lights and food supplies .
Creator, Donal O'Keeffe, created collection using 3D rendering after being inspired by horror films . |
77,604 | dc0d6855966e22fe467f01548bedf47ef9f69af2 | Didier Drogba is poised to take a step closer to realising his dream of a return to Chelsea this week. Talks have been ongoing over a one year player-coach contract which will see the 36-year-old Stamford Bridge idol reunited with mentor Jose Mourinho. Drogba is understood to have already texted some of his former Chelsea teammates to hint at his return. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Didier Drogba's hilarious fight with Jens Lehman . Legend: Mourinho (left) brought Drogba to the club in 2004 from Marseille, and his faith paid off . Elsewhere: The 36-year-old has interest from clubs in Qatar while Juventus continue to flirt with the idea . Chelsea have wanted to lower the age of their playing squad but recognise the significant contribution Drogba can still make to the club on and off the pitch. His experience and winning mentality can influence those around him while he has the ability to make an impact from the bench as he provides cover for main striker Diego Costa. Chelsea have spent well this summer and will continue to add but have lost Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba while Romelu lukaku could yet join Everton despite initially being recalled into the fold. A player-coach contract though would also fall more comfortably into Financial Fair Play guidelines as part of his wages would be absorbed into the coaches budget. Drogba first signed for Chelsea ten years ago and left in 2012. To confirm his departure, Drogba told the club's official website: 'I wanted to put an end the speculation and confirm that I am leaving Chelsea. It has been a very difficult decision for me to make and I am very proud of what we have achieved. But the time is right for a new challenge for me. As a team we have accomplished so much and have won every single trophy possible.' Milking the applause: Drogba shows his appeciation to the fans during his last game at Stamford Bridge in blue . Journeyman: Spells at Shaghai Shenua and Galatasaray followed Drogba's Chelsea departure . VIDEO Drogba weighs up Chelsea return . He returned last season as an opponent in the Champions League with Galatasaray and was presented with a thank you gift of a silver boot on behalf of the club. His return will be welcomed by supporters and will strengthen Mourinho's position within the club. Yet fans will still be demanding another, younger striker or that Chelsea keep Lukaku. Much will depend though if the Belgian is willing to play second fiddle to Costa and Everton are poised with an offer to give him the starting place he demands. Meanwhile, Chelsea are sending new signing Mario Pasalic out on loan to Elche for the 2014/15 season. The Croatia Under-21 midfielder spoke to 24sata about the move revealing: 'As I went to say goodbye to my manager Jose Mourinho, he told me that I'm on the best way to one day return to Chelsea. 'He also told me that I must do my best on loan in Spain because he will keep track of all my games. Director of sport Michael Emenalo also told me that he and Mourinho will come to see me in Spain. I like this option from Elche... I always dreamed that I would play in La Liga once.' Return? Drogba was Chelsea's hero in the 2012 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich . | The 36-year-old Chelsea legend has interest from Qatar and Juventus .
Mourinho has a strong relationship with Drogba after signing him in 2004 .
Manager hopes Drogba's arrival will give club extra impetus this year .
Negotiations are continuing with the Ivorian legend .
Drogba has texted his former teammates to hint at his return .
Mario Pasalic will move on loan to Spanish side Elche . |
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